Limited Edition Super Friends! maquettes were issued in 2003. Made from cold-cast porcelain, the statues were based on models designed for the TV series. Each approximately 8 inches tall.
What
many fans don't realize is that the Super Friends series was actually
written as an in-continuity series (for pre-Crisis times). Writer E.
Nelson Bridwell and the editor make frequent footnotes to events going
on in other DC Universe books (I note these in the Chronology where
they appeared). Post-Crisis, it would be very difficult to make the case
for the Super Friends in-continuity. Also, Zan
and Jayna now have completely new in-continuity origins, as do Marvin
& Wendy.
The comic book series actually began after the first cartoon series
was cancelled. When the cartoon was relaunched with Zan and Jayna, the
comic followed suit (and explained the transition). Bridwell said several
times in the letter that he did not want the Legion
of Doom to appear; so they never did.
The series' unique, multicultural heroes Black Vulcan, Apache Chief,
Samurai and El Dorado never appeared in the Super Friends comic, but
Samurai appeared later in Super
Powers v.3
#1-4 (1986). It's unclear whether DC or Hanna-Barbera
owns these characters.
Collected editions:
Super Friends! (2001, collects #1, 6-9,
14, 21 & 27).
Super Friends!: Truth, Justice and Peace (collects
#10, 12, 13, 25, 28, 31, and 37, plus the backups from #29 & 36)
Best of DC Digest #3 (1980) also reprinted Super Friends stories
Apache Chief
Real
Name: Unrevealed
First appeared: The
All-New Super Friends Hour Episode 2/4 "The Antidote" (First
aired: 17 Sept. 1977).
Television appearances: Episodes
of he All-New Super Friends Hour (1977), Challenge of the Superfriends (1978), The
Super Friends Hour (1980), The Super Friends (1981), Superfriends:
The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984).
Comics appearances:DC One Million 80-Page
Giant (1999).
Action figures: None.
Origin revealed:Challenge of the Superfriends Episode
16/2? "History of Doom" (First aired: 23 Dec. 1978?).
History: An Indian brave is confronted
by a grizzly bear. His father quickly gives him a magic powder. When
the brave speaks the magic word "inukchuk,"
he is transformed into a giant who easily deals with the grizzly. A woman,
who had witnessed the amazing events, steals the magic powder away from
the father. She sprinkles herself with it and becomes a giant as well,
albeit an evil one, calling herself Giganta.
He once also was key to calming the menace of an old Mohawk Indian
spirit, Haudenosaunee.
After menacing a city, Apache Chief led the spirit back to his native
burial landsd. (Super Friends: The Lost Episodes, "Once
Upon a Poltergeist")
The JLA member Manitou Raven was
inspired by Apache Chief. So was, it seems, a charcater named Tall
Tree, who appeared in Freedom Fighters #11 (1978)
Powers: Apache Chief has superior tracking
skills and the power to grow into a 50 foot giant.
First appeared: The
All-New Super Friends Hour Episode 1/4 "Whirlpool" (First
aired: 10 Sept. 1977).
Television appearances: Episodes of The All-New
Super Friends Hour (1977), Challenge Of The Superfriends (1978), The
Super Friends Hour (1980), The Super Friends (1981), Superfriends:
The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984).
Comic book appearances:DC One Million
80-Page Giant (1999)
Action figures: None.
History: Unknown.
Powers: Black Vulcan can generate lightning
bolts from his body and has the ability to fly.
First appeared:The Super Friends, Episode
2?/3? "Alien Mummy" (First aired: 14 November 1981?).
Television appearances: Episodes of The
Super Friends (1981), Superfriends: The Legendary Super Powers
Show (1984), The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985).
Comics appearances: None.
Action figures: None.
History: Unknown.
Powers: El Dorado has the ability to read minds
and create illusions. His red cape also grants him the power to teleport anywhere
he wishes.
Villains
The Elementals
On a June morning in 1978, four enormous jewels were sighted in and
around the United States — a ruby near the Gotham City Police Station,
an emerald atop Metropolis' Galaxy Building, a diamond outside New York
City's United Nations and a sapphire on a beach near Aquaman's sanctuary.
As each location's resident super-hero stepped forward to investigate,
the gems opened to reveal strange beings. Superman, for instance, found
a hooded man in brown calling himself "the Gnome — master of
Earth."
The Gnome possessed super-strength, magnetic powers, the ability to phase
through solid matter and, most significantly in this case, the gift of
transmutation
— which he used to convert the emerald into Kryptonite.
Elsewhere, Aquaman was facing a woman in a blue/green scaled costume
who called herself the Undine and possessed total command of any water
body. Learning that the Sea King would not be harmed by a crushing wave
of water, the Undine caused the ocean to recede from his presence instead.
Aquaman's invocation of Proteus' name led the water elemental to transform
herself into a gorilla.
"Like many other sea deities, I share his shape-shifting abilities."
In New York, Wonder Woman clashed with a blonde woman in light blue
known as the Sylph. In addition to the power of flight and control of
the wind, she also commanded lightning and could become "as intangible
as air."
And finally, in Gotham, Batman was menaced by the Salamander,
a fire-wielding female in a scaly red costume. She managed
to hold the Dark Knight at bay with unrelenting bursts of fire emitted
from her eyes and mouth. Rushing to the rescue were Robin, Wonder
Twins Zan and Jayna and Gleek.
The Salamander was doused by Zan (in the form of a wave), the Gnome was
rendered unconscious by Robin's gas pellets and the Sylph was hypnotized
by Jayna (in the guise of an Exorian bird known as the Thrib). Elsewhere,
Gleek distracted the Undine with his elastic tail while Aquaman summoned
help from the creatures of the sea. The water elemental picked up the
telepathic command herself and immediately called a truce. "I read your thoughts
— enough to detect the way I had been deceived — when told
you were a villain."
