Once more, we return to the world of the television screen for coverage for today's blog. (I'll give you a teaser about tomorrow's entry; it DOES deal with a comics subject, but of a decidedly independent nature! Horizons... EXPANDED.) But today is not so far-removed from the comics as I may portray it to be; indeed, for if you were a child like myself, growing up in the early 1980's, this show was ANOTHER important building block for your appreciation for comic book characters. You see, I've already dipped somewhat into the well of the Distinguished Competition's "Super Friends" run, but what about the other big company? What did the House of Ideas have to offer for us pre-double digit aged youths up at INSANE hours on a Saturday morning, looking for sugary cereals and a five hour animated assault on the senses? (Ironic the twists that life takes, because due to my girlfriend's work schedule, I am STILL indirectly waking up at insane hours on a Saturday morning. Only my fixations to awaken myself include a less sugar-smacked cereal alternative, caffeinated Crystal Light mixes, and either some comics or a junk-food Action movie. ... I'm 30-something, RIGHT?)
"Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" debuted for the fall season of 1981 on NBC. According to my research, it was to be Marvel Animation's answer to the success ABC saw with "Super Friends", and this series followed in the wake of a solo Spider-Man animated series. In comparison, I believe "Amazing Friends" enjoyed a more fruitful life than Peter Parker's adventures with himself, for the series lasted three seasons in contrast to "Spider-Man's" single season. Later in it's broadcasting life, "Amazing Friends" would be teamed with "The Incredible Hulk" for an HOUR OF MARVEL POWER for Saturday mornings. (At this point, I COMMAND you to search Youtube for the opening of the "Hulk" animated series. It will put hair on your chest, and make you wanna SMASH something!) So who comprises the membership of said "Amazing Friends"? We'll discuss the direct membership, but also include two of the tertiary members!
- Spider-Man: Peter Parker, New York's friendly-neighborhood wall crawler. If I have to explain the specifics of Spider-Man, you must have been insulated from ANY comic-media exposure in your life.
- Iceman- Bobby Drake, formerly of the X-Men, decided to hang out with Peter Parker for this series run. (It would've been AWESOME if the series had recognized his run in "The Champions", though...) His mutant ability involves the transformation of his body into an icy anatomy, and allows him to access ice-based projectiles and aerial slides to travel upon. (His method of transformation, though, which involved encasing himself in a GIGANTIC ice cube to break free, exposed as Iceman... A bit on the "non-covert" side...)
- Firestar: Angelica "Jinx" Jones... and you get a HUGE gold star if you recognize that reference... was insinuated by this series to be a former X-Man as well. The only issue with that in our proper Marvel continuity was that she NEVER existed before this cartoon debuted! Anyways, she had microwave-based heat powers, which allowed control of thermal drafts to fly, and heat projectiles from her hands. (Fun fact: Her character was SUPPOSED to be filled in by Johnny Storm AKA Human Torch, but there were rights-issues with the character at the time, so a "Firestar Was Born". ... Yes, ANOTHER gold star if you recognize that reference...)
- "Aunt" May Parker: Caretaker to Peter Parker, home and boarder to the other Spider-Friends, "comedic relief", and at my insistence, STILL the most sinister villain in Spidey's foe gallery.
- Ms. Lion: Funny how that the shared CANINE companion of the group was more useful than Aunt May. Ms. Lion was a Pekingese by species, and very vocal and bold!
It wasn't just the team aspect to Spider-Man's usual adventures, and rivalries, that made the show so exciting. (And believe me, MANY familiar foe faces showed up in the series. Such as the Green Goblin, Shocker, Electro, the Beetle, and Sandman.) But this series was ALSO a gateway to various guest spots, cameos, and even INTRODUCTIONS to characters to the Marvel Universe! Here's a few examples of some highlights.
One key episode featured a prison-break scheme by Magneto to free his mutant compatriots, the Blob, Toad, and Mastermind. As if THAT wasn't enough "expanded universe" for you, for a prison "highlight reel" showcasing the Evil Mutants' abilities, Mastermind's mutant power of conjuring vivid image facsimiles gave us SIDE CAMEOS of Mephisto, Ghost Rider, Psy-Klops, and Annihilus! How Jason Wynngard EVER encountered these beings of supernatural and galactic nature to copy their likenesses so exactly is a mystery for the ages, but c'mon... Five Marvel cameos in ONE brief sequence? How can you dislike that?
We'll discuss more about Marvel's Merry Mutants in detail for a moment, but it wasn't just Professor Xavier's direct crew that received media attention. A "honorary" member of the X-Men also received his own feature episode, with Sunfire first hindering... then ASSISTING... the Spider-Friends, when his computer magnate uncle happens upon technology that can assist his development project of Robot-Samurais to conquer the world. And we get a hint of "Flame Attracting Flame" with a brief flirtation between Sunfire and Firestar. (Can you BLAME Sunfire, though?!? I cannot say it enough; comic book redheads are my JAM!)
