Superhero of the day...obscure super team Sunday

In a world that has come to take Superheroes way too seriously.  The current trend is to make them dark and gritty and violent.  And the teams of heroes are usually a collection of super powered beings that could probably each handle the apparent crisis just as well alone as they could with their comrades.

In 1972, there were fewer teams, not everything was labeled Avengers or Justice League or X-ubiquitous.  But in a world of self parodic genius, DC comics created a team that not only made fun of themselves but the whole genre of Superheroes,

The premise is that the characters were sons or daughters of members of a superhero team called the Freedom Brigade, a parody of the Justice League of America, and most of the Inferior Five were takeoffs of other popular DC characters, though Merryman's appearance was specifically modeled on Woody Allen

After appearing in Showcase #62, 63, and 65 (1966), they got their own title which lasted twelve issues. The first ten had new material and were published from 1967-68. In two memorable adventures (published in #7 and #10 respectively), they met a parody of Marvel' superheroes such Iron Man and Spider-Man(here called "Cobweb Kid") (#7), and then (#10) fought alongside the "Kookie Four" (the humorous version of the Fantastic Four) and Sub-Moron (an obvious look-alike to Namor) to repel an invasion of aliens with hypnotic eyes and garlic breath.^{[citation needed]}

The membership consisted of the following

Merryman Originally known as "98 Pound Weakling" (Myron Victor, occupation: comic strip artist), the son of The Patriot and Lady Liberty (parodying Uncle Sam and Quality Comics' Miss America). He is a descendant of Yellowjacket and the Crimson Chrysanthemum (obvious takeoffs on the Green Hornet and the Scarlet Pimpernel). The team's leader, he wears a jester outfit, having decided in the team's first appearance that if he was going to make a fool of himself, he might as well look the part. He is highly intelligent, making him the only team member who is thoroughly aware of the team's disadvantages. Although trained in martial arts, he is physically a weakling with little practical ability to use such skills. He returned in Final Crisis as leader of the residents of Limbo,[4] leading them in assisting the Supermen of the multiverse to fend off an attack from Mandrakk the dark Monitor, Superman reflecting that anyone could be a hero.

Awkwardman (Leander Brent, occupation: beachcomber), son of Mr. Might (parodying Superman) and the Mermaid (parodying Aquaman). He is super-strong and able to live underwater, having inherited powers from both parents, but is also very clumsy. In keeping with his half-undersea heritage, he requires periodic contact with water, which can consist of simply pouring it over himself with a gardening can. His codename is a pun on Aquaman; his surname "Brent" rhymes with Superman's surname of "Kent."

The Blimp (Herman Cramer, occupation: diner owner), the obese son of Captain Swift (parodying the Flash) who could fly like his father but, as he lacked his father's speed powers, could only fly at super slow speeds — with a tail wind. He was one of the only superheroes to attend the funeral of Booster Gold.

White Feather (William King, occupation: photographer), son of The Bowman (parodying Green Arrow) and an unidentified woman. He was a superb archer when he didn't think anyone was watching; people made him nervous (as did just about everything else). His surname "King" parallels Green Arrow's surname "Queen", and his codename is a reference to the traditional symbol of cowardice.

Dumb Bunny (Athena Tremor, occupation: model), the stupid but super-strong daughter of Princess Power (parodying Wonder Woman) and Steve Tremor (parodying Steve Trevor). In later continuity (revealed in Angel and the Ape Vol. II # 1), she is still the daughter of Princess Power; however, it is revealed that her father is actually Professor Theo O'Day. Shortly after Athena's birth, Professor O'Day left Princess Power and fell in love with a non-powered woman. Together, they had a daughter, Angel Beatrix O'Day (who is Athena's half-sister). After Angel's mother died, Professor O'Day reconciled with Princess Power and raised Athena and Angel together. As Dumb Bunny, Athena is described as "Strong as an ox and almost as intelligent." Ironically, she is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena. Although her surname "Tremor" is still given in current continuity, she is the daughter of Professor O'Day instead of Steve Tremor.

The I-5 may be the predecessors to Megaton Man, The Flaming Carrot, and the Tick.  Without the influence of the Inferior Five comical superheroes may have died when the campy Batman fell out of fashion in the 1960s.

If you are a fan of comics and are unfamiliar with the Inferior 5, find a collection, find some back issues, read it.  It may make you happy