TUG to the Cartoons of the 80’s Episode Guide: The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
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Episode Guide:

Season 1:

Episode 1: The Seeds of Doom

Air Date: September 7th, 1985
Writer(s): Alan Burnett
Justice League Members: Cyborg, Superman, Firestorm, Prof. Stein, Ronald, Wonder Woman, Batman, Hawkman (non speaking roles for Robin, Aquaman and Samurai)
Classic Villains: Lex Luthor, Darkseid, DeSaad, Kalibak
Other Characters: Nicholas, Girl, Aliens from Apocalypse

Synopsis:

We start off seing Cyborg walking with a young kid named nicholas who has an artificial leg. They notice a cybernetic spider wreaking havoc on a nearby structure and we discover it is being driven by Lex Luthor. As parts of the building fall to the streets below the citizens run in fear. Cyborg grabs Nicholas and vaults to a building nearby. As the spider comes towards Cyborg, Nicholas points and says “Oh look, here comes the super powers team” (They really want to hammer that name in).  Luthor starts shooting at the team, eventually hitting Superman with Kryptonite Webbing. He tries an organic Web on Firestorm but Wonder Woman frees him and then Firestorm shoots the web holding superman and makes it disappear. Cyborg interfaces with the spider and makes it go haywire. Superman invites Cyborg to join the team but he turns them down. Superman says it isn’t the first time he’s declined either.

Next we see an alien jump through a portal and leave a seedling before returning from where he came from. We see him do the same thing in a few other environments as well.

We then transition to Darkseid, DeSaad and Kalibak discussing their plans. The alien is in fact a drone sent by DeSaad to plant his seeds of Doom. Kalibak asks Darkseid if he can plant the final seed and Darkseid allows it. Darkseid also refers to the Super Friends as the Super Powers Team.

We then transition to Firestorm who separates in to Prof. Stein and Ronald and they tell the backstory of Cyborg. Ronald decides to try to convince Cyborg to join so he can have someone else his age on the team. Cyborg discusses the fact that he’s the only superhero without a secret identity and how that effects him. They hear Kalibak plating the last seed and Firestorm engages him. Kalibak hits Firestorm with a ray that immobilizes him and Cyborg joins the action. They scare Kalibak away but the seed pod comes to life and traps the two superheroes. Superman flies in to save the day and send the week into the stratosphere.

We see a new looking Hall of Justice with Superman reporting back to Firestorm, Cyborg, Robin, Batman, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Samurai. Cyborg attempts to leave when Darkseid interrupts taking over the monitor and telling them that Earth is doomed unless they all pledge their allegiance to him forever.

[Break]

The Super Powers team decides to split up with Wonder Woman, Firestorm and a reluctant Cybrog heading for Apocalypse to try to interface with their computers to locate the thousands of seed pods.

Kalibak goes to Darkseid to let him know that they have received a transmission from Wonder Woman requesting to land. Darkseid immediately asks if she is alone (creepy). Wonder Woman departs the ship as a bunch of those same alien creatures search the ship without finding the other 2 superheroes.

Firstorm and Cyborg head for the computer room and dispose of DeSaad quite easily on their way. The Super Powers team is getting the locations transmitted to them directly while Wonder Woman negotiates with Darkseid who says he might agree to a delay if Wonder Woman agrees to be his bride. Kalibak enters the room to tell Darkseid they have been infiltrated. Wonder woman runs for the exit as Darkseid activates the security system. Firestorm and Cyborg fall through a trap door and land in a room full of thousands of seed pods. Darkseid and Kalibak enter the room and attack them. Cyborg uses a frequency to make the seeds sprout. Darkseid says the only way to stop their growth is with his beams (really?) The superheroes take off as Apocalypse is taken over by the plants.

Meanwhile the super powers team is collecting all of the seeds on earth.

