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Leonard Starr Reviewed by: Purrsia  The final chapter in Lion-O's Trials begins with the other ThunderCats gathered in the Sword Chamber, discussing what deep doo-doo Lion-O is in. They figure that Mumm-Ra is the most powerful enemy any ThunderCat Lord has had to face unarmed. Mumm-Ra seems to think Lion-O's unarmed challenge is laughable. But, in a move that seemingly undermines his confident appearance, Mummsie goes to the Mutants and demands that they intercept Lion-O before he can figure out a way inside the Black Pyramid. The Mutants reluctantly agree, all the while not quite getting why Mumm-Ra would be so concerned about an unarmed ThunderCat. Meanwhile, Lion-O is having a discussion with Jaga near the Ruins. Seems Jaga feels Lion-O should rest before facing such a formidable enemy. However, Lion-O declares that creatures of darkness are best fought at night. You tell the old fart, Lion-O! Jaga's just wise and experienced...what does he know! The Muties show up and trap Lion-O in an old tomb in the course of their attack. Lion-O finds himself in the tomb's treasure chamber and soon has to deal with the treasure's guardian, Maftet the Lynx God. Once Maftet realizes Lion-O isn't interested in any steenking treasure, he relaxes somewhat. That is, until he finds out whom Lion-O seeks. After a futile attempt to get Lion-O not to proceed in his mad pursuit of the "Ancient devil priest, Mumm-Ra", Maftet points the way to the Black Pyramid. Continuing on in the underground passages, Lion-O soon comes upon a river. Spying a boatman nearby, Lion-O demands that this cloaked stranger take him to the Black Pyramid. The boatman says he will for a price. To which Lion-O stupidly declares he'll pay any price...sheesh! I don't think Mumm-Ra is the enemy to fear here....it's gotta be Lion-O's lack of brain wattage. Oh and can we guess what the price is, kids? Well, it ain't a Jaga penny, that's for sure! The price is Lion-O's destruction, which has the net value of roughly a Jaga penny and a half.... The boatman reveals the cost of the journey while drifting down the river in a boat. Before Lion-O can react, the cloaked one places a hand on Lion-O's shoulder which paralyzes him. Somehow though, Lion-O manages to rock the boat enough to capsize it. And for a boatman, that guy didn't handle falling in the water very well...he simply disintegrated! Mumm-Ra, now back in the Pyramid and watching Lion-O's progress on cauldron-vision, is none too pleased and getting a bit worried. He calls upon many of his "devil forms" to attack Lion-O as he sails along in the boat. First up was a suffocating fog, which only made Lion-O cough a bit -- oooo, scary! Next up, Mumm-Ra made the ceiling come alive and try to crush Lion-O in its green and gooey confines (didn't Looney Toons do a bit like that with Daffy Duck?). Yup, that failed too. Then, this funky looking cocoon monster tries to grab Lion-O. Again, Lion-O escapes easily enough. For the final assault on the river, Mummsie sends a guy, who looks just like the Enflamer, after Lion-O...too bad when dudes made of fire fall into water, they extinguish instantly. Now I'm starting to wonder about Mumm-Ra's brain wattage. Wait -- don't they scrape a cadaver's brains out when they mummify it? That explains a helluva lot! So far this match has been idiot vs. idiot -- may the emptiest skull win! heehee. (And despite the mummification facts, my money is still on Lion-O to win this contest, haha) Anyways, Lion-O loses the boat in his battle with the Enflamer and ends up getting sucked under by the river's current. Locating some chains that happen to be lining the wall of the river, Lion-O pulls himself out of the water. He proceeds to waltz (or was that the tango he was doing?) into Mummsie's tomb chamber. They finally stage the big showdown. Mumm-Ra gets a few licks in, even tossing Lion-O like a rag doll at one point. However, when Lion-O moves to hide behind Mummsie's sarcophagus, Mumm-Ra can't stop the momentum of the pillar he magically tossed at the ThunderCat. The pillar crashes into the sarcophagus, cracking it. As Mumm-Ra screams in anguish, Lion-O realizes the casket is what renews Mummsie's power. So, Lion-O picks up the sarcophagus and tosses it into the cauldron. Mumm-Ra turns to dust -- defeated for all time! Jaga appears and congratulates Lion-O, impressed the boy did so well despite ignoring his advice. Lion-O is then officially anointed Lord of the ThunderCats before a crowd outside Cats Lair. And that crown they put on his head....reminds me of the one from that old Imperial margarine commercial....sheesh! By the way, Mumm-Ra is not destroyed for all time...his distinctive cackle is heard at show's closing....mwahahaha! "Surely, you could crush him yourself with one flick of your mighty hand." -- Slithe to Mumm-Ra, as he questioned Mummsie's request for the Mutants to take out Lion-O. matt: it seems kind of ridiculous that they would send liono to defeat the biggest enemy without a weapon. I mean, it awesome that Liono wins the way he does. It is really the only feasible way in which Mummra could be defeated without any help. But still, becoming lord of the thundercats shouldn't require you to defeat an enemy who you never defeated with the sword. leppardra: It's not surprising that Lion-O enters Mumm-Ra's pyramid fairly easily. Look how many times he was in there before (and after) the anointment trials. Maftet the "Lynx God" looks like a cheetah instead of a lynx. And Mumm-Ra is destroyed for all time? Nope. That would have brought the show to a screeching halt, and Mumm-Ra was needed for two more seasons. The anointment scene in front of a crowd outside the Lair was a nice
- touch, though. I guess the celebration party started when Lion-O gave the Cat Signal; I noted Third Earthers going across the Lair's drawbridge and into the Lair while the Signal shone in the sky. I hope Lion-O got his birthday party at the same time.
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The Show
