''Super Friends'' is an American

animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

about a team of

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

es which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its

Saturday-morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series and live-action programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre was a ...

lineup. It was produced by

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

and was based on the

Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...

and associated

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

characters published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. The title of the series varied from season to season, as did the superheroes on the team. Nine seasons, comprising a total of 93 episodes, were produced.

Series titles

Over the years, the show existed under several titles: * '' Super Friends'' (1973) * '' The All-New Super Friends Hour'' (1977) * '' Challenge of the Superfriends'' (1978) * '' The World's Greatest SuperFriends'' (1979) * '' SuperFriends'' (1980–1983) * '' Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show'' (1984) * '' The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians'' (1985)

Writing

Plotlines for the later series involved many of the familiar

super-villains, like the Joker and the Riddler, that the first incarnation of the ''Super Friends'' did not. Instead, like the comic books, they focused on the far-fetched schemes of mad scientists and aliens, who were invariably revealed as being well-intentioned, and simply pursuing their goals through unlawful or disreputable means. Typically, at the end of each story, a peaceful and reasonable discussion would be performed by the heroes to convince the antagonists to adopt more reasonable methods. ''The All-New Super Friends Hour'' departed somewhat from the previous series' formula by featuring villains using more elaborate methods to further their goals; as a rule they could not be reasoned with, requiring the heroes to use direct force to stop them. Beginning with ''Challenge of the Superfriends'', several of the heroes' arch-villains from the comic books (such as

Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...

and the

Riddler The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in O ...

) began to feature prominently in comic-style stories. Throughout the series, plots often wrapped themselves up neatly in the final minutes of an episode in the fashion of the typical comic books and

deus ex machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( ; ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; 'God from the machine') is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function is general ...

Production history

In 1973, animation company

acquired rights to the DC Comics characters and partnered with the

American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast Television broadcaster, television and radio Radio network, network that serves as the flagship property of the Disney Entertainment division ...

(ABC) to adapt the ''

'' comic book for

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

.Jared Bahir Browsh, ''Hanna-Barbera: A History'' (2021), p. 104. The network made several changes in the transition including the change of name to ''Super Friends'' to "cut off any accusations of extreme patriotism". Nevertheless, team members sometimes referred to themselves as the Justice League on the show. The violence common in superhero comics was toned down for a younger audience and to adhere to broadcast standards governing violence in 1970s

children's television Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

. As a DC Comics-based show, the ''Super Friends'' franchise was owned by DC's parent company

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, who later put the series into syndication.

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

, which had the rights to air most of the rest of the Hanna-Barbera library from its inception in 1992, was not able to air ''Super Friends'' until after the merger of Warner Bros.' parent company,

Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City. It was established as Time Warne ...

and Cartoon Network's parent company,

Turner Broadcasting System Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its asse ...

was completed in 1996. This merger also led to Warner Bros. taking control of Hanna-Barbera and all of its other assets as well. The series was owned by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, DC Comics Entertainment, Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, and

Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Animation Inc. (abbreviated as WBA) is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Group, a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery and serves as the animation divis ...

1973–1974 series

''Super Friends'' first aired on ABC on September 8, 1973, featuring well-known DC characters

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

and Robin,

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

, and

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...

. Superman, Batman and Robin, and Aquaman had each previously appeared in their own animated series produced by

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company founded by Lou Scheimer, Hal Sutherland and Norm Prescott in 1962, before closing by Group W Productions on February 3, 1989. Located in Reseda, California, Filmation produced animated ...

, and voice talent from these prior programs was brought in to work on the new show (with the exception of Marvin Miller who was replaced by

Norman Alden Norman Alden ( Adelberg; September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on '' The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He provided ...

as the voice of Aquaman). Shortly before the ''Super Friends'' series was developed, Superman and Wonder Woman also guest-starred in two episodes of '' The Brady Kids'' (voiced by Lennie Weinrib and Jane Webb under Filmation), 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 (voiced by Sherry Alberoni and

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American actor who specializes in voice acting. He began his career in the 1960s, and held around 850 film, television, and video game credits as of 2020, making him one of the most prolific v ...

) and Wonder Dog (also voiced by Welker), none of whom had any special abilities (save the dog's unexplained ability to reason and talk). The trio—or at least its human members—were depicted as detectives and/or superheroes-in-training; the "teen detectives and their talking animal"

cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...

, originally popularized by ''

Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...

'', was typical in Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 1970s. Each episode began with the heroes responding to an emergency detected by the TroubAlert computer in the Hall of Justice, which served as the headquarters of the team. Colonel Wilcox (voiced by John Stephenson), a U.S. Army official, was a recurring character who would act as a government liaison with the Super Friends during emergencies. Conflicts were usually 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. Three other DC Comics superheroes were featured as guest stars during this season: Flash,

Plastic Man Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero featured in American comic books first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole (artist), Jack Co ...