Grade: 4/5

Episode 2:

Segment 1: The Ghost Ship

Air Date: September 14th, 1985
Writer(s): Antoni Zalewski
Justice League Members: Superman, Firestorm, Cyborg
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak
Other Characters: Princess Aliana

Synopsis:

We start with Superman, Firestorm and Cyborg in space as they were charting it. Darkseid and Kalibak appear and attack them. They fire some heat seeking weapons on them and Firestorm makes it appear as if they were obliterated. They discreetly find their way to an abandoned ship. Inside the ship is a whole natural landscape as well as a bunch of mini-robots. (Botanical garden and robot farmers) Then a being appears who says she is Princess Aliana and that they are trespassing. She keeps appearing and disappearing as the heroes come across numerous obstacles in the form of giant robots, energy spheres and the Princess herself. At one point the princess discovers that one of the heroes is Superman and she lets down her guard telling them that she uses holograms to scare away pirates and the like. She let’s them know that like Krypton her homeworld was destroyed. She carries the entire population in a microchip she wears around her neck. We see that Darkseid has been spying on them the whole time. In some turn of events that didn’t really make sense, Firestorm turned an asteroid into a yellow sun and Superman deflected some sort of laser fire so that it didn’t destroy them and he hijacked Darkseid’s ship, got a hold of the microchip and saved the day.

Grade: 2/5

Segment 2: The Bizarro Super Powers Team

Air Date: September 14th, 1985
Writer(s): Glenn Leopold
Justice League Members: Wonder Woman, Firestorm, Cyborg
Classic Villains: Bizarro, Mxyzptlk
Other Characters: Mayor, Male and Female citizens, Police Officer, Warden Johnson

Synopsis:

Bizzaroworld  is where we start this segment off. The narrator gives a description of the world. We find Bizzaro #1 speaking with a group of other bizarro superman. He tells them they are too powerful and need protection and heads to earth to try to get a bizaro version of the super powers team.

As the Mayor and Wonder Woman bestow honors on Firestorm and Cyborg, Mxyzptlk looks on. Just as he is about to spoil the moment Bizarro #1 appears and shoots the Super Powers Team members on stage with a duplicator ray. Mxyzptlk tells Bizarro they need to be trained which leads to failure after failure as Mxyzptlk teaches them 3 separate lessons.

The final lesson consists of creating a prison break and a showdown between the two factions. In the process Wonder Woman hits Mxyzptlk with the duplicator ray and creates a Bizarro version of him, named Kltpzyxm. The bizarro version decides to return to bizarro world as do the rest of the Bizarro versions. They say they need to follow Kltpzyxm, which tricks the real Mxzyptlk to tell them to forget Kltpzyxm, ie, saying his name backwards and returing to the 5th dimension.

Grade: 3/5

Episode 3: The Darkseid Deception

Air Date: September 21st, 1985
Writer(s): Rich Fogel & Alan Burnett
Justice League Members: Superman, Batman, Firestorm, Cyborg, Robin, Wonder Woman
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak, DeSaad
Other Characters: Col. Steve Trevor

Synopsis:

The Super Powers Team is all aboard a space station as Batman and Superman are trying to modify some mechanics so that they all don’t need to wear gravity belts.

Wonder Woman tells the gang she is waiting for a friend and we see a space shuttle come into orbit piloted by Col. Steve Trevor. The shuttle vanishes through a magnetic field.

We discover that Darkseid is behind the abduction of the shuttle. Trevor tries to escape using a jetpack but is shot down by Darkseid. Darkseid is appalled that Wonder Woman chooses this man over himself. DeSaad is duplicating the satellite that Trevor was transporting.  Darkseid then uses a device to transform him into a Steve Trevor clone.

As the Super Powers team searches for a trace of the disappearance the space shuttle reappears with the Darkseid version of Trevor at the helm. Cyborg senses a red aura around Trevor especially around his eyes. Batman, Robin and Firestorm head back to investigate.

Wonder Woman discovers the ruse and Darkseid hits her with one of his beams. Batman, Cyborg and Firestorm arrive and engage Darkseid but he is able to grab Wonder Woman and head back through the portal before they can get to him.  Batman wonders if there was more to Darkseid’s plans as the Satelitte is loaded and delivered as scheduled.

Back on Apocalypse Darkseid explains the entire plan to Wonder Woman on what he intends to do with the satelite.  He then uses the beam to turn Trevor into a mongoloid. Wonder Woman breaks free but is hit by Darkseid and turned into a statue.

