TUG to the Cartoons of the 80’s Episode Guide: SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show

SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show
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Episode Guide:

Season 1:

Episode 1: The Bride of Darkseid

Air Date: September 8th, 1984
Writer(s): Alan Burnett & Jeff Segal
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, Black Vulcan, Firestorm (Professor Stein & Ronald)
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak, Desaad
Other Characters: 

Synopsis:

Black Vulcan pursues two bank robbers in a high speed chase. The bank Robbers produce extra exhaust smoke blinding Vulcan and they think they’ve gotten away but Firestorm arrives and turns their car into a bathtub? Black Vulcan doesn’t know who Firestorm is. Later the Daily Planet globe is falling off of the building by Lois Lane and Clark Kent, Kent goes to switch to Superman but Firestorm shows up and turns the globe into a hot air balloon. Superman is shocked. Next day Wonder Woman tries to save an ocean liner heading for an iceberg, Firestorm turns it into iron and it sinks saving the ship. We see Firestorm talking to a ‘professor’ about his school work. Batman discovers he is two people in one. Next Darkseid and Kalibak appear through a portal and reignite a volcano. We learn that Professor Stein and Ronald merge to form Firestorm. Darkseid confronts the superheros who have only ‘heard’ of him.  Kalibak captures Wonder Woman and Darkseid throws a kryptonite net over the rest of them. Darkseid opens a stargate to leave. Firestorm destroys the net as the villains exit through the portal. They invite Firestorm back to the Hall of Justice. We See apocalypse and the palace of Darkseid where we meet Desaad who believes he can help Darkseid. Firestorm reveals his secret to the team. Ronald develops a crush on Wonder Woman. Dessad’s device (mind probe) can alter the personality of any living thing. Darkseid wants to not only make Wonder Woman his ally but his queen. Wonder Woman shows Firestorm the secrets of the Hall including the Force Field. It just so happens that Firestorm turns the force field off at the exact same time that Darkseid comes in. He takes Wonder Woman captive.

PART 2 The Superfriends use a fake meteor to land on apocalypse. They break into the fortress where Superman uses his x-ray vision to locate Wonder Woman who leads them into a trap. Firestorm with the power of two minds breaks free and destroys the wind probe. Darkseid had given the device to Wonder Woman to hit the button but she hesitated.

Grade: 3.5/5

Episode 2:

Segment 1: The Wrath of Brainiac

Air Date: September 15th, 1984
Writer(s): Glenn Leopold
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak, Desaad, Brainiac
Other Characters: Trucker

Synopsis:

Darkseid, Kalibak and Desaad are on a mission for their next attempt to combat the Super Friends. They see Wonder Woman fly by and try to pursue. They run into a strange ship. Brainiac introduces himself and Darkseid says he looks nothing like Brainiac so Brainiac explains his new body and shows off androids of Superman and Wonder Woman and that he needs Darkseid’s help to energize them. Darkseid shoots his omega beams at them and they take life. We go to Superman, Batman and Robin flying over a city and have to save a driver from a rode that cracks. The Wonder Woman androids show up and complicate manners capturing the three. Meanwhile Wonder Woman and Firestorm are trying to save a group of people in a ski-lift falling to their doom. Android Superman shows up and hits Wonder Woman with his beams. Firestorm evades him and tries to hit him with kryptonite but Superman isn’t effected. Firestorm figures things out but the Wonder Woman android arrives and hits him before he can do anything. Each superhero is in a cell designed specifically to combat each person’s power. Darkseid proposes to Wonder Woman and she agrees as long as he frees her friends. Darkseid and Brainiac face off with each other over the agreement. Wonder Woman throws her head gear at the control panel freeing everyone. Kalibak grabs Wonder Woman and the three bad guys exit Darkseid’s portal. They grab the android by accident though.

