History SuperheroEpisode / WesternAnimation

** "Power Pals!" has Timmy wishing up four superhero friends known as the titular superhero team-- Super Sam, Wet Willie, Joan Jet and Dark Mark-- after his friends abandon him after all the times he's taken advantage of them. Timmy's wish quickly goes awry when [[ATasteOfTheirOwnMedicine his new superfriends take advantage of him the same way he did with his regular friends]], then said superheroes mistake Timmy's friends, calling themselves the Anti-Timmy Force Four, for a villainous group.

** Creator/AdamWest is known as Catman, a BatmanParody who is part man, part cat. The same thing applies to his female counterpart, Cat Girl.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'':

** ''The Fairly [=OddParents=]'' loves superhero episodes. Timmy is, after all, Cleft the Boy Chin Wonder. And the Masked Magician. And occasionally Crash Nebula. And his parents are Mighty Mom and Dyno Dad.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' "Big Superhero Wish" episode turns ''everyone'' in the world into a superhero/villan.

** One episode has K, J and L developing superpowers after they are exposed to an alien radiation. Their powers are essentially their biggest characteristic UpToEleven (K is tough and his body becomes rock, L is smart and her brain develops telekinesis and other brain-related powers and J is pretty hyperactive and becomes flexible). Three alien criminals also developed superpowers.

* Interestingly, ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had one of these in "[[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlss3E7JewelOfTheAisleSuperZeroes Super Zeroes]]", despite the main characters already being superheroes. After reading comic books, the girls decide to copy their favorite heroines in order to become better heroes, with Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles taking on new heroic identities as Liberty Belle (notably, the actual name of a {{Legacy Hero}}ine in the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica), Mange (a ComicBook/{{Spawn}} {{Expy}}), and Harmony Bunny (an {{Animesque}} cute rabbit character along the lines of Franchise/HelloKitty), respectively. It [[SuperZeroes doesn't go well]], since Blossom gets stuck in traffic when she drives the Morality Mobile, Bubbles is extremely slow due to traveling by pogo stick and her attacks consist of putting stickers on the MonsterOfTheWeek, and Buttercup won't do anything because of the sunlight. Eventually, the monster himself gets fed up and tells the girls to lose their new identities.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'''s episode "Supersmurf" has Brainy becoming a Superman-like superhero defending the village from Bigmouth the ogre.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' had "A Hero for Halloween", which doubles as a HalloweenEpisode. Penny is imbued with superpowers after eating Proud Scary Snax, and uses them to save her friends' Halloween candy from the [[TheBully Gross]] [[TerribleTrio Sisters]] and her family from a vengeful ghost. [[spoiler:Puff gets hold of the snacks and gains the same powers at the end of the episode.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' had "A Hero for Halloween", which doubles as a HalloweenEpisode. Penny is imbued with superpowers after eating Proud Scary Snax, and uses them to save her friends' Halloween candy from the [[TheBully Gross]] [[TerribleTrio Sisters]] and her family from a vengeful ghost. [[spoiler:Puff gets hold of the snacks at the end of the episode.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' had "A Hero for Halloween", which doubles as a HalloweenEpisode. Penny is imbued with superpowers after eating Proud Scary Snax, and uses them to save her friends' Halloween candy from the [[TheBully Gross]] [[TerribleTrio Sisters]] and her family from a vengeful ghost.

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E4TreehouseOfHorrorX Treehouse of Horror X]]", Bart and Lisa (as Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl) are attempting to foil the Villain Comic Book Guy (the Collector) during one of their {{Bizarro|Episode}} {{Halloween Episode}}s.

