1970s Live-Action Versions Of Popular Superheroes
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Movies: Superman (1978)
Character: Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman
Actor: Christopher Reeve
Details: The original Superman film is arguably the best of the bunch, and the role made Christopher Reeve a household name. The film tells the story of Krypton's doom, Kal-El's salvation, and his arrival in Kansas, where he is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent.
As young Clark Kent matures, he learns of his identity as a Kryptonian; having been raised by caring and thoughtful Americans, he becomes Superman, a hero who fights for - all together now - truth, justice, and the American way.
Reeve would continue to play the character well into the 1980s in three sequels. Superman would return to film and television many times over the years, but few could compete with the Reeve's work, making him still the definitive screen Superman in the minds of many.
Is this a good adaptation?Series: Wonder Woman (1975 - 1978)
Character: Diana Prince / Wonder Woman
Actresses: Lynda Carter and Cathy Lee Crosby (Pilot)
Details: Wonder Woman was a huge hit in the mid-1970s, and it was largely due to Carter's lead performance. She played Diana Prince, an Amazonian warrior chosen to aid the Allies during WWII in their fight against the Axis powers.
She returns 30 years later at the behest of Steve Trevor Jr., the son of the man who was the impetus for her call to action in the first place. Following him back to the world of man, she continues to fight evil and stand for justice as Wonder Woman.
On the series, she has many of the same traits as her comic book counterpart, including a magic belt which gives her strength, bracelets that can stop bullets, a tiara that can be thrown like a boomerang, and a lasso that can force people to reveal the truth. She changes into her costume via a distinctive spin that magically alters her appearance.
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3Steve Austin In 'The Six Million Dollar Man'
Series & TV Movie: The Six Million Dollar Man TV Movie (1973) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974 - 1978)
Character: Colonel Steve Austin / The Six Million Dollar Man
Actor: Lee Majors
Details: After ace test pilot Colonel Steve Austin's ship goes down, he nearly perishes, requiring more than simple medicine to get him back on his feet. The US Government rebuilds Austin, making him faster, stronger, better than the average man.
He's implanted with nuclear-powered cybernetic parts, giving him superhuman speed and strength. With his newfound abilities, Colonel Austin becomes a secret agent, working for the government against the forces of evil and injustice wherever they may be found.
The Six Million Dollar Man was a massively popular series in the 1970s, going on to sell lunchboxes, toys, and pretty much anything else they could stamp Austin's face onto. The series also spawned a spinoff called The Bionic Woman, which was also successful.
Is this a good adaptation?Series: The Incredible Hulk (1977 - 1982)
Character: Dr. David Banner and The Incredible Hulk
Actors: Bill Bixby (Banner) and Lou Ferrigno (Hulk)
Details: The Incredible Hulk was a big hit - arguably the first hugely successful television series to feature a live-action version of a Marvel character.
There were some changes made to the characters: Banner's first name was inexplicably switched from Bruce to David, and the Hulk was much weaker than his comic book counterpart (to say nothing of his Avengers movie incarnation, in which he seems to have almost unlimited strength). The plot centers around Banner traveling around the country trying to remain inconspicuous, but always getting upset and transforming into the Hulk.
Things usually resolve with the help of some green-skinned fisticuffs, and then Banner goes his lonely way again - all the while pursued by an investigative reporter named Jack McGee who believes the Hulk to be a deadly menace and seeks to expose him once and for all.
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5The Doctor In 'Doctor Who'
Series: Doctor Who (1963 - 1989)
Character: The Doctor (3rd and 4th Regenerations)
Actors: John Pertwee (1970 - 1974) and Tom Baker (1974 - 1981)
Details: In terms of science fiction series that have had an impact on pop culture, you don't have to look much further than Doctor Who. The show has been on the air - with a few breaks - since 1963, and because the eponymous character can regenerate, more than a dozen actors have played him.
In the 1970s, the role fell to John Pertwee and Tom Baker, the 3rd and 4th incarnations of The Doctor. Each actor brought a different set of mannerisms and attributes, making the character his own. No incarnation of The Doctor is quite like the others, and the series' popularity only rose with each revision. The '70s were one of the most successful decades for the show, and the Tom Baker incarnation, in particular, remains many fans' favorite Doctor.
If you're objecting that The Doctor isn't a superhero, consider this: he's an immortal alien who travels around in a spaceship/time machine righting wrongs, saving civilizations, and defeating a plethora of evil beings. If that's not a superhero, what is?
