Episode 5: Gladiators – Part 2
Last time, on episode 4 of Loonatics Unleashed: The Loonatics flew into space to investigate a mysterious alien signal detected by Zadavia. But they were ambushed by a race of alien space hunters called the Urrocks. Ace, Lexi, Slam, Rev and Tech were captured and taken to the Intergalactic Duelling Coliseum, whilst Duck managed to escape via an escape pod which unexpectedly took a route to Mars. The captured Loonatics have been forced to fight alien adversaries in deadly combat matches by the Urrock leader Lord Zorak. Lexi, Rev and eventually Slam were defeated by their alien opponents, whilst Ace and Tech are to move on to semi-final matches. Meanwhile, Duck crash lands on Mars and is found by a troop of Martian soldiers.
Opening sequence starts here after the previous episode recap.
Slam is taken out of the fight arena and Tech finds himself taking his place. Furie is replaced by Icawren, the flying, energy-globule generating man.
'For a place in the big finals, 'Crazy Canine' will face 'Icawren'!' Zorak announces to the crowds. 'Let the battle…BEGIN!'
'Keep-it-together-Tech-ole'-buddy!' Rev weakly encourages from up in the holding room as he, Ace, Lexi and a bruised Slam look on at their coyote friend.
Icawren once again takes to the air above Tech. Tech activates his techno-gauntlet's metal shield again too as soon as he sees Icawren's hands glowing. Icawren lets loose another volley of exploding energy balls. The impact of the globules on Tech's shield pushes him backward through the ground, but he doesn't lose his balance as he keeps a firm grounding stance with his legs. He then pulls out a small tear gas bomb from his gauntlet and chucks it in Icawren's direction. Icawren moves easily to the side and the small bomb passes by his head.
'Hah! You missed mutt!' Icawren gloats.
Tech smiles. 'Wait for it…'
The tear gas bomb explodes and a thick cloud of tear gas envelopes Icawren. He squeezes his stinging eyes shut and coughs uncontrollably. Tech takes the opportunity and sends out two extending metallic tentacles from his techno-gauntlet at the levitating man. The tentacles wrap themselves around Icawren's ankles and an electric charge travels up them into Icawren's vulnerable body. Icawren cries out in pain and shock as the electricity passes through him. Tech then drags him down with a hard pull and slams him into the ground, once, twice, and finally three times before stopping. Icawren lies battered and unable to move on the ground when Tech has finished. Tech hunches over and pants heavily in exhaustion.
'That was for beating up my friend Rev!' Tech weakly pants.
Back at Mars, Danger Duck has finally been captured by the troop of Martian soldiers. He finds himself dragged into a grand Martian palace and thrown at the feet of the slender, white-haired and revealingly-dressed Martian Queen and her Head Martian Commander Marvin/X-2 (Both Martian characters from the "Duck Dodgers in the 24 ½ Century" cartoon series for those of you that don't know!). Marvin is now taller and slightly more well-built than he was before, but he still wears a roman-styled helmet and armoured 'skirt'.
'Your Highness! Commander!' one Martian soldier reports, 'We found this dangerous outworlder in the Western Wastelands. He flew a strange, threatening craft into our soils, resisted arrest and attempted to kill us!'
'Look! This is all some terrible misunderstanding! I'd never come here to harm, spy or sabotage you Martians! I'm harmless I tell you! HARMLESS!' Duck splutters in a cowardly fashion.
'Harmless!' another of the Martian soldiers cries in disbelief, 'You threw fireballs, tar balls, sticky gooey balls and orange juice at us!'
Duck lets out a nervous little laugh.
The Martian Queen and Marvin, the Commander, stare wide-eyed at Danger Duck's kneeling and pathetically pleading form.
'Duck Dodgers?!' they both exclaim in unison.
Duck stops pleading his innocence abruptly upon hearing this and stares at them dumbfounded.
'Duck who?!' he asks.
'You're still alive after all these centuries?!' Marvin exclaims incredulously.
'You truly must be a great hero for the Earth Protectorate to have found a way to preserve you up to this day!' the Martian Queen concludes admiringly at Danger Duck.
The troop of Martian soldiers look at one another in confusion at what is being said and shrug their shoulders.
Duck blinks stupidly at the Martian Queen and Marvin. 'Yeah I'm a great hero alright! But look, I think you guys are obviously confusing me with my Great Great Great Grandfather. I'm Danger Duck from Acmetropolis and…'
'Danger Duck?! So now you've been re-named with a more fitting, adventurous title along with that stylish superhero outfit you're currently wearing?' the Martian Queen questions.
'Yes, I mean no!' Duck stutters quickly.
