The Tragic Tale Of Bee Boy 

The reason Superboy never found an antidote for Bee-Boy's transformation is because he was too busy NOT finding an antidote for Mon-El's lead poisoning.

Really getting Sauron vibes with the mad entomologist: "But with this power, you could have cured my punctured lung!" "But I don't want to cure punctured lungs, I want to turn people into Bees."

Suddenly I remembered an episode of Dr. House: "The cardiologist thinks it's the heart, the neurologist thinks it's the brain, the oncologist thinks it's cancer", and in this case, the bee obsessed mad scientist thinks the only solution is to turn a kid into a bee, what a surprise 😅

I want the next Henry Cavill Superman movie to feature Jerry Seinfeld as the grownup Bee Boy, resentful that Superman never bothered to look for an antidote like he promised, and every time Bee Boy makes a possible "bee" pun, they both give side-eye to the camera 😆

"He feels like he should not bee." I love it if was intentional but if it wasn't, I doubly love it.

Bee Boy sounds like one of those obscure characters who might show up on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And probably look cool doing it.

It's weird that none of them thought to try using the bio-ring that turns people to and fro from insects. You'd think they'd analyze the processes and try to adapt that into a solution.

Reminds me of the old saying: "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"

Poor Bee-Boy, he was bee-trayed by science, wrongfully bee-guiled by Lana, plus bee-rated by Superboy, I am bee-wildered, bee-reaved, and even bee-fuddled about his, Kim should have more bee-f with Lana for using her bee-auty to bee-witch him, or Superboy bee-gging him to be bee-tter and then bee-ing bee-lligerent with him, I’m surprised he didn’t go more bee-rzerk. Kim story is bee-fitting of a bee-tter fate, even if they have to re-introduce him into continuity from the bee-ginning, because what he got was unbee-lievable.

I'm pretty sure I know why we never got to see Bee-Boy return. After many years of isolation and never hearing from Super-Boy, or Lana, or his father, or anyone at all, he finally decided to sting some poor animal that was just minding it's own business, thus also killing Bee-Boy in the process. RIP Bee-Boy Kim, you will not be missed.

Love that cover! “Since Lana became Insect Queen, she’s lost all memory of me as Superboy and her past life!” Really? THAT was your takeaway? It’s all about you? A punctured lung? Fortunately humans have 2. Let’s get him stabilized and have Lana change to Insect Queen and fly him to the nearest Hospital. Better still, contact Superboy! Wait,never mind that, I’ll just experiment! Are we sure Otto Binder wasn’t secretly a 5th dimensional imp and these were just the practice years for when Superboy grew up and moved to Metropolis?

Bee-Boy has the sudden urge to drop the most hardcore album of 1966.

In the letters columns of subsequent issues of *_Superboy,_* there were letters complaining that Kim hadn't reappeared. Finally, they ran a letter from someone who suggested that Lana could slip her Insect Queen ring onto his finger so he could use it to will his Bee Boy form *_AWAY,_* becoming human again (and presumably, without a punctured lung, or maybe he would assume human form in the lobby of a hospital and get more conventional treatment). The Editor replied that this was, in fact, what had happened, so everyone could let go their held breath and be happy for Kim, for he was human once more. An *_EXTREMELY_* weak resolution to the storyline, not even considered worthy of a one-panel appearance of a healthy Kim to recite a hundred-word balloon to explain how he wound up in Smallville walking on two legs, but at least he DID get a resolution, instead of having to rot in his hive until July of 1985.

wth Insect Queen needs to make a comeback, I need a whole animated series of Insect Queen. Her abilities is absolutely .... something... I can't look away....

At this point, I'm waiting for the Otto Binder playlist. I love the idea of various insect-themed supervillains with vendettas against Lana Lang. Even more tragic that male bees are really sad things, just there to mate with the queen, so Kim's fixation on Lana just plays into his 'more bee now than man'.

Justice for Bee Boy?

Six months after this issue came out, the "Green Hornet" TV series debuted, as a companion to the popular Adam West "Batman" series. The theme song they used for the Green Hornet show was "Flight of the Bumblebee". This melody is from an opera where a prince is turned into a bee boy.

