History WesternAnimation / DefendersOfTheEarth

* PsychoRangers: In "The Mind Warriors: Part II", Ming uses Kshin's imagination to create a Psycho Ranger team, with each member designed to counter a specific defender: Radiarm (Flash), Zalzar (Mandrake), Bi-ninja (Lothar and L.J.), Ripper (Phantom), Jammer Head (Jedda) and Neutron Man (Rick).

* TheSmartGuy: It's strangely hard to pin down just who exactly is the smart one in this series as each Defender has their own part they shine in. Lothar is known as a master tactician, Mandrake and Jedda are resourceful with their abilities, LJ is good at leading his friends for a plan that utilizes each of their strengths and even Rick is a computer genius, even if he's [[GeniusDitz not very bright outside his field.]]

* AdaptationalBadass: Not that they weren't badass originally, both The Phantom and Mandrake are even more so than they are in the original comics. The Phantom, who is just a BadassNormal in the comic, can gain a temporary burst of SuperStrength by invoking his [[TheStrengthOfTenMen "Ten Tigers"]] ability. Mandrake, who was simply a skilled illusionist in the comic strip, can use actual magic here.

* CanonForeigner: Kurt Walker, aka N'Dama the Weather Demon, who was specifically created for this series.

The show ran for a single syndicated season of 65 episodes, and had a brief four-issue comic-book series published by Creator/MarvelComics under their "Star Comics" imprint.

* AnythingThatMoves: In "Flash Times Four", Flash is captured and has facets of his personality transplanted into four clones. The romantic one flirts with everything that moves, including ''Flash himself''.

* OffModel:
** Jedda's design was nowhere near consistent for several episodes. She would change outfits, hairstyles, hair colors, and even ''skintones'' from episode to episode. Sometimes you had no idea who the hell she was supposed to be until someone said her name.
** In the episode "The Root of Evil", practically everyone is off-model.
** At least two episodes have characters speaking without their lips moving.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: Pre-teen Kshin can be rather naive, especially in the early episodes, and often gets into trouble because he doesn't fully understand the dangers of the situations he is getting into. Also, when the sight of Jedda in an evening gown elicits a "wow" from both Rick and LJ, Kshin doesn't see what all the fuss is about.

* TimmyInAWell: In the first episode, Kisa, having been sent to follow Ming's men after they kidnapped Rick and LJ to lure flash and the others into a trap, manages to escape from the abandoned prison (where Ming is about to kill Flash, Mandrake, the Phantom and Lothar) and, using their telepathic connection, tells Jedda that "there's trouble inside."

* TimmyInAWell: With a panther, no less.

** Traveling from one planet to another in a few minutes? Yes...

* GentlemanSnarker: Mandrake never loses his cool and always well mannered even when making remarks at his enemies. One legendary moment when approaching an ice robot guarding a prison.

** "A House Divided" has the Phantom's estranged brother, Kurt, say it has been "twenty years" since the two of them last met. The episode features a flashback to what is implied to be the event which led to the Walker brothers parting ways, in which Kurt appears to be in his early teens and Kit (as the Phantom was known in his youth) looks to be around the same age Kshin is when the Defenders are formed. However, since Jedda is well into her teens, this means the Phantom would have been barely pubescent when she was born, so the "twenty years" claim doesn't make sense. Thirty years would be nearer the mark.

* WeakButSkilled: Mandrake and Jedda are nowhere as physically strong as some other Defenders and their abilities revolve around illusions, animal telepathy and limited telekinesis. Not something that can allow them to pummel their way through problems, which means they have to use their wits to overcome obstacles and done so many times. Indeed, when Mandrake punches someone in one episode, he flinches visibly, suggesting that he is not used to physical combat.

** The Phantom in the show is stated to be the 27th one, while the present-day Phantom at the time the show was made was the 21st. Somehow the mantle was passed six times within 29 years, when it usually goes from father to son. Although it's possible they were counting in real time from 1936 (which would see at least the next four phantom's age out by 2015 anyway) which would still be a slightly high turnover for a job that usually changes hands five times a century.

%%* BaldOfEvil: Ming, although his headpiece usually hides it.

%%* CainAndAbel: the Phantom and his brother Kurt.

* DeadHatShot: In "The Ghost Walks Again", where the Phantom falls into a river after being shot. On finding his belt floating in the water, Jedda immediately fears the worst and, when the Phantom is subsequently declared dead (even though his body has not been found) has to decide if she is ready to take over his duties. However, the Phantom has, in fact, survived and is reunited with his daughter by the episode's conclusion.

%%* SpacePirates

%%* StageMagician: Mandrake, occasionally.

* TakenForGranite: All the Defenders except for Mandrake and Kshin are turned into stone by Kronos in the stonehenge. Later, it happens to Jedda again when Ming dips her in a liquid that turned her into some plastic, statue, doll thing. Then to Jedda yet again in "Street Smarts" when ice robots fire a beam that turns her into a statue to be taken away.

* TheyDontMakeThemLikeTheyUsedTo: Ming the Merciless once created robot duplicates of the heroes to frame them. When one of the heroes noticed an arm falling off his robot double, he commented they don't make him like they used to.

* WeakButSkilled: Mandrake and Jedda are nowhere as physically strong as some other Defenders and their abilities revolve around illusions, animal telepathy and limited telekinesis. Not something that can allow them to pummel their way through problems, which means they have to use their wits to overcome obstacles and done so many times.

* WritersCannotDoMath: The Phantom in the show is stated to be the 27th one, while the present-day Phantom at the time the show was made was the 21st. Somehow the mantle was passed six times within 29 years, when it usually goes from father to son. Although it's possible they were counting in real time from 1936 (which would see at least the next four phantom's age out by 2015 anyway) which would still be a slightly high turnover for a job that usually changes hands five times a century.

* WritersCannotDoMath: The Phantom in the show is stated to be the 27th one, while the present-day Phantom at the time the show was made was the 21st. Somehow the mantle was passed six times within 29 years, when it usually goes from father to son. Although it's possible they were counting from 1936 which would still be a slightly high turnover for a job that usually changes hands five times a century.

* WritersCannotDoMath: The Phantom in the show is stated to be the 27th one, while the present-day Phantom at the time the show was made was the 21st. Somehow the mantle was passed six times within 29 years, when it usually goes from father to son.

''Defenders of the Earth'' was a 1986 animated television show, jointly produced by [[Creator/DepatieFrelengEnterprises Marvel Productions]] and Creator/KingFeaturesSyndicate. Set in the year 2015, it starred characters from three [[TheThirties classic]] King Features series -- ComicStrip/FlashGordon, ComicStrip/ThePhantom, ComicStrip/MandrakeTheMagician, and Mandrake's long-time friend Lothar -- as they teamed up to battle the evil machinations of Flash's alien ArchEnemy, Ming the Merciless. The Defenders were helped by their teenage children: Rick Gordon (son of Flash), Jedda Walker (daughter of the Phantom), Kshin (adopted son of Mandrake), and L.J. (son of Lothar).