The Martian Queen arises from her throne and sweeps Danger Duck up in her embrace.
'Oh Dodgers! How I've missed our heated conflicts and trials of combat and wit!' she exclaims lovingly to the surprised mallard, 'And how you always impressively bested all our attempts to thwart you!'
'Oh brother!' Marvin mutters rolling his eyes.
'Look Martian lady! You're very attractive and all, but I really think you ought to know, I'M NOT DUCK DODGERS!' Duck screams in protest.
The Martian Queen and Marvin blink in confusion at Danger Duck.
'My ancestor,' Duck explains, 'was Daffy Duck, later known as Duck Dodgers in the 24 ½ century! I'm just his descendent! I'm Danger Duck!'
The Martian Queen and Marvin look at each other, then back at Danger Duck.
'How uncanny! He's the spitting image of Dodgers!' Marvin comments in amazement.
'Okay enough with the comparisons! Listen, my team mates have been captured by these gruesome lizard aliens calling themselves the Urrocks and I need help to rescue them!' Duck interjects.
'The Urrocks?!' repeats Marvin seriously, 'That is serious! Your comrades are in trouble!'
'Duh!' Duck responds with annoyance.
'The Urrocks are a race of savage space hunters! Us Martians have been in conflict with their leader, Lord Zorak, for many of your years!' the Martian Queen explains.
'They catch specimen life-forms from different planets across the galaxy. Then bring them back to their Intergalactic Duelling Coliseum for brutal gladiatorial combat matches!' Marvin continues.
'So can you help me out or not?' Duck asks impatiently.
'We had made strategic plans to take out the Urrocks at a later date, but perhaps we could fast track our plans a bit. Just for you, umm, 'Danger Duck',' Marvin says in a considering manner.
'In respect of your great ancestor!' the Martian Queen adds.
'Men! Ready the battleships! Prepare our forces for a pre-emptive strike on the Urrock Duelling Coliseum!' Marvin orders to his Martian troops.
'Right away Sir!' the Martian troops respond obediently.
Back at the Coliseum fight arena, Ace is facing off against Furie in the last semi-final match. Both he and the Amazonian have pulled out their swords and are clashing blades with one another.
'You are tougher than your other two compatriots,' Furie begins to Ace.
She kicks Ace back with a foot push to his stomach. Ace stumbles back a few steps.
'But not tough enough!' Furie finishes.
She charges toward Ace, but Ace side-steps her and catches her in the face with a spinning-back kick. She is knocked to the ground and clutches her bleeding nose. Ace takes this opportunity to pick her up by an arm and perform a judo throw, tossing her over his shoulder and slamming her onto the ground in front of him.
'Normally I'd be more gentle with a lady,' Ace remarks, 'but you are most definitely no lady!'
He then grabs one of Furie's legs, secures it between both his legs and begins twisting her foot in a circular motion with his hands in a painful wrestling move. Furie cries out in pain. It isn't long before she gives up.
'I give! I give!' she shouts painfully as Ace is on the verge of snapping her ankle.
'Hellraiser Hare moves to the finals!' Zorak announces excitedly to the alien crowds.
Another loud cheer erupts.
'Our two finalists then will be the laser-firing, martial artist, 'Hellraiser Hare', and the master of metal and technology, 'Crazy Canine'!' Zorak informs the eager audience.
Ace looks up to the Urrock leader in shock at this announcement as Furie is replaced by his friend Tech E. Coyote in the arena. Tech looks ahead at his leader in as horrified an expression as him.
'This is ridiculous!' Ace shouts up at Lord Zorak, 'We will not fight each other!'
'You two will fight! And you will not hold back! Or the rest of your companions will suffer terribly!' Zorak threatens to Ace and Tech.
Ace and Tech look up to the holding room where Lexi, Rev and Slam are being held. They see Urrock guards now pointing their crackling staff weapons at them. Lexi, Rev and Slam have frightened looks on their faces.
'I don't think we have a choice Chief,' Tech sighs defeatedly to Ace.
'Let the final round…BEGIN!' Zorak grandly announces with an evil grin.
Commercial break here.