Early in, Lana Lang's "Cheerful Body Horror" is a genre I didn't know needed to not exist!

5:06 "... should not bee." I see what you did there, Sasha.

Wow that story was depressing as hell. Bee Boy didn't deserve that fate. And they just dropped it after that is even more heartbreaking.

"Silver Age Lana Lang had the emotional sensitivity of a brick." - still laughing

Bee Boy - the one ancestor Animal Man doesn't acknowledge but Bumblebee does.

Just when I think the world has exhausted the premises upon which to write angsty teenage love stories, we get Bee-Boy and Lana Lang. Wow. Had a great time with this one, thanks!

Now I'm imagining a world where the cosmic rays turned Ben Grimm into a Bee-Thing.

Knowing the Crisis of Infinite Earths incident and the other multiversal events after that it’s safe to say Beeboy is dead but then again I heard all the Universes including the ones that were destroyed during Crises of Infinite Earths were bought back there’s a chance he’s been revived

The best part is that the type of respiratory system that insects have is really inefficient, which is why insects don’t get larger than they are (during the carboniferous, the atmsophere was more oxygen-rich, which helped enable the evolution of all those giant extinct arthropods). In other words, bee-boy would have suffocated long before a cure could have been found, anyway!

I can see a grant Morrison story about bee boys father being the big bad hunting down the Lanes after finding his son who has been missing for years deceased because of the experiment a few weeks after the events of the comic

I wondered if you would ever cover this character! He's story seemed right up your alley with your fascination for the older, weirder superhero comics.

Your pure glee for the absurd is one of the main things that makes me a fan of you and this channel!

I swear once James Gunn finds out about insect queen Lana and Bee Boy they’ll get 10 movies

WOW!!! That Story is Something, Although I think it was a Silly Idea to begin with the Creator in Me, would have Bee Boy force the Mad Scientist into making Him a Mate,& there would be a Secret City(Hive) of Bee Human Hybrids similar to Gorilla City…Get a Hug from Your Daughters & Keep Up The Outstanding Work Sasha 🖖🏾

He should have started breakdancing. Bee Boy the bboy could have been a big hit

Were you ever a detective? You do deep dives better than anyone on RU-vid. Excellent video as always.😁

"Bee Boy, My God!"

Full Disclosure: I was not expecting Lana Lang to go, "Yum, yum, tasty wood"

I wonder if the drunk actor was a reference to Humphrey Bogart filming "The African Queen." Apparently while filming in the Congo and Uganda, everyone got dysentery from drinking the water except Bogart and director John Huston, because they were only drinking booze.

bee boy story just feels sad and depressing and I am surprised superboy never found a antidote.

If only the Spongebob episode where he leaves society to become a jellyfish had been available to Bee Boy. I also loved the improvised choking and sobbing sounds.

I guess there just wasn't enough fan buzz over Bee-Boy.

Bee Boy is some great body horror. And yet, it's so typical of DC world. He's far from alone as a human-something hybrid. I'm going to imagine his dad finds him and threatens that insect scientist to make a cure. Meanwhile, Bee Boy makes friends with the nearby tribes, trading honey for acceptance. The years go by and he doesn't hear from Superboy, but when Superman debuts in Metropolis he organises to travel there to ask if he is Superboy and if he has made progress on his cure (since insect scientist guy... becomes Bee Man? absconds in the dead of night? Realises his original formula that worked wasn't what was actually in his notes, and is now trying to figure out what he actually did that worked before he can even figure out an antidote?). Bee Boy buzzes around until he catches Superman's attention. Superman is contrite - he did start working on a cure, but has so many projects on the go he dropped the ball. They go to the Fortress of Solitude and get some proper analyses running. While they wait, Superman introduces Bee Boy around this city has his friend. He ends up working with a beekeeping company he meets at a farmers market, assisting with pollination and honey production, until the results come back. Superman cures him and heals his lungs. He applies a green card to keep working with his new friends, but is rejected and returns to Africa to rebuild his life.

