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Season 2, Episode 5, Storyline C – “Super Friends vs Super Friends”

Original Airdate: October 8, 1977

Short Synopsis: “Somewhere in the vast Pacific Ocean, a naval exploration ship lowers a diving bell with two Navy scientists. But, little do they realize, they too are being studied.” – Narrator

Basically, there’s a whole underwater civilization of aquatic creatures who have never been discovered (*cough* Aquaman *cough*) and they like to collect specimens they find to fight each other for their amusement in a giant underwater arena. Here’s what they look like.

The Super Friends staff must have had entire teams of animators whose sole purpose was to try and come up with new ways to draw under water humanoids. These things are from “the long-forgotten city of Oceana, sister city to Atlantis.” I guess I’ll call them Oceanians. No, scratch that, I’m calling them Glubbity Glubs.

And then, of course, the Super Friends are captured one by one like flies to a flytrap.
I was going to explain how every single one of the Super Friends end up trapped by the Glubbity Glubs, but does it really matter? You can pretty much sum it up with: they did something stupid and then were paralyzed by an “invisible muscle control ray.”

Aquaman gets captured first (ineptly trying to help that diving bell), then ALL THE REST of them are taken in one fell swoop.

And, it took the Glubbity Glubs to finally say what we’re all thinking: “These surface dwellers are even more powerful than the other.” They mean Aquaman, in case you weren’t sure.

The Glubbity Glubs are a hard race to please.
When we’re shown the arena for the first time, a Glubbity Glub is fighting aaaaaa…Parrot Lobster?

The crowd shouts things like, “More action! More excitement! The monsters always win!”

Tyranus, the supreme ruler of the Glubbity Glubs, is worried about his precarious position as tyrant, “If I’m to remain in supreme power, they must be constantly entertained.”

He then announces to the crowd: “People of Oceana, your boredom is at an end! BEHOLD!”

And then they BOO. Y’all, it was awesome.

Then, Tyranus unveils the monster Aquaman is to fight, which looks like a Vulture-Crab-Turtle:

He then assures everyone, “Tomorrow’s games will thrill even the most bored among you!” I love that the biggest problems the Glubbity Glubs face is boredom.

Get it on, bang a gong.
The plan is to have all the Super Friend fight each other until one remains, then that one will fight Vulture-Crab-Turtle.

I knew I probably wouldn’t get to see the Super Friends actually fight each other to the death. I’m not that dumb. But, I was hoping, at least, maybe there could be some bickering. Like, Superman starts arguing about Batman always sitting in his chair, or Wonder Woman snapping and telling everyone she’s “up here,” I mean, that’s not too much to ask for, is it?

Yes, it is. Their plan is to fake a fight and then have one fake-standing at the end. This is necessary because of the muscle control rays – they are all helpless to them. Guess who volunteers to be the winner?

Foolproof plan right there.

They start out by swinging at each other from afar, kind of like that fight move “The Windmill.” Look how convincing and vicious it is:

Then, Wonder Woman lassos Batman and Robin together as I’m sure they requested.

And, um, this happens.

The image of Wonder Woman winking at Aquaman is going to haunt me the rest of my life.

And, finally, this.

Now that the one person even the Glubbity Glubs thought didn’t stand a chance has won the giant fake fight, he has to fight Vulture-Crab-Turtle.

WTF Screenshots
This is my favorite – a barrel full of pretend-dead super heroes at the Ocean Disposal. Brilliant.

Batman needs to get back to the gym.

Will Aquaman Beat the Monster? Do any of us care?
Aquaman, who was all, “I wanna win the fake fight, my specialty is fighting Vulture-Crab-Turtles! I wanna win, waaaaaahhhh!” finds it a little harder than he anticipated.

First, he gets stuck in a claw.

Then, the tank they’re in breaks, and way more water than it could have possibly held floods the arena, and the monster starts attacking everyone.

The Super Friends save everyone’s ass and the Glubbity Glubs learn their lesson.

So here’s the age-old question: who do you think would win an actual fight? I’m pretty sure it would come down to Superman and Wonder Woman. He’d probably be the final victor unless she had some kryptonite or fear gas up her sleeve. Wait, she doesn’t have sleeves. Superman, then. What do you think?

P.S. I’m posting Super Friends outtakes on the Cannibalistic Nerd Facebook page. So, if you need a mid-week Super Friends pick-me-up, that’s the place to get it.

If you would like to see these shenanigans for yourself, Season 2 is available on DVD.

I’ve been at the beach all this past week. The next segment is called “Super Friends vs Super Friends” and it looks like they are forced to fight each other in an arena gladiator-style. There is no way I’m going to half-ass (or quarter-ass because I’m always half-assing it) what may be a dream come true like that, so I’m going to save it for when I won’t be distracted by much more fun things to do.

So, this week we’ll be looking at the in-between segments I usually add on to the regular stories.

Safety Time!
Someone has blown a fuse at the Justice League headquarters. Robin wonders what caused it.