, and

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...

; the latter two did not appear in any subsequent episodes of the series. This first run of ''Super Friends'', consisting of 16 one-hour episodes which were rerun several times, concluded on August 24, 1974. At this point, the series was cancelled, but interest in superheroes among ABC's prime-time viewers (with the success of ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'' and the live-action ''

'' series) caused the network to revive ''Super Friends''. The original 16 episodes of the series were rebroadcast as a mid-season replacement, running from February 7, 1976, to September 3, 1977. These episodes were edited into half-hour versions. At the same time, DC Comics published a ''Super Friends'' comic, which used Wendy and Marvin from issue #1 (November 1976) to #6 (August 1977). In the meantime, Hanna-Barbera began production on a revamped version of the show.

1977–1978 season: ''The All-New Super Friends Hour''

''The All-New Super Friends Hour'' featured four animated shorts per program. Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog were dropped from this and all future TV iterations of ''Super Friends'', and were replaced by

Wonder Twins The Wonder Twins (Zan and Jayna) are a fictional extraterrestrial twin brother and sister superhero duo who first appeared in Hanna-Barbera's American animated television series '' The All-New Super Friends Hour''. The pair can activate their ...

Zan and Jayna, and their pet monkey, Gleek. Unlike Wendy and Marvin, Zan and Jayna had super powers. A total of 15 episodes were produced. Darrell McNeil of the Hanna-Barbera animation studios later explained the change in cast: The show followed a basic format each week. The first segment of every show featured two of the heroes 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, featuring 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 and a "special guest star". This segment typically featured a problem that was solved using the guest star's unique abilities. Between segments there were short spots with members of the Super Friends giving basic safety lessons, providing first-aid advice, demonstrating magic tricks, creating crafts, and presenting a two-part riddle featuring the week's primary plot line. This was the first season to feature two villains appearing in the comic books,

Black Manta Black Manta (David Milton Hyde) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Bob Haney and artist Nick Cardy, the character first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 (September 1967). He has since endured a ...

and Gentleman Ghost. Each appeared in only one episode this season and each was somewhat modified for television.

1978–1979 season ''Super Friends'' / ''Challenge of the Superfriends''

The next season of ''Super Friends'' featured two segments:

First segment: ''Super Friends'' episodes

The first segment of the program featured the established group of heroes: Superman, Batman and Robin, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and the Wonder Twins and Gleek. They were rerun with intro from the ''All-New Super Friends'' Hour when in syndication in the early 1980s, but they are seldom seen in syndication since then.

Second segment: ''Challenge of the Superfriends''

The second half-hour of the show introduced the

Legion of Doom The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in '' Challenge of the Superfriends'', an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Univers ...

, a team of 13 recurring foes who are the Super Friends' worst enemies. They used a swamp-based mechanical flying headquarters, the Hall of Doom, as a contrast to the Super Friends' gleaming Hall of Justice. A total of 16 episodes were produced. Additional heroes who had previously appeared as guest stars were added to the roster as well, to make a total of 11. These included The Flash,

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

, and

Hawkman Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...

from DC Comics and three Hanna-Barbera creations to reflect diversity: Black Vulcan, Apache Chief, and

Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

. The ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' segment was expanded to 90 minutes mid-season, with reruns of earlier episodes filling out the last half-hour.

1979–1980 season: ''The World's Greatest SuperFriends''

In the fall of 1979, the ''Super Friends'' returned to their prior format, bringing back the original set of five DC superheroes and Zan, Jayna, and Gleek. Eight half-hour episodes were created for this run, with the majority of the season consisting of rebroadcasts of ''The All-New Super Friends Hour'' from 1977 to 1978 and The Super Friends segments from ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' from 1978 to 1979. Renamed ''The World's Greatest SuperFriends'', this series began on September 22, 1979, and ran until September 27, 1980.

1980–1982 seasons: ''SuperFriends''

Renamed '' SuperFriends'' in 1980, the series changed formats again, abandoning the production of half-hour episodes and producing seven-minute shorts. Each episode of ''SuperFriends'' would feature a rerun from one of the previous six years and three new shorts. These new adventures featured appearances by the core group of five Super Friends and Zan, Jayna, and Gleek. There were also guest appearances from members previously depicted in ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' and the Hanna-Barbera-created hero

El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions � ...

, who was added to the show in 1981 to provide additional cultural diversity. This would prove to be one of the longer-lived incarnations of the series (three years). A total of 22 episodes were produced.