* In ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', Orson's Farm occasionally featured Orson becoming "Power Pig" in both "reality" and dream sequences. In reality, his only powers seemed to be having a stupid costume (in his debut episode, he was used to distract the villain (a fox) with his appearance, which caused the fox to fall down laughing); in dream sequences, his powers consisted of something along the lines of Superman's (super strength and flying). In dream sequences, which usually consisted of a jazzed up version of the problem of the episode being solved, he was used as an inspiration for what Orson did in "real life".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' had "A Hero for Halloween", which doubles as a HalloweenEpisode. Penny is imbued with superpowers after eating Proud Scary Snax, and uses them to save her friends' Halloween candy and her family from a vengeful ghost.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCasagrandes'' has [[Recap/TheCasagrandesS2E8IBreakfastBotDynamicDoOver "Dynamic Do-Over"]]. After a disastrous meeting with El Falcon leaves Carl [[BrokenPedestal disillusioned and miserable]], Bobby decides to become the Flaming Wing Hero himself to rekindle his cousin's spirit. He even rallies his family members to dress up as villains to keep up the charade.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' episode, "James the Super Engine", James fantasizes about being a superhero called the Rail Rocket after hearing about a comic book superhero called the Red Shadow. When a barrel of oil spills over James' eyes, it makes him look like he's wearing a superhero mask. James spends the rest of the day pretending to be the Rail Rocket, but has a hard time finding anyone who needs to be saved. He eventually saves Rebecca from being hit by a falling coal hopper when an accident with Percy's freight cars causes said coal hopper to fall over.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'': In one episode, a comic book superhero (similar in powers to ComicBook/{{Superman}}) literally comes out of the pages, alongside the supervillain (a MadScientist in a mechanical suit ala ComicBook/LexLuthor). The hero at first thought the Ghostbusters were supervillains but when things get clear they team-up to fight the villain.
* While not a superhero episode as a whole, the Coyote hopelessly and hilariously subverts this in the ''[[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Road Runner]]'' cartoon "Fast And Furry-ous." He dons a superhero outfit thinking it will allow him to fly. [[GravityIsAHarshMistress Gravity says otherwise.]] (Chuck Jones described it as animator Ken Harris in a Batman costume.)

** The WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck short ''WesternAnimation/StuporDuck'' had Daffy as an incompetent Superman parody who, thanks to overhearing a radio serial, went around causing trouble and suffering AmusingInjuries while trying to thwart what he thought was the work of a mad bomber. Also the latter-day short ''Superior Duck''.
* ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack: The Series'':

* Hanna-Barbera's animated series ''Abbott and Costello'' had a short titled "Super Lou", in which Lou's FairyGodmother gives him a pass to the MasqueradeBall, which Bud is attending. She also gives Lou a superhero costume and FlyingBrick powers, which he loses at midnight, just after thwarting a pair of thieves.
* Cubby impersonates the "Crimson Avenger" in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears'' turning himself into a Zorro-like hero for a few days.

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
** In the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super-Rabbit Super-Rabbit]]", Bugs acquires carrots which, when eaten, temporarily give him the abilities of [[FlyingBrick super strength and speed, flight and invulnerability]]. Later, the two villains obtain the carrots and gain super powers of their own. Followed up immediately by a ShoutOut to, in the eyes of just about all back then and still many today, some real-life superheroes... the US Marine Corps.[[note]]Leading the USMC to officially induct Bugs as an honorary private in the Marine Corps. He was regularly promoted until "retiring" at the end of the war as a Master Sergeant.[[/note]]
--->'''Bugs:''' ''[sees the villains in Super form]'' This looks like a job for a ''real'' superman! ''[dives into a phone booth, and emerges in Marine Corps dress blues]''
** "Super Rabbit" is also the title of the last episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' where the story is a WholePlotReference to ''Film/SupermanII'' with Bugs as Superman and Daffy as Zod.
** The WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck short "Stuporduck" had Daffy as an incompetent Superman parody who, thanks to overhearing a radio serial, went around causing trouble and suffering AmusingInjuries while trying to thwart what he thought was the work of a mad bomber. Also the latter-day short "Superior Duck."

