The WORST episodes of Super Friends
Every episode of Super Friends ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Super Friends!
Super Friends first aired on ABC on September 8, 1973, featuring well-known DC characters Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of America (JLA) and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics. The name of the program (and the JLA members featured with the Super Friends) have been variously represented (as Super Friends and Challenge of the Super Friends, for example) at different points in its broadcast history.
#1 - The Shamon 'U'
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/13/1973
Dr. Shamon is using a giant magnetic "U," a laser gun, to draw a solid gold meteorite to the Earth. However, he's unaware of the fact that his "sky-mining" technique has reelased some exotic gases from the space cloud, which, when united with the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, form a green mist and a red mist. The green mist causes animals and plants to grow many times their normal size, while the red mists causes animals and plants to shrink.
#2 - Journey Through Inner Space
Season 3 - Episode 29 - Aired 12/16/1978
Aquaman is exposed to a radioactive substance that turns him into a prehistoric sea creature from which he evolved. In order to cure him, Superman and Wonder Woman, inside the Super Mobile, are shrunk down to microscopic size and sent within the creature's veins to attempt to give it another dose of radiation in the hopes that it will reverse the effects of the radiation and return Aquaman to normal. In the meantime the rest of the Super Friends have to do whatever they can to limit the creature's destructive nature all over the city.
#3 - Forbidden Power; Pressure Point; The Lionmen; The Day of the Rats
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/19/1977
Forbidden Power: Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman must save the world from the mysterious mutants of the space sphere and its forbidden power. Pressure Point: The Wonder Twins and Gleek travel into the hot desert to cool the dangerous canyon jumping stunts of some reckless motorcyclists. The Lionmen: A spaceship controlled by mysterious Lionmen probes for minerals and starts an earth-shaking process that splits our planet into pieces. Will the Super Friends meet the challenge? The Day of the Rats: An experimental electronic device turns sewer rats mad. Can Batman, Robin and Black Vulcan save Gotham from the Day of the Rats?
#4 - Dr. Pelagian's War
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/6/1973
A marine scientist fights pollution by creating natural disasters to force three industrialists to stop polluting. The nation's three leading industrialists receive a warning from a computerized albatross: "Listen to the voice of Dr. Pelagian, you have one hour to stop pollution of the seas before the sea strikes back!" The Super Friends must get the stubborn industrialists to meet with Dr. Pelagian before his tactics endanger the country.
#5 - The Fifty Foot Woman; Cheating; Exploration: Earth; Attack of the Killer Bees
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/12/1977
The Fifty Foot Woman: A woman named Professor Amy Zhan makes a super strength potion, which turns her into a 50-foot woman. Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman must look up to the incredible femme fatale and find a way to bring this 50-foot woman back to normal size. Professor Amy Zahn tries to make Batman 50 feet tall, but is stopped when her assistant sprays her with the antidote. Cheating: The Wonder Twins and Gleek teach a lesson in honesty when a double-crossing cross-country runner has a misadventure in cheating. Exploration: Earth: A sinister space probe from planet Zeno visits Earth to capture people and objects for scientific study. Attack of the Killer Bees: Aquaman and special guest superhero Samurai use super teamwork to save an African village from the attack of the killer bees.
#6 - The Monster of Dr. Droid; Vandals; Super Friends vs Super Friends; Energy Mass
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/8/1977
The Monster of Dr. Droid: Superman and Wonder Woman go on an electrifying adventure when they meet the marauding monster of Dr. Droid. Vandals: The Wonder Twins and Gleek have a few special tricks up their sleeve when a couple of thoughtless students turn into school vandals. Super Friends vs Super Friends: The Super Friends find themselves in critical combat against each other when they become captives of Tyrannic, the ruler of the underseas world of Oceana. Energy Mass: Batman and Robin with special guest the Atom are called on to save a speeding passenger train that has been taken over by a critical energy mass.