Batman: Too many machines plugged into the same electrical circuit, Robin.

My guess? Each Super Friend insists on having their own hairdryer and they all use them at the same time. It just seems like something they’d do. Plus there’s exactly the right number of outlets for each person.

Decoder Part 1
As you all already know, the decoders are clues to a “code word” that pertains to the third storyline.

This week it’s Aquaman’s turn (again) to dole out the clues. We show up to see Aquaman in the middle of playing matador with a dolphin. That seems like a proper use of his super powers.

Then, he gives us the clue, which is perfectly worded, as all Aquaman clues are: “The first part of the code word is the last part of my name, or kind of sounds like it.” Which is it you bastard, is it the last part of your name or does it sound like the last part of your name?

Decoder Part II
Now that we have the first clue – man, or ma, or mango, or cram, or whatever is or sounds like the last part of “Aquaman,” it’s time for the second clue.

“I think we can find it in the galley of this old wreck,” Aquaman says with his dumb mouth.

“It’s what I’m doing by mixing this old stew pot.”

Hmmm, making a further mockery of yourself? No? Shirking your super hero duties? Making Ariel the little mermaid look macho compared to you? Aw, shucks, I’m stumped.

De-Coder Solution
Uh, whatever you say, Aquaman.

“We get ‘man stir’ and that’s a sound alike for ‘monster!’ See ya, I’m gonna do some more exploring” By “exploring” he means “man stirring.”

Now, I’m off to the ocean, I’ll let you know if I hear any good dirt on Aquaman from the sea life.

Season 2, Episode 5, Storyline B – “Vandals”

Original Airdate: October 8, 1977

Short Synopsis: “Carrie, our brave Super Friends episode re-capper, sees that it is a Wonder Twins cautionary tale, and with the sad, pathetic whimper of a kicked puppy, she crawls into the corner to rock back and forth” – Imagined Narrator

We all know how this goes.

Wonder Twins Cautionary Tales Players

The Bad Idea Generator
This week it’s Spence, who wants to “have some kicks” by vandalizing the school. I’m pretty sure by the 1970s teens didn’t say “have some kicks” anymore, which furthers the constant suspicion that none of these people in these cautionary tales are actual teenagers.

 

The Bad Idea Supporter
This character is optional. But, when utilized, always agrees and then gives examples. In this case, “yeahhh, like tearin’ Old Man Morrison’s print shop apart!” Again, “old man?” Notice the amazing 1970s leisure robe collar. That’s the true sign of an enabler. Or, someone who loves leisure – NEVER BOTH.

 

The Snitch
“Cool it, you guys! That’s not ‘kicks,’ that’s vandalism!” Voice of reason/wet blanket. Always shocked that their seemingly shitty friends are doing shitty things. This week’s snitch is Spence’s sister, Laurel. Spence tells her to “buzz off.” And also to go down to the malt shop and find some daddy-os her own age.

 

The Snitch always calls the Teen Trouble Alert from a payphone. Always.

The Wonder Twins do two things: poorly superhero and recreational sports.
Every episode, before the Trouble Alert sounds, we get a scene of Zan, Jayna, and Gleek participating in some kind of activity you usually only do on vacation or at camp. This week, it’s volleyball.

Every time, Zan brags about how good he as at the thing they’re doing. Every. Time. And every time, Jayna lets loose some zinger to put him in his place. Every. Time. And then Gleek interrupts. Every. Time.

And, then, this happens.

Every. Time.*

This time, they chose to portray Zan-as-water like a plump lavender ghost:

Somebody Call Guinness
It looks like Spence and his friends managed to smear the world’s largest booger onto the wall.

I can just see it now in the writer’s room.
Writer 1: But they can’t really learn any lessons from vandalizing other than getting caught. That’s not enough.
Writer 2: I guess we could show how upset all the teachers and students were by the devastation of their institute of learning.
Writer 1: No, that’s too complicated. Let’s have them get on a broken elevator instead.

And, action!

“Jupiters! The elevator could fall at any second!” – Zan

Then, Zan and Jayna do their “magic.”
And, as always, Zan and Jayna use their powers to rescue the stupid teenagers in the weirdest, least affective way imaginable.

That wouldn’t work, dummies, there wouldn’t be enough traction against the “ice pole” to slow down that much weight.

A first! A first!
Here are the teens’ disappointed fathers, who are now responsible for paying for all the damage their kids caused.

And, back to the formula.
Blah blah blah Gleek does something HILARIOUS and everyone laughs away all the property damage and lives almost lost.

Oh, wait, let me fix that for you, Gleek.

That’s better.

*”Every time” may be a slight exaggeration based on the mental trauma experienced by Super Friends watcher.

P.S. I’m posting Super Friends outtakes on the Cannibalistic Nerd Facebook page. So, if you need a mid-week Super Friends pick-me-up, that’s the place to get it.

If you would like to see these shenanigans for yourself, Season 2 is available on DVD.