Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: www.wren.co/start/casuallycomics The first 100 people who sign up will have 10 extra trees planted in their name!
I hope you have seen this shot for shot remake of the opening of Challenge of the Super Friends, but with South Park characters. Challenge of the South Park Friends: ua-cam.com/video/1tW1eALCpGU/v-deo.html
Funny cause comic book collectors are tree killers since most old comics were made out of paper, meaning those of us with collections dating from the 70s have to plant a wholeeee lot of trees. But yeah, that was just an ironic comment and i do believe in reducing carbon footprints. Ive been involved in a few programs here in Puerto Rico to create more green areas. Its great to see areas like that get green again. I even have 8 trees that ive planted in my house having a pretty big back and front yard.
*stands by the ocean* "Form of- WATER" Thanks, Zan. Super useful. I LOVE his Wonder Comics incarnation. The whole thing where he was date on a girl who was trying to make her boyfriend jealous, and when he appears he was super cool with it. Someone is like, "aren't you mad? You just got friend zoned" and he was like, "Yeah! I've got a new friend! Teen couples break up after a few months but friends can last a lifetime!" Then he happily shares his popcorn at the movie while his date and her boyfriend make out. Oh Zan, I love you so much.
AS a member of the show's target demographic, back when they were new...no one I knew liked Marvin/Wendy/Wonderdog. The Wonder Twins were also kinda ragged on, but at least we saw them as actually belonging there.
If you haven’t already, check out DCs 1990’s Kingdom Come. An adult Marvin appears in a Meta Human bar scene and, it’s not flattering. Aaaaaaaand the ragging continues…
I'm *just* young enough not to remember Marvin, Wendy, and Wonderdog. I was 3 when the WT debuted on SuperFriends and about 10 when they were written off, so I grew up with them. When we played superheroes on the playground, there was always a taker for Jayn, but no one wanted to be Zan. Gleek had more respect than Zan, his power was just so useless.
My mom was VERY familiar with them because Superfriends were big when she was a kid, but my first actual exposure to them in action was in Smallville, and not much after it besides being referenced outside of comics media for decades now.
Thank you... for the first time in my life I feel old. I watched them in first run syndication as a child as well, my kids are still too young to be commenting on UA-cam videos.
My mom watched them, too! I’m a huge comic nerd, and a twin, so she was shocked that I hadn’t heard of the Wonder Twins. (And to the parent in the comments, don’t worry, I’m 19)
As a mom that grew up with superfriends, I had no problem with the wonder twins (My kids even have Zan and Jayna shirts! and my son adore's Gleek) so props to your mother who has good taste :)
@@johnmobley9369 They're kind of similar to Steven in that they are the interns for the Justice League in the same way Steven starts out as an "intern" of sorts to the Crystal Gems. He's kind of an annoying kid sidekick comic relief character in the first season, relative to the Gems.
I was a little boy when the Wonder Twins premiered, and the Super Friends was one of my favorite shows. My take? I hated Wendy and Marvin. HATED. With an unending passion. In fact, I remember that, in my 5 year old brain, I thought that Wendy and Marvin "smelled like pee". By comparison, the Wonder Twins were quite tolerable. I always wanted to see what they would be like if they were taken seriously and written well, but.... *shrug*.
I think the best thing they could do I think is sorta a ghibi take on them with trying to adapt to earth and go through mundane things but react weirdly to it
I agree. As a kid I never questioned whether it was feasible to make an ice rocket that burned scalding hot fuel without melting. I mean I was 5 🤷♂️ But for some reason even a five year olds we knew Wendy and Marvin sucked 😂
The Wonder Twins work best when viewed through the lens of innocence. They are teenagers not only getting used to being teenagers....but also aliens getting used to an entire new culture. They will make mistakes. They will say and do things that are funny because of their attempts to acclimate. One thing for sure....the need the monkey with them. They are a trio that should never be separated.
One thing I like about the Wonder Twins is that they have room to grow as characters. Unfortunately, no-one wants them to do that. They keep them juvenile forever or change them into dark reflections of themselves. I'd love to see someone take the goofy Super Friends characters and set them on their own adventure where they don't have the team to solve the problems. I'd love to see a story where they are forced apart, and they have to deal with their problems alone, as was touched on in DC vs. Vampires, just without killing one of them.
Maybe they discover that they have their own individual powers that can help their main powers or act as their own powers like water manipulation and animal communication
Taking lighthearted, mildly embarrassing characters and turning them into snarling, grimdark edgelords is such a 90s thing to do, and requires absolutely zero imagination. "Hey, Aquaman is kind of dumb. What should we do with him?" "I know, let's... CUT OFF HIS HAND! And give him a HOOK for a hand! No, no, wait, a HARPOON! A rusty, dolphin-killing HARPOOOOON! ARRRRH!" "Awesome! How many pouches do you think he'll need?" "ALL OF THEM."
And yet the Peter David Aquaman design continues to be the most popular with many people. But I suspect many who like the look weren't actually reading Aquaman then. Despite the "grimdarkness" of the character design, PD's run was actually pretty wacky and "space opera"-esque. Personally I liked the Waterbearer run ("Water-hand Aquaman") where he went from the edgy look to more "hopeful and aspirational". In other words he became less Batman and more Superman.
Thing is, the WTs debuted on a 1970s show that, while great for kids on Saturday mornings (who can develop their childhood memories into good stories), weren’t written very well due to “broadcast standards” and the still-lingering sense that TV shows were inferior to other media. So you have adults with memories who regard the twins as either kitschy or with reverence, and that affected how comic writers handled them.
@@thereseemstobeenanerror1219 Besides his super strength, durability, and increased swim speed, his ability can command every sea creature (including monstrous ones) makes him incredibly dangerous when fighting near bodies of water. He gets a chance to show this off in New 52 Justice League volume 1, where he calls in the kraken and giant sharks to attack Parademon forces that were flying above the sea.
@@harlannguyen4048 So the man a force to be reckoned with, but only near large bodies of water. That sounds a bit limiting to be honest but I can see how that would work.
I was disappointed when I found out the movie, “Shape of Water” was not about The Wonder Twins! I also was upset when I found the Rocky movie series was not about a Flying Squirrel!
Oh, I know! Flashpoint had nothing to do with time travel, and Troy wasn’t a Titans spin off! Not that I was expecting much, but still left with that feeling. As if promises were made, gifts exchanged, yet no bargain had! Ah, the fans lament. Sigh…maybe somewhere in the multiverse this is an actual thing…
You think you were disappointed? Imagine my disappointment after watching "the never ending story" only for it to finish about an hour and a half later
I actually think the Wonder Twins as a show in the same vein as Star Trek lower decks would actually work. Using these two very well intentioned and earnest superheroes who are stuck doing the dirty work because they're the interns would be particularly entertaining and make you root for them in a way that putting them alongside Superman or Wonder Woman really wouldn't. They would be free to make mistakes most of which would be low stakes and get into some ridiculous high jinks. Also it might be a great time to make their superpowers less of a joke. We might find out that Zan can cut steel with high pressure water jets, scald people as hot steam and rip the blood from someone's veins with his water powers but he doesn't do it because he doesn't want to be that kind of a 'hero'. So because he limits himself it's hard for people to see him as a real threat. Jayna might really be able to shift into anything but chooses to restrict herself because people find it so creepy. And when someone finds out she has this power they inherently distrust her. So she is basically shamed and realizing only a small fraction of her power. We would justify the goofy perception while making the watcher hope that they can overcome this perception.
You forgot to mention how they brought them back in JLU TAS in "The Ultamen". I think they should bring back the twins but in a series way then they'll work 👍
The Ultamen in JLU were a great way to bring in all those old obscure Super Friends characters in an entertaining plot, further evidence Justice League was the best superhero cartoon show ever.
@@DIEGhostfish clones means there are originals out there some where. At least I hope. I feel that the storyline of the originals could have been explored more.
Just to further expand on a point that was mentioned: The way I remember it, Donnie and Marie were a really big deal at the time. At that point they had their own hit TV series and were arguably bigger deal than the Osmonds were. Which might give some context for why they were put in the Super Friends show in the first place.
You're forcing me to admit I was a WT fan back in the day! I thought they were a big improvement over Marvin and Wendy. I got a weird rush whenever they bumped fists and did their transformation shtick. But my thrill always turn to disappointment when they turn into the lamest thing and always screw up. Just once I wanted to see them do something badass. In my imagination, she would transform into a ferocious beast and maul the evil wizard Mal Havok to pieces. Or he becomes a ice machine gun and mow down the space genie. Obviously, I had no idea of the concept of comic relief or the standards of 70s children show. Still, the Wonder Twins made their mark. "Form of..." and "Shape of.." memes are forever etched into popular culture.
