| Snarf Takes Up The Challenge | |
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| Production | |
| Episode | 1.25 |
| Original Airdate | October 11, 1985 |
| Writer(s) | Peter Lawrence |
| Chronology | |
| Previous Episode | Safari Joe (episode) |
| Next Episode | Sixth Sense |
| All Episodes | Episode Guide |
Snarf Takes Up The Challenge is an episode from the original series of ThunderCats. Written by Peter Lawrence, it originally aired on October 11, 1985.
Official Summary[]
Snarf searches the Cats' Lair and discovers all the ThunderCats have disappeared. The Lady Unicorn Keeper informs Snarf and Ro-Ber-Bill that she saw the Mutants capture each of the ThunderCats and the Sword of Omens. The Mutants bring the ThunderCats to Mumm-Ra's pyramid, and wrap them in mummy bandages, leaving them immobile. Snarf uses his special talent of communicating with the creatures of the Third Earth and calls upon a Packbat, a spider, and a woodpecker-like bird to aid him in rescuing his friends by penetrating the pyramid. Snarf frees Lion-O who uses the Sword to give the other ThunderCats the power to break free from their mummifying bandages. Lion-O uses the Sword to throw Mumm-Ra's reflection back on him, and he shrinks back into his tomb in defeat.
Official Moral[]
Snarf, whose boasting is often a reaction to his own insecurity, is forced to discern and rely on his own abilities when the other ThunderCats are captured. Assuming responsibility, he uses his unique talent to communicate with and be friendly with the creatures of Third Earth to rescue the ThunderCats.
One's sense of personal worth is linked with an active mastery of the environment and situations. A sense of achievement is earned when the child becomes aware of his talents and abilities and engages in actions to express them and achieve some goal. The child's confidence is based on expectancies for success, which he learns in prior experiences and activities. Every child, at whatever level of proficiency he exhibits, should be encouraged to realize his abilities and use them in action. It's only when we have the courage to try and to act that we learn what our talents are and we can gain a sense of mastery and achievement. It’s self-defeating to assume we have nothing to offer.
Story[]
One day while returning to Cats Lair, Snarf is shocked to find it completely deserted. Despite scouring every inch of the lair, he is unable to find any of the ThunderCats. As he makes his way to the Main Control Room, he is surprised to find Ro-Bear Bill there, who, just like Snarf, has no idea where the ThunderCats are. At that moment, the Female Unicorn Keeper arrives at the lair and delivers the disturbing news that all of the ThunderCats have been captured by the Mutants.
Snarf and Ro-Bear Bill listen attentively as the Female Unicorn Keeper recounts the event of earlier that day when the Mutants, out of nowhere, appeared in their forest and started chasing the Unicorns into the Forest of Silence. Her husband, the Male Unicorn Keeper, enlisted the help of the ThunderCats to help him locate and bring back the Unicorns. The Cats naturally agreed and split up in order to speed up the search but they did not know that they were walking right into traps that were set by the Mutants.
Lion-O was the first to be seized when he tried to pilot an unguarded NoseDiver that he came across in the forest. The NoseDiver was programmed to trap Lion-O with automatic shackles and then fly away with him. Similarly, one-by-one all of the ThunderCats were trapped by the Mutants. Tygra was imprisoned in a Maze of Light while Panthro was locked in a giant Crystal Chamber. WilyKit and WilyKat were caught by Vultureman using a powerful tractor beam and Cheetara was lured into a trap via a fake hologram of the ThunderCats signal.
With a little encouragement from Ro-Bear Bill, Snarf sets out to free the captured ThunderCats. Snarf first summons a Giant Bat who gives him a ride to Castle Plun-Darr where he overhears the Mutants mention that the ThunderCats are all imprisoned in Mumm-Ra's pyramid. Once Snarf makes his way to the pyramid, he instructs a spider to bind Mumm-Ra's sarcophagus with its web, locking the mummy in it. Finally after telling a Diamond Beaked Woodpecker to peck a hole in the wall of the pyramid, Snarf is able to reach the lever that opens the main door and scampers into the Black Pyramid.
