The Challenge (Legends of the Superheroes)
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- This article is about the Legends of the Superheroes episode. For other uses, see The Challenge.
| The Challenge | |
|---|---|
| File:.png | |
| Network | NBC |
| Premiere date | January 18, 1979 |
| Run time | 48:46 |
| Starring | Adam West Burt Ward Garrett Craig Howard Murphy Bill Nuckols Barbara Joyce Rod Haase Danuta Gabe Dell Frank Gorshin Charlie Callas Mickey Morton Jeff Altman Howard Morris A'leshia Brevard William Schallert Gary Owens Marsha Warfield |
| Music composed by | Fred Werner |
| Writer(s) | Mike Marmer Peter Gallay |
| Director(s) | Bill Carruthers Chris Darley |
| Episode navigation | |
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| Title card | |
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"The Challenge" is the first episode of the Legends of the Superheroes specials. It aired on January 18, 1979 on NBC. It was written by Mike Marmer and Peter Gallay, produced by Carruthers, and directed by Carruthers and Chris Darley.
The Legion of Doom gives the Superheroes 50 minutes to stop their Doomsday Machine from detonating all life by leaving them a trail of riddles for them to follow.
Detailed summary
Memorable quotes
Batman: Superheroes, disperse!
Green Lantern: In brightest day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lanter's light.
Characters
In order of appearance: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Organizations
Locations
- Earth
- United States
- Hall of Heroes
- Hidden Island Lake
- Gas station
- Calabasas Automotive
- Sagebrush Cantina
- Honest Al's
- Pasadena (mentioned)
- Michigan (mentioned)
- Arizona (mentioned)
- Italy (indirectly mentioned)
- Rome (mentioned)
- United States
Objects
- Green Lantern's power ring
- Sinestro's power ring
- Weather Wizard's wand
- Doomsday Machine
- Message Center
- Depowering lemonade
Vehicles
- Batmobile
- Black Canary's motorcycle
- Batman's motorcycle
- Batman's jetski
- Robin's jetski
- Mordru's jetski
Production
Development
Additional material was written by Mort Greene and Ken Harris.
Filming
It was copyrighted in 1978.
Music
The music was composed by Fred Werner.
Crew credits
- Associate producer: Joel Stein
- Casting director: Lee Guardino
- Art directors: Ed Flesh, Roger Speakman
- Costume designer: Warden Neil
- Stunt coordinator: Buddy Joe Hooker
- Production manager: Barry J. Koeb
- Associate director: Barbara Roche
- Production coordinator: Pamela Ryan
- Talent coordinator: Judi Schecter
- Production assistant: Samuel J. Baum
- Stage managers: Arlando Smith, Kevin McDonough, Jennifer Cobb, Ed Duzik
- Technical directors: John B. Field, Bob Kemp
- Lighting consultant: Red McKinnon
- Lighting director: Marc Palius
- Director of photography: Greg Brunton
- Video technicians: John Palacio, Victor Bagdadi
- Audio technicians: Larry Stevens, Ron Cronkhite
- Videotape editors: Harvey W. Berger, Andy Shubert
- Cameramen: Jim Balden, Ron Brooks, Jack Denton, Dave Hilmer, Bob Keys, Bill Philbin, Ron Sheldon
- Special character make-up artist: Jack Young
- Make-up artist: Rudy Horvatich
- Animated effects: Image West, Limited
- Remote videotape facilities: Compact Video Systems
- Consultant: Sol Harrison
- Executive producer: Joseph Barbera
- Executive in charge of production: Louis M. "Deke" Heyward
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: January 25, 1979 at 8:00 pm on NBC
Behind the scenes
- Adam West, Burt Ward, and Frank Gershin reprise their roles of Batman, Robin, and the Riddler, respectively, from the 1960s Batman TV series.
- Although this special's hero team is based on the Super Friends from the Super Friends cartoon, the good team is called the Superheroes instead.
- The Hall of Justice has also been renamed the Hall of Heroes.
- Likewise, the Legion of Doom aren't referred to by name, and their base the Hall of Doom is referred is under Hidden Island Lake, instead of in a swamp.
- I hope that the woman in the booth asked for a collect call since she is talking throughout most of the special.
- Sinestro, disguised as a fortune teller, mentions the Lone Ranger and his sidekick, Tonto.
- Robin is still a teenager, despite the fact Burt Ward who plays him was 33 at the time.
- You can tell Ward has been replaced with a stunt double on the sidecar because his stunt double is wearing a wig.
- Black Canary punched Giganta, maybe because Giganta was herself a woman, or standards and practices had changed since the Batman TV show, where Batgirl could only kick the bad guys.
- The Flash, the Huntress, and Giganta don't have much to do in the special.
- Gary Owens and Marsha Warfield are uncredited as the narrator and woman in phone booth, respectively.
- The Black Canary in this special is based on Dinah Drake, the only incarnation of Black Canary to exist at this point, except she has the Canary Cry, which wasn't invented until 1983 for the second incarnation of Black Canary, Dinah Laurel Lance. It seems that Hanna-Barbera had some natural foresight into where the character should go before DC Comics did.
- The actors who played the picnic couple are uncredited.
Errors
- How was the lemonade able to affect Green Lantern's power ring, Sinestro's power ring, and Weather Wizard's wand?
- Even the main cast are credited as guest stars.
Critical reception
In other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Home availability
- In the United States:
- October 19, 2010: Warner Archive Collection releases Legends of the Super Heroes on DVD.