"The Wonder Twin Zan can't form complex machines. Guns and explosives have chemicals in them. Moving parts. He doesn't work that way, but he can form solid metal shapes like knives and stabbing weapons." _Sorry I couldn't help myself XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD_
Mal Havoc!!! I was twelve when I saw that episode in 1979 and too old to be shaken by it, but I was! 😂 World's Greatest Superfriends was my least favorite season and was a huge step back from "Challenge" the year prior. Plus, we never got to see that cool pirate villain that Batman slid passed outside of the show's opening sequence.
I personally really like the wonder twins. I find them fascinating. I like the idea that these twins have powers but are limited through the phrase powers active.
I first saw the Wonder Twins on super friends and I've always liked them. The Justice League Unlimited characters of Shifter and Downpour (despite being analogs of the twins) showcased their power sets well.
I enjoy the 2019 comic a lot and seeing their whole history in one place really nailed down why I like them at all; they're siblings surrounded by adults with no peers around. My sibling and I are only 2 years apart and were each other's best friend, greatest enemy, and also each other's only company during big family reunions, holidays, parties, and even our own birthdays for years. All our cousins are 15+ years older with little interest in us being underfoot, our Aunts and Uncles were busy catching up with the drama, and our parents friends didnt have kids themselves. It was just us doing our level best to be helpful but out of the way and entertaining ourselves, much like the twins. I think that might be part of why some people really hate them honestly; they just remind people too much of younger siblings/cousins/friends siblings who taged along or were forced to babysit. As much as I relate to them I also know that we were probably extremely annoying as kids and find some of their antics just as grone worthy. A double edged sword of relatability.
Ugggh...forced babysitting, what a rip. I'm thankful I didn't have any siblings so that fate was never bestowed onto me. That said, is it THAT hard for parents to raise their OWN kids? I get it for the ones who don't have that sort of flexibility and have to be dual-income (but that's a whole different rant for a whole nother time) but it's FAR too often done when the parents in question ARE FREAKING LOADED. For them, I say QUIT MAKING YOUR CHILDREN DO YOUR JOB! 😣😡🤬🌋
I'd love to see one of these for Spyke from X-Men Evolution, the other character created there who gets overshadowed because he's not a female Wolverine.
I'm liking this section of original characters in superhero cartoons and their transition to comics/live action/other animations. I hope you eventually make it to firestar,X-23 and others!
I'd aim more for firestar in that regard. This retrospectives tend to works better, or at least be focused on, characters from other media who get routinely used but never quite found their footing. X-23, for issues she's had as a character, has found a steady place in the Marvel Universe, largely due to her connection to Wolverine. Firestar tends to bounce around like the other characters covered in these retrospectives, not even joining the team she was created to be a part of until 2013, over 30 years after her creation.
@@megan_alnico Her first comic book appearance within the traditional Marvel Comics Universe was Uncanny X-Men #193. Then she had a four-issue limited series before joining The New Warriors.
Honestly I am always excited when people try to take characters like this and make them work. Even Wendy, Marvin, and the Wonder Dog... I just love it when ideas that seem terrible get their time to shine. Or when the Scrappy gets redeemed.
Am I the only person in existence that actually LIKED Scrappy? Like, srsly...dude's just a little puppy yet he's EASILY 20X BRAVER than the fully grown Scooby! All I could ever say to that was DAAAAAAAAAMN DUUUUUUUDE!!!! 😅😂🤣
I don't think the idea was ever terrible. They just weren't utilized because they weren't the justice league. Or the format of superfriends. Wendy and Marvin could actually be smart and did help solve stuff. Wonder twins oscillated between being powerful enough that they made sense and too weak to do anything.
Despite some weaknesses, I liked the last Wonder Twins series by Bendis. Up until that point, I knew nothing about them at all. I liked the idea of showing the everyday lives and experiences of Justice League employees. Also, the humor wasn't always for me, but often enough.
I was the intended age demographic when they were first introduced in the 70s. I remember them fondly. I'd like to see their powers be used in less simplistic story lines.
I and every kid my age who grew up with Wonder Twins (i.e. pre-teen) loved them for one reason only: they had a cool catchphrase we could scream in the playground. "Wonder Twin Powers Activate!"
Although it's a very refreshing trip through Nostalgia Lane for the twins, I must point that you didn't mention the CN bumper where Zander complains about his powerset, it's hilarious
I remember really liking the wonder twins a lot when I was a kid. I watched them whenever they were on Boomerang. I think the thing that I really latched onto was just how distinctly designed they were, as well as their unique shape shifting abilities.
I grew up watching the Wonder Twins and I secretly loved them! Also there was a variation of them in the Justice League Animated Series (maybe the JL Unlimited) as Shifter (Jayna) and Downpour (Zan). If they could be brought back with the tragic past and powers that worked like Shifter and Downpour I think they could work better in the comics.
Idea of Wonder Twins is nice but i think they need a redesign, cause they feel really random. Either they should have matching costumes, powers and personalities to accentuate thier "twinness" or they should completly different, contrastive with powers and personalities, maybe be originally a dysfunctional brother and sister who need each other to make thier powers work but eventually create a strong bond or something.
I disagree on that part. making them exact copies of one and another takes way the appeal. Same for making them so different from each other that they have to learn to work together. They should have that strong bond together at the start. These in many cases only had each other for company and such. Being outsiders and such. So they should get each other on a fundamental level. They had a solid foundation just one that wasn't properly explored.
6:09 "They never even explain where they go once they leave" Actually, they did explain. Marvin went to college, going to Ivy University (where the Atom was a professor). Wendy went to train with the Amazons on Paradise Island. Edit: Never mind, you did mention that eventually.
Growing up in the 80s as a 1st gen son of Filipino immigrants, I loved them. I identified with them, they looked like me, and they were fun! I did think their powers were silly and not as impressive, but I always thought they were cool
I thought they were great and would have been great in their own town or additions to the league (auxiliary members?). Maybe using Shifter and Downpour in Young Justice? Ah, Young Justice. Another fantastic DC property allowed to rot
First, THANK YOU so much for doing such a deep dive on the Wonder twins. I grew up with them and over the years have occasionally looked on YT to see what's new with them. So happy to see your video. I was about 7 when they first appeared on the Super Friends and I loved them. I think it's because that was an age when you really wanted adults to see you as more than a little kid... that you could be helpful to them with stuff... and that's exactly the position the twins were in. They wanted to be helpful, and they always tried, though not always successfully. There was one episode that I don't think I've ever heard people mention but that really showed just how much potential they had. It was the episode where General Zod and his two companions escaped the phantom zone and came to earth. They quickly overcame most of the other Superfriends, leaving only Zan and Jayna and Superman, who had been weakened (I think). It was literally up to them to try to save the day. Jayna turned into a winged horse and Zan into an ice saddle. (clip of transformation here ua-cam.com/video/5GULsZHVyv8/v-deo.html ) They flew above General Zod and his buddies and then Zan changed into liquid nitrogen, rained down on them, and froze them solid. So in this one instance they literally bested super villians as powerful as Superman. (It's also significant because it the only time I can think of where Zan changed into another element beside water.) Of course Jayne screwed up, saying "Zan, I'm so happy I could kiss you", and does, and deactivates their powers, releasing Zod and the others, who then banishes the twins to the phantom zone with the other Superfriends, and in which their powers didn't work. I always thought they had so much potential. For me, that was the appeal - the journey of watching them become more competent superheroes. They could have done so much more with that. I think Smallville did the best job of capturing that aspect, and that's why it worked pretty well. One other thing I really loved was the sound effects of their powers. In it's best version (heard here ua-cam.com/video/5GULsZHVyv8/v-deo.html ), I love the initial rising "stretching" sound (not always heard), then the crunchy piano chords, then lingering energizing sound, and finally the glistening crystalizing sound as they transform. Still love hearing it.
Growing up on the Superfriends for me reminded me of my twin sister and I, as well as being twins of color. I'm very happy that they are making a come back.
The funny thing about Wonder Comics is that the books not written by Bendis are the ones that actually capture that feeling of youth he was talking about. I loved Wonder Twins and Dial H, and am going to read Amethyst soon. Both books can be read as fun and lighthearted, but the Wonder Twins has Marc Russell's signature "socially relevant" humor (Jayna pointing out the flaws in earth prisons and how they only help Luthor then immediately getting kicked out of her field trip was both funny and a great way to incorporate Luthor into the story. Then later when he got stranded in space and was forced to eat the disgusting gruel he forced his underpaid employees to eat). I think it's easy to dismiss the book as just silliness but it really does have something to say and says it well Dial H is just a love letter to superheroes, specifically Superman. I love Miguel O'hara and Summer as protagonists
The throw away mention of “Dial H for Hero” makes me want to see a video by you on those heroes. Including the super dark and cringy Teen Titans crossover in the 80s.
