16 December 2011

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - The Return of Nepto

Even though the episode is titled the Return of Nepto, don't worry about continuity issues. This isn't like the Return of Brainiac SNAFU where episodes aired out of order. This is Nepto's one and only appearance and his return is a plot element, not referencing a previous onscreen appearance.

 
The episode opened with Aquaman and Lad seeking shelter from an underwater lightning storm... Is that even possible? Anyways, they stumbled upon a cave full of sleeping Viking giants. One of them was Nepto, a legendary tyrant. I guess Nepto had been trapped in the cave and then took a really long nap until Aquaman disturbed him. The episode gave the super pet Tusky quite a bit of screen time, but in the end he had to recruit an octopus to help him. Anyways, Aquaman's fish army proved more than a match for the sleepy giants.

So back to Tusky. I am not sure I find him as endearing as Krypto. For one thing, the Superdog was a lot brighter. Tusky seems to have Scooby-Doo level intelligence. For another thing, he doesn't seem that capable. At least he tried to help, but in the end, all he could so was serve as a messenger to real help. What's the point?

Interestingly, a decade later when Filmation produced a set of superhero knock-off series for the Tarzan and the Super 7 animation Block (including Superstretch and Microwoman as well as Web-Woman) the Manta and Moray take on Aquaman also included a lovable superpet sea lion named Whiskers. I guess the kids really liked aquatic mammalian helpers and heaven knows every superhero needs a sidekick AND a pet.

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Episode Count: 0113
Series Count: (03 of 36)

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