#7 - Outlaws of Orion; Three Wishes; Scorpio
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/1981
Outlaws of Orion: When chasing a burglar in Gotham City, Batman and Robin are captured by Pack and Stardust, Bounty Hunters from Orion. Batman attempts to call for help using the Justice League beeper, but he did not realize the Bounty Hunters know help is coming and are ready to ambush them. Three Wishes: The Wonder Twins find a magic lamp, the evil Space Genie of it gives them three wishes, which lead to trouble. However with the last wish, they never used the lamp. Scorpio: Wonder Woman receives a distress call from a scientist who was working on a way to end world hunger by a substance that makes vegetables grow to huge proportions. However, the scientist also says that an earlier failed experiment on a scorpion make it grow and gave it the power of speech.
#8 - The Village of Lost Souls; The Curator
Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/27/1984
The Village of Lost Souls: Brainiac uses his star ship and his mental powers to take control of a small village. He turns people into zombie-like creatures who he enslaves to mine and work for him. Brainiac eventually takes control of the Wonder Twins who set out to capture Wonder Woman. The Curator: Remlar, a villain from another galaxy, travels the universe in search of buildings and people to put on display in an intergalactic museum. Superman, Firestorm, and Samurai must figure out a way to stop Remlar and return the historical monuments and people to their rightful place.
#9 - Rub Three Times for Disaster
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1979
Kareem Azaar is a ruthless thief on the Planet Zaghdad who has stolen the Magic Lamp of Olam, which contains the power of an evil genie. Kareem uses the Genie's power to take over the planet and banish the Sultan into the world of the Genie's lamp. When the Super Friends arrive to do battle, Superman and the Wonder Twins wind up in the lamp leaving the other heroes to take on Kareem's forces.
#10 - Battle at the Earth's Core
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/23/1978
While sailing with Captain Pierre Marcel, the Wonder Twins and Gleek get sucked in a whirlpool. After receiving a distress call from the Wonder Twins, the rest of the Super Friends search for the twins only to get pulled in the whirlpool themselves. They emerge in a Wonder Land that is below the Earth’s crust. The Super Friends must now search for the Wonder Twins and rescue them
#11 - The Demons of Exxor
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/16/1978
The Wonder Twins agree to help Exxor defeat Darkon, a conqueror who has taken over Exxor and made its inhabitants his slaves. With the Wonder Twins captured by Darkon, Batman & Robin must free the twin heroes as the other Super Friends tackle Darkon and his troopers.
#12 - The Incredible Space Circus
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 11/25/1978
A crooked space circus proprietor, Zarnum, uses a device to turn protected animals that have been illegally captured into beasts to boost attendance at his space circus. Sensing that the Super Friends are onto his scheme he uses the device to change Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the Wonder Twins into space creatures. It's up to the rest of the Super Friends to track down the elusive space circus, rescue the captive Super Friends, and bring an end to the poaching that's been taking place. NOTE: Zarnum's name is loosely based on circus legend P.T. Barnum.
#13 - The Pied Piper from Space
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/7/1978
Traveling from a distant corner of the universe, a fleet of unidentified ships head towards Earth to hypnotize all children and gather them to Monument Valley, AZ. The Super Friends start to take action after the Wonder Twins became hypnotized and a call from the Justice League trouble alert. After the Super Friends tried to stop children from entering a spaceship, a UFO arose to destroy a nearby city. Batman & Robin stayed with the children as Superman and Wonder Woman stopped the UFO and the disasters it caused only to get trapped inside the space craft as it heads to the Anti-Matter Universe. Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice, The Wonder Twins escape by using hypnotic mind control on Aquaman to release themselves. Batman & Robin arrive back at the Hall of Justice to stop a near power source over load and snap Aquaman out of a mindless slumber. The Super Friends must now rescue the cargo of children and the Wonder Twins from slavery by an evil genius on the Planet Nofan and bring them safely home to Earth.
#14 - Darkseid's Golden Trap
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/6/1984
Darkseid's Golden Trap: Part I: At an intergalactic auction, Darkseid and his crew set their eyes on gold kryptonite. It's the only chunk of gold kryptonite, which can permanently strip away all of the powers that Superman enjoys on Earth. known to be in existence. Black Vulcan, Wonder Woman, and Firestorm infiltrate the auction under disguise as ice creatures. They plan on bidding high and taking the gold kryptonite before it can fall into enemy hands, but Darkseid soon realizes their plan. Darkseid's Golden Trap: Part II: Darkseid catches onto the trick and plots an elaborate scheme to expose Superman to the gold kryptonite that he won. El Dorado, Batman, and Superman travel to the Moon of Games to confront Kalibak about which star has Darkseid imprisoned Black Vulcan, Wonder Woman, and Firestorm. El Dorado hatches a plan with the help of Batman. Darkseid shows up unexpectedly, as El Dorado had feared, and Darkseid throws the gold kryptonite at Superman... but did it work?
