Super Friends Season 2, Episode 8, Storyline A – “The Invisible Menace”
Original Airdate – October 22, 1977 (You might notice that I don’t seem to be writing these in proper chronological order. That’s because the order they are presented on the DVDs and the order they aired according to Wikipedia don’t line up. Which, if you think about it fits in well with the general scrambled mess that is Super Friends).
Short Synopsis: “Deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean, a strange submarine moves along the treacherous sea bottom.” – Narrator
Narrator, don’t you mean IN the Atlantic Ocean? Not “beneath,” beneath would mean the are below the Earth’s crust. You know, never mind, it doesn’t matter.
The guys on the submarine mumble something about an island and a Professor Fairweather testing an “undersea mining device” and how safety standards are stupid and time is of the essence.
Then, the captain, named Neemus(?) or whatever activates the vanishing ray, which makes everyone and everything look like Wonder Woman’s invisible plane:
Meanwhile, on the island.
Professor Fairweather is getting ready to test his Ultrasonic Mining Device, and he warns his assistant, Peterson, that if it isn’t tested slowly, it’s power could be devastating if it gets out of control.
Here’s what I don’t get, they planned to test it “in two hours,” but that wasn’t fast enough for Team Invisible? Anyway, Team Invisible sneaks onto the boat and hijacks the device and takes Fairweather with them.
Peterson is then left behind to warn the Super Friends and because there’s water involved, we all know what that means!
Aquaman and Superman are on the case.
“With my keen aquatic senses it shouldn’t take too long, let’s go!” – Aquaman, always the kidder.
Aquaman and Superman find the submarine, but then Neemus makes it invisible again, thus requiring Superman’s infrared vision. Neemus releases an invisible killer whale and this happens:
How embarrassing. I think we’ve all walked into a sliding glass door but an invisible killer whale is really something you never live down. That is, of course, unless the only other witness is Aquaman, and this happens:
Then I guess you both just agree to never speak of it again.
Superman saves Aquaman from the killer whale. Who was it that had “keen aquatic senses,” again?
When villains tell superheroes what to do, they listen.
Neemus announces that Superman and Aquaman better stop following them, or “Professor Fairweather will suffer the consequences.”
Superman says, “I think we better do as he says.”
Oh, but wait! They DO continue to pursue, but in a less obvious fashion. Superman flies above, tracking the submarine, and Aquaman hides behind a big purple and pink manta.
Aquaman boards the sub and sprays the invisible crew with octopus ink. He then ties up the Captain and looks just as surprised as anyone that he did it.
AND THEN…
The mining device activates, which causes an underwater earthquake. Superman fixes all that with lots of punching.
“I hope I never see another invisible submarine!” – Aquaman
But you DIDN’T see it, Aquaman, because it was invisible. Duh.
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.
So, Superman didn’t taste right to the invisible whale. And Aquaman, who just happens to carry octopus ink in his kit, couldn’t hear a big-ass whale coming up behind him? Tsk tsk, Aquaman, you loser.
Exactly – if your superpower is communicating with sea creatures, that should include invisible ones, that’s basic logic.
Everything can be solved with lots of punching! Especially earthquakes.
Yes, you just punch and punch and all becomes right in the world.
I love ya ta death and all butyou grading this episode an A when it involves Aquaman is just wrong. Handy Octopus Ink was the name of my alternative band in college. we were terrible. I like how everything invisible is drawn with chalk outlines, It probably is meant to reflect the writers were dead inside.
Ohhhh, those aren’t grades! Those are the order of the stories. One episode has 4 stories, and the way they labeled them was A,B,C, and D. This is the first mini-story in the episode. LOL I don’t think I would ever give an A to a Super Friends story.
That manta has a lot of panache. It’s like he’s all dressed up for a pride parade. I’m proud that manta is not embarrassed to be who he is. He’s the true hero of this episode, if you ask me.
I love the manta! Aquaman doesn’t even need to hide behind him, nobody would notice Aquaman even if he was in front of that fabulous manta.
I have to wonder why Aquaman didn’t talk to the killer whale. Does invisibility in sea creatures affect his powers?
It shouldn’t, and it goes on the pile of proof that Aquaman is full of shit.
I hope I never see another invisible submarine. Best Aquaman line ever.
It really encapsulates everything wonderful and awful about Aquaman.
I love how Superman just bounces off the invisible killer whale – boink!
That happened to him in an earlier episode with some giant plastic something, so I guess it’s the risk you take when you’re a superhero.
Has it ever been officially confirmed that Aquaman can talk to sea animals? It might just be something he thinks he can do. I mean, I talk to my cats all the time but that doesn’t make me a superhero.