World domineering villains, such as Doctor Doom, even figured into the Spider-Friends' adventures. One key episode I remember involved Doctor Doom's attempt to involve a mystic ritual with a fractured artifact, to gain reality-mastery powers. The Spider-Friends foil his attempt, and Doom's satellite dish to collect the mystic energies were misdirected to the lovable loser, Mr. Frump. Mr. Frump has had a bad day to end all bad days, but when he figures the worst has already happened with him being randomly zapped by cosmic rays, things start getting BETTER when his wishes start coming true. And Mr. Frump begins to let his reality-controlling abilities get to his head, and it also doesn't help that Doctor Doom... covetous of his powers... starts manipulating Mr. Frump to serve out HIS wishes against those "villainous" Spider-Friends. (I guess this episode's lesson means I have to start standing in front of satellite dishes during thunderstorms, and hope one of those bolts that are attracted to the dish receptor grants me cosmic powers to start shifting reality to MY pleasant ideals, instead of turning me into a pile of burnt ashes...)
It wasn't just villains that received the special treatment. Sure, I could harp on appearances from other dark denizens like Dracula, the Red Skull, and Loki, but the series ALSO featured many heroic guest spots. The repeat "offender" of the defender bunch had to be the X-Men. Two altered iterations of the team appeared for two separate episodes. Easily the constants of the transitions were Charles Xavier and Cyclops. After that point, the membership would shift. For the episode featuring a battle against the Juggernaut... which also served as the origin story of Firestar... the team comprised of Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, and an Aussie-accented Wolverine. (Again... a CANADIAN citizen speaking Aussie slang... Why. Not?) The secondary episode featured a battle against a former flame of Firestar that was transformed into a cyborg from a space mission gone wrong. Our team being featured for THIS go-around were Xavier, Cyclops, Colossus, Kitty Pryde (Sprite), and Thunderbird. YES, THAT THUNDERBIRD. The one that only appeared in the introduction of the new X-Men in "Giant Sized X-Men #1", then "X-Men #94-95", before an untimely demise. Not bad for a character that only lived for three comic issues to show up in a FULL LENGTH cartoon episode!
Solo appearances with characters like Captain America, Thor, and an AWFUL costumed version of the Black Knight added to the Marvel Universe mystique. But one key episode that needs to be seen is "Seven Little Superheroes". It's not enough that you have a superheroic take on the famous Agatha Christie "Eight Little Indians" story. The episode LIVES up to the numbering with some TRULY inspired guest appearances. Sure, we have a bit of a "cheat" with the Spider-Friends being three of the seven, but the gap fillers were truly inspired. Okay... Captain America has certified name credit, Namor and Dr. Strange may not be AS well-known, but they're not slouches for someone who's familiar with the Marvel Universe. But only this series includes a guest appearance by Shanna the She-Devil! I think she's largely forgotten in about ANY period of Marvel Comics proper history! But she experienced immortality in animation! Only by the wicked schemes of the Chameleon, and the ingenuity of the series' creators allowed Shanna to exist in an adventure with the Spider-Friends!
Now let's discuss two particular new faces to the animated Marvel Universe of this time!
Welcome to the 1980's, where arcades were HUGE! And if you hadn't seen "Tron" to verify that knowledge, you just only needed to see one of THREE appearances by Video-Man in "Amazing Friends" to rest secure in your knowledge. His first two appearances were villainous in nature, and he existed solely as a sinister video game character summoned to life... well, the first time made sense in that he was a tool of Electro's plans, but the second time I STILL scratch my head about. However, his third appearance involved Video-Man finding a human avatar in Francis Byte, and a change in attitudes, since he now wants to train to become a SUPERHERO! Video-Man's powers are generally associated with travelling electric currents and conduits, energy projectiles, and the ability to take living people, and transport them into video games designed to "kill" them. (Nothing beats watching Flash Thompson trying to stay alive under the assault of a round of "Pong"!)
Admittedly a former Nazi scientist that had to be devoured by bees to have them incorporated into his being and control as... and let me say this correctly... ZZZZZWWWWAAAARRRMMMM... was a bit grim for the animated universe. (Again, if they referred to "The Champions" in "Amazing Friends", issue 14 of that series could've been at least nodded to!) But alien energized bees that can zap people with "drone" control rays is pretty acceptable. This is a case where the character of Swarm DID exist in the comics, but this may have been the first time ANY budding comic book fan was exposed to just how threatening a humanoid mass of stinging insects, that by proxy could transform you into a zombified bee-servant, COULD BE!
The shame about this series is that, unless you are in possession of a region-free DVD player, or live in the UK, the Region 2 DVD set is your only physical option. BUT just because you live in the States does NOT mean you're left without luck! All three seasons are still, as of current date, available on Netflix Instant! But if you want to be a comic book "purist", you still have some "Amazing Friends" outlets. In 1981, there was a four-issue "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends" mini-series launched. And patience paid off for Angelica Jones in 1985, when she was FINALLY introduced to the Marvel Universe proper in "Uncanny X-Men #193", as an initial member of the White Queen's Hellions. (This issue was also notable in that it introduced the younger brother of Thunderbird as the successor to the title!) Firestar would go on to become a founding member of the New Warriors, and even have a lengthy stretch in the "Heroes Return" era of the Avengers! And the Spider-Friends reunited for the "Ultimate Spider-Man" universe setting! So as long as fondness exists for the team that Ms. Lion solidified, their legacy shall march on proudly!
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