The quest for fractals continues, and this time, the volume kicks off with a most unusual event. M.O.D.O.K. gets a fractal embedded in his head and gives him the ability to suck the power out of any character, hero or villain. With this ability, not only does the floating head reduce Hulk's strength to nothing, but he also renders Dr. Doom powerless and takes over the bad guy's evil operation. As the heroes try and figure out a way to retrieve the fractal and return everyone's powers, Loki decides to make an appearance and help M.O.D.O.K. in his rise to power. Guest starring in this episode are characters like Black Panther (Taye Diggs, Private Practice), Storm (Cree Summer) and Uatu the Watcher.
The volume continues when Enchantress approaches Doom with a plan to make Thor fall in love with her and turn the son of Odin over to evil. It seems Enchantress has had a crush on the god since high school. Meanwhile, another Asgardian, Valkyrie (Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), shows up and Thor is smitten with the woman. Enchantress' spell misses and causes Ms. Marvel to fall in love with M.O.D.O.K. As Ms. Marvel falls more and more in love with the bad guy, the rest of the Squaddies starts to consider some advice from Hawkeye (Adrian Pasdar) that they might have to stop her before she divulges any S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets.
Baron Mordo makes another appearance in the next episode when a fractal opens up a portal into the Dark Dimension and replaces Iron Man. As the evil Iron Man, or as he likes to be called, Iron Menace, begins his reign of terror, he starts putting mind-control devices on various heroes and villains in order to fight off both the Squaddies and Doom's minions. Dr. Strange teams up with Hulk and Silver Surfer to form the Defenders and stop the threat. When they finally realize that Tony Dark isn't the man they knew, they start working to put Baron Mordo back in his prison.
That isn't the only episode where Iron Man is cast in a bad light though. When Dr. Doom hires Crimson Dynamo (Jess Harnell) and Melter to dress up like the mechanical hero and rob a bank, all of Super Hero City thinks Iron Man has switched sides. Removed from the Super Hero Squad, Iron Man returns to Stark Industries to find someone else in an Iron Man suit, his old friend Jim Rhodes (LeVar Burton, Star Trek: The Next Generation). Iron Man and War Machine team up to find out the real plot behind Iron Man's disgrace. Meanwhile, while searching for a fractal on a golf course, Wolverine and Reptil run into M.O.D.O.K. and Abomination and decide to have a round of golf to determine who will get to take the piece of the Infinity Sword home.
Kevin Sorbo guest stars in "Stranger From a Savage Land!" as Ka-Zar, the jungle lord from the Savage Land. He comes to Super Hero City when Zabu, his sabertooth tiger, is captured and put in the city's zoo. At first, the Squaddies fight Ka-Zar thinking he is a new villain, but they soon realize the wild man's mission and help him free the pet. What they also find out is that around Zabu's neck is a piece of Star Quartz. This rare mineral will bind any metal together in the presence of vibranium, an incredibly rare metal that is abundant in the Savage Land. Dr. Doom of course wants the Star Quartz to re-make the Infinity Sword.
In "Mysterious Mayhem at Mutant High!," Wolverine is sent back to the Xavier Academy in order to get his diploma. Reptil joins him in the trip because he has always wanted to meet the X-Men. While there, his view of the mutant team is a little shattered as he finds Jean Grey (Hynden Walch) to be an empty-headed cheerleader, Cyclops (Carlos Alazraqui) to be a jock and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore, reprising his role from the X-Men film) just a class clown. Meanwhile, Ringmaster (also played by Alazraqui) finds out that a fractal is at the mansion and, in an attempt to impress Dr. Doom, starts hypnotizing various X-Men in an attempt to uncover the shard.
The volume's last episode actually focuses a lot on The Mayor (Stan Lee) as Egghead (Wayne Knight) decides to run against The Mayor in the upcoming elections. What's worse, all of the super heroes seem to think Egghead would make a great mayor. Well, all except Wolverine, who notices an odd sound emitting from the super villain every time he gives a speech. Wolverine ends up teaming up with The Mayor in an effort get Egghead out of office.
There isn't much in the way of special features on The Super Hero Squad Show: Quest for the Infinity Sword! Volume 3. Besides an image gallery of villains, there is also an interview with Grey DeLisle who voices both Ms. Marvel and Enchantress. It's not very long, but it might be interesting for kids who want a little behind-the-scenes info.
Overall, Volume 3 does a pretty good job of continuing the show's light-hearted humor and still making it somewhat entertaining for the adults as well. Actually, one of the good things about this show is that the slap-stick gags are backed by some amusing dialogue that is primarily for the parents. After all, I doubt any current kid would catch a nod to Burton's role on Reading Rainbow when War Machine makes his first appearance in the show. It's little details like that, that makes The Super Hero Squad Show enjoyable enough for both parents and kids.
