Episode Capsule: [4ACV04] Less Than Hero

Title: Less Than Hero
Written by: Ron Weiner
Directed by: Susie Dietter
Opening theme promotion: Soon to be a major religion
Opening theme cartoon: Warner Brothers, "The Dover Boys", 1942. A Merrie Melodie directed by Chuck Jones

Synopsis

Suffering from aches and pains, Fry and Leela turn to Dr. Zoidberg who gives them a "miracle cream" that he bought long ago from a traveling salesman. Lo and behold, when they try it out, it actually is a miracle cream that gives them superpowers. Fry and Leela decide to become super heroes with Bender as the third member of their team.

Voice Credits

Starring

Billy West (Fry, Dr. Zoidberg, Farnsworth)
Katey Sagal (Leela)
John DiMaggio (Bender)
Tress MacNeille (Hattie)

Guest Starring

David Herman (Mayor Poopenmeyer, Mugger)
Phil LaMarr (Hermes)
Lauren Tom (Amy)

Also Starring

Maurice LaMarche (Commercial Mutant)

Did You Notice…

Leela's sign on her super hero outfit is a hand holding a rolling pin? — Marc Wichterich
Petunia feeding rats in the park? — Marc Wichterich
Security guys still need thick cables for their head sets? — Marc Wichterich
Captain Yesterday's medallion is a C overlayed by a Y? — Alan Hamilton
The kangaroo was hanging upside-down by its tail in its exhibit? — Alan Hamilton
Leela's mom grew a tail? — The Watcher
Leela's parents phone number ends in 1566? — Michael Nissen
The alien language on the tube of miracle cream? (See Freeze Frame Fun section) — F0
Fry is picking up something from another desk in the mayors office as Leela gets the passes? Possibly Hermes' liscense to kill! — Spr
Leela uses a phone twenty times the size of that Amy used in the episode on the titanic? — Mx
The Zoo Keepers beltbuckle/logo somewhat resembles the Calvin Klein logo with an extra line? — Kurt Howard

External References

Ikea

The Swedish furniture "do it yourself" store is now known as PI-kea. — Marc Wichterich Aquaman (TV series)
This super hero has control over sea creatures. — edel Justice League
Referenced to by the "New Justice Team", this team of super heroes contains Batman, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. — Marc Wichterich Batman (TV Series)
Cartoon balloons for punches — Alan Hamilton
Music style — Alan Hamilton
Angled camera shots — Alan Hamilton Barbarella (movie)
Leela's superhero alias is based on this movie's sexy heroine. — Alan Hamilton James Bond (movies)
Hermes asks Leela to get him a License To Kill. James Bond is famous for having the authority, and one of the Bond movies was named "License To Kill." — Michael Nissen AT&T (telecommunication company)
AT&T came up with the ad-line "Reach out and touch someone" (parodied when Leela calls her parents) for their telephone-division in 1981. — Michael Nissen Mighty Thor (comics)
Nordic-god-of-thunder-turned-superhero. Leela felt like she had wrestled 10 rounds with him. — Michael Nissen Less than Zero (book)
Title spoofs this book by Bret Easton Ellis. — Alan Hamilton Spider-Man (old TV series)
The New Justice Team theme song is similar to the theme song for the old animated Spider-Man TV series. — RandomEngy Captain Future (old TV series)
Fry's superhero name (Captain Yesterday) — AW

Futurama References

[4ACV02] Leela's Homeworld

Leela's parents are properly introduced. — Marc Wichterich [4ACV07] Jurassic Bark
Bender wears the crown of Charlemagne, which he kept in his chest in this episode. — Marc Wichterich [1ACV07] My Three Suns
Organ dealer appears. — Alan Hamilton [1ACV08] A Big Piece of Garbage
The legs on the piranha look like the ones on Wernstrom's reverse scuba suit. — Alan Hamilton [2ACV18] The Honking
The same two guys are seen wrecking a car with blernsball bats. — Michael Nissen [2ACV07] Put your head on my shoulder
Fry's date Petunia appears on a park bench feeding rats. — blahness [3ACV14] Time keeps on slippin'
One of the globetrotters was in the museum when the New Justice Team stole the diamond. — blahness

Freeze Frame Fun

PI-kea
   Ivnuk
Suupercollidr

Dr. Flimflam's
   Miracle
    Cream

Illegal
Fireworks

WARNING:
 May cause
superpowers
 in humans

Billboard:

 Owls
Removed

Store:

NOTHIN' BUT
 -TOILETS-

DAILY
 SUPERNOVA

NO ACTION ON 
RATES BY FED

       mysterious
       vigilantes
       foil crime

Letter to Leela's parents:

      Turanga
      Morris
    & Munda

in the Museum of Natural History:

Teddy Roosevelt:
 Museum Founder

  No Admittance
  Without $5.00
Suggested Donation

LAKE
      MUTAGENIC
State Recreation Sewer

On the Miracle Cream in AL1:

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF
CHILDREN UNDER THE
AGE OF FIVE HUNDRED.
FOR BEST RESULTS,
SACRIFICE A SMALL
MAMMAL XANROC
THEN APPLY EVENLY TO
INTERIOR OF EYEBALL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
HELP DO FLIMFLAM
PRODUCTS? CONTACT A
REPRESENTATIVE AT A
COVERED WAGON NEAR
YOU.

Animation, Continuity, and Other Goofs

Despite the Mayor's statement, we never saw the New Justice Team damage anything in the museum. All the damage was done by The Zookeeper's animals. — Alan Hamilton

Comments and Other Observations

The LSAT is the law school admission test. — Alan Hamilton
"Freebasing" is a way of using cocaine, in which you inhale the drug's vapours. — O M
All objects fall at the same rate. This is why Fry couldn't catch the diamond. The real silly thing here, is that Leela, by running down the stairs, could. — O M

Original capsule author: Can't Get Enough Futurama <www.gotfuturama.com>