Starting a new Legion-adjacent retrospective, running parallel to the regular one, where I’ll be looking at the various adaptations of the Legion in different media.
This will probably be more infrequent than the other retrospectives, since anything live action or animated takes longer to review than comics.
And I have to work around not playing videos, so please consider there will be a few growing pains.
Also: as of now I don’t plan to cover the appearances on Young Justice (as the series is not over yet) and the Supergirl TV show (way too many appearances of Legion characters but almost no complete Legion). Although I will probably cover them at SOME point, they’re very very low in my priorities.
But where to start? I don’t think it makes much sense to cover Superboy… he already had a live action TV pilot in 1969 and 34 episodes of an animated series in 1966… but nothing from the Legion shows up there.
But while technically speaking the very first adaptation of the Legion of Super-Heroes in another media doesn’t happen until 1998… there’s an exception for one of their villains.
Even if the world would probably be better off forgetting it.
Legends Of The Superheroes (1979)
Network: NBC
Producer: Hanna-Barbera
Directed by: Bill Carruthers & Chris Darley
Original release: January 18th (Episode 1) / January 25th (Episode 2)
Running time: 60 minutes (each)
Air time: 8 PM
This was a television special airing on NBC and somewhat based on both the Super Friends animated series and the Batman TV series… and it’s a comedy variety shows, of all things.
Finding clips of this one was NOT easy. Warner Home Video released the special in a DVD in 2010 but good luck finding it!
So I’m having to rely on various clips I was able to find.
The first special is called “The Challenge” and stars the Justice League, with an interesting choice for its formation: Batman, Robin, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Huntress and Black Canary.
Most surprising is Huntress: since this is 1979, that’s the daughter of Earth-2 Batman.
It’s also notable that Adam West and Burt Ward reprise their roles of Batman and Robin from the TV series. Not only that, but this should be the last time they’re on screen together playing these characters.
With the exception of the dynamic duo and Captain Marvel (who had his first live action in 1941), this is the very first live action version of all other heroes.
Hawkman at least has the muscles of a superhero, but instead of the power of flight he has the ability to see out of that helmet.
The Atom shows up in the second episode only.
We also have a surprising variety of villains.
Solomon Grundy, Sinestro, Dr. Sivana, the Riddler (with Frank Gorshin reprising the role from the Batman series), Giganta (played by Aleshia Brevard, one of the earliest transgender actresses) and Weather Wizard.
Plus the whole reason why I’m reviewing this stuff.
Yes we have none other than freaking Mordru, played by Gabriel Dell, taking center stage!!!
His last comic book appearance prior to the special must have been Superboy and the LSH #245, published in August 1978 with a cover date of November.
(also: I’m using this style to add subtitles when the original doesn’t have them)
He doesn’t exactly command a lot of respect from the others until he blows the entire special effects budget.
Oh who am I kidding, this thing doesn’t HAVE a budget.
It’s already hard to take him seriously with that look, but this special also has a laugh track.
Which plays immediately after he demonstrates his powers.
I also don’t know if the actor is attempting some sort of accent or if he’s trying to be funny, by overpronouncing some words.
The villains then do a roll call and explain the framing device: there’s a doomsday weapon set to destroy the world in an hour, killing everyone except the villains, and for no reason they leave clues to the heroes in order to stop it.
I think the audience would’ve been better off if the doomsday weapon detonated.
Especially since, once we cut to the heroes headquarters, they’re honoring the retirement of Scarlet Cyclone (played by William Schallert), who is also changing his codename into Retired Man.
Yes.
This is stupid.
Then the heroes look for the clues left by the villains.
I should point out that these are, again, ACTUAL QUOTES FROM THE SHOW.
That’s just an excuse for several unfunny vignettes like Batman and Robin at an used car lot, the Riddler posing as Captain Marvel’s psychiatrist, Green Lantern being tricked by Sinestro disguised as a fortune teller, Hawkman and Black Canary being captured by Solomon Grundy, and more idiocy.
Black Canary and Huntress don’t seem to be doing much and are basically here just for the fanservice.
To be fair to the special, I haven’t been able to see these sketches in their entirety, just snippets and summaries. I still doubt they were ever funny.
Unlike MORDRU ON A JET SKI.
Which is probably the funniest thing ever on television.
I want to know the backstory to that skit SO badly.
Episode 2, titled “The Roast” is a comedy roast of the superheroes hosted by Ed McMahon of all people.
It features hilarious bits like Hawkman being visited by his mother (played by Pat Carroll).
Her first joke doesn’t even work: do Flash and Green Lantern look like they’re in their underwear???
Not that the rest of her material is any better.
Most infamously, this episode features the worst aged superhero ever… Ghetto Man.
We don’t talk about Ghetto Man.
Then there’s an interview with Atom and Giganta, who are a couple for no reason.
But most importantly for this review, we also have Mordru making another appearance.
I feel like his actor is the only one on set who is actually TRYING.
After which… MORDRU SINGS!!! Unfortunately I couldn’t find any decent transcript and the audio I found is atrocious so I can’t follow the lyrics, but it’s a cover of “That’s entertainment”.
After which he thrashes the headquarters.
He concludes the song by returning back into the screen…
…where he gets a pie in the face.
There’s a metaphor somewhere.
But also everyone is fine, Ed McMahon gives a speech quoting Ghetto Man and leaves.
Historical significance: 0/10
Well it provides the lowest possible bar for a superhero adaptation, does that count?
Does any of this show up in regular continuity?
Mordru does get through a period where he thoroughly sucks. Maybe he should’ve tried getting a jet ski.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
You probably expected a higher score, but this is TOO STUPID FOR THE SILVER AGE.
Does it stand the test of time? Ghetto / WTF
It’s entirely possible something is getting lost in the translation, but I found this whole thing aggressively unfunny.
Atom and Giganta are hardly together “for no reason”, obviously the show intended to make comedy of a guy who gets small being together with a girl who gets large. Funny that they mined the Legion for Mordru, but didn’t think of pulling in Shrinking Violet and Colossal Boy for that concept.
Both Captain Marvel and Batman and Robin had movie serials in the 1940s (Batman’s in 1943) and of course Batman also had the 1966 live-action series, but Captain Marvel famously also had his own live-action TV series, in 1974-1977. It was paired with the Isis show (starring JoAnna Cameron) and the two series guest-starred each other’s protagonist a few times.
Of course, it was named “Shazam!” for the same reasons why the DC comics of the 1970s also used that name instead of “Captain Marvel”.