Thundercats ( TV Series 1985 - 1987 )





 

Plot



ThunderCats is an American animated television series that was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions (the same that created the SilverHawks, TigerSharks and The Comic Strip) debuting in 1985, based on the characters created by Tobin "Ted" Wolf. The series follows the adventures of a group of cat-like humanoid aliens. The animation was provided by Pacific Animation Corporation. Season 1 of the show aired in 1985 (65 episodes), followed by a TV movie entitled ThunderCats - HO! in 1986. Seasons 2, 3 and 4 followed a new format of twenty episodes each, starting with a five-part story; these aired from 1987 to 1988, 1988 to 1989, and 1989 to 1990, respectively.



 

ThunderCats follows the adventures of the eponymous team of heroes, cat-like humanoid aliens from the planet of Thundera. The series pilot begins with the dying Thundera meeting its end, forcing the ThunderCats (a sort of Thunderean nobility) to flee their homeworld. The fleet is attacked by the Thundereans's enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr, who destroy all the starships in the "ThunderFleet," but spare the flagship hoping to capture the legendary mystic Sword of Omens they believe is on board. The sword holds the Eye of Thundera, the source of the ThunderCats' power, which is embedded in the hilt. Though the Mutants damage the flagship, the power of the Eye drives them back. The damage to the ship means the journey to their original destination is not possible, instead having to journey to "Third Earth"; which will take much longer than they had anticipated. Lion-O's elderly guardian, Jaga, volunteers to pilot the ship while the others sleep in capsules; however, he dies of old age in the process, but not before ensuring they will reach their destination safely. The flagship contains the young Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O, as well as the ThunderCats Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WilyKit and WilyKat, and Snarf.



When the ThunderCats awake from their suspended animation on Third Earth, Lion-O discovers that his suspension capsule has slowed rather than stopped his aging, and he is now a child in the body of an adult. Together, the ThunderCats and the friendly natives of Third Earth construct the "Cat's Lair," their new home and headquarters, but before long, the Mutants have tracked them down to Third Earth. The intrusion of these two alien races upon the world does not go unnoticed, however - the demonic, mummified sorcerer, Mumm-Ra, recruits the Mutants to aid him in his campaign to acquire the Eye of Thundera and destroy the ThunderCats so that his evil might continue to hold sway over Third Earth.

 

According to the first chapter on Wildstorms comic Thundercats Origins: Heroes and Villains, the Third Earth is actually our Earth in the future. Mumm-Ra comes from ancient Egypt, where he first met the Ancient Spirits of Evil and acquired his tremendous powers. He is  seemingly  the one responsible for destroying the human race, after he broke free from the onyx pyramids burial chamber where a Pharaoh imprisoned him.



Lyrics



 

Thundercats!

Liono: "Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats HO!"

 

Thundercats are on the move
Thundercats are loose!
Feel the magic, hear the roar,
Thundercats are loose!
Thunder, thunder, thunder, thundercats!
Thunder, thunder, thunder, thundercats!
Thunder, thunder, thunder, thundercats!
Thunder, thunder, thunder, thundercats!

Mumm-ra: "RRRrraaaaaaaaa"

 

Thundercats!





Characters



 

Lion-O: Lion-O, the Lord of the Thudercats, is not as he appears. Although his body is fully developed, his mind is that of a child. With the Sword of Omens and enchanted claw shield at his side Lion-O has powers that rival those of all the Thundercats. With Jaga's guidance, in "spirit" form, Lion-O has learned to trust in the Sword of Omens and the Code that binds all Thunderians. 

Panthro: Panthro, the eldest living member of the Thundercats, is a mechanical wizard and engineering genius. His advanced fighting technique, with battle-sticks (which can contain any concoction or weapon he places inside), proves to make him a vital team memeber. His vast mechanical knowledge helped him construct the Thundertank from pieces of their wrecked spacecraft. After creating Cat's Lair with the Robear Berbils help, Panthro was then able to craft many new vehicles in his High-Tec workshop. 



Tygra: Without Tygra there would be no Cat's Lair. Under his guidance the Robear Berbils constructed Cat's Lair in only three days. Tygra's flaming/exploding bolo-whip is a formidable weapon. With it Tygra can become invisible to almost any Third Earth being. Tygra's agility and cunning help him in times of battle and make him an invaluable asset to the team.  Cheetara: Cheetara is the fastest of the Thundercats. Her lightning quick speed, though somewhat limited in use, and hand-activated bo-staff make her nearly invincible. Cheetara also has a mysterious "sixth-sense" that provides her with premonitions about the future or an accurate portrayal of the past. Although her use of this special "sixth sense" provides accurate information, it is also very limited.

WillyKit: WilyKit is WilyKat's annoying sister. Although she is WilyKat's twin she often disagrees with her brother. With her "bag of tricks" WilyKit can defend herself by temporarily baffling her aggressor. 

WillyKat: WilyKat is the most curious of the twins. He and his sister both are highly agile. Although her is usually left in charge he often leads his sister and himself into serious danger. Don't be fooled, his sister also makes poor decisions as well.

Snarf: Snarf was Lion-O's "nursemaid" on Thundera, and he has a hard time dealing with the fact that Lion-O is no longer in need of his "protection". Although he's somewhat cowardly, Snarf does manage to gather his wits and help when needed. 

Jaga: Jaga is the eldest and wisest of the Thundercats. He was once the chief advisor and protector of Lion-O's father, Claudis. After the destruction of Thundera, he gave his life piloting the Thundercats to Third Earth so they could survive in the only remaining suspension chambers. Jaga was once the keeper of the Sword of Omens and now appears to Lion-O from his mystical plane of existence.

Claudis:Claudis was the previous keep of the Sword of omens and Lion-O's father. Although his vision was taken in battle he did not let his blindness impede his sons rescue attempt. After staying behind on Thundera, Claudis was captured by the Shadowmaster, and finally saved by his son Lion-O years later. He exists now the same astral plane as Jaga.  Kano:When Lion-O was a young boy his beloved dog, Kano, resided with him on Thundera.

Snarfer:Snarfer is Snarf's young cowardly nephew, much like his uncle. Snarfer is a graduate of Snarf College. As a result, he has much technical and mechanical experience and abilities. He can "whip up" a mechanical device almost as fast as Panthro.



One night Lion-O had a disturbing dream. This dream depicted the day they left Thundera, he knew that several Thundercats had been left behind. After telling his dream to Cheetara, and the others, she used her "sixth sense" to look back in time and see Thundera's final moments yet again. Cheetara discovered that Lion-O's dream was true. After being left on Thundera, and rescued by Robear Berbils, these "New Thundercats" resided on a small island on Third Earth with several Berbils.



 

Pumyra: Pumyra has incredible jumping abilities as well as great acrobatic skill. Pumyra is a talented runner and archer. Besides being skilled with a sling, loaded with deadly pellets of varying potency, she also has great medical experience. 
Ben Gali was originally a well-known blacksmith on Thundera. With his Hammer of Thundera Bengali can fire blue energy blasts, shatter any opposing objects, or re-forge the Sword of Omens (a once impossible task.) 

Lynx-O :Lynx-O is the eldest of the New Thundercats. Along with his age came wisdom, which is trusted by all the Thundercats. Although he is blind, Lynx-O has enhanced senses of touch and hearing. Lynx-O sees more clearly than any other Thundercat with the use of his Braille-board. 
Scooper: Scooper was a gift given to WilyKit &Kat by the Robear Berbils. Scooper has the unique ability of helicopter like flight and many other odd features. Though he cannot speak, Scooper communicated through a rotating computer screen that is built into his back. 

Episode Guide



 

Season 1 1985 - 86

1. Exodus
2. The Unholy Alliance
3. Berbils
4. The Slaves of Castle Plun-darr
5. Trouble With Time
6. Pumm-Ra
7. The Terror of Hammerhand
8. The Tower of Traps
9. The Garden of Delights
10. Mandora: Evil Chaser
11. The Ghost Warrior
12. The Doom-Gaze
13. Lord of the Snows
14. The Spaceship Beneath the Sands
15. The Time Capsule
16. The Fireballs of Castle Plun-Darr
17. All that Glitters
18. Spitting Image
19-23. Lion-O's Annointment (5 part series)
24. Mongor
25. Return to Thundera
26. Snarf Takes up the Challenge
27. Mandora and the Pirates
28. The Crystal Queen
29. Safari Joe
30. Return of the Driller
31. Turmagar the Tuska
32. Sixth Sense
33. Dr. Dometone
34. The Astral Prison
35. Queen of 8 Legs
36. Dimension Doom
37. The Rock Giant
38. The Thunder-Cutter
39. Mechanical Plague
40. The Demolisher
41-42. Feliner (2 parts)
43. Excalibur
44. The Secret of the Ice King
45. Sword in the Hole
46. The Wolfrat
47. Good and Ugly
48. Divide and Conquer
49. Micrits
50. The Super-Power Potion
51. The Evil Harp of Char-Nin
52. Tight Squeeze
53. Monkian's Bargain
54. Out of Sight
55. Jackalman's Rebellion
56. The Mountain
57. Eye of the Beholder
58. The Mumm-ra Berbil
59. Trouble With Thunderkittens
60. Mumm-Rana
61. Trapped
62. The Transfer
63. The Shifter
64. Dream Master
65. Fond Memories





 

Season 2 - 1986

66-70. Thundercats HO! The Movie (5 part series)
71-75. Mumm-Ra Lives! (5 part series)
76. Catfight
77. Psych Out
78. The Mask of the Gorgon
79. The Mad Bubbler
80. Together We Stand
81. Ravage Island
82. Time Switch
83. Sound Stones
84. Day of the Eclipse
85. Side Swipe
86. Mumm-Rana's Belt
87. Hachiman's Honor
88. Runaways
89. Hair of the Dog
90. Vultureman's Revenge





 

Season 3 1986 - 87

91-95. Thundercubs! (5 part series)
96. The Totem of Dera
97. The Chain of Loyalty
98. Crystal Canyon
99. Telepathy Beam
100. Exile Isle
101. Key of Thundera
102. Return of the Thundercubs
103. The Formula
104. Locket of Lies
105. Bracelet of Power
106. The Wild Workout
107. The Thunderscope
108. The Jade Dragon
109. The Circus Train
110. The Last Day





 

Season 4 - 1987

111-115. Return to Thundera (5 part series)
116. Leah
117. Frogman
118. The Heritage
119. Screw Loose
120. Malcar
121. Helpless Laughter
122. Cracker's Revenge
123. The Mossland Monster
124. Mu-Mutt's Confusion
125. The Shadowmaster
126. Swan Song
127. The Touch of Amorus
128. The Zazz Factor
129. Well of Doubt
130. Book of Omens

Back to 80's Tv

Nostalgia