The Super Powers Team arrives on Apocalypse to rescue Wonder Woman. They see Kalibak putting the former Trevor to work with the rest of the evil robots. The team engages them in an attempt to rescue Trevor. They try to find DeSaad’s lab so they can help Trevor regain his former form. They come across the Villains transporting the Wonder Woman statue during their search and atempt to secure her as well. Batman managed to confiscate a transmitter from Kalibak that allows them to get directly into DeSaad’s lab. Cyborg interfaces with it and reverts Trevor and Wonder Woman into their proper forms. They have one final confrontation with Darkseid as he attempts to put the final stage of his plan into place. Darkseid hits them with a field of red kryptonite but using the transmitter they are able to redirect it to Apocalypse as well as using the transmitter to return to Earth. They thought they had secured a transmitter for future use but it self destructs as they discuss it. Trevor says they need to return to Apocalypse to retrieve the real satelite as the episode ends.

Grade: 4/5

Episode 4: The Fear

Air Date: September 28th, 1985
Writer(s): Alan Burnett
Justice League Members: Batman, Robin, Superman, Green Lantern, (Samurai, Aquaman, Hawkman, Firestorm), Superman, Wonder Woman
Classic Villains: Scarecrow
Other Characters: Guards, Strawmen, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon

Synopsis:

We begin with Scarecrow and his straw men infiltrating the Gotham Electronics building where he unleashes chameleon’s on the guards but hits them with a hypnotic device that makes them fear lizards.

Batman and Robin notice the farm truck next to the Electronics building and decide to check it out.  The see the guards panicking and quickly find one of Scarecrow’s fear transmitters and crush it to free the guards from their paralysis. They then confront Scarecrow himself.

Scarecrow uses another transmitter to trick Robin into being afraid of heights, Batman crushes that one too and corners Scarecrow in a back alley. He dropped his last transmitter down a storm drain but Batman became fearful of the alley to the point of tears allowing Scarecrow to get away.

Robin reports back to the Hall of Justice and Superman and Wonder Woman decide to make a visit to Wayne Mansion to figure out what’s been going on with Batman.

There is a party happening at Wayne Manor in which we see Comissioner Gordon introduce Professor Johnathan Crane to Bruce Wayne. We also get to see Alfred as well as Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Diana not in their superhero garb. Eventually Bruce tells Dick the story about Crime Alley which is what spooked him with the Scarecrow. This brings us to a flashback to the night his parents were killed.

After we get the entire Batman origin story Wonder Woman drops Batman and Robin off at Crime Alley so he can conquer his fear once and for all. They see Scarecrow robbing a jewelry store and running off down crime alley. Batman once again is paralyzed with fear and Robin is captured by one of the strawmen. As Scarecrow goes to capture Batman, Wonder Woman arrives on the scene. Scarecrow disappears down through the sewers as Wonder Woman arrives. She is able to destroy the fear transmitter and free Batman.

They interrogate one of the strawmen but Crane stops Wonder Woman from using her lasso on him “as an officer of the court”. He then offeres Wonder Woman information on Scarecrow while Batman heads off to search for Robin. Crane pulls out a fear Transmitter and produces a fear of chlosterphobia on Wonder Woman causing her to faint.

Batman is tricked by Scarecrow into following a crow which leads him to a trap in the field in which Robin and Wonder Woman are being held. There the specially modified Batman fear transmitter is activated to attack Batman. Batman snaps out of it at the last minute and is able to crush the transmitter and save Robin and Wonder Woman.

Superman, Green Lantern and Samurai arrive on the scene to assist as well. They take care of the Strawmen as Batman confronts Scarecrow in a barn. He unmasks Scarecrow to reveal Professor Crane.

Grade: 4.5/5

Episode 5: The Wild Cards

Air Date: October 5th, 1985
Writer(s): John Loy & Alan Burnett
Justice League Members: Superman, Batman, Robin, Firestorm, Cyborg, Wonder Woman
Classic Villains: Darkseid, Kalibak, The Joker
Other Characters: 

Synopsis:

We start the episode off as a group of thieves conducts a robbery of sorts. We see a faceless villain watching them. Their lookout then notices Cyborg in the vicinity who has detected the theft with his cybernetic hearing.

