Marvel Super Friends

[bigbywolfe]

The narrator, Stan Lee, refered to them as the Spider-friends fairly regularly. I was more wondering why you simply reposted the title of the show when we all already know it and it is in multiple previous posts in this thread. I was posting from my phone. Perhaps I simply should have said "what's your point?".

[assault]

If "racial diversity" is an issue, the Falcon would be ideal. Incidentally, he appeared in Superhero Squad.

In the first season of SHS it's only major "heroic" female character was Ms Marvel, who generally appeared as a bossy mother figure. Strikingly problematic for those old enough to not think girls are icky.

I'd consider the Wasp, and tone down her dependence on Hank Pym. She shows up pretty well in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. She could work well in a more Super Friends series as well.

That said, Firestar is a pretty good suggestion. I'd go with that, now that I think about it.

PS: Wolverine, aka Captain Canada.

[Hugh Neilson]

Gotta think '70's here...

Falcon would work, making Cap and Falcon the replacement for Batman and Robin
Iron Man replaces Superman
SpiderMan must be in there somewhere - replaces Aquaman

Now we need a fifth, replacing Wonder Woman - but Marvel had/has no iconic female characters. The '70's choices are pretty limited. The Wasp is a possible, but remains joined at the hip to Hank Pym. They weren't rewriting characters, really, and two B-Listers? Unfortunately, all the female characters would be B-listers. Absent some creative control by Marvel, to insert one of the female startups in the '70's, I don't see a female character for the team.

Of course, the network wants SuperFriends because they get the Big Three icons, so a Marvel analogy wasn't really in the cards.

[Laundry Knight]

For the woman, since we don't have female Marvel icons, then we should go with the cool factor. Medusa and her hair would be cool. I remember Spiderwoman having her own cartoon in the seventies, but do we want two spider themed heroes, but we could replace Spidey with the Hulk.

[bigbywolfe]

I'd still say Firestar. She was made up for the cartoon, but so popular she made it into the comics. Perhaps not ideal but it seems like the best bet.

[CrosshairCollie]

The narrator, Stan Lee, refered to them as the Spider-friends fairly regularly.

They did so in-character as well. 'Spider-Friends, go for it!' was their battle cry.

[Mister E]

[[NSFW!!!]]

http://www.seanbaby.com/superfriends/old/super.htm

"Gathered together from the cosmic reaches of the universe. Super Man. A guy who talks to fish. A monkey. And the most uneducated writers in America. The most powerful forces of madness ever assembled. These are the Super Friends."

[edit]:

I vote for the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iceman, Firestar, & Howard the Duck.

[Ninja-Bear]

Also when I think about Firestar and why she was created, I think She-Hulk might be a good fit. I read where Friestar was created because the cartoon didn't have the rights to the Torch. And She-Hulk would be as strong as Wonder-woman.

<sigh>, Videoman never became an official character.

[Zen Archer]

Also when I think about Firestar and why she was created, I think She-Hulk might be a good fit.

I think that would work pretty well.

I didn't consider her initially because, if memory serves, she first appeared in the very early '80s. But I could see someone like her being created for the imaginary '70s Marvelfriends pretty easily.

[dan2448]

This is a great question! I loved the various Super Friends cartoons as a child in the 70s, especially Challenge of the Superfriends. And the restrictions against violence in those cartoons, which ultimately caused me to lose interest in them in the 80s, now allows me to share these with my 5 year old daughter. I DVR'd Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends for her, too, and she really liked that as well, especially Firestar and Storm (who makes a couple of guest appearances with the X-Men).


To respond directly to the question, I think that Spider-Man, Hulk and Captain America would have been slam dunk inclusions in any 1970s Marvel version of Super Friends. They were by far the most famous Marvel super heroes back then, in my memoiry anyway. For gender and racial diversity (paralleling Super Freinds), I would suggest that Firestar and Storm might be good options. Same with Power Man and Iron Fist.

That being said, the Fantastic Four were much more high profile back then in the Marvel Pantheon. I could easily see any of them being included, too. Iron Man was always one of my favorite characters and would be a great addition. But my memory is that he was sort of a 'second string' character back then (as was Daredevil).

[Kap]

This is a great question! I loved the various Super Friends cartoons as a child in the 70s, especially Challenge of the Superfriends. And the restrictions against violence in those cartoons, which ultimately caused me to lose interest in them in the 80s, now allows me to share these with my 5 year old daughter. I DVR'd Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends for her, too, and she really liked that as well, especially Firestar and Storm (who makes a couple of guest appearances with the X-Men).


To respond directly to the question, I think that Spider-Man, Hulk and Captain America would have been slam dunk inclusions in any 1970s Marvel version of Super Friends. They were by far the most famous Marvel super heroes back then, in my memoiry anyway. For gender and racial diversity (paralleling Super Freinds), I would suggest that Firestar and Storm might be good options. Same with Power Man and Iron Fist.

That being said, the Fantastic Four were much more high profile back then in the Marvel Pantheon. I could easily see any of them being included, too. Iron Man was always one of my favorite characters and would be a great addition. But my memory is that he was sort of a 'second string' character back then (as was Daredevil).

Good, thoughtful answer. I think Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, and Captain America would have been the first three Marvel characters drafted. I go back and forth on who I think would fill the Robin "youth" slot and the Wonder Woman "girl" slot. Would they dare use Bucky in the Robin slot? It would make more sense than Rick Jones, at least to me. Marvin and Wendy could stay as-is, same later with the Wonder Twins. I think those two slots I mentioned are the hardest to fill due to Marvel's lack of sidekicks and popular heroines.

Marvel would seem to have a leg up on D.C. when it comes to the Challenge of the Super Friends "diversity" slots. The animators probably could have drafted comic book heroes instead of having to make up characters for the cartoon, as Marvel had more prominent "ethnic" characters to choose from.

One thing a lot of responders haven't seemed to consider is the visual aspect: some characters might make the cut just because of their color schemes or the visuals their powers bring to the cartoon, i.e., I read that's why Aquaman and later Hawkman and Green Lantern were selected.

--Kap

[Revenant]

I'd like to bring back up the Falcon as a conceivable Robin. Wasn't he first introduced in the comics as basically a new sidekick for Captain America?

[Kap]

I'd like to bring back up the Falcon as a conceivable Robin. Wasn't he first introduced in the comics as basically a new sidekick for Captain America?

You're right, I should have thought of that angle. I'm not sure if she debuted early enough, maybe one of you can tell me, but perhaps the original Ms. Marvel could fill the "girl" slot?

[Zen Archer]

You're right, I should have thought of that angle. I'm not sure if she debuted early enough, maybe one of you can tell me, but perhaps the original Ms. Marvel could fill the "girl" slot?

1977 for the Ms. Marvel superhero ID, though the character herself first appeared in the late '60s.

[Zen Archer]

Would they dare use Bucky in the Robin slot? It would make more sense than Rick Jones, at least to me. Marvin and Wendy could stay as-is, same later with the Wonder Twins.

Actually, I think some version of Rick Jones and his Teen Brigade would be a much better fill for the Wendy and Marvin slot. Could handle a lot of the diversity issue as well.

I can't see them going with Bucky.