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' notably had a superhero character added into the second season in Gizmo Duck, but one episode entitled "The Masked Mallard" notably featured Scrooge becoming a masked vigilante.
** Before that, there was the episode "Superdoo," where Doofus becomes a FlyingBrick after he finds [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum a crystal]] that [[VillainOfAnotherStory two aliens lost, after they stole it]] in order to [[GalacticConqueror take over the galaxy.]] He ends up getting rid of the crystal after he realizes [[SmugSuper how self centered he had become,]] and that using his powers to win patches was akin to cheating.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Less Than Hero," in which Fry and Leela gain SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, and NotQuiteFlight WallJump as side effects of a [[SuperSerum medicated muscle rub]]. They are soon joined by Bender (despite his being "more on the supply side of crime"), who could [[SuperpoweredRobotMeterMaids do cool things already]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'':
** "N-Men", an homage to the ''Franchise/FantasticFour'' and the ''Franchise/XMen'', the kids are on their way back to Earth in their space ship (won on a game show in a previous episode) and accidentally get superpowers while passing through the Van Allen belt, each powers coming from what they were doing at the point. Jimmy was drinking orange juice and arm-wrestling (becoming orange and going into a Hulk-like state whenever angry) with Cindy (becoming Wonder Woman, essentially), Libby was putting on vanishing cream (gaining invisibility and force field abilities), Sheen was on a massaging chair (becoming the Flash... his bladder suffered) and Carl belching while drinking soda (gaining supersonic belching abilities).
** A later episode reveals that Jimmy recreated their N-Men powers and made them into packets of powder to be ingested. He has Carl distribute them to everyone, who mixes them up, resulting in himself and Libby swapping powers while Cindy swaps powers with Sheen (although at the end, after the powers wear off, Cindy takes a swig of her own packet and regains her old powers so that she can dispose of a bomb). Jimmy's got switched with a love potion from another episode, so he uses that to make two of the villains fall in love with each other.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': "Let's Play Justice Masters", where Kaeloo is dressed as Franchise/{{Zorro}}, Stumpy as Series/Batman1966 and Quack Quack as Robin.

** In the season 4 episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E6PowerPonies Power Ponies]]", Spike and the Mane Six are accidentally pulled into the world of one of Spike's favorite superhero comics, and must protect the city of Maretropolis from [[PrehensileHair the Mane-iac]]. Each member of the Mane Six becomes a CaptainErsatz of a famous superhero; Rainbow Dash as ComicBook/TheMightyThor or ComicBook/{{Storm}}, Pinkie Pie as ComicBook/TheFlash, Rarity as ComicBook/GreenLantern, Applejack as ComicBook/WonderWoman (with some ComicBook/{{Batman}} thrown in) and Fluttershy as ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk (yes really). Twilight Sparkle seems to be the odd one out, possibly being either [[ComicBook/XMen Cyclops or Iceman]][[note]]She can shoot a freeze ray from her horn[[/note]]. [[ButtMonkey Spike]] meanwhile regrettably gets forced into the role of the seemingly pointless ComicBook/{{Robin}}-like sidekick (but he ends up saving the team by the end of the episode).

** Several episodes in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 1987 TMNT cartoon series]]'' including "Super Irma", "Raphael Vs. The Volcano," "Night of the Dark Turtle," and "Super Hero for a Day."
** The [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 series]] has several as well, as a Justice League type team actually exists in this world, and Michelangelo occasionally dips into his persona as "The Turtle Titan". Then there's the AlternateRealityEpisode where he encounters the main cast in a world where they are ALL superheroes and [[spoiler:Splinter is their archenemy.]]