The four elementals were brought to Hall of Justice, where
Batman recognized them as four of Gotham's elite who had attended a party thrown
by Bruce Wayne and fellow millionaire Sandor Fane. The Gnome was Arden
Chemicals' founder Grant Arden, the blonde Sylph was singer-songwriter Jeannine Gale (she met the League in Super Friends #4
and wrote a song in their honor for their telethon, #5), the red-headed
Undine was author Crystal Marr, and the raven-tressed Salamander was "the
nation's leading couturiere" Ginger
O'Shea (owner of the Gotham-based Chez O'Shea, first mentioned in Super
Friends #6).
Fane spoke of his recent discovery of a manuscript believed to have
been written by 16th Century alchemist Paracelsus. "In those days,
it was believed that there were only four elements — earth, water,
air and fire— and the spirits which inhabited these
them. He offered to demonstrate the technique for the quartet, who
unwittingly found themselves serving as hosts for four elementals. The
Elementals claimed that they were given form by the Overlord, who told
them the Justice Leauge were evil-doers.
Released from the elementals' control, the Gothamites were angry at Sandor
Fane, who was revealed as the Overlord. Superman convinced them to stand up
and recombine with the elementals, though they were adamant, "we won't
be the super-heroes," added Ginger. (Super Friends #14)
The Elementals took ownership of their alter egos and donned new toga-style
costumes of Ginger's own design.
Manipulated by his scheming Underling, the Overlord struck at them first.
The new heroes held their own, though, while the Man of Steel found the Overlord's
satellite, and Batman discovered his base, and he was taken down.
After his master's defeat, the Underling bragged that hed' been running the
show from the start. "I had the ideas — but
not the money to carry them out. That's why I needed Fane — and
used him, while pretending to be his servant. (#15)
Powers
The Elementals live for 300 years. To link with human souls, they must
gain the material bodies. This can also be accomplished by marrying a
human, or
doing good over a long period.
Chemist Grant Arden/the Gnome invented the fabrics of their uniforms
which resisted tearing while they used their powers. The Undine's costume
was made mostly of water, which put it under her control. The
Salamander's was flame-proof. The Gnome's was made of
metallic threads, so his powers could affect it. The Sylph's becames
invisible and intangible as air.
The Sylph wore blue and could unleash a blizzard.
The Undine, in green, could control water.
The orange Salamander could transform into and manipulate flame.
The Gnome, in black, had magnetic powers and could pass through stone.
Giganta was an obscure Golden Age villain left unseen since 1948. She
was resurrected by Hanna-Barbera for the Challenge of the Super Friends TV
show in 1978.
In her original appearances, she was a member of Villainy, Inc. This band was
retooled and reintroduced by writer/artist Phil Jimenez in Wonder
Woman v.2 #175 (2001). They also appeared in Wonder Woman #179-185;
Wonder Woman Secret Files #3).
Toyman II
The first meeting of Toymans new and old; from Action #432
(1974). Art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. The second Toyman, from Action #454 (1975). Art by
Curt Swan.From Superman #299 (1976). Art by Curt Swan.
Name: Jack
Nimball
First appearance:Action Comics #432
(Feb. 1974)
Featured appearances:Action Comics #432,
454 • Superman v.1 #299, 305
Another enigmatic character from the Challenge of the Super Friends was
the evil Toyman. He looked nothing like the Toyman most readers might know
from DC Comics, but he did in fact appear in comics a few times before
that. The original Toyman was Winslow Schott, an older, heavyset
man with glasses and a suit. The new Toyman was far more eccentric in appearance
sporting a loud jester type costume and mask.
The youthful successor was Jack Nimball, and he took up the name
of "Toyman" after the Schott had supposedly reformed and retired. But
when Nimball hit the town, Schott was angered and set out to squash the
new pretender. After Superman sorted them out, Nimball was captured and
Schott went back to a crime-free retirement. (Action
#432)
The Toyman's next appearance was rather routine but he employed many
gadgets to keep Superman away from his robberies. (Action
#454) He was also part of a group of Superman's arch
foes. (Superman
#299) Schott must have had time to stew over his successor's
career because when the original Toyman next returned, it was to crime—murder. (#305)
He appeared on TV as a member of the Legion of Doom in 1978. After that,
one might think DC would keep this version alive and well in the comics
but alas, he had already been killed off by his predecessor, Schott,
inSuperman #305.
One fan online speculated that Toyman wound up in the Super Friends because of a Bat-character ban (which didn't include
the Riddler or Scarecrow), which opened up space for other villains.
Alex Ross gave a nod to this version of the Toyman, recreating him as
a giant marionette in the 12-issue limited series Justice (2005).
List of Villains Appearing in the Super Friends comic book
Char Ymat (alias Cherry Mott) (Super Friends #10)
Colonel Conquest (Super Friends #9)
The Conqueror (Super Friends #45, 46)
Dr. Ihdrom, Anti-Man, the Apparition, Bombshell, Firelord, Powerhouse,
Spectrum, Sub-Zero, Thunderhead, the Traveler, Turncoat, Ultra-Light
(Super Friends #3)
Grax (Action #342, #417, Super Friends #7-9, 38)
Greenback (Super Friends #5)
Green Thumb (Fargo Keyes) (Super Friends #42)
Johnny Witts (Detective #344, Batman #201, Super Friends
#26)
Kingslayer (Super Friends #11)
The Menagerie Man (Wilson Gable) (Super Friends #6, 19, 33)
Real
Name: Unrevealed
Real
Name: Unrevealed.
Name: