Super Friends
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2008-07-06T22:21:01Z
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{{otheruses4|the Hanna-Barbera television series|the Powerpuff Girls episode|Super Friends (Powerpuff Girls episode)}}
{{Infobox Television
| show_name = Super Friends
| image = [[Image:Super Friends.jpg]]
| caption = The opening [[Intertitle|title screen]] for the first ''Super Friends'' series
| genre =
| format = [[Fantasy]] / [[Animated series]]
| creator =
| developer =
| voices = [[Danny Dark]] <br> [[Olan Soule]] <br> [[Casey Kasem]] <br> [[Shannon Farnon]] <br> [[Norman Alden]] <br> [[Sherry Alberoni]] <br> [[Frank Welker]] <br> [[Ted Knight]]
| theme_music_composer = Hoyt S. Curtin <br> [[Will Schaefer]]
| composer =
| country = {{USA}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| num_seasons = 13 (production)<br/>
| num_episodes =
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = [[Joseph Barbera]] <br> [[William Hanna]] <br>
| producer = Lewis Marshall <br> Iwao Takamoto
| runtime = 60 minutes approx.
| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired = [[8 September]], [[1973]]
| last_aired = 1986
| tv_com_id = 13644
| imdb_id = 0069641
}}
'''''Super Friends''''' is an [[United States|American]] [[animated television series]] about a team of [[superhero]]es, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] as part of its [[Saturday morning cartoon]] lineup. It was produced by [[Hanna-Barbera]] and was based on the [[Justice League|Justice League of America]] and associated [[comic book]] characters published by [[DC Comics]].
The name of the program, and the team it features, have been variously represented as ''Super Friends'' and ''[[Super Friends|Superfriends]]'' at different points in its broadcast history.
==Series titles==
Over the years, the show existed under several titles:
* ''[[Super Friends (1973 TV series)|Super Friends]]'' (1973–1974)<ref>[http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/sf Batman: Yesterday, Today, And Beyond ~ The Batman Homepage ~ The Largest Batman Site on the Net!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* ''[[The All-New Super Friends Hour]]'' (1977–1979)<ref>[http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/ansfh Batman: Yesterday, Today, And Beyond ~ The Batman Homepage ~ The Largest Batman Site on the Net!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* ''[[Challenge of the Super Friends]]'' (1978–1979)<ref>[http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/cotsf Batman: Yesterday, Today, And Beyond ~ The Batman Homepage ~ The Largest Batman Site on the Net!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* ''[[The World's Greatest Super Friends|The World’s Greatest Super Friends]]'' (1979–1980)<ref>[http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/wgsf Batman: Yesterday, Today, And Beyond ~ The Batman Homepage ~ The Largest Batman Site on the Net!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* ''[[The Super Friends Hour]]'' (1980–1982)
* ''[[The Best of Super Friends]]'' (1982–1984)
* ''[[Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show]]'' (1984–1985)<ref>[http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/sftlsps Batman: Yesterday, Today, And Beyond ~ The Batman Homepage ~ The Largest Batman Site on the Net!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* ''[[The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians]]'' (1985–1986)<ref>[http://www.batmanytb.com/animated/tsptgg Batman: Yesterday, Today, And Beyond ~ The Batman Homepage ~ The Largest Batman Site on the Net!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== Writing ==
Plotlines for the first incarnation of the ''Super Friends'' did not involve any of the familiar [[DC Comics]] supervillains. Rather, they focused on the often far-fetched schemes of various mad scientists and aliens, who were revealed at some point in the program to be well-intentioned but pursuing their goals through an unlawful or disreputable means. Typically, at the end, all that is needed is a peaceful and reasonable discussion to convince the antagonists to adopt more reasonable methods.
''The All-New Super Friends Hour'' departed somewhat away from that theme by having the original villains use much more violent methods to further their goals and typically not cannot be reasoned with, requiring the heroes to use force to stop them. Beginning with "Challenge of the Superfriends," however, many of the heroes' arch-villains, including [[Lex Luthor]] and [[The Riddler]], began to feature prominently in more comic-style stories. Throughout the series, plots often wrapped themselves up neatly in the final minutes of an episode in typical [[deus ex machina]] fashion.
==Production history==
When animation company [[Hanna-Barbera]] licensed the animation rights to the DC Comics characters and adapted the ''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' comic book for [[television]], it made several changes in the transition, not the least of which was the change of name to ''Super Friends.'' In part, it was feared that the name ''Justice League of America'' would have seemed too [[jingoistic]] during the [[Vietnam War]] and post-[[Vietnam War]] Era. Nevertheless, team members sometimes referred to themselves as the Justice League on the show. The violence common in [[superhero]] [[comic books|comics]] was toned down for a younger audience, as well as to fit with the restrictive broadcast standards regarding violence in 1970s [[Saturday morning cartoons|children’s television]].
===1973-1974 series===
{{main|Super Friends (1973 TV series)}}
''Super Friends'' first aired on ABC on [[September 8]], [[1973]] <ref>[http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#superfriends73-74 Hanna-Barbera Superfriends Chronology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, featuring the well known DC characters [[Superman]], [[Batman]] and [[Robin (comics)|Robin]], [[Wonder Woman]], and [[Aquaman]]. Superman, Batman and Aquaman had each previously appeared in their own animated series produced by [[Filmation]], and voice talent from these prior programs was brought over to work on the new show. Shortly before the ''Super Friends'' series was developed, Superman and Wonder Woman also guest-starred in two episodes of ''[[The Brady Kids]]'', while Batman and Robin appeared in two episodes of ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Movies]]''.
