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Leonard Starr Reviewed by Prokopis Email: propanag@hotmail.com  The second part of the adventure starts with the Cats' recon group retreating to the Lair to plan a course of action. At the Dark Side, the Lunatacs are free and itching to settle the score with Mumm-Ra (and abuse the planet while they're at it). Running into the mouthy Mutants doesn't do much to cool them down, but before things get messy, a watchful Ma-Mutt takes on his master's guise and jumps in to play the appeaser. 'Mumm-Ra' delivers a motivational speech about how they should all put their old grudges aside and work together to get rid of the ThunderCats and their "plague-ridden good deeds" and then split Third Earth among themselves. The Loonies have their own plan of course, but for the time they're willing to go along with the mummy's scheme. Oh and the Mutants just found out they're in no one's plans. We got hosed Tom, we got hosed... At the Lair, Lion-O calls in a full council meeting to address the latest events only to find half the group assembled. Seems with the recently added workload, nobody bothered to check the Thundrillium needle in the basement and the place was running on fumes. But Panthro and the younger two ThunderNewbs - at the Thundrillium Mines at the time - are in for a surprise when they try to load a batch of the mineral off the storage silo; someone's stolen their whole reserve! Going in the caverns to investigate, the 'Cats find chained brutemen hauling Thundrillium in mine carts. Although agitated and slightly aggressive at first, Panthro won't let the newbs attack the grouchy bunch, rather Bengali finds a hammer and sets them free with the striking dexterity of a Thunderian blacksmith. The question of who's behind this thievery still remains though and it's not the only thing puzzling the 'Cats either. As the trio returns in the 'Tank, Lion-O's getting word from a pair of desperate Balkans of mysterious abductions from villages all over the place. Back at the Dark Side, the mystery is now solved; the Mutants have been assigned to assist in the construction of the Lunatacs' fortress, Sky Tomb, and both slave labour and Thundrillium are parts of the process. Aside from the technical supervision of the repairs, Vultureman's duties obviously include tolerating Chilla's obnoxious attitude and annoying remarks about Mutant "primitive" technology. The vexed bird soon finds out this ice queen is not one to talk back to. Following up on the abduction reports, the ThunderKittens and Lion-O are out looking for anything suspicious. On his last pass before heading back with the HoverCat, the Lord spots something, which happens to be Slithe and TugMug's Thundrillium expedition on its way to Sky Tomb - Balkan slaves moving the valuable cargo. TugMug, all too eager to meet the champ of all ThunderCats, orders Slithe to keep moving and proceeds to knock his enemy off his ride 200-something ft above ground with a mere piston jump (Super Mario, eat your heart out). Freaked out, Lion-O decides to play it safe and puts the signal in the sky before matching brawn with the cybernetic, mohawk-wearing menace. Conveniently enough, Panthro's just finished work on the ThunderStrike - the group's latest aircraft - and along with the surfin' Kittens, the lot sets out to help their leader in distress. But just when you think it's all gonna go smooth, the lofty Lunatac jumps the sword, disarms his opponent, picks it up and snaps it in half like a twig! Before he gets a chance to do the same to Lion-O though, Kit and Kat ride in and buy him some time 'till the real help gets there :). Seeing the ThunderStrike approach and do its 2-1 splitting routine, the stubby couple decide to make a bouncing exit, which doesn't go unnoticed. On the ground, Lynx-O theorizes that TugMug's ability to move like that is due to his coming from a moon of Plun-Darr with extraordinarily strong gravity. Duh! Yet again, the 'Cats decide to go home after their latest ordeal. Meanwhile, the Thundrillium mission has arrived at Sky Tomb and TugMug's still feelin' mighty good about breaking the SoO. Between his gloating and Slithe's taking comfort in the fact the Cats can't get to them there, Luna is the only one still cautious and vigilant. The building's reserves full, Vultureman goes on to power up Sky Tomb, lighting it up like a Christmas tree. While everyone's looking at the purdy lights, a wolo and a Balkan prisoner find a way to escape and run off to break the news to the 'Cats. In the Lair's workshop, Bengali proves himself to be a real asset to the team by reforging the sword for Lion-O! [Way to go Mr. Starr, you just killed all prospect of future angst-filled moments of despair. Why?] Just as that bit's done, their attention is called outside where the 'Tank has arrived. Cheetara and Pumyra found the escapees and soon after, they give everyone the low-down on what's been happening at the Dark Side, Sky Tomb n' all. Of course it would help if the 'Cats could go there and see for themselves how serious things are, but sadly there's no way for them to get past Firerock Mountain. Or is there? According to local legend, there's another way to the Dark Side; a canyon starting in the Forest of Mists - a pitch-black place no one can navigate through, much to Panthro's dismay. But where the eyes can't help, other senses could be the answer and Lynx-O just might be their best chance. Sure enough, with the help of his Braille Board, the old cat gets them to and through the deadly canyon in the ThunderStrike "with several inches to spare" (yay for cheap thrills). Once in the Dark Side, the two locals guide them to Sky Tomb's location, but when it turns out the building is nowhere to be found, a closer inspection of the area is called for. Panthro discovers unusual scorch marks on the ground and the conclusion is now inevitable: Sky Tomb's a mobile fortress. The Lunatacs could be anywhere on Third Earth! Quick preview of Part 3 concludes the episode. - Chilla's freezing and fire powers are demonstrated here as well, along with TugMug's mighty hopping skills and ugly looks. - Here we also learn that Bengali used to be a blacksmith on Thundera and is pretty skilled with a hammer. He's keeps his own back at the Lair whenever it's not on him. Pumyra's weapon is also seen for a moment as well - a slingshot. Meh. - Seems there is an alternate (and safe) route to Dark Side after all. Wow, some surprise there! It's beyond the Forest of Mists, a pitch black place. Surely enough, the 'Cats make it through in the ThunderStrike, using Stevie Wonder for a navigator. Or was it Lynx-O...?
"A Thunderian blacksmith forged that mighty blade, Lion-O. Only another smith, like me, would know the secrets of its alloys." (Bengali, revealing his last name; Mr. Bengali Smith!) - The oddest, most glaring inconsistency in the whole adventure shows up in this ep; all of a sudden the Mutants switch from absolute fear to blatant contempt and hatred towards the "legendary" Lunatacs. So much about hearing is believing... - Hey, how come all the 'Cats didn't just collapse in a neat pile when TugMug snapped the SoO in two? Oh, I know: he shoulda poked the Eye out too :\... - Assuming TugMug can jump roughly 10 times as high as anyone else of the same weight, if that was to be attributed to his home planet's exceptional gravitational pull (just one of the several moons of Plun-Darr), its mass, or size would have to be ungodly. Plun-Darr itself would then have to have an even stronger gravity, making it practically impossible for life to thrive there. Plz lay off the Silky fruit Mr. Starr. Thx. TugMug is such a little chode lol - the way he talks reminds me of a cross between Cheech and the Taco Bell dog heh heh. It's pretty amusing. Hey, how come all the 'Cats didn't just collapse in a neat pile when TugMug snapped the SoO in two? Oh, I know: he shoulda poked the Eye out too :\... I wondered that too, hehe. I guess a poke in the Eye hurts them more as they didn't wither like they did in Excalibur when the Sword's blade was broken in All That Glitters. It was cheap how it was so easily fixed though, but better than having to visit a star inside a vulcano lol. Plun-Darr itself would then have to have an even stronger gravity, making it practically impossible for life to thrive there. Plz lay off the Silky fruit Mr. Starr. Thx. Oh noz, Starr has taken to Overgardian physics...no good can come of this! Shay Leona: Vultureman and his fits! I love it. This season he shines in my eyes....
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- -Seems there is an alternate (and safe) route to Dark Side after all. Wow, some surprise there! It's beyond the Forest of Mists, a pitch black place. Surely enough, the 'Cats make it through in the ThunderStrike, using Stevie Wonder for a navigator. Or was it Lynx-O...?
- Haha, and I was listening to a Stevie Wonder song when I read that too. leppardra: ThunderCat Benny Smith! Very good! "Mumm-Ra Lives!" isn't Leonard Starr's better 5-parter; it appears he was running out of ideas. It was wise to turn the 5-parters over to Peter Lawrence, as was evidenced by "ThunderCubs". Again a ThunderCat chooses the hard way out of an easy jam; Pumyra leaps over the Thundrillium car instead of to one side. TugMug breaking the Sword set an unfortunate trend for later "Sword of Omens breaks" stories. I liked Bengali being a blacksmith, though it's not said how he got his Hammer of Thundera. Nor is it said how Pumyra got her pellet pouch or Lynx-O his light shield. Did these gifts come from Jaga? The abductions angle was good, but it was not carried through to its proper conclusion in the final "Mumm-Ra Lives!" installment. SkyTomb and the other Lunatak vehicles are no shockers; the baddies had to get around to cause trouble. If they didn't, there wouldn't have been any point in creating them.
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The Show
