Biker Mice? Primer Who's Who Where...? Gadgets and Gizmos BM Voice Cast Some of the most interesting devices in "Biker Mice" don't fit into either of the other categories, so I've grouped them all here. Granted, some of the stuff in this list isn't strictly "technology", like the material Vinnie's mask is made of or Plutarkian steel, but they still warrant a mention, and this seems like the logical place to do it. Martian Bike Helmets I Throttle's Bionic Eyes I Throttle's Field Specs I The Mind-Bender Beam I Bike Microphones The X-Terminator I The Verminator I VidComs I Flex-Plate Shielding I Plutarkian Steel/Plutarkian Glass-Steel MARTIAN BIKE HELMETS As Seen In: Biker Mice's helmets--every friggin' episode; Generic Freedom Fighter helmets--"Back to Mars" Parts One and Two, "Stalkers", "Caveat Mentor", "Once Upon a Time On Mars" Parts One through Three Given the rabid watchdog groups out there, you didn't really expect that our heroes would get away with riding with their hair whipping in the wind, did you? Hell, no! In reality, we all know it's safer to ride with a helmet, so I guess this is one occasion when I don't have a beef with the parents groups. Just as there are two general types of Martian motorcycle, there are two general types of helmets: the slightly more customized helmets of hardcore bikers, and the standard-issue generic Freedom Fighter helmets. Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie all have the first type. These cover the entire head, and are metal. They're actually similar in design to the type of motorcycle helmet a human would use, with alterations to take into account the Martian's exotic features. For example, these helmets have a thick band running from one side of the face around the back of the head to the other side of the face. What these do is allow room for a mouse's large, flat ears. If they weren't there, then the mouse's ears would be smooshed up against his or her head, which would not only be uncomfortable but also detrimental to hearing. But what about a mouse's elongated snout? In design, it's a straight line from the top of the face cutout of the helmet to the bottom. The mouse's snout stretches past that line. No solid face shield could be made in such a way that it would not be overly cumbersome. This is where the real genius behind the Martian helmet design comes in. Instead of a solid face shield connected to the exterior of the helmet, one materializes from either side of the rider's face from within the helmet. It meets in the middle, forming a tough, solid cover, one that easily fits over a mouse's facial features. Additionally, this shield has a variety of settings for specific occasions, like deep space mode, which can keep out toxic gases and also forms an airtight seal around the rider's head (this somehow also provides the rider with oxygen). Another darker screen can also be employed for tasks like welding. A third setting is polar whiteout. Frankly, I have no idea what this means. All I know is that it helped Throttle to see after his eyes were replaced with the bionic version. The helmets have elaborate computer systems, including thermal heat sensors, automatic targeting scopes, and even a visual index of bad guys the Biker Mice have faced off against. The typical Freedom Fighter helmet is a bit more simplified. It almost looks like a human's bike helmet, only with a pair of large cutouts on the side for the mouse's ears and two holes in the top for their antenna. I can't see the sense in leaving these areas unprotected, but hey, I didn't come up with these. The helmets are dull gray in color, with brownish face shields. These smaller models would be impractical for the Biker Mice, who rely on their helmets to mask their alien appearance (well, at least the big ears. They don't do a damn thing for covering up their fur or tails). THROTTLE'S BIONIC EYES As Seen In: "Once Upon a Time On Mars" Parts Two and Three This was something nobody saw coming. Throughout "Biker Mice", it seemed as though Throttle had been the one bro to make it out of the Plutarkian War without being gravely hurt (I used to wonder if there was any jealousy felt by either Modo or Vinnie that Throttle made it through unscathed). Then, all of a sudden (in "Once Upon a Time on Mars Part Two"), we find out that the same blast that so badly wounded his bros also basically blew the eyes right out of our tan-furred hero's head (you can see them hemorrhaging out at the very beginning of "Once Upon a Time on Mars Part Two" during the flashback segment). So how is it that, when Throttle has (once every six years or so) taken off or dipped down his sunglasses, that he appears to have totally normal eyes? Moreover, how is it that he can see at all? Very simple. Like Modo, Throttle was the unwilling recipient of some bionic "augmentation" by Dr. Karbunkle. During the time the mice were in his lab, the mad doctor placed a pair of bionic eyes in Throttle's head. Unlike Modo's arm, however, the eyes weren't