History WesternAnimation / TheSuperheroSquadShow

As the series begins, Doctor Doom has forged alliances with just about every supervillain, forming the Lethal Legion [[GottaCatchThemAll in order to hunt down the scattered fractals]], each of which possesses dangerous and different powers of their own. Doom's forces, including his two primary henchmen ComicBook/{{MODOK}} and the Abomination, dwell in Villainville which is separated from Superhero City by a giant wall erected at the start of the series premiere. Once again opposing Doom's plan is Iron Man, now leading the elite team known as the Super Hero Squad, consisting of ComicBook/TheFalcon, [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk The Hulk]], ComicBook/SilverSurfer, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}. The Super Hero Squad are headquartered in the ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} helicarrier, and are frequently aided in their defence of Super Hero City by their superhero friends, including their boss ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, rookie "Squaddie" Reptil, S.H.I.E.L.D. leader [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Ms. Marvel]], and many more.

The second season starts after the Infinity Sword is reforged; it's taken by the Silver Surfer when he rejoins ComicBook/{{Galactus}} as his herald. The plot focuses on ComicBook/{{Thanos}}, who wants to complete the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet to become supreme ruler of the universe. The ComicBook/ScarletWitch takes the Silver Surfer's place as the Squad travels across the universe to foil Thanos' plan.

** In "Too Many Wolverines", [[Creator/WayneKnight Egghead]] tries to stop Reptil with a can of Dinosaur Spray, only for it spit out whipped cream. This is a nod to Wayne Knight's role as Dennis Nedry in ''Film/JurassicPark'', where he tried to smuggle dinosaur embryos in a can of shaving cream.

* BookEnds: [[spoiler:Season 1's arc starts, as shown in the intro, with the Infinity Sword being shattered as a consequence of ComicBook/IronMan and Doctor Doom fighting over it. In the GrandFinale, Earth is returned to normal when the Infinity Sword (this time with the Infinity Jewels) is shattered as a consequence of Iron Man and Doctor Doom fighting over it.]]

* CharacterCatchphrase: "Hero up," and "[[ImOkay No problems]]... adamantium skeleton." (The latter is given by [[ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} you-know-who]] in a pained or dazed manner whenever he suffers AmusingInjuries... which is often. He also says "Don't call me 'Wolvie'" often. Doom will often be heard yelling "Nuts!" after an OffScreenCrash. {{Lampshaded}} by himself as his own catchphrase at the end of the final episode.

* CloudCuckoolander: Doctor Strange when under the effects of an Infinity Fractal. Not that he's [[BunnyEarsLawyer all that focused]] normally...

* DidNotSeeThatComing: Doctor Doom, word for word, in the ComicBook/BlackWidow episode when ComicBook/CaptainAmerica reveals his own double agent. [[spoiler:Screaming Mimi is really Songbird.]] Also Loki when Enchantress orders Odin to destroy both his sons.

* IWantGrandkids: In "Mother of Doom", Doctor Doom's mother at one point remarks that her son neglected to give her grandchildren.
* IWantMyMommy: In "The Ice Melt Cometh", Pyro comedically cries "Mommy" when he sees that he's about be struck by lightning from Thor.

** The title cards are a homage to the Marvel covers of the 1960's and 70's. In particular, the first episode, featuring the Mole Man, has one that pays homage to the famous first cover to ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', with the featured superheroes standing in for the members of the Fantastic Four.

** Remember that photographer that snapped a shot of the Squad during the first season finale? That's Phil Sheldon, from ComicBook/{{Marvels}} making his first appearance outside the comics.

** In "Too Many Wolverines!", one of said clones is none other than X-23 in a Wolverine outfit, manicuring her claws. [[ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel Which doubles as]] HilariousInHindsight.