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#15 - The Fear
Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/28/1985
Gotham City is literally held in the grip of terror by The Scarecrow's arsenal of Fear Transmitters. Scouring Gotham in search of Scarecrow, Batman is himself paralyzed with fright when he finds himself in the middle of Crime Alley, where years earlier the parents of Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne had been murdered in cold blood. Taking advantage of the situation, Scarecrow intends to keep Batman trapped in Crime Alley forever by using a captured Robin and Wonder Woman as bait—forcing the Caped Crusader to purge himself of his lifelong fears once and for all!
#16 - Termites from Venus; Eruption; Return of Atlantis
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/25/1980
Termites from Venus: Termites come from a meteorite sent from Venus to Earth by a volcanic eruption. They start consuming the world. Superman, Batman and Robin, and Samurai defeat them, finally sending them into space. Eruption: The Wonder Twins rescue a part of reckless hang gliders who fell into a volcano. Soon after the volcano starts erupting. Jayna calls Batman and Robin, who help the Wonder Twins rescue the rest of the town and stop the lava flow. Return of Atlantis: Hundreds of miles off the East Coast of North America, a routine Trans-Atlantic trip turns into a nightmare when a ship gets caught between some jagged rocks and takes on water. Aquaman was in the area assists by using his telepathy to summon two manta rays to seal the hole as he pushes the ship out of danger. As he attempts to head back to the Hall of Justice, a larger island arises from the sea. Aquaman recognizes it as the Lost Island of Ancient Atlantis.
#17 - Revenge on Gorilla City
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 11/4/1978
Gorilla Grodd, in an attempt to take over Gorilla City (a society of super-intelligent apes) with mind-altering vapors is banished as he was before for attempting to overthrow King Solovar. He uses Brainiac's brain-wave amplifier to control anyone in a 100-mile radius and takes over Gorilla City. Solovar, king of Gorilla City, escapes and asks the Super Friends for their aid in stopping Grodd.
#18 - World Beneath the Ice
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 11/11/1978
The Super Friends must stop the plans of a conqueror named Torhana who seeks vengeance on the people of the surface world by freezing everything in his path. Torhana and his crew travel by ship, freezing oceans and continents and people...Aquaman uses his telepathy to summon sword-fish to cut him out of the ice and take him to Atlantis. Torhana and his crew appear to have the upper hand but by episode's end the Super Friends regroup and come up with a clever plan to melt all of the ice that's engulfed the planet. This is one of the few episodes in the series that features Aquaman at his usual base of operations in the comic books: the undersea city of Atlantis.
#19 - Lex Luthor Strikes Back
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/1979
Lex Luthor uses a projector ray (reverse camera) to disguise himself and his assistant Orville Gump as SuperFriends in an elaborate plot to destroy them. Luthor aligns himself with evil fire demons who originate from the sun. They aid Luthor in capturing the Superfriends and placing them in death traps. The demons then change the color of the sun from yellow to red which cause Superman's powers to vanish. However, the sun demons double-cross Luthor and he has no choice but to free the Superfriends in an effort to save himself and Earth (so he can continue to take it over, of course!). Superman uses the Super-Mobile to chase the fire demons back into the sun...which causes the sun to return to its natural color...which restores Superman's powers. Luthor and his assistant are sent back to prison. NOTE: Orville Gump is based on Otis, the character played by Ned Beatty in the 1978 Superman movie.
