Whatever happened to the Wonder Twins?

Wait, do I really mean those annoying, creepy, purple-clad twins from the old Super Friends cartoon? The ones with the monkey? Hells yeah I mean the Wonder Twins! I’m a huge Wonder Twins fan!

Though to be completely honest, I’m more in love with the idea of the Wonder Twins as opposed to their actual appearance in Super Friends. On the cartoon, they were just a couple of dinguses. And there was that stupid monkey.

When did annoying animal sidekicks become a thing?

I’m far more interested in their comic book counterparts, and the general idea of the twin alien superhero concept. Why haven’t these two appeared yet in the New 52?

Who are they? 

Zan and Jayna are a couple of alien siblings, with the power to turn into water and animals respectively. Everyone is familiar with their famous battle cry: “Wonder Twin Powers, activate!” Back in the cartoon, they were just a couple of teenage entry point characters, the ones that the young viewers were supposed to identify with. But like pretty much everyone in Super Friends, they were kind of dim. Still, the Wonder Twins were the right combination of dorky and neat to secure a spot in pop culture history.

No matter how sad that spot might be

The Wonder Twins made their proper DC comic debut in 1994, when they were given new origins, a real back story and a modern style. Now they were royal twins from the planet Exor, one of 10 pairs known as the “Ten Elements of the Universe”. The other Elements have power over fire, plants, sound, metal, etc. So now the water and animals thing makes more sense.

The Wonder Twins were introduced as escapes slaves who fled to Earth and were rescued by the Justice League – but not just any Justice League. In the mid-90s, they became part of a comic called Extreme Justice. Take a moment and reread that comic book title, and remember that it came out in the 90s. It was a different time. Anyway, instead of turning into boring things like a bucket of water or a seal, the comic book Wonder Twins turned into things like front giants, tidal waves, griffins and dragons. So much cooler.

Though also a little creepier

Being aliens, Zan and Jayna couldn’t speak English, so of course they ran afoul of the people of Earth until the Extreme Justice team came and fought them. Eventually everything was sorted out and the Twins joined the team…for about 4 issues, until Extreme Justice was mercifully cancelled. The two disappeared into Comic Book Limbo for a few years, emerging eventually as cameos at the end of the Young Justice series. Before the Teen Titans revival, Young Justice was a somewhat cartoony book that showcased the various teenage heroes of the day. And in the finale, they put together a whole army of teenage heroes.

Zan and Jayna got a new, more casual look, and were used for a bit of comic relief.

Sea serpents are definitely cool

Following the end of Young Justice, Zan and Jayna once again returned to Comic Book Limbo, where they have since remained.

Why should you care?

Because the Wonder Twins have the perfect blend of nostalgia and potential! Everybody is familiar with the Wonder Twins, so interest based on just that nostalgia factor would be through the roof if DC ever decided to bring them back in a meaningful way. Everybody would be curious to see just what the Twins might do. And sure, they’re basically huge jokes, but comic book fans are fully prepared to push aside the campiness of the 1960s superheroes to appreciate a new take on a classic character.

Some awesome fan art

Personally, the Wonder Twins are at the top of my list should I ever get the chance to pitch comic book ideas to DC Comics. I envision them as kind of the Paris Hiltons of the superhero world. Spoiled, bratty, full-of-themselves and perfect for today’s reality TV-obsessed society. But combine that with a the general desire to do good and be respected, and you might be able to tell a good story. Surely somebody in the world of superheroes would try to use that status to be a trashy TV celebrity!

But that’s far from the only option with these two.

Right now, DC has this fantastic teen-oriented cartoon show on TV: Young Justice. Sound familiar? That show is filled to the brim with teenage superheroes and cameos from all across the DC Universe. The Wonder Twins would be perfect for a guest appearance. They’r ea brother and sister pair, which isn’t that common in DC, plus they have this cool, unique look. Not a lot of heroes wear purple so effectively. They’d be great for a cameo in that cartoon. Or even the new Teen Titans series in the New 52! That book could use some more interesting characters.

Or maybe they could serve a purpose as kid-friendly characters.

A particularly adorable redesign

That was drawn by Bill Walko, and posted at Project: Rooftop. A Rootop contributor and comic book professional Chris Roberson got a look at it, and reminded him of an idea he had once for a Wonder Twins all-ages book, designed for younger readers. I think that’s a brilliant idea. They could be great for reaching out to younger kids, with simple, understandable powers and a cutesy sibling thing. Plus, kids love monkeys!