The Venture Bros.: Difference between revisions

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''The Venture Brothers'' (2003-2004, 2006, 2008-2010) is a cartoon series on [[Adult Swim]]/[[Cartoon Network]] that focuses upon the lives and adventures of the titular Venture brothers (snarky Hank and brainy Dean) and their father, scientist/adventurer Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture (who has grown bitter and abusive towards his own children due to his failure to live up to the legacy of his super-scientist father Jonas Venture, making him a sort of pulp version of a [[Former Child Star]]). They are followed by their government issued bodyguards: first Brock Samson, an ex-black ops agent who's described as a [[Heroic Sociopath|Swedish murder machine]] and then Sergeant Hatred, a former super-villain/recovering pedophile who was drafted by the military to replace Brock when he quit the job.

** While Jonas Sr. seems like the perfect role model, flashbacks reveal him to be an abusive parent. He routinely torments Rusty with dangerous experiments and adventures. When he's not completely neglectful, he's bringing Rusty along to orgies and publicly humiliating him in front of his team.

** Although Doctor Orpheus is a surprisingly domestic and doting father, he also keeps a dimension gateway in her closet and mindwipes her every time she opens the door, leading to some cumulative trauma.

** Dr. Impossible fails to refer to his infant son by name, referring to him as <small>THE CHILD</small>, when he even remember he has a son. Then there's this gem:

'''Richard Impossible:''' Sssssssscience? }}

** The [[Hardy Boys|Hale Brothers]] were driven to murder their father by his psychological abuse.

* [[Berserk Button]]:

** Don't make fun of Brock Samson.

** Also, apparently, rudely hitting on Triana Orpheus in front of Dean. Or her father.

** ''Never'' mention Wonderboy to Captain Sunshine. Or the Monarch. Especially not in the same breath. Just ask Scorpio.

** And don't talk about Dr. Quest in front of Action Johnny!

** Don't say ''anything'' about 24 {{spoiler|post-mortem}} in the presence of {{spoiler|Two-Ton 21}}.

* [[Berserker Tears]]: Dean. See above.

* [[Big Bad]]: The Monarch, Phantom Limb (in season two), {{spoiler|Molotov Cocktease and Colonel Hunter Gathers' Black Hearts Mercenary group}} in season three, and back to the Monarch again in season four. {{spoiler|Phantom Limb}} has returned as of season four and is back on his game, fully intent on taking back the position. Subverted, however, with Sgt. Hatred in season three; while he's Rusty's official nemesis for that season, he is dead set on gaining Rusty's respect and love, largely to torment the Monarch by not killing Rusty.

** The third season premier has the Guild's Council showing a video of the Monarch having sex with Doctor Girlfriend for the first time, only to replace the song (by [[The Sugarcubes]]) with generic music (Brock's training song from season one) because they couldn't afford the rights, much to the Monarch's annoyance.

** Venture Bros. box sets tend to have some digs at Adult Swim:

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: The season three finale. {{spoiler|The three assassins who tried to kill Brock turned out to ''not'' have been with the OSI, but they were Molotov's assassin rivals. However, the others don't know yet and Molotov is still likely not an enemy of the Venture family, so they're safe for the time being; it also appears Sergeant Hatred might perform a [[Heel Face Turn]]. However, Brock's experience with the whole situation convinces him to quit the OSI, thus he also quits being the family bodyguard. Finally, the attack on the Venture Compound by the Monarch left the boys' clones destroyed, but Dr. Venture may be likely to protect his boys more often (as he told Hank, "you only live once"). His cloning experiments (which are illegal) have been made public. [[Recurring Henchman|24]] and H.E.L.P.eR are dead; the former now talks with his best friend, Henchman 21, from beyond the grave (he also helped said friend become a [[Badass]]) and the latter had his head placed on a walking eye Dr. Venture made some time ago.}}

** Season four's finale, similarly. {{spoiler|The episode balances out ending relationships while also starting some new ones. Dean is forced to give up on Triana again. Molotov leaves Brock for Monstroso and seemingly commits suicide with Monstroso rather than being captured. Henchman 21 is fully disillusioned with Dr. Girlfriend as well as the Monarch, quitting and flipping them off but opening the door for a full [[Heel Face Turn]]. At the same time the Alchemist finally hooks up with Shore Leave and Sgt. Hatred is reunited with Princess Tinyfeet. Hunter Gathers is finally able to end the feud with OSI, but at the same time General Triester ejects himself to a possible death in search of an alien cure after being shown to be a really good guy. Finally, 21 buries 24's skull, putting him behind him.}} In regards to {{spoiler|Molotov's death}}, however, the creators of the series have stated numerous times that no one is dead unless you see them [[Never Found the Body|die on screen.]]

* [[Camp Gay]]: The Alchemist, who ironically is the one member of the Order of the Triad who also sees how utterly silly the trappings of super-heroism is and constantly busts Dr. Orpheus's balls whenever he starts taking things way too seriously.

** Most of the members of the aforementioned OSI, who resemble [[The Village People]] and are all very enthusiastic about "hitting the showers" together. Eventually we learn that [[Hello, Sailor!|Shoreleave]] was kicked out of the group for being gay, indicating that the group apparently lives in a [[Transparent Closet]].

** In the The Guild flashback, [[Oscar Wilde]], who's referred to by Aleister Crowley as "The ugly queen".

* [[Captain Ersatz]]: Many, MANY characters are thinly-veiled pastiches of both famous and obscure fictional characters, although it many cases this approaches subversion or deconstruction. The creators love to make 'realistic' interpretations of other characters and watch them fall apart.

* [[Equal Opportunity Evil]]: in Ünderland, both men and women are apparently subject to conscription into Baron von Ünderbheit's army until age 38, at which point [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness]].

* [[Eskimos Aren't Real]]: In "Ghosts Of The Sargasso":

'''Brock''': Hank, no one said pirates aren't real. }}

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: Rusty Venture (who's just very, ''very'' morally ambiguous, as opposed to evil) {{spoiler|refusing to clone Hitler in the season four opener}}.

* [[Family Relationship Switcheroo]]: {{spoiler|Dermott's "sister" Nikki turns out to be his mother. His father is Rusty Venture.}}

* [[Fantastic Voyage Plot]]: [[Lampshaded]].

'''Master Billy Quizboy:''' Whatever, I was talking about ''[[Fantastic Voyage]]'' anyway. }}

* [[Fastball Special]]: Villanous Example in "Pomp and Circuitry" with {{spoiler|Phantom Limb}} as the ammo and Richard Impossible as the pitcher.

* [[Gentleman Adventurer]]: Colonel Horace [[Meaningful Name|Gentleman]]

* [[Get Out!]]: Final line of a season.

* [[Ghost Pirate]]: Or so it seems, until it proves to be a hoax by not-so-ghostly pirates.

* [[Girls with Moustaches]]: Girl Hitler has a Hitler moustache, as her name implies.

** Better, it used to say HATRED down his front, he removed all but the D because that one was "in a tender area".. so now it just says.. VD...

* [[Good News, Bad News]]

'''Gathers:''' ''There is no good news!'' Just bad news and ''weird'' news. }}

* [[Great Escape]]: The Monarch's escape plan, after being [[Wrongly Accused|framed for a murder that didn't happen]], involved the cooperation of several fellow imprisoned villains... who all looked the other way when he made his move due to threats of death from Phantom Limb (who framed the Monarch so he could reclaim his ex). He got out with help from King Gorilla, who defied Phantom Limb due to his own issues with the Guild and the Monarch's reveal why he was framed.

* [[The Grotesque]]: D-19, {{spoiler|an aborted, disfigured clone of Dean who only wants to be accepted by Dr. Venture as his son.}}

* [[The Guards Must Be Crazy]]: Played straight and parodied here and there.

'''MP2:''' Dude, that was a ''shaved Bigfoot'' and Steve Summers in a wig ''made out of'' shaved Bigfoot. }}

** Subverted in the "The Incredible Mr. Brisby" when Mandalay pulls a captain sensible and opts not to fight a pissed off Brock Samson, stepping aside so he could rescue the Ventures.

* [[Limited Wardrobe]]: Most of the cast. Exceptions include Brock, who has been seen wearing at least three different shirts.

** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in the episode "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean":

'''Monarch''': "Fair enough."|After which, Hank spends most of the rest of the episode in a minion costume.}}

** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in "Escape to the House of Mummies Part II", when we learn Triana Orpheus always wears the same outfit due to a maddening fear of her closet, it being the doorway to the Necropolis.

