The Venture Bros./YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Acceptable Religious Targets:
    • Shore-Leave is a fundamentalist Christian who believes that praying is more effective than jumping into the water and helping a friend in need. Turns out it was an act as part of Hunter's Xanatos Roulette.

"The power of prayer can move mountains, Hank!"

    • Otto Aquarius. Jehovah's Witnesses get the treatment they usually get in American pop culture. He has some pamphlets if you're interested. That said, in spite of the Jehovah's Witnesses jokes, he's one of the few members of the original Team Venture who's not a total jackass.
  • Alternate Character Interpretation:
    • There's a pretty good argument that the real star of the show is Rusty and not his sons since most of the episodes revolve around him or his actions somehow. Not to mention the notion that the show itself is one ongoing alternative take on Jonny Quest itself.

"This isn't all about you, Hank: these kids are here to see Rusty Venture. Maybe when there's a cartoon called 'The Venture Brothers', it'll be different!"

    • The sheer jackassery of Rusty Venture has caused some people to believe he is a Villain Protagonist. Dr. Killinger believed this as well and tried to help him become an Evil Scientist. The episode in question ends with Rusty, while rejecting Killinger, earnestly asking Brock about whether or not he's a bad guy and Brock being reluctant to answer. Although there's an alternate interpretation there since Rusty was kind of naked at the time.
      • It's also entirely possible that Dr. Killinger gave Rusty that Heel Realization simply SO he would back away from it. Dr. Killinger seems to be the least villainous villain in the series (Much more of a morally ambivalent self-help guru who wants to help people achieve their potential, regardless of what it is) so it's within reason that Killinger wanted to help stop Rusty's slow slide into villainy. It doesn't work.
    • Deleted scenes from the Team Venture reunion episode portray him as a Jehovah's Witness.
  • Archive Panic: There are only 4 seasons so far, but so many characters undergo so much development, and so many changes happen to everyone, that starting to watch the show in its latest episodes and understanding what's going on will prove nigh impossible.
  • Ass Pull: Some viewers found the "twist" that Col. Hunter Gathers only had a sex change for the purpose of gaining membership into Molotov Cocktease's all-girl hitman squad and quickly had said surgery reversed when Molotov began to suspect that he was spying on her pulls the rug out from under a once well-treated transsexual character by making him a man that only did it for the mission. Of course, these viewers failed to notice that: #1, Gathers was originally portrayed as having had the sex change to exploit an antiquated OSI loophole about not killing women so he could safely defect, and #2, Gathers really misses being a woman now.
  • Better on DVD
  • Non Sequitur Scene:
    • Monarch's little...tribute to his Butterglider serves no other purpose than to show how deeply in love he is with the thing.
    • A great example is the Bear in "Bright Lights, Dean City". During the Revenge Society's recruitment drive a man in a very creepy bear suit that shows no features of the person within at all and looks scarily realistic shows up. He has no registration forms, says no lines, is soaked in blood and carries a large knife with blood dripping off it. He is never mentioned again and was presumably just there to make us wet our pants (and to make a movie reference.)
    • The late 24 calling upon the spirits of Speedy and Woodrow Wilson (no, seriously) during Pinstripes And Poltergeists. And what is 21 supposed to do for them? Name perfumes used by different celebrities.
  • The Chris Carter Effect: Avoided. The writers have stated that they don't plan anything, but they're usually pretty good at introducing and then tying up plot points. They've described their writing style as coming up with stuff on the fly, then writing future plots to remain consistent with what has been written while expanding on any detail that looks interesting.
  • Complete Monster: Jonas Venture. He's the reason why Rusty Venture is the bitter man he is today, especially considering that he's endangered his own son time and time again. And unlike Rusty Venture, he has never shown regret for any of his actions. Even his crew (who aren't as heroic as people make them out to be themselves) are disgusted by what he did to Blue Morpho. The kicker? He considered it to be a spectacular achievement of science. Long story short, he was the AssholeVictim to end all asshole victims when he fell victim to the massacre aboard the Gargantua-1.
  • Crazy Awesome:
    • Most of the show's cast, but special mention goes to Phantom Limb, or should I say...REVENGE!!!
    • General Treister launched himself into space, wearing an American flag as a toga, frozen in a salute with gritted teeth and a post-it note stuck to his external pacemaker that says Fix It. What do you think?
