Birdman

Birdman is an animated science fiction television series created by Alex Toth and produced by Hanna-Barbera. It debuted on NBC on September 9, 1967, and ran on Saturday mornings until January 20, 1968. The program aired as Birdman and the Galaxy Trio alongside the Galaxy Trio. NBC ran two new segments of Birdman each Saturday, separated by a new segment of The Galaxy Trio.

Birdman and the Galaxy Trio appeared in reruns on Cartoon Network from 1992-2000. The series was shown from 1997-2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami and The Midnight Run as part of Cartoon Roulette. In 2000, The series began airing on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang.

The character of Birdman was revived three decades later in the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim TV series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, and several characters from Birdman and the Galaxy Trio appeared in the revival.

Overview
In actuality, Birdman is Ray Randall, an ordinary man who was given sun-based superpowers by the Egyptian sun god Ra. Now, Birdman, along with his trusted eagle Avenger, works for a secret government agency headed by the mysterious one-eyed Falcon 7. He recieves messages from Falcon 7 in his Bird Lair, a high-tech lab with several computers and video monitors with a control panel, which is hidden inside of a volcano. As Birdman, he posses super strength, the power to fly via giant bird wings on his back, solar energy blasts, enhanced hearing, and the ability to create a shield out of solar energy. The only catch is that his powers dwindle when he is out of the sun for too long. Using his powers, Birdman battles the forces of evil, including the criminal sydicate FEAR, led by the mysterious Number One.

Throughout the progression of the series, Birdman is joined by Birdboy. Birdboy was a young boy whom Birdman discovered shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean. In order to save the boy's life, Birdman used his energy powers to strengthen the boy back to health. Now with the aid of metal wings, Birdboy has the same basic powers as Birdman and assists him in fighting crime while continuing to search for his missing father.

Characters
Birdman - (voiced by Keith Andes) is an ordinary human endowed by the sun god Ra (although this origin is only vaguely and briefly hinted at during the series; his real name is never mentioned) with the ability to shoot solar rays from his fists and project "solar shields" to defend himself against attacks. He was recruited by a top-secret government agency, Inter-Nation Security, and now works full-time fighting crime, assisted by his eagle sidekick Avenger. In addition to the abilities he received from Ra, Birdman also possesses the power of flight, thanks to the giant wings which sprout from his back. His sole weakness is that he must periodically recharge his super powers through exposure to the sun’s rays. His trademark is his battle cry of "Biiiiirdman!!" when he goes into battle.

Falcon 7 - (voiced by Don Messick) is Birdman's eye patch-wearing contact with Inter-Nation Security, and the person from whom Birdman typically receives his missions.

Birdboy - (voiced by Dick Beals) is birdman's sidekick. The two first met when Birdman happened upon a shipwreck, of which Birdboy was the only apparent survivor. Since the boy was near death from exposure, Birdman transferred some of his own super energy to him, reviving him and giving powers similar to Birdman's, and he went on to aid him in several episodes. Birdboy lacks the natural feathered wings sported by Birdman, however, and is only able to fly with the assistance of the mechanical wings strapped to his back. He spends much of his time searching for his father, who was lost in the wreck, but this was never resolved. In Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Birdboy reappeared as Peanut, Birdman's erratic, scheming legal clerk.

Avenger - is a giant purple eagle and Birdman's ally. Birdman can call Avenger for assistance via a communicator on his neck. Avenger is powerful enough to carry Birdman on those occasion when he is cut off from the sun's rays-as in a dark room or cavern-and goes limp, or is stunned by artillery fire.

Number One - (voiced by Vic Perrin) - The leader of the sinister organization F.E.A.R. and Birdman's "number one" enemy. F.E.A.R. is behind many plots over the course of the series, frequently employing supervillains to perform nefarious tasks. The organization was seemingly defeated for good and its leader arrested in "The Wings of FEAR", but it occasionally resurfaced without any explanation.

Episodes
Birdman is a 40 segment series created by Alex Toth and produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios. The series was aired, along with Galaxy Trio, from September 9, 1967 to January 20, 1968 as Birdman and the Galaxy Trio. One Galaxy Trio Segment was sandwiched in between two Birdman segments for a total of 20 episodes. Birdman segments also appeared on Hanna-Barbera's World of Super Adventure which premiered on NBC in September of 1980.

Birdman segments appeared on Toonami and The Midnight Run as part of Cartoon Roulette from 1997-2000.

On July 17, 2007, Warner Home Video released Birdman & The Galaxy Trio - The Complete Series on DVD.

List of Birdman Episodes