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Why DC Sued These Forgotten Cartoons Into Oblivion!

𝙋𝙪𝙡𝙥 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 📺

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Why have Superstretch and Microwoman, Manta and Moray, and Web Woman never been on DVD? The answer is in federal court.

In 1978 Filmation packed seven heroes into CBS's Tarzan and the Super 7 — Tarzan, Batman, Freedom Force, Jason of Star Command, plus three originals that vanished after their network run. This deep dive autopsies the 11 episodes of Superstretch & Microwoman, the 7 episodes of Manta and Moray, and the 10 episodes of Web Woman to answer: was it a copyright dispute, or something else?

They weren't lost media. They're legally held hostage.

0:00 The Rise and Fall of the Super 7
1:53 The Goddess DC Stole
4:02 When DC Fought Back in Federal Court
6:16 The Strange Case of Web Woman
9:02 Why These Heroes Stay Buried

#Filmation #SaturdayMorningCartoons #RetroCartoons #LostMedia #AnimationHistory #SuperstretchAndMicrowoman #MantaAndMoray #WebWoman #TarzanAndTheSuper7 #DCComics #PlasticMan #Aquaman

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20 Comments

@osiawideman4851 2 weeks ago

I remember when these heroes debuted in 1977,I was a fan of Super Stretch and Micro Woman and Web Woman

@ComedianBobFarrell 2 weeks ago (edited)

Web woman had different powers and was a different hero entirely

@MegaMagicdog 2 weeks ago

I don't know how they can claim infringement when various comic publishers have their own versions of heroes (and villains) with similar powers - DC has Green Arrow, Marvel has Hawkeye, DC has Flash, Marvel has Quicksilver, etc. . There are only so many powers that exist and they are bound to cross over sometimes. Filmation just made their own heroes with their own power sets.

I used to watch this show as a kid and enjoyed them as much as the more mainstream heroes at the time.

@christamm9407 2 weeks ago

web woman, super streatch and microwoman repeated for years in australia - im sure even into 90s

@notovny 2 weeks ago

Drinking a Serum and stretching infinitely is closer to the Elongated Man's origin (who got his powers from by extracting a serum from a soft drink) than Plastic Man (Fell into an experimental acid vat during a robbery)

@rodneyseabrook8222 2 weeks ago

TBH, Both Web Woman's origins and powers are very similar to DC's Insect Queen. During the Silver Age, Smallville's Lana Lang save an insectoid alien and was gifted a ring that gave her insect powers. She then went on to have adventures with Superboy and The Legion.

Sidenote, her powers caused physical transformations. This resulted in some great Body Horror imagery I would love to see animated.

Also, I loved SuperStreach and Micro Woman. A happily married Black super powered couple working as detectives? Hell yeah,! 😊

@ivane5110 2 weeks ago

I was a kid during this time and loved the Filmation shows; it and Kroft don't get enough recognition these days (well, Filmation does. But just for He-Man, and maybe a distant 2nd is for Ghost Busters). What a shame all of those corporate lawyerings. I'd have loved to have seen more of these shows mentioned. I especially wish they'd lasted long enough to get at least one comic and maybe a figure or two (though that'd be pushing it since so few of the Saturday morning greats got figures), and especially getting a crossover/team-up. I use to wish for them to make a return, but seeing what gets done in "reboots", "reimaginings" etc makes me now more greatful when my childhood shows slip under the radar.

@fatdog1963rb 2 weeks ago

Dc got shazam/captain marvel that way

@WatchSecretCrisis 2 weeks ago

Jessica Drew's powers made no sense.

@geo386 5 days ago

Wow, you really did your research on this. I am older, but I still remember these obscure superhero adventures.

@anthonyqgarcia391 2 weeks ago

I loved the Filmation Superheroes.

@solomonallen3524 2 weeks ago

That's a ridiculous lawsuit over Aquaman there are now multiple water based characters:
Riptide/ youngblood
Abe sapien / Hellboy
Fathom / Michael Turner
Namor / marvel

@eliandervalderen5849 12 days ago

Yeah I never heard of these characters but then again it seems like they were invented and sued out of existence before I was born

@nehemiahpouncey3607 9 days ago

DC and Marvel were notorious for
suing anybody who copied their product.

@MrMetro-mt5qv 2 weeks ago

This IP really needs a proper revival.

@MooButt-l5i 11 days ago

Filmation music and sound effects were the best. I have Lone Ranger, Batman, Flash Gordon, Blackstar, He Man and Bravestarr complete series DVD’s. Marvel Studios and Rankin Bass were amazing too!

@alancarnell2747 2 weeks ago (edited)

I got the Freedom Force dvds from Netflix back when they did DVDs. I miss their DVDs. You could choose a list of them and you were stuck watching the.ones they sent but it was ok. Now my watchlist is huge and I never get around to watching any of them.

@benb3316 12 days ago

The more things change - in the 90s Marvel rammed a throwaway comic called "Plasmer" to market to try to have "FIRST!" rights to sue Jim Shooter's "Warriors of Plasm" the key fiction of the new Defiant Comics universe out of existence. It worked in that while he WON in court it bankrupted the comics. We've got to push for "Anti-Lawfare" rules where someone can use the threat of the damages from legal action even IF when taken to court they'd most likely lose because their opponent can't afford it or it would destroy the profit even if they could. This is behind all Copyright trolling going on.