1976 - 1981
COMICS INDEX
1976 - 1981
COMICS INDEX LEONIDAS FRAGIAS
The Arts & Charts Index to the Super Friends The format and design of this book is based on George Olshevsky's Marvel Index series and Murray Ward's DC Index series. Their books have a beautiful layout which was an inspiration for me. The Official Marvel Index is a series of comic books released by Marvel Comics which featured synopses of several Marvel series. The books were largely compiled by George Olshevsky and featured detailed information on each issue in a particular series, including writer and artist credits, characters who appeared in the issue, and a story synopsis. The Official Marvel Index was preceded by the Marvel Comics Index (also compiled by Olshevsky) and distributed by Pacific Comics Distributors sporadically from 1976-1982. These books were magazinesized as opposed to comic-sized. The first Official Marvel Index titles were published in 1985, and produced regularly through August 1988. A similar series of indices was published for DC Comics. The Official DC Index was released by Independent Comics Group (an imprint of Eclipse Comics) from 1985–1988. The books were edited by Murray Ward. The data for this book is taken from various sources. I fill the gap of the missing data, since I have the complete collection of DC and Marvel comics from the 1930s to the present. Also I made some corrections, when the data is wrong. The book series cover the bronze age (from 1970 to 1986) of DC Comics. This is my favorite era, when it comes to comics. Many thanks to DarkMark, George Olshevsky, Murray Ward, Mark Waid and Mike Tiefenbacher among others. Leonidas Fragias
THE SUPER FRIENDS COMICS INDEX, 2018. Published by Arts & Charts. Editor: Leonidas Fragias, Writers: Various. "Super Friends" is trademark of DC Comics Inc. All art and cover reproductions Š2018 DC Comics Inc.
Super Friends #1 November 1976 Cover Artist: Ernie Chua Story: “The Fury of the Super Foes” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Pencillers: Ric Estrada, Joe Orlando Synopsis: The Super Friends go to three separate locations to stop a band of their old enemies and their enemies’ proteges from stealing the components of a super-robot.
Super Friends #2 December 1976 Cover Artist: Ernie Chan / Vince Colletta Story: “Trapped By the Super-Foes” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ric Estrada Synopsis: The proteges of the Super Foes have second thoughts about their allegiances as the Penguin’s plan bears fruit.
Super Friends #3 February 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon Story: “The Cosmic Hit Man?” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: An alien scientist destroys over 100 super-villains to transfer their power to an android who defeats all the heroes of the Earth, except the Super Friends.
Super Friends #4 April 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Riddles and Rockets” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends must deal with the dual crimes of the Riddler and the Skyrocket.
Super Friends #5 June 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Telethon Treachery” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Greenback, a villain who uses money as a weapon, kidnaps Bruce Wayne for ransom while the Super Friends are staging a telethon.
Super Friends #6 August 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Menace of the Menagerie Man” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends tackle the Menagerie Man, a villain who can cause animal aides to appear seemingly from nowhere.
Super Friends #7 October 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Warning of the Wonder Twins” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Two youths from space crash-land on Earth and inform Wendy and Marvin that Grax, Superman’s old enemy, has seeded the Earth with 12 deadly bombs. The Justice League opts to team with the heroes of other nations to defuse them.
Super Friends #8 November 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Mind Killers” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Justice League and their international hero friends strive to render inert the rest of Grax’s bombs, but are playing against time.
Super Friends #9 December 1977 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Vince Colletta Story: “Three Ways to Kill a World” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: While the JLA tries to finish the last of Grax’s bombs, Grax himself strikes at the Hall of Justice.
Super Friends #10 February-March 1978 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Monster Menace” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends and their two young alien allies must take on a crew of monstrous beings who are after two treasures.
Super Friends #11 April-May 1978 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Kingslayer” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends must stop Kingslayer from killing six rulers.
Super Friends #12 June-July 1978 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Atomic Twosome” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Two radiation-based heroes from the past, TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite, have lost control of their powers, and the Super Friends must find a way to capture them and remedy their situation.
