10 Crazy Superman Moments from 'Super Friends'

 Superman has been iconic for Decades, going on a Century. 
Many people's childhood images of him are from the various iterations of Super Friends, be it the one with Wendy & Marvin, the Wonder Twins Era or the Super Powers line.

I'm glancing over at my box of loose Super Powers toys, so I'm included.

In honor of the new Superman, let's look back at some of his...odder moments, shall we?

10. Kryptonite is more common than Steel!

Superman's most famous weakness is Kryptonite and makes for an easy way to write him out of a Scene/stop him.

That said, it shows up so often AND on other Planets (seen below in The Death of Superman).

Does that mean that this is also Krypton?!?

9. Showing his Age!

Three Phantom Zone Criminals (not the ones you're thinking of) get loose and plan revenge.  They expose Superman to Red Kryptonite, which has a random effect every time.

This time, it ages him until he looks like a Character right out of Heavy Metal.  It gets disturbing!

8. How is this part of the plan?!?

As part of a larger plan to stop Manta (not Black Manta- he's beige here), Superman and Wonder Woman put on an 'Aerial Aerobics' Show to act like they are unaware of his actions.

...um, okay.

7. Super Downgrade

In a Super Powers Episode, Felix Faust casts a spell to steal Superman's powers (represented by a glowing energy ghost).

However, the power is stolen by his cellmate- The Penguin.

6. Aces High, Superman Low!

In a Super Powers: Galactic Guardians Episode, our Heroes battle new foes in the form of the Royal Flush Gang.

We later learn that they are funded/supplied by Darkseid, but seeing one of them just throw out a card that turns into a Red Sun Energy Ray (a lesser weakness from the Comics) sure is embarrassing.

Firestorm puts up a better fight than you!

5. Now how is THIS part of the Plan?!?

Stick with me here for a bit, won't you?  Two aliens in a sub have a freeze ray.  They eventually freeze the moon (in the vacuum of space).

This is PART of the Super Friends' plan, however!  Superman *breaks a chunk of the Moon off to make it a giant reflector of sunlight to thaw out the frozen Earth!

4. A (James) Whale of a Tale!

Dr. Frankenstein makes a new creation, but quickly runs afoul of the Super Friends.

It is super-easy, barely an inconvenience to capture Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Robin.  He proceeds to use a new device to create a homunculus of the first three (Robin is excluded).

His plan...

3. There's No Place Like Metropolis!

Mr. Mxyzptlyk wants revenge on Superman and transports him, Wonder Woman and Aquaman to 'The Planet of Oz.'

He transforms them into versions of the Public Domain Characters and sends them on their way.  It gets sillier as it goes in, which I won't SPOIL.

2. They're Taking the Heroes to Isengard (Isengard!)!

This Episode probably merits a full induction of its own, but I'll cover the key parts.

An evil Wizard turns our Heroes into 'trolls' (which are clearly Hobbits) and they must save Middle Earth.  Yes, they do call it Middle Earth.

1. Great WHAT now?!?

In Universe of Evil, our Superman is swapped with an evil universe's one.  

On our Earth, the evil Superman soon realizes that something is off and thinks this...

No, really!

To reiterate, this is a fun and classic Show.  It was also written for kids by people that were both very creative and probably did 'partake' of some '70s substances (if you know what I mean).

Here's this out of context image as a final proof.

Happy Superman Weekend!

My Crazy Youth: 'Lois & Clark' vs. Drew Carey and Mimi?!?

Superman has faced many great foes over the years.
Brainiac.  Lex Luthor.  Doomsday.  Terra Man.

Perhaps his greatest foe however- sagging Ratings!

Season 4 of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman faced a drop in Ratings as Season 3 came to a close.  Its Network lost faith in them and tried it in a few different Time Slots.

In a pre-Streaming Age, if you couldn't find a Show that night, you often didn't seek it out later in the week.  That or you just missed it, because it was suddenly on a Tuesday and not a Thursday.