A villain dressed up like a playing card showed up to save the thieves from getting captured by Cyborg and he put them all on a card as they fly away. He takes them all to the House of Cards. He transforms them all into playing cards and then he is summoned away.  He introduces him to a shadowy figure as his new Royal Flush Gang.

At the Hall of Justice the team has designed a program to show all of the major criminals at large. Cyborg enters and says they have another they need to add to the bunch. As he relays the information Wonder Woman signals in about 4 characters riding along on playing cards. The team goes to provide assistance to her. The Gang gets the best of Wonder Woman, Superman and Firestorm.

Batman plants a tracking device on one of the cards as they fly back to the House of Cards. He turns the three superheros into their own cards. He then introduces the Gang to their benefactor, Darkseid!

Batman, Robin and Cyborg follow the homing device and see Darkseid’s drones exiting the House of Cards. They explain that the House of Cards must have disguised the transdimensional warp which explains why they didn’t know they were on Apocalypse already.

A battle ensues between the Super Powers Team and the Royal Flush Gang lead by Ace. After getting the best of the cards, Batman reveals that Ace is actually The Joker in disguise. Ten helps out the superheroes as the other 3 cards follow Joker on a chase with the Super Powers Team.

The Gang gets the best of Cyborg, Batman and Robin and bring them back to Darskeid who turns them all into cards like the first batch.

Darkseid’s first target now that he has everyone subdued is sending his drones to Metropolis and the Hall of Justice. Joker realizes that Jack is missing and sends the others to find him. Jack frees all of the Superheroes before they can get to them. We then discover that Jack is actually Batman as he switched spots with him during their battle. The Super Powers team easily captures the other members of the Royal Flush gang and make their getaway, destroying the House of Cards on the way. Darkseid discards Joker right into the Heroes hands as they head back home.

Grade: 5/5

Episode 6:

Segment 1: Brain Child

Air Date: October 12th, 1985
Writer(s): Don Glut
Justice League Members: Superman, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Firestorm
Classic Villains: Brainiac
Other Characters: 

Synopsis:

Cyborg and Ronald are discussing a game of Chess when a robot invades the building and starts wreaking havoc. They take out the three machines relatively easy, Firestorm even calls one of them a Jules Verne Reject. When Cyborg attempts to interface with one of them he faints. Cyborg’s body is taken over as he walks out of the building against his will. He is abducted by Brainiac.

Brainiac uses a telepathic transporter to imbue a giant AI Robot with Cyborg’s soul. Superman and Firestorm show up on the scene disguised as Superman and Green Lantern and are confronted by the giant android. The heroes are able to get the best of the android and return Cyborg’s consciousness to his own body. Brainiac basically hits the self destruct button and the trio of heroes have to try to hold on for dear life as everything is sucked out into space.

Grade: 2.5/5

Segment 2: The Case of the Stolen Powers

Air Date: October 12th, 1985
Writer(s): Mark Young
Justice League Members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Firestorm, Aquaman (Samurai & Hawkman)
Classic Villains: Felix Faust, Penguin
Other Characters: 

Synopsis:

In a jail cell we see Felix Faust planning an escape and The Penguin wants in on it. Superman, Wonder Woman and Firestorm are coming to the rescue in another situation and Faust conjures up a spell that steals Superman’s power. Penguin gets in front of Faust and steals the powers instead and breaks out of the jail. Faust follows him out and uses a spirit crystal to create a trio of phantoms.

A reporter gives a story on how Penguin the least powerful villain is wreaking havoc now that he has Superman’s power. She shows clips of him getting the best of Hawkman, Samurai and Aquaman.

Superman tries to counter Penguin with Red Kryptonite. Faust captures Penguin with his Phantoms and takes Superman’s powers from him. His spirit crystal is destroyed though and the phantoms disappear. Firestorm hits him with kryptonite and cripples him. Wonder Woman hits him with her lasso and get’s superman’s powers back for him.