Super Friends #13 August-September 1978 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Mindless Immortal” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Dr. Mist, a mysterious hero, lets the Super Friends know where a mole creature is expected to strike.
Super Friends #14 October-November 1978 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Elementary” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends face the Elementals, a quartet of opponents who command the powers of earth, fire, air, and water. Story: “The Origin of the Wonder Twins” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Synopsis: The Wonder Twins reveal the secrets of their origin to the Super Friends.
Super Friends #15 December 1978 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Overlord Goes Under” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Overlord strikes at four different locations with the powers of earth, air, fire, and water.
Super Friends #16 January 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The People Who Stole the Sky” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends face a race of aliens who intend to prevent all Earthlings from flying.
Super Friends #17 February 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Trapped In Two Worlds” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Time Trapper sabotages Prof. Nichols’s time machine and throws Jan and Zayna across time and space into deathtraps.
Super Friends #18 March 1979 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Story: “Manhunt In Time” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Prof. Carter Nichols sends the Super Friends back in time through hypnosis to deal with the Time Trapper’s menaces.
Super Friends #19 April 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Mystery of the Missing Monkey” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Menagerie Man kidnaps Gleek and trains him to be a thief.
Super Friends #20 May 1979 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Story: “Revenge of the Leafy Monsters” (17 pages) Writer: Denny O’Neil (Sergius O’Shaughnessy) Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Synopsis: Havoc results when Merlin gives a movie producer a magic projector that can bring objects to life.
Super Friends #21 June 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Battle Against the Super Fiends” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends battle shape-shifting nemeses from Zan and Jayna’s world.
Super Friends #22 July 1979 Story: “It’s Never Too Late” (17 pages) Writer: Denny O’Neil (Sergius O’Shaughnessy) Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Chronos uses a device of his own invention to distort time in Gotham City, and the Super Friends attempt to stop it.
Super Friends #23 August 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “SOS From Nowhere” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends and Wonder Twins are sent to different universes by the Mirror Master.
Super Friends #24 September 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Past, Present, and Danger” (17 pages) Writer: Denny O’Neil (Sergius O’Shaughnessy) Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: In a pyramid that bears the faces of Zan and Jayna, the Super Friends discover two ancient Exorians.
Super Friends #25 October 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Puppets of the Overlord” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Overlord brainwashes the Super Friends into becoming would-be tyrants, and their friends and allies must find a way to stop them.
Super Friends #26 November 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Wondertwins’ Battle of Wits” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Johnny Witts and his gang impersonate the Super Friends to learn the Wondertwins’ secret identities and Batman’s in turn, setting up the latter for a deathtrap.
Super Friends #27 December 1979 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Spacemen Who Stole Atlantis” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Poseidonis, Atlantis’s capital city, is abducted by aliens, and Aquaman and his friends must recover it.
Super Friends #28 January 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Masquerade of Madness” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: In order to force wealthy partygoers to turn over their gems, Felix Faust crashes a masquerade on Halloween and magically causes attendees to become the monsters as which they are dressed.
Super Friends #29 February 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Invisible Defenders of Earth” (9 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Despite being stuck in two dimensions at once, the Super Friends manage to stave off an invasion of Earth. Story: “Scholars From the Stars” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Synopsis: The Wonder Twins play tricks on their classmates when the latter try to discover their secret identities.
Super Friends #30 March 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Gorilla Warfare Against the Humans” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Giganta and Gorilla Grodd hatch a plot to turn Gorilla City against the Super Friends by turning its inhabitants into humans.
Super Friends #31 April 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “How To Trap an Orchid” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends become involved in a case in which Lisa Patrick, an old foe of the Black Orchid’s, baits a trap for the Orchid with Kryptonite.
Super Friends #32 May 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Scarecrow Fights With Fear” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Synopsis: The Scarecrow induces phobias in the Super Friends to make them incapable of carrying out their crime-fighting duty.
