Kap Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 I posed this question in the middle of an unrelated thread where almost no one saw it, so here goes in a thread of its very own: If the Super Friends had been done using Marvel characters rather than D.C. characters, who would have been in the lineup instead of Superman, Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman? Spider-Man and the Hulk seem like shoo-ins due to their popularity and media presence in the '70s. Would Captain America take the "Superman" slot? Who would take "the girl" slot? I read that Aquaman, although relatively unknown at the time, was chosen for two reasons: (1) they wanted a character without red or blue in the color scheme and (2) the underwater visuals he could add to the stories. T.V. cartoons being a visual medium aimed mainly at children, is there a Marvel character who would add in this way? Also: who do you think they would have added to the lineup for "Challenge of the Super Friends" in place of Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, Black Vulcan, Apache Chief, and Samurai? I'm very interested in hearing what you think and why! --Kap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Any 70's lineup of the Avengers would do just fine. [ATTACH=CONFIG]39578[/ATTACH] But other characters or mini-groups like the Defenders and Fantastic Four could make appearances as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kap Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Any 70's lineup of the Avengers would do just fine. But other characters or mini-groups like the Defenders and Fantastic Four could make appearances as well. I wonder if the network would have gone for Scarlet Witch or Thor. They wouldn't show a punch so I wonder if they'd have been okay with a "witch" and a "god" on a children's show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluejin39 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Ha ha, I also was just heard:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptPatriot Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends I wonder if the network would have gone for Scarlet Witch or Thor. They wouldn't show a punch so I wonder if they'd have been okay with a "witch" and a "god" on a children's show? Well, I don't ever recall any references to the Amazons in the Superfriends and the mythology behind them, so the Marvel version would never have to reveal his Norse deity references. As for Scarlet Witch, they could use Wasp with the 'Challenge...' show, they could add Hank Pym aka Giantman for Apache Chief. By the way, I do believe that they did mention Apache Chief's origin being from a magic powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends The 'Purple Hulk' from the second pic was the Infraggable Krunk from the Dexter's Lab superhero team the Justice Friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Archer Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends I'm sticking with my basic five: Spidey, Hulk, Cap, Iron Man, and Marvel Girl. As for additions, I think they'd just end up bringing the classic '60s/'70s Avengers on board, with maybe space for a few popular ringers like The Thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Wasn't "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends" pretty much Marvel's answer to Superfriends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Given the purpose was to add racial diversity, why would they not just have added El Dorado, Black Vulcan, Apache Chief, and Samurai? They weren't DC characters anyway. Maybe someone could have twisted their arms to use Black Panther rather than Black Vulcan. Spidey, Hulk, Cap and Iron Man seem like shoe-in's. Marvel females in the '70's were pretty few, and no icons like Wonder Woman. I always assumed Aquaman was there because of the previous Aquaman TV show. Hanna Barbara had already done Superman, Batman and Aquaman cartoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Well considering how popular Firestar was from Spidey and friends, I'd add her for the girl slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Wasn't "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends" pretty much Marvel's answer to Superfriends?i think it wast he team was called the spider friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends Um, yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends "Yes" what? There really wasn't a "team name" for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends "Yes" what? There really wasn't a "team name" for them. Actually, they regularly called themselves the 'Spider-Friends'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laundry Knight Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends The narrator' date=' Stan Lee, refered to them as the Spider-friends fairly regularly. [/quote'] They did so in-character as well. 'Spider-Friends, go for it!' was their battle cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends [[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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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. , Videoman never became an official character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Archer Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends Also when I think about Firestar and why she was created' date=' I think She-Hulk might be a good fit. [/quote'] 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dan2448 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Re: Marvel Super Friends 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). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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