The original Teen Bizarro is created during a laboratory accident. A scientist demonstrating his newly invented "duplicating ray" to
Superboy, tests the device on a
radium pellet and a jewel. However, the duplicated radium was non-radioactive and the jewel melted. The scientist then stumbles and knocks the machine, inadvertently creating an imperfect Superboy. Although the scientist insists the duplicate is not alive, the creature nonetheless escapes from the lab. Bizarro wants to be accepted, but his appearance and his childlike erratic behavior scares people, especially since he has little control over his super-strength. He is befriended by a blind girl, shortly before Superboy realizes the glowing-blue remains of the machine would act as kryptonite to the
doppelganger. During the confrontation, Bizarro flies straight towards Superboy, having realized that the shockwave from his destruction would cure the girl's blindness. Strangely, Teen-Bizarro later appears in a Legion of Super-Heroes story set in the Legion's future time. The later Adult Bizarro is created by
Lex Luthor, who re-created the "duplicating ray" and uses it on Superman hoping to use the duplicate in an attack on Superman. Bizarro does not cooperate and instead tries to emulate Superman. Unfortunately, his attempts to match his original's heroics are clumsy and destructive. Bizarro uses the Imperfect Duplication Ray on himself and creates a New Bizarro who has Superman's looks and Bizarro's mentality. New Bizarro asks for Lois Lane's hand in marriage and prevents Superman from filling Lois in on the plot that fails anyway. In a later story, Jimmy Olsen becomes a Normal-looking Bizarro with a Bizarro mentality and exposure to Blue Kryptonite resets his mentality to Jimmy normal.
