What is the name of the superhero duo that SpongeBob and Patrick idolize?

The superhero duo SpongeBob and Patrick idolize is Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.

The characters are elderly, semi-retired superheroes who live at Shady Shoals Retirement Home in Bikini Bottom. They first appeared in the season 1 episode “Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy,” which premiered on August 21, 1999. In the show’s fictional world, they are genuine crime fighters as well as stars of SpongeBob and Patrick’s favorite television program.

SpongeBob and Patrick persuade the heroes to leave retirement and resume their adventures. Mermaid Man is forgetful and prone to shouting “Evil!” while Barnacle Boy is more practical, irritable, and often frustrated by his partner’s behavior.

Viewers sometimes confuse the duo’s names with later superhero identities used by SpongeBob and Patrick, including the Quickster and the Invincibubble. Those are costumes or alter egos; Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are the established heroes SpongeBob and Patrick admire.