It looks like another one of my favorite cartoons is finally making its way to DVD this August 7th. Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show was the first new format SuperFriends series since 1979’s The World’s Greatest Super Friends.
When sinister forces like Darkseid, Lex Luther, Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk scheme to dominate the galaxy, it’s up to the Super Friends to show them the light! Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Superman and new hero Firestorm risk it all to defeat evil and preserve peace throughout the cosmos. Featuring the voices of Adam West as Batman and Casey Kasem as Robin, this sensational TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera showcases favorite DC Comics heroes in adventures that meld galactic dangers, insidious villains and larger-than-life predicaments in a must-own two-disc collector’s compilation!
Over 80 short Super Friends episodes were produced by Hanna-Barbera from 1980-1983 and aired as part of the other Superfriends shows at the time. The Legendary Super Powers show continued the short story format. Each episode had two stories per half hour (11 minutes each). Also, in spite of appearing in the opening credits, Aquaman does not make an appearance in any single episode of this series.
This was the first DC series produced as a toy line tie-in (which was just becoming a very popular practice at the time). The toys were produced by Kenner. It was also the first series since 1978’s Challenge of the Super Friends to feature actual DC villains, instead of generic ones created for the show. The following 16 episodes should be included on the set.
- The Bride of Darkseid
- The Wrath of Braniac / Reflections in Crime
- No Honor Among Thieves / Mr. Mxyzptlk and the Magic Lamp
- Case of the Shrinking Super Friends / The Mask Of Mystery
- Darkseid’s Golden Trap
- The Case of the Dreadful Dolls / The Royal Ruse
- The Village of Lost Souls / The Curator
- Island of the Dinasoids / Uncle Mxyzptlk
DC has done a great job or releasing their old animated shows. They take the time to produce excellent menus and interesting bonus features. I do hope they keep the commercial break bumpers and intros intact when they release this set. Each episode always began with Wonder Woman saying, “Wonder Woman here, on today’s show…”