  • Crosses the Line Twice:
    • Sgt. Hatred's attraction to young boys, even having molested the Venture Bros. at one point before his introduction.
    • The way The Monarch frequently kills his own henchmen.
  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: Has its own page.
    • The Monarch finally telling off those creepy little Murderous Moppets in Season Four and scaring the dog squeeze out of them with his threats.
    • Rusty got one where, after working with his fellow ex-boy adventurers to track down their therapist's killer, realizes that for all the crap he went through due to his dad, he's been doing far better than them.
    • Henchman 21 fights Brock Samson one-on-one...and lives.
      • Not only that, but 21 seems to have gained Brock's respect, as he teamed up with 21 to kill Monstroso.
  • Crowning Moment of Funny: Also with its own page.
  • Crowning Moment of Heartwarming:
    • At the beginning of season four, after prolonged absence, Hank sees Brock, he hugs him and says, "Why did you leave me?" Brock replies, "Hank, I'll never leave you."
    • Dean to Triana: "Can we talk?"
    • Rusty Venture's attitude to Dean in season 4, probably as a result of his inability to bring his sons back to life any longer in the event of their likely deaths, seems genuinely fatherly at times. His attempts, however misguided, to help Dean with his superscience career in "Perchance To Dean," and particularly in "The Revenge Society" when the two of them are locked in the Panic Room and Rusty helps Dean get over his fears, are surprisingly genuine examples of Rusty's caring for his sons. Even Hank's rebellion against his father's "strict rules" is indicative of the fact that Rusty is trying to keep him safe—although it would be a betrayal of Dr. Venture's character to portray his inability to connect with Hank on an emotional level as anything but cynical irritation. He's not even dragging them into dangerous adventures anymore.
    • The season 4 mid-season finale when S.P.H.I.N.X members are listing the grievances they've suffered to further their goals. Most are petty or insane, but Brock's biggest sacrifice? "Living next to the boys for a year and not being able to tell them that they're safe".
    • In season 4 “The Better Man”, Jefferson Twilight’s childlike joy at his new-found magical powers is really quite touching.
    • In "Every Which Way But Zeus" Rusty explains his apparent favoritism of Dean over Hank, Turns out it's not favoritism at all, He's actively trying to protect Hank and steer him away from the life they lead because he reminds Rusty of himself. He feels that Dean can handle it because "he believes this crap!" and thinks he's a better successor to the legacy of Jonas Sr. than Rusty himself.
    • When Hank and Dean let Dermott in on their "Go Team Venture!" in the season 4 finale, despite the fact that none of them know he's actually their half-brother.
    • Rusty and Billy bonding on their adventure to find the Orb in the ep ORB. Remembering that Billy always idolized Rusty and wanted to be an adventurer when he grew up helps reinforces this.
  • Crowning Music of Awesome:
    • Orpheus's Leitmotif.
    • The episode "Perchance to Dean". Dr. Venture introduces Dean to Progressive Rock. The rest is awesome wrapped in a Fantastic Voyage wrapped in a Mushroom Samba.
    • Don't forget this series actually has a purchasable soundtrack!
    • For some definitions of awesome: #21 and #24's duet performance of Mars: The Bringer of War during their comeback as The Monarch's henchmen.
    • I'm Rusty! with backup by Nathan Fillion !
    • Jacket, both the original in "Operation: P.R.O.M." and the full version in "From The Ladle To The Grave: The Story of Shallow Gravy"
  • Ear Worm: Jacket!
    • "With vest or belt or a sleeveless one!"
    • "Doesn't count that's a vest called a Jerkin!"
  • Ensemble Darkhorse:
    • Fans welcomed Henchman #1 back with open arms.
    • Shore-Leave.
    • Brick Frog.
    • Triana's friend Kim appears in two episodes, one of which she was featured in, the other she had all of a minute of screen time with no lines. May have something to do with her attitude, her potential to become a supervillain, and her possible ships with the boys and Dermott. Fans have been requesting a return ever since.
      • Hank asks Triana about her in the season 4 finale, after having trouble finding a prom date. She says that she's become a born-again Christian and currently lives in Florida. So she's probably not going to show up again anytime soon.
  • Fan Yay: Brock. Was there ever any doubt?
  • Fetish Fuel: Dr. Girlfriend/Mrs. The Monarch - inspiring a love for manly voices in many fans.
    • Triana's mom and Dr. Orpheus' Ex-Wife, as shown by the Master, is exceedingly hot.
    • The Fembots in Past Tense.
  • Freud Was Right

Dr. Henry Killinger (in the form of Dr. Venture's father's penis): This is the moment your feelings of inadequacy first manifested themselves! When your father turned from role model to tormentor/rival! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!

