Challenge of the SuperFriends (1978– )

The Justice League of America battles the plots of the supervillian team, the Legion of Doom.

Stars:

Jack Angel, Marlene Aragon, Lewis Bailey

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jack Angel	...	Hawkman (16 episodes, 1978)
Marlene Aragon	...	Cheetah (16 episodes, 1978)
Lewis Bailey		(16 episodes, 1978)
Michael Bell	...	The Riddler (16 episodes, 1978)
William Callaway	...	Aquaman (16 episodes, 1978)
Ted Cassidy	...	Black Manta (16 episodes, 1978)
Melanie Chartoff		(16 episodes, 1978)
Henry Corden		(16 episodes, 1978)
Danny Dark	...	Superman (16 episodes, 1978)
Al Fann		(16 episodes, 1978)
Shannon Farnon	...	Wonder Woman (16 episodes, 1978)
Ruth Forman	...	Giganta (16 episodes, 1978)
Bob Hastings		(16 episodes, 1978)
Bob Holt		(16 episodes, 1978)
Buster Jones	...	Black Vulcan (16 episodes, 1978)
Stan Jones	...	Lex Luthor (16 episodes, 1978)
Casey Kasem	...	Robin (16 episodes, 1978)
Don Messick	...	Scarecrow (16 episodes, 1978)
Vic Perrin	...	Sinestro (16 episodes, 1978)
Renny Roker		(16 episodes, 1978)
Stanley Ralph Ross	...	Gorilla Grodd (16 episodes, 1978)
Dick Ryal	...	Captain Cold (16 episodes, 1978)
Michael Rye	...	Green Lantern (16 episodes, 1978)
Olan Soule	...	Batman (16 episodes, 1978)
Jimmy Weldon	...	Solomon Grundy (16 episodes, 1978)
Frank Welker	...	Toyman (16 episodes, 1978)
Louise Williams	...	Young Giganta (16 episodes, 1978)

Storyline

In this show, Superman leads a superhero team comprising of the greatest DC Comics superheroes against a team of 13 of the most notorious DC Comics supervillians called the Legion of Doom, led by Lex Luthor in a war that has the fate of Earth in the balance.

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Plot Keywords:

dc comics | superhero team | superhero | justice league | black vulcan | 

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-Y7

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Izazov Super prijatelja

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (16 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mr. Myxyzptlk, the imp from the fifth dimension who's one of Superman's arch-foes, makes his Super Friends debut in this series. His name in all of the Super Friends series is pronounced "mixel-plick," which is incorrect. His name is actually pronounced "Mix-yez-pittle-ick." Kltpzyxm, the word that sends him back to his own dimension, is wrongly pronounced "kitzle-plim" in all of the Super Friends series. It's actually pronounced "kell-tips-yes-im."

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Quotes

[title sequence]
Series Narrator: Banded together from remote galaxies are thirteen of the most sinister villains of all time, The Legion of Doom, dedicated to a single objective: the conquest of the universe. Only one group dares to challenge this intergalactic threat: The SuperFriends! The Justice League of America versus The Legion of Doom! This is the Challenge of the SuperFriends!

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Connections

Spoofed in Robot Chicken: Toyz in the Hood (2005)

User Reviews

One of those "had to see" series

After watching all these heroes I had never seen before (Green Lantern, the Flash, the Atom, Hawkman and Hawkgirl), the thought of an ongoing series which regularly featured them thrilled me. I had to be on my best behavior or risk being banned from the TV and therefore missing an episode.

I enjoyed the show, but looking back on Cartoon Network reruns saw quite a few flaws in the characterization and details. For example, Green Lantern was able to deflect some of the yellow-colored attacks posed against him, and sometimes he could. At the time, as GL fans know, his ring was always powerless against anything colored yellow. They also committed the same offense as in other series'; for Batman and Robin, it was all about the devices in the utility belts. For Wonder Woman, the jet and Magic Lasso. Lose these things, and they're helpless? Please!

Whatever. Just bring on the whole JLA and I was happy. Still a classic.