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6The Bionic Woman In 'The Bionic Woman'
Series: The Bionic Woman (1976 - 1978)
Character: Jaime Sommers / The Bionic Woman
Actress: Lindsay Wagner
Details: Jaime Sommers was first introduced in a two-part episode of The Six Million Dollar Man as Colonel Steve Austin's high school sweetheart, who went bionic after a skydiving mishap. The character was so well-received by fans that she got her own spinoff series the following year.
After being repaired by the US Government, Jaime winds up with bionic implants in both of her legs, one arm, and one of her ears. These implants enhance her to superhuman levels, and with her newfound abilities, she works as an agent for the Office of Scientific Investigations, taking on spies, mad scientists, aliens, and fembots. (No, really: fembots.)
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7Isis In 'The Secrets Of Isis'
Series: The Secret of Isis (1975 - 1976)
Character: Andrea Thomas / Isis
Actor: JoAnna Cameron
Details: The Secrets of Isis was created to capitalize on the success of Shazam!, and it introduced a completely new character. After an archaeology teacher finds an ancient Egyptian amulet, she discovers that it's a magical piece of immense power. As she researches the amulet's past, she determines that the best way to use it is for its original purpose, which was to fight against evil and protect the innocent.
When she's wearing the amulet and says "Oh Mighty Isis," she transforms into the Egyptian goddess Isis, and with her newfound godly powers, she fights against evil.
Interestingly, this series wasn't taken from a comic book; rather, DC licensed the character following the success of the show with a short comic series. She was later revived by the publisher thirty years, this time as a villain, but that character was slain and another was created to honor the series once more.
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8Mark Harris In 'Man from Atlantis'
Series & TV Movies: Four TV Movies (Man from Atlantis, The Death Scouts, Killer Spores, The Disappearances, all 1977) and Man From Atlantis (1977-1978)
Character: Mark Harris AKA the Man from Atlantis
Actor: Patrick Duffy
Details: An amnesiac man is found who appears to be the last survivor of Atlantean civilization. With webbed hands and feet, the ability to breathe underwater, and preternatural swimming skill, the mysterious individual - given the name "Mark Harris" - is recruited by the Foundation for Oceanic Research, a perch from which he embarks on various adventures of an undersea bent.
The brainchild of producer Herbert F. Solow and writer Mayo Simon, Man from Atlantis began as a series of TV movies released in quick succession in the spring and summer of 1977. Ratings success led to the commissioning of a full series, but the show met with a tepid response and was canceled after just one season.
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Series: Shazam! (1974 - 1976)
Character: Captain Marvel
Actors: Michael Gray (Billy Batson), Jackson Botwick & John Davey (Captain Marvel)
Details: The original Captain Marvel is now known as Shazam due to a decades-spanning trademark dispute, but back in the '70s, he still kicked butt under his original name on the television series, Shazam! (It was only the show that couldn't be named Captain Marvel at the time, but over the years DC has dropped the Marvel language altogether.)
The show wasn't much different from the comics it was based on, and it starred Jackson Botwick (for the first 17 episodes) and John Davey (for the latter 11) as Captain Marvel, a superhero who embodies the characteristics of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury.
In this series, Billy Batson travels the countryside in a Winnebago with the help of Mentor. When trouble strikes, all he needs to do is say the word "Shazam!" and he will be transformed into the world's mightiest mortal, comparable in raw power to Superman himself.
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Series: The Amazing Spider-Man (1977 - 1979)
Character: Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man
Actor: Nicholas Hammond
Details: Long before CGI made it look believable that a man could shoot webbing from his wrists and swing from building to building, Marvel and CBS brought the world a live-action version of Spider-Man who wore spandex and fired out white rope. It's supposed to be webbing, but let's be honest - it's rope.
The series was popular, and it ran for two seasons consisting of 14 total episodes. The backstory follows the comics, with Peter Parker gaining superhuman abilities following a lab mishap. He then creates a suit and web-shooters so he can fight evil in his distinctively Amazing way.
Interestingly, Stan Lee wasn't a fan of this series, which he once described by saying, "They left out the humor. They left out the human interest and personality and playing up characterizations and personal problems." We'd have to wait until Sam Raimi's 2002 film before we got a Spider-Man with all the teen angst he deserves.
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11Electra Woman And Dyna Girl In 'The Krofft Supershow'
Series: The Krofft Supershow (1976 - 1977)
Characters: Electra Woman and Dyna Girl
Actresses: Deidre Hall and Judy Strangis
Details: "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl" aired as a 15-minute segment during the first season of The Krofft Supershow, which was produced by the famous Sid and Marty Krofft, makers of shows like Land of the Lost and H.R. Pufnstuf. The series followed the adventures of Lori and Judy, two reporters working for Newsmaker Magazine.
