This episode should have been called Superteur because Superman was the one doing the sabotage after Clark and Lois had been captured in Japan.
Best Part: Superman pulled a Destroyer underwater by its anchor. He went on to wreak all kinds of havoc on the Japanese fleet. You don't want to be on this guy's bad side.
Worst Part: Guerrilla warfare Superman and real world politics are not the best mix. This is bleak stuff that makes me sad. Perhaps it was a partial inspiration for the Elseworld: Superman Red Son.
----- Episode Count: 0012 Series Count: (12 of 17)
Recommended For: 5 year olds and those holding out for a Sky High sequel.
Heroes: The new team Zenith composed of Zoom, Houdini, Wonder, Mega Boy, and Princess
Villains: Former Zenith member gone wrong Concussion
Diabolical Scheme: Concussion didn't really have a plan, but the military was really afraid of his random sonic blasts.
Coolest Moment(s): ... Um, I guess the final fight sequence. Not really "cool" but it was pretty much the only real action.
Worst Moment: Anything involving Mega Boy's powers which could also have been explained as, "he can turn into a super fat cartoon." The worst offense was his pool emptying mega butt cannonball.
Opening Weekend: $4,510,408
Total Domestic Box Office: $11,989,328
Review in 50 Words or Less: Aside from terrible acting, cheap effects, and a slow plot, the slapstick humor and relatable kids would probably appeal to that under 8 crowd. I almost want to defend the movie as long as it isn't intended for adults, at least its harmless. Plus, I liked the music.
“Faster than a streak of lightning, more powerful than the pounding surf, mightier than a roaring hurricane, this amazing stranger from the planet Krypton, The Man of Steel, Superman.” New intro eh? As it turns out Superman was now being compared to forces of nature rather than man made elements to up his threat level. I like that... "Threat Level - Superman!" That would make bad guys quake.
On to the plot. Why is Superman being so mean, oh wait! That’s not Superman! Oh its an impostor, of course. The real Superman must clear his name.
Best Part: Anticipating the bad guy making the realization that he was staring at the real Superman brought a smile to my face.
Worst Part: Superman struggled way too hard to get out of the bad guy's traps. One was just a Jabba style trap door with a desk on it. C’mon Superman, I could lift that desk. And didn't you just catch an airplane?
----- Episode Count: 0011 Series Count: (11 of 17) Doppelganger Count: 0001
Thanks to TV Guide, we have been given our first look at Catwoman who will have her own short on the upcoming animated Batman: Year One feature, presumably the last short in the DC Showcase line. This time around, the feline felon will be voiced by everyone's favorite doll Echo AKA Eliza Dushku. Catwoman will also appear in the main feature but may have a look that is more in line with the Year One design than this more modern take on the character. TV guide describes the short as follows:
The Buffy and Dollhouse alum provides the sultry voice for Catwoman in the animated DVD-movie Batman: Year One and as an added bonus will headline a short film included as a DVD extra. In Catwoman, the femme fatale tangles with crime boss Rough Cut (a brand-new character created for this short, voiced by Futurama's John DiMaggio) in a breathless and brutal 15-minute chase through Gotham City tracking down a mysterious cargo shipment.
We also learn the release date of the movie and short, October 18. Forgive the pun, but I think she looks purrfect.
What started a promising franchise in 1990 quickly went downhill. By the time Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 came, the Turtles were time travelers, and instead of turtles they looked more like frogs with shells. The film was still a hit, but not to the level of the first 2. It would be 14 years before the animated follow-up TMNT.