1982–1983 season: ''The Best of the Super Friends'' (reruns)

For the 1982–1983 television season ABC ran half-hour reruns of shows from the previous seven seasons, with none of the seven-minute shorts rebroadcast. ABC called the rerun package ''The Best of the Super Friends''.

1983–1984 season: Australian "lost episodes"

Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. had created a syndication package of the earlier ''Super Friends'' series (co-distributed by LBS Communications); these were picked up by stations across the United States and 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 but continued to fund the production of new episodes. In total, 24 "lost episodes" were produced, and were intended to only be broadcast in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Three of these episodes received American airings when ''Super Friends'' returned to Saturday-morning ABC television the following year. The remainder aired on the USA Network in 1995, as part of the '' Superman/Batman Adventures'' show. The 1983 Lost Episodes of ''Super Friends'' were released on DVD by Warner Home Entertainment (via DC Comics Entertainment, Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) in April 2009.

1984–1985 season: ''Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show''

''Super Friends'' returned to ABC Saturday, September 8, 1984, with a new 30-minute program typically featuring two 11-minute stories per episode. This incarnation featured Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and the Wonder Twins and Gleek, this time teamed up with

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

. In addition to this core group, episodes during this season also featured cameos by old (and new) Super Friends. The series ended August 31, 1985, and featured comic-book villains such as Brainiac,

Mirror Master Mirror Master is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a recurring foe of the Flash (comics), Flash with considerable technical expertise and skills involving the use of mirrors. Three ...

, Mr. Mxyzptlk,

Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first made a cameo appearance in ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' #134 (December 1970), before being fully in ...

, and his henchmen from

Apokolips Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...

. This title of this season and the next featured the phrase "Super Powers" to tie in with a toy line produced by Kenner.

1985 season: ''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 lineup for the team, with a focus on teen members

Cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

, the heroes battled such familiar foes as Lex Luthor, Brainiac, the Scarecrow, and recurring villain Darkseid. It also contained the only appearances in the series by Joker,

Penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

, the Royal Flush Gang, and

Felix Faust Felix Faust is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #10 (1962), created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. He is depicted as a mystic sorcerer, obse ...

. Notably, it is in this series that Batman's origin is depicted for the first time outside of comics. ''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians'' lasted one season before being canceled. The final new episode aired was "Escape From Space City" on October 26, 1985. This third cancellation would be the final one, and ''Galactic Guardians'' marked the end of ''Super Friends''.

Characters

The Justice League of America

The core group of heroes made up the "Super Friends": Other members and guest stars: *

The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...

(1973; 1977–1985) *

(1973) *

Atom Atoms are the basic particles of the chemical elements. An atom consists of a atomic nucleus, nucleus of protons and generally neutrons, surrounded by an electromagnetically bound swarm of electrons. The chemical elements are distinguished fr ...

(1977; 1980–1983) *

(1977–1985) *

Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' ...

(1977; 1980; 1983) *

(1977–1978; 1980–1985) * Rima the Jungle Girl (1977; 1980) * Apache Chief (1977–1978; 1980–1984) * Black Vulcan (1977–1978; 1980–1984) *

(1977–1978; 1980–1985) *

Abin Sur Abin Sur is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement. Af ...

(1978) *

Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...

(1978; 1983) *

(1982–1985) Junior Super Friends: * Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog (1973–1975) *

and Gleek (1977–1984) Supporting characters originally from DC comic books: * Commissioner James Gordon * Hippolyta *

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...

Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Superman, Clark Kent ...

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Alfred is ...

Perry White Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the '' Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and i ...

* Solovar *

Steve Trevor General Steven Rockwell Trevor is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Wonder Woman. The character was created by William Moulton Marston and first appeared in ' ...

Legion of Doom

Thirteen villains composed the

during the ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' season:

Other villains

Villains appearing independently from the Legion of Doom:

Original villains

* The Alien Mummy * The Anti-Matter Monster * Barko * Bigfoot creatures *

Blackbeard Edward Teach (or Thatch; – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he ma ...

* Bulgor the Behemoth * The Brain Creatures * The Capricorn Kid * Captain Shark * The Collector * The Incredible Crude Oil Monster * Darkon * Dictor and the mysterious Time Creatures * The Dollmaker *

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

* Dr. Cranium * Dr. Droid * Dr. Frankenstein * Dr. Fright * Dr. Gulliver * The Earthors * The Enforcer * Giant Snow Creature * The Highway Angels * The Hydronoids * The Ice Demon * Insecta and the Arthropods * The Iron Cyclops * John Palette * The Junk Creature from the Dump * Kareem Azaar * Keelhaul Kelly *

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

* The Lion Men * The Make Up Monster * Mal Havok * The Man Beasts Of Xra * The Marsh Monster * Medula and her Mind Maidens * Mongor * The Mummy Of Nazca * The Mysterious Mutants of the Space Sphere * Nartan * Ocina and the Ancient Atlantean Warriors * Old Man Holmes * Orville Gump * The Outlaws of Orion (Pack and Stardust) * The

Phantom Zone The Phantom Zone is a prison-like parallel dimension appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is mainly associated with stories featuring Superman. It first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961), and was created b ...