7:12 In that case this issue's tagline should've been "Bee afraid, bee very afraid"

Seeing these strange stories makes me want to see a modern take on it.

According to Google: "Male Bee (Drone). About 55 days is the usual life span of a honeybee drone or male bee. Drones die shortly after mating with the queen." So this doesn't seem like a long-term solution for Kim, or a long-term problem

"Bees. My god". - Batman.

Ah, bee puns. Both the easiest and most delightful of puns. Love these dives into the oddest and obscurest corners of superhero lore. Somewhere in the DCU, Bee-Old Man is sitting somewhere, stroking their long white beard, still waiting for the day Superboy will come with that antidote.

Hopefully this video started a movement #justice4beeboy

B-plot Supes has the scientists of Kandor working on the antidote...but they're too busy watching Kal's love life to finish it.

I think Grant Morrison is the writer who would be crazy enough to bring Beeboy into the modern era. It would be tragic and horrifying.

In the recent Jim Gordon backup in Detective comics, we found Bullock has his WIGATI file. Or When I get around to it. I wonder if Superman has one of those as well?

This looks like a job for beeboy!

Silver Age Lana Lang has the emotional intelligence of a _brick!_ That had me choking with laughter.

I don't know kw what you tube changed but I have finally been getting notifications for when you upload videos you have been one of my favorite channels for a long time but I ha e always had to manually check for uploads until like a week ago, in super happy

I know the idea isn't very original but, wouldn't be kind of cool to have a storyline YEARS LATER about Bee-boy having gone total feral bee because of his solitude and lack of human contact? As said in the video, the "silly Bee-Boy" plot looks like a vilain's origin story, to be honest. And so, it would be about some sort of Monster causing people to disappear in the heart of Africa and stuff. Like, Big time super-heroes wouldn't take it too seriously at first and so, either it would take more and more proportions for them to finally investigate, OR it would be a cool plot for a "lesser" team of heroes or even heroes in training to go see what's going on! I think it could be nice, at least. Maybe even try to find a good ending for our boy, Kim. Maybe Superman could FINALLY bring him that antidote or something. Anyway, thank you for the video, as always! I love discovering gems like these from the Silver Age!

I like this. Thank you

6:45 this is the best sound effect of kiss I ever heard, the emotion...

Can't say enough about how much I loved this era of Superboy as a kid (still do). And Insect Queen (costume and powers) was especially a favorite. I remember drawing a male version of the character for at least a dozen comics. Can't believe I never read this one. Really wish they'd given him costume like hers, or at least brought him back older in costume in a Superman comic. Cool video.

The hair and the striped shirt are very fitting for this episode lol, nice touch 👍

I love it when you do Silver Age themes. You know one I'd like to see you do? The story of Ferro Lad! Of all the stories I read from that time, none has haunted me as much-fifty years later I can still feel it.

A perfect video for a Friday. This channel is awesome…and Canadian too!❤

I've never *Bee*-n so h-happy to hear someone's narration |choke| thank you Casually Comics!

Very good post. Love how you do different voices for every character you post on. Supergirl is the best one. Can you do a Flash Rogues Gallery (Pre-Crisis)? Also, the evolution of Lex Luthor from scientist, super villain with costume, super villain with super costume and businessman.

I rewound to re-listen to you say "yum yum tasty wood" about 9 times. Soooo funny I almost peed hahaha

Wow, now i kinda want to write a Superboy/Bee-Boy Enemies to Friends to Lovers Angsty fanfic with a fix it happy ending

Why is no one asking where those giant flowers came from that were just bug enough to kick off the petals. Or is it that for just a moment they shrank to actual bee-size only to re-enlarge later?

Truly a Bee-Movie Plot!

'I plan visiting Dr. Pelham, the famous entomologist..." Ah yes, the world of celebrity entomologists.