In addition to the superheroes, a trio of sidekicks was introduced, each of whom were new characters not drawn from the comic books: [[Wendy and Marvin|Wendy]] (voiced by [[Sherry Alberoni|Sherri Alberoni]]), [[Wendy and Marvin|Marvin White]] (voiced by [[Frank Welker]]), and [[Wendy and Marvin|Wonderdog]] (also voiced by [[Frank Welker]]), none of whom had any special abilities (save the dog’s unexplained ability to reason and “talk”).<ref>Marvin and Wonderdog did exhibit a levitation ability in one episode; however, it was only for comedic effect, and never shown or mentioned again.</ref> Inspired by the [[Scooby-Doo]] gang, the trio--or at least its human members--were depicted as detectives and/or superheroes in training.
Each episode would begin with the heroes responding to an emergency detected by the massive TroubAlert computer that was situated within the [[Hall of Justice (comics)|Hall of Justice]] which served as the headquarters of the team. Colonel Wilcox, a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] official, was a recurring character who would work as a government liaison to the Super Friends during emergencies.
As such conflicts are often ultimately resolved with the antagonists persuaded to adapt more reasonable methods to achieve their aims with the assistance of the heroes. Natural disasters triggered by human (or alien) activity were often shown, and environmental themes featured strongly in the program.
Some other DC Comics superheroes were featured as guest stars during this season including [[Flash (Barry Allen)|the Flash]], [[Plastic Man]], and [[Green Arrow]].
This first run of ''Super Friends'', consisting of sixteen one hour episodes that were rerun several times, concluded on [[August 24]], [[1974]]. At this point, the series was cancelled and did not appear on the fall lineup for 1974.
However, interest in superheroes among ABC's prime time viewers, especially with the success of ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'' and the live-action [[Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman series]] caused the network to pursue reviving the ''Super Friends'' <ref>[http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#superfriends73-74 Hanna-Barbera Superfriends Chronology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. To begin with, the original sixteen episodes of the series were rebroadcast as a mid-season replacement, running from [[February 7]], [[1976]] to [[September 3]], [[1977]] <ref>[http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#superfriends73-74 Hanna-Barbera Superfriends Chronology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. These episodes were edited to half-hour versions. In the meantime, Hanna Barbera began production on a revamped version of the show.
===1977-1978 season: ''The All-New Super Friends Hour''===
{{main|The All-New Super Friends Hour}}
''The All-New Super Friends Hour'' featured four animated shorts per program which followed a basic format each week.
The first segment of every show featured two of the heroes (For the purposes of the team-ups in the first and fourth segments, Batman and Robin were considered 'one hero'.) teaming up in a separate mini story. The second segment featured a story with the [[Wonder Twins]]. The third segment was considered the "primary" adventure of the week which featured the entire Super Friends roster (including the Wonder Twins) in a longer adventure. The fourth and final segment featured a story with one of the primary lineup along with a "special guest star." The fourth segment typically featured a problem which was solved using the guest star's unique abilities.
In addition, between segments there were additional short spots with members of the Super Friends giving basic safety lessons, basic first aid advice, magic tricks, and a two part riddle featuring the week's primary plot line.
===1978-1979 season: ''All-New Super Friends''/''Challenge of the Super Friends''===
{{main|Challenge of the Super Friends}}
The next season of the ''Super Friends'' essentially featured two programs within an extended format. The ''Super Friends'' show now featured a half hour segment that followed the format of the previous season, and a second segment known as ''[[Challenge of the Super Friends]]'' which was also one half hour in length.
====First segment: ''All-New Super Friends'' episodes====
The first half hour of the program featured the now established group of heroes, Superman, Batman and Robin, Aquaman and Wonder Woman plus the Wonder Twins and Gleek. These sixteen half hour segments have been less commonly reaired in syndication and are sometimes referred to by enthusiasts as the sixteen 'lost All new Superfriends' episodes <ref>http://www.legionsofgotham.org/SUPERFRIENDSepisodeChallenge.html</ref>.
====Second segment: ''Challenge of the Super Friends''====
The next segment of the show, which was one half hour in length, was called the ''Challenge of the Super Friends'', in its own right. These stories introduced the [[Legion of Doom (comics)|Legion of Doom]], a team of thirteen recurring foes comprised of the Super Friends’ worst enemies. They used a swamp-based, mechanical, flying headquarters, the Hall of Doom (which suspiciously resembled the helmet of [[Darth Vader]]), as a suitable contrast with the Super Friends’ gleaming [[Hall of Justice (comics)|Hall of Justice]].
Additional heroes that had previously appeared only as guest stars were added to the roster as well, to make a total of eleven. These included [[Green Lantern]] [[Hal Jordan]] and [[Thanagarian]] lawman [[Hawkman]] [[Katar Hol]] from DC Comics as well as the three Hanna-Barbera creations: [[Black Vulcan]], [[Apache Chief]], and [[Samurai (Super Friends)|Samurai]].
Notably, the Wonder Twins and Gleek did not appear in the ''Challenge'' segments, which produced a noticeable change in tone, as there were for the first time no comedic elements in the program. Strangely in the first installment ''Wanted: The Superfriends'' the Riddler shows and then burns a deck of cards with pictures of the Superfriends and Gleek is one of those depicted.
