When Fry and Leela discover a cream that gives them unusual powers, they form a superhero team along with Bender.
WAR
56.9
Wins Above Replacement
“Less Than Hero” ranks #58 of 137 Futurama episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 78.8 — Elite. The episode packs 69 scored jokes at 3.8 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 6.6 on impact, with Bender landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Mayor: An elephant who never forgets to kill.
Mayor Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline Zookeeper: Fool! A quip about putting me behind bars would have been far more delicious!
Zookeeper Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Bender: I feel like I was mauled by Jesus.
Bender Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Leela: That incorporates my violence.
Leela Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Munda: Oh, yeah. Just like it's natural for parents... To be a little disappointed in their children. Not that we are.
Munda Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Standout Moments
Bender: I feel like I was mauled by Jesus.
Bender Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Mayor: An elephant who never forgets to kill.
Mayor Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline Zookeeper: Fool! A quip about putting me behind bars would have been far more delicious!
Zookeeper Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy All Jokes — 69 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ SewerCom Voice: Your call is being-- Connected. By SewerCom. Reach out and touch the sewers.
Leela: Dad, relax. You are being so mutant.
Bender: Because they're inferior genetic scum. Present company excluded, of course.
Bender Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Bender · Leela: While you're there, could you get me a license to kill? Sure. Bare hands or weapon? What does piano wire count as?
Swedish Robot: Enjoy your affordable Swedish crap.
Professor: There. Finished. And only six missing pieces.
Bender: I feel like I was mauled by Jesus.
Bender Dark/Subversive Wordplay/Pun Professor: Two hours later, he was gone with 60 of my dollars! But I had the miracle cream.
Mugger · Fry: Hand over your wallets! I don't believe that story for a second. It doesn't matter, I'm mugging you! There's no bus to Jersey City.
Fry: I'm too scared to find my pocket. Here, I'll just take off my pants and give you those.
Fry Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Bender: Give it to him again, Andrew!
Bender Running Gag Character Comedy Leela: Give it to him again, Andrew!
Leela Running Gag Escalation Mugger: Foiled. And after years of planning. You're out of the gang.
Mugger Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist Fry: Maybe we're wearing magic rings, but they're invisible so we don't even realize it. Also, you can't feel the rings.
Fry: You'd think you'd have to freebase it.
Fry Dark/Subversive Observational Fry · Zoidberg · Bender: Hey, Zoidberg, get in here! Screw you! Ain't got that. Nope.
Fry: I'll be able to pack my day with twice as many humdrum activities.
Fry Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Leela: To have parents. Whatever.
Leela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Leela: That incorporates my violence.
Leela Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Bender: You say you're a duo? Yeah, duos are good. Of course, sometimes they're a little short-Handed. See you.
Bender Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Bender: With two humans, you'd think there'd be a robot in there to balance things out. But whatever.
Bender Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Bender: I have these three costumes you could use, but I guess I'll just throw one away.
Bender Character Comedy Escalation Bender: Also, I got this going: [mechanical sound]
Bender Physical/Slapstick Visual Gag Resident · Captain Yesterday: Quiet! It's 4 a.m and I just fell asleep for the first time in 30 years! Sorry!
Bender/Super King: And Super King! The best one of the three!
Captain Yesterday/Fry: Sure! I'm listed in the phone book, so once I reveal my real name... Along with my address and a copy of my birth certificate--
Bender/Super King: Super King has no need for loved ones.
Mayor Poopenmeyer: That's fantastic news! Because I get to summon the New Justice Team!
Leela's Parents: Oh, I completely forgot! I left my apartment on fire! As for me, I'm late for my LSATs. And I can't take life anymore!
Leela: As for me, I'm late for my LSATs.
Leela Character Comedy Escalation Mayor: A badger with a troubled past and nothing left to lose.
Mayor Absurdist Setup/Punchline Mayor: A seldom-used crab named Lucky, a.k.a. Citizen Snips.
Mayor Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Bender: Nine, ten, a big fat hen. The name's Bender.
Bender Absurdist Character Comedy Morris: Relax. I'm sure she's just ashamed of us.
Morris Dark/Subversive Irony/Sarcasm Cop: I don't know. I never heard of no mayor.
Cop Observational Character Comedy Bystander: Man boxing a kangaroo is a peculiar spectacle. But a kangaroo boxing a robot? Now I'm afraid you've lost me.
Bystander 1 · Bystander 2: I'm scared and confused. I think we wandered into an off-Broadway play. No, there are way too many people here.
Museum visitor: I'm scared and confused. I think we wandered into an off-Broadway play.
Another museum visitor: No, there are way too many people here.
Leela: Yet the Zookeeper escaped, thus proving that the deadliest animal of all... Is the Zookeeper.
Leela Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Morris: It's good that Leela doesn't love us. She'll be less sad when we die.
Morris Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Leela: And I got the audio tour for Treasures of Liberace's Tomb!
Leela Absurdist Observational Leela: Oh, I can't take it! Mom, Dad, I'm Clobberella!
Leela's mother: Well, that's wonderful! But did you have to make the costume so revealing?
Leela's father: Look at me! Proud dad of a superhero! We should print up T-Shirts! And F-Shirts for our friends with two arms on the same side!
Morris: And F-Shirts for our friends with two arms on the same side!
Morris Observational Character Comedy Leela · Morris: Dad, you drink? No, not even then!
Leela's father: All right. My sucker is sealed.
Sewer Friend: You're pulling me! Keep it under your sock.
Parrot · Leela: Leela's parents blabbed. Leela? Is the person that parrot is mimicking telling the truth by proxy?
Munda: Thank you very much, Morris!
Munda Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Morris: Oh, God! Every couch and table has animal fur all over it. He lets them climb on everything!
Morris Observational Character Comedy Zookeeper: Or your parents will be devoured by piranhas that I have, shall we say... Persuaded to walk on dry land.
Morris: Save us, Leela! I mean, if you don't have anything better to do!
Morris Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Bender/Super King: The thought of stealing anything fills Super King with disgust. But if it must be so, then let a museum heist be pulled!
Bender: Check inside the cap. There might be a caked-in gold mine. El Zilcho.
Bender Observational Wordplay/Pun Bender: El Zilcho. I'm afraid we're boned.
Bender Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Callback Random person · Fry: Can l, like, wail on you with this two-By-Four... And it doesn't hurt you? Ow! That didn't hurt.
Captain Yesterday/Fry: Ow! That didn't hurt.
Fry: Stay back, or we'll beat the tar out of you using super powers! Whoo-ooah.
Fry Setup/Punchline Physical/Slapstick Leela: Stay back, or we'll beat the tar out of you using super powers!
Leela Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Zookeeper: You think I'd show you my lair? My lair's a million times nicer than this.
Morris: We're just happy to be involved in your life.
Morris Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Munda: Oh, yeah. Just like it's natural for parents... To be a little disappointed in their children. Not that we are.
Munda Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Leela's mother: Just like it's natural for parents... To be a little disappointed in their children. Not that we are.
Bender · Fry: Hey, Fry, we've still got our costumes on. Wanna steal some more stuff? I guess. As long as you think it's right.