If they had been built up from the 70s onwards they could be really interesting characters but nowadays I don't think being twins is enough of a unique flavouring on the teenage hero learning about the world & themselves thing for them to stand out & they really need something to distinguish themselves from all the other characters that fill a similar role.
I adored the Wonder Comics run, wish it had kept going because the whole moral ambiguity thing it went for with the villians is definitely not something I see often in comics, at least not treated the way it was there, it was greas seeing these hopeful fun characters go up against what's basically reality, and actually try to explore how superheroes just keeping the status quo may actually be doing harm
@Santiago Ariza Just so you know superheroes Killing villains/criminals isn't going to make the DC Universe a better place in fact it may make it a LOT WORSE than it was before due to superheroes becoming judge jury and executioners and the governments of the world would grow afraid of them and would probably consider them to be much worse than the supervillains It's a no-win situation and there is barely any moral ambiguity if superheroes killed the villains criminals then the superheroes become no better than the villains because then the governments and people of the world would turn against them due to fear and paranoia that the heroes would turn on them
@@naquingreen1603 what???? Who said anything about superheroes killing villians????, Have you read the story? I'm talking about how (SPOILER ALERT) the villian wanted to make the world better, literally did make the world a better place, almost ending hunger and poverty, all without killing a single person, and still the justice league just happily stopped him because he was a "villian", (END OF SPOILER) there's nothing in that story about superheroes killing, it actually gave us one of the best depictions of superman, you might have seen that panel of him defending refugees from the military, but still the story explored that mantaining the status quo isn't making the world a better place and that the people in power can do things like ending hunger or poverty, they just don't want to, I agree with you on the superheroes killing wouldn't be good thing, but I have no idea where you got that that's what I was talking about????
I was born in Nov 1973. A latch key kid and raised by early cable TV and Sat morning/ Afternoon Cartoons. I recall so much detail easily. Yet, somehow you taught me so much more than I ever knew about this period of time. G force, Munchichi, Trollkins, Kid Video, Pole Position, Ewoks, Galaxy High, Rubix the Amazing Cube, Dungeons and Dragons, Shanna , Gem, Johnny Quest. Tarzan, Then later Transformers, Mask, Voltron, He-Man, Thundercats, and Finally X-men Gargoyles, Ect. I could go and on and on . Whew, what a run. You have my praise for bringing back fond memories and more. Thank you!
I watched reruns of a lot of old cartoons as a kid, which included the wonder twins. I never forgot them, but they're so absent from everything else that I always wondered what was up with them.
The Wonder Twins were supposed to be identical twins- On earth that would mean they came from one egg (identical) and have the SAME sex. I guess on their planet they can have identical twins of different sex.😎
@@1967joeberry Wow that is damn near a miracle. Since identicals come from the same egg they are usually the exact same, meaning the same sex. But in rare cases one of the babies can be opposite.
Well, since I was target demo (1-2 years older, really), I'll say that Wonder Twins were pretty popular just judging on the constant references in school and some of pop culture, and seem to have faded because their power set seemed inflexible. Much like how all of the people my age who had a TV know the preamble to the Constitution, we all know the Wonder Twins. Make of that what you will. Also, side note: I'll never quite forgive Super Friends for ruining Aquaman.
@@Jeff_Faust "In 1787 I'm told Our founding fathers did agree To write a list of principles For keepin' people free." Went to google it just to make sure I had the words spot on, and "Preamble" was the first thing in suggestions.
I will say this,they redeemed him quite a bit in JL and JLU by showing off his combat skills alongside of his attunement with sea creatures [Which had a badass moment in the Injustice game involving a shark] He's also a very stern but somewhat competent king in Young Justice that I have seen so far.
@@WyntheRogue I'm more fond of the Marvel stuff in TV and film, but I think that's because I'm more of a DC gal when it comes to comics themselves (my gaming name is Stephanie Brown!), so I've only seen bits of JL/JLU/YJ. Was unhappy they left him out of DCAU movie War. In comics, both early Nu52 and Rebirth did him well. Still haven't seen Mamoa's movie, though.
@@ChristyAbbey Same,part of me wants to rent it because I heard it's fun and Jason Mamoa did an amazing job,on the other with the Amber Heard fiasco,I cant bring myself to support somebody so horrid. :-/ I do remember Nu52 did do a pretty good job giving him some needed love. His,Batgirl's and Constatine's comics were my top 3 of the Nu52 run.
This fit is so good! The hair/the draping gives such an angular look. This is genuinely the best "shot from waist up" outfit I've seen in so long, from any creator tbh. Dynamic, simple, clean, effective. Edit: after watching the video, I realize it's just a crop top and maybe I over reacted. Still a great look tho lol
They were actually referenced at the end of crisis, gleeks cage was focused on followed by monkey noises makin me think they might be characters in flash or Legends Season 8
As a twin growing up, I had slight announce with them. Because I myself was being treated like a pair and not an individual. So there was a ever slight resentment with what they reinforced. Also, I thought the campy side of comics was lame at the times too. So can say I was just too cool for it at the time with my off-brand light up sketchers shoes and jelled Guy Fury-esque spikey hair and all. But since I have grown into my own and matured enough miss the simpler times. I can enjoy and appreciate the fact that they are characters who (mostly) have their feet firmly planted on the campy side of DC. _...And like, I work around some entitled and inconsiderate randos everyday. Survive some stressful financially tight months. My rent just went up (no joke) $400. While I figured out my job position doesn't give raises or promotions. I am practically a young single dad to 2 very_ *sassy* _goldfishs. (My GF, Ms. Corgi is great, don't want to down play her because I was being mellow dramatic.)_ But life can be great, but it can suck at times. Those times, I don't want to be yelling at the screen because Dean and Sam cannot just simply talk to each other about their feelings; while I am trying to scoop double chocolate chip mint ice cream directly to my mouth from my Ben & Jerry's tub. It is just nice to watch something light hearted and goofy time-to-time. Some times I just want to unwind, have a pudding cup, maybe a stiff drink or some weed every other weekend if I can swing it. Just forget being an adult for a bit, ya know? It's not very good coping mechanisms. But I cannot be bothered with feeling guilty about decompressing.... So about campy entertainment, good for the soul. 9.7/10
My intro to the Twins was in the SuperFriends show, and even as a kid, they worked best in the smaller doses. Everyone I knew groaned when we got a Twins-only segment. Where was everybody else? Aaaannnddd... then we'd watch it anyway because... superheroes!
Being born in 77, I saw Superfriends on reruns so we didn't really talk about them in school. However I remember this much about them: 1. I had a Hello Fellow Kids reaction to them. 2. The station played a LOT more episodes with the Wonder Twins over Marvin and his idiots.
I vaguely knew the Wonder Twins were a thing when they showed up on Smallville, but the biggest takeaway I got was that it was the first time I saw Allison Scagliotti right before she went on to be in Warehouse 13. She brought a lot of fun energy to both shows.
I always liked and remembered the wonder twins. I think DC needs to recognize their potential for great stories. I always enjoyed stories with underrated superheroes that as seen having the worst or weirdest powers like Squirrel Girl from Marvel. There is something unforgettable about people nobody thinks they are powerful or have the best adventures. It be nice to have fun yet amazing stories that is both funny and have serious moments.
The thing with the Wonder Twins that sticks with me is their comic book versions Post Crisis being so alien internally that they thought plastic was food and started eating Cassie Sandsmark's music CDs.
I recall an origin issue of that Super Friends comic for Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog! Each of them was supposed to get super hero training because of something either they or a parent did. I think Wendy's mom saved Wonder Woman's life once, things like that. I guess from Hanna Barbera's side they wanted modern Snapper Carrs so kids would identify with them, but at least Snapper played a role in Justice League history. As much as I loved Justice League International and it's spin offs, I have No Memories of Extreme Justice. Must have been too EXTREME!!!!!!!!!! for me, hahaha!
Hello Scott. Regarding Wendy and Marvin and their origin, it was never discussed in the comic, but in the letter pages of the first issue, E. Nelson Bridwell gave origins to Wendy & Marvin. Wendy became Wendy Harris, the niece of Harvey Harris, the detective who trained Bruce Wayne in detection. When Wendy wanted to take up crime fighting like her uncle, he reached out to Batman, and that's how Wendy joined the Super Friends. Marvin became Marvin White. When Wonder Woman arrived in America, she had no secret identity, only her name of Princess Diana, and her training to be a nurse, as well as her Amazonian training. She was earning money doing tricks with her bracelets, deflecting bullets. One day, she ran into a woman who looked just like her, named Diana Prince. This woman was a nurse who was in love with a man who was moving to South America, but she didn't have enough money to follow. Wonder Woman used her earned money to buy the real Diana Prince's credentials, and took over her identity. The real Diana Prince moved to South America and became Diana White, and gave birth to Marvin. So when he decided to become a crime fighter, his connection to Wonder Woman got him in the Super Friends.