quite up to snuff. While they were a perfect fit and look just like the originals, something about the eyes was defective. Throttle found himself unable to see anything but static until Carbine adjusted the polar whiteout setting on his helmet in such a way that it gave him back his sight. Later, Stoker gave him a pair of Field Specs with "a better polar white-out setting than the helmets"--the sunglasses he wears now. Tom Tataranowicz, the series producer/director, has said that over time, Throttle's eyes have gradually grown stronger, to the point where he doesn't always need to wear the glasses. Obviously, though, he has to keep them handy to be on the safe side. As a sidenote, the way Modo's eye glows, and the large number of bionic eyes Karbunkle had on hand in his lab would seem to suggest that his remaining eye is also artificial. We never see Throttle's eyes glow like that, but it seems like a reasonable conclusion that both mice's eyes are of the same make. THROTTLE'S FIELD SPECS As Seen In: Every friggin' episode, but only mentioned by name in "Once Upon a Time On Mars Part Three" I'll bet that during the first sixty-four episodes of "Biker Mice", you never looked at Throttle's sunglasses as anything other than a pair of normal shades. Neither did I. Which is why it came as such a surprise in "Once Upon a Time On Mars Part Three" that they were actually the solution to Throttle's blindness. As mentioned above, his bionic eyes frequently don't work, or are a bit undependable. The polar white-out setting of the Field Specs (given to him by Stoker) somehow corrects his vision in such a way that they allow Throttle to see with perfect 20/20 (although I'm willing to bet he's had trouble with his peripheral vision). Although Throttle's eyes are strong enough in current time that he doesn't need to wear the Field Specs constantly, he wears them constantly as a sort of a safety net--so that if his eyes do decide to bug out on him, they're there. And, as anyone who has worn glasses for a long period of time will tell you, it grows so natural to have them sitting on your face that after a time that, you feel naked without them. So, if not just to be on the safe side, he continues to wear his sunglasses because he likes them--as do the fans. THE MIND-BENDER BEAM As Seen In: "Once Upon a Time On Mars" Parts One and Two Perhaps the worst part of the package deal that comes with conscious thought, other than the knowledge of death, is the fear that someone, somehow, will take over your mind and force you to do something against your will. Having someone else at the controls of you is a scary thought, even they don't make you do anything worse than walking a mile down the road in broad daylight wearing your sister's old prom gown. Yeah, the one with the pink tulle and sequins. Imagine how much more terrifying it would be if you were a soldier fighting desperately to save your world from otherworldly invaders, and you learned that said enemy was planning to turn you into a willing participant in the destruction of your planet! Yeah, that'd just suck, wouldn't it? Well, the Freedom Fighters found themselves facing just that fate during the Plutarkian War, when mad scientist extraordinaire Dr. Karbunkle wheeled out his Mind-Bender Beam. Created for Dominic T. Stilton, the Mind-Bender Beam was an integral part of the Plutarkian scheme to steal Mars' natural resources. The device would, to use Throttle's words, "turn captured Martians into an army of bionic slaves." The Martians in particular were the Freedom Fighters (and eventually, one assumes, the Army and the general population). Once under Plutarkian control, these mice would be forced to fight their own kind, and also to plumb their planet for the soil, water, and precious ores their captors were seeking. It mirrors the pattern established by the Spanish conquistadors during the Age of Exploration, although experts are unwilling to say whether or not Cortez or Pizzaro ever tried to slap a bionic arm on a Mayan or an Aztec. Scholarly debate on that topic continues to this very day. The Mind-Bender Beam resembles a large metallic hatbox, on top of which is a control panel covered in buttons and large loops of wire (it's also very clearly labeled so nobody gets in confused with Karbunkle's other nefarious, hatbox-shaped devices). It expands from that short, squat unit into a taller version mounted on a stand on wheels for ease of movement. Three long cords of particular importance are attached to the machine--the three which are connected to the person being brainwashed. The two smaller, thinner wires are attached to a pair of small suction cup-like disks, which are placed on both temples of the victim. The thicker wire is attached to a forehead-mounted unit which bears a surprising resemblance to a pressure-cooker timer (it actually goes "ding!" when the cerebellum-scrubbing has been completed). Pressing a large red button on the control panel starts the procedure. Energy crackles up all