Grade: 3.5/5

Segment 2: Reflections in Crime

Air Date: September 15th, 1984
Writer(s): John Bradford
Justice League Members: Superman, Batman, Robin, Firestorm, Samurai
Classic Villains: Mirror Master
Other Characters: Lois Lane

Synopsis:

Samurai and Superman are playing chess on the Hall of Justice computer when they receive a distress call at the observatory. The call was made by the Mirror Master, not the workers though.  “Maybe some clown with a home computer cracked our code” When Superman puts the mirror back in place Mirror Master confronts him and hits him with a beam sending him to the 6^th dimension, the dimension behind mirrors. Superman searches for a mirror to communicate with someone else, he tries Lois Lane with no luck, then a random guy, then a girl that screams and he says he needs to be more careful. Batman, Robin, Firestorm and Samurai respond to a robbery in progress, Mirror Master blinds Firestorm and Samurai temporarily and Batman and Robin pursue in the batmobile, Superman appears in their rear view mirror to warn them but Mirror Master sucks them into his vehicle and the batmobile goes ghost riding off the cliff. Samurai catches it in his tornado and Firestorm creates a pallet for them to land it on instead of the water. Superman, Batman and Robin communicate to the other two through the Hall of Justice mirror. They get another distress call for the county fair. They confront him as he tries to steal a pie contest plaque, he runs away towards a hall of mirrors but is able to capture Firestorm through the reflective plaque. Samurai chases him into the hall of mirrors, Samurai disappeared instead though and Mirror Master went to destroy the device but Samurai grabbed it and reversed the beam and freed the Super Friends. Samurai disappearing had stopped his reflection.

Grade: 4/5

Episode 3:

Segment 1: No Honor Among Theives

Air Date: September 22nd, 1984
Writer(s): John Semper & Cynthia Friedlob
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, El Dorado
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak, Desaad, Lex Luthor
Other Characters:

Synopsis:

We begin at a Metropolis geological institute press conference that is showing a sample of X9 a rare element not anywhere else on earth. Lex Luthor shows up to get it in a power suit. El Dorado attempts to stop him but he escapes to hell island his fortress to analyze it. His device is made to steal the Super Friends power and transfer them to him. We go to the Palace of Darkseid where Lex Luthor breaks through the ceiling and shares his plan with Darkseid. Lex Luthor robs an armored car alerting the Hall of Justice, Wonder Woman shows up and stops him from stealing a bunch of bags of money, then El Dorado magnetizes him to a truck crane, both heroes fall through a Darkseid stargate though and Luthor frees himself. Superman and Firestorm are flying to a aircraft that is being robbed. Luthor traps the two of them again and they go through Darkseid’s portals. Luthor steals all of their powers and Darkseid again tries to propose to Wonder Woman. She says no and Darkseid sends them all to the jungles of apocalypse. Darkseid unveils his plan to take over Earth without the superheroes now. Lex Luthor sits on Darkseid’s throne and says he’s in charge now. Darkseid unleashes kryptonite on Luthor rendering him helpless. Luthor uses El Dorado’s powers to activate his power suit though and sends it to El Dorado to help them. They reverse the power switch and Firestorm covers Luthor with baby powder. Superman uses a meteor to bowl all of his ships over, the Super Friends also created a black hole holograph which scared Darkseid into retreating. The Super Friends turn his suit into a prison outfit.

Grade: 3.5/5

*Segment 2: Mr. Mxyzptlk and the Magic Lamp

Air Date: September 22nd, 1984
Writer(s): John Bradford & John Bonaccorsi
Justice League Members: Batman, Robin, Apache Chief
Classic Villains: Mr. Mxyzptlk
Other Characters: Benny the Thief, Ernie, General Plankton, Inspector Throckmorton

Synopsis:

Metropolis museum of art – lamp of Aladdin. A thief steals aladdin’s lamp and then we see Apache Chief, Batman and Robin get alerted at the hall of justice. Then we see Mxyzptlk atop a tower saying he can’t wait to annoy the superfriends. Apache grows real tall and then just watched the thief fall off a wooden board but batman swings in and saves him. As he rubs the lamp Mixy makes him disappear. Mixy grants him a wish and he wishes to be the greatest thief ever so mixy ‘grants’ it and they go steal things such as the crown jewels. Mixy helps keep the superfriends from capturing Benny the Bungler. They get a call from fort knox about someone stealing the gold. Mixy gets the best of firestorm and apache. Then he shows up at the Hall of justice and he tries to steal their computer. They finally figure out that Mixy is behind it all. Firestorm creates another computer for them to track the stolen one. They trick him by making the code word to access the bank accounts his name spelled backwards.

