As I’ve been searching through the full SNL archives, the superhero sketches often stand out with their bright costumes, and I was surprised by exactly how many they were. Here are all the supero sketches I could find.
What If? (airdate January 12, 1979, video link starts at 16:00).
Superman’s ship lands in Nazi Germany rather than in the United States, and his whole life trajectory is changed. The title refers to the Marvel Comics series that began in 1977, which examined alternate scenarios like this. DC Comics had done similar “imaginary” stories, and this sketch is reminiscent of some of those: Action Comics 332 (1966) imagined if Supergirl had landed on Earth before Superman, Superboy 183 (1972) imagined if Superman had been raised by apes in Africa, and Superman 300 (1976) imagined if Superman landed on Earth in 1976 rather than in the 1940s. This also predates Superman: Red Son, a 2003 mini-series that explores Superman landing in the USSR (and the author admits is based on Superman 300).
Note also the tendency of sketches in seasons 4 and 5 to be overly long and include every cast member. One of the Saturday Night Live oral history books says the writers figured out this was the best way to get a sketch on the air. In this case, Curtin and Radner and Morris are in a wraparound commentary segment that isn’t particularly funny.
Superhero Party (air date March 17, 1979, video link)
Superman and Lois Lane are married and throwing a party. All of them enter separately and interact in various combinations, once again making for a long sketch. If I asked you what superhero Garrett Morris would play in a sketch like this, it would probably take you like 50 guesses before you got to Antman, which is the actual answer.
The meat of the sketch is when Superman leaves to get more ice and Clark Kent chooses that moment to drop in. He asks her how awesome it must be to be married to Superman, and she confides in her old friend that Superman is boring and inexperienced sexually. He thinks that they both were virgins on their wedding night, but she says no, she dated The Hulk for like 6 months, and everyone else knew about it. He’s despondent and leaves, and in his poor mood he forgets to change back to his Superman costume when he flies in the window. His cover is ruined and he tells everyone to get out.
The Bizarro World (airdate October 10, 1981, video link starts at 8:42)
There’s not a superhero in sight, but it’s clearly a reference to the Bizarro world, first seen in Action Comics 263 (1960), and having a recurring segment in Adventure Comics throughout 1961 and 1962. See, Superman was hit by an imperfect duplication ray, and the creature that came out, Bizarro, was a weird clone who always did things backwards. Eventually, he and a bizarro clone of Lois Lane (and a bunch of copies of themselves) live on their own square planet, Htrae (Earth backwards). In the sketch, we get several minutes to explain the premise, that people on Bizarro world think diamonds are garbage and drink glasses of sand (because sand is the opposite of water) and so on. Michael O’Donoghue is the narrator here, so I’m guessing he was the writer for this.
And that leads us to the biting political commentary at the heart of the sketch, where we find out that Ronald Reagan is the perfect bizarro president, because always does the exact wrong thing: falling asleep whenever there’s a crisis, nominating for Secretary of the Interior “a man who likes strip mining and air pollution” (James G. Watt), nominating as Secretary of Education “a man who wants to destroy the department” (Terrel Bell), nominating as Secretary of State “a scary man with the morals of a Styrofoam cup” (Alexander Haig), and lastly for proclaiming that he is both Pro-Life and in favor of the death penalty.
The Bizarro World (airdate February 20, 1982, video link starts at 12:47)
The Bizarro World is back, and this time they’ve set their sights on NBC management. NBC had been in a bad place, always last in the ratings of the 3 major networks. Grant Tinker had replaced Fred Silverman as head of NBC 6 months before this sketch aired. In the sketch, a guy with no TV experience is made Head of Programming, which I think is a reference to Brandon Tartikoff who took over the job at age 32. They lampoon some of the decisions made: cancelling Tom Snyder’s “The Tomorrow Show” (replacing him with David Letterman), the “Get High on Yourself” anti-drug PSAs, and jokes are made at the expense of “Love, Sydney”, “The McLean Stevenson Show”, “Real People”, and Willard Scott. This one did not age well, as Tinker and Tartikoff did in fact turn NBC’s fortunes around.
The Interesting Four (airdate October 2, 1982, video link starting at 54:33)
This “10 to 1:00 sketch” is a clear parody of Marvel’s Fantastic Four (created in 1961), but the superheroes are much less capable. Seiko is 3 seconds ahead of schedule, the Human Stapler, who can staple things with his bare hands (although he often does it accidentally), Weather Woman can adjust the temperature by up to 9 degrees, and Mr. Wonderful has a microphone embedded in his body and talks like a Las Vegas showman. Host Lou Gossett Jr. is a general looking to find some superheroes to solve a problem, and unfortunately for him, they are his last resort.
The Interesting Four (airdate October 30, 1982, video link starting at 6:49)
Just 3 episodes after their first appearance, the Interesting Four are back, this time right after the host monologue. This time, their car breaks down and they stumble upon a villain who is giving out coffee to kids at Halloween. They are inept and allow her to escape with their car, even though Seiko rewinds time 3 times so that they can change history.
Superman Auditions (airdate April 6, 1985, video link)
The joke of the scene is that Richard Donner expects his actors to be able to pull off Superman’s stunts. Gary Kroeger dies trying to catch a bullet in his teeth. Rich Hall is far better with his heat vision than Christopher Reeve is, but he can’t get out of a Dial Soap commercial callback, so Christopher Reeve wins it by default.
Krypton Survives (airdate November 15, 1986, video link starts at 47:58)
So the point of the sketch is that this Jor-El isn’t so good at his calculations. They send their son away because he believes Krypton is about to explode, but suddenly all the upheaval stops. Dana Carvey and Victoria Jackson are other Kryptonians, who arrive to say that they’ve taken poison because they’d rather die peacefully. Jor-El tells them to head home and not tell anyone else about it. We get someone Kinison-style ranting as he argues with his wife, and then we cut to Earth, where Phil Hartman as Superman gets a message from Jor-El, where he explains that Krypton, but this time his calculations are correct and a meteor is heading right for Metropolis. Superman can’t see anything and ends the transmission, and we see the meteor destroy Paris instead.
Justice League (airdate April 13, 1991, video link starts at 40:02)
Fantastic Woman is brought before the Justice League to answer for her behavior. The biggest issue is that she insists on flying standing up, while regulations state that you should fly lying-down, though there’s also the issue of her shooting criminals with the guns that she takes from them, rather than crushing the guns in her bare hand. She gives an impassioned speech wondering “when did the Justice League turn into calcified old men? I mean no offense by that Calcium Man.… Now you’ve turned all holier-than-thou and prissy, maybe you should have never let people in like Prissy Man (Adam Sandler) and Superpope (Chris Farley).” As she leaves, Mighty Zombie (Kevin Nealon) says he’s not gonna stifle his normal zombie-like way of flying, and we see them both flying off standing up.
Young Superboy (airdate November 23, 1991, video link starts at 45:23)
Young Superboy shows up to stop a bank robbery, but all anyone can do is talk about how cute he is, much to his annoyance.
The Lenny Wise Show (airdate April 18, 1992, video link starts at 01:01:10)
In this “10 to 1:00” sketch, Superman is being interviewed. In Seinfeldian fashion, he wonders about some things and expresses mild annoyance with others. He doesn’t like to think about Kryptonite, since there’s nothing he can do about it. It did annoy him at first that he couldn’t see through lead. He didn’t pick up all the garbage during the garbage strike because that’s not his job. He tells the story (from Adventure Comics 271, April 1960) of how Superboy caused Lex Luthor to go bald.
Superman’s Funeral (airdate November 21, 1992, video link)
This was “current events”, Superman died in Superman 75, published 3 days earlier. We get Jimmy Olsen (David Spade) saying hello to some guests as they come in. Then Batman (Dana Carvey) gives a speech, only to be interrupted by The Penguin (Robert Smigel), who isn’t laughing, his crying just sounds identical to his laughing. Some friends from Marvel then come to the podium, and The Hulk (Chris Farley) can speak in perfect English as long as he’s reading from the page. An emergency occurs and all the superheroes fill out, except for Black Lightning, who’s in the back stealing the shrimp that Aquaman (David Spade) brought.
The Incredible Hulk (airdate December 17, 1994, video link starts at 44:23)
Tim Meadows is Dr. Bruce Banner, who explains to his new labmate that some people think he has a short fuse. He gets a cut and turns into The Incredible Hulk. He smashes the lab equipment then gets tired and turns back. Three hours later, with his equipment restored, he gets a burn and once again turns into The Hulk, who destroys the equipment again. His labmate suggests that Bruce Banner *not* clean up the place, so The Hulk will have nothing to smash. Five minutes later he hurts his hand on a high-five, and The Hulk breaks the table. The Hulk says he’s tired of the sketch. He calls the writers out, and he complains to them about how derivative the sketch is. The Hulk says he’s seen the show, and every sketch has one joke and no ending. The band plays to break, and The Hulk comes out and smashes G.E. Smith’s guitar.