Suddenly I had an 80's flashback, the moment I first saw Wendy and Marvin and thought "She's pretty, but neither of this losers belong here". I was a harsh little kid :D Also, Hawk Girl in a crop top. Hawt Girl. But speaking of the Wonder Twins, ever since I was a child I haven't be able to look at Zan as anything but useless. I mean, Jayna could transform into a giant squid and help rescue some scientists trap in a submarine; Zan would transform into an igloo, or a bucket of water, And do what exactly? Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them as they are; it's just that if I were trap in a car about to fall off a cliff, the only reason I would get worried if I didn't saw Zan around, it would be because then Jayna wouldn't be able to transform into a gorilla and save me. Yeah, sorry I'm not sorry, Zan.
There was a version of the Wonder Twins in Justice League Unlimited cartoon Season 1 Ep 9 Ultimatum where they are renamed "Shifter" and "Downpour" and are teamed up with other remade Superfriends rejects into a villain team to defeat the Justice League. I thought it was a neat idea.
Did you know the marvel animated universe on Disney xd got their own comics could you talk about those please hope u see this Sasha CasuallyComics PLEASE SEE THIS SASHA 🥺🥺🥺🥺
If they appear in DCEU they should get code names like from Justice League Unlimited, Downpour and Shifter. Back then they had chalky white skin and hair with pink eyes, but maintained the pointy ears; and didn’t have to touch and say “Wonder Twin Powers Activite” or just “Powers Activate” in Smallville. They just announced their form.
I was a young teenager in '77, and I liked the Wonder Twins (especially Jayna). In fact, they figured into my 2 favorite episodes, "The Mind Maidens" and "Attack Of The Vampire".
The whole Wonder Twins coming to Earth to warn the Justice League about a threat really makes me want to see a scene in the comics where a messenger comes to warn them and hypes up some evil as plotting something on the planet and it turns out that while the messenger did know the villain had arrived earlier than him, neither they nor the League realize at first that the villain being talked about was someone the league already beat a couple days prior and was no big deal really. "Bombs scattered around the planet to destroy the world? That happens like two or three times a week sometimes around here."
Love the hair I've always loved the twins and the water memes. I absolutly adored when in smallvile they used it to the full power of an actual MIST. 10/10
I’ve loved the Wonder Twins since they first appeared on Superfriends when I was eight! I was the target audience! My favorite episode with them would probably be The Demons of Exxor. I loved how their planet was portrayed.
I was born in 1975 and started watching Super Friends in the early 80s. The Wonder Twins were actually my favorite characters on the show; I really liked how they seemed the most like normal people. They were flawed and awkward and made mistakes, and that was indeed relatable. Perhaps it's nostalgia glasses, but I still find them interesting characters and would like to see them appear in new material. I was thrilled by the scene at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths (which I'm surprised you didn't mention in this video) that alluded to the possibility of them showing up in the Arrowverse, and even though the Arrowverse showrunners have yet to do anything more with this tease, I still hold out hope that they will appear. As for how I would like to see them portrayed, I really don't want either goofy comic relief OR super serious and edgy. I would prefer something in between; perhaps a portrayal akin to how The Flash handled Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man. Allow them to retain some degree of their flaws and awkwardness to a point that they're still relatable, but still let them have serious moments and storylines that allow for solid growth and character arcs/development. In fact, with Hartley Sawyer having been fired from The Flash after season six, leaving any planned stories for Ralph Dibny and Sue Dearbon to sit on a shelf collecting dust, I think introducing Jayna and Zan in their place would fill the void left by their departure quite nicely, and could even allow some of those abandoned Ralph and Sue stories to be retooled to fit the Wonder Twins. I really do think they would be a perfect addition to Team Flash, especially since the departure of legacy characters like Cisco and Wells. And since Crisis already hinted to their existence on the Arrowverse's Earth Prime, it would be an appearance that absolutely makes sense in universe. Just my thoughts on the matter.
Lol all I remember about the wonder twins is a bumper on 90's cartoon network where the superfriends are on a plane and Zan mocks wonder woman for suggesting "let's fly commercial it'll be so much fun!"
I really liked them as a kid. My brother and I would act out their transformation and I’d carry around a bucket of water as we went to the next mission. We were… really cool.
I actually really like the wonder twins, and appreciated that Bendis actually brought them back into DC canon. I love whenever I see them pop up, and hope more writers want to utilize them down the line. I think putting them on Young Justice or Teen Titans would be good, assuming this time around the team isn't so overcrowded that they get lost in the shuffle. Also, high key, Zan should be super OP as a character since he should be able to turn into sentient hurricanes/tidal waves/storms/etc.
Wow, the Wonder Twins are all but forgotten except that they were standouts among the great superheroes for me as a fresh face refugee kid in America in the mid-eighties on reruns of Superfriends incarnation. I gravitate towards them because they were the outlier of the group, and since I grew up and moved on, I didn’t know what became of them until now. Thanks for the nostalgia.
Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: www.wren.co/start/casuallycomics The first 100 people who sign up will have 10 extra trees planted in their name!
You look amazing, how is the baby doing?
can you do a Retrospective on Annie from The New Batman Adventures?
I hope you have seen this shot for shot remake of the opening of Challenge of the Super Friends, but with South Park characters. Challenge of the South Park Friends: ua-cam.com/video/1tW1eALCpGU/v-deo.html
We love you Sasha keep it pushing
Funny cause comic book collectors are tree killers since most old comics were made out of paper, meaning those of us with collections dating from the 70s have to plant a wholeeee lot of trees. But yeah, that was just an ironic comment and i do believe in reducing carbon footprints. Ive been involved in a few programs here in Puerto Rico to create more green areas. Its great to see areas like that get green again. I even have 8 trees that ive planted in my house having a pretty big back and front yard.
*stands by the ocean*
"Form of- WATER"
Thanks, Zan. Super useful.
I LOVE his Wonder Comics incarnation. The whole thing where he was date on a girl who was trying to make her boyfriend jealous, and when he appears he was super cool with it. Someone is like, "aren't you mad? You just got friend zoned" and he was like, "Yeah! I've got a new friend! Teen couples break up after a few months but friends can last a lifetime!" Then he happily shares his popcorn at the movie while his date and her boyfriend make out. Oh Zan, I love you so much.
Maybe he can make himself into an ice dildo for his new friend. Aww 🥰
AS a member of the show's target demographic, back when they were new...no one I knew liked Marvin/Wendy/Wonderdog. The Wonder Twins were also kinda ragged on, but at least we saw them as actually belonging there.
Yes, that's for sure, that being said the bar set by Marvin, Wendy and Wonderdog was incredibly low. ;)
If you haven’t already, check out DCs 1990’s Kingdom Come. An adult Marvin appears in a Meta Human bar scene and, it’s not flattering.
Aaaaaaaand the ragging continues…
Yes we all hated Wendy,Marvin, and that damn dog. Wendy was a babe though.
I did get a kick out of Marvin in Kingdom Come.
I'm *just* young enough not to remember Marvin, Wendy, and Wonderdog. I was 3 when the WT debuted on SuperFriends and about 10 when they were written off, so I grew up with them. When we played superheroes on the playground, there was always a taker for Jayn, but no one wanted to be Zan. Gleek had more respect than Zan, his power was just so useless.
Marvin and Wendy were head and shoulders above the Wonder Twins.
My mom was VERY familiar with them because Superfriends were big when she was a kid, but my first actual exposure to them in action was in Smallville, and not much after it besides being referenced outside of comics media for decades now.
Smallville the live-action TV show
Thank you... for the first time in my life I feel old. I watched them in first run syndication as a child as well, my kids are still too young to be commenting on UA-cam videos.
My mom watched them, too! I’m a huge comic nerd, and a twin, so she was shocked that I hadn’t heard of the Wonder Twins. (And to the parent in the comments, don’t worry, I’m 19)
The only reason why I know of the Wonder Twins Is because I watched reruns of the old Superfriends cartoon on Teletoon Retro when I was younger
As a mom that grew up with superfriends, I had no problem with the wonder twins (My kids even have Zan and Jayna shirts! and my son adore's Gleek) so props to your mother who has good taste :)
I can see the Wonder Twins working in our kind of Steven Universe-esque zeitgeist. There's the low-key tragedy, the striving, the happiness, etc.
Wait. I love Steven universe. Explain the relation. I love Steven universe and how they actually gave him trauma from the things he went through.
@@johnmobley9369 agreed
I love this idea. I could totally see them in that tone
Good idea
@@johnmobley9369 They're kind of similar to Steven in that they are the interns for the Justice League in the same way Steven starts out as an "intern" of sorts to the Crystal Gems. He's kind of an annoying kid sidekick comic relief character in the first season, relative to the Gems.