** Dr. Henry Killinger (Utterly sane. ''Terrifyingly'' sane. Probably the most horrifyingly sane man on the planet.)

* [[Magic Bullets]]

'''Sergeant Hatred:''' Hank, I will give you ''so much money'' to ''not'' shoot your dad. }}

* [[Magic Versus Science]]: The rivalry between Doctor Venture and Doctor Orpheus that comes to a head with the [[Two Lines, No Waiting]] challenge to shrink themselves. {{spoiler|Dr. Orpheus ends up quitting because his master tells him how, philosophically, he's already as small as he can get in comparison with the vastness of the universe. Venture wins by default because Orpheus was the bigger man in admitting his failure, faster than Rusty could say he couldn't fix his father's shrink ray even with Pete and Billy's help.}}

* [[Missing Mom]]: Nearly omnipresent. Rusty's mother is never even referred to, Hank and Dean's mother left right after they were born {{spoiler|on account of maybe being taken to a mental institute}}, and Triana's mother left her husband for another man.

* [[Mistaken for Gay]]: Brock Samson and Dr. Venture, dressed as [[Rocky Horror Picture Show|Rocky and Dr. Frank-N-Furter]], respectively:

'''Brock''': No, it's more like I work for him-- ''Wait a minute''! '''NO!!''' }}

** Pete White. Frequently, and much to his annoyance.

** {{spoiler|Sky Pilot/Mile High for the OSI}} in SPHINX

* [[Mixed Metaphor]]: Fairly common, due to the prevalence of [[Buffy-Speak]].

* [[Motionless Makeover]]: In "O.R.B.", Hank and Dean cover Orpheus in toilet paper while he's astral projecting, which freezes his body.

* [[Mr. Alt Disney]]: Roy Brisby, creator of [[The Secret of NIMH|Brisbyland]].

** None of the season four trailers can be trusted: AT.ALL!

* [[Nice Guy]]: Byron Orpheus, [[Large Ham|theatrics]] notwithstanding.

'''Orpheus''': I would make a whizbang salesman! }}

* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]: Brock Samson's [[Lotus Eater Machine|Joy Can]] vision includes ninjas raining from the sky, cowboys with flamethrowers riding [[Tyrannosaurus Rex|Tyrannosaurs]], polar bears on motorcycles with scuba divers manning machine guns in the sidecars.

* [[No Delays for the Wicked]]: Subverted--the Guild of Calamitous Intent's [[Obstructive Bureaucrat|labyrinthine rules]] for "arching" often delay the Monarch's schemes long enough to reference the documentation. However, the protagonists are similarly constrained by GCI policies.

* [[No Indoor Voice]]: Byron Orpheus and the Grand Galactic Inquisitor.

* [[Nominal Importance]]: Henchman #1 is a study in all aspects of the trope. {{spoiler|It doesn't appear to save him}}.

'''24''': You've just made your unavoidable death ''more pathetic.'' }}

** Ironically, we learn 21's name (Gary), {{spoiler|but not 24's.}}

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]]: The Monarch and Baron Ünderbheit argue with each other over who can claim this title; disputes of this nature are apparently arbitrated by [[Weird Trade Union|The Guild of Calamitous Intent]].

** This is how Molotov views Brock when they aren't [[Slap Slap Kiss|making out]].

* [[Only Sane Man]]: Subverted in that pretty much every character feels like this at one point, only to turn around later and act unstable again.

* [[Out of Focus]]: Triana seemed like she'd end up being Dean's love interest in the show, but midway through season two the Venture brothers stopped being the real center of the show, and thus Triana became more of a background character seen now and then.

* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]]: Despite the fact that Jonas Venture Senior is a 6'2" white guy claiming to be "Japanese man from the village of Japaninawa", despite dressing like a Chinese person and holding the outer corners of his eyes with his fingertips to make them look slanted, and despite Scaramantula explicitly pointing these facts out, he never fully realizes that he's talking to the man he's planning on blackmailing.

** Also, Hank in "Showdown at Cremation Creek":

** The superteam in "Handsome Ransom" is instantly recognizable as the Action News team.

* [[Parody Magic Spell]]: "Everybody Come to Hank's" uses this. When assisting Orpheus casting a spell, an incantation is apparently required, and The Alchemist decides to have a little fun with it.

* [[Seen It All]]: Everybody in the entire Venture universe.