These reporters share a secret -- they're superheroes. Lori is Electra Woman, aided by her sidekick, Judy, otherwise known as Dyna Girl. They fight the forces of evil with the help of their friend Frank Helfin, who devises various gadgets to help them in their task.
Is this a good adaptation?Series: Wonder Woman (1976 - 1977)
Character: Drusilla / Wonder Girl
Actress: Debra Winger
Details: Wonder Girl, otherwise known as Drusilla, was the younger sister to Wonder Woman, appearing in three episodes of the hit series. Originally, Wonder Woman was described as an only child, which made this sibling's appearance somewhat surprising. But fans liked her anyway.
There was talk at the time of giving Wonder Girl her own series, but Debra Winger wasn't a fan of the character. She managed to get out of her contract with Warner Bros. and all talk of a spinoff ceased from that point forward. Winger went on to bigger things, starring in the Oscar-winning film Terms of Endearment.
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13The Superfriends In 'Legends Of The Superheroes'
TV Special: Legends of the Superheroes (1979)
Characters: Batman, Robin, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Hawkman, The Flash, Scarlet Cyclone, and Huntress
Actors & Actresses: Adam West, Burt Ward, Garrett Craig, Howard Murphy, Danuta Wesley, Bill Nuckols, Rod Haase, William Schallert, and Barbara Joyce
Details: Legends of the Superheroes was a two-part television movie released in 1979 to capitalize on the success of the animated series The Super Friends, which featured the same characters.
This was the first time many of those superheroes were presented in live-action form, though fans of the original Batman series from the '60s were gifted with a return by Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo.
The first episode aired on January 19 and revolves around the Legion of Doom interrupting a birthday party for the Scarlet Cyclone. The heroes must find an incendiary device that their enemies have hidden before it's too late.
The second part aired on the 25th of January and followed the format of a roast hosted by Ed McMahon. Neither Superman nor Wonder Woman were featured in either segment due to their popularity in other projects happening at the time. It's probably just as well for them, as the famously silly production makes everyone in it look pretty ridiculous.
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- Captain America II: Death Too Soon
- CBS
TV Movies: Captain America (1979) and Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979)
Character: Steve Rogers / Captain America
Actor: Reb Brown
Details: Long before Chris Evans strapped on the famous shield, Reb Brown portrayed a motorcycle-riding version of the character in two made-for-TV films.
The plot was changed to bring Cap into the new era by making him the son of a 1940s government agent who was nicknamed Captain America. This new Steve Rogers is an artist who, while roaming the country in a van, is injured in a mishap. After being injected with a serum that enhances his body chemistry, Rogers becomes a new Captain America for the '70s.
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TV Movie: Dr. Strange (1978)
Character: Dr. Stephen Strange
Actor: Peter Hooten
Details: Back in the late '70s, Doctor Strange showed up in a rather odd made-for-TV film, which altered the character considerably. Dr. Strange is a young psychiatry resident chosen to behold the Guardianship of the Light by Thomas Lindmer, a sorcerer who foresees the return of his nemesis, Morgan LeFey (from Arthurian legend).
LeFey's power includes the dominance over men's souls, which was granted by a powerful being known as The Nameless One, and it's up to Dr. Strange to stop her. The plot and alteration to the character didn't sit well with fans when it aired, so it's no wonder the movie now resides in the dustbin of superhero history.
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16Spider-Man In 'Supaidâman'
Series: Supaidâman (1978 - 1979)
Character: Takuya Yamashiro / Supaidâman
Actor: Shinji Tôdô
Details: Believe it or not, Spider-Man made an appearance on Japanese television in a completely different characterization than his comic books or American shows depicted. The series was licensed by Marvel with Stan Lee's approval, but it didn't look anything like the character he helped create with Steve Ditko.
Takuya Yamashiro is a young motorcycle racer who follows his father to a downed spaceship named Marveller. There, he finds Garia, the last surviving inhabitant of Planet Spider, a world wiped out by the evil Iron Cross Army of Professor Monster.
Garia injects Takuya with his blood, which gives him strange powers, similar to a spider's natural abilities. With a special bracelet, he activates a spider costume and has the ability to shoot webbing and control the Marveller, which transforms into a giant robot called Leopardon . With his newfound powers, Takuya fights against the evil powers intent on taking over the universe.
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