    • There's also Jonas, Jr.'s "late 60's Ultra Death Ray." It's shaped like a penis and every man in the room wants to have a go with it.

"If that thing were a woman, I'd marry it."
"And I'd jeopardize our friendship by nailing your hot wife."

    • Jonas Sr.'s drill tank from "What Goes Down Must Come Up" merits a number of penis jokes as it's clearly built for penetration.
    • Brock and Lieutenant Baldavitch turn the docking procedure of a spacecraft into one long act of foreplay. Dr. Venture is unamused.
    • The entirety of "Assisted Suicide": Pete-Thanatos and Billy-Eros, various versions of Rusty as Id, Ego and Superego, the "invisible harem" helping fix Rusty's "little boy," (not to mention Rusty's Id apparently shipping Billy/Pete) Brock and Hatred fighting over how to handle Dean's "problem," with one father figure humiliatingly spraying his naked ass with a hose but at least taking the initiative, while the other thinks it's too harsh, but doesn't come up with any other solution, standing there uselessly, until the actual father finally arrives and sorts things out...there are too many in this episode to list.

"Well put, Count Freud."

Dr.Venture: Soon this guy will want a "Rusty Venture" on his mantleplace

  • Jerkass Woobie: Dr. Venture
  • Magnificent Bastard:
    • God knows what The Monarch would be capable of if he weren't so hung up on tormenting Rusty Venture. The Monarch absolutely demolished every other Science Hero the Guild put him up against until he went in over his head against Jonas, Jr. - and when outmatched, he managed to pull a Batman Gambit to get what he wanted. His goals may be small (he says that he's leaving world domination to "the religious nuts and the Republicans"), but nothing will stop him from pursuing them.
    • Monstroso.
  • Memetic Mutation: The Alchemist doesn't want to play World of Warcraft. Friggin' Myspace.
    • The term "Brock Freakin' Sampson".
    • A "Rusty Venture" has become one as well.
  • Misaimed Fandom: The Monarch and Doctor Girlfriend; though they are supposed to be the bad guys, fans have taken to them in spite of their villainous nature (or because they are nowhere near as bad as Rusty can be in the jerkass department.)
  • Most Annoying Sound: Monstroso to the Monarch: "Cigar?"
  • Moral Event Horizon:
    • Many of Dr. Venture's actions are examples of the sort that would normally qualify him for crossing it. He's the star of a Dead Baby Comedy, however, so it's more funny than repulsive thanks to much Refuge in Audacity.
    • It's pretty much telegraphed that Tim-Tom and Kevin killed 24.
    • Limb releases The Monarch's prison mates just so that he can hunt them down like animals.
    • Molotov Cocktease crosses this twice: first at the end of season three, where she puts a bounty out on Brock Samson's head and tricks him into thinking OSI was the one responsible. Manipulating Brock just to further her career was more impressive than it was unforgivable... but in Operation P.R.O.M., she went and not only chose someone else (Monstroso) over Brock after long acknowledging his affections for her, but was also willing to die with him. Then, just as a final "screw you" to Brock, she told him if she were to die, the Blackhearts were ordered to kill all of Brock's friends. They only survived because Dr. Venture used mutant Spanish Fly on them. Which turned them into mutant Spanish flies.
    • The senior Dr. Venture has done several things that may qualify.
      • His actions once caused a group of orphaned children to wander below his home for over 20 years. One wonders if this is probably worse that his son's machine that was powered by the heart of an orphan.
      • On a more intimate level: acting as Rusty's therapist so that he could belittle his own son and tell him how ungrateful he was for not enjoying a life of constant danger, kidnapping, and isolation from his peers. If you didn't already think he was worse than Rusty, this about clinches it.
      • Creating an AI with full access to a nuclear silo was a pretty idiotic move to begin with. Not to mention he trapped the miniscule Dr Entmann in her control room for decades as well!
      • At one point, Rusty tells a long anecdote about how for his sixteenth birthday party, Jonas didn't invite anyone Rusty's own age- but instead an assortment of playgirl bunnies, hot scientists, and actual prostitutes. At one point in this party, which Rusty spend feeling more awkward then he ever had in his life, suddenly someone called all the attention to him so that The Action Man could pull his swim trunks down and let Colonel Gentleman shoot his genitals with a shrink ray. Further, Rusty implies this is only one of the many, many terrible things that his father and his friends put him through. See Rusty's page quote.
    • Dr. Venture himself arguably crosses the horizon on a regular basis, although it's mostly played for laughs. However, in a subversion, when asked to use his cloning technology to clone Hitler, he flat-out refuses.