Grade: 3.5/5

Episode 4:

Segment 1: The Case of the Shrinking Super Friends

Air Date: September 29th, 1984
Writer(s): John Bates
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, Firestorm, Green Lantern, Wonder Twins, Gleek, Black Vulcan
Classic Villains: Lex Luthor
Other Characters: Rethgar

Synopsis:

Outer reaches of the galaxy a solar storm causes havoc. Super Friends are alerted by Rethgar that Cromalon will be doomed. Superman says the mission is too much for the ‘junior members’ and leaves them behind. Lex Luthor has developed a shrinking ray though and is headed for the Hall of Justice. Luthor shrinks the hall of justice while the senior members save Cromalon. W.Twins Stormcloud, Condor they save Robin after Luthor grabs him. Firestorm attempts to stop Luthor while he takes the Hall of Justice away. Lex unleashes a fire hydrant on them all and flies away. Firestorm creates an ice raft for them to surf down the ‘river’. Luthor places the hall of justice on a shelf at his place but doesn’t realize that Gleek is inside still at first but gleek has already opened the doors for the other superfriends. They jump out in plain site of Luthor and get shot again by the ray. Then he unleashes two spiders on them. W.Twins, sheet of ice, butterfly.  Firestorm switches the programming for the contracting ray and return themselves all to normal size.

Grade: 3/5

Segment 2: The Mask of Mystery

Air Date: September 29th, 1984
Writer(s): Glenn Leopold
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, Firestorm
Classic Villains: Lex Luthor
Other Characters: Captain Mystery, Sleeves, Robber Baron, Bank Manager, Bank Guard

Synopsis:

Metropolis Saving Bank. Robber Baron and Sleeves are stealing from the bank when Batman and Robin are in the Vault but the appearance of Captain Mystery allows them to get away. Lex Luthor who apparently already broke out of prison from the last episode sees captain mystery and wants to take advantage of a new ‘weak link’ . Firestorm out of costume runs into Captain Mystery out of costume (Sidney watermaker). Later he goes by his house to look at his notes and discovers he is Captain Mystery.  Superman fixes a leak in a dam and Mystery shows up. They tell him to hang up his cape. He lets them know he hacked the computer and Luthor oversees it and steals it. The Superfriends all get trapped by Luthor when they try to respond to a sinking super tanker.  Mystery shows up on the scene. He trys to use a computer jamming device on luthor’s coptor but hits his garage door opener instead which opens the tanker door for the superfriends. Firestorm turns the copter into a row boat.

Grade: 2/5

Episode 5: Darkseid’s Golden Trap

Air Date: October 6th, 1984
Writer(s): Alan Burnett & Jeff Segal
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Firestorm, El Dorado, Black Vulcan
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Desaad, Kalibak
Other Characters: Auctioneer, Bidders, Ice Creatures, Snitch, Cromar, Games Announcer

Synopsis:

Space Station Zeno, hub of intergalactic underworld. Gathering for a secret event. 532^nd annual auction. Malravian disintegrator, herculoid automotan. Desaad, Kalibak and darkseid show up to the auction. We then go to some ice creatures speeding across space. Black Vulcan stops to arrest them. He is joined by Wonder woman, firestorm and superman who apprehend them, Superman takes them to the interstellar tribunal while the other 3 try to go undercover as the draconites even though you can clearly see who they are. to the auction. Black Vulcan says its good that superman is not coming with because it’s a mission too dangerous for him…? Next item up is Gold Kryptonite – the only chunk that exists in the entire universe. Superman would lose his powers forever if he’s within 25 feet of it. Darkseid bids 1 bleen and everyone is afraid to overbid him. Black Vulcan bids 1 million. The bidding goes back and forth. Darkseid says the ice creatures shouldn’t be so comfortable in the warm room and shoots a ray to take away their disguises. He then shoots all three right before they can get the gold kryptonite. He taunts Superman afterwards. Both sides discuss strategy while Kalibak decides to go to Vega to defend his championship. Batman, Superman and Apache visit Vega and interrogate a creature named snitch. Snitch tells them that Kalibak is playing in the gyro jouster final on the moon of gains. Kalibak is facing cromar but beats him easily. They ask if there are any other challengers and El Dorado accepts the challenge in disguise. El Dorado beats him and the 3 superfriends show themselves. They interrogate kalibak on which star the trap has been set on . Beta Maximus El dorado gains info from reading kalibak’s mind. Kalibak reports back to Desaad and darkseid. The superfriends arrive on the star to try to rescue the captives. They free them but are then joined by Darkseid. He throws superman the gold kryptonite. El Dorado had created the illusion that batman was superman though so it didn’t work. Darkseid throws a fit and retreats through his portal.