Ace and Tech look at each other uncertainly. Then Tech clenches his right hand into a fist once again and his techno-gauntlet travels up his arm. Ace pulls out his sword from behind himself and brandishes it in front of Tech. A double-edged, heat-lined blade weapon slides into Tech's armoured right hand and the two Loonatics stare at each other hard. Quite suddenly they lunge at one another and their blades clash loudly. Their eyes flare with burning colours and they grit their teeth as they both struggle to get the upper hand over one another. But Ace, being the better swordsman, very quickly overpowers Tech and knocks the double-edged blade weapon out of his grasp. Tech quickly activates his gauntlet's metal shield and raises it above his head just as Ace brings down his sword upon it. Ace's sword collides with Tech's shield a couple of times before Tech uses his electromagnetic powers to pull it out of Ace's hand and send it flying quite a distance away. Disarmed, Ace fires his optic lasers at Tech's shield in full blast, pushing Tech right back into a wall. Weakened from the previous battles, Tech's shield soon crumbles under Ace's eye lasers and it falls apart under the intense heat and pressure. Tech is left wide open to Ace's powerful laser fire and he takes the incinerating blasts square in the body. The coyote lets out a terrible scream of excruciating pain as he feels his skin being rapidly ripped off and his bones being exposed; his whole body is set on fire as Ace continues to burn the coyote alive. After a few seconds of constant laser fire, Ace stops and looks at the now kneeling, blackened form of his comrade in regret.
'Tech?...' Ace utters fearing the worst for his friend.
Ace approaches the still form of the badly burnt coyote. Suddenly he jumps back slightly in surprise as a green glow envelopes Tech's body. Almost immediately, Tech is restored back to normal thanks to his molecular regeneration, except that his black outfit is torn at many places, leaving large patches of dark green fur exposed to the open. Tech rises to his feet with a grim look on his face and starts walking toward Ace.
'That hurt,' Tech dryly comments.
Ace backs up and lets loose with another round of optic laser fire. Tech doesn't budge from his straight path toward Ace. He holds up his armoured right arm over his face, to offer it some little protection from Ace's laser fire, and he continues to push forward against the laser-wave torrent. His body keeps on regenerating itself from the burns inflicted as he proceeds. Soon he reaches an arm's distance from Ace. He pushes out his armoured hand against Ace's laser fire, forcing his metal-plated palm over Ace's eyes in a head grasp and thus blocking his optic laser stream. Tech then tosses Ace to the ground. But Ace responds by pushing his body weight onto his grounded hands and then launching himself upwards so that his feet strike Tech in the chin. Tech falls back onto the ground. Ace stands over him and raises a fist up, ready to bring it down on Tech's face.
'I'm sorry Tech,' Ace apologises regretfully.
'So am I,' Tech replies solemnly.
Ace looks at his friend puzzled. Tech then suddenly uses his electromagnetic powers to lift Ace's sword from some distance away and position it in the air, unknowingly to Ace, behind his head. Before Ace realises what Tech is doing, he is struck on the back of his head by the blunt end of his own sword. The Loonatics' leader is knocked out cold and he falls to the ground. Tech sits up exhausted and looking sadly at the unconscious form of his leader.
'Brains beat brawn Chief. Brains beat brawn,' Tech pants more to himself than to Ace.
Up in Lord Zorak's balcony, the Urrock leader turns to another Urrock next to him to say something.
'These Acmetopians seem to be excellent fighters! They will make popular regular competitors for the Coliseum!' Zorak comments in a pleased manner to the other Urrock guard.
Suddenly to everyone's surprise, a giant holo-screen appears in the air above the fight arena grounds. Marvin's, the Martian Commander's face appears on the screen.
'Zorak! You are in breach of the Universal Law for abducting sentient life-forms from other planets! I know you are holding a group of Acmetopians against their will and I will have to demand that you release them! My Martian forces have this Duelling Coliseum surrounded! And though I would so enjoy the pleasure of blowing you and your Urrock space hunters to the next nebula, I will be courteous enough to advise you all to surrender yourselves to us immediately!' Marvin orders.
'The Martian Commander!' Zorak exclaims in angry surprise. 'How did he and his whole fleet slip by our alarm systems without detection?!'
Duck's arm is seen pushing Marvin out of the way on the holo-screen and his face takes position on the transmission.
'Yeah ya ugly lizards! Let my friends go or I'll push this big red button here and vaporize you all!' Duck threatens.
'Duck?' Tech says in surprise looking up at the holo-screen.
'Umm, that's the button for the screen wipers,' Marvin's voice is heard correcting Duck's empty threat from the background.
Duck laughs nervously on the screen. 'Oh…'
'Inferior Martians! The Urrocks will never submit to the likes of you!' Zorak shouts up at the Martian transmission. 'My Urrock brothers! Engage the Martians! We will fight to our very last breath if that's what it takes to destroy them!'
Urrock fighter ships emerge from all sides of the space Coliseum structure and begin attacking the Martian battleships. And laser guns emerge from the walls of the Coliseum firing at the Martians too. The Martian forces begin fighting back with their own advanced weaponry.
