Unveiling Justice Friends: The Epic Superhero Cartoon Everyone Must Know

Summary

The Justice Friends is a highly underrated superhero series that was a segment within Dexter's Laboratory, often overshadowed by the main show.

The characters featured in The Justice Friends are comedic imitations of well-known superheroes such as Captain America, Superman, Thor, and the Hulk. This show cleverly blends elements of superhero stories with comedy, playfully satirizing popular superhero groups like the Avengers and the Justice League, while also incorporating humorous nods to '90s sitcoms like Friends.

The Justice Friends is a hidden gem among superhero series that holds a special place in the hearts of Cartoon Network viewers from the late '90s. Even after two decades, the top '90s shows on Cartoon Network still captivate audiences, either through reboots like The Powerpuff Girls, internet memes featuring Johnny Bravo, or the success of their creators, such as Genndy Tartakovsky from Dexter's Laboratory. With a more daring and mature approach than Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, Cartoon Network was the ultimate Saturday morning cartoon destination for many '90s kids.

'90s cartoons evoke a wave of nostalgia, and The Justice Friends possesses all the characteristics of those unforgettable animated series. It brings humor, top-notch animation, and excellent voice acting, setting itself apart from the rest of the television landscape at that time. The show follows three original superheroes, placing them in a sitcom-like scenario where their problems revolve around everyday roommate issues. Although primarily aimed at children, The Justice Friends offers plenty for older viewers as well. While it may not have achieved the same level of popularity as some of its counterparts, upon revisiting the series, it becomes evident that The Justice Friends was unjustly overlooked.

The Justice Friends Is Not An Actual Show

The Justice Friends Are A Parody Of Comic Characters

The Justice Friends, an underrated segment within Dexter's Laboratory, is noteworthy for not being a standalone series but rather a part of creator Genndy Tartakovsky's Cartoon Network show. Following the adventures of the highly intelligent young boy with a mysterious Russian accent, each 21–22 minute episode of Dexter's Laboratory was divided into 2–3 segments lasting 7–12 minutes. Among these segments, The Justice Friends offered a refreshing break from Dexter's escapades while often remaining overshadowed by the more popular aspects of Dexter's Laboratory.

Each member of The Justice Friends is clearly inspired by iconic characters from both Marvel and DC comics. One example is Major Glory, who combines the qualities of Captain America and Superman. As the self-appointed leader of the team, Major Glory thrives on attention, but his love for the limelight often leads him into trouble. Another member is Val Hallen, a clever play on Van Halen, who embodies the power of Thor in a Southern California surfer persona. Lastly, we have The Infraggable Krunk, a formidable superhero who bears a striking resemblance to the Incredible Hulk, the only difference being his purple skin and green shorts.

Creator Genndy Tartakovsky Learned English From Marvel Comics, Which Inspired Justice Friends

Genndy Tartakovsky, a renowned animator from Russia, has gained fame for his notable works in both television and film. Some of his widely recognized creations include Samurai Jack and Hotel Transylvania. At the age of seven, Tartakovsky and his family relocated from Russia to Chicago, where he began his journey towards excellence (according to Jewish Journal). Tapping into his passion for animation, Tartakovsky learned English by immersing himself in Warner Bros. cartoons and Marvel Comics, which greatly influenced his future career. Notably, The Justice Friends stands as one of Tartakovsky's earliest endeavors, melding his adoration for superheroes and animation.

The Justice Friends Began As Background Characters

Following Dial M for Monkey, the initial segment aired on Dexter's Laboratory was not The Justice Friends. Monkey, one of Dexter's experiments, acquired extraordinary strength and combat skills. Unbeknownst to Dexter, Monkey uses these abilities to secretly combat crime. The introduction of The Justice Friends took place in season 1, episode 2b titled "Dial M for Monkey: Rasslor." In this episode, the antagonist Rasslor challenges every superhero on earth to a wrestling match. Despite Rasslor defeating the three primary members of The Justice Friends, Monkey ultimately emerges victorious.