** Played straight in the season three finale...

'''Sgt. Hatred:''' That's nothing. I ate a whole Labrador retriever once! }}

** ...and subverted.

** ...and averted completely in another episode.

'''Henchman 21:''' I've seen my only real friend die. I've seen a giant penny roll over guy dressed like a rainbow. I've seen the Donkey Kong kill screen. [[Blade Runner|I've seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.]]<br />

{{spoiler|'''Dr. Mrs. the Monarch:'''}} ([[It Makes Sense in Context|in a cheerleader's costume]]) Oh, G-A-R-Y! You ain't got no alibi! You're Gary! What, what?!? You're Gary!<br />

'''Henchman 21:''' Okay, I have not seen that ever! }}

* [[Sequel Hook]]: Each season finale had these. In fact, seasons one and especially three have had full on [[Cliff Hanger|cliffhanger]] deaths. On killing {{spoiler|Henchman 24}}, Doc Hammer stated that it was such a stupid decision that you ''have'' to see where they're going with it.

* [[Serious Business]]: Most supervillians take themselves very seriously. ''Especially'' the Monarch:

'''Monarch''': Real name. And I am into costume ''business'', not costume ''play''. }}

* [[Ship Sinking]]: "The Better Man" has one of more gentle examples. "Operation P.R.O.M" torpedos the {{spoiler|Molotov/Brock}} pairing. {{spoiler|She threw him over for Monstroso!}} It also drives another nail in the coffin of the {{spoiler|Dean/Triana}} ship {{spoiler|by introducing Triana's [[Romantic False Lead|new boyfriend]]}}.

* [[Ship Tease]]: It's common knowledge (to the fans and of course Henchman 24) that Henchman 21 has a thing for Mrs. the Monarch and it's generally seen as one-sided...until season four's episode "Assisted Suicide" where the two of them are seen bonding over an unconscious Monarch. 21 ups the ante by {{spoiler|kissing Dr. Mrs. the Monarch... seconds before the Monarch wakes up from his mind-control arching. Thankfully, he didn't catch them but the damage is still done.}} The more interesting part is that Mrs. the Monarch does genuinely like 21 so maybe it's not as one-sided as we think.

** Additionally, the status of Pete White and Billy Quizboy as [[Heterosexual Life Partners]] has been milked for a good number of jokes in the fandom, including [[Word of God|Jackson Publick]] himself quipping that they "do it in [his] fanficion". Given allegorical versions of themselves have made out by request as of season four, it appears Mr. Publick is willing to put his money where his mouth is.

'''Doc:''' Like I read on the internet. }}

** Then there's Shoreleave's sarcastic "Oh yeah, friend. ''Friend.''" in "The Silent Partners." Honestly, that entire episode, especially right after {{spoiler|the offscreen kiss in}} "Assisted Suicide" was just ''begging'' for more people to ship those two.

* [[Spikes of Villainy]]: Baron Ünderbheit has these on his armour

* [[Spirit Advisor]]: In season four, {{spoiler|24 appears to be this to 21, [[Hallucinations|until the season finale.]]}} The Master is one to Dr. Orpheus, and Dr. Orpheus helps Brock get in touch with a spirit guide that takes the form of Col. Gathers in season two. Jonas Venture gives Rusty this piece of unheeded advice in an early episode:

* [[Spiritual Successor]]: Shares a creator, an actor, and several themes with [[The Tick]].

* [[Stairs Are Faster]]: The Monarch and Henchman 21 take the chute down to the Monarchmobile while Henchman 24 takes the more sensible stairs. He gets there first and closes the sunroof just as they would fall into the car.

* [[Stock Scream]] In particular the Wilhelm Scream, but since this series a huge [[Deconstruction]] of the [[I Want My Jetpack|future of yesterday]] it's probably a homage to it more than anything else.

* [[Straight Gay]]: The Alchemist and Colonel Gentleman.

** Apparently inverted with born-again Holy Diver and Sky Pilot, who are allegedly Gay Straight, but he revealed later that it was a cover-up and that he actually is still [[Camp Gay|very, very gay]]. Hell, [[Hello, Sailor!|he's in the navy]].

* [[Straw Feminist]]: Ginny, Dr Quymn's bodyguard.

* [[Take Our Word for It]]: Lt. Baldavitch's face. The alien (disguised as Jonas Venture Sr.) in "Twenty Years to Midnight" as well. Annoyed by Rusty's berating him for showing up as his dad, he reveals his true appearance to everyone's horror.

* [[Tap on the Head]]: lampshaded in The Revenge Society

'''Red Mantle:''' Good one. Six bucks says he has [[Easy Amnesia|amnesia]] when he wakes up. }}

* [[Team Handstack]]: In the episode "Hate Floats".