* From ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', the segment, "Just-Us League of Super Toons" (part of "[[Recap/TinyToonAdventuresS32NewClassDay New Class Day]]") where Plucky plays the role of Batduck (ComicBook/{{Batman}}) and Hamton plays the role of Decoy (Robin). Buster plays the role of Superbun (ComicBook/{{Superman}}) and introduces Plucky to the Just-Us League of Supertoons, consisting of himself, Wonder Babs (Babs as ComicBook/WonderWoman), Little Dasher (Little Beeper as ComicBook/TheFlash), Hawk Loon (Shirley as Hawgirl), Aquamutt (Byron Basset as ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}), Pink Canary (Sweetie as ComicBook/BlackCanary), Keen Arrow (Calamity Coyote as ComicBook/GreenArrow), and Scentenna (Fifi as ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}).

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' had the family mutated by a crashed toxic waste truck. Most of their powers were "[[StockSuperpowers normal]]", but [[ButtMonkey Meg's]] power was [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway super amazing fingernail growth]]. Since they behave like villains, Mayor West tries to get superpowers the same way... [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome and gets cancer instead]]. However, his illness is the family's wake-up call, and they vow to use their powers only for good.

* Interestingly, ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had one of these in "Super Zeroes", despite the main characters already being superheroes. After reading comic books, the girls decide to copy their favorite heroines in order to become better heroes, with Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles taking on new heroic identities as Liberty Belle (notably, the actual name of a {{Legacy Hero}}ine in the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica), Mange (a ComicBook/{{Spawn}} {{Expy}}), and Harmony Bunny (an {{Animesque}} cute rabbit character along the lines of Franchise/HelloKitty), respectively. It doesn't go well, and the MonsterOfTheWeek itself complains about it.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' episode, "James the Super Engine", James fantasizes about being a superhero called the Rail Rocket after hearing about a comic book superhero called the Red Shadow. When a barrel of oil spills over James' eyes, it makes him look like he's wearing a superhero mask. James spends the rest of the day pretending to be the Rail Rocket, but has a hard time finding anyone who needs to be saved. He eventually saves Rebecca from being hit by a falling coal hopper when an accident with Percy's freight cars causes said coal hopper to fall over.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'' has Dale obtaining a fragment of a meteor that gives him super-stretching powers ([[HilariousInHindsight ironically similar]] to those of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Mister Fantastic]]) and the becomes a superhero... at the same time that the VillainOfTheWeek obtains another fragment that gives him the same powers.

** A later episode was "Patrick-man!" where Patrick tries to be a superhero.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' had the episode "Super Zero" where Grim makes Billy a superhero with the power to squirt yogurt from his armpits. The boy then [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace heads off to space]] to fight an evil space empire.

* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': "Challenge of the Super Friends" which Mac becomes the sidekick for the superhero imaginary friend Imaginary Man while Bloo became the evil sidekick of Imaginary Man's enemy Nemesis[[spoiler:ter]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' had an episode where Kowalski, Rico, and Private find a bunch of comic books and decide to become costumed vigilantes around the zoo. When Julian finds the comics, he decides to become one as well, but confuses the superhero with the supervillain and needs to be stopped by the penguins.

* Interestingly, ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had one of these in "Super Zeroes", despite the main characters already being superheroes. After reading comic books, the girls decide to copy their favorite heroines in order to become better heroes, with Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles taking on new heroic identities as Liberty Belle (notably, the actual name of a {{Legacy Hero}}ine in the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica), Mange (a ComicBook/{{Spawn}} {{Expy}}), and Harmony Bunny (an {{Animesque}} cute rabbit character along the lines of Franchise/HelloKitty). It doesn't go well, and the MonsterOfTheWeek itself complains about it.

* ''WesternAnimation/QuackPack'':
** "The Really Mighty Ducks", in which Professor von Drake has built a machine that grants superpowers. Our three protagonists use it, and emerge as... "Brain Boy!" "Captain Muscle!" "...and...[[BuffySpeak the Really-Incredibly-Fast Guy]]!"
** Also haq a SequelEpisode where the boys become their superhero alter egos again in order to save Donald. Louie notes [[NiceJobBreakingItHero that they seem to do more harm than good]].