three cables, and sends powerful--not to mention painful--waves throughout the body, causing the person hooked up to the mess to convulse violently. After just a few moments, it's finished, and the victim is now a willing slave of the brainwasher. Strong emphasis on willing. The Mind-Bender Beam doesn't turn the victim into a mute, mindless zombie, like the majority of reprogramming methods. The person under its spell retains their basic personality and knowledge, even though their alliances have been turned totally ass-backward. Essentially, they become a malicious version of themselves. The Mind-Bender Beam was only used once, but that single trial run was fearsome proof of its destructive potential. The test subject was Stoker, then the leader of the Freedom Fighters and the very symbol of the resistance. Although a little shaken in his reserve because of the fiasco surrounding Brimstone and the release of rat prisoners by the Army, Stoker could not be more opposed to the Plutarkian threat, and would be a fitting challenge for Karbunkle's invention. If the Mind-Bender Beam could bring him under Plutarkian control, it could work on anyone. Being the leader of the Freedom Fighters, Stoker was also (likely) in possession of great stores of knowledge his fellow fighters might not have. Plus, he's got great hair and kicks ass! He's the perfect candidate! If the last one doesn't make sense, remember who's writing this. There's a reason I'm Stoker1439, after all.^^ The brain-washing, as it turned out, went extremely well. Stoker came out of it totally devoted to the fish-face's cause, declaring that he felt "like any loyal servant of Plutark: ready to crush, humiliate, destroy, defile, ravish, and subjugate--all for the greater glory of Plutark." He tried to kill Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie while their backs were turned (and very nearly succeeded), then lead a pair of assaults on Freedom Fighter headquarters and Alternate Post #14. All the Freedom Fighters save for the Biker Mice and Harley were captured, with the prisoners next on the list for treatment from the Mind-Bender Beam. As it would turn out, however, the Mind-Bender Beam's capacity to leave the personality and memory of a victim intact was both its best asset and its greatest weakness. While brainwashed in this fashion, Stoker did keep the information that the Plutarkians wanted so badly, but he also retained his feelings for Harley. Seeing his long-time crush in trouble allowed him to snap out of his trance, and would eventually lead to a smashing Freedom Fighter victory. It seems likely that the Mind-Bender Beam was destroyed during the collapse of Stilton's castle at the end of "Once Upon a Time On Mars Part Three." It has not been seen in any present-time episodes (admittedly due more in part to the fact that it only appears in the last three episodes than its destruction). However, the technology is striking similar to the Evil Accelerator Karbunkle uses on Vinnie in "The Verminator", which gave the robot of the same name Vinnie's personality, but twisted around into an evil version. Coincidence? Or something more? Okay, so it's a coincidence, but still, it's pretty ironic that this device shows up in the same episode as the concept of turning Martians into slaves. BIKE MICROPHONES As Seen In: "The Motor City Maniac", others Sometimes, the Biker Mice can't stop Limburger's scheme simply by blasting their way into Limburger Tower, smashing everything in sight, and pounding on the Big Cheese until he stops (to paraphrase Vinnie). On occasion, the situation requires a little more subterfuge. They need to know what Limburger is planning without him noticing. That's where their bike microphones come in. These spy-type devices can be fired from a bike's missile system. The suction-cup ending of the dart attatches easily to smooth surfaces. The microphone easily picks up on what's being said, and relays it back to the mice through their speakers. THE X-TERMINATOR As Seen In: "Rock & Ride!", "Back to Mars Part Three", "Diet of Worms", "Villain of the Year" A living weapon, the X-Terminator is a parody of "The Terminator"--one geared specifically toward eliminating the Biker Mice (hence the name). Just where he came from is unknown--he might be one of Karbunkle's inventions, or he may have been Transported to Limburger Tower (the animation is a little ambiguous). What is for certain, however, is that he's extremely powerful--just not very bright. Even though he managed to get the Biker Mice on the run with the gigantic laser cannons in his lower arms, the robot also allowed himself to be tricked into riding his large, clunky motorcycle right into a vat on some ominous-looking bubbling liquid in "Rock & Ride!" He doesn't appear to have gotten any smarter in any of his subsequent appearances. Interestingly, X-Terminator is the first imported supervillain the Biker Mice face. THE VERMINATOR As Seen In: "The Verminator" Hey, didn't I just write this