Villains (Hul, Logar, Rom-Lok) * The Plant Creatures * Professor Amy Zhan * Professor Fearo * Professor Korloff * The Power Pirate * The Robber Baron and Sleeves * The Rock and Roll Space Bandits * Rock Batman * Rokan * R.O.M.A.C. * The Secret Four * Scorpio * Sculpin * Sinbad and the Space Pirates * Solderath and the Lava Men * The Space Dolls * The Evil Space Genie * The Space Racers * The Star Energy Creature * The Super Enemies * The Termites from Venus * Torhana * Tyrannic * Vampiress, the Voodoo Vampire * Yuna the Terrible * Zarnum * Zi-Kree * The Zoons

DC characters who only appeared in ''Super Friends'' comics

Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...

Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...

* Black Orchid *

Chronos Chronos (; ; , Modern Greek: ), also spelled Chronus, is a personification of time in Greek mythology, who is also discussed in pre-Socratic philosophy and later literature. Chronos is frequently confused with, or perhaps consciously identified ...

* Elongated Man *

Etrigan the Demon Etrigan the Demon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly beca ...

* Global Guardians ( Doctor Mist, Green Fury, Icemaiden, Jack O'Lantern, Little Mermaid,

Seraph A seraph ( ; pl.: ) is a celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Christian angelology and in the fif ...

Tasmanian Devil The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii''; palawa kani: ''purinina'') is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now con ...

) * Hector Hammond * Huntress *

Man-Bat Man-Bat (Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langstrom) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in ''Detective Comics'' #400 (June 1970) as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to t ...

* Red Tornado *

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...

Swamp Thing Swamp Thing is a superhero and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several different incarnations throughout his publication. The ch ...

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 Superfriends'' names the Super Friends as the

. 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. The Justice League satellite is the same design as the Justice League Satellite that appeared in the comics at the time, but is smaller than its comic book counterpart.

Reception

In January 2009,

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

listed ''Super Friends'' as the 50th best animated television series.

Home video releases

Spin-offs

''Legends of the Superheroes''

On January 18 and 25, 1979, Hanna-Barbera ran two one-hour live-action specials under the umbrella title '' Legends of the Superheroes''. The first special, "The Challenge", was loosely based on the Super Friends and the 1960s ''Batman'' series and included several other DC characters who replaced Samurai, Black Vulcan, and Apache Chief:

, Huntress, and Captain Marvel. The second special, "The Roast", featured

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the American Bro ...

as emcee of the roast, along the lines of '' The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' specials. Due to Warner Bros.' contracts on Wonder Woman and Superman, they were unable to be featured on the specials.

''The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show''

Plastic Man 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.

''Batman''

A Batman animated series was also considered in the mid-1980s, presumably with

Adam West William West Anderson (September 19, 1928 – June 9, 2017), known professionally as Adam West, was an American actor. He portrayed Batman in the 1960s ABC series of the same name and its 1966 theatrical feature film, reprising the role in ...

reprising his role as the voice of Batman. "The Fear" was written as a pilot episode for the series, but was instead adapted into 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 was not 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 ''The Smurfs'' (; ) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was created and introduced as a series of comic characters by ...

'' (airing on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

) were so popular at the time, this show was never picked up by the network. The show would have featured

Wonder Girl Wonder Girl is the alias of multiple list of superheroines, superheroines featured in comic books published by DC Comics. They are associated with the superheroine Wonder Woman and possess Amazons (DC Comics), Amazonian powers. The Wonder Girl a ...

as the leader, along with

Changeling A changeling, also historically referred to as an auf or oaf, is a human-like creature found throughout much of European folklore. According to folklore, a changeling was a substitute left by a supernatural being when kidnapping a human being. ...

Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

and Starfire. Although the show failed to get picked up, a television commercial with a substance abuse theme did feature the Titans, as they would have appeared in the animated series, along with a new superhero named the Protector who would have been the replacement character for Robin. A Teen Titans animated TV program was eventually produced, adding Robin and removing Wonder Girl, Kid Flash and Protector.

''DC Super Friends''

Fisher-Price Fisher-Price, Inc. is an American company that produces educational toys for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, headquartered in East Aurora, New York, East Aurora, New York (state), New York. It was founded in 1930 during the Great Depression ...

developed a toy line named DC Super Friends featuring DC Comics characters as toys for young children. A comic book series and direct-to-video original animation called ''The Joker's Playhouse'' (2010) was developed to tie-in. The video features the World's Greatest Super Friends theme, allusions to the Legion of Doom, and the Super Friends and their Hall of Justice.