Super Friends #33 June 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Secret of the Stolen Solitaire” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Menagerie Man goes after a supposedly extinct animal and traps Zan while he is in bird-form.
Super Friends #34 July 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Creature That Slept a Million Years” (9 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: An animal from an alien space capsule lands on Earth and begins creating havoc. Story: “The Boss and the Beast” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: When a neighbor contemplates taking a job with a gangster, the Wondertwins team up to expose the crook.
Super Friends #35 August 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Circus of the Super-Stars” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: The Super Friends hire circus performers to impersonate them while they themselves perform at a circus.
Super Friends #36 September 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Warhead Strikes At Gotham” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Plastic Man tries to bring in a munitions-stealing villain, Warhead, but keeps running into interference from the Super Friends. Story: “The Dinosaur Demon” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: At a museum, the Wondertwins must deal with a menace who reanimates dinosaur skeletons.
Super Friends #37 October 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Bad Weather For Supergirl” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Weather Wizard hits a nostalgia con for theft purposes, and Supergirl is miffed when all the attention for crime-fighting goes to the Super Friends. Story: “The Giant Who Shrunk Ireland” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: Jack O’Lantern goes into action to fight Balor, a giant who threatens Ireland.
Super Friends #38 November 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Fate of the Phantom Super-Friends” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: Grax empowers gangsters to steal while avoiding capture by becoming immaterial, and the Super Friends find themselves stymied. Story: “The Seraph’s Day of Atonement” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Bob Oskner Synopsis: When the Seraph’s fury overrules his judgment, he is taught a lesson by a higher power.
Super Friends #39 December 1980 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The ‘Future’ Son of Overlord” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Overlord creates a hyper-evolved clone of himself to battle the Super Friends. Story: “The Boogie Mania Will Get You” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: The Wondertwins take care of a gang of crooks who threaten a disco.
Super Friends #40 January 1981 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “Menace of the Mixed-Up Senses” (17 pages) Plotter: Nick Pascale Scripter: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Monocle, a new super-villain, distorts the senses of normal people in an effort to break down order. Story: “Blarney For Sale” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: Jack O’Lantern and his fairy pal lend a hand when two conmen convince a salesman into thinking he has bought a piece of the Blarney Stone.
Super Friends #41
Super Friends #42
February 1981 Cover Artist: Ramona Fradon / Bob Smith Story: “The Toyman’s Tricky Thefts” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Super Friends and the Wondertwins team up to stop the Toyman from stealing toys on three fronts.
March 1981 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger / Bob Smith Story: “How Green Was My Gotham” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Green Fury teams up with the Super Friends to fight the Green Thumb, a plant-wielding villain.
Story: “Dry Earth, Stolen Waters” (8 pages) Writer, Artist: Bob Oskner Synopsis: The Seraph acts to stop saboteurs from destroying an Israeli desalinization plant.
Story: “Christmas With Everything” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: The Wondertwins and Prof. Nichols team up to give a generous youth a merry Christmas.
Super Friends #43 April 1981 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger / Bob Smith Story: “Futurio Times Ten” (16 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: The Overlord’s futuristic clone, Futurio-XX, desires a clone of Wonder Woman as a mate, but refuses to take the lives of the Super Friends.
Super Friends #44 May 1981 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger / Bob Smith Story: “Peril of the Forgotten Identities” (17 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: An Exorian villain comes to Earth and robs the Super Friends of the memories of their secret identities. Story: “The Death-Cry of the Banshee” (8 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Banshee wails, and Jack O’Lantern takes it as a portent of his uncle’s impending death.
Super Friends #45 June 1981 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger / Bob Smith Story: “The Man Who Collected Villains” (chapter 1; 5 pages) Chapter 2: “A Sleeping Bee” (4 pages) Chapter 3: “The Monster In the Mine” (3 pages) Chapter 4: “Prisoner of the Deep” (3 pages) Epilogue (1 page) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: Dr. Mist summons the Super Friends and Global Guardians to stop the Conqueror from stealing the weapons of six super-villains.