Grade: 3/5

Episode 7: The Death of Superman

Air Date: October 19th, 1985
Writer(s): Alan Burnett
Justice League Members: Firestorm, Cyborg, Batman, Hawkman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Samurai, Professor Stein, Superman, Flash (Robin, El Dorado,  Aquaman)
Classic Villains: DeSaad, Kalibak, Darkseid
Other Characters: Reporter, Kid in Audience,

Synopsis:

We Start the episode out with a reporter introducing us to the death of Superman. He mentions that Firestorm was hardest hit as he was present at the accident. They fly off in a spaceship with Superman’s body and are mourned by tons of humans on earth as well as ships and representatives from many planets as they make there way through the atmosphere.

Firestorm is blaming himself for Superman’s death.  They jettison the tube with Superman’s body and Batman warns that with Superman gone their enemies will be scheming like never before.

DeSaad witnesses the tube being sent into the sun and with Kalibak is rejoicing. Darkseid warns that it could be a ruse and demands absolute proof.

As Ronald and Professor Stein discuss their emotions, Darkseid’s robots attack them. He disperses the robots but Darkseid’s minions capture him instead.

The Super Powers team arrives at the Fortress of Solitude to put Superman’s affairs in order.

Darkseid has Firestorm in a energy trap and demands him to tell him the circumstances surrounding Superman’s death. DeSaad hits him with some sort of truth ray to force Firestorm to talk.

A flashback ensues where Firestorm and Superman are on an alien world where Superman is in search of an antidote to Kryptonite. Superman comes across a large source of Kryptonite but Firestorm can’t help him due to being tangled in some organic plant roots. By the time Firestorm broke free he came across Superman’s body which appeared to have been killed by the Kryptonite.

Darkseid laments that he wasn’t the reason for Superman’s death. The Super Powers Team uses a gigantic key to enter into Superman’s fortress. As they enter they are trapped by some sort of security system but Cyborg is able to take care of it. Then, a robot duplicate of Superman enters the room. The Robot explains that Superman may be able to be saved IF he had placed himself into a kryptonian trance.

Back at the Hall of Justice the remaining Super Powers team is tricked into letting down their guard and attacked by Darkseid and Kalibak. Firestorm splits into Ronald and Professor Stein which frees them from the energy beams. Firestorm catches up with the group at the Fortress of Solitude and warns them of Darkseid’s actions. They fly toward the sun to try to rescue Superman’s body. Firestorm uses his powers to help shield the ship as they get close to the sun and retrieve Superman.

As Darkseid and his team invade Earth he opens a number of portals for his armies to enter. At that point Superman flies in and destroys Darkseid’s ship. The villains escape through a portal as Superman walks them down.

Grade: 5/5

Episode 8: Escape from Space City

Air Date: October 26th, 1985
Writer(s): Alan Burnett & Antoni Zalewski
Justice League Members: Firestorm, Samurai, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman
Classic Villains: DeSaad, Kalibak, Darkseid
Other Characters: Dr. Moko, Daughter

Synopsis:

We start off on Star City where Dr. Moko and his daughter are taking care of things with the assist of some robots when a portal opens but we don’t see who if anyone enters.  On Earth, Firestorm and Samurai intercept an orb that the scientist had sent with a SOS message contained within.

When they arrive Dr. Moko explains that he never sent such a message and everything was fine. Batman, Samurai and Firestorm insist on looking around.

Back on Earth Aquaman reports of a mysterious Island that appeared overnight. He is attacked by some robots. Wonder Woman explains that the island is directly under Star City.

Superman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman come across a door on the floating island but are immediately encased in kryptonite tubes and Darkseid emerges from the door.

Back on Star City Dr. Moko, which is an android disguised as Moko attacks Batman, Firestorm and Samurai. They are able to get the best of him but then DeSaad sends down his security service (A bunch of robot security machines).

Darkseid unveils his plan to the captured Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Dr. Moko, that Star City will give him the perfect vantage point to take over Earth.

The other Guardians descend beneath the surface of Star City in search of the Solar Generators. DeSaad and Kalibak throw many obstacles in their path from their control room but the Super Heroes get passed them all. The daughter has a key to shut down the entire city in case of an emergency and uses it to take control away from DeSaad. DeSaad and Kalibak put the city on a crash course for Earth and then jump through the portal.  Samurai follows them through though and is able to use his powers to free the remaining Superheroes. The trio of villains jump through a portal back to Apocalypse and the heroes stop the city from hitting Earth.

Grade: 4/5