Superman Through the Ages! Forum

What superhero has yet to have an animated series, but ought to?

Iron Man has had TWO animated series: one in 1966 ("A cool exec with a heart of steel - as Iron Man, all jets ablaze, he FIGHTS and FIGHTS with REPULSOR RAYS!") and another as a part of the Marvel Action Hour in the 1990s, but truthfully, Iron Man's yet to have a DEFINITIVE animated version, the way Batman has.

If we're talking a character that hasn't seen television yet, though...

How about the Black Panther?

The Panther has an incredible world: Wakanda, the Techno-Jungle, the White Gorillas, and terrific gadgets like the energy daggers and vibranium soles that let him walk up buidiongs. As he is a King, he has a very unique role that few other heroes have. He's a character that's so goshdarned COOL that it can appeal to anybody. The theme song suggests itself - a JONNY QUEST style jazz piece with heavy tribal drums.

They could do a five-part opening serial, ala GARGOYLES, where they can place side-by side the Don MacGregor JUNGLE ACTION origin of the Panther (and maybe some of the Roy Thomas AVENGERS origin), right next to a modern-day story based on Christopher Priest's first arc, with the Hatut Zeraze and their master plan to lure the Panther out of Wakanda.

And the Panther has some pretty great villains: Eric Killmonger, Klaw, the Man-Ape, the White Wolf, A.I.M...

The Panther is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast: big softy Zuri, Amazon teenage karate chick bodyguards, Monica, Everett K. Ross (the world's whitest white man) and all sorts of terrific vehicles that would make fantastic toys. I'd love to have a Prowler, his giant robot panther tank, on my desk, that's for sure. And did I mention...

...THE FLYING SUB?

NO, I DON'T THINK I DID!  :D

THE BLACK PANTHER HAS A FLYING SUB.

My God, the toy possibilities. Everybody can get an action figure.

Worried about there not being enough female viewers? Ha! The Panther is one of the few legitimate, goshdarned STUDS that inhabit the adventure comics world.


You know another guy that needs an animated series, who surprisingly, hasn't gotten one?

Green Lantern!

Like the Black Panther, GL has his own very defined world that he inhabits, with very clear elements. He's got a supporting cast both human and Corps members, a very visual set of powers (one that I suspect works better in animation than in live action). Heck, they can break the show up like they did back in the day and do 15 minutes of Hal, then 15 minutes of some randomly chosen alien in some alien environment.