Superheroes Who Were on TV First

Television has a long history of adapting superheroes from other sources—including, of course, comics, as well as literature, film, and even old time radio. The shows listed below—ranging from M.A.N.T.I.S, the Bionic Woman, and the Secrets of Isis, to Henry Danger and No Ordinary Family—are those rare examples of superheroes that were originally created for TV…

M.A.N.T.I.S.

Shot in the spine by a police sniper during a riot while trying to rescue a child, a wealthy scientist invents an exoskeleton and bulletproof black body armor. Created by Sam Raimi and Sam Hamm, the show aired 1994-1995 on Fox.

Carl Lumbly - MANTIS TV series - Character profile - Writeups.org

Carl Lumbly returns for a crucial role in 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier'

M.A.N.T.I.S. - watch tv show streaming online - JustWatch

Henry Danger

Henry Danger, created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen, aired on Nickelodeon 2014-2020. Henry Hart is a 13-year-old boy in the town of Swellview who lands a part-time job as Kid Danger, a superhero Captain Man. 

The BEST Episodes of Henry DangerEvery episode ever - ranked by fan votes!

Danger Force

A spinoff of Henry Danger, Danger Force airs on Nickelodeon and is created and executive produced by Christopher J. Nowak. Four kids are recruited to attend Swellview Academy for the Gifted (SW.A.G. for short).

Danger Force Trailer BRAND NEW SERIES! | Henry Danger Spinoff

The Bionic Woman

Jaime Sommers takes on high-risk government missions using her superhuman cyborg powers. A spin-off of the Six Million Dollar Man (itself adapted from Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg), The Bionic Woman series (which aired on ABC and then NBC from 1976-1978) was created by Kenneth Johnson.

Interview: Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman) on Sidewalks Entertainment (2010 Video)

The Bionic Woman watch online

Heroes

Ordinary people discover they have superhuman abilities. Created by Tim Kring, Heroes aired 2006-2010 on NBC.

Heroes - watch tv show streaming online - JustWatch

The Secrets of Isis

The first weekly American live-action television series with a female superhero lead character, The Secrets of Isis aired as a companion series to Shazam (based on the comic book character) on CBS (1975-1976). Andrea Thomas is a schoolteacher who transforms into the Egyptian goddess. Developed by Marc Richards.

The Secrets of Isis - streaming tv show online - JustWatch

Isis - Don Markstein's Toonopedia

No Ordinary Family

When the Powells survive a plane crash in the Amazon, they find they have gained special powers. The ABC television series (2010-2011), ceated by Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman, starred Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Kay Panabaker, and Jimmy Bennett.

Watch No Ordinary Family TV Show - ABC.com

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl followed female superhero Electra Woman (played by soap opera star Deidre Hall) and teen sidekick Dyna Girl (Judy Strangis), who worked in their off-time as reporters for Newsmaker Magazine. The show aired in 1976 as part of Sid and Marty Krofft's anthology series The Krofft Supershow.

Whatever Happened to Electra Woman and Dyna Girl

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Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/
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