Destroy the Defendroids/The Adoption is an episode of season 1 of Superman. It premiered on September 17, 1988.
Synopsis for "Destroy the Defendroids/The Adoption"
Destroy the Defendroids
Superman and Lois Lane are flying over Metropolis. Superman spots a tank attacking the city and leaves Lois safely behind to investigate. Using his X-ray vision, he notices the tank is being remotely controlled and destroys it. Simultaneously, a Defendroid, a robot created by Lex Luthor, infiltrates the area to search for information on "Operation Nugget". When Lois enters the scene, the robot attacks her, but Superman intervenes, using his super breath to expel the Defendroid from the building.
Superman then flies with the tank to Luthor's mansion and throws it into his pool. He accuses Luthor of being responsible for the robots, but Lex, wearing a kryptonite ring, weakens Superman and denies any involvement, claiming he only manufactures the machines. Superman retreats but warns that the fight is far from over.
The next day, Clark Kent and Lois are walking in the park when armed criminals begin robbing pedestrians. However, the Defendroids appear and capture the criminals. Lex emerges and announces his latest invention, claiming that with the Defendroids, crime is over, and Superman is now obsolete.
During a fire in an apartment building, both Superman and the Defendroids arrive to assist. Superman saves an elderly couple, while the Defendroids rescue two children, receiving all the media and public attention. People start declaring that Superman is no longer needed. Lex, watching the events unfold on TV, pays the actors even more to continue discrediting the Man of Steel.
The situation escalates when multiple headlines start appearing in newspapers, praising the Defendroids and diminishing Superman:
- Metropolis Daily News: "Subway Disaster! Defendroids Save All Lives."
- The Post: "Defendroids Save Child from Well."
- The Daily Bugle: "Superman to Speaks to City Council Today."
- Daily Planet: "Superman Quits!"
Lois, Clark, and Perry White suspect Luthor is behind the crimes, as the Defendroids always appear at the exact moment. Perry promises to publish the story if they can prove it.
Meanwhile, Luthor, with the help of his assistant Jessica Morganberry, initiates "Operation Nugget," planning to blow up the train tracks of a gold transport bound for Fort Knox. Lois, Jimmy, and Clark investigate a reported earthquake in the suburbs of Metropolis and end up falling into a pit, where they are threatened by lava. Clark quickly transforms into Superman and saves Lois and Jimmy, pretending to have rescued Clark, who supposedly fainted.
Superman reveals to Lois that he never actually quit but wanted Luthor to believe he had. He also mentions finding bomb fragments, confirming his suspicion that Luthor is behind the attacks. Lois recalls hearing about "Operation Nugget" and suggests they follow the Defendroids. While Lois and Jimmy follow the robots by helicopter, they are attacked by the Defendroids and forced to parachute down, only to be captured. Superman locates the helicopter and faces a giant robot that holds Lois and Jimmy captive. The robot attacks Superman with kryptonite and flies towards space, but Superman manages to destroy its weapons, bring it back to Earth, and rescue his friends, letting the robot crash into the ocean.
At the railroad tracks, the Defendroids attack the gold transport train. Superman reprograms the robots to fight each other, preventing the theft. When confronting Luthor, Superman is told that the mayor of Metropolis believes the Defendroids merely suffered a short circuit. Without conclusive evidence, Superman flies away, promising that one day Luthor will face justice.
The Adoption
In the "Superman's Family Album" segment, we see the story of how the Kents adopted baby Kal-El. After finding his capsule on their farm, Martha and Jonathan take the baby to an orphanage. The orphanage staff, concerned about the Kents' advanced age, prefer younger couples to adopt a child, leaving the Kents saddened.
At the orphanage, Kal-El’s powers cause chaos. He scares off several potential adoptive couples, including one incident where he flies to the zoo and returns with a lion. The orphanage director realizes that the baby is deliberately scaring away the potential parents.
One night, Kal-El flies back to the Kent farm and sleeps between Martha and Jonathan. The next morning, Martha and Jonathan wake up surprised to find the baby in their bed. They decide that fate brought this special baby to them and begin the adoption process, naming him Clark Kent after Martha’s maiden name.
Appearing in "Destroy the Defendroids/The Adoption"
Destroy the Defendroids
Featured Characters:
- Superman (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Jimmy Olsen (First appearance)
- Lois Lane (First appearance)
- Perry White (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Lex Luthor (First appearance)
- Defendroids (First appearance)
- Jessica Morganberry (First appearance)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Kentucky
- Fort Knox (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Green Kryptonite
- Metropolis Daily News (newspaper)
- The Post (newspaper)
- Daily Bugle (newspaper)
Vehicles:
The Adoption
Featured Characters:
- Baby Clark Kent (First appearance chronologically)
- Ma Kent (First appearance)
- Pa Kent (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Mr. Warner
- Conroy
Other Characters:
- Joseph Walders
- Mrs. Walders
- Mrs. Kenny
- Jerry Kenny
Locations:
- Smallville
- Smallville Orphanage
- Smallville Zoo
- Kent Farm
Notes
Trivia
- This is the second time in an animation where Superman saves the Fort Knox train. The first one was in Superman (1941 Cartoons) Episode: Billion Dollar Limited.
- "The Adoption" is the first of only two Family Album segments not written by Cherie Wilkerson.
Recommended
Links
Notes
- No notes.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- 6 Images from Superman (1988 TV Series) Episode: Destroy the Defendroids/The Adoption
- Episodes of Superman (1988 TV Series)
- Images from Superman (1988 TV Series)
- Gallery for the Superman (1988 TV Series) series
Recommended Media
- None.
Links and References
- None.
Footnotes