Issue Description

The Super Friends battle the Menagerie Man.  At a charity basketball game at Gotham Gardens, the Menageria Man strikes with cheetahs and gazelles, seemingly coming out of nowhere.  He demands the crowd throw down thier jewelry.  Wendy and Marvin were at the game and she contacts Batman.  Batman controls the animals but MM disappears along with his animals.  Wendy then contacts all of the Super Friends. 
At the Hall of Justice, the Atom arrives as well to participate in the case.  The Super Friends figure MM used teleportation to escape. Commisioner Gordon contacts Batman at the Hall of Justice to tell him that MM struck again at the Big Dipper Night Club.  Marvin noticed a big dog on the screen, the same one that was at the basketball game and he realizes the dog was a clue.  The Super Friends then decide to pick events that have animal related themes as likely targets for MM.  Wendy and Marvin go with The Atom to a special display of Cat's Eye Jewels at the Palace of Gems. 
The Menagerie Man does indeed strike there, seeking the jewels and with a press of his belt, tigers and lions appear.  Somehow Atom's size and weight controls are affected and he is returned to Ray Palmer.  He shrinks down again and he realizes that the Menagerie Man controls the size of the animals and keeps them in different compartments on his belt.  The dog is MM transportation after he shrinks himself down.  Wendy and Marvin figure out MM ability to disappear as well and back at the Hall of Justice they wonder how MM can do the same thing Atom has but Atom has been doing it for years.   
At this point there is a 2 page flashback on Atom's origin.  The Super Friends figure out MM next strike will be at the Ivory exhibit and all members are going to stake it out.  Superman and Batman notice the dog walking in (carrying MM and the animals)  He appears with walruses but when they don't heed his orders, Aquaman tells thim that since walruses are sea mammals, they obey him above all.  So MM shrinks them.  Then hippos and elephants are enlarged but all the Super Friends subdue pitch in to subdue them.  As MM tries to escape, Wonder dog confronts the other dog and slows him down so Atom can stop MM.  Back at the Hall of Justice, Atom tells Wendy and Marvin the real reason he came by.  The Super Friends wanted to give Wendy and Marvin a Final Exam (ever since they defeated the world Beater).  They past displaying terrific detective skills.  Wendy realized that they are going to soon graduate from HS and Marvin expresses excitement at teaming with the entire Justice League

Super Friends

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

Since 1973, Alex Toth's rendering of the JLA had dominated Saturday morning television. In fact, Hanna-Barbera's animated "Super Friends" proved so successful that DC brought the concept full circle, adapting the show into a comic. Scribe E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Ric Estrada crafted the inaugural issue, pitting "the most powerful forces of good ever assembled" against a band of self-proclaimed, "Super Foes." Although not considered DC canon, "Super Friends" enjoyed nearly a five year run in comics form, lasting for 47 issues.

The team started as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin, Aquaman, Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog. There was a storyline in issue 7 which lasted 3 issues where the Wonder Twins (Zan, Jayna, Gleek) came to Earth to warn Earth's heroes of an impending threat by the name of Grax. This storyline included the entire Justice League and the Global Guardians. At the end of the story (Issue 9) Wendy and Marvin had captured Grax and The Super Friends said that they completed their training and were ready to become full fledged super heroes. Both kids said they were going to college and Zan and Jayna asked if the Super Friends would train them and they agreed. Many issues had morals for the Wonder Twins to learn. Issue 10 showed us that an old friend of Superman and Batman, Professor Carter Nicholls agreed to be the Guardian of Zan and Jayna and he came up with alter egos and a European Country that they came from. Also we met a group of alien heroes who tracked a beautiful woman to earth. The twins learned a valuable lesson that the monsters were the heroes and the beauty was the evil one.

Many heroes guest starred as well as supporting characters from the Super Friends individual books. Solovar and King Vulko were in issue 11 and the SF battled the Kingslayer. In issue 12 TNT and Dynamite guest starred and their were brief visits to Atlantis and the Bottled City of Kandor. Several villains such as Grax, Overlord, and Menagerie Man made multiple appearances. The Super Friends also battled villains from other heroes' Rogues Gallery such as : (Mirror Master-23 )Flash Villain, Flash Villain (Weather Wizard-37), Atom Villain (Chronos-22), WW and Flash villains(Giganta and Grodd-30). Many other guest stars included Mera and Aqualad (issues 25 and 27), Jimmy Olsen (28), Black Orchid (31), Scarecrow (32), Hawkman (33), Plastic Man (36), Supergirl (37), Topo (38), Green Fury (42-44, 47) and the Global Guardians (45-46).

When DC expanded their books to 25 pages, in SF there were rotating solo stories beginning with issue 35. The Wonder Twins, Jack O Lantern, and the Seraph rotated solo back-up stories with Plastic Man joining the rotation in issues 44 and 46. Issue 47 ended the run with a full length adventure guest starring the Green Fury and a trip to Brazil, ending in a death of someone the Green Fury new. The Super Friends went to Exxor in issues 21 and 46 and to Atlantis in issue 27 and Gorilla City in Issue 30. All in all it was a very fun run. The JLA Satellite was used several times (2, 3 7-9,16) and old JLA villains made appearances.

Felix Faust (28), Kanjar Ro, Queen Bee (45-46) along with Sinestro, Hector Hammond and World Beater (45-46)

Collected EditionsShowcase Presents: Super Friends vol. 1 (#1-35)

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