The Daily Planet (airdate March 18, 1995, video link starts at 9:14)
We open with a crawl, that Superman is recuperating from yellow Kryptonite in his Fortress of Solitude, and only Jimmy Olsen (David Spade) can reach him. Meanwhile, a meteor is on its way, and they need to convince him to help. Various other superheroes arrive (not pictured in the image is Norm MacDonald as Armor Man). None are capable of stopping the meteor. Maidenhawk meets Night Stalker and she’s confused, doesn’t he have the same nickname as a serial killer? Armor Man gets a book and starts describing the Night Stalker Richard Ramirez’ kills, and Reiser’s superhero is despondent. As it ends, we get a newspaper headline “Earth destroyed by Meteor” and then another headline “Everything destroyed except printing presses, two typesetters”, which I think is a pretty good joke.
Clark Kent (airdate March 18, 2000, video link starts at 45:21)
We’re once again in the Daily Planet offices. This Clark Kent is a real dummy. His Superman costume is sticking out from under his shirt, and it’s obvious to anyone who talks to him or reads his newspaper column that he is in fact Superman. They decide to mess with him and tell him that they heard that Superman is gay. He protests, “Superman isn’t gay, sure he experimented a little back in Smallville, but that doesn’t make him gay!” They send him off to save “Prince Albert in a can”, and we close with the headline “Superman murders innocent tobacconist.”
Moleculo (airdate March 10, 2001, video link starts at 16:30)
Moleculo is basically Superman, but whenever anyone says his name he has to theatrically jump in and explain that he is “The Molecular Man”. It’s the same result as the Dwayne Johnson sketch from last year, his secret identity is quickly revealed. He runs off to Mexico, where Mexican newspaper chief Horatio Sanz congratulates him on his Moleculo story. “El Hombre de Los Moleculos”, he can’t help but add. And the jig is up again.
The Fortress of Solitude (airdate December 8, 2001, video link starts at 47:56)
Superman is in his Fortress of Solitude with some Kryptonian crystals that will allow him to communicate back through time with people from Krypton. He communicates with his father, but the talk quickly turns into one of those awkward phone calls between parent and child. His mother joins, she’s disapproving of his color scheme, she’s disapproving of his friendship with a teenager like Jimmy Olsen, and it doesn’t get any better. At the end he switches to an awkward call with his grandma (Rachel Dratch).
Kirsten Dunst Monologue (airdate May 11, 2002, video link)
Kirsten Dunst of course played Spider-Man’s love interest, Mary Jane Watson in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy. In her monologue, Spider-Man drops down behind her, and tells her he’s here to help her monologue. She notices he’s a little puffy, and he says he was stung by a thousand bees fighting Bee Man, and he wonders if he might get another kiss from her. Withing hanging upside for so long, he starts to get nauseous. Eventually he has to admit that he’s Horatio Sanz, and he did it all to impress her.
Hero Song (airdate March 8, 2008, video link)
In this SNL Digital Short, Andy Samberg is a businessman who dreams of being a superhero a la Batman. He outfits himself in a suit, and his first mission is to stop Jason Sudeikis from mugging Amy Adams. In the middle of his song, Sudeikis starts mercilessly punching him, and continues to do so for a comically long time.
Emma Stone Monologue (airdate November 12, 2011, video link)
Emma Stone obviously played Spider-Man love interest Gwen Stacy in the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies. In her monologue, Andy Samberg drops down. He says he’s auditioning for the role of Spider-Man, and she says that’s a bit of a problem because the movie comes out in July. He read lines with her where Spider-Man says that he does in fact have time to bone, and she references how similar this to the Kirsten Dunst monologue. He says they should reshoot the movie with him, and Andrew Garfield comes out to say that the movie is good as it is.
Batman (airdate December 3, 2011, video link)
In this Digital Short, Batman pops up everywhere to talk to Commissioner Jim Gordon. He shows up while he’s eating ice cream straight from the freezer, he and Aquaman show up bottomless in his shower, he shows up at his prostate exam, he shows up while he’s trying to make love with his wife (Kristen Wiig), and so on.
The Hulk’s Disappointing Transformation (airdate May 12, 2012, video link)
This sketch was actually cut at dress rehearsal, but thanks to the wonders of the internet it is available. Seth Meyers goads Dr. Bruce Banner into transforming into The Hulk.