Grade: 4/5

Episode 6:

Segment 1: The Islands of the Dinosoids

Air Date: October 13th, 1984
Writer(s): Marc Scott Zicree
Justice League Members: Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Firestorm (Professor Stein, Ronald), Apache Chief
Classic Villains:
Other Characters: Dr. Dan Corwin, Dr. Corwin’s Assistant

Synopsis:

Batplane flies over pacific to Japan with Batman and Martin Stein. He has a device, omnicaster, that can send a signal to the whole planet. They get hit by a flying dinosaur like bird though and almost crash but they are able to land on an island instead. The batplane damages like it was made out of rubber. A t-Rex type dinosaur comes after them. Professor was going to contact Ronald but they are shot with a laser. Wonder Woman, Ronald, Robina and Apache Chief come to check things out. They are attacked by the Trex and a triceratops like creature but dr. dan corwin shoots it and stuns it and introduces himself. He brings them to a castle with dinosaurs roaming around the outside. Genetto Beam is introduced as the dr. transforms animals into their dinosaurs counterparts. He invites them to stay the night in the fortress and not to venture outside. They find Stein’s glasses and are suspicious of Corwin. Apache searches outside while the other three check out inside and find a secret passage and find Corwin. Batman and Stein have been turned into creatures (Dinosoids) just like him! And he unveils his real head under his mask. Apache finds dr. corwin’s assistant who tells the story of how they were testing the ray and corwin accidentally was hit by the ray and turned into a dinosoid with an evil nature. Together Apache, the assistant, Robin and Ronald head to the lab to make the rescue. Wonder Woman lassos the four heroes but a stegosaurus busts through the wall and heads after the 4 dinosoids. The assistant reverses the controls and the following morning shoots them all.

Grade: 3/5

Segment 2: Uncle Mxyzptlk

Air Date: October 13th, 1984
Writer(s): Kimmer Ringwald
Justice League Members: Superman, Firestorm, Young Superman, Samurai, Wonder Twins, Gleek
Classic Villains: Mr. Mxyzptlk
Other Characters:

Synopsis:

Superman, Samurai and Firestorm are commenting on how they have everything in line, meanwhile the wonder twins and gleek find a mysterious rock and bring it back to the hall of justice. It was red kryptonite and it shrinks superman into a little brat. The brat is wreaking havoc while the others try to babysit him until the effects wear off. Mxyptlk shows up and causes havoc by making the superfriends toys and then taking the super brat to the zoo and letting out the animals. W.Twins Ice Cage, Dinosaur, they reel in all of the loose animals and then the brat starts throwing a fit saying he’s hungry and his hitting the streets causes structures to be precarious. He eats some ice cream and then wants to play baseball and he starts hitting huge boulders towards planes in the sky. The fans held up a banner of his name but samurai mixed it up and he read his name backwards.

Grade: 3/5

Episode 7:

Segment 1: The Case of the Dreadful Dolls

Air Date: October 20th, 1984
Writer(s): Rich H Fogel Jr
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, Firestorm, El Dorado
Classic Villains: Doll Maker
Other Characters:

Synopsis:

Batman and Robin are moving around a fiber analyzer in the batcave. Batman is hit with some sort of energy that makes him get in the batmobile and drive to a museum where he steals a painting. We then see the villain, dolman? Is in charge of controlling batman. Robin sees what is happening and calls for reinforcements from El Dorado. The two of them confront batman as he is in the act of more crime. Dollmaker finishes more dolls of Wonder Woman and Firestorm, taking control of them as well. Superman and El Dorado visit dollmaker in jail to discover it’s a robot version, they then try to stop firestorm and wonderwoman from their theft attempts, firestorm weakens superman with kryptonite. Superman comes under the influence but El Dorado hits him with a bat tracer that hooks into his cape and he would have surely felt. El Dorado and Robin follow the tracer to the dollmaker’s headquarters. Dollmaker puts Robin under his spell and Robin hits el dorado with a bolo as Dollmaker tries to make one last doll of him. He says he has just enough for one more but then makes it out of a huge pile of the substance he is using.  El Dorado is able to hit the firealarm setting off the sprinklers and melting the dolls which snaps all of the superfriends out of their trance. They then capture dollmaker in a jack in the box.