Never saw this tragic Bee-Boy story before, but he just simply joins the list of one-issue characters whose storylines were never resolved (one of our favorites in that department is the anti-heroine Vendetta, from Batman Beyond #7). However, we've always thought that Lana was alluring as Insect Queen, so we created our own spin on her for Heroineburgh: Devorra the Queen Bee, an insect-powered villainess who debuts in our live-action Episode 3 and Heroineburgh Comics issue #3. She has obsessive issues with control, and wants to turn everyone into her drone slaves!

"You've saved New Propolis City once again. Thank you Dr. Bees, and Bee Boy, and Dr. Boy, and Boy Boy."

Superboy could have just built him a robot body and transferred his head. I think Superboy had already built robot clones of himself by this time and everyone was writing about bodyless heads and head transplants and Supes could have put the boy's old body in cryogenic storage in the Fortress of Solitude. Of course this is the same Superboy that would later go insane and destroy the multiverse.

Insect Queen turned into a spider? But Spiders aren't insects, she should hold no dominion over them. This ruthless Tyrant MUST BE STOPPED!

A doctor fixated on bees? I'm getting flashbacks to an episode of Scrubs.

Lol, Sasha went hard on that cheek kiss sound efffeft and I’m here for it.

504 "he feels like he should not BEE" I can't believe you come up with that without making a joke

I always check out Casually Comics for the latest buzz.

Wow! I love how something so silly could go so Dark!

Other than the punny joke to say, I'm getting all the honeyz!" I can't come up with a reasonable positive to being a permanent Bee-Boy. I see him being a head banger though and blasting Korn for never getting that antidote.

The mad scientist probably became Doctor bees

"... the emotional intelligence of a brick ..."🤣 I know some people like this! 😂

3:50 In the DC universe you'd be hard pressed to find a scientist who isn't mad.

So at a casual reivew (see what i did there?) of your review, I counted about ten or eleven b-references. Well done. This just lends to my ongoing conspiracy theory about Otto Binder being this very strange man with some sort of misogynistic or mean streak to his character given how everyone he writes seems to be mean spirited or painfully tragic like Kim here. He's besotted. Bemused. Beside himself with writer's privilege. This has the makings of a macabre playlist of one-off tragic characters disposed of in the trashfires of the Silver Age. To cringe....and beyond!

Wow, I guess my life isn't so bad . . . I could be Bee Boy

1:55 When you're super man, you can kill most things on the planet by plucking one of your hairs, blowing into it, and having it ricochet inside someone's skull. I can see why he'd have little interest in killing anything.

Ok ….lmbo…Sasha, the WIG is rockin, I am thinking Goldenrod.

The only time I'm not surprised by a silver age story is when I already know it.

The b-boys I knew used to breakdance and wear their caps backwards! "Hip hop . . . Don't Stop!" LOL!!

With Lana singing “I Love You Strong Bee!”

Dr. Pelham deserves the Nobel Prize for his contributions to airplanes

"One morning, as Kim awoke from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous bee."

“He feels like he should not Bee” - nice

Seems like the sort of obscure thing All-Star Superman might've mentioned curing (even if it was Superboy's promise)

All I can say is... "Come along with me, and the butterflies and bees"

Oh boy, the bee puns are giving me Bee Movie flashbacks

WHEN IT’S DARKEST IT’S KNIGHT. Just got the sad news a few moments ago. Don’t have details yet, but it was reported about an hour ago that BTAS voice actor Kevin Conroy passed away at 66. Wish it was a dream or a hoax. Unfortunately it isn’t. R.I.P.

The bee puns intentional or not were killing me. It was un🐝lievable

My first exposure to Insect Queen was Legion of Super-Heroes (282) and having missed the golden age adventure comics Lsh I was surprised and delightfully confused.

Otto Binder's inspiration must have been between Franz Kafka and 50s shlock B-movie sci-fi.

I guess Superman eventually changed his code to killing insects being okay pretty fast after this, because massive amounts of them die in these city wrecking superhero battles. Even when Supes goes through a wall of a random building, that's going to be killing a lot of spiders and such. 🙄

You know what they say, "Life's a Bee-tch and then you die."

The “he had a punctured lung” sent me. You made him a new for a punctured lung?

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black.