- Title: Super Friends – Dr. Pelagian’s War
- wiki: link
Super Friends Saturday takes us back to the Hall of Justice and the adventures of the world’s greatest heroes created from the cosmic legends of the universe. “Dr. Pelagian’s War” offers another episode of the Super Friends dealing with a mad scientist. In this episode, the well-known and respected marine biologist Professor Ansel Hillbrand has taken on the name of Dr. Pelagian (both voiced by Ted Knight) and is attempting blackmail three industrialists who won’t take action to stop polluting the world’s skies and oceans.
Despite their powers, it’s not the heroes but Marvin (Frank Welker), Wendy (Sherry Alberoni), and Wonder Dog (Welker) who eventually find the scientist and help lead the Super Friends to his submarine. Along with his sub and scientific inventions, including delivering his messages of terror via albatross, Dr. Pelagian also learns to telepathically talk to sea life similar to Aquaman (Norman Alden) creating underwater obstacles for the Super Friends to navigate before reaching the submarine.
Released in 1973, the episode is an interesting snapshot of the time where “most” corporations were presented as willing to do the right thing, but only a greedy few were the holdouts. If made today, I’m not sure the show could be as lenient in its view of most corporations working for the public good if control or profits had an effect the bottom line.
