We remember the best episodes of the wonderful Superman: The Animated Series…
Honourable mentions:
Stolen Memories – Brainiac attempts to make a deal with Lex Luthor as Superman discovers more about Krypton.
Identity Crisis – A Sympathetic origins story for Superman’s clone, Bizarro.
New Kids In Town – The Legion of Super-Heroes save teenage Clark from a time-travelling Brainiac.
In Brightest Day – The DCAU’s first dip into the Green Lantern mythos, as Kyle Rayner is introduced.
The Demon Reborn – Final Batman crossover, as Bats and Supes team up to foil Ra’s Al-Ghul’s latest quest for immortality.
10. Mxyzpixilated (S2 E8)
Mr Mxyzptlk is such a zany character that live-action adaptations struggle with him – e.g. Smallville, Supergirl – but he is a perfect fit for Superman: The Animated Series. With some great voice work from Gilbert Gottfried (Iago from Aladdin), ‘Mxyzpixilated’ sees the show embracing its Looney Tunes side for once. An affectionate love letter to the craziness of the Silver Age.
9. Little Girl Lost (S2 E27-28)
After the big finale of ‘Apokolips… Now’ (more on that later), season two ends with this two-part coda that sees the introduction of Supergirl. The idea to make her an honorary family member instead of Clark’s actual cousin is a clever one as it ensures Superman is still unique. Plus, it ends up tying into the ongoing Darkseid vs Earth saga.
8. Speed Demons (S2 E4)
Much more so than Batman: The Animated Series, Superman did some heavy lifting to set up the later Justice League show – with episodes introducing Aquaman, Green Lantern and others. The best, though, is The Flash’s debut. The Man of Steel and the Scarlet Speedster compete to find out who is the fastest – but end up coming up against the Weather Wizard.
7. Knight Time (S3 E2)
A Batman crossover episode that pairs Superman up with Robin instead of the Dark Knight could have backfired but it actually results in something special. Supes has to play detective – and even dress up as Batman! – in order to solve the mystery of Bruce Wayne’s disappearance. There are some fun cameos from members of Batman’s rogues gallery, too.
6. The Late Mr Kent (S2 E22)
STAS wasn’t as fond of high-concept episodes as BTAS but this was a rare and brilliant example of the show thinking outside the box. The episode begins with Superman watching the funeral of Clark Kent (!) and from there we get the whole story through flashbacks, narrated by Supes himself. Surprisingly moody and dark for such a usually bright and optimistic show.
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