Comic books

''Super Friends''

The first use of the ''Super Friends'' name on a

publication was in '' Limited Collectors' Edition'' #C-41 (December 1975-January 1976) which reprinted stories from ''Justice League of America'' #36 and 61 and featured a new framing sequence by writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist

Alex Toth Alexander Toth (; June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera through ...

. DC published a

version of the ''Super Friends'' from November 1976 to August 1981. The comic book series was launched by E. Nelson Bridwell and artist

Ric Estrada Ric Estrada (February 26, 1928 – May 1, 2009) was a Cuban Americans, Cuban-American comics artist who worked for companies including the major American publisher DC Comics. He also worked in comic strips, political cartoons, advertising, story ...

. Zan and Jayna were given back stories and secret identities as a pair of blond-haired high school kids; they were more competent heroes than their cartoon counterparts. While the television cartoons were not part of the same fictional universe as the DC comic books, writer E. Nelson Bridwell made the comic book accord with the other DC titles via

footnote In publishing, a note is a brief text in which the author comments on the subject and themes of the book and names supporting citations. In the editorial production of books and documents, typographically, a note is usually several lines of tex ...

s. An example of trying to fit ''Super Friends'' into the DC Universe: * Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog were 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 ''

'' #147–148). Robin was busy helping the Titans in ''

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

'' #50-52. Bridwell also gave them last names and ties to the other characters' histories; Wendy Harris was the niece of detective Harvey Harris (who helped train

) and Marvin White was the son of Diana Prince (the woman who helped provide

with a secret identity upon her arrival in America). While the show never explained the departure of Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog, the story was found in ''Super Friends'' #6–9. The argument for the comic being part of the Earth-One continuity also included the fact that certain elements of the series impacted other books in the DC line: 1. TNT's appearance in Kandor in an issue of '' Superman Family'' that references events exclusively from ''Super Friends'' issue #12. 2. Sinestro's lack of a power ring in an issue of ''

The Brave and The Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by a reprint miniseries in 1988, two original miniseries in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing anthology ...

'' after the ring was destroyed in ''Super Friends'' issue #46. 3. Superman already being familiar with Dr. Mist and the international heroes in ''

DC Comics Presents ''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring bac ...

'' after meeting them in ''Super Friends'' issues #7–9 and #12–13. Because the Super Friends stories were referenced in and the events in them remembered by the characters in the core DC superhero titles - for example, in ''Justice League of America'' #155 (June 1978 - Red Tornado remembers using his powers to break the time barrier, which he did in ''Super Friends'' #8) - they have to be considered part of the Pre-Crisis Earth 1 ensemble of stories. In 2008, DC began publishing a new '' Super Friends'' comic book starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash (

Wally West Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics as the original Kid Flash and the third Flash (DC Comics character), Flash. His power consists mainly of speedster (fiction), superhuman speed. T ...

) and Green Lantern ( John Stewart). Based on the eponymous

Imaginext The Imaginext System is a brand of role-playing, adventure toys designed for kids 3 or older made by Mattel, under the label of Fisher-Price. History At the time of its introduction at the 1998 Toy Fair,

toyline, it is aimed at children (being part of the Johnny DC imprint), with an art style reminiscent to that of Marvel's '' Super Hero Squad''. Written by Sholly Fisch with art mainly from Dario Brizuela, Stewart McKenny and J. Bone (who was cover artist throughout the series), it ran for 29 issues, from May 2008 to September 2010.

Collected Editions

* ''Super Friends: For Justice!'' (collects #1-7) * ''Super Friends: Calling All Super Friends'' (collects #8-14) * ''Super Friends: Head of the Class'' (collects #15-21) * ''Super Friends: Mystery In Space'' (collects #22-28) * ''DC Goes Ape'' (576 pages, October 2008, ) collects #30 * ''DC Through the 80s: The End of Eras'' (520 pages, December 2020, ) collects #36 * ''Super Friends: Saturday Morning Comics'' ** Volume 1 (520 pages, June 2020, ) collects #1-26, ''Aquateers Meet the Super Friends'', and the Super Friends stories from ''Limited Collectors' Edition'' C-41 and C-46 ** Volume 2 (488 pages, December 2020, ) collects #27-47

''Extreme Justice''

In the comics, the Wonder Twins were members of the short-lived '' JLI'' offshoot, '' Extreme Justice''.

