Thundarr the Barbarian

Thundarr the Barbarian is an American Saturday morning animated series, created by Steve Gerber and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. The series ran for two seasons on ABC from October 4, 1980 to October 31, 1981. Thundarr set in a future (c. 3994) post-apocalyptic wasteland divided into kingdoms or territories — the majority of which are ruled by wizards – and whose ruins typically feature recognizable geographical features from the United States. Thundarr fights against the wizards and warlords with Ariel the Sorceress and Ookla the Mok.

Plot
Directly inspired by comic books, with the likes of R.E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian and Flash Gordon, Thundarr the Barbarian is set in a future (3994 AD) post-apocalyptic wasteland divided into kingdoms or territories — the majority of which are ruled by wizards — and whose ruins typically feature recognizable geographical features from the United States, starting in New York City and working itself to Mount Rushmore, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Other episodes with recognizable settings are located in Central America, Mexico and one in London. Another notable feature of this future Earth is that the Moon was broken in two pieces, but the gravity of the pieces drew them back together, orbiting at roughly the same height as the intact Moon once did. The shattered moon and the ruins of the former human civilization were caused by the passage of a runaway planet (more resembling a comet) between the Earth and the Moon in 1994, which, from scenes shown in the opening sequence, caused radical changes in the Earth's climate, geography and tidal effects. This was also called the END OF TIMES. However, by the time period in which the series is set (2,000 years later), the Earth and Moon seem to have settled into a new balance. Earth is recivilized in a world of savagery, super-science, black magic and evil sorcery.

The hero Thundarr (voiced by Robert Ridgely), a muscular warrior, was meant to be strongly akin to the comic book characters Thor the God of Thunder and Conan The Barbarian. In this setting, Thundarr and his companions Princess Ariel, a formidable young sorceress, and the Wookiee-like Ookla the Mok traveled the world on horseback, battling evil wizards who combine magical spells with technologies from the pre-catastrophe world.

Mindok the Mind Menace (Season 1, Episode 3)
Mindok, an evil wizard who is now just a brain, spots an opportunity to gain a new robot body when three scientists from the 20th century are released from cryogenic suspension. He uses his powers to hypnotize the scientists into working for him.

Raiders of the Abyss (Season 1, Episode 4)
A gang of raiders, led by a wizard named Morag, kidnap people from a village and drain their life force, leaving them weak and enslaved to the raiders.

Wizard Wars (Season 2, Episode 1)
The wizard Skullus and his soldiers attack a village in a ruined oil refinery; after destroying the homes, Skullus's soldiers round up the villagers and Skullus hypnotizes to be his mindless army for his attack on the fortress of his enemy, the equally evil wizard Octagon. Thundarr tries to stop Skullus but the wizard sends his mindless army to stop Thundarr and then begins to set fire to the refinery while he beams himself and his mindless slaves up to his ship.

Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla travel to stop Skullus, encountering a young girl named Jiel whose people have become Skullus's army. The quartet travel and reach the fortress of Octagon just as Skullus starts his attack sending Jiel's people in front of his moving fortress. Thundarr and company first sneak into Octagon's fortress and defeat the wizard then go into to Skullus' fortress and defeat him, free Jiel's people from his control.

Island of the Body Snatchers (Season 2, Episode 3)
An old witch hypnotizes Ariel and uses magic to switch bodies with her.