The Mask of Gorgon

The Mask of Gorgon

Production
Episode	2.08
Original Airdate	September 16, 1987
Writer(s)	Romeo Muller
Chronology
Previous Episode	Psych Out!
Next Episode	The Mad Bubbler
All Episodes	Episode Guide

The Mask of Gorgon is an episode from the original series of ThunderCats. Written by Romeo Muller, it originally aired on September 16, 1987.

Official Summary

Pumyra and Ben-Gali are aboard the ThunderStrike when suddenly Lynx-O takes control of the ship. Aboard the ThunderClaw, Panthro and Lion-O pursue the ThunderStrike and, catching up to it, Lion-O boards, takes control, and returns it safely to the ground. Pumyra and Ben-Gali inform Lion-O that the previous night Lynx-O received information through his Braille Board, which may be causing him to act so strangely: Ma-Mutt uncovered the Book of Norvog Noszh, the only existing history of Third Earth, and delivered it to Mumm-Ra. The book depicts an historic tale of the Mask of Gorgon and the Hills of Elfshima. Mumm-Ra calls upon Tug-Mug and Chilla to steal the Mask of Gorgon from the Warrior Maidens' Treetop Kingdom, where it is embedded in guarded an tree's bark. Upon stealing the mask, they mistakenly look into its eyes -- they are turned to stone. Summoning the mask to his pyramid, Mumm-Ra orders it to turn the ThunderCats to stone. Willa informs the ThunderCats of the mask's theft, stressing that it must be returned to its tree bark home and must not be allowed to face the hills of Elfshima. Inviting Lion-O to recapture the mask from his pyramid, Mumm-Ra tricks Lion-O, Pumyra and Willa by transforming into Nayda. The mask turns the three to stone and Mumm-Ra steals the Sword of Omens. As the mask looks through the sword's eyepieces towards the hills of Elfshima, the historic tale comes to fruition -- the range of hills is brought to life in the form of a reclining giant -- the Child of Gorgon. Flying in the ThunderStrike, Ben-Gali and Lynx-O maneuver the ship through the giant's ear canal and blast the inner ear with laser canons. Losing its equilibrium, the giant's fall causes the mask to crash to the ground and shatter. Order is restored to Third Earth.

Official Moral

Mumm-Ra seeks the Mask of Gorgon secrets he learns in the Book of Norvog Noszh. It has the power to turn flesh into stone, and he seeks to use it for evil purposes. Lynx-O, who has fallen into a spell caused by the intimations of the catastrophes made possible by the powers of the mask, tries to warn Lion-O incontinence him against impetuosity. Lion-O does not listen, acting in a fit of anger and overconfident of his abilities, and is turned into stone. With the captured Sword of Omens, the mask has the power also to turns stone to flash, and Mumm-Ra did sit awaken the sleeping giant of the hills of Elfshima, the Childe of Gorgon. But Lynx-O, calling on his ancient wisdom, attacks the monster in its vulnerable parts, its inner ear. It falls, creates an earthquake, which shakes Mumm-Ra's pyramid, breaks the mask, and vanquishes its magic. The Childe of Gorgon becomes the range of hills once more, and all that is turned to stone by the mask' s power becomes flesh again.

When acting in a fit of anger, Lion-O in danger to himself and all of Third Earth. He did not heed Lynx-O's warnings or bother learning all he could about what he was about to encounter, and consider if his anger could be channeled constructively. We, too, when angry, by not taking time to cool down and consider the consequences of acting in a fit of temper, often make matters worse when we act. Uncontrolled anger is not effective in accomplishing a goal. Only when we channel our anger constructively is it effective. In playing a game, if we become angry and lose control, we risk playing poorly or being thrown out of the game. But if we play with extra effort we are more effective players. When disputes occur among friends, often the best way of expressing anger and resolving the conflict is putting feelings into words. As Panthro says, there's nothing heroic about losing your temper.

Story

Reading from the Book of Norvog Noszh, an ancient tome of evil spells which Ma-Mutt accidentally unearthed, Mumm-Ra learns about the Mask of Gorgon and its incredible powers. He orders Chilla and Tug-Mug to retrieve the Mask from mighty Shemlock tree that grows in the Treetop Kingdom. The two Lunataks comply but are quickly turned to stone by the Mask’s gaze. Mumm-Ra then reads an incantation from the Book which teleports the Mask to him, inside the Black Pyramid.

Meanwhile, Lynx-O, who learned about the Book and the Mask from his Braille Board is being tormented by the visions of the unspeakable evil that Mumm-Ra is planning to unleash. He is so overcome with these visions that he almost crashes the ThunderStrike and is later unable to coherently warn the ThunderCats about the impending danger.

Willa then arrives at Cats Lair and asks the ThunderCats to help her retrieve the Mask from Mumm-Ra. She along with Lion-O and Panthro head to the Black Pyramid where Mumm-Ra, disguised as Nayda, brings them face to face with the giant Mask. The Mask’s gaze immediately turns all three of them into stone. Mumm-Ra then retrieves the Sword of Omens and uses it to give “Sight Beyond Sight” to the Mask of Gorgon. Amplified by the Sword, the Mask’s gaze now travels many miles and brings the Hills of Elfshima to life as the gigantic Child of Gorgon.

Lynx-O, having gained some composure, takes Bengali with him in the ThunderStrike to attack the Child of Gorgon. The two fly the vehicle into the giant’s ear canal and shoot its inner ear, causing the giant to lose its balance and fall. The fall triggers a huge earthquake which makes the Mask of Gorgon fall and shatter to pieces, freeing the ThunderCats from their stony spell and turning the Child back into the Hills of Elfshima.

Characters

Lion-O

Tygra

Cheetara

Panthro

Snarf

WilyKit

WilyKat

Lynx-O

Bengali

Pumyra

Willa

Nayda

Warrior Maidens

Mumm-Ra

Ma-Mutt

Chilla

Tug-Mug

Child of Gorgon

Vehicles

ThunderTank

ThunderStrike

ThunderClaw

Ice Runner

Locations

Cats Lair

Tower of Omens

Treetop Kingdom

Shemlock

Black Pyramid

Hills of Elfshima

Trivia

• The story of this episode borrows elements from ancient Greek mythology in which Medusa was a Gorgon whose stare could turn any being into stone.

Goofs

• In the final scene aboard the ThunderStrike, Willa and Nayda's voices are erroneously swapped.

Media

This episode was released on the following media:

DVD

• Season 2 Volume 1 DVD
• Season 2 DVD
• Seasons 1 & 2 DVD

Episode Screenshots

External Links

• ThunderCats 1985 cartoon series on Wikipedia
• ThunderCats on ThunderCats.org