To help the Ratings, a gambit was made- cross the Show over with a popular newcomer in the form of The Drew Carey Show.

In spite of a Season 5 renewal that wasn't made to last, the Show ended that year.

So, let's see how you work in Characters from a Comedy about people in Cleveland when your Show is about Superman...

The first Plot involves the titular newlyweds discovering that one of them can't cook.
Wah wah!

Drew Carey plays a Con Man who works for the Mob.  They buy up townhouses and turn them into Malls.

That business plan will always be viable!

He's in the middle of doing this with the people in our Heroes' Building.

The first attempt doesn't work and he's got an angry Mob Enforcer on his butt about it.

He goes all out and buys a magic book about summoning spirits.

As promised, it works, summoning the ghost played by his Drew Carey Show Co-Star.

She tries to scare Lois, but then feels bad.

She's too nice to scare people, which annoys Drew.

He says that he'll tell her who killed her 10 years ago, thus freeing her from ghostly limbo.
He doesn't actually know, of course.

She manages to possess Lois, which is evident by the Reporter cooking a bunch of food.

Yes, culinary skill is a Plot Point!

She bonds with Lois during this and feels bad again, since she has some of the woman's memories.

While Drew avoids the Enforcer, our Heroes try to solve Mimi's murder.

All signs point to her not seeing the culprit, hence her being stuck.

She might also be repressing some knowledge too though, as shown by her trying to stop them from investigating further.

She finally turns on Drew and scares him, leading the guy to Superman.

They arrive to find Mimi possessing Lois again, this time going full Gatekeeper.

Drew reveals the culprit and she finally accepts this, leaving Lois and moving on.

In the aftermath, Lois can cook...but doesn't want to.
Wah wah!

A very sentimental Episode all told, which is surprising given the whole gimmick of the Guest Stars.  It definitely is still comedic, but not silly.

Drew actually plays a very unlikeable guy here, which is a bit surprising.
It was probably fun though.

Kathy Kinney (aka Mimi) does well here too, playing a very sad sack Character in contrast to her brash, super-confident character on the other Show.

We get a little bit of Jimmy Olsen here and our Heroes acquaint themselves alright too.

Dean Cain's Clark is mostly just reacting, which isn't that impressive all considered.
Teri Hatcher as Lois gets to do more here, which is nice.

If you're here for some real Superman action, look elsewhere.  He flies like twice, but otherwise all of the big moments are in the Opening Titles.

A weird gimmick of an Episode that actually is way better than you might think, even if there is almost no Perry White...

An Episode that, while not amazing, has more depth and pathos than you'd expect.  Don't judge a crossover by its cover, I guess.

5,200nd Post Celebration: The Time That 'Smallville' Had TWO Superman Actors Together

 Another number achieved and something special to cover.

I thought long and hard about this one, considering a number of ideas.
Then I remembered my recent purchase of Smallville's 2nd Season.

Oh right- that Episodes to cover.

Clark has dreams of exploring this cave full of strange writing.

It was the main Plot this Season, setting up the answers of his past.

His dreams are a distraction.

You see, this High School Student (yeah, sure) has to put together his Family Tree.

I wonder if this Plot will parallel the other one.

Thanks for blocking my shot, Extra.

He's drawn to a 'key' (a metal piece) that will reveal the truth.

The last time someone did that, they got shot into space with Ryan Reynolds (albeit briefly).

This time- he's zapped with knowledge right though the, well, everything.

There's a B-Plot with Lana and Chloe.

Even ignoring the whole NXIUM thing with the latter Actress, do you care if I skip it?

I didn't think so.

Now why is the Restaurant made up like an Egyptian tomb?!?

After Chloe writes a story about the strange marking on their barn (burned in by a mind-influenced Clark), a mysterious man invites him to meet him.

He promises to share truth with him.

Dr. Virgil Swann (named after legendary Writer Curt Swann) is played by Christopher Reeve.