Once inside the Mumm-Ra's hideous home, Snarf is shocked to see that all the ThunderCats have been mummified. Ripping the bandages that have bound Lion-O, Snarf hands him the Sword of Omens. Lion-O then proceeds to free his friends from their bandages. At that moment, Mumm-Ra manages to break apart the web enclosing his sarcophagus and emerges from his tomb. Furious at seeing the ThunderCats free, Mumm-Ra changes to his ever-living form and attacks Lion-O. After deflecting all of the villain's fire with his sword, Lion-O uses the sword's shiny blade to show Mumm-Ra his own image. Horrified at the sight of his reflection, Mumm-Ra quickly retreats back into his sarcophagus while the ThunderCats thank and praise Snarf before heading home.
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Trivia[]
- In this episode we learn that Snarf possesses the ability to communicate with the animals.
- Similarly, the episode shows that the Female Unicorn Keeper can also speak to the animals.
- This episode marks the fourth time that Cheetara has been ensnared in a net. Previously she was caught this way in the episodes The Doomgaze, The Spaceship Beneath the Sands, and Mongor (episode).
- As Snarf is mentioning the strengths and abilities of the ThunderCats, the scenes shown are from the opening sequence as well as the following episodes:
- The ThunderKittens' scene is taken from the Lost Intro
- Tygra's scene is an extract from The Fireballs of Plun-Darr
- Cheetara's scene is a part of the opening sequence
- Lion-O's sequence is taken from The Time Capsule
- A short animated sequence of the final fight between Lion-O and Mumm-Ra is directly taken from the Opening Sequence.
Goofs[]
- During Tygra's first appearance in which he along with the others are talking to the Unicorn Keepers, his nose is cream colored instead of being orange. This same coloring error appears again when he becomes entrapped within the Maze of Light.
- In the scene in which Tygra is about the enter the Maze of Light, the orange colored patch is absent from his forearm.
- Even though in the episode Safari Joe (episode) we learn that Panthro is terrified of bats, he does not appear to be scared in the least when the Giant Bat appears at the end of the episode.
- Normally whenever Mumm-Ra's reflection is shown to him, it is of his mummy form, even if at that time he is in his Ever-living form. But in this episode, Mumm-Ra's reflection in the Sword of Omens' blade is that of his Ever-living form.
Notable Quotes[]
Unicorn Keeper: Slithe and his band of Mutant friends have captured the ThunderCats!
Snarf: Impossible!
Unicorn Keeper: I saw it! It is true!
Snarf: But... uh... couldn't... wasn't there anything you could do to help them?
Unicorn Keeper: The Mutants are formidable opposition, even for ThunderCats? What could I and my gentle unicorns achieve against them? Besides, it started in the Forest of Silence, where warnings go unheard! The Mutants began to herd my unicorns, driving them from the safety of their home. My husband, the Unicorn Keeper, went to the Cats' Lair and begged the ThunderCats for help!
Ro-Bear Bill: You must use what talents you have.
Snarf: Like what?
Ro-Bear Bill: I don't know! You must have some. They say you can communicate with the creatures of Third Earth.
Snarf: Yeah, creatures!
Mumm-Ra: Nothing will stop the vengeful force of Mumm-Ra!
(Lion-O raises his sword)
Lion-O: Except, evil Mumm-Ra, the horror of your own reflection!
Media[]
This episode was released on the following media:
VHS[]
- ThunderCats Vol. 4: Snarf Takes Up the Challenge and Trouble with Time - The Video Collection release
DVD[]
Comics[]
- This episode was adapted for Marvel Comics Issues 25 and 26.
Episode Screenshots[]
External Links[]
- Snarf Takes Up The Challenge on IMDb
- ThunderCats 1985 cartoon series on Wikipedia
- ThunderCats on ThunderCats.org