I was in elementary school when the Wonder Twins came out. So I can safely admit to having a crush on Jayna.
Jayna had it going on. Perhaps not as much as JoAnna Cameron (Isis/Andrea Thomas from _The Secrets of Isis_ ) but she had it going on.
I too thought Jayna was hot
Her and Wonder Woman were my SF crushes.👍🏾
@@kenb2671 can't disagree, but I was in elementary school then and I realized even back then, that Wonder Woman was out of reach.
We all did. Apparently the internet still does as Jayna still has fan art coming.
I was a little boy when the Wonder Twins premiered, and the Super Friends was one of my favorite shows. My take?
I hated Wendy and Marvin. HATED. With an unending passion. In fact, I remember that, in my 5 year old brain, I thought that Wendy and Marvin "smelled like pee".
By comparison, the Wonder Twins were quite tolerable. I always wanted to see what they would be like if they were taken seriously and written well, but.... *shrug*.
I think the best thing they could do I think is sorta a ghibi take on them with trying to adapt to earth and go through mundane things but react weirdly to it
I agree. As a kid I never questioned whether it was feasible to make an ice rocket that burned scalding hot fuel without melting. I mean I was 5 🤷♂️
But for some reason even a five year olds we knew Wendy and Marvin sucked 😂
The Wonder Twins work best when viewed through the lens of innocence. They are teenagers not only getting used to being teenagers....but also aliens getting used to an entire new culture. They will make mistakes. They will say and do things that are funny because of their attempts to acclimate. One thing for sure....the need the monkey with them. They are a trio that should never be separated.
One thing I like about the Wonder Twins is that they have room to grow as characters. Unfortunately, no-one wants them to do that. They keep them juvenile forever or change them into dark reflections of themselves. I'd love to see someone take the goofy Super Friends characters and set them on their own adventure where they don't have the team to solve the problems. I'd love to see a story where they are forced apart, and they have to deal with their problems alone, as was touched on in DC vs. Vampires, just without killing one of them.
Maybe they discover that they have their own individual powers that can help their main powers or act as their own powers like water manipulation and animal communication
Taking lighthearted, mildly embarrassing characters and turning them into snarling, grimdark edgelords is such a 90s thing to do, and requires absolutely zero imagination. "Hey, Aquaman is kind of dumb. What should we do with him?" "I know, let's... CUT OFF HIS HAND! And give him a HOOK for a hand! No, no, wait, a HARPOON! A rusty, dolphin-killing HARPOOOOON! ARRRRH!" "Awesome! How many pouches do you think he'll need?" "ALL OF THEM."
aquaman door hand hook car door
@@Tiggeralt Person woman man camera TV.
And yet the Peter David Aquaman design continues to be the most popular with many people. But I suspect many who like the look weren't actually reading Aquaman then. Despite the "grimdarkness" of the character design, PD's run was actually pretty wacky and "space opera"-esque.
Personally I liked the Waterbearer run ("Water-hand Aquaman") where he went from the edgy look to more "hopeful and aspirational". In other words he became less Batman and more Superman.
@@todd8398 What, you didn't like disco headband Aquaman?
@@NoJusticeNoPeace HAHAHA no
Thing is, the WTs debuted on a 1970s show that, while great for kids on Saturday mornings (who can develop their childhood memories into good stories), weren’t written very well due to “broadcast standards” and the still-lingering sense that TV shows were inferior to other media.
So you have adults with memories who regard the twins as either kitschy or with reverence, and that affected how comic writers handled them.
Super Friends was the reason why Aquaman got no respect from normies until the modern day.
@@harlannguyen4048 that and he was the only OG League member to not get a show or movie in the era he started getting all that crap
@@harlannguyen4048
And even then.
( To be honest, what can he do that's so useful? )
@@thereseemstobeenanerror1219 Besides his super strength, durability, and increased swim speed, his ability can command every sea creature (including monstrous ones) makes him incredibly dangerous when fighting near bodies of water. He gets a chance to show this off in New 52 Justice League volume 1, where he calls in the kraken and giant sharks to attack Parademon forces that were flying above the sea.
@@harlannguyen4048
So the man a force to be reckoned with, but only near large bodies of water.
That sounds a bit limiting to be honest but I can see how that would work.
I was disappointed when I found out the movie, “Shape of Water” was not about The Wonder Twins! I also was upset when I found the Rocky movie series was not about a Flying Squirrel!
Oh, I know! Flashpoint had nothing to do with time travel, and Troy wasn’t a Titans spin off! Not that I was expecting much, but still left with that feeling. As if promises were made, gifts exchanged, yet no bargain had! Ah, the fans lament.
Sigh…maybe somewhere in the multiverse this is an actual thing…
Top tier comment.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You think you were disappointed?
Imagine my disappointment after watching "the never ending story" only for it to finish about an hour and a half later
That Nightcrawler movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal was the worst X-Men movie.
I actually think the Wonder Twins as a show in the same vein as Star Trek lower decks would actually work. Using these two very well intentioned and earnest superheroes who are stuck doing the dirty work because they're the interns would be particularly entertaining and make you root for them in a way that putting them alongside Superman or Wonder Woman really wouldn't. They would be free to make mistakes most of which would be low stakes and get into some ridiculous high jinks.
Also it might be a great time to make their superpowers less of a joke. We might find out that Zan can cut steel with high pressure water jets, scald people as hot steam and rip the blood from someone's veins with his water powers but he doesn't do it because he doesn't want to be that kind of a 'hero'. So because he limits himself it's hard for people to see him as a real threat.
Jayna might really be able to shift into anything but chooses to restrict herself because people find it so creepy. And when someone finds out she has this power they inherently distrust her. So she is basically shamed and realizing only a small fraction of her power.
We would justify the goofy perception while making the watcher hope that they can overcome this perception.
Not a bad idea
If that’s your audition to write such a series, (and you had me at Lower Decks) you have my vote!
Same! But, at least for me, I’d still want it to be, like, sincere. Because I think that’s the Wonder Twins’ most valuable assets: their sincerity
You forgot to mention how they brought them back in JLU TAS in "The Ultamen". I think they should bring back the twins but in a series way then they'll work 👍
I came here just to say this! It was one of my favorite episodes
I mean those were just disposable shocktroop clones with their powers.
Came here to call out the JLU TAS too. Thanks!
The Ultamen in JLU were a great way to bring in all those old obscure Super Friends characters in an entertaining plot, further evidence Justice League was the best superhero cartoon show ever.
@@DIEGhostfish clones means there are originals out there some where. At least I hope. I feel that the storyline of the originals could have been explored more.
Just to further expand on a point that was mentioned: The way I remember it, Donnie and Marie were a really big deal at the time. At that point they had their own hit TV series and were arguably bigger deal than the Osmonds were. Which might give some context for why they were put in the Super Friends show in the first place.
Yes, absolutely ferpectly right!!!!! lol, LoL 😆🤣.
You're forcing me to admit I was a WT fan back in the day! I thought they were a big improvement over Marvin and Wendy. I got a weird rush whenever they bumped fists and did their transformation shtick. But my thrill always turn to disappointment when they turn into the lamest thing and always screw up. Just once I wanted to see them do something badass. In my imagination, she would transform into a ferocious beast and maul the evil wizard Mal Havok to pieces. Or he becomes a ice machine gun and mow down the space genie. Obviously, I had no idea of the concept of comic relief or the standards of 70s children show. Still, the Wonder Twins made their mark. "Form of..." and "Shape of.." memes are forever etched into popular culture.
"The Wonder Twin Zan can't form complex machines. Guns and explosives have chemicals in them. Moving parts. He doesn't work that way, but he can form solid metal shapes like knives and stabbing weapons."
_Sorry I couldn't help myself XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD_
Mal Havoc!!! I was twelve when I saw that episode in 1979 and too old to be shaken by it, but I was! 😂 World's Greatest Superfriends was my least favorite season and was a huge step back from "Challenge" the year prior. Plus, we never got to see that cool pirate villain that Batman slid passed outside of the show's opening sequence.
I personally really like the wonder twins. I find them fascinating. I like the idea that these twins have powers but are limited through the phrase powers active.
I first saw the Wonder Twins on super friends and I've always liked them. The Justice League Unlimited characters of Shifter and Downpour (despite being analogs of the twins) showcased their power sets well.
I enjoy the 2019 comic a lot and seeing their whole history in one place really nailed down why I like them at all; they're siblings surrounded by adults with no peers around. My sibling and I are only 2 years apart and were each other's best friend, greatest enemy, and also each other's only company during big family reunions, holidays, parties, and even our own birthdays for years. All our cousins are 15+ years older with little interest in us being underfoot, our Aunts and Uncles were busy catching up with the drama, and our parents friends didnt have kids themselves. It was just us doing our level best to be helpful but out of the way and entertaining ourselves, much like the twins.