He would make one more appearance in Season 3, which I'll likely cover later.

Besides Fan Service, what does he share?

He has the message sent with Clark's pod, telling him his real name and that of Krypton itself.

Swann just wants to help and he surely does.

This inspires Clark to work with his Dad to reactivate the pod.

The automated message tells him that he'll be 'a God' on this Planet and it is his job to rule it.

Clark rejects it and Dad agrees...but both are still nervous, setting up the rest of Season 2.

The End.

A really strong Episode by a really great Cameo at the end.

It's crazy to think just how long Reeve has been gone.  I still remember when we lost him.

Seeing him here is obviously not the same as if his life hadn't turned out the way it did.  That said, he didn't feel pity for himself, so I shouldn't either.

In a way, this appearance is stronger for how well he did.  He's obviously unable to move around, so he has to emote everything with his face and voice.

The man was a good Actor and this proved it.

The rest of the Episode is honestly still pretty good as well, with the usual melodrama, angst and B-Plot.  It's a rare one without a villain or a ticking clock.

The most you get is a Scientist being 'data blasted' into a coma by a space rock.  Have I mentioned that Comics (and Comic Book Shows) can be weird sometimes?

In closing, it was really great to revisit this one.  Plus, the DVD version didn't cut out the (not cheap, for a change) plug for his Foundation.  It is still running and helping out others in 2025.

An Episode that is arguably most famous for one Scene near the end.  Even so, it is a great Scene and, honestly, a pretty good Episode of TV otherwise.

Fiction vs Fiction: Superman III (1983)

 Superman III is not a good Movie.

That said, is Superman III a good Book?

Well, readers, it was a Book, as it got a Novelization in the same year that it came out.
I paid 50 cents for it years ago and now you have to suffer for it!

I joke- I had to read the Book AND rewatch Superman III.  I'm the real loser here.

What's the Same?

The Plot is pretty much the same.  The Book just makes tweaks here and there.

It also seems to be based on the ORIGINAL Script and not the final product that is the Film.

That said, there are some WEIRD changes/additions!

What's Different?

Shockingly, there's actually MORE slapstick in the Intro than in the Film.
Were moments like 'A crane grabbing a bag from a ladder which had just grabbed it from a robber' cut?
Yes, it turns out.

In the Film, Lois leaves to go on Vacation and doesn't return until the Ending.
In the Book, we get a brief bit of her being confronted by strange men...and then nothing until the Ending.

In both versions, she reveals that she was kidnapped, escaped and exposed a crime ring.  Can we see that Story instead?!?

Here's a weird one for you...

Superman (as Clark) meets Lana Lang and her son Ricky.  He has to switch to Superman to save Ricky- who tripped and knocked himself out in a field.

While he carries him back, the Book says that the 'vibrations of energy' from Superman's body gave the weak boy strength that he never had.

This is not in the Movie- thank Siegel!

When Superman stops the storm created by Gus' manipulation of the Weather Satellite, it plays out a bit differently in the two mediums.

In the Book, we just 'see' what he did to save the day.
In the Film, Gus acts out what Superman does, while we get snippets of the Scene.

This added bit is based on something he did on Carson back when Superman II was out and led to him being cast in this Film.  META?

The main changes in the Book seem to be William Kotzwinkle adding dark subtext to Scenes that are in the Script.

For instance, in the Film, Gus slips down the slope on Ross Webster's roof for a gag.

In the Book, Ross' Sister Vera has the slope coated in water- making ice- as part of her plan to have Ross' Psychic Nutritionist fly off to her death when she used it later.

Damn!

Remember when Superman is greeted by the Mayor of Smallville when he visits in the Film?

Well, the Book adds a bit about him being indicted on criminal charges (for price-fixing) and hoping that this big celebration would distract from that.

Something you want to tell us, William?!?

Another change that might be one related to the Filmmakers making a rare, good decision...