Inside Marvin's main battleship, Marvin turns to Danger Duck. 'Danger Duck, you will need to get into the Coliseum and retrieve your friends while my forces keep the Urrocks occupied,' he instructs.
'You don't have to tell me! I know what to do!' Duck snaps at the Martian commander.
Marvin rolls his eyes at the duck's arrogance.
'I shall go with you,' the Martian Queen volunteers to Duck.
'But my Queen!' Marvin starts in protest.
'No X-2, I must do this. A queen of Mars must be strong of mind and heart. She must possess bravery and prowess in the face of war. I am obliged to assist in our battle against the Urrocks!' the Martian Queen confidently states.
'Oh yeah, she digs me!' Duck brags.
With that, Danger Duck, the Martian Queen and a handful of Martian fighter drones head into the Coliseum in a small ship. Meanwhile, in the Coliseum fight arena, Tech has picked up the unconscious Ace and flung him over his shoulder. He proceeds to convert his techno-gauntlet into an electricity canon and begins firing at Urrock guards that try to stop his escape. He fights his way back to the holding room above and frees Lexi, Rev and Slam by pushing buttons on the outside of their containment vessels. The now freed Loonatics begin fighting back against the Urrock guards. Ace regains consciousness just in time to help his team.
'What the…? What's goin' on?!' Ace queries in surprise to find himself in the middle of a major fight.
'No time to explain Chief! Just help us take out these Urrocks!' Tech replies quickly.
Ace knocks down two Urrocks coming toward him with his eye lasers.
'We-need-to-find-the-way-out!-Pronto!' Rev states as he punches an Urrock rapidly.
Slam spins his way through a line of Urrock guards, knocking them in various directions and clearing a path for his team mates.
'Nice work Slam!' Lexi comments to the Tasmanian devil.
The Loonatics make their way out of the holding room.
In a corridor somewhere else in the Coliseum, Duck, the Martian Queen and their bodyguard drones race to find the other Loonatics.
'Your friends will be located somewhere near the fight arena,' informs the Martian Queen to Duck, 'We will head there.'
Suddenly as they turn round a corner, they bump straight into Ace and the others. Duck smacks into Ace and they both fall over from their collision. Slam runs into one of the Martian drones, sending it flying backwards into a wall where it is badly smashed.
'Ugahrahdah sorry!' Slam blabs in apology.
'Duck!' the other Loonatics all cry in relief.
'You actually came back for us!' Lexi cries in slight disbelief.
'Well of course I did! What? You thought I'd run off and abandon you all just to save my own feathers?' Duck accuses in annoyance at their lack of confidence in him.
Ace, Lexi, Rev and Slam look at each other shiftily. Tech just folds his arms and looks at them smugly.
'Told you so,' Tech teases.
'Just shows how much the rest of you really know me!' Duck further accuses in an angry and hurtful tone.
'You're right Duck! We'll never doubt you again!' Ace apologetically offers putting a hand on Duck's shoulder.
'This is all very nice and heart-warming, but we are on enemy territory and do need to getting out of here as soon as possible!' the Martian Queen impatiently reminds.
'Hubba hubba! Who she?' Slam asks with his long tongue lolling out of his mouth.
'I am the Queen of Mars!' the Martian Queen states.
'Don't worry, she and the Martian Commander kindly offered their help to me to rescue you guys!' Duck explains.
'Great to know! Now let's high-tail it outta here!' Ace suggests urgently.
The group start heading back the way Duck and the Martian Queen came from. They reach a craft hangar where their small Martian ship is parked. But then a large group of Urrocks ambush them and attempt to cut off their escape. Another major fight ensues. The Martian fighter drones fly ahead of the Loonatics and the Martian Queen, forming a defensive circle around them. They open fire at the Urrocks. The Urrocks fire back at the drones with their staff weapons, taking out a few of the drones. Ace and Lexi leap into the fray and fight several Urrocks in hand-to-hand combat. Rev zooms around back and forth between Urrocks, speedily knocking them out. Slam sweeps up a handful in a hand-launched tornado. Duck teleports himself into the air and re-materialises with a total of six power orbs in his hands, which he 'rains' down on the Urrocks in a circular sweep. The orbs hit the floor at the Urrocks' feet and explode, sending the Urrocks flying in all directions. Tech, having retrieved it from the arena, pulls out his double-edged, heat-lined blade weapon from his techno-gauntlet. He places both his hands on the central handle of the weapon and pulls it apart into two separate heat-lined blades, one in each of his hands. The blades glow a bright red as they radiate intense heat. Tech then starts moving forward, turning himself in full circles whilst swinging the heat-lined blades over his head and bringing them down on the Urrocks' staff weapons, chopping them in half as his burning blades easily slice through them. The Martian Queen, protected by three fighter drones and armed with a Martian particle gun, makes her way to the ship. Once inside it, she targets a few of the Urrocks with its guns and fires at them. The Loonatics follow her path, pushing their way past the few remaining Urrocks. Duck throws power orbs at the Urrocks and Tech fires electricity blasts from his electricity canon at them from the rear of their retreating team mates, covering their escape into the Martian ship. When they are all inside the ship, the Martian Queen takes off back to the main Martian battleship outside.