I think that might be part of why some people really hate them honestly; they just remind people too much of younger siblings/cousins/friends siblings who taged along or were forced to babysit. As much as I relate to them I also know that we were probably extremely annoying as kids and find some of their antics just as grone worthy. A double edged sword of relatability.
Ugggh...forced babysitting, what a rip. I'm thankful I didn't have any siblings so that fate was never bestowed onto me. That said, is it THAT hard for parents to raise their OWN kids? I get it for the ones who don't have that sort of flexibility and have to be dual-income (but that's a whole different rant for a whole nother time) but it's FAR too often done when the parents in question ARE FREAKING LOADED. For them, I say QUIT MAKING YOUR CHILDREN DO YOUR JOB! 😣😡🤬🌋
I'd love to see one of these for Spyke from X-Men Evolution, the other character created there who gets overshadowed because he's not a female Wolverine.
Spyke was actually a male version of Marrow. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrow_(character)
@@Madbandit77 Was going to say the same thing.
I'm liking this section of original characters in superhero cartoons and their transition to comics/live action/other animations. I hope you eventually make it to firestar,X-23 and others!
Agent Coulsdon
Harley Quinn's in that boat, and she's been the most successful.
I'd aim more for firestar in that regard. This retrospectives tend to works better, or at least be focused on, characters from other media who get routinely used but never quite found their footing. X-23, for issues she's had as a character, has found a steady place in the Marvel Universe, largely due to her connection to Wolverine. Firestar tends to bounce around like the other characters covered in these retrospectives, not even joining the team she was created to be a part of until 2013, over 30 years after her creation.
I was kind of shocked when I saw Firestar show up in The New Warriors comic. I thought she just been created for Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends.
@@megan_alnico Her first comic book appearance within the traditional Marvel Comics Universe was Uncanny X-Men #193. Then she had a four-issue limited series before joining The New Warriors.
Honestly I am always excited when people try to take characters like this and make them work. Even Wendy, Marvin, and the Wonder Dog... I just love it when ideas that seem terrible get their time to shine.
Or when the Scrappy gets redeemed.
Am I the only person in existence that actually LIKED Scrappy? Like, srsly...dude's just a little puppy yet he's EASILY 20X BRAVER than the fully grown Scooby!
All I could ever say to that was DAAAAAAAAAMN DUUUUUUUDE!!!! 😅😂🤣
I don't think the idea was ever terrible.
They just weren't utilized because they weren't the justice league. Or the format of superfriends.
Wendy and Marvin could actually be smart and did help solve stuff.
Wonder twins oscillated between being powerful enough that they made sense and too weak to do anything.
Despite some weaknesses, I liked the last Wonder Twins series by Bendis. Up until that point, I knew nothing about them at all. I liked the idea of showing the everyday lives and experiences of Justice League employees. Also, the humor wasn't always for me, but often enough.
As much as I loved this retrospective, I hope I never hear the term 'fleshdriver' again
If the Wonder Twins come back, I will anxiously await the return of Jan and Jayce from Space Ghost!
Good comparison.
I was the intended age demographic when they were first introduced in the 70s. I remember them fondly. I'd like to see their powers be used in less simplistic story lines.
the 2019 series was so good, I had never heard of them before picking up the series but thanks to it I really love the characters
I'd like to see a wonder twins comic that is them teaming up with different individual Justice League members.
I and every kid my age who grew up with Wonder Twins (i.e. pre-teen) loved them for one reason only: they had a cool catchphrase we could scream in the playground. "Wonder Twin Powers Activate!"
What, Bendis-written characters all having the same snarky voices? You don’t say…
Although it's a very refreshing trip through Nostalgia Lane for the twins, I must point that you didn't mention the CN bumper where Zander complains about his powerset, it's hilarious
I remember really liking the wonder twins a lot when I was a kid. I watched them whenever they were on Boomerang. I think the thing that I really latched onto was just how distinctly designed they were, as well as their unique shape shifting abilities.
I grew up watching the Wonder Twins and I secretly loved them! Also there was a variation of them in the Justice League Animated Series (maybe the JL Unlimited) as Shifter (Jayna) and Downpour (Zan). If they could be brought back with the tragic past and powers that worked like Shifter and Downpour I think they could work better in the comics.
Your uploads literally make my day. The best comic book channel on UA-cam.
FINALLY! Two of my top ten fav DC characters. Always a fun time with Casually Comics.
My underrated faves! Can't wait to watch this
Idea of Wonder Twins is nice but i think they need a redesign, cause they feel really random. Either they should have matching costumes, powers and personalities to accentuate thier "twinness" or they should completly different, contrastive with powers and personalities, maybe be originally a dysfunctional brother and sister who need each other to make thier powers work but eventually create a strong bond or something.
John Byrne did the same kind of thing with Northstar and Aurora during his Alpha Flight run at Marvel Comics.
I disagree on that part. making them exact copies of one and another takes way the appeal. Same for making them so different from each other that they have to learn to work together. They should have that strong bond together at the start. These in many cases only had each other for company and such. Being outsiders and such. So they should get each other on a fundamental level. They had a solid foundation just one that wasn't properly explored.
6:09 "They never even explain where they go once they leave"
Actually, they did explain. Marvin went to college, going to Ivy University (where the Atom was a professor). Wendy went to train with the Amazons on Paradise Island.
Edit: Never mind, you did mention that eventually.
Can we take a moment to appreciate Sasha’s ensemble? Her outfit, hair, lipstick, glasses . . . yowza!
Growing up in the 80s as a 1st gen son of Filipino immigrants, I loved them. I identified with them, they looked like me, and they were fun!
I did think their powers were silly and not as impressive, but I always thought they were cool
Great video Sasha!
Thank you NN, I’m here because of your video
Why no mention of Shifter and Downpour from Justice league unlimited, they were clearly taken from The Wonder Twins.
THANK YOU!!! Someone else saw that, along with the nods to Apache chief and Samurai
@@xclucvt all the unimen were based off of super friends characters, not enough people show them any love
I thought they were great and would have been great in their own town or additions to the league (auxiliary members?). Maybe using Shifter and Downpour in Young Justice? Ah, Young Justice. Another fantastic DC property allowed to rot
First, THANK YOU so much for doing such a deep dive on the Wonder twins. I grew up with them and over the years have occasionally looked on YT to see what's new with them. So happy to see your video. I was about 7 when they first appeared on the Super Friends and I loved them. I think it's because that was an age when you really wanted adults to see you as more than a little kid... that you could be helpful to them with stuff... and that's exactly the position the twins were in. They wanted to be helpful, and they always tried, though not always successfully. There was one episode that I don't think I've ever heard people mention but that really showed just how much potential they had. It was the episode where General Zod and his two companions escaped the phantom zone and came to earth. They quickly overcame most of the other Superfriends, leaving only Zan and Jayna and Superman, who had been weakened (I think). It was literally up to them to try to save the day. Jayna turned into a winged horse and Zan into an ice saddle. (clip of transformation here ua-cam.com/video/5GULsZHVyv8/v-deo.html ) They flew above General Zod and his buddies and then Zan changed into liquid nitrogen, rained down on them, and froze them solid. So in this one instance they literally bested super villians as powerful as Superman. (It's also significant because it the only time I can think of where Zan changed into another element beside water.) Of course Jayne screwed up, saying "Zan, I'm so happy I could kiss you", and does, and deactivates their powers, releasing Zod and the others, who then banishes the twins to the phantom zone with the other Superfriends, and in which their powers didn't work.
I always thought they had so much potential. For me, that was the appeal - the journey of watching them become more competent superheroes. They could have done so much more with that. I think Smallville did the best job of capturing that aspect, and that's why it worked pretty well.
One other thing I really loved was the sound effects of their powers. In it's best version (heard here ua-cam.com/video/5GULsZHVyv8/v-deo.html ), I love the initial rising "stretching" sound (not always heard), then the crunchy piano chords, then lingering energizing sound, and finally the glistening crystalizing sound as they transform. Still love hearing it.
The Wonder Twins are something the majority of Gen Xrs can quote.
Shake-n-Bake?
@@garyschaub1116 Willy P
Growing up on the Superfriends for me reminded me of my twin sister and I, as well as being twins of color. I'm very happy that they are making a come back.
