Author's note: This has been edited from the original, which contained a brief segment involving a fandom that is not permitted on this site. That scene was re-written with a suitable replacement to maintain the flavor of the story.

Historical note: In 1945, during a newspaper strike, New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was noted for reading the comics over the radio to the children of the city.

"So far, Mxyzptlk has used characters from FoxTrot, the Family Circus, Garfield, Dilbert, Peanuts, Hagar The Horrible, Calvin & Hobbes, and Luann, and those are only the ones we know about," said Batman. "It needs to come to a stop now."

"What's the plan?" Dick asked. "I don't remember ever seeing you look at the comics."

"No reason to up to now," Batman replied. "That's where you come in."

He handed Babs a disk and said, "The 5th dimension magic he uses leaves a unique energy trail. With this data on how to isolate that energy, you should be able to track his appearances via satellite."

"Then you want me to go play Fiorello LaGuardia to him?" Dick asked.

Batman ignored the comment and said, "Oracle will track Mxyzptlk, and as she pinpoints each new location, Zatanna will create an appropriate response, based on suggestions from Nightwing. Contact Robin for his input as well. I'll be in touch via com-link to follow and undo any damage." With that, he leapt from the window and was soon lost in the Gotham skyline.

Zatanna and Nightwing napped while Oracle ran the data on the disk and cobbled together some code that would let her trace his energy signature with her favorite military tracking satellite.

"Rise and shine," Oracle called out as she brewed a pot of coffee and poured three cups. She handed two of the cups, as well as the morning paper, to Dick and Zatanna. They opened it up to the comic section while Oracle established her satellite link.

"Alright, we've got something," she said. Zooming the satellite's cameras into an area of the Gotham suburbs, she said, "There he is. Are you two ready?"

Dick nodded, and pointing to one of the comics spread out on the table, he said to Zatanna, "How about starting with this one?"

**********

Mr. Mxyzptlk whistled as he wandered down the residential streets, considering the possibilities for fun during the Gotham morning commute. Suddenly the door of one of the houses opened, and a man with a black suit and a red bow tie dashed down the walk toward a waiting car. He didn't see the imp standing on the sidewalk, and ran over him in his race to meet his carpool.

Mxyzptlk had just sat up, and was looking around for his hat when a woman appeared at the door and called out, "Dagwood! You forgot your lunch!"

Dagwood braked hard and reversed course back to the front door. Mxyzptlk managed to avoid him as Blondie handed her absent-minded husband his lunch, but he didn't get out of the way fast enough to keep from getting run over again as Dagwood headed back to the car.

"That was no fun," grumbled Mxyzptlk. And a purple flash appeared as the imp disappeared.

**********

"Okay," Oracle called out. "He's on the move. He's over at the dog run. What's our next move?"

Zatanna glanced at the comics page, smiled, and said, "I've got just the thing."

**********

Mxyzptlk sat on the park bench watching people walking their dogs, and was thinking about which dog looked like he would be the most fun with the gift of speech. Suddenly, everyone scattered as a huge Great Dane flew into the park, dragging his hapless owner along behind him.

The imp was beginning to think that he should choose someplace new to find his fun when the dog veered off the path toward a tree, then back around the bench. In less time than it took for his owner to say, "Heel, Marmaduke, for the love of God, HEEL", the leash had been wound around Mxyzptlk's shoulders and head. If his mouth wasn't covered, what proceeded would probably not have been fit for the funny pages. Then there was another purple flash, and the leash fell to the ground.

**********

"He's out of the suburbs now," Oracle said. "He's at the national guard base now."

Dick and Zatanna both pointed at the same strip simultaneously.

**********

"A military base, the best of both worlds," Mxyzptlk said to himself. "A little safer with order and discipline, and that same order and discipline should be fun to upset!"

He still looked both ways before beginning to walk across the parade ground. He was halfway across when he heard somebody yell, "Beetle Bailey! Get back here or I'll pulverize you!"

Mxyzptlk spun around as a scrawny private zigzagged his way around him. He hadn't quite caught his breath, though, when a hefty Army drill sergeant and his platoon charged after the runaway private. Without the private's agility, though, they simply ran over the top of the imp.

"The residential area is no good," he muttered. "Same for the park and the army base. Where else can I try?"

**********

Oracle touched her com-link and said, "Batman, you'd better get over to the east side of town. Looks like he's headed for Ketcham Elementary."