    • Dr. Impossible using his ex-brother-in-law, The Human Torch a failed experiment who is constantly on fire (and screaming in pain) when awake as a green energy source to power his skyscraper. It says something about him when he thinks being green makes it morally acceptable. The Phantom Limb says it's basically the most deliciously evil thing he's ever seen.
    • Monarch's had several, but they usually don't take with fans. Most notably, his forcing a prostitute to run a dangerous gauntlet inside the cocoon after they have sex was supposed to be one, but the sequence's Red Dragon homage and Monarch revealing that he stole the polar bear from Lost to serve as a guard-bear, made fans laugh at it instead.
  • Motive Decay: Appears to happen in an episode when The Monarch suddenly demands ransom money instead of his usual MO of trying to kill Dr. Venture. It's revealed that he is simply doing it to hurt Rusty where it hurts. His wallet.
  • Nightmare Fuel:
    • The first part of Dr. Venture's "Flash Back" in The Doctor Is Sin. It opens with a young Rusty eating some cereal (and the first spoonful is arranged to read FACE YOUR FEAR), then his father comes in wearing nothing but briefs, saying good morning. Rusty tells him that he couldn't sleep, that he had heard noises. Jonas then says that he was just having a little sleepover...and then his fly is suddenly open, AND HIS COCK HAS DR. KILLINGER'S FACE ON IT. And it's talking. Then it starts strangling Rusty while extending like a snake.
    • Tiny Attorney. The man is a midget GROWING OUT OF THE STOMACH OF AN INBRED MAN that sounds as if he suffocates whenever Tiny comes out.
    • The Bear from "Bright Lights, Dean City" see Everything's Worse with Bears.
    • The floating head that leads the Guild of Calamitous Intent. It's like some weird live action/CG/animation hybrid that doesn't quite move like it should, and it's unsettling as hell, even if what he's saying is hilarious.
  • Replacement Scrappy: At least some fans consider Hatred to be Brock's Replacement Scrappy.
    • Again, Brock and Hatred take completely different approaches to bodyguarding, and under him, the boys haven't died once. ...Yet.
  • Reverse Funny Aneurysm: Doctor Venture taking his sons' kidneys in the first episode was played for Dead Baby Comedy. However, the beginning of the second season revealed that they are replaced with clones on a semi-regular basis, so it wasn't quite as horrible as it first seemed. Of course, the reveal is worse than the incident from the first episode.
  • The Scrappy:
    • The Murderous Moppets/Pupa Twins, a pair of Scrappies that nobody likes due to their extreme hostility and overall creepiness.
    • Dermott isn't seen as a very likable character. But isn't that the point?
  • So Cool It's Awesome
  • Squick:
    • One of the deleted scenes in the second season is a fully-animated sequence of Orpheus's master having sex as Catherine the Great's horse and giving Orpheus direction and advice in between grunts as he nears climax. It's pretty easy to see how even Adult Swim wouldn't let that fly.
    • As operation P.R.O.M. ends, Shore-Leave and Al are seen making out. Yeah, try wiping that image from your mind. *shudder*
    • The real story behind Dermott's birth. Dermott's true origin. Rusty had sex with the 15 year old head of his fanclub and was forced into giving the family money and staying away. The girl's mother then raised Dermott as her own son and passed his real mom off as his sister and Brock as his dad. And Hank found all of this out AFTER sleeping with Dermott's real mom. You can't really blame Hank for throwing up after that.
      • Or intentionally getting a memory wipe.
      • It gets even worse as the situation plays out in reverse years later, with now adult Nicki sleeping with the underage Hank. Due to the Double Standard everyone treats Hank like this is some major accomplishment but it's still statutory rape.
    • Dermott's thought that Triana will "cream herself". Oh and the fact he was shirtless during part of Operation P.R.O.M.
    • Myra implying that she breastfeeds her own cats and almost breastfeeding her own 16 year old "sons".
    • Post-Op Colonel Gathers' encounter with Brock at a strip club.
    • Basically any dialogue from Sgt. Hatred involving young boys. As of Season Four, It Got Worse.
    • Any of the descriptions of the sex act known as a "Rusty Venture."
      • Accordingly to Shore Leave, a Rusty Venture is where two men 69 each other to the point of climax and then spin around, and cum in each other's mouths. Which is shot down by The Alchemist as a Snake Venom.
      • According to The Alchemist, a Rusty Venture is a finger-rimjob on a man while jacking him off into your mouth. Currently not debunked.