** In "Mental Organism Designed Only for Kisses!" when Ms. Marvel falls in love with M.O.D.O.K. (thanks to Amora of course) Hawkeye tells Iron Man that they cannot risk Ms. Marvel siding with the villains, since she knows all of the Squad's secrets. So he tells Iron Man that she must be... destroyed.

* OhNoNotAgain: [[spoiler: Doom's reaction to the Infinity Sword breaking into fractals in the final episode.]]

* SpiritualSuccessor: The whole franchise is most likely to have been--at least partially--inspired by ''ComicBook/MiniMarvels''. With that said, how much of a "successor" the series may be is debatable since ''Mini Marvels'' is still ongoing. Plus, Chris Giarrusso's style and approach are different, in that he depicts the heroes and villains (most of them, anyway) as kids rather than just SuperDeformed grown-ups.

** "Whom Continuity Would Destroy" comes off as a not-so-subtle jab toward Creator/DCComics' superheroes, as it has Iron Man, the Hulk, and Scarlet Witch fight the Squadrom Supreme (Hyperion, Nighthawk, and Power Princess), who are treated as an AlternateCompanyEquivalent of the Justice League (with Hyperion as the ComicBook/{{Superman}} equivalent, Nighthawk as a stand-in for ComicBook/{{Batman}}, and Power Princess lampooning ComicBook/WonderWoman's invisible jet by having an arsenal of invisible weapons and vehicles). The Super Hero Squad beat the Squadron Supreme effortlessly and continue dissing them after their victory.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: While in general a LighterAndSofter version of the Marvel Universe, [[TheCaligula The Red King]] in the Planet Hulk episode is played as a surprisingly straight-up monster until his HumiliationConga.

* WhyWeCantHaveNiceThings: [[spoiler: Iron Man says this after the Infinity Sword breaks into fractals again because of his fight with Doom in the last episode.]]

* WolverinePublicity: {{Averted}}, in that he doesn't hog screentime, but {{lampshaded}} and spoofed with the TropeNamer. When Wolverine finds himself unexpectedly alone with H.E.R.B.I.E. and forced to take on a threat, he sighs and pulls out his "Wolverine Team-Up" checklist; he's been on three teams in-series (the Superhero Squad, the X-Men, and the All-Captain Squad as Captain Canada); and when Superhero City is flooded with Wolverine clones in one episode, Thor muses that it would explain how he's able to appear in so many comic books.

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: [[spoiler: Doom's reaction to seeing the Infinity Sword break into fractals again in the final episode.]]

* AdaptedOut: Franchise/SpiderMan and related characters never appeared on the show in spite of being featured in the toyline and the show's tie-in video games because of rights issues involving Creator/{{Sony}} that still needed to be worked out.

** Creator/AdamWest as the Franchise/{{Batman}} {{expy}} Nighthawk, Creator/SusanEisenberg [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague as the]] Franchise/WonderWoman expy Power Princess, and [[Series/TheVampireDiaries Nina]] [[Creator/NinaDobrev Dobrev]] as ComicBook/WerewolfByNight's girlfriend, [[spoiler:who gets turned into a vampire]].

** "Whom Continuity Would Destroy" comes off as a not-so-subtle jab toward Creator/DCComics' superheroes, as it has Iron Man, the Hulk, and Scarlet Witch fight the Squadrom Supreme (Hyperion, Nighthawk, and Power Princess), who are treated as an AlternateCompanyEquivalent of the Justice League (with Hyperion as the Franchise/{{Superman}} equivalent, Nighthawk as a stand-in for Franchise/{{Batman}}, and Power Princess lampooning Franchise/WonderWoman's invisible jet by having an arsenal of invisible weapons and vehicles). The Super Hero Squad beat the Squadron Supreme effortlessly and continue dissing them after their victory.

* HeroesWantRedheads: When Black Widow ([[spoiler:who is Mystique in disguise]]) briefly joins the team. Except Wolverine. He stays away from dating superheroes and villains alike [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking (and backup dancers)]], which is the exact opposite of his portrayal in the comics.