Enthusiasts have generally expressed the view that the storylines for the ''Challenge'' episodes were the best portrayal of comic book heroes in animated television to date.<ref>[http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#challenge Hanna-Barbera Superfriends Chronology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In January 1979, Hanna-Barbera briefly ran a live-action series entitled ''[[Legends of the Superheroes]]'' which was loosely based on this incarnation of the Super Friends <ref>http://www.legionsofgotham.org/SUPERFRIENDSepisodeChallenge.html</ref>
===1979-1980 season: ''The World's Greatest Superfriends''===
{{main|The World's Greatest Super Friends}}
In the fall of 1979, the ''Super Friends'' returned to their prior format and brought back the original set of five DC Superheroes along with Zan, Jayna and Gleek. Back to an hour in length as well, only eight new episodes were created during this run, with the majority of the season consisting of repeats of ''The All-New Superfriends Hour'' from 1977-78. Renamed ''The World's Greatest Superfriends'', this series began on [[September 22]], [[1979]] and ran until [[September 27]], [[1980]].<ref>[http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#worldsgreatest Hanna-Barbera Superfriends Chronology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===1980-1982 seasons: ''The Super Friends Hour''===
Once again renamed, this time as ''[[The Super Friends Hour]]'' in 1980, the series changed formats again, abandoning the production of half hour episodes and producing seven minute shorts. Each episode of ''The Super Friends Hour'' would feature a rerun from one of the previous six years along with three of these new shorts. These new adventures featured appearances by the core group of the five classic Superfriends along with Zan, Jayna & Gleek. There were also guest appearances from members previously depicted in ''Challenge of the Super Friends'' as well as the original Hanna Barbera created hero [[El Dorado (Super Friends)|El Dorado]], who was added to the show to add even more culture to the Super Friends.
This would prove to be one of the more lasting incarnations of the series, with this format being used for the next three years.
===1982-1983 season: ''The Best of the Superfriends''===
For the 1982–1983 television season, ABC continued to run a half-hour long program, this time called ''The Best of the Superfriends''. This series again consisted mostly of reruns of shows from the previous nine seasons, with none of the seven minute shorts rebroadcast.
===1983 - Cancellation and more lost episodes===
{{see also|Lost episode}}
By this point, Hanna-Barbera had created a [[Syndicated television|syndication]] package of the earlier ''Super Friends'' series, and these were picked up by various stations across the United States and were typically broadcast on weekday afternoons. Not wishing to compete with the syndication programming, ABC dropped the series from the 1983–1984 Saturday morning television line-up, and for the second time in its run, ''Super Friends'' was canceled.
However, during this period of time Hanna-Barbera continued to produce new episodes of the Super Friends. In total, 24 of the so-called "Lost Episodes" were animated but not aired in the United States that season. The series did appear in Australia uninterrupted. Three of these episodes were aired when ''Super Friends'' returned to Saturday morning ABC television the following year. The remainder of the episodes finally aired in syndication a year later as part of the ''[[The Superman/Batman Adventures|Superman/Batman Adventures]]'' show.<ref>[http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#lost83-84 Hanna-Barbera Superfriends Chronology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===1984-1985 season: ''Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show''===
{{main|Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show|Super Powers Collection}}
''Super Friends'' returned to ABC on Saturday [[September 8]], [[1984]] with a new thirty minute program that typically featured two 11-minute stories per episode. This incarnation featured Superman, Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman, and also the Wonder Twins and Gleek, this time teamed up with [[Firestorm (comics)|Firestorm]]. In addition to this core group, episodes during this season also featured some cameos by old and new Super Friends. The program lasted one season until [[August 31]], [[1985]]. The appeal of this version of the series at the time were the emphasis on actual villains from the comic books. Brainiac, Lex Luthor, Mirror Master, Mr Mxyzptlk, as well as [[Darkseid]] and his henchmen from Apokolips, all made appearances. Mirror Master only used pocket mirrors and larger mirrors to capture the Super Friends. He didn't use any ray guns or mirror traveling. Darkseid and his underlings were actually introduced into animated form in this series. One of the oddities of the show's opening credits is the depiction of Brainiac as he appeared in the 1970s and early 1980s even though on the episodes of this series, Brainiac's appearance was in line with the comic book's of that time period — being depicted in a more skeletal form. Another oddity was having [[Aquaman]] appear in the opening sequence but he never made an appearance throughout this run of the series.
This season, and the one to follow, featured the “''Super Powers''” tag which was part of a marketing tie-in with a [[Super Powers Collection|toyline of the same name]] produced by [[Kenner]]<ref>[http://toyotter.com/sp/ toyotter.com]</ref>)
===1985-1986 season: ''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians''===
{{main|The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians}}
In the fall of 1985, the next version of Hanna-Barbera's depiction of the DC Comics heroes began, although it no longer carried the ''''''Super Friends''''' name. This series returned to a conventional line-up for the team, with a focus on the teen members [[Cyborg (comics)|Cyborg]] and Firestorm. Once again headquartered at the Hall of Justice in [[Metropolis (comics)|Metropolis]], the heroes battled such familiar foes as [[Lex Luthor]] and [[the Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]], as well as the recurring villain [[Darkseid]]. It also contained the first and only appearances by [[Joker (comics)|The Joker]] and [[The Penguin]].