entry? No, that was the X-Terminator. The Verminator is a completely different story. When Modo's bionic arm was run over and crushed in "The Verminator", Vinnie came up with a scheme that would net his bro a brand new one (yes, I said Vinnie came up with the scheme). He lets himself get captured by Limburger, then hints that if the Plutarkian had Karbunkle equipped with bioinc arms like Modo's, then the Biker Mice would be at his mercy. But instead of following Vinnie's lead, Limburger has Karbunkle build an entire mechanical mouse--a robotic replica of Vinnie dubbed "the Verminator." Vinnie's own brain was used to give the robot life, not to mention his winning personality and ego--filtered through a machine of Karbunkle's that made The Verminator evil (called his "Evil Accelerator", a device that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Mind-Bender Beam). In battle, the Verminator was almost unstoppable. It was equipped with two bionic arms (it would've looked silly with just the one) with two powerful laser cannons. It also knew all of the Biker Mice's secret tactics and how to get around them. As if all this weren't enough, because of the connection between the two of them, any damage done to the Verminator would do permanent, deadly damage to Vinnie. Limburger made sure Throttle and Modo knew this. They could not hurt their bro, so basically, they found themselves at the mercy of the robot's attack. But having Vinnie's personality turned out to be the end of the Verminator. Just when he had Throttle and Modo on the ropes, Charley appeared on the scene and was able to use that connection to help Vinnie break free of the Evil Accelerator's control. The robot--Vinnie--realized that Limburger and Karbunkle were making him hurt the ones he loved the most. Rather than harm them, the robot sort of self-destructed and died in such a way that it rendered no harm whatsoever to Vinnie. VIDCOMS As Seen In: Nearly every episode; first seen in "Rock & Ride!" On planets with more advanced technology than Earth, the lowly telephone has been replaced by the VidCom (short for "video communication" or something like that). In its most basic form, the VidCom is essentially a video telephone, consisting primarily of a television monitor with hidden speakers. As long as both sides have a screen, they can not only speak with one another but also see each other while they chat. Throughout the series, VidComs have most frequently been seen in Limburger Tower. The Big Cheese has one in his desk which pops out when needed, as well as a larger wall-mounted display (the latter is the one usually used for the Traditional Plutarkian Greeting). In "Once Upon a Time On Mars", we see that the Cave mouse population also uses VidComs--Rimfire calls up Freedom Fighter headquarters on one, while Modo's mother later reaches out and touches her son with another. Their exact range appears to be variable: Limburger uses them as sort of an intercom system betwen the areas of his Tower, but can also get in touch with High Chariman Camembert on Plutark. FLEX-PLATE SHIELDING As Seen In: "Once Upon a Time On Mars Part Three", although it's actually been in every single prior episode What? You say you've never heard of flex-plate shielding? Well, that's not surprising. It's only been mentioned in one episode of "Biker Mice", and that was the last. But in actuality, it's been there the whole time, right in front of our noses, and we never even knew it. Flex-plate shielding is the stuff that Vinnie's mask is made of. This material is native to Mars, where it is primarily used for quick patch jobs on machinery and emergency repairs. Flex-plate shielding is an alloy (I think) with some unusual properties. In its normal state, it is a liquid, like mercury. When pressed onto a solid surface, the metal then takes the shape of whatever it touches and reforms into a solid shape--but a shape that can flow and allow for movement. This made it ideal for covering Vinnie's damaged face. It's firmly covered, possibly bullet resistant now ^-^, but is flexible enough that Vinnie's facial movements are not hindered. The metal is also extremely reflective, and has a mirror-like sheen. PLUTARKIAN STEEL/PLUTARKIAN GLASS STEEL As Seen In: "A Mouse and His Motorcycle", "Back to Mars Part One", "Diet of Worms", and almost certainly others without being mentioned by name Perhaps the strongest, most durable metal in the cosmos. Plutarkian steel is a nigh-invulnerable alloy manufactured, as one might suspect, on Plutark. It can be used for any purpose, and is also available in a clear form known as Plutarkian Glass-Steel. The Biker Mice tend to have a hard time when they come up against this stuff, as it is almost totally impossible to break or melt through, even with the mice's bikes' most powerful lasers. Only extremely high-powered explosives (like the Plutarkian "Blast-All" plastic explosive given to Vinnie in "Diet of Worms") can destroy it. Main basic information episodes in-depth fun MAIN