Meteor Man
I wont say much about the parody Meteor Man, but at least it made more than its copycat Blankman, which is sad since it only earned $8 million. Anyways, if I were writing an SAT question of "Blankman:Batman as Meteor Man: ?" the answer would be Superman. Among other powers, he had:
* Absorbing book content by touch
* Superhuman Strength
* Flight
* Laser Vision
* X-ray Vision
* Freezing Breath
* Healing Factor
* Imbue Fertility
* Telekinesis
* Animal Communication
* Superhuman Speed
That's one tough dude. He didn't get a sequel, but did get a Marvel comic mini series.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Opening on Christmas 1993 was what many consider the best Batman movie - though since Batman Begins, the proponents have quieted down a bit. Made by the team that brought us the classic Batman: The Animated Series, this movie explored the origins of Batman in a way that had previously been skipped over. This was easily the year's high point as far as superheroes on screen are considered.
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993 also saw the premier of the 4 season running Lois and Clark. The show built up a good following by focusing more on the romance between the titular characters, but in season 3, when trying to drag out the tension that made the show popular, they really "nuked the fridge." After 60 years, Superman and Lois finally got married... but it wasn't really Lois, it was a frog eating clone. This twist sent viewers scrambling and the show never recovered. Even a real wedding couldn't save the show which got quite silly before ending on a cliffhanger in 1997.
...and thus ended 1993 in the era of ponchos and Nirvana.
The last of the 4 Marvel Anime series, Blade, is almost upon us even though the first three (Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men) still haven't quite arrived. I am not a huge Blade fan. I admit that I actually haven't even seen any of the Blade movies. What I know about him is from his appearance in the 90's Spider-Man series. Still, I am happy that at least so far this doesn't look like Twilight.
The intro was revised slightly in this episode. Superman was still, "faster than a speeding bullet" and "more powerful than a locomotive." But he was also, "able to soar higher than any plane." This was the first of the Famous Studio productions which saw a transition from Superman battling sci-fi elements to Superman starring in war propaganda. In this episode, Japanese saboteurs (dubbed "Japoteurs") stole a bomber but were thwarted by Supes and a stowaway Lois.
Best Part: Superman flew! No more sissy hops AND he caught a falling airplane!
Worst Part: Maybe it was a product of the times, but today the portrayal of the Japanese saboteurs is uncomfortable.
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Episode Count: 0010
Series Count: (10 of 17)
And just like that, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is on the board. After Independence Day, the domestic total sits at $181 million, already ahead of the Mighty Thor. The Trany's worldwide total still lags the thunder god's for the time being sitting at a pretty $391 million with lots of gas yet in the tank. Perhaps I should remove Transformers from this superhero race, since its going to rally skew the comparison of the other heroes.
I am having a hard time spinning Green Lantern's performance which has really tanked. At least it passed the $100 million mark and at least it passed The Green Hornet. Not a huge accomplishment granted, but at this point you have to take the small victories. I am not sure what is going on with the worldwide market, but hopefully some progress is made on that front to lessen the disaster.
The X-Men and Thor both continue to plod forward hoping to catch a few extra bucks before the First Avenger arrives in 2 more weeks.
Over the years, Superman has had quite a few run ins with monkeys (or apes as the case may be) This was his first! In fact he took on a whole circus worth of animals after an enraged gorilla got loose.
Best Part: Watching Superman put a panther in a full nelson was pretty awesome.
Worst Part: With a name like Gigantic, the gorilla wasn’t really that big. Actually he was at first, but when Superman fought him he seemed to have shrunk. I am not too concerned, over the years I know for a fact Superman will face larger simian species.
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Episode Count: 0009
Series Count: (9 of 17)
Giant Monkey Count: 0001
Although Captain America: The First Avenger is set to position the Cap within the big screen Marvel movie universe, this will not be Captain America's first tour of duty. First appearing in 1941's Captain America Comics #1, Steve Rogers AKA Captain America is one of Marvel's oldest superheroes with a history of popping up onscreen throughout his 70 years.
The patriotic pummeler made his onscreen premier in the 1944 Captain America movie serials, though sadly he appeared without his now iconic shield.
In all the highly regarded 15-chapter serial had to hold fans of Cap over for more than 20 years until his next appearance.