The tone of the ''Galactic Guardians'' incarnation was notably more serious than ''Super Friends'' had been in the past. Additionally, the ''Galactic Guardians'' series featured a notable first: in the episode “The Fear,” Batman’s origin is told for the first time on television. (Though it was previously mentioned in passing on the 1966 Batman series).
''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians'' lasted one season, and was ultimately cancelled. As the final incarnation of the ''Super Friends'' it marked the end of Hanna-Barbera's 13-year run of the series when it last aired on [[September 30]], [[1986]].
==Characters==
===The Super Friends===
While different smaller incarnations have appeared, five heroes made up the Super Friends original members and core group of heroes during the various versions. They were:
{|
|valign="top"|
* [[Superman]]
* [[Batman]]
* [[Robin (comics)|Robin]]
* [[Wonder Woman]]
* [[Aquaman]]
|}
Additional members included:
* [[Flash (Barry Allen)|The Flash]] (1973 and 1978-1986)
* [[Hal Jordan|Green Lantern]] (1977–1986)
* [[Hawkman]] (1977-1978 and 1980-1986)
* [[Black Vulcan]] (1977
* [[Apache Chief]] (1977-1978 and 1980-1988)
* [[Samurai (Super Friends)|Samurai]] (1978 and 1980-1986)
* [[Rima|Rima the Jungle Girl]] (1977 and 1980)
* [[El Dorado (superhero)|El Dorado]] (1982–1985)
* [[Hawkgirl]] (1977, 1980 and 1983)
* [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|The Atom]] (1977, 1980–1983)
* [[Firestorm (comics)|Firestorm]] (1984–1985)
* [[Cyborg (comics)|Cyborg]] (1985)
One-shot appearances were made by:
* [[Green Arrow]] (1973–1974)
* [[Plastic Man]] (1973–1974)
* [[Superboy (Kal-El)|Superboy]] (1979, 1982)
The teen sidekicks and their pets:
* [[Wendy and Marvin|Wendy Harris]] (1973–1975)
* [[Wendy and Marvin|Marvin White]] (1973–1975)
* [[Wendy and Marvin#Super Friends|Wonderdog]] (1973–1975)
* [[Wonder Twins|Zan]] (1977–1984)
* [[Wonder Twins|Jayna]] (1977–1984)
* [[Gleek (Super Friends)|Gleek]] (1977–1984)
In the comic and merchandising related:
* [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]]
* [[Batgirl]]
* [[Supergirl]]
===Legion of Doom===
Thirteen villains comprised the [[Legion of Doom (comics)|Legion of Doom]] during the ''Challenge of the Super Friends'' season. They were:
{|
|valign="top"|
* [[Lex Luthor]]
* [[Solomon Grundy (comics)|Solomon Grundy]]
* [[Sinestro]]
* [[Black Manta]]
* [[Cheetah (comics)|Cheetah]]
* [[Giganta]]
* [[Scarecrow (comics)|The Scarecrow]]
|width="40"|
|valign="top"|
* [[Toyman]]
* [[The Riddler]]
* [[Bizarro]]
* [[Brainiac (comics)|Brainiac]]
* [[Captain Cold]]
* [[Gorilla Grodd]]
|}
* Doctor Natas — a one-time member briefly mentioned in “Superfriends, Rest in Peace” as the inventor of the Noxium crystal, which had the power to kill any Super Friend. He never actually appeared on screen, not even in a flashback or a photograph.
===Other DC Comics villains===
Villains appearing independently from the Legion of Doom:
{|
|valign="top"|
* From Apokolips:
** [[Darkseid]]
** [[Desaad]]
** [[Kalibak]]
** [[Parademon|The Paradrones]]
* Bizarro's Clones:
** Wondezarro (Wonder Woman Bizarro)
** Firezarro (Firestorm Bizarro)
** Cyzarro (Cyborg Bizarro)
** Mr. Kltpzyxm (Mr. Mxyzptlk Bizarro)
|width="40"|
|valign="top"|
* [[Joker (comics)|The Joker]] {{Fact|date=January 2008}}
* [[Penguin (comics)|The Penguin]]
* [[Felix Faust]]
* [[Mirror Master]]
* [[Mr. Mxyzptlk]]
* The [[Phantom Zone]] Villains
* [[Royal Flush Gang|The Royal Flush Gang]]
* [[Gentleman Ghost]]
|}
Villains appearing in the show but not in DC comics:
* Rock and Roll Space Bandits
* The Robber Baron and Sleeves
* The Dollmaker
* [[Otis (Superman)#Super Friends|Otis]]
* Yuna the Terrible
The fifth season of the animated series ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' has shown Gorilla Grodd forming a massive Legion of villains. While not called "The Legion of Doom" on the show, their [[headquarters]] is a craft similar to the Hall of Doom, located in a swamp.
==References to the Justice League of America name==
Beginning with the original ''Super Friends'' season, the opening narration describes the team's headquarters as "the great hall of the Justice League." The opening credits of ''Challenge of the Super Friends'' names the Super Friends as the [[Justice League of America]]. In addition to the appearance of a JLA emblem on a communicator and a reference to a mission to repair the Justice League satellite, the Super Friends are often linked with the JLA. (This seems to indicate that the "Super Friends" and "Super Powers Team" are just nicknames, and the team's actual name is the Justice League of America)
The Justice League satellite under repair is clearly the same design as the [[Justice League Satellite]] that appeared in the comics at the time, but was shown to be substantially smaller than its comic book counterpart, and thus uninhabitable. Although this could have simply been due to a sizing error, which was common in cartoons especially in that period.