Meanwhile, Lord Zorak has fled to another craft hangar in the Coliseum, seeking to escape the war that has broken out. He is heading to a small Urrock escape spacecraft when he is suddenly confronted by none other than Marvin the Martian Commander, who stands directly in his path. Marvin points a particle gun at the Urrock leader.
'Hold it right there Zorak!' Marvin commands firmly, 'You're not getting away that easy!'
Taking him by surprise, Zorak whacks the particle gun out of Marvin's hand with a sudden strike of his staff weapon. He then whirls around and sweeps his reptilian tail under Marvin's feet, tripping the Martian over. Marvin rolls to the side just as Zorak brings his heavy scaled tail down on the floor where he lay a split second before. Marvin jumps back onto his feet and runs in a straight path for the Urrock, but just before he reaches his striking staff weapon, he swerves himself around to the back of the reptilian alien, grabs his dark purple cloak and pulls it over the Urrock's head. Zorak drops his staff and swings his clawed hands about blindly in an attempt to strike out at Marvin.
'Where are you Martian?! I'll tear you to shreds! I'll…' Zorak threateningly cries.
He is cut off though by Marvin firing a stunning energy blast at him with his own dropped staff weapon. Zorak falls to the floor out cold.
'Foolish aliens, they never learn,' Marvin quips to himself victoriously.
Later, the Martians have defeated the Urrocks and are taking them into their battleships as prisoners. Marvin has met up with the Queen and the Loonatics in his main battleship.
'Let me get this straight. So you're telling me that you really are 'the' Marvin the Martian that our forefathers knew and met in person?' Duck questions Marvin in a confused manner.
'That is correct,' Marvin replies, 'I was known to most Earthlings as 'Marvin the Martian', but on my home world of Mars and by some other planets we have…umm…had relations with, I am referred to as 'X-2 the Martian Commander',' Marvin explains.
'But that means you've got to be several centuries old!' Tech deduces in disbelief.
'Oh yes, us Martians can have very long life spans!' Marvin confirms.
'Well then it's an honour to meet one of the original Looney Tune gang!' Ace says enthusiastically.
He holds out his hand to Marvin. Marvin shakes it warmly and his eyes begin watering with emotion.
'I had thought Bugs and Daffy to be nothing more than a fond memory now, but I am glad to see their legacy lives on in you their descendents,' Marvin happily says. 'Oh and…this is for you Danger Duck.'
Marvin hands a life-like Duck Dodgers plush toy over to Danger Duck. Duck holds up the soft toy and wags it in a less than impressed manner in front of his face.
'Umm, gee thanks Marv,' Duck thanks in an unenthusiastic tone.
'It was a plush toy that your ancestor loved very much!' Marvin reveals.
'I wonder why…' Ace sarcastically mumbles.
'I'm sure it will be of great sentimental value to you!' Marvin adds.
'Yeah, I'll take it to bed with me every night,' Duck falsely promises whilst rolling his eyes.
'Speaking of beds, I'd like to be getting back to my own ASAP!' Lexi voices, 'I'll be needing my beauty sleep soon after all that action!'
'I'll give you all a ride back to Acmetropolis in my ship,' Marvin offers.
'That'd be much appreciated Marv!' Ace thankfully accepts.
'And take this Martian emergency communicator,' Marvin offers, handing a small device to Ace, 'If you're ever in major trouble and need me, just activate this and I'll receive your signal no matter how far away I am.'
'We'll use it in good health,' Ace assures.
'Thanks for all your help Marv!' Duck thanks Marvin, saluting him with an informal hand to his forehead.
'No, thank you Duck for coming to Mars and finding us!' Marvin gladly responds, 'I may never have known the descendents of my old acquaintances if you hadn't!'
Marvin runs his eyes over each of the Loonatics as if to commit their faces to memory.
'Now let's get you all back home!' he states.
With that, Marvin, the Martian Queen and the Loonatics all take their seats in the battleship control room. The ship's thrusters come online and the craft jettisons back to the Loonatics' home world.
The End of Episode 5!