The funny thing about Wonder Comics is that the books not written by Bendis are the ones that actually capture that feeling of youth he was talking about. I loved Wonder Twins and Dial H, and am going to read Amethyst soon. Both books can be read as fun and lighthearted, but the Wonder Twins has Marc Russell's signature "socially relevant" humor (Jayna pointing out the flaws in earth prisons and how they only help Luthor then immediately getting kicked out of her field trip was both funny and a great way to incorporate Luthor into the story. Then later when he got stranded in space and was forced to eat the disgusting gruel he forced his underpaid employees to eat). I think it's easy to dismiss the book as just silliness but it really does have something to say and says it well
Dial H is just a love letter to superheroes, specifically Superman. I love Miguel O'hara and Summer as protagonists
The throw away mention of “Dial H for Hero” makes me want to see a video by you on those heroes. Including the super dark and cringy Teen Titans crossover in the 80s.
Definitely, I submitted so many ideas to that comic and they never used them!
If they had been built up from the 70s onwards they could be really interesting characters but nowadays I don't think being twins is enough of a unique flavouring on the teenage hero learning about the world & themselves thing for them to stand out & they really need something to distinguish themselves from all the other characters that fill a similar role.
JLI became JLA again, while JLE ran concurrently, with its own number 1 issue, as all fans of the “Bwa-ha-ha” era know.
Wendy and Marvin all the way!
I have a vivid memory of arguing with my babysitter about how much better they were than Zan and Jana.
Did said babysitter have pointed ears and a penchant for purple? That would explain some bias.
Zan can shape as a freezing wind creating an ice age and Jayna can take the form of a phoenix.
I adored the Wonder Comics run, wish it had kept going because the whole moral ambiguity thing it went for with the villians is definitely not something I see often in comics, at least not treated the way it was there, it was greas seeing these hopeful fun characters go up against what's basically reality, and actually try to explore how superheroes just keeping the status quo may actually be doing harm
@Santiago Ariza
Just so you know superheroes Killing villains/criminals isn't going to make the DC Universe a better place in fact it may make it a LOT WORSE than it was before due to superheroes becoming judge jury and executioners and the governments of the world would grow afraid of them and would probably consider them to be much worse than the supervillains
It's a no-win situation and there is barely any moral ambiguity if superheroes killed the villains criminals then the superheroes become no better than the villains because then the governments and people of the world would turn against them due to fear and paranoia that the heroes would turn on them
@@naquingreen1603 what???? Who said anything about superheroes killing villians????, Have you read the story? I'm talking about how (SPOILER ALERT) the villian wanted to make the world better, literally did make the world a better place, almost ending hunger and poverty, all without killing a single person, and still the justice league just happily stopped him because he was a "villian", (END OF SPOILER) there's nothing in that story about superheroes killing, it actually gave us one of the best depictions of superman, you might have seen that panel of him defending refugees from the military, but still the story explored that mantaining the status quo isn't making the world a better place and that the people in power can do things like ending hunger or poverty, they just don't want to, I agree with you on the superheroes killing wouldn't be good thing, but I have no idea where you got that that's what I was talking about????
I was born in Nov 1973. A latch key kid and raised by early cable TV and Sat morning/ Afternoon Cartoons. I recall so much detail easily. Yet, somehow you taught me so much more than I ever knew about this period of time. G force, Munchichi, Trollkins, Kid Video, Pole Position, Ewoks, Galaxy High, Rubix the Amazing Cube, Dungeons and Dragons, Shanna , Gem, Johnny Quest. Tarzan, Then later Transformers, Mask, Voltron, He-Man, Thundercats, and Finally X-men Gargoyles, Ect. I could go and on and on . Whew, what a run. You have my praise for bringing back fond memories and more. Thank you!
I watched reruns of a lot of old cartoons as a kid, which included the wonder twins. I never forgot them, but they're so absent from everything else that I always wondered what was up with them.
Literally the first person I've seen talk about them on the internet
The Wonder Twins were supposed to be identical twins- On earth that would mean they came from one egg (identical) and have the SAME sex.
I guess on their planet they can have identical twins of different sex.😎
Not necessarily, because I know of indentical twins where one is a male and the other a female they were my next door neighbors for years
@@1967joeberry Wow that is damn near a miracle. Since identicals come from the same egg they are usually the exact same, meaning the same sex. But in rare cases one of the babies can be opposite.
The Purple Monkey Planet is where the Purple Monkey Dishwasher of SIMPSONS legend originates from. 😅
Well, since I was target demo (1-2 years older, really), I'll say that Wonder Twins were pretty popular just judging on the constant references in school and some of pop culture, and seem to have faded because their power set seemed inflexible. Much like how all of the people my age who had a TV know the preamble to the Constitution, we all know the Wonder Twins. Make of that what you will. Also, side note: I'll never quite forgive Super Friends for ruining Aquaman.
People our age can *sing* the Preamble to the Constitution, which is kinda weird when you think about it, but '70s cartoons were full of weird things.
@@Jeff_Faust "In 1787 I'm told
Our founding fathers did agree
To write a list of principles
For keepin' people free."
Went to google it just to make sure I had the words spot on, and "Preamble" was the first thing in suggestions.
I will say this,they redeemed him quite a bit in JL and JLU by showing off his combat skills alongside of his attunement with sea creatures [Which had a badass moment in the Injustice game involving a shark] He's also a very stern but somewhat competent king in Young Justice that I have seen so far.
@@WyntheRogue I'm more fond of the Marvel stuff in TV and film, but I think that's because I'm more of a DC gal when it comes to comics themselves (my gaming name is Stephanie Brown!), so I've only seen bits of JL/JLU/YJ. Was unhappy they left him out of DCAU movie War. In comics, both early Nu52 and Rebirth did him well. Still haven't seen Mamoa's movie, though.
@@ChristyAbbey Same,part of me wants to rent it because I heard it's fun and Jason Mamoa did an amazing job,on the other with the Amber Heard fiasco,I cant bring myself to support somebody so horrid. :-/ I do remember Nu52 did do a pretty good job giving him some needed love. His,Batgirl's and Constatine's comics were my top 3 of the Nu52 run.
This fit is so good! The hair/the draping gives such an angular look. This is genuinely the best "shot from waist up" outfit I've seen in so long, from any creator tbh. Dynamic, simple, clean, effective.
Edit: after watching the video, I realize it's just a crop top and maybe I over reacted. Still a great look tho lol
I’m thinking a slightly darker version of the Wonder Twins would do well on the CW or HBO Max. Also let Zan’s powers be more like Hydro Man. 🤜💥🤛
They were actually referenced at the end of crisis, gleeks cage was focused on followed by monkey noises makin me think they might be characters in flash or Legends Season 8
@@jordantheamazing7565 Funny you mentioned The Flash TV show because Bart and Nora Allen, Barry and Iris's kids, have a Wonder Twins vibe.
As a twin growing up, I had slight announce with them. Because I myself was being treated like a pair and not an individual. So there was a ever slight resentment with what they reinforced. Also, I thought the campy side of comics was lame at the times too. So can say I was just too cool for it at the time with my off-brand light up sketchers shoes and jelled Guy Fury-esque spikey hair and all.
But since I have grown into my own and matured enough miss the simpler times. I can enjoy and appreciate the fact that they are characters who (mostly) have their feet firmly planted on the campy side of DC.
_...And like, I work around some entitled and inconsiderate randos everyday. Survive some stressful financially tight months. My rent just went up (no joke) $400. While I figured out my job position doesn't give raises or promotions. I am practically a young single dad to 2 very_ *sassy* _goldfishs. (My GF, Ms. Corgi is great, don't want to down play her because I was being mellow dramatic.)_
But life can be great, but it can suck at times. Those times, I don't want to be yelling at the screen because Dean and Sam cannot just simply talk to each other about their feelings; while I am trying to scoop double chocolate chip mint ice cream directly to my mouth from my Ben & Jerry's tub. It is just nice to watch something light hearted and goofy time-to-time. Some times I just want to unwind, have a pudding cup, maybe a stiff drink or some weed every other weekend if I can swing it. Just forget being an adult for a bit, ya know? It's not very good coping mechanisms. But I cannot be bothered with feeling guilty about decompressing.... So about campy entertainment, good for the soul. 9.7/10
My intro to the Twins was in the SuperFriends show, and even as a kid, they worked best in the smaller doses. Everyone I knew groaned when we got a Twins-only segment. Where was everybody else?
Aaaannnddd... then we'd watch it anyway because... superheroes!
I can repeat your comment word for word and it would all be true! Bonus points if you watched it on the USA Network and/or Nickelodeon on cable.
In background news, I never imagined Capt would be the little spoon.
You know I'd love to see these two in the DCAU in the Justice League animated series.
They were, in a way
@@juliiju0484 As statues in "Injustice For All".
@@Madbandit77 i was referring to the parodies of the characters in the justice league unlimited episode "ultimatum"
@@juliiju0484 Mea culpa. That was a good episode.
@@juliiju0484 less parodies and more a gritty metacomentary on "artifical" heroes.