''Young Justice''

'' Young Justice'' was a comic series that followed the adventures of a group composed of the latest teen superheroes of the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Robin,

, Impulse, and

. Towards the end of the run, Young Justice was involved in a mission which required them to invade an island whose population was made up of super-villains. To conduct a successful attack, the core team assembled all the then-known teen heroes (including the

). As in ''Extreme Justice'', neither spoke English and both seemed to enjoy eating CDs. Unlike their cartoon counterparts, the Wonder Twins were rude and sarcastic.

''Super Buddies''

The lighthearted nature of the show was spoofed in the 2000s with two DC

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

, ''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 The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...

). In these miniseries the group is known as the "Super Buddies", and consists of a team of ex-Justice League members. A television advertisement for the team shows them posing in the postures of the original ''Super Friends'' title card.

''Teen Titans''

As of issue #34 (2006), Wendy and Marvin were part of the DC continuity. They are now

fraternal twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...

s (a nod to their ''Super Friends'' successors, the Wonder Twins), engineering geniuses (having graduated from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

at age 16), and are employed at

Titans Tower The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

as maintenance crew and mechanical troubleshooters. They were responsible for restoring Titans member

Cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...

'' mini-series. Wonder Dog was also introduced into the series, although (unlike the cartoon) he was not a lovable sidekick and pet, but a murderous, shape-shifting demon dog who was sent to Titans Tower to kill the team. Wonder Dog killed Marvin and attacked Wendy, leaving her crippled from the waist down. Wendy is a supporting character in the ''

'' series, where she receives help accepting her disabilities from former Batgirl

Barbara Gordon Barbara Joan Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Ga ...

''Justice League of America''

During the events of the 2005 company-wide ''

Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...

'' crossover the Justice League Watchtower was destroyed by

Superboy-Prime Superboy-Prime (Clark Kent; colloquial: "Prime") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A boy from the Reality, real world Isekai, transported to the DC Universe, as an Alternative vers ...

, leaving the JLA without a base of operations. To that end, the team established the Hall of Justice in Washington, D.C. to act as an embassy for the team and an emergency base of operations if needed. In the continuity of the comics, the Hall was designed by

and Wonder Woman. In ''Justice League of America'' #46 (2010)

made his first appearance in the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...

, where he was shown as one of the heroes driven temporarily insane by

Alan Scott Alan Ladd Wellington Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of his mystical ring, which grants him a variety of powers. H ...

''Wizard'' magazine

Issue #77 of '' Wizard'' magazine parodied the Super Friends; the JLA was sent through a dimensional rift and met some of the Super Friends. After

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" in ''Detective Comics ...

used 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 Justice Leaguers back to their own dimension. As a jest, the magazine also ran an April Fool's promotion for a Wonder Twins special by painter

Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book creator, comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which ...

. The book, entitled ''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 from severe dehydration.

''Superman and Batman: World's Funnest''

In the

Elseworlds Elseworlds is the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that take place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that ...

one-shot '' Superman and Batman: World's Funnest'',

Bat-Mite Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting copy of Batman, Batman's costume, ...

and Mr. Mxyzptlk travel to different worlds within the DC Universe. On one of them, they encounter the Super Friends.

The Super Friends in other DC media

''Superman: The Animated Series''

In the ''Superman: The Animated Series'' two-part episode "Apokolips... Now!", Superman is fighting the Parademons in

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

. In the background is a building resembling the Hall of Justice, referred to in dialogue as "Metropolis Plaza". This was likely a reference to Darkseid's forces previously appearing in the final two seasons of ''Super Friends''.

''Gen¹³''

In the Gen¹³ (film), ''Gen¹³'' film, the Super Friends were name dropped by Grunge (comics), Grunge toward the end of the film. When it was unanimously decided that Caitlin Fairchild, Freefall (comics), Freefall and Grunge (comics), Grunge were going to become a superhero team under the tutelage of Team 7#Last Wildstorm incarnation, John Lynch; Grunge said ''"We'll be just like...like the Super Friends!"''

''Justice League''

At the end of "Secret Origins", the premiere three-episode arc of ''Justice League (TV series), Justice League'', Superman proposes the formation of a superhero coalition including himself, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Wally West), the Green Lantern (John Stewart), the Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl. In a direct reference (and perhaps a criticism of the somewhat silly name), the Flash jokingly asks if such a team would be called "Super Friends". Superman relabels the guild as the "Justice League".