* [[Tempting Fate]]: Do ''not'' brag about your [[Plot Armor]]. Someone dies in the season three finale, and it sure as hell isn't a Venture brother. {{spoiler|DOZENS of Venture Brothers die in that episode, just not the currently active Hank and Dean.}}

* [[That Man Is Dead]]:

* [[There Are No Therapists]]: After three seasons of seeing how messed up Dr. Venture is, he finally goes to a therapy session. The delay is even given an in-story justification, as it's revealed that Jonas Venture, the source of all of Rusty's trauma and mental issues, ''was'' his son's therapist and messed it up royally by sneaking out while his son talked and them went on a long-winding lecture condemning his son as an ungrateful whiner who should shut his mouth and never blame his father for his life, since the isolationism and forced trauma was considered by Jonas to be something "better" than the life of most normal kids. The episode has a second justification for this trope. {{spoiler|The therapist is killed by a snake that the Monarch had 21 plant so Rusty doesn't have an excuse to get out of arching. The Monarch is ''damn'' determined to get at Rusty.}}

** In a sense, this is avoided. Dr. Orpheus provides a unique brand of mental-spiritual healing from time to time. Also in seasons two and three, there is a minor character called Dr. Killinger who functions as a therapist, particularly in his episode with Rusty. Furthermore... Rusty's aversion to therapy and unwillingness to confront himself are direct contributors to the pill-popping habit he displays throughout the series. Rusty, and perhaps the similar super-scientists Dr. Impossible and Dr. Venture, have more faith in chemicals than they do in words and emotions.

* [[Transsexual]]: {{spoiler|Brock}}'s mentor {{spoiler|Hunter S. Gathers}}, though at some point between the end of season three and the beginning of season four {{spoiler|he got it reversed.}}

** Some think Dr. Girlfriend, due to her deep, masculine voice. Brock continues to make jokes about Dr. Girlfriend to both the Monarch and Phantom Limb throughout seasons one and two, and her gender is questioned when she enters a public restroom. In the season three episode "Home Is Where the Hate Is", she's caught smoking for the first time by her husband, the Monarch, at a party. After he comes to realize the clues that she's been smoking (since 1989), well...

* [[Transvestite]]: In the years before {{spoiler|his gender reassignment, Col. Gathers}} evidently used any excuse to use a feminine persona as a "disguise".

* [[Troperiffic]]: Gee, you ''think''?

* [[Twinmaker]]: {{spoiler|The Venture twins}} enjoy immortality through cloning until the season three finale, when their clones are used as an army during an attack on the Venture compound.

* [[T-Word Euphemism]]: From the first episode:

'''Dean'''': "Hank! You said the double-D word!" }}

** Dr. Orpheus' visits to his daughter's closet might qualify as well.

* [[The Walls Are Closing In]]: With [[Spikes of Doom]] as an added bonus and [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshading]].

'''Doctor Venture''': Uh, slower than "haunted house" spiked walls but not quite as slow as "mad scientist" spiked walls. }}

* [[Wasn't That Fun?]]: Appears in the season 2 finale; after fighting off dangerous Guild helicopters, having the X-1 crash into The Cocoon, and the whole lot of them winding up crashed in the Grand Canyon, Brock plucks Hank out of the water. The first thing Hank says?

* [[Weaksauce Weakness]]: Captain Sunshine's powers don't work at night.

* [[We Hardly Knew Ye]]: Speedy. Poor little guy. He was ''this'' close to earning his wings.

** Hunter Gatherer's scheme to get Brock Samson to quit the Venture family and return to Gatherer's side borders is a bigger example of this: {{spoiler|Hunter quit OSI and had a sex change operation in order to join an all-girl assassination group run by Brock's arch enemy. While doing so, he arranges for assassins to go after Brock, in order to eliminate them so as to remove the competition for his new allies and their newly formed assassination squad. The plan works ''and'' turns Brock against OSI as far as tricking him into thinking OSI was behind the hit. Brock resigns even after OSI disavow being behind the hit attempts, leaving the Venture family as he resigns as their bodyguard. However, he arranges for his fellow cohorts at OSI to help him reform SPHINX, a former terror group turned militia designed to neutralize non-Guild aligned super-villains and ultimately abandons Molotov when Brock goes after her. Leading to Brock to be in an isolated and weakened state, ripe for recruiting.}}

* [[X Called. They Want Their Y Back.]]: Shore Leave says this to Col. Gathers. Gathers' comeback is a subversion:

* [[You Bastard]]: Tiger Shark to Brock and {{spoiler|Scott Hall}} to Henchman 21.

* [[You Cloned Hitler]]: Averted and Lampshaded in the season four premiere.

* [[You Got Murder]]: Lampshaded. