| "Super Mork" | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode #23 (#23) in series (26 episodes) | |
 | |
| "The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour" episode | |
| Guest Star(s): | Frank Welker Ralph James Mark L. Taylor |
| Network: | ABC-TV |
| Production code: | 1x23 |
| Writer(s) | |
| Director | |
| Original airdate | December 11, 1982 |
IMDB 
|
Super Mork |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Time Slipper Slip-Up" | "Mork, P.I." |
| List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes | |
Super Mork is a Mork and Mindy episode from The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour, the 23rd series episode.
Summary[]
Acceding to Mork's desire to help Mindy find a real story for her job on the school newspaper, Orson sends Mork a Super-Guy suit and he becomes a bumbling crime-fighter.
Plot[]
In Mt. Mount's school newspaper, Mt. Mount Mirror's office, Mindy peruses the latest edition with Hamilton nearby. Lamenting to him both the headline of 'Rain Spoils Annual School Picnic', and the fact they don't have time to find a real story for the paper. Hamilton, naturally uses the opportunity to have a crack at that 'good for nothing' Mork saying they would if he would just do the dirty work around the place. Right as the old printing press they have starts to overheat badly. Rushing to it, Hamilton manages to turn it off, but gets so frustrated he kicks the machine, hurting his foot and hopping around clutching it in pain, before blaming that on the newly arrived Mork too. Telling him every time he's around disaster strikes.
Saying he's going to call the repair man, he pauses to come back on seeing Mork examining the printing press, warning him not to touch anything. As Hamilton moves away, Mork snaps too telling him he can count on him and saluting him. The salute unfortunately knocking up one of the levers on the printing machine, sending out a jet of printing ink directly after, and all over, Hamilton. Furious, and having had enough, Hamilton promptly fires Mork from the school newspaper, to Mindy's disappointment.
Hanging out, literally, with Doing in a tree near the backfield of the school, Mork dejectedly tells him he feels like something the Cat threw out. That all he wanted to do was help Mindy and get a real news story. Pulling out a SuperGuy comic book, he wishes he was like him, that he never goofs up. A weary yawn interrupts Mork, the sound of his wish having woken up Orson, who reminds him he's told him before, no wishes before 10am Ork Time, he's trying to sleep. Mork apologizes and explains that if he had super powers like Super Guy, he could really help his Mindy. Something that Orson finds very commendable, and promptly sends him down an egg with a Super Guy suit inside of it, just like the one that gives Super Guy all his super powers. Orson warning him not to let it fall into the wrong hands. Saluting, Mork tells Orson he can count on him. As he signs off he hears Mindy approaching, excited at finally finding a scoop. Someone, she tells him, has stolen a Plinks Armored Car and she's after the story. Watching her go, Mork immediately sees his chance to be Super Guy for her, putting on his outfit, and immediately getting the cape in his face, bouncing off a tennis net and ending up slam dunking himself into a basketball net, wondering to Doing if Super Guy started out this way?
Gradually though he starts to get the hang of it, in full Super Guy outfit, flying over Boulder with Doing hidden away, both of them keeping an eye out for suspicious truck nappers. Mork catching sight of the armored truck below him, driven by two goons who are working for a 'Mr. Big'. At the same time, down on the street, Mindy sees and recognizes the truck for herself before a rush of breeze above her makes her look up, shocked to see what looks like Super Guy flying above her. Shooting down towards the truck, Mork bounces off it and straight down an open manhole cover, leaving the two goons inside wondering what that was. As they drive over the manhole cover however, Mork shoots straight up, lifting the armored car straight up into the sky with him. Down on the street, not sure what to call him, Mindy goes with Super Guy and calls to him to watch out for a building. Hearing her but not seeing what she means, Doing points out what she's talking about, Mork having to make a sudden upward shift, flying straight up and crashing into an advertising hoarding, leaving the truck behind, teetering on the top of it.
Cursing to himself, Mork turns and zooms after it as it, and the two goons inside, fall. Landing beneath it, Mork shifts about prepping to catch it. Which he does, but not before it drives him through the city street below it. As Mork tries to pull himself out, the two crooks get out and make a run for it. Mindy running towards the truck to check on 'Super Guy'. Springing out, and affecting a deep macho voice, he informs her that nothing phases Super Guy. Nervously introducing herself, and saying she's a reporter from Mt. Mount Mirror, she pulls out her notebook and goes straight for the big question, the secret of his super powers. As it's her, Mork, rather unwisely tells her all his powers come from his super suit. Even more unwisely, Mindy, super excited at the story, repeats the secret quite loudly...and gets overheard by the two crooks still hiding nearby.
As Mindy's street interview with 'Super Guy' goes on, Mork feeding her a lot of odd information about what Super Guy's parents gave him when he was younger, the two crooks have come up with a plan. One of them dressing up as a Nanny, with a pram, makes his way towards Mindy, Superguy and the Armored Truck. The other places a phone call to a nearby phone box. The 'Nanny' tells Super Guy that it's for him, Mork telling Mindy he'll be right back, dashes off to answer it. Sneaking up behind Mindy, the 'Nanny' grabs her, muffling her cries and dumping her in the pram, racing off with her. As Mork answers the phone as Super Guy, the other crook tells him to look down the street he's come from. Pointing out that Mindy is gone. And if he wants her back safe, he has to turn up at the 13th Floor of the Black Tower Building, where Mr. Big will be waiting.
Later, in the Black Tower Building, the lead crook tells Mr. Big, that Super Guy is for real, and all of his powers are in his suit. If they had it they could bust into vaults with no problem, and he's coming right to them in the building. But Mr. Big feels its a lot of hogwash. But...he clicks a button and iron bars slide over the window, with reinforced steel plating sliding over the floors...if Super Guy can get through his super defenses, then he'll believe them. Just as he finishes, an alarm goes off. The crooks looking to a monitor and seeing Super Guy in the elevator shaft. Listening in they hear Mork tell Doing that the crooks expect him to attack from below, so he'll surprise them from below. Smugly, Mr. Big says the surprise will be on him, and hits another button on his remote. The elevator above Mork starting to descend rapidly on them. Telling Doing not to panic 'Super Guy' can handle it, Mork flies up and catches the elevator, shooting up with it. Right out of the top of the tower. Opening the car, he steps into it, just as the car falls back down into the building, landing on Mr. Big's floor.
Mork approaches Mr. Big telling him to surrender to him, in the name of Truth, Justice, Mom and Apple Pie. As Mr. Big goes to hit a button for the Trap Door in his floor, Mork stops him, seeing it coming like all good Superheroes. Telling Doing to step back however, Mork inadvertently puts them both on the actual Trap Door. As Mork falls, one of the goons grabs a hold of his costume, pulling it right off him. With the suit, Mr. Big declares, they'll soon own all of Boulder City. Tied to a chair and watching on, Mindy tells him he'll never get away with it. But putting on the suit, he announces himself as Super Big, and about to start his super crime spree, beginning with throwing Mindy into the pit, then meeting him at the gold reserve.
As his henchman throw the struggling Mindy into the trap, she lands right in a smiling Mork's lap. Mork apologizing for messing up her rescue, at which she finally realizes he's the masked hero. But Mork feels he's nothing but a super flop, and Orson is going to 'splonk' him for losing the super suit. Starting to stress out in desperation, Mork tells her he feels like the walls are closing in around him. Mindy informing him they actually are, Mr. Big's trap taking on a more sinister effect. Telling him to get a hold of himself, Mork literally does that, thanking her, feeling he needed that. And as a benefit he's had a brainstorm. Igniting his finger he causes a small conflagration, melting the sprinklers and the water pipes they are attached to, gushing water down and into the pit, allowing them to float up with the rising water and get pushed out, before the walls of the pit slam shut. As the water recedes, Mindy wonders of Mork what they're going to do now. But Mork is intent on stopping the crooks, saying his flying days aren't over yet.
Meanwhile Mr. Big has flown to the Gold Reserve, exultantly feeling nothing can stop him now. As Mork & Mindy arrive in Mork's Grimbel Pazzati, they see Mr. Big spin around, drilling his way down through the roof of the reserve with the suits powers. A fraction of a second after getting through, Mr. Big blasts back out, carrying the vault. Below, Mr. Big's heavies arrive with a 'Rent A Heap' Van for the vault to go into. Mork seeing them, tells Mindy Mr. Big may have his super suit, but he still has his super finger. Using his powers, he aims at the combination lock on the safe, unlocking it. A moment later, all the gold bullion tumbles out, smacking brick by brick onto Mr. Big's head, causing him to lose his grip on the safe, the vault and the bullion falling straight down towards the van below, smashing it and covering all three villains. Mork think that's about covered it, until there's a rumble and Mr. Big smashes his way out, flying up into the air direct at Mork & Mindy, yelling "Up! Up! And Revenge'. Mr. Big smashes into the Orkan car, but it holds up, Mork telling Mindy an Orkan Car can hold up to any shock. A moment before the car falls to pieces. It's the aftershock that does them in, Mork tells her placidly, a moment before they plummet towards the ground.
Luckily for them, they land in a fruit vendors wagon in a Fruit Market below them. As Mork is grateful for the soft landing, Mindy points in alarm, as Mr. Big lands not far from them, near some glass houses. Telling them he is going to finish them off, Mork acts quickly, hoovering up some bananas hanging nearby. Firing them at Big's feet as he runs towards them, he slips the crook up, Big crashing into a large pile of water melons. Diving into the pile, Doing emerges wearing the suit, dragging Mr. Big up into the air with him, before dropping him. Mork rescuing him from the fall, by using his finger to burst open a hydrant, the water gush catching him. Mindy praises Mork, telling him he proved he was super just by being himself. Blushing, Mork finds that super, before they wrap their arms around another in an embrace. Joined ultimately by Doing.
Goofs[]
- Mindy's inability to figure out that Super Guy is Mork, before she falls into his unmasked lap in the trap, when he was previously carrying Doing around dressed 'as' Super Guy, is even more unlikely than Lois Lane's inability to ID Clark Kent as Superman.
Trivia[]
General[]
- The story writer is uncredited.
- Mork's adventures as Super Guy are a cross between Superman and the far more hapless The Greatest American Hero.
- The Farmer's Market Mork & Mindy have their final battle with Mr. Big is full of sign sight gags, like Don't Throw Stones on the Greenhouses and Melon Caulie over another building.
Pop Culture[]
- The 'Plinks' armored car, is a play on 'Brinks' armored vehicles which have been operating in the U.S. since the 1920s. The truck being on 'the Brink of disaster' line, a direct gag.
- Mork's 'Faster than a Speeding Ticket. More Powerful than a Train. Able to leap tall Basketball Hoops in a single bound'' is a direct paraphrase of Superman's 'Faster than a Speeding Bullet. More Powerful than a Locomotive. Able to leap tall Buildings in a single bound.'
- One of the robbers refers to Mork as "a guy in red long-johns." This was a common utterance referring Ralph Hinkley's costume on The Greatest American Hero, and a bit incongruous considering Mork's tights are blue.
Gallery[]