Being born in 77, I saw Superfriends on reruns so we didn't really talk about them in school. However I remember this much about them:
1. I had a Hello Fellow Kids reaction to them.
2. The station played a LOT more episodes with the Wonder Twins over Marvin and his idiots.
I definitely think it fits more to have them be a part of Young Justice,than the Justice League
I vaguely knew the Wonder Twins were a thing when they showed up on Smallville, but the biggest takeaway I got was that it was the first time I saw Allison Scagliotti right before she went on to be in Warehouse 13. She brought a lot of fun energy to both shows.
I always liked and remembered the wonder twins. I think DC needs to recognize their potential for great stories. I always enjoyed stories with underrated superheroes that as seen having the worst or weirdest powers like Squirrel Girl from Marvel. There is something unforgettable about people nobody thinks they are powerful or have the best adventures. It be nice to have fun yet amazing stories that is both funny and have serious moments.
The thing with the Wonder Twins that sticks with me is their comic book versions Post Crisis being so alien internally that they thought plastic was food and started eating Cassie Sandsmark's music CDs.
I'm loving this series about the origin of minor characters! Please keep up
I was fascinated by the Wonder Twins when I was a kid. This video is great! I had no idea they had all this back story. Too funny 😂
Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog next?
Sis, I LOVE your hair. And thanks for the look back at the Wonder Twins. They never got it time.
I recall an origin issue of that Super Friends comic for Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog! Each of them was supposed to get super hero training because of something either they or a parent did. I think Wendy's mom saved Wonder Woman's life once, things like that. I guess from Hanna Barbera's side they wanted modern Snapper Carrs so kids would identify with them, but at least Snapper played a role in Justice League history.
As much as I loved Justice League International and it's spin offs, I have No Memories of Extreme Justice. Must have been too EXTREME!!!!!!!!!! for me, hahaha!
Hello Scott. Regarding Wendy and Marvin and their origin, it was never discussed in the comic, but in the letter pages of the first issue, E. Nelson Bridwell gave origins to Wendy & Marvin.
Wendy became Wendy Harris, the niece of Harvey Harris, the detective who trained Bruce Wayne in detection. When Wendy wanted to take up crime fighting like her uncle, he reached out to Batman, and that's how Wendy joined the Super Friends.
Marvin became Marvin White. When Wonder Woman arrived in America, she had no secret identity, only her name of Princess Diana, and her training to be a nurse, as well as her Amazonian training. She was earning money doing tricks with her bracelets, deflecting bullets. One day, she ran into a woman who looked just like her, named Diana Prince. This woman was a nurse who was in love with a man who was moving to South America, but she didn't have enough money to follow. Wonder Woman used her earned money to buy the real Diana Prince's credentials, and took over her identity. The real Diana Prince moved to South America and became Diana White, and gave birth to Marvin. So when he decided to become a crime fighter, his connection to Wonder Woman got him in the Super Friends.
I'm just gonna assume they are loved so much because once blended in a green lantern blender, they go down really smoothly.
They were fun on Smallville. Sometimes the Smallville fan base was… intense…
Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder-dog:
3:03 "...And some really brutal things happened to them".
GOOD!!
Suddenly I had an 80's flashback, the moment I first saw Wendy and Marvin and thought "She's pretty, but neither of this losers belong here". I was a harsh little kid :D
Also, Hawk Girl in a crop top. Hawt Girl.
But speaking of the Wonder Twins, ever since I was a child I haven't be able to look at Zan as anything but useless. I mean, Jayna could transform into a giant squid and help rescue some scientists trap in a submarine; Zan would transform into an igloo, or a bucket of water, And do what exactly? Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them as they are; it's just that if I were trap in a car about to fall off a cliff, the only reason I would get worried if I didn't saw Zan around, it would be because then Jayna wouldn't be able to transform into a gorilla and save me. Yeah, sorry I'm not sorry, Zan.
There was a version of the Wonder Twins in Justice League Unlimited cartoon Season 1 Ep 9 Ultimatum where they are renamed "Shifter" and "Downpour" and are teamed up with other remade Superfriends rejects into a villain team to defeat the Justice League. I thought it was a neat idea.
I think Smallville had perfect casting when they featured the Wonder Twins!
I like when Cartoon Network did a parody where they’re doing a PSA, and ends with a disgruntled Zan being used by the janitor to mop the floor.
Did you know the marvel animated universe on Disney xd got their own comics could you talk about those please hope u see this Sasha CasuallyComics PLEASE SEE THIS SASHA 🥺🥺🥺🥺
If they appear in DCEU they should get code names like from Justice League Unlimited, Downpour and Shifter. Back then they had chalky white skin and hair with pink eyes, but maintained the pointy ears; and didn’t have to touch and say “Wonder Twin Powers Activite” or just “Powers Activate” in Smallville. They just announced their form.
the wonder twins deserve a lot more love than what theyve gotten over the years
“Somebody scare me” took me out! Lol I loved that show as a kid
I was a young teenager in '77, and I liked the Wonder Twins (especially Jayna). In fact, they figured into my 2 favorite episodes, "The Mind Maidens" and "Attack Of The Vampire".
The whole Wonder Twins coming to Earth to warn the Justice League about a threat really makes me want to see a scene in the comics where a messenger comes to warn them and hypes up some evil as plotting something on the planet and it turns out that while the messenger did know the villain had arrived earlier than him, neither they nor the League realize at first that the villain being talked about was someone the league already beat a couple days prior and was no big deal really. "Bombs scattered around the planet to destroy the world? That happens like two or three times a week sometimes around here."
I love the current status quo of the Wonder Twins. Just a neat way to have them pop in here and there.
Love the hair
I've always loved the twins and the water memes. I absolutly adored when in smallvile they used it to the full power of an actual MIST. 10/10
I’ve loved the Wonder Twins since they first appeared on Superfriends when I was eight! I was the target audience! My favorite episode with them would probably be The Demons of Exxor. I loved how their planet was portrayed.
I was born in 1975 and started watching Super Friends in the early 80s. The Wonder Twins were actually my favorite characters on the show; I really liked how they seemed the most like normal people. They were flawed and awkward and made mistakes, and that was indeed relatable. Perhaps it's nostalgia glasses, but I still find them interesting characters and would like to see them appear in new material. I was thrilled by the scene at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths (which I'm surprised you didn't mention in this video) that alluded to the possibility of them showing up in the Arrowverse, and even though the Arrowverse showrunners have yet to do anything more with this tease, I still hold out hope that they will appear. As for how I would like to see them portrayed, I really don't want either goofy comic relief OR super serious and edgy. I would prefer something in between; perhaps a portrayal akin to how The Flash handled Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man. Allow them to retain some degree of their flaws and awkwardness to a point that they're still relatable, but still let them have serious moments and storylines that allow for solid growth and character arcs/development. In fact, with Hartley Sawyer having been fired from The Flash after season six, leaving any planned stories for Ralph Dibny and Sue Dearbon to sit on a shelf collecting dust, I think introducing Jayna and Zan in their place would fill the void left by their departure quite nicely, and could even allow some of those abandoned Ralph and Sue stories to be retooled to fit the Wonder Twins. I really do think they would be a perfect addition to Team Flash, especially since the departure of legacy characters like Cisco and Wells. And since Crisis already hinted to their existence on the Arrowverse's Earth Prime, it would be an appearance that absolutely makes sense in universe. Just my thoughts on the matter.
Lol all I remember about the wonder twins is a bumper on 90's cartoon network where the superfriends are on a plane and Zan mocks wonder woman for suggesting "let's fly commercial it'll be so much fun!"
The "Donny and Marie of Vulcan" knows a little-bit of country and a little-bit of "rock and roll".
Side note I like the purple lipstick and black outfit. Kind of a little nod to the Twins costumes and nicely done at that! :D
8:55 - LOL "Shape of... whatever that mole-thing is called!"
I really liked them as a kid. My brother and I would act out their transformation and I’d carry around a bucket of water as we went to the next mission. We were… really cool.
I actually really like the wonder twins, and appreciated that Bendis actually brought them back into DC canon. I love whenever I see them pop up, and hope more writers want to utilize them down the line. I think putting them on Young Justice or Teen Titans would be good, assuming this time around the team isn't so overcrowded that they get lost in the shuffle. Also, high key, Zan should be super OP as a character since he should be able to turn into sentient hurricanes/tidal waves/storms/etc.
Wow, the Wonder Twins are all but forgotten except that they were standouts among the great superheroes for me as a fresh face refugee kid in America in the mid-eighties on reruns of Superfriends incarnation. I gravitate towards them because they were the outlier of the group, and since I grew up and moved on, I didn’t know what became of them until now. Thanks for the nostalgia.
"She turned into animals, he turned into water
and their monkey had a bucket."
Yup.
"The dangers of joyriding in an airplane"
Darn, and here I was, about to roll my aeroplane out of the shed and just go buck wild