Gleek (Super Friends)
Gleek is a fictional character appearing in the animated series Super Friends and its related spinoffs. Gleek is the pet of the alien Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna. He debuted in The All-New Super Friends Hour, which first aired September 10, 1977. Gleek's vocalizations were provided by Michael Bell who also voiced Zan.
| Gleek | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The All-New Super Friends Hour (September 10, 1977) |
| Created by | Hanna-Barbera |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Exxorian Monkey |
| Place of origin | Exxor |
| Team affiliations | Super Friends |
| Supporting character of | Wonder Twins |
| Abilities | Prehensile tail Can make bucket magically appear |
Fictional character biography
Gleek is a blue alien monkey and the pet of Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins. Gleek is often used as comic relief for the series, as the character often gets into mischief. A joke involving Gleek often ends episodes of the Super Friends in which he appears. Gleek has a stretchable, prehensile tail which has been shown to be capable of picking up a man. Gleek is also highly intelligent, as he clearly understands spoken English. He communicates through the use of sign language, acting out scenes, and chattering (an alien language unintelligible to the audience).
Gleek helps the Wonder Twins when they need to travel: Jayna becomes an eagle, Zan becomes water, and Gleek produces a bucket to hold Zan while Jayna carries them both.
Gleek also loves Earth bananas, and in one episode, Gleek packed an extra banana suitcase for visiting their home planet, Exxor, because there are no bananas.
In one episode, other monkeys of Gleek's species appear and try to take over the world. Their leader is able to speak English apparently. They are able to brainwash Gleek and he helps them find the weaknesses of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin.
Other versions
- Gleek's first comic book appearance was Super Friends Volume One, Issue #7 (October 1977, DC Comics).
- Gleek will make his first modern day comic book appearance in Wonder Twins Issue #2 (March 2019, DC Comics).
In other media
- Gleek makes a cameo appearance in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Grape Juiced" as a witness during Grape Ape's trial.
- Executive producer Brian Peterson confirmed that Gleek would appear "in one shape or another" in Smallville's eighth episode of season nine, "Idol."[1] In fact, Gleek appeared as a decoration on Jayna's cellphone and Gleek's chuckling guffaw was the ringtone.[2]
- Gleek appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Siege of Starro, Part Two". He is seen as a stuffed animal in the Faceless Hunter's trophy room.
- Gleek appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Major League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" in the sketch "Sidekick Elevator". He is shown alongside Orko from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series and Snarf from ThunderCats. He then stands in an unemployment line only to be greeted by Andy Richter.
- Gleek appears alongside Zan and Jayna in Adult Swim's The New Adventures of the Wonder Twins, a series of five webisodes released in 2007.
- Gleek makes a quick cameo in The Lego Batman Movie. He is seen during the 57th Annual Justice League Anniversary Party.
- Gleek makes a very brief off-screen cameo in the final episode of the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths.[3]
References
- Peterson, Brian (October 29, 2009). "Smallville: New Info on Jor-El, the Wonder Twins, the Justice Society and More". IGN.com. Interviewed by Eric Goldman. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- "Smallville: Idol Episode Recap". TV.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- "Crisis on Infinite Earths Saved Its Most Audacious Cameo For Last". DC. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
External links
- Gleek at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)