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Comic Book / Super Buddies

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Super Buddies was a Justice League-related duology by Keith Giffen, JM De Matteis, and Kevin Maguire, spinning off from Justice League International. The first series was the Formerly Known as the Justice League miniseries in 2004, followed by the "I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League" arc in JLA Classified.

In Formerly Known as the Justice League, Maxwell Lord, in a desperate bid to remain relevant, gathers up former members of the Justice League International and sets up shop in Queens, New York. Unfortunately for him, the locals are not too thrilled at the prospect of having a bunch of C-list superheroes in their neighborhood, and the heroes themselves are ambivalent about working together again. And then aliens invade Queens, seeking the return of Lord's assistant L-Ron.

In "I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League", the team is accidentally sent to Hell thanks to Booster Gold's stupidity, and their attempts to escape cause them to end up in an alternate dimension with evil versions of themselves.


This series contains examples of:

  • Attack of the 50-Foot G'Nort: The group encounters this after leaving the dimension that may or may not have been hell by Booster.
  • Good Angel, Bad Angel: Issue #7 has Guy Gardner listening to his shoulder angel/devil after noticing Power Girl unconscious while in a place that may or may not be hell.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. It's even lampshaded when Blue Beetle accuses Booster of acting like a jilted lover, and Booster agrees that that is exactly what he feels like.
  • Large Ham: Manga Khan is so prone to overwrought soliloquy that his assistant J-Lo has to stop him or else he'll just go on and on.
  • Love Transcends Spacetime: When they get out of hell, the guys end by accident in an alternate dimension filled with their evil counterparts. And Ralph discovered that he can not help but feel love for the alternate evil Sue. In a creepy and disturbing kind of way.
  • More than Mind Control: During their imprisonment by Roulette, the Super Buddies are all placed under hypnotic suggestion so that they don't even consider escaping. Unfortunately for Roulette, the suggestions are in English, and thus Fire manages to break free and release the others.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Under the influence of Roulette's mind control, Mary Marvel beats the crap out of Captain Atom, nearly killing him. When she comes back to herself, she's horrified that she was capable of such violence.
  • Oh, Crap!: Happens on both the cover and page 22 of #4, and a second happens to Blue Beetle and Powergirl when they realizes that Booster is wandering around the JSA headquarters unsupervised in #5.
  • Odd Friendship: Over the course of the two series, sweet and innocent Mary Marvel becomes friends with dirty-minded Fire, even moving in with her in the second series.
  • Running Gag: The subject of being paid is this for more than one member of the Superbuddies.
  • Sexiness Score: Discussed In issue #2 of Formerly Known as the Justice League, Beatriz is watching the Hot Men at Work and giving them scores On a Scale from One to Ten, much to Sue's shock who says it's a juvenile and sexist thing to do. But Sue's even more distressed when Bea tells her that her husband Ralph is a "four".
Fire: [watching a handsome worker hauling their stuff] What do you think Sue— a seven?
Sue: Him? Wake up and smell the Streisand— he's gay.
Fire: How do you known?
Sue: Well, for one thing he's been studying Max's butt the way you've been studying his.
Fire: I still think he's a seven. Maybe even an eight.
Sue: You don't actually rate men On a Scale from One to Ten, do you?
Fire: Of course I do.
Sue: Don't you think that's a tad juvenile? Not to mention sexist?
Fire: You're only saying that because you're married to a four.
Sue: Excuse me?
Fire: Nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure Ralph has his endearing qualities—Most of which escape me at this moment—But you've got to admit—On the physical level—He's a four.
Sue: I'll have you know that my husband is loving, compassionate... he has a wonderful sense of humor, he—
Fire: He's a four.
Sue: He has flexible body parts!
Fire: [suddenly interested] Hmmmmm. But how well does he use them?
Sue: [hesitantly] How well does he—?
Fire: See? A definite four. Now Plastic Man! There is someone who knows how to
Ralph: [walks up behind them] Hey ladies — Whatcha doing?
Sue: [whisphering to herself] Oh my god... I'm married to a four!
Ralph: What'd you say sweetie?
Fire: [looking at another guy] Now there's an eight!
Ralph: You're not doing that thing where you rate men on a scale of one to ten, are you, Sue?
Fire: Oh. Does she do that?
Ralph: All the time. I'd be embarrassing... except she always tells me I'm a perfect ten!
Fire: [looking smugly at Sue] Perfect?
Sue: In his way.
Ralph: My wife, on the other hand, couldn't be rated—'Cause she's off the scale!
Sue: That's my hubby!
Ralph: [walking away] Well... gotta go talk to Max
Sue: He is a four—But I really love him.
Ralph: [from the distance] WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M A FOUR?!
Fire: He heard you
Sue: Y'think?
  • Ship Tease: Happens in #9 between Booster and Fire after they get back from the place that may or may not be hell; but it seems to be forgotten after Booster's Heroic Sacrifice not long after.
  • Token Wholesome: Mary Marvel is so sweet and innocent that she barely comprehends it when her teammates make fun of her.
  • Wall of Blather: After one coffee too many, Mary Marvel does this while on the phone about a new apartment she and Fire are looking at.
  • Wicked Cultured: Played with when a street gang has a slight disagreement in theater-style English about one of them using lousy slang when they notice some unwanted "new neighbors".


Alternative Title(s): Formerly Known As The Justice League, I Cant Believe Its Not The Justice League

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