In the Book, the almost-Kryptonite turns Superman evil...and green.  He gets green eyes and a green costume!

The suit later changes to a dark green and then black (for the Bar Scene).

Good call, Filmmakers.

The Film actually adds a couple bits, while cutting others.

A bit showing a Doctor in surgery when the power goes out (drained by the Computer) was cut.
Apparently, he was played by Frank Oz.

It is in the Book.

Not in the Book, however, is a bit where we see Lana and Ricky riding the subway into Metropolis (complete with stock footage from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) when the power goes out.

The final one of note- the Ending bit with Gus feels different in the Book.

In the Film, he turns down a job, because comedy.  He also opens his shirt like Clark does to change...which raises so many questions.

In the Book, there's no shirt bit.

More importantly, Gus leaves because he thinks that the White Coal Miners had shotguns and were going to 'use him as target practice.

WTF, William?!?  This is Superman III!

Final Thoughts

The Book is a weird adaptation with its additions and tweaks.

Reading it, I began to suspect that adapting this bizarre screenplay got to the Writer.  Even early on, I could feel mental breaks as he's trying to recap that prolonged Slapstick Intro Bit.

This line stands out to me- 'Anyone familiar with the habits of rolling gumballs knows that they are unlikely stop until they find a delivery man carrying a tray of custard pies.'

That might be what lead him to add really dark, random additions to a bunch of Scenes like shown above.  It's like that bit from Family Guy's version of Return of the Jedi.

Regardless, this is still an adaptation of Superman III.
It's a dumb Film.
No need to make it weird, William.

After all, this was the average reaction of most Superman fans after it came out...

The Film is dumb and silly, but not without some charm.
The Book is mostly the same, just with random changes that just boggle the mind.

My Crazy Youth: The Time That H.G. Wells Wouldn't Let 'Lois & Clark' Consummate Their Marriage

 I spent a whole $1 on this DVD set, so let's get some content out of it!

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was the first Superman program I saw- for better or worse.

Thankfully, the Animated Series came out soon after to amp things up.

So, this is Season 4 (aka the Final Season), so let's pick out a good Episode.

This one has H.G. Wells...and a Sorcerer?  I'm in!

In 'Soul Mates,' the duo are finally married (after many delays) and now they are ready for a Super Honeymoon.  What could go wrong?

If you guessed 'H.G. Wells shows up,' then you...probably read the Title.

Also you're a bit weird in the head.

Anyhow, he's actually a recurring Character, first showing up in Season 2 and 3.  He'd actually appear once more this Season.

Anyhow, he tells them that Lois will die of a rare disease if she and Clark, well. consummate their marriage.
See- that weird Title wasn't a lie OR exaggeration.

He uses his Time Machine to send all 3 of them back to a past time where the curse- which causes the illness to appear upon consummation- was first placed.

This really is a Silver Age story- just without the consummation.

This version of Time Travel places them in their past bodies- he hand waves away the fact that Superman was born on Krypton, so don't ask- but he's in his own.

I guess his past self didn't exist then?

This puts Clark in the body of a Copyright Free Version of Robin Hood/The Scarlet Pimpernel and Lois as, well, Damsel in Distress.

They theorize that Tempus- also a recurring Character who would show up TWICE more this Season- put the curse on Lois after he lost her hand in marriage.

As such, Clark throw the fight and they return home...to find that Tempus is now King.

If you're wondering how the hell that makes sense, join the club.  Something something evil winning or whatever.

They travel to a more recent time- the Old West.

Clark is another Hero in Disguise (they lamp shade it TBF) and Lois is...another Damsel in Distress.
Sigh.

This time they actually stop Tempus, as well as creating a Causality Paradox when they set up Present Day Jimmy with a girl who he was married to 'in a past life.'

The day is saved and Wells leaves (to return in 11 Episodes as a different Actor).

The pair finally get to get busy as the Episode ends.