In 1966, Captain America got his own night each week as part of The Marvel Super Heroes which adapted various Marvel storied directly from the comics.
In addition to giving Cap's mighty shield some screen time, the Captain America segments also provided a platform for the onscreen introduction of The Avengers.
In 1979, Captain America appeared in a made for TV movie which seemed a bit reactionary to the success of the live action Wonder Woman series. Although he was called Captain America, Steve Rogers was the son of a WWII agent who was nicknamed Captain America. He underwent a similar treatment of super soldier serum, and was recruited as a modern day agent with a tricked out motorcycle. His shield was in fact also the windshield on his bike.
Cap scored a follow-up TV movie in 1979 with Captain America II: Death Too Soon with a slightly more traditional costume... There was no Captain America III.
In 1981, Captain America returned to animation, spicing up the solo Spider-Man series episode, The Capture of Captain America along with nemesis Red Skull.
Cap also joined Spidey in several episodes of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
The super soldier even inspired a little hero worship from Iceman at the Spidey and Friends costume ball (at which Spidey went as Spidey).
In 1985, Captain America did his duty by starring in a public service announcement warning against energy wasters the Thermal Thief, the Wattage Waster and the Cold Air Crook.
In 1990, Captain America did not return to the big screen. Although movie was made, it was not released theatrically in the US due to its poor production value. Even though the Red Skull was Italian, at least this Captain America was an actual WWII soldier. The movie was eventually found on home release.
An extended directors cut was planned to coincide with the 2011 live action Captain America: The First Avenger movie. Ironically, making the movie shorter, not longer, may have been the better improvement.
Captain America made the rounds during Marvel animations heyday in the 90's, first appearing in the 1992 X-Men series along with Wolverine in a WWII flashback episode, Old Soldiers.
An alternate version of Cap and his Avengers appeared in the episode One Man's Worth which depicted a modern day in a world without Professor X.
Cap also threw his shield in a few episodes of the 1994 Spider-Man animated series including one of the series final stories arcs retelling the Secret Wars.
The less said about 1999's The Avengers: United They Stand series the better, but even though Captain America was prominently featured in the title credits, he only appeared in a single episode, Command Decision with the C-string Avengers.
Although Marvel rolled out many of their heroes including the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Spidey, and Hulk, a Captain America series never moved beyond the planning stages.
Nevertheless, a promo for a Captain America series was produced in which Steve Rogers was a cover name for US Army soldier Tommy Tompkins.
In 2000, the X-Men: Evolution revisited the story of Wolverine and Captain America teaming up in the good ol' World War 2 days in Operation Rebirth in which the two combined efforts to save a young Magneto.
In 2006, Captain America got a real spotlight in the Ultimate Avengers movie which began during the second World War.
The movie continued to follow Captain America through his modern day thawing and a showdown with an engaged and inedible Hulk.
Captain America returned with his teammates later in 2006 in Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther.
Although Captain America was only briefly mentioned in 2008's Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, James Rogers, love child of Captain America and Black Widow is one of the film's primary kid heroes.
James had a force field version of Captain America's iconic shield.
In addition, the heroes ended up facing off against the Iron Avengers including a robotic Captain America.
Marvel Studio's first three live-action films contained Captain America Easter Eggs. In 2008's Iron Man Captain America's shield can be glanced on a table in Tony Stark's workshop.
In an even better hidden "egg" in a deleted scene of 2008's The Incredible Hulk, eagle eyes can spot Captain America frozen in a glacier along with his shield.
Finally, in 2010's Iron Man 2, a proto Captain America made a slightly more visible cameo once again in Tony Stark's workshop.
Captain America has also appeared in The Super Hero Squad Show in which he has been depicted as a leader who rambles about the 30s and 40s Grandpa Simpson style.
Most recently, Captain America has joined The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes as a key team member.
The super soldier will next appear in Captain America: The First Avenger hopefully giving the hero some much deserved live-action dignity.