''Justice League Unlimited''

In the animated series ''Justice League Unlimited'', Gorilla Grodd reforms his Secret Society of Super Villains, Secret Society this time an even larger group of villains. While not called the Legion of Doom (due to DC executives disallowing the creative team from using the name), their headquarters is a craft similar to the Hall of Doom, located in a swamp. Additionally, the Justice League's Metro Tower headquarters in Metropolis strongly resembled the Hall of Justice. The Ultimen, loosely based on characters created for the Super Friends, appear in the episode "Ultimatum", as allies and later antagonists to the League. The Ultimen consisted of Long Shadow (based on Apache Chief and voiced by Gregg Rainwater), Juice (based on Black Vulcan and voiced by an uncredited CCH Pounder in a digitally-altered voice), Wind Dragon (based on

and voiced by James Sie), and Downpour and Shifter (based on the

and voiced by Grey DeLisle). They are a group of superheroes created by Project Cadmus to be loyal to the government, with Maxwell Lord as their manager. Additionally, they are genetically unstable and have short lifespans, being continuously cloned and implanted with false memories.

''The Batman''

The animated series ''The Batman (TV series), The Batman'' featured a modified version of the JLA Watchtower which closely resembled the Hall of Justice.

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold''

The Hall of Justice appeared in the ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' episode "Sidekicks Assemble!", with a pastiche of the music played when the Hall appeared in ''Super Friends''.

''Smallville''

The Wonder Twins appeared in the ''Smallville'' episode "Idol", with Zan played by David Gallagher and Jayna played by Allison Scagliotti. Gleek did not appear physically, but a cartoonish image of him was shown on each of the twins' cellphones.

''Young Justice''

The Hall of Justice was featured in ''Young Justice (TV series), Young Justice'' as the Justice League's decoy base of operations. Additionally, Wendy and Marvin appear as classmates of Superboy (Kon-El), Conner Kent and Miss Martian, Megan Morse. The members of the Injustice League operate out of a base resembling the Legion's Hall of Doom. In the second season, approximations of the minority members created for ''Super Friends'' (similar to the Ultimen example above) are introduced as teenagers given powers by the Reach (comics), Reach. The group consists of Tye Longshadow (Apache Chief), Asami "Sam" Koizumi (Samurai) and Eduardo "Ed" Dorado Jr. (El Dorado). The exception is Black Vulcan, whose place is taken by Milestone Media hero Static (DC Comics), Static (though Black Lightning also appears in the series).

''DC Nation Shorts''

The title of the ''Super Best Friends Forever'' DC Nation Shorts is a play on the title ''Super Friends''. Additionally, Black Vulcan's costume can be seen in the background of the first ''Black Lightning'' short. The ''Just'a Lotta Animals, Farm League'' carries several homages to the Super Friends including its narrator, characters used and graphics.

''Teen Titans Go!''

In the ''Teen Titans Go!'' "Two-Parter" episode, the Titans go to the Hall of Justice to use the pool, as later, they become members of the

to save the Justice League members from

. This sequence parodies the introduction of the super heroes as in the ''Super Friends'' series. In the episode "You're Fired", Beast Boy is fired from the

, and a competition is held to find his replacement. The eventual winners are the Wonder Twins.

Arrowverse

The shows set in The CW's Arrowverse have featured multiple references to the ''Super Friends''. In the pilot episode of ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'', Winn Schott considers calling the group of Kara Danvers (Arrowverse), Supergirl / Kara Zor-El and her allies (himself, James Olsen (Arrowverse), James Olsen, and Alex Danvers) "The Super Friends". In the fourth season episode, "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?", Kara forms a small team of heroes that includes herself, Brainiac 5 (Arrowverse), Brainiac 5, Nia Nal, The Dreamer, and the Martian Manhunter (Arrowverse), Martian Manhunter and directly calls them "The Super Friends". In the fifth-season episode, "Back From the Future - Part One", the S.T.A.R. Labs base is noted to be called the Hall of Justice in the future. In the "Invasion! (Arrowverse), Invasion" cross-over event, across ''Supergirl'', ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash'', ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', the secret S.T.A.R. Labs (Arrowverse), S.T.A.R. Labs base used by the heroes was based on the Hall of Justice. Also later on in that season, Barry Allen (Arrowverse), Barry and Supergirl sing a duet called "Super Friends" to escape the Music Meister's musical. Season 2 of ''Legends of Tomorrow'' features multiple references to ''Super Friends'', including the villainous group being dubbed the "Legion of Doom" by Nate Heywood (Arrowverse), Nate Heywood; in the episode "Doomworld", the new design of S.T.A.R. Labs in the altered timeline resembles the Hall of Doom. In the final scene of "Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse), Crisis on Infinite Earths", Barry repurposed the secret S.T.A.R. Labs base previously used in "Invasion!" as the headquarters for Earth-Prime's heroes. In the closing moments of the crossover, the unnamed team is disrupted by the confusing sound of laughter (revealed to be an escaped Gleek, hinting at a possible future inclusion of the character and/or Wonder Twins). Afterwards, the camera pans out to the headquarters as music based on the original series plays in the background.