Grade: 4/5

Segment 2: The Royal Ruse

Air Date: October 20th, 1984
Writer(s): Rich Fogel
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Firestorm, Batman, Robin
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak, Desaad
Other Characters: Princess Tara, King Timon

Synopsis:

Object flying across space to earth with a may day transmission. It lands on earth and a woman alien emerges. Princess Tara from Tyron 7, she tells them that darkseid has taken over her home planet. Superfriends agree to help. On Tyron 7, King Timon is getting ordered to do slave work by Kalibak. Darkseid is after the crystals of the planet to power his ray that can send people to the negative universe. The superfriends arrive before darkseid and desaad but kalibak hits superman with kryprtonite. They manage to rescue the king though. Firestorm saves superman though and the superfriends best Kalibak. They imprison kalibak at the palace and have a feast. Robin offers a pretty crystal to Tara. Tara imprisons all of them for Darkseid in exchange for protection. They decide to use their beam on Tyron 7 so they freeze tara in a beam of some sort and imprison her and the king. Tara used the crystal to make the beam hit the control box and free them. They reverse the projector under the floor to free all of the superfriends. Superman blocks the beam headed for the planet and causes the circuits to overload blowing up darkseid’s ship. The 3 of them used darkseid’s portal to escape in time though.

Grade: 3.5/5

Episode 8:

Segment 1: The Village of Lost Souls

Air Date: October 27th, 1984
Writer(s): Doug Booth
Justice League Members: Wonder Twins, Gleek, Apache Chief
Classic Villains: Brainiac
Other Characters: Laurie, Laurie’s Parents

Synopsis:

Mountains in western us, backpacking expedition with Apache Chief and the Wonder twins. They find the tracks of a young girl running. W.Twins, Exauion Eagle, Ice Basket, they save the girl who was hanging to a branch on a cliff. They drop her though but Apache saves them. Laurie’s parents and a ranger all under a spell grab Laurie and drive off with her. The W.Twins visit the town where Jayna gets kidnapped by the zombies which now include laurie as well. Zan also gets captured but Gleek escapes to tell Apache Chief. Apache gets hit by a beam but Wonder Woman flying overhead comes in for the save. W.Woman goes as Diana Prince to see what she can find in the town. Brainiac is behind everything as the wonder twins soon find out while being held captive. He turns the twins into zombies as well. W.Twins, Iceblock and Exaurian Yeti. The Twins capture wonder woman. Apache chief tracks them into a mountain and takes chase. Brainiac takes flight with Apache clinging to it’s ships tentacles. Apache get’s the upper hand though and frees wonderwoman in the process, The W.Twins are freed when Wonder Woman destroys the mind control disc. The superfriends save the day

Grade: 2.5/5

Segment 2: The Curator

Air Date: October 27th, 1984
Writer(s): Glenn Leopold
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Firestorm, Samurai, El Dorado, Black Vulcan, Apache Chief
Classic Villains: 
Other Characters: Curator Remlar

Synopsis:

Tokyo, tidal wave headed for land, Superfriends appear with Samurai, Superman and Firestorm to try to save the day. They stop the tidal wave from hitting the land. Superman’s super hearing picks up a strange sound though and the Imperial Palace vanishes. They call to the hall of justice where we see a ton of monuments vanishing. Batman calls it ‘monumental’ for them to hurry home. The Hall of Justice vanishes right as they get back home. They track the beam to behind the moon and Firestorm creates a ‘space bubble’ so he and Samurai can go into space with superman. They discover crystalinians and avians in suspended animation.  They split up to investigate further. Firestorm finds the Hall of Justice but everyone is in suspended animation as well. Some robots come in to dust and detect Firestorm. The Curator appears and freezes Firestorm as well. He lets them know he is Remlar, Curator of the Museum. Samurai escapes though using his powers. Robots see him being invisible though and shoot him with paint. The bigger robots come after him as Remlar watches.  It’s a real quick and convenient end to the episode though with no real crescendo.

Grade: 1.5/5