==Notable voice actors==
The commanding voice of the Narrator was provided by actor [[Ted Knight]] during the early hour-long episodes. His signature line was, “Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice!” [[William Woodson]] took over once they dropped the original format.
Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog were inspired by the ''[[Scooby-Doo|Scooby Doo]]'' gang. The voice of both Marvin and Wonder Dog were both performed by [[Frank Welker]], who also did the voice of the ''Scooby Doo'' gang’s [[Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)|Fred]].
[[Adam West]], best known for portraying the Caped Crusader in the live-action [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' TV series]], provided the voice for Batman in the last two seasons of the show, which were ''[[Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show]]'' and ''[[The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians]]''. Casey Kasem provided the voice for Robin.
==Region 1 DVD Releases==
'''Challenge of the Super Friends - The First Season (DC Comics Classic Collection)''' (Release Date: July 6, 2004) <br>
<br>
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC <br>
Language: English, Spanish <br>
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish <br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 2 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Studio: Warner Home Video<br>
Run Time: 347 minutes <br>
<br>
This 2 disc set contains all 16 episodes from the season. <br>
<br>
Episodes (by aired & production order): <br>
01. 09-Sep-1978 Wanted: The Superfriends <br>
02. 16-Sep-1978 Invasion of The Fearians <br>
03. 23-Sep-1978 The World's Deadliest Game <br>
04. 30-Sep-1978 The Time Trap <br>
05. 07-Oct-1978 Trial of the Superfriends<br>
06. 14-Oct-1978 Monolith of Evil <br>
07. 21-Oct-1978 The Giants of Doom <br>
08. 28-Oct-1978 Secret Origins of the Superfriends <br>
09. 04-Nov-1978 Revenge on Gorilla City <br>
10. 11-Nov-1978 Swamp of the Living Dead <br>
11. 18-Nov-1978 Conquerors of the Future <br>
12. 25-Nov-1978 The Final Challenge <br>
13. 02-Dec-1978 Fairy Tale of Doom <br>
14. 09-Dec-1978 Doomsday <br>
15. 16-Dec-1978 Superfriends, Rest in Peace <br>
16. 23-Dec-1978 The History of Doom <br>
<br>
<br>
'''Super Friends, Volume Two (DC Comics Classic Collection)''' (Release Date: May 24, 2005)<br>
<br>
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC <br>
Language: English <br>
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish <br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 2 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Run Time: 365 minutes<br>
<br>
Disc 1:<br>
1: Rokan: Enemy from Space <br>
2: The Demons of Exxor <br>
3. Battle at the Earth's Core <br>
4: Sinbad and the Space Pirates <br>
5: The Pied Piper from Space <br>
6: Attack of the Vampire <br>
7: The Beasts are coming <br>
8: Terror from the Phantom Zone <br>
Bonus: The ballad of Zan and Jayna <br>
<br>
Disc 2: <br>
9: The Anti-Matter Monster <br>
10: World Beneath the Ice <br>
11: Invasion of the Brain Creatures <br>
12: The Incredible Space Circus <br>
13: Batman: Dead or Alive <br>
14: Battle of the Gods <br>
15: Journey Through Inner Space <br>
16: The Rise and Fall of the Super Friends <br>
Bonus: Pajama-Rama Super Friends Retrospective<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show - The Complete Series (DC Comics Classic Collection)''' (Release Date: August 7, 2007)<br>
<br>
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC <br>
Language: English <br>
Subtitles: English <br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 2 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Studio: Warner Home Video <br>
Run Time: 179 minutes <br>
<br>
Episodes: <br>
1. The Bride of Darkseid (Part 1) <br>
2. The Bride of Darkseid (Part 2) <br>
3. The Wrath of Brainiac <br>
4. Reflections in Crime <br>
5. No Honor Among Super Thieves <br>
6. Mr. Mxyzptlk and the Magic Lamp <br>
7. Case of the Shrinking Super Friends <br>
8. The Mask of Mystery <br>
9. Darkseid's Golden Trap (Part 1) <br>
10. Darkseid's Golden Trap (Part 2) <br>
11. Island of the Dinosoids <br>
12. Uncle Mxyzptlk (Super Brat) <br>
13. The Case of the Dreadful Dolls <br>
14. The Royal Ruse <br>
15. The Village of Lost Souls <br>
16. The Curator <br>
<br>
<br>
'''Challenge of the Super Friends - Attack of the Legion of Doom''' (Release Date: June 1, 2004)<br>
<br>
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC <br>
Language: English, Spanish <br>
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish<br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 1 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Studio: Warner Home Video<br>
Run Time: 109 minutes <br>
<br>
'''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (DC Comics Classic Collection)''' (Release Date: October 23, 2007)<br>
<br>
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC <br>
Language: English <br>
Subtitles: English <br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 2 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Studio: Hanna-Barbera Studios <br>
Run Time: 170 minutes <br>
<br>
Disc 1: <br>
The Seeds of Doom <br>
Ghost ship <br>
The Bizarro Super Powers Team <br>
Darkseid Deception <br>
The Fear <br>
<br>
Disc 2: <br>
The Wild Cards <br>
Brainchild <br>
Escape From Space City <br>
The Death of Superman <br>
<br>
'''Challenge of the Super Friends - United They Stand''' (Release Date: June 1, 2004)<br>
<br>
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC <br>
Language: English <br>
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish <br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 1 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Studio: Warner Home Video <br>
