Superheroes shrank from sight in the early 1950s, and then in the late 1950s the remaining ones shrank literally.
Turning superheroes tiny is, after all, a good way to offset the advantages of their super powers for dramatic purposes, one that offers strong visuals. And the readers were then mostly small people who could presumably identify.
I’m guessing that several of these stories were inspired by Richard Matheson’s 1956 novel The Shrinking Man, which had been adapted into the film The Incredible Shrinking Man and released in February of 1957.
Superman and Superboy shrank a few times even before the process became routine with the arrival of the Bottled City of Kandor in the Fortress of Solitude.
Batman and Robin had early experience with this strange turn of events, having been miniaturized in both Detective Comics 127 (Sept. 1947, an illusion) and Detective Comics 148 (June 1949, for real). But then a dramatic size differential was virtually baked into the feature by Bill Finger, who frequently introduced giant props of everyday items that played a role in the Dynamic Duo’s crimefighting activity.
Wonder Woman tackled giants many times during the period.
Archie Comics’ new superhero the Jaguar slugged it out with fearsome-looking microbes in The Battle of the Bacteria Brutes! (Adventures of the Jaguar 2, Oct. 1961). And Archie’s Fly and Fly Girl traveled to a planet where germs were gigantic, so that amounted to the same thing.
Even Harvey Comics’ Casper took a shrinking pill in Casper the Friendly Ghost 61 (Oct. 1957). And Tom Terrific’s pal, Manfred the alleged “Wonder Dog,” shrank in the wash in Tom Terrific 2 (Fall 1957).
Then the Martian Manhunter was miniaturized in Detective Comics 310 (Dec. 1962). Criminal inventor Victor Vance shrank J’onn J’onzz to doll size, and the Martian had to fight off a hostile squirrel before he could get on with the job of saving the day.
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