Hawkeye Disappoints The Avengers (airdate November 17, 2012, video link)
In this scene, they’re doing the New York fight from Avengers: Age of Ultron. They’ve done some fighting, and Hawkeye says that he’s out of arrows. He can only fit 11 arrows in his arrow thingy, and he’s killed 11 enemies. Iron Man says to pull arrows out of the enemies he’s already shot, but he says that’s not sanitary. The Hulk finds an arrow, and he gives it to him, but then they fist bump and he jams his bow-pulling hand. Guess it’s just not his day.
Avengers News Report (airdate March 7, 2015, video link)
And 3 years later, we get to see the post-battle celebrations. Thor is spending the whole time celebrating like a player on a team who just won the Super Bowl, then he invites everyone out to Dave & Busters before plugging his podcast.
Black Widow Trailer (airdate May 2, 2015, video link)
Marvel announces a solo Black Widow movie, and it’s a romantic comedy. Black Widow gets a job as a fashion intern, and meets a new man, Ultron. And things are great until he throws a bus through her place of employment, and she rebounds with The Hulk.
Super Crew (airdate January 23, 2016, video link starts at 43:05)
Cyber Beasts are attacking Metro City, and Vanessa Bayer and Kyle Mooney are feeling hopeless until the Super Crew arrives. Metalia says she can bend metal with her mind, and they know she’s the help they need! The rest of the crew tell them to hold their horses, they need to finish their introductions. So-Lor (Jay Pharoah) can melt any material with the power of the sun, but everyone else has increasingly useless powers: flying, but only at walking speeds for 10-seconds twice a day; creating a mountain of noodles; gaydar that only works on black men; shooting fire from his butt. After the very lengthy introductions, the useful ones finally save the day, but everyone shares in the victory.
Scorpio (airdate May 20, 2017, video link)
Scorpio is a self-made superhero who possess the power of a scorpion. When he reveals himself, though, all thoughts of heroic acts go out the window when people can’t stop admiring his amazing fashion sense.
Themyscira (airdate October 7, 2017, video link)
Megan and Dre find their way to Themyscira, the island home of Wonder Woman, but it’s not the lesbian paradise they imagined it would be.
Wayne Thanksgiving (airdate November 18, 2017, video link)
Bruce Wayne is doing his annual Thanksgiving food giveaways, but he discovers that Gotham’s urban communities aren’t fans of Batman.
Captain Shadow and the Cardinal (airdate December 16, 2017, video link)
Captain Shadow and the Cardinal are a “Batman and Robin” team who get pulled over by the police, and Captain Shadow’s “energy powder” leads to his arrest.
Black Panther New Scene (airdate March 10, 2018, video link)
Marvel releases a deleted scene from Black Panther which shows more from T’Challa’s visit to Djalia, the spirit realm of his dead relatives. And Uncle M’Butu seems to be getting on everyone’s nerves.
Black Jeopardy with Chadwick Boseman (airdate April 7, 2018, video link)
T’Challa the Black Panther appears on Black Jeopardy. He’s too nice and idealistic to fit in on Black Jeopardy, until there’s a question about Karen’s potato salad and he successfully replies “Oh, hell nah Karen, keep your bland ass potato salad to yourself!”
The Impossible Hulk (airdate March 9, 2019, video link)
Host Idris Elba is Bruce Banner, but when he’s irritated, his Hulk is an entitled white women.
Avengers vs. Game of Thrones Family Feud (airdate May 4, 2019, video link)
I don’t have much to say about this, it’s superhero affiliated characters, and they’re playing Family Feud.
Scarlett Johansson Monologue (airdate December 14, 2019, video link)
Scarlett Johansson hosts, and does a pretty standard type of monologue until people begin turning to dust, Thanos-style. Nick Fury shows up, and eventually they trace it down to Thanos’ glove, which Pete Davidson bought on eBay. She finds him and gets him to reverses it.
Biden Spider-Man (airdate January 15, 2022, video link)
With the omicron mutation, cases of COVID-19 are surging once again. President Joe Biden has the solution: stop seeing Spider-Man. He lays out his case how all the country’s problems are from people continuing to see the new Spider-Man movie. At the end, Joe Biden from the Real Universe explains that this pocket universe was created as a joke after the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, but it’s quickly collapsing.
Zoë Kravitz Monologue (airdate March 12, 2022, video link)
Zoë Kravitz talks about how she plays Catwoman in The Batman. She is interrupted by ’90s Catwoman, who talks about how ridiculous her whole origin story and outfit are. Catwoman fires up the Cat Signal, and she’s joined by Eartha Kitt, the Catwoman from the ’60s TV show. Then next to show up is a cat lady, and finally Katt Williams appears in the crowd.