"On my way," came back the curt reply. "How are things on your end?"

"No visual confirmation," she said, "But his pattern of disappearing and reappearing suggests we've got him on the run."

Oracle turned to Dick and Zatanna and said, "What's next?"

**********

"This is just the thing," Mxyzptlk said, looking up at the school. "Nobody speeds in a school zone."

Before he could think of anything else to do, the school bell rang and the doors flew open to release the flood of children.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" he muttered as he looked around him for a clear path. He was startled by a squeal right behind him, and a red-haired girl with glasses ran past him. As she flew down the sidewalk, she hollered over her shoulder, "Dennis Mitchell, get that thing away from me!"

He turned to see who she was talking to just in time for a blond haired boy in red coveralls to run into him. They both fell to the ground, and the frog in the boy's hands got away from him, jumping up onto Mxyzptlk's head and then away from him into the bushes.

"Oh, no," Dennis said, "I dropped my frog. Mister, did you see where he went?"

Without answering, Mxyzptlk disappeared into another purple flash and reappeared in the food court of a large shopping mall.

**********

"Looks like his running out of places to run," Oracle crowed. Turning back toward the table where the newspaper was spread out, she pointed to one strip in particular.

"This was always one of my favorites," she said. "Maybe he could use some of her advice?"

**********

Mxyzptlk sipped on a large ice cream soda, his eyebrows furrowed. "This place is turning out to be no fun at all!" he said.

"Have you tried the new game room at the other end of the mall?" an older woman at a nearby table asked.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I couldn't help but overhear you. If you're looking for fun, the game room is very popular."

"Who ARE you?" he asked suspiciously.

"My name is Mrs. Worth," she said. "But my friends call me Mary."

Mxyzptlk raised his eyebrows and said, "You're Mary Worth?"

With a flash he reappeared in the sky over the mall.

"Somebody's trying to play my own games against me," he said. "Time to find out who and have some REAL fun!" He narrowed his eyes and after a moment, he said, "Ah ha!"

**********

"This is odd," Oracle said. "His energy trail leads to … right here. Batman, can you get over here?"

"En route," he replied. "Batman out."

Oracle and Dick looked around cautiously while Zatanna closed her eyes, trying to hone in on anything out of the ordinary in the magical realm.

"So you're the ones trying to ruin my fun!" said a voice, which preceded a purple flash and the appearance of the imp in the Clocktower.

"Mxyzptlk!" they said, almost in union.

"In the 5th dimensional flesh," he said. "Came to visit the folks who think they can match wits with me and ruin my good time!"

"What's a good time for you isn't usually a good time for anyone else," Dick said.

"Who ever said I was worried about anybody else's good time?" replied Mxyzptlk.

"And are you having a good time?" said a voice from the window as Batman made his entrance.

"I was, but somehow, SOMEBODY was ruining it for me."

"Actually," said Zatanna, "that would've been me."

"Oh. You," Mxyzptlk said dryly. "And what makes you think your 'magic' can beat my 5th dimension science?"

"We had to try," she said.

"By copying my shtick?" he asked indignantly. "You couldn't even beat me straight out. You had to copy my jokes."

"She couldn't do anything against you directly," Batman said. "Her ability depends on speaking backwards. But we have enough trouble saying your name forward."

Dick said, "I tried. Klit-pa-zy-is-ix-um?"

"No," Oracle said. "I think it's Kelt-pa-zy-ex-um."

"Closest I could come was Ka-lit-a-pa-zy-ex-im," said Zatanna.

"No wonder you people couldn't beat me," crowed Mxyzptlk. "You all think you're so smart, and you can't even say Kltpzyxm?"

A crestfallen look covered the imp's face as he began to be surrounded with purple energy, and as he faded into nothingness, they heard his disembodied voice say one last thing.

"Aw, nuts!"

**********

A late brunch at Wayne Manor was served by Alfred, who noted with some amusement that, as Tim and Dick were reading the comics, Bruce was right with them, looking over their shoulder and reading along with them.

"Have they moved the financial section, Master Bruce?"

"No, Alfred," Bruce said. "I underestimated the need to be more conversant with popular culture. I'm attempting to correct that shortcoming."

Standing up, he said, "As long as I'm at it, I wonder if you could arrange to begin taping some things while I'm on patrol. Maybe something like 'Desperate Housewives'?"