Run Time: 88 minutes <br>
<br>
'''The All-New Superfriends Hour: Season One, Vol. 1''' (Release Date: January 8, 2008)<br>
<br>
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC <br>
Language: English <br>
Subtitles: English, French <br>
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)<br>
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 <br>
Number of discs: 2 <br>
Rating: Not Rated<br>
Studio: Turner Home Ent <br>
Run Time: 323 minutes <br>
<br>
Included on this set are the following episodes: <br>
<br>
Disc 1 <br>
<br>
1) Machine/Joyride/ Invasion of the Earth/ The Whirlpool <br>
2) Invasion of the Hydronoids/ Hitchhike/ City in a Bottle/ Space Emergency <br>
3) The Marsh Monster/ Runaways/ Will the World Collide?/ Time Rescue <br>
4) Doctor Fright/ Drag Race/ Day of the Planet Creatures/ Fire <br>
<br>
Disc 2 <br>
<br>
5) The Monster of Dr. Droid/ Vandals/ Superfriends Vs Superfriends/ Energy Mass <br>
6) The Secret Four/ Tiger on the Loose/ The Mysterious Time Creatures/ The Antidote <br>
7) The Enforcer/ Shark/ Planet of the Neandertals/ Flood of Diamonds
==Spin-offs==
==''The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show''==
{{main|The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show}}
Plastic Man first appeared in the first season of ''Super Friends'', in one episode. Later, [[Ruby-Spears Productions]] released a series starring the character in his own solo adventures. The Plastic Man episode "Superstein" is actually directly linked to the ''[[World's Greatest Super Friends]]'' episode "The Super Friends Meet Frankenstein." Dr. Frankenstein's sidekick; Gor, (not to be confused with [[Igor (fictional character)|Igor]]) appears in both episodes, with the same voice actor and at least a similar character design.
==''Batman''==
A Batman animated series was also considered in the mid-'80s, presumably with Adam West reprising his role as the voice of Batman. "The Fear" was written as a pilot episode for the series, but it was instead adapted in to an episode of ''[[The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians]]''.
==''The New Teen Titans''==
In 1983, a cartoon based upon [[The New Teen Titans]] comics began development. It was created as a companion for the ''Super Friends'', to be set in the same continuity. Robin wasn't going to be featured in the cartoon though, at least not as a regular, since in the ''Super Friends'' universe, he was a member of the Justice League. Like Super Friends, the show was to be developed by Hanna-Barbera for ABC, but since shows like ''[[The Smurfs (Hanna-Barbera series)|The Smurfs]]'' (airing on [[NBC]]) were so popular at the time, this show was never picked up by the network. The show would have featured [[Donna Troy|Wonder Girl]] as the leader, along with [[Cyborg (comics)|Cyborg]], [[Wally West|Kid Flash]], [[Beast Boy|Changeling]], [[Raven (comics)|Raven]] and [[Starfire (comics)|Starfire]]. Although the show failed to get picked up, a television commercial with an [[anti-drug]] theme did feature the Titans, as they would have appeared in the animated series, along with a new superhero named "The Protector."
==''Superman (1988 TV series)''==
{{main|Superman (1988 TV series)}}
In 1988, just two years after the [[The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians|final season]] of the Super Friends, a new series created by [[Ruby-Spears Productions]] that featured a solo Superman aired on [[CBS]]. On the episode called "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. The Sorceress of Time," Wonder Woman guest stars, and [[B.J. Ward (actress)|B.J. Ward]] reprises her role as Wonder Woman.
==Comics==
===''Super Friends''===
[[DC Comics]] published a [[comic book]] version of the ''Super Friends'' in the 1970s. The ''Super Friends'' comic was written to a higher standard than the television show, and Zan and Jayna were given backstories and secret identities as a pair of blond-haired high school kids; they were more competent heroes in general than their cartoon counterparts.
*While the cartoons were not canon with DC Comics, writer [[E. Nelson Bridwell]] would try to make it into canon by footnotes. Though, many fans would address the matter in letter columns by addressing the SF stories on Earth-1A.<ref>[http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=147426&page=2 Forums > Toonzone.net]</ref> An example of trying to fit ''Super Friends'' into the DC Universe:
**Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog are the only ones active at the Hall of Justice because the Justice League are in the 30th Century with the [[Justice Society]] as shown in ''[[Justice League of America]]'' #147-148. Robin is busy helping the Titans in ''[[Teen Titans]]'' #50-52. Bridwell also gave them last names and ties to the other characters' histories. Wendy Harris was the niece of detective Harry Harris who helped trained [[Batman]] and Marvin White was the son of the woman who helped provide [[Wonder Woman]] with a secret identity upon her arrival in America.
While the show never explained the departure of Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog, the story is found in ''Super Friends'' #6-9.
In 2008, DC began publishing a new ''Super Friends'' series starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, and Green Lantern (John Stewart). Aimed at children, and replacing ''Justice League Adventures'' (the tie-in to ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''), the series takes a light-hearted humorous tone.
===''Extreme Justice''===
The Wonder Twins were members of the short-lived ''[[Justice League International|JLI]]'' offshoot, ''[[Extreme Justice]]''.