Super Friends #46 July 1981 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger / Bob Smith Story: “The Conqueror’s Greatest Conquest” (1 page) Chapter 1: “The Cube That Wouldn’t Crack” (4 pages) Chapter 2: “A Villain On Ice” (4 pages) Chapter 3: “Hammond–Dry” (4 pages) Chapter 4: “The Final Confrontation” (4 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Romeo Tanghal Synopsis: The Super Friends and Global Guardians must stop the Conqueror from gaining the last three super-weapons he needs to conquer the world.
Super Friends #47 August 1981 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger / Bob Smith Story: “The Demons From the Green Hell” (chapter 1; 2 pages) Chapter 2: “The Kindling of the Flame” (4 pages) Chapter 3: “Battle With the Beast-Spirit” (7 pages) Chapter 4: “Raise the River” (3 pages) Chapter 5: “Attack of the Living Fossils” (4 pages) Chapter 6: “The Leaf-Devils” (3 pages) Chapter 7: “The Twofold Legacy” (2 pages) Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Ramona Fradon Synopsis: The Green Fury summons the Super Friends to Brazil to help her with a shaman’s grandson who is using his mystic power in destructive ways.
1976 - 1981
An Explanation of the Comics Index In this series, we examine every issue of every DC and Marvel comic book of the silver and the bronze age and also provide you with a color reproduction of the comic’s cover, a complete listing of the creative people involved in producing the comic, a summary of what happened in each adventure, and various other information. All comics indexed in a series will run in serial order, beginning with the first issue or the earliest issue that features the series being indexed. Each of the index entries is as self-explanatory as possible. Some of the criteria we used to create an index entry are provided below. Cover Credits It usually takes many people to produce a comic book cover, from conception and design through coloring and production, and it is impossible to credit them all. The Artist, responsible for the basic execution of the cover, does the lion’s share of the work. If more than one artist works on a cover, some usually pencil and the others usually ink. Records of artists and letterers are sometimes unavailable, particularly for covers that appeared many years ago, so the identities of some cover artists and letterers are the best guesses that the indexers and DC’s and Marvel's current editors and art staff can make. Credits other than Artist or Artists and Letterer appear where known. Story Information Story titles are given as they appear on the title pages, not as on the covers or in coming attractions. When a story lacks a title or title page (a rare occurrence), a note to this effect appears as a Comment. Story credits are taken from the credits as published. As with cover credits, it is impossible to credit everybody who worked on a story, but whenever additional information is available, it appears in the Index. If the published credits in a story are incorrect, the Index corrects them wherever possible.
Chronology A time line for all of DC’s and Marvel's comics that allows proper chronological ordering of the appearances of every DC and Marvel character is far from complete. Nevertheless, some appearances are known to precede or follow others. Whenever chronological information is known reliably but is not obvious from the continuity of the stories, it is noted in parentheses. “First appearance” accompanies a character’s listing when the comic is the earliest one in which the character appears. A first appearance is not necessarily a character’s chronologically earliest appearance, which might occur, for example, in an origin flashback first told many years later. As a general rule, in the case of feature characters who are members of a team but who also appear in their own features or comics, issue-by-issue chronological notations for these characters are made in the indexes to their own features, not in the index to the team feature. For instance, Superman’s chronology is noted in The Superman Index, not in The Justice League of America Index. A casual reading of a few Plot Synopses will make it abundantly clear that a whole month does not usually pass for the characters in between monthly issues of a comic. Many issues begin hours or even minutes after the previous month’s story. Consequently, a character who has had his own feature for ten years will not have aged ten years in the time it took for those comics to come out. As for trying to determine in what year a given adventure takes place, there’s no conclusive answer. Specific dates that appear in stories, as well as mention of current events and popular culture, depictions of contemporary fashions, and usage of contemporary slang, are all what is known as Topical References. These are specific details added by a writer or artist to a story to make it seem current at the time the story is being published. They are not necessarily indicators of when — what year or even what decade — a story took place.