Top 10 Times South Park Made Fun of Superheroes
#10: The MCU
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Ever since their introduction back in Season 13, Cartman’s band of superhero friends has popped up every now and then. However, their return in Season 21’s “Franchise Prequel” episode served two purposes. For one, it was a perfect tie-in to “South Park”’s latest video game, “The Fractured but Whole.” But more than that, it takes a good jab at the MCU by mocking the phased approach of their movies and TV shows. One look at Cartman’s blackboard and you’d swear you’re looking at alternate names for the entire Marvel catalog. It’s a great satire of the complexity of superhero franchises. And as an added bonus, they also give us one of Butters’ best villain plotlines yet.
#9: Bane
Poor Ike. When he spots his mom in bed with a UPS driver, he has no idea it’s just his dad roleplaying. So when he shows a drawing of what he saw to Kyle, chaos inevitably ensues. Terrible advice from the old farmer gets all the men riled up and determined to take care of the delivery man. It’s here we get a great ribbing of “Bane” from “The Dark Knight Rises.” All the men are sporting the infamous mask worn by the notable villain, all while making long-winded threats to the driver. Between the spot-on impression of the voice and the convoluted comments and threats, everything about this is gold.
#8: Black Panther
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Given the box office success and the cultural impact of the film, it’s hard to knock anything about Marvel’s “Black Panther.” However, that doesn’t stop “South Park” from using it as a means to gauge racism. Cartman becomes convinced his disdain for the movie is why he failed a math quiz when he copied his answers from one of the only Black kids in town: Tolkien. The rest of the episode plays on the idea that if you weren’t a fan of “Black Panther,” you’re racist. It’s certainly untraditional satire, and definitely slams home the idea of assumptions when it comes to movie choices.
#7: "The Matrix"
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In much the same way that Neo learned about the real world from Morpheus, Stan gets a dose of “reality” when he joins a therapy support group. He’s just turned 10 and his whole world is appearing to him as literal crap. As soon as he enters therapy, we’re treated to a fantastic piece of satire aimed straight at “The Matrix.” Sure, we get to see all the typical players from the memorable films, but the brilliance of this parody extends far beyond that. The doctor’s conflicting answers to Stan’s questions clearly mock the overuse of supernatural elements in movies like this, all while berating him in the process. It’s a “Matrix” parody that even exceeds their crack at the Architect back in Season 8.
#6: Superman
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The late Christopher Reeve made his mark on pop culture history when he helped make people believe a man could fly. To this day, Reeve’s portrayal of Superman serves as the gold standard for this famous DC character. This is why watching him become the leader of the Legion of Doom on “South Park” is so funny. Roles are reversed here as Gene Hackman becomes the hero while Reeve’s newfound abilities wreak havoc among bystanders. The entire episode drips with irony from beat to beat, until eventually, Reeve himself ends up in the “Phantom Zone” seen in the original first two “Superman” films.
#5: Anime Ninjas
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When the boys get their hands on authentic ninja weapons, the viewers are given a treat for the senses. Cutting between the show’s iconic look and an “anime” version of our characters, we get to see what that might look like on them. What could be a simple story about boys playing with swords turns out to be both an homage and a satirical look at Japanese animated martial arts films. The animation is stunning but the laughs come in on a dual front. The entire Butters fight and subsequent injury are hilarious to watch. Equally funny is the side-splitting action music, which clearly pokes fun at the genre’s bad translation for English-speaking audiences.
#4: Magneto & the X-Men
Take one look at Butters as his superhero alter-ego and there’s no doubt he’s clearly a take on the “X-Men”’s Magneto character. The mask and cloak may be silver, but there’s no mistaking who he’s meant to be mocking. Appearing first in Season 6, Professor Chaos would resurface several times, including in some of the episodes we’ve already mentioned. With a character as tame as Butters, it’s comical to see how far removed his superhero character is compared to the original. By taking the happiest character and making him the least threatening villain, it’s both intelligent writing, and a fantastic jab at the superhero shtick.
#3: DC’s Super Friends/Justice League of America
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If you watched Saturday morning cartoons in the 1970s and 80s, you may have caught an episode of the “Super Friends.” Taken from DC’s “Justice League,” characters like Batman, Superman, and others came together to fight evil. When “South Park” took its first shot at Scientology *cough* or sorry Blaintology, Jesus helps fight the cult thanks to his Super Best Friends. Made up of several, notable religious leaders, their headquarters looks strikingly similar to that of DC’s hall of justice. The back half of the episode plays out just like the DC show, but with a far funnier set of heroes. Who didn’t want to see Jesus put his carpentry skills to good use?
#2: Superheroes & Supervillains in General
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If there was ever a use-case for testing the boundaries of “fair use,” it was “South Park”’s “Imaginationland” trilogy. The sheer list of character appearances alone is staggering. Just the act of putting all of these notable individuals together is an accomplishment unto itself. This entry is less about the show’s mocking a single character or franchise than it is about laughing at how ridiculous and obscure some of these superhero stories can get. When you end up with a giant tube of toothpaste fighting cavities on a battlefield, we’re pretty sure that’s mocking the entire genre.
#1: Batman
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All it takes is the first three minutes of this Season 13 episode to see what the writers are poking fun at. From the raspy voice to the long diatribe-ridden narration, everything here wreaks of a Christopher Nolan “Batman” movie. Cartman’s take as The Coon gives us a far more comedic spin on such an iconic character. Combining that with Mysterion, we get two for the price of one. Pitted against each other, the episode mocks the typical selflessness of heroes by making “The Coon” far more obsessed with notoriety than actually helping anyone. This would play out even further in subsequent related episodes, but it all started right here.