===''Super Buddies''===
The lighthearted nature of the show was partially spoofed in the 2000s with two DC [[miniseries]], ''Formerly Known as the Justice League'' and ''I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Justice League!'' (although these series were more direct take-offs on the 1980s Blue Beetle/Booster Gold-era [[Justice League]]). In these miniseries, the group is known as the “Super Buddies,” and consists of a team of various ex-[[Justice League]] members. Writer Keith Giffen has stated that his original proposal was titled ''1-800-SUPERFRIENDS''.
===''Teen Titans''===
In #34 (2006), Wendy and Marvin are now part of DC continuity. They are now [[Twin#fraternal twins|fraternal twins]] (a possible nod to their ''Super Friends'' successors, the Wonder Twins), engineering geniuses (apparently having graduated from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] at sixteen), and are employed at [[Titans Tower]] as maintenance crew and all-around mechanical troubleshooters. They were responsible for restoring Titans member [[Cyborg (comics)|Cyborg]] to full functions after he sustained damage to his artificial body parts during the events of the [[Infinite Crisis]] mini-series and publishing event.
===Wizard Magazine===
An issue parodied the Super Friends, in which the JLA is sent through a dimensional rift and meets some members of the Super Friends. After Martian Manhunter simply uses his Martian vision to melt the villain and his machine, much to Green Lantern’s dismay (''“You have to trick him into leaving, or shutting off his machine, NOT direct physical violence!”'') the Super Friends decided to send the JLAers back to their own dimension. The Wonder Twins turned into water and a bug and paddling, Green Lantern shone his ring on them, Flash ran around them a lot, and Aquaman stood around until water could be introduced in a convienent manner. Despite the fact that their plan made no sense scientifically, it worked and restored the JLAers to their proper world.
Wizard magazine also ran an April Fool's promotion for a Wonder Twins special by painter Alex Ross. The promo was in jest, though, as it appeared in the April Fool's edition of that year. The book, titled "Wonder Twins: Form of Water," was to be one of Alex Ross' oversized books chronicling the Justice League. The plot would see Zan and Jayna using their powers to help the Earth's famine and drought-stricken nations after their monkey Gleek contracted super-rabies after severe dehydration.
===Alex Ross===
Noted painter [[Alex Ross]] is an avowed fan of the show and has worked it into his various projects.
*''[[Kingdom Come (comic book)|Kingdom Come]]''—The United Nations building resembles the [[Hall of Justice]] while the [[Gulag]] is obviously designed on the Hall of Doom. Marvin can also be spotted in a brief cameo in that book.
*''Justice''—A 12-issue miniseries series in which a new and improved [[Legion of Doom (comics)|Legion of Doom]] clashes with the JLA.
==Bumpers==
[[Cartoon Network]] produced three commercials lampooning the Super Friends.
*One dealt with the [[idiosyncratic]] nature of the Legion of Doom and [[Brainiac (comics)|Brainiac]]’s odd manner of dress (''Brainiac'': “Look, I just want some pants...a decent pair of pants!” ''[[Solomon Grundy (comics)|Solomon Grundy]]'': “Solomon Grundy want pants, too!”).
*The second dealt with the [[Wonder Twins]]’ uselessness in battle (''Zan'': “I could get beaten by a sponge! It doesn’t even have to be an evil sponge!”).
*The third, co-starring [[The Powerpuff Girls]], dealt with [[Aquaman]]’s useless powers (''Aquaman'': “My ability to talk to fish is of no use to us, [[Wonder Woman]]!”) as well as the level of violence compared to today’s cartoons, as Wonder Woman and Aquaman look away while the Powerpuff Girls beat up the Legion of Doom, going so far as to set the Scarecrow on fire. Most notabably was Bubbles double-entendre reply to Wonder Woman's compliment on how they were developing as superheroes. "One day we'll be as developed as you are." Lex Luthor, as a villain with a dirty mind, began laughing. His underlings understood the joke and laughed as well. When a piece of the Hall of Doom's ceiling fell on Luthor's head, everyone laughed.
*A fourth bumper was produced for [[Adult Swim]]. This bumper was a clip from the episode “The Time Trap,” and edited some beeping in to give the appearance of profanity. Many other Hanna Barbera toons had the same thing done.
*There was a 5th bumper produced that lampooned the manner in which the Superfriends described every action before completing it (e.g., "I need to reach my utility belt so that I may free myself!"). In this commercial, the heroes go to a movie and struggle to find money for popcorn.
==Parodies==
===''Superfriends Wassup!''===
An internet viral spoof of the [[Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser]] "[[Whassup]]" commercial featuring re-edited footage of [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s, ''Super Friends''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr8RLbvmjUY&mode=related&search= YouTube.com: ''Superfriends Wassup!'']</ref>
===''[[Earthworm Jim]] Special Edition''===
At the end of the game’s Easy Mode ending, [[Doug TenNapel]] proclaims, ''“Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice, Superman, Batman and Jan and Zayna, uh—the Wonder Twins. They’ve...pronounced that it’s the end. We’re not kidding. Uhh...really!”''
===[[That 70s Show]]===
''Super Friends'' was spoofed in an episode with a dream sequence where the “Super Pals” made fun of [[Eric Forman|Eric’s]] Superman because [[Donna Pinciotti|Donna’s]] Wonder Woman had given him a ring as a gift. ''“I got it at the mall!”'' she exclaims. The episode features Eric Forman as Superman, Donna as Wonder Woman, Kelso as Batman, Fez as Aquaman and Hyde & Jackie as the Wonder Twins. Red is also featured as their nemesis, “Dr. Bald.", wearing Lex Luthor's green and purple costume.
