El Dorado (Super Friends)


El Dorado is a Hispanic superhero featured in various incarnations of the Super Friends animated television series. He was voiced by Mexican actor Fernando Escandon.

Fictional character biography

El Dorado was created solely for the Super Friends cartoons. He first appeared as minor character in the Super Friends animated shorts, which aired in 1981 season and later in as a full-time member. El Dorado spoke English with a Spanish accent, and used both English and Spanish words in full sentences.
In El Dorado's debut episode "Alien Mummy" it is revealed that he is of Mexican descent. The narrator sets the scene by describing the location as "ancient Aztec ruins in the Mexican wilderness". One of El Dorado's lines is "these are the mysterious ruins of my people".
However, in the Prime Earth continuity El Dorado first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Suicide Squad Most Wanted: El Diablo and Amanda Waller #5 by Jai Nitz and Cliff Richards.
El Dorado makes an appearance in issue #1 of The Wonder Twins comic book released by DC Comics in February 2019. He is seen on the top panel of page 9 walking in the Hall of Justice.
He makes an appearance in Doomsday Clock, the follow-up series to Watchmen as a member of Mexico's own super team, ¡Justicia!.

Powers and abilities

El Dorado's powers were not well-defined and were highly ambiguous. His most frequently used ability was teleportation, which he accomplished by wrapping his cape over his body and vanishing. Anyone or anything he wrapped his cape around could also be teleported with him, and there appeared to be no limit to the distance he could travel. Another of his frequently used powers was the ability to generate illusions. Defined as "holograms," these illusions were also capable of fooling other senses, as they sometimes generated noise and could be touched; he once created a sea monster which roared loudly, and on another occasion generated a pile of fake dolls a villain was forced to physically dig through.
He also exhibited some degree of mental powers, including telepathy. During the series' opening theme, he is at one point shown to be hovering, suggesting flight capabilities, and he would sometimes enter from the side of the screen as if he were just landing.
He may have also possessed superhuman strength, as he once competed directly against Kalibak in physical combat and was also seen on several occasions to lift heavy objects with little effort. Knowledgeable about Pre-Columbian history, he assisted the Super Friends whenever they were forced to enter unfamiliar ruins or areas in Latin America. No official origin was ever given to explain El Dorado's past, nor the method through which he had acquired these powers. They may be mystical in nature and he is empowered by ancient magic and his people's warrior-spirit, possibly derived from ancestral "Ancient Aztec Sorcerers". Another possibility is that his powers are purely psionic, and the Aztec elements are incorporated purely for thematic purposes.

In other media

Television