Lion-O's Annointment Trials and Beyond
Just when Lion-O's getting the hang of this Lord of the Thundercats thing, he discovers he's still got a lot to learn.

Trial of Speed

Trial of Cunning

Trial of Mind Power

Trial of Evil

Return to Thundera

Lion-O is examining the time capsule that the Thundercats have recovered and is frustrated that everyone’s gone to bed and he can’t look at it. It’s supposed to be his watch, but he’s not too concerned about that.  He starts messing around with the capsule, hits a button, and something very odd happens.  He is caught in some strange warp and travels back in time.  Yeah, I had problems with it, too, but whatever.  Meanwhile, Mumm-Ra is enjoying a tour of Castle Plun-Darr presented by Slithe.  Part of the tour is a Plun-Darrian Warbot, which Slithe claims will take care of the Thundercats once and for all.  Mumm-Ra shows some well-deserved skepticism, but the mutants insist that this Warbot can do the job.  Meanwhile, Lion-O is wandering around Thundera and manages to enter Thundera City.  He meets up with Kano, his…uh…saber-tooth dog/pet thing and Kano leads him to Claudus.  And it’s a good thing, too, because Claudus is blind, old, and beset by mutants.  Slithe, Monkian, and Jackalman to be precise.  The mutants are looking for plans of some kind, but with Claudus, Lion-O, and Kano working together, they drive them off. Yea!  Lion-O tries to tell Claudus how he ended up back in time and that he’s really his son, but Claudus seems rather confused.  He brushes the whole thing off and then gives Lion-O a piece of paper that has plans for a dangerous robot the mutants have been constructing. Anyway, back to the present on Third Earth, the alarms at Cat’s Lair start going off.  Panthro, Tygra, and Cheetara dash to the rescue and discover that Lion-O seems to have abandoned his post.  But no time to worry about finding him, because the very giant Plun-Darrian Warbot (who didn’t look this large at Castle Plun-Darr) is attacking!  There are some pretty good fight scenes, but the Warbot is just too strong.  He tears off the Cat’s Lair head and shoots the Thundercats with the Veri-Cannon (the cannon that can turn them all to stone).  Oh, and the Thunderkittens are nowhere in sight.  Somehow, they’ve been left out of this episode.  Anyway, back on Thundera, Lion-O is watching the planet blow up around him and then he gets zapped back to the present.  Just in time, too, because his friends are all about to become toast.  Up goes the Thundercat signal, the Thundercats respond, they see Lion-O and demand to know where he’s been, and Lion-O decides he can explain later because there’s a Warbot about to kill them all.  He runs out to challenge the Warbot, armed with the plans his father gave him, and finds a spot on the Warbot’s foot where the giant machine is vulnerable. He destroys the Warbot! Yea!  All is well!  Yea!  Peace is restored! Yea! The mutants are not so happy! Yea! Um, and that’s it.

Snarf Takes up the Challenge

As you’ve probably guessed, this episode is about Snarf. And as far as a Snarf episode goes, it’s actually not that bad. For a Snarf episode. When compared with other episodes, it’s…well…for lack of anything better, we’ll call it average. We start off with Snarf coming home to a very empty Cat’s Lair. The only one he can find in the Lair is RoBear Bill. We have no idea what he’s doing in the Lair, but we decide not to question it. It’s easier that way. The Berbil tells Snarf that he doesn’t know where the Thundercats are and then one of the unicorn keepers shows up. She does know and we are treated to about ten minutes worth of flashbacks. Earlier in the day, the mutants had been harassing the unicorns, so the Thundercats set out to help. Unfortunately, it was all just a big mutant trap. Lion-O became strapped to a Nosediver, Tygra wandered into a maze that closed up on him, Panthro walked into this weird sphere thing which also closed up and the Thunderkittens were caught on their spaceboards by tractor beams. Cheetara had been left at the Lair, but the mutants sent up a fake Cat Signal and she fell for it. She was caught in a net. Happy days for the forces of evil. All the Thundercats except Snarf are mummified in the Black Pyramid. Well, at Cat’s Lair, the unicorn keeper finishes her story by saying she doesn’t know where the Thundercats are being held and she can’t do anything about it anyway. Thanks for the help. Snarf doesn’t know what to do and seriously doubts his ability (with good reason) but RoBear Bill gives him a nice pep talk and Snarf sets out. This is the first episode where we learn about Snarf’s ability to talk to animals. He calls on a bat (this is a very BIG bat) and the bat flies him to Castle Plun-Darr. Snarf listens to the gloating mutants and learns the Thundercats are at Mumm-Ra’s pyramid. So off to the pyramid he goes. Here, he enlists the aid of a spider and…I think it’s a woodpecker. Anyway, the spider sneaks into the pyramid and starts wrapping a web around Mumm-Ra’s coffin. Meanwhile, the “woodpecker” starts pecking a hole through Mumm-Ra’s stone pyramid. Apparently, this is not just any ordinary woodpecker. This is a stonepecker. It’s special. It knocks a hole in the outer wall large enough for Snarf’s hand to get through. He reaches in and finds a release lever that opens a door. So Snarf is now inside the pyramid. He finds a mummified Lion-O, rips off the bandages, and then grabs the Sword. About this time, Mumm-Ra wakes up but he’s having problems getting out of his sarcophagus. This is a strong spider web. Lion-O manages to get the Thundercat signal up and the other Thundercats break free and line up to confront Mumm-Ra. Well, the mummy eventually gets loose and we have a nice battle between Lion-O and Mumm-Ra while everyone else watches. They’ve very helpful. And at the end of the battle, Mumm-Ra sees his reflection in the Sword of Omens and is sent scurrying back into his sarcophagus. The Thundercats have won! (Who didn’t see that one coming?)

Mandora and the Pirates

The Crystal Queen

Safari Joe

Here’s an interesting episode.  I kind of like this one.  Meet Safari Joe, the big game hunter.  And he’s after Thundercats.  First of all, he sets up an easy trap for the Thunderkittens.  His gun knocks their spaceboards out from under them, they land on some nice cloth type stuff, the cloth suddenly shoots upward, and they’re trapped in little baggies.  Too easy.  Safari Joe trots back to his spaceship where his robot Mule is setting up Thundranium cages for the Thundercats.  Safari Joe analyzes his next two opponents: Tygra and Cheetara.  Meanwhile, back at the Lair, the Thundercats are concerned because there’s suddenly this big shielded area that their sensors can’t penetrate.  And neither can the Eye of Thundera!  This could be trouble.  Tygra and Cheetara plan to investigate and take off.  How convenient.  Anyway, Safari Joe sneaks up on them and fires these four little cuff things at Cheetara that lift her up in the air.  She can’t run.  Whoops.  Tygra gets REALLY mad, demands that Safari Joe release her, and the hunter promptly blasts Tygra into a hole.  Oh, and then he gets the hole to fill up with water because Tygra can’t swim unless he’s invisible.  So now he’s caught two more Thundercats.  Panthro’s turn.  Lion-O wants to come, but Panthro tells him to watch the Lair.  Safari Joe watches the bio on our big panther and discovers he fears…bats?  Yup.  Bats.  So the hunter makes this huge energy bat, Panthro kind of goes nuts fighting it, and…passes out?  Well, whatever.  I guess you needed to catch him somehow.  And now it’s up to Lion-O and Snarf.  Lion-O decides to go after the hunter, evades some traps, calls the Thundercats, and they don’t come.  They can’t.  Safari Joe tells Lion-O to throw away the Sword and he’ll release the Thundercats.  Gullible as ever, Lion-O ends up losing the Sword of Omens and must take off for the Lair with Safari Joe hot on his trail.  Eventually, Lion-O gets the hunter to use all his ammunition, Safari Joe pleads for mercy, Snarf observes that the hunter’s just a big coward, and they send him packing.  Panthro also reprograms Mule so he keeps Safari Joe from ever hunting again.  A mean trick, but it works, I guess.

Return of the Driller

Turmagar the Tuska

Sixth Sense

First of all, I need to make two points about this episode. First, the animation stinks. This episode has some of the sloppiest animation ever seen on the show. Second, this episode is the only episode to explore any emotional feelings Cheetara might share with the other Thundercats. For that reason, it earned a high ranking, but that’s the only reason. Let’s summarize! A very odd spaceship shorts out in outer space and enters Third Earth’s atmosphere. It starts screaming for help and sends out some strange transmissions that seem to be picked up by…Cheetara? Yup, Cheetara. Her handy sixth sense can communicate with this weird ship. To do this, however, it drains the cheetah of energy. This could become a serious problem. Lion-O and Cheetara are out jogging when she is first affected and it really throws Lion-O for a loop. But hold your Thunderians, because Cheetara isn’t the only one who pick up the signals. Vultureman’s communication equipment in Castle Plun-Darr can catch it, too. The mutants try to trace the signal. Meanwhile, Lion-O has decided he needs to get Cheetara back to the Lair quickly, so he sends up the Cat Signal and Panthro and Tygra head out in the Thundertank. Unfortunately, the mutants see the Cat Signal, too, and Monkian is dispatched to investigate. The simian mutant overhears Cheetara explaining to Panthro and Tygra how her sixth sense is being affected and at the end of her explanation, she passes out. Like I said, this could become a serious problem. Monkian heads back to Castle Plun-Darr with the news and the mutants set out to find this spaceship so that they may control Cheetara. By this time, the very odd spaceship, which is never given a name, crashes onto Hook Mountain. The ship transmits to Cheetara that it is “cold.” How helpful. Well, Cheetara happens to be in sickbay and when this message comes through, she kind of goes into convulsions as she experiences what the ship experiences. The other Thundercats are trying to help, but all they can get from Cheetara is that this thing is “cold.” Kit and Kat are trying to trace the signals, but they can’t get a fix on it. The best guess is that it’s around Hook Mountain. So off go Lion-O, Panthro, and Tygra. Meanwhile, the mutants are wandering around Hook Mountain as well and they find this spaceship. The ship starts to fight back against them, and Monkian becomes so angry that he decides to destroy the ship. Vultureman intervenes, saying he wants to study it. After some debate, they manage to pry the control unit off the ship and they take it back to Castle Plun-Darr. (This has some rather disturbing effects on Cheetara, by the way.) And after they leave, the Thundercats pull up. They’re too late, for once. But they take the ship’s wreckage home, hoping that will help. It won’t. Cheetara insists they need the control unit. So Tygra and Panthro fix the ship while Lion-O and the Thunderkittens head for Castle Plun-Darr. The three of them take out Slithe and Jackalman, but they can’t seem to find the control unit and eventually become hopelessly lost. Meanwhile, Tygra and Panthro have fixed what they can of the ship and Tygra insists they go to Castle Plun-Darr to help. Panthro relents, but Cheetara wobbles into the garage at this moment and demands that they let her tag along. Speaking of Castle Plun-Darr, Monkian has found Slithe and now the hunt is on for the Thundercats. As for the Thundercats, Lion-O and the Thunderkittens have found the control unit, but before they can do anything about it, the mutants find them. It looks like the end, and…it is! No, just kidding. The spaceship (minus control unit) blasts through a window and starts firing on the mutants. In walks Panthro, Tygra, and Cheetara with Cheetara leaning on Tygra. She’s controlling the ship and the mutants are driven away. Back to Cat’s Lair everyone goes where Cheetara gets the control unit back on the ship. Now here is where things get interesting. The ship flies around the council room for a while and then knocks Lion-O into Cheetara and both look bashful. Then the ship chirps at Cheetara and flies out a window. The Thunderkittens want to know what it said but aside from the apology and thank you, Cheetara won’t tell and that’s how the episode ends. Some have taken this to mean that there is a romantic interest between Lion-O and Cheetara. Some look at it like the spaceship is playing matchmaker. Remember, Tygra was especially anxious about Cheetara, and he was the one Cheetara ended up leaning on. It’s hard to say, so I’ll leave it to your own interpretation. If you read any of my fanfics, you can probably figure out my view.

Dr. Dometone

The Astral Prison

Queen of 8 Legs

Strange.  That’s the best way I have of describing this episode.  But it has enough good moments that I've given it a high ranking.  We begin with Mumm-Ra’s cauldron, where the mummy is watching something happen in the Web Kingdom.  He is watching the birth of a new queen.  How cute.  Actually, this new queen is anything but cute.  Her name is Spidera, and Mumm-Ra immediately comes up with a plan to put her to use.  He changes into the Diamond Fly, a surprisingly cute little fairy (see, there is something cute in this episode) and then runs into Lion-O who is resting outside Cat’s Lair.  The Diamond Fly does some interesting sparkling things, and Lion-O’s mind takes a brief vacation while he follows the disguised Mumm-Ra into the woods.  Meanwhile, Snarf is worrying about Lion-O as usual and goes out to look for him.  He finds that Lion-O has left the Sword and the Clawshield unguarded, so he runs after Lion-O.  Completely out of breath, Snarf catches Lion-O deep within the forest but Lion-O still isn’t paying any attention to anything.  And then a spider shoots some nice sticky web stuff at Snarf and pulls Snarf underground.  (The Web Kingdom is underground, by the way.) Lion-O finally comes to his senses (or as close as he ever comes, anyway), grabs up the Sword, and uses it to expose Mumm-Ra.  Mumm-Ra flies off, but the damage has been done.  Snarf is missing.  So into the Kingdom of Webs we go.  There are lots of little fight scenes with multiple spiders before Lion-O finds Spidera and Snarf.  Snarf is caught up in what looks like a funny green egg and Spidera decides that Lion-O looks edible.  Yet another fight scene with all kinds of web-slashing, slime-spitting fun.  Oh, and Lion-O calls the Thundercats, too.  Anyway, after some more fight scenes, Lion-O ends up tangled in a web with the Sword of Omens on the ground below him.  Not to fear, though, because the Thundertank pulls up.  Snarf shouts for help and tells the other Thundercats to grab the Sword.  Duh.  Okay, like they couldn’t figure that out on their own.  Anyway, Cheetara and Tygra jump for the Sword, but Spidera decides to involve herself.  Panthro charges in with the Tank but gets tangled up in some web.  Cheetara tries to distract the giant spider, but even she is caught.  Tygra shows some intelligence by turning invisible, grabbing the Sword, and making a beeline for Lion-O.  Unfortunately, Spidera has an uncanny sense of where to shoot, and Tygra gets webbed.  But his arms are free enough to toss the Sword to Snarf (who has freed his tail) and then Snarf tosses it to Lion-O.  Lion-O grabs it, does the Thundercat call again, everyone becomes empowered, and with their combined strength, they beat back Spidera.  Oh, the excitement.  The suspense.  Will it ever end?  Yup, it does.  That’s it.

Dimension Doom

The Rock Giant

The Thunder-Cutter

Mechanical Plague

The Demolisher