===''Maritess vs. the Super Friends''===
[[Philippines|Filipino]] comedian [[Rex Navarrete]] gave a satirized depiction of the Super Friends in his comedy routine about Maritess, a Filipina immigrant who worked as the Super Friends’ [[maid]] at the Hall of Justice. This was made into a short [[Macromedia Flash]] animation by [[Dino Ignacio]].<ref>[http://www.fractalcow.com/rex/ Maritess Vs The Superfriends<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===''Justice League''===
In "Secret Origins, Part 3", when Superman proposes the idea of a team, Flash responds “What, you mean like a bunch of...super friends?”
In "Injustice For All", during a battle in a museum, a statue of the Wonder Twins can be seen in the background.
====''Justice League Unlimited''====
[[List of Justice League episodes#Season 3: 2004-2005|"Ultimatum"]], a first season episode of the [[Cartoon Network]] television series, featured the [[Ultimen]], a group of superheroes that are a [[pastiche]] of heroes unique to the Super Friends. The members were [[Long Shadow]] (based on Apache Chief), [[Wind Dragon]] (Samurai), [[Juice (Justice League Unlimited)|Juice]] (Black Vulcan), [[Downpour]] (Zan of the Wonder Twins), and [[Shifter (Justice League Unlimited)|Shifter]] (Jayna of the Wonder Twins). The headquarters of the Ultimen, although on top of a [[skyscraper]], resembled the Super Friends’ Hall of Justice. Of note also is that the JLU heroes featured in this episode was the line up of the original ''Super Friends'', save for Robin (due to the concurrent ''[[Teen Titans]]'' and [[The Batman (TV series)|''The Batman'']] cartoon series, DC and Warner Bros. mandated that no Bat-characters other than Batman himself could be used in JLU).
===''The Fairly Oddparents''===
In the episode “Power Pals,” Timmy wishes for better super friends. As a result, he gets a team of superheroes—the Power Pals—as “friends.” The four characters parody famous characters including Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman, and come with their own narrator. Various aspects of ''Super Friends'' were parodied, such as randomly pressing beeping buttons (that flash in an equally random pattern) on any computer module, invisible vehicles (somehow, the Power Pals are able to recognize a dent in the invisible rocket, and can be seen from the outside as only the rocket is invisible), the uselessness of Aquaman’s (Wet Willy’s) ability to talk to fish and powerlessness outside of water, and near-instantaneous travel to distant galaxies.
===''MTv's The State''===
During a transition between two other skits there is a brief scene with members of the State dressed as the various Superfriends. The Flash runs in an informs them all of an impending disaster. Superman then begins assigning serious tasks to all of the members but finishes by saying "and Aquaman...go talk to some fish". The members of the Superfriends then begin laughing hysterically while a visibly embarrassed Aquaman just stands there.
===''South Park''===
The episode, "[[Super Best Friends]]", is a spoof on this series and depicts religious figures as a team of superheroes. The only member of “The Super Best Friends” who is not a religious figure is “Seaman” (who people continuiously mispronounced as "[[semen]]"), a spoof on Aquaman whose power is to talk to fish (referring to the fact that fans have viewed Aquaman, as seen in ''Super Friends'', as a joke).
Additionally, the episode, "[[Krazy Kripples]]", features a Legion of Doom featuring [[Christopher Reeve]] as the leader. The episode "[[Spookyfish]]" also features a Superfriends-style scene transition with images of [[Barbara Streisand|Barbara Streisand's]] head superimposed over the trademark lensflares.
===''Family Guy''===
In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[No Meals on Wheels]]", [[Peter Griffin|Peter]] makes a reference to the Mexican Superfriends, and a non-sequitur shows many Mexican versions of superheroes, including "Mexican Superman" and "Mexican Batman."
===''Superficial Friends''===
An ongoing animated series featuring controversial celebrities [[Paris Hilton]], [[Nicole Richie]], [[Lindsay Lohan]], and [[Olsen Twins|the Olsen Twins]] in the roles of tasteless superheroes, created in 2006 by [[Heavy.com]]. Both the setting and the some of the girls’ superpowers are plays on elements from the ''Super Friends''.
===''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''===
The ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]'' episode “MC Pee Pants” uses backgrounds taken from the ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' episode “Monolith of Evil” for the location of Hell.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{imdb title|id=0069641|title=Super Friends}}
*{{Tv.com show|id=13644|title=Super Friends}}
*[http://user1291318.sites.myregisteredsite.com/willsultimatesuperfriendsepisodeguide/index.html Will's Ultimate Super Friends Episode Guide!]
*[http://www.pazsaz.com/superfr.html Super Friends at Parsaz.com]
{{Superfriends series}}
{{Justice League}}
[[Category:1970s American animated television series]]
[[Category:1980s American animated television series]]
[[Category:Superhero television programs]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows]]
[[Category:Television programs based on DC Comics]]
[[Category:Batman television series]]
[[Category:DC Comics superhero teams]]
[[Category:DC Comics titles]]
[[Category:Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Studios series and characters]]
[[Category:Superman television series]]
[[Category:DC animation]]
[[Category:1973 television series debuts]]
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[[Category:Super Friends| ]]
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