#20 - Monolith of Evil
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/14/1978
Solomon Grundy convinces the Legion of Doom to find a "Monolith of Evil" which gave him his powers. But when four of the Legion's members can't retrieve it, The Riddler tricks the Super Friends into fetching it for them. However, Riddler is in for a surprise when the Super Friends learn the truth of the Monolith's powers and use it to put The Riddler and the rest of the Legion of Doom in their place - as the Monolith itself is not inherently evil, but acts upon the thoughts (evil or good) of whoever controls it.
#21 - The Killer Machines; Garden of Doom; Revenge of Bizarro
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/1/1980
The Killer Machines: The IBN computer research facility creates Romac, the most advanced computer the world has ever known. When tested, Romac turns on his IBN creators and tries to destroy the Super Friends by turning the Justice League Computer and the Supermobile against them. Batman, Robin, and Black Vulcan have to shut Romac down before he can do any more damage. Garden of Doom: A scientific experiment accidentally turns plants into monsters. Revenge of Bizarro: Bizarro takes revenge on the JLA by turning the members into his "Super Bizarro slaves" and exposing Superman to red kryptonite. The red kryptonite's horrible effects cause Superman to grow extra arms and legs. Now Superman's only chance to stop Bizarro and return to normal is blue kryptonite, which affects only Bizarros adversely.
#22 - Yuna the Terrible; Rock & Roll Space Bandits; Elevator to Nowhere
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/27/1980
Yuna the Terrible: A group of archaeologists accidentally releases Yuna the Terrible and her barbarian warriors. Batman and Robin responds to a distress call but get captured by Yuna's warriors. Wonder Woman and Apache Chief respond to the Batman's distress call. Rock & Roll Space Bandits: A group of Rock and Roll Space Bandits paralyze the Super Friends and invade a major city on Earth using their hypnotic music. The Wonder Twins come to the rescue, but get hypnotized. Wonder Woman helps the rest of the Super Friends get free and they rush off to stop the musical menaces. Batman uses a device to stop the sound waves. Elevator to Nowhere: Streaking in the Invisible Jet, Wonder Woman and the Atom answer a distress call on the emergency scanner from a Dr. Wells. Wells' call was actually a trap to get Wonder Woman and the Atom to test out his new time machine.
#23 - Journey into Blackness; Cycle Gang; Dive to Disaster
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/20/1980
Journey into Blackness: While monitoring the galaxy from his impenetrable Fortress of Solitude, Superman notices a black hole that is going to suck up the Earth. Superman attempts to stop it, but gets himself pulled into the black hole. Cycle Gang: The Highway Angels, a motorcycle gang, start tormenting a senior citizen and his grandson. When the Wonder Twins try to help they have a hard time dealing with the cycle gang and the danger at hand. Wonder Woman sees the twins and gives them assistance. Dive to Disaster: Several miles off the coast of Hawaii, a routine Navy mission becomes a nightmare when a submarine's controls short circuits and the nuclear reactor starts to overload. Black Vulcan and Aquaman try to help, but are attacked by nuclear mutated sea creatures.
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#24 - Return of the Phantoms; Bully for You; Superclones
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/8/1983
Return of the Phantoms: The three Phantom Zone villains: Logar, Hol, and Romlok are freed by an alien who doesn't realize they are criminals. In this episode they force the alien to travel back in time with them in an attempt to alter Superboy's life—hoping that he will never grow up to become Superman. Meanwhile, in the future, Superman and Green Lantern learn of the plot from the alien and travel back in time to save Superman's own past and capture the Phantom Zone villains. Bully for You: Teen angst and bullying are spotlighted at the start of this episode. In the meantime, after a daring mission on a skyscraper, Batman loses his utility belt. The boy who was being bullied finds the belt and seeks revenge. Unfortunately, the boy doesn't know what all power that the belt contains and he accidentally switches on a high frequency signal that leads to Earth shaking effects and building destruction. After obtaining living cells from Aquaman and El Dorado's skin, Brainiac creates clones
#25 - Fairy Tale of Doom
Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired 12/2/1978
Toyman develops a device that can project anyone into the pages of a storybook. He forces Hawkman to chase him into Jack and the Beanstalk, Cheetah forces Wonder Woman to chase her into Alice in Wonderland and Brainiac forces Superman to chase him into Gulliver's Travels and the three villains trap the three Super Friends in the three treacherous fairy tales.