The Justice Friends Appear In The Powerpuff Girls

The Justice Friends Is A Parody Of Sitcoms

The Justice Friends make an appearance in Dexter's Laboratory, but they also make a guest appearance in The Powerpuff Girls season 4, episode 5, "Members Only". In contrast to their role in Dexter's Laboratory, the Justice Friends have a more active interaction with the main characters in this episode. Alongside several new superheroes, Val Hallen and Major Glory are part of the Association of World Super Men, which unfortunately excludes the Powerpuff Girls because of their gender. Major Glory and Val Hallen, although slightly deviating from their usual characterizations in Dexter's Laboratory, exhibit chauvinistic attitudes but eventually realize their mistakes by the end of the episode.

Justice Friends not only parodies superheroes and comic teams, but also cleverly spoofs multi-camera sitcoms from the '90s, such as Friends. In the first season, a laugh track accompanies the show and the main characters even read a title card. Although these conventions are disregarded in the second season of Dexter's Laboratory, each episode still opens with a title card featuring the heroes innocently smiling while seated on a sofa, portraying them as ordinary individuals rather than superpowered beings. Their relatable problems, relationships, and humble apartments all pay homage to the classic sitcom format.

The Justice Friends Spoofs The Avengers And The Justice League

From the name alone, it is evident that The Justice Friends serves as a parody of well-known superhero collectives like the Avengers and the Justice League. One might often wonder why certain superheroes decide to collaborate in the first place, and The Justice Friends cleverly mocks this notion by placing these dissimilar superheroes in an even more intimate relationship – as roommates. In addition to the three main characters, the Justice Friends' super group comprises a range of seldom-seen heroes such as Phan Tone, Living Bullet, White Tiger, Tiki Torch, Miss Spell, Capital G, Commander, Ratman, and Snowman. Similar to mainstream superhero teams, these secondary characters are often overshadowed by the standout main characters, leading to their frequent neglect.

The Justice Friends Meet Dexter In One Episode

In the final episode of The Justice Friends, they join forces with Dexter in a rare appearance together. This special episode, titled "Last But Not Beast," takes place in Season 2, episode 39 of Dexter's Laboratory. In this installment, Dexter embarks on a foreign exchange program in Japan, where he unintentionally summons a powerful monster called Badaxtra. Despite the efforts of The Justice Friends and Monkey, none of them can vanquish the destructive creature. However, everything changes when Dexter decides to unveil his secret laboratory to his family and seek their assistance. With their united efforts, they successfully manage to defeat the menacing monster. This memorable episode marks the last appearance of The Justice Friends, providing a fitting conclusion for the team that had always struggled to achieve great accomplishments.

There Are Nine Justice Friends Episodes

Even though Dexter's Labratory featured a total of 78 episodes spread across four seasons, The Justice Friends had a significantly smaller number of only nine episodes, all of which aired during season 2. Throughout these episodes, the Justice Friends encounter typical, everyday challenges such as having disagreements over what television show to watch, dealing with a bumblebee that enters their apartment, and even engaging in sporadic dentistry procedures on one another. While occasional appearances are made by other superheroes and supervillains, the overarching plot primarily revolves around more mundane issues, such as a hero with a rat theme attempting to resolve a pest control problem in the basement of an apartment complex.

Tartakovsky Feels Like The Justice Friends Could Have Been More

The Justice Friends, with only nine short episodes, was never fully explored. In an interview with IGN, Tartakovsky expresses his dissatisfaction with how The Justice Friends turned out, stating, "Justice Friends. I feel it could have been funnier and the characters could have been fleshed out more." This concept had great potential that could have been realized with more time for development. The similar tone between The Justice Friends and the popular show Teen Titans Go! indicates the appeal of this style. However, The Justice Friends may have been ahead of its time, appearing a decade before the surge of superhero films and TV shows.