      • According to Colonel Gentleman and Tennesee Williams (aprocryphal), a Rusty Venture is where you take an old-school scuba tank and gear, shove one end of the tube up your ass, and squeeze the other over your dick, then work the pump on your dick and ass simultaneously until you cum. Debunked by Shore Leave as a "Double Frogman."
      • According to Watch of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, a Rusty Venture is where you reach up someone's ass with your your fist. That's the 'Rusty.' The Venture part is where you grab whatever you can and pull out. Debunked by Ward.
      • According to Ward of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, a Rusty Venture is specifically a straight move: where you take a woman out to dinner, get her to eat as much as she can, then don't let her shit, then have anal then pull out and blow shit/cum all over her back. And that is a Rusty. The Venture is where you eat it all off her back. Not currently debunked.
      • According "in universe" to www.urbandictionary.com, Triana Orpheus, and Dean's reaction afterward, a Rusty Venture is something involving feces and a handjob, among other things then when one person finds the turkey-baster, you eat your way out of the tub.
      • Officially defined by murderist extraordinaire and ladies' man, Brock Samson, as jerking off as hard as possible until your dick is all red and raw Because Brock knows this. (S Ph INX HAS NO SECRETS!) And he knows Rusty.
  • Take That, Scrappy!: The Monarch delivers a rather chilling low-key one to the Murderous Moppets. He tells them in no uncertain terms that if they ever defy his command he will kill them and feed them to dogs.
  • Tear Jerker: 21's revelation during "Operation P.R.O.M". After being called out by 24's ghost for not caring about him anymore, 21 meekly admits that although he loves 24, he has to let him go. Orpheus joins the conversation, but can't see 24, even though he can communicate with the dead. 21 tells Orpheus that 24's ghost is with them right now and he has his friend "Mr. Wendall", from the Arrested Development video, with him. Orpheus corrects 21, saying that the man he is thinking of is Baba Oje, who is not dead, and that Mr. Wendall was just the title of one of the band's songs. When 21 looks to 24 to see if this is true, 24 is gone. 21 cries when he realizes this means 24 was never a ghost and his best friend really is gone.
    • The truth of Dermott's father; It turns out that Dr. Venture unknowingly impregnated 15-year old Nikki Fitchell, the actual mother of Dermott who she raised to think of him as a sister and his grandmother as his mother. The sheer raw emotion and overall uncomfort of it all really makes one tear up.
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
    • "The Lepidopterists" episode. Imagine: a season-long arc of the Monarch arching Dr. Venture, Jr. with many adventures in-between, and Dr. (Rusty) Venture playing second fiddle. This all culminates into the Batman Gambit of the Monarch finally getting his true arch back, like he did in that episode. So much potential.
    • "The Revenge Society", anyone? This episode features the return of Phantom Limb and David Bowie, a callback to "ORB", a Guild assault on the Venture compound with only Sgt. Hatred and Hank to defend it, and the revelation that Brian Eno, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper are members of The Guild of Calamitous Intent. And it all proceeds to add up to an episode where nothing happens for a good 2/3s of the ep, with little jokes in the interim, with an ending that comes out of nowhere. Definitely should be a record there for most plot wasted in a single episode.
    • To be fair, the show creators REALLY like to play with this trope. While there have been a few genuinely epic moments in the series, major plot points are just as likely to be resolved in mundane, boring, or off-screen ways. It all ties into the whole "failure" thing.
  • Too Cool to Live: Treister. Or is he?
  • Uncanny Valley: Brock falls into it a lot during the first season.
  • Values Dissonance: The senior Dr. Venture. He's a hero of the 60's, all right.
  • Villain Decay: Richard Impossible in season three. This is probably intentional considering the breakup with his wife. Baron Ünderbheit and Phantom Limb were pretty damn scary, but both eventually succumbed to inevitable embarrassing failures endemic to the Venture universe.
  • What an Idiot!: In "Hansome Ransom," the Monarch corners Captain Sunshine in Sunshine's own base, cooly informing him that he knows that Captain Sunshine's powers don't work at night. So what does he use to attack the solar powered superhero? A special ray gun built to emit sunbeams identical to the kind Captain Sunshine uses. Predictably, his attempt at sentencing Cap to Death by Irony just ends up repowering the superhero.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Venture_Bros./YMMV?oldid=1874694"