* CatchPhrase: "Hero up," and "[[ImOkay No problems]]... adamantium skeleton." (The latter is given by [[ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} you-know-who]] in a pained or dazed manner whenever he suffers AmusingInjuries... which is often. He also says "Don't call me 'Wolvie'" often. Doom will often be heard yelling "Nuts!" after an OffScreenCrash. {{Lampshaded}} by himself as his own catchphrase at the end of the final episode.

* AdaptedOut: Spider-Man and related characters never appeared on the show in spite of being featured in the toyline because of rights issues involving Creator/{{Sony}} that still needed to be worked out.

** Captain America, talking on the phone about a reenactment of Gettysburg he's attending: "Relax, Brubaker! It's just a ComicBook/CivilWar, what could go wrong?" It's also a nod to Ed Brubaker, long-time writer of Captain America.

* CouchGag: In the opening of every season one episode, Hulk is transformed into something else; including the original Jack Kirby drawing of Hulk, Joe Fixit, and... a baby. Sometimes doubles as a ShoutOut, such as [[Franchise/TheSimpsons Simpson-]]Hulk.

** In the Squad's fight with the Skrulls in "If This Be My Thanos!", in a seemingly absurd attempt to get past the heroes' defenses, three of those aliens disguise themselves as ''cows''. Definitely a gag at what happened to the Skrulls on their first appearance in the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' when Mr. Fantastic hypnotized the four Skrulls into cows. And possibly a hint, [[spoiler:as done in the ''ComicBook/TheKreeSkrullWar'', that there is one particular Skrull missing and is disguised as someone, particularly a significant guest star, which in this case is "Thanos".]]

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Reptil. Since his shapeshifting powers would either destroy his shoes or render his dinosaur feet pointless (if they were of the MagicPants variety), it makes sense. When he [[spoiler:surrenders the fractal that grants him his powers]], he bemoans "Now I'm just some shoeless guy."

* {{Tsundere}}: Ms. Marvel with... well, everybody.

** Exaggerated in the beginning of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC2fgfcBI0s mother of doom]] where doom not so much breaks the fourth wall but blasts it to pieces.

'''M.O.D.O.K.:''' THAT'S UNSANITARY!

* ShapeshifterSwansong: Invoked when [[spoiler:Black Widow]] is revealed to be Mystique, and [[SlapstickKnowsNoGender a blow to the head from Mjölnir]] causes her to shift into mishmashes of several Marvel characters - in a manner reminiscent of the Hulk fractal CouchGag.

** In one episode, Dr. Doom is deleting friend requests, noting one from "Magneto and Titanium Man". [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magneto_and_Titanium_Man That's the name of a song]] by Creator/PaulMcCartney, a big fan of Marvel.

* GottaCatchEmAll: The first season seems to deal with gathering pieces of an all powerful sword. The Infinity Gems in the second season.

** Taken UpToEleven in the beginning of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC2fgfcBI0s mother of doom]] where doom not so much breaks the fourth wall but blasts it to pieces.

As the series begins, Doctor Doom has forged alliances with just about every supervillain, forming the Lethal Legion [[GottaCatchThemAll in order to hunt down the scattered fractals]], each of which possesses dangerous and different powers of their own. Doom's forces, including his two primary henchmen ComicBook/{{MODOK}} and the Abomination, dwell in Villainville which is separated from Superhero City by a giant wall erected at the start of the series premiere. Once again opposing Doom's plan is Iron Man, now leading the elite team known as the Super Hero Squad, consisting of ComicBook/TheFalcon, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/SilverSurfer, ComicBook/TheMightyThor, and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}. The Super Hero Squad are headquartered in the ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} helicarrier, and are frequently aided in their defence of Super Hero City by their superhero friends, including their boss ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, rookie "Squaddie" Reptil, S.H.I.E.L.D. leader [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Ms. Marvel]], and many more.