''The Lego Batman Movie''

In ''The Lego Batman Movie'', the cast of the ''Super Friends'' are seen celebrating an anniversary party in the Fortress of Solitude, which Batman was not invited to, featuring characters like El Dorado, The Wonder Twins, Gleek and Wonder Dog.

''Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse''

The first incarnation of the Super Friends appears at the end of the 2022 crossover film ''Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse'', with the team consisting of Superman, Batman, Robin (Dick Grayson), Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. After Cythonna ends up in the TTG universe,

sends the crystal to the ''Super Friends'' universe. The Super Friends plan to send it back, but they take one look at the

fighting over the remote and decide not to.

Tomorrowverse

''Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three''

''The All-New Super Friends Hour'' incarnation of the Super Friends made their return in the 2024 final installment of the Tomorrowverse, ''Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three'', with the team consisting of Superman, Batman, Robin (Dick Grayson), Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the Wonder Twins. It is established that the Super Friends exist on Earth-508. Their appearance is brief, however, as their world is destroyed by an anti-matter wave sent by the Anti-Monitor.

Video games

''Injustice: Gods Among Us''

The Hall of Justice is a playable stage in ''Injustice: Gods Among Us''.

''Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham''

In ''Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', the Hall of Justice is one of the game's hubs, while the Hall of Doom and the surrounding swamp environs are explorable areas.

Toys

Super Powers Collection

The Super Powers toy line (and associated tie-in merchandise) was based on the final two seasons of ''Super Friends''. Samurai, an original character from the show, and the Hall of Justice were both released. Plans for future waves from Super Powers would have also included Apache Chief, El Dorado, Black Vulcan and the Wonder Twins.

''Justice League Unlimited''

The toy line based on ''Justice League Unlimited'' released a three pack of figures from characters created for ''Super Friends'', namely Black Vulcan, Apache Chief and Samurai. They were chosen over the Ultimen characters that actually appeared in the JLU animated series: Juice, Long Shadow and Wind Dragon.

''DC Super Friends''

Fisher-Price began to produce DC Comics characters in a kid-friendly toyline named after the ''Super Friends''.

''DC Universe Classics''

Paying homage to Super Powers, DC Universe Classics produced original ''Super Friends'' characters such as Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, El Dorado, Samurai and the Wonder Twins.

References

External links

*
Will's Ultimate ''Super Friends'' Episode Guide!

''Super Friends'' @ BatmanYTB.com

{{Authority control Super Friends, 1973 American animated television series debuts 1986 American television series endings 1970s American animated television series 1980s American animated television series 1970s American children's television series 1980s American children's television series 1970s American science fiction television series 1980s American science fiction television series 1970s American superhero television series 1980s American superhero television series Animated Batman television series Animated Superman television series Wonder Woman in other media DC Comics superhero teams DC Comics titles Hanna-Barbera superheroes 1976 comics debuts Comics by Ramona Fradon Animated Justice League television series American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated science fantasy television series American children's animated superhero television series American English-language television shows Animated television series about robots Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios American Broadcasting Company animated television series

Series titles

Writing

Production history

1973–1974 series

1977–1978 season: ''The All-New Super Friends Hour''

1978–1979 season ''Super Friends'' / ''Challenge of the Superfriends''

First segment: ''Super Friends'' episodes

Second segment: ''Challenge of the Superfriends''

1979–1980 season: ''The World's Greatest SuperFriends''

1980–1982 seasons: ''SuperFriends''

1982–1983 season: ''The Best of the Super Friends'' (reruns)

1983–1984 season: Australian "lost episodes"

1984–1985 season: ''Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show''

1985 season: ''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians''

Characters

The Justice League of America

Legion of Doom

Other villains

Original villains

DC characters who only appeared in ''Super Friends'' comics

References to the Justice League of America name

Reception

Home video releases

Spin-offs

''Legends of the Superheroes''

''The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show''

''Batman''

''The New Teen Titans''

''DC Super Friends''

Comic books

''Super Friends''

Collected Editions

''Extreme Justice''

''Young Justice''

''Super Buddies''

''Teen Titans''

''Justice League of America''

''Wizard'' magazine

''Superman and Batman: World's Funnest''

The Super Friends in other DC media

''Superman: The Animated Series''

''Gen13''

''Justice League''

''Justice League Unlimited''

''The Batman''

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold''

''Smallville''

''Young Justice''

''DC Nation Shorts''

''Teen Titans Go!''

Arrowverse

''The Lego Batman Movie''

''Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse''

Tomorrowverse

''Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three''

Video games

''Injustice: Gods Among Us''

''Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham''

Toys

Super Powers Collection

''Justice League Unlimited''

''DC Super Friends''

''DC Universe Classics''

References

External links

''Gen¹³''