That was weird.  That was really weird.

This Episode has...
1) Time Travel
2) A random Sorcerer
3) Past Life Regression

Superman Comics would get pretty weird back in the Silver Age- like when Superman made sure that the Indians sold New York to White Folks or when he lost his virginity to a girl who turned out to be brainwashed by a robot- but this is 1997.

Yes, he's still an Alien that flies and has super powers.  That's pretty standard.

The whole Plot is actually a riff on a different DC Character duo- Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

Their continuity is a mess, but if you just go by the versions from DC's Legends of Tomorrow, you're good.  So, it sure is weird to see Superman and Lois in their exact story, no?

If you want a silly, but fun Episode, this one is it.  I guess they just figured the younger kids were old enough now to see an Episode all built around the conflict of 'Superman and Lois can't have sex unless they stop a villain.'

By the way, if Wells here looked familiar (FYI that Shot I took is also his IMDB Profile Pic), then you likely know him from this...

As I said, it is pretty silly fun, even if the whole conflict could be awkward to explain to your kids.  

Just tell them about the birds and the planes...I mean, bees before this.

DC Talk: Superman- Unbound (2013)

 People are scouring the Internet for Footage or Behind the Scenes Shots of the new Superman Film online.

Instead of wasting my time with that, I checked out a Superman Cartoon that I missed from 2013.

Before they went all grim dark to end their DTV Animated Universe (which was more successful than their Live Action one) recently, they kept things going nicely.

Granted- much of it was straight adaptations of Comic Book Stories in the order that they took place in originally.  That's the case today as this one adapts a 2011 Comic that follows the arc in 'Superman-Batman' that introduced Supergirl (released as Superman-Batman: Apocalypse).

I've never read that Comic, but I saw the Film.
Let's check it out...

It's a Bird!
It's a Plane!

It's...Supergirl!

She flies into action to save Lois Lane from some bad guys.

She is later joined by her Cousin- Superman- who tells her that she needs to do better.

To be fair, she took some risks.

Ooh, conflict.

A strange object crashes into the Earth.

It's a Robot that Superman fights and eventually beats.

He takes it back to the Fortress of Solitude, which freaks out Supergirl when she sees it!

It belonged to Brainiac, who conquered and trapped her home World of Kandor.  
He shrunk it down for his collection.

Superman gets proactive and goes out to find the villain before he gets to Earth.

He finds the Giger-eque ship.

His first encounter doesn't end well, with Brainiac capturing him and gaining information about Earth.

Thanks to Superman going there, Brainiac will now go there.
What a twist!

He, of course, escapes and they battle again on Earth.

Can Superman defeat this odd combination of Brainiac and Bane (who looks more like Martian Manhunter) created for this Arc?

To find out, check out the Film now.

A good Film, even if I have some reservations/issues with it as a whole.

To start with, I'm not a huge fan of the Art Style- at least when it comes to Superman.  That's 100% subjective, but I had to get that out there.

My bigger issue is with the change to Brainiac in both Comic and Film.  I don't necessarily like giant, 'roided out' Brainiac.  I think the idea was to go 'What if this super-smart character was also super-strong?'

Personally, I think that it takes away from Brainiac a bit if the Finale inevitably involves a big fist fight with him.  It's too 'easy.'

Those complaints aside, the Film has humor, action and heart.  They give everyone a nice little Arc- especially for a 70-minute Film- and everything pays off.  Matt Bomer- cast here before being put in Doom Patrol- is a good Superman too.

This one probably benefits greatly from watching it in order.  You'll get more context about the Characters like Supergirl and why she is the way she is.

The Film is fine- not amazing- but I still recommend it for Comic Book fans.

Now, just to ruin it for one Reader personally, here's Superman as CM Punk...

Who knew that Mindy's Bakery delivered to Kandor too?!?

Before they started the DCEU proper, they could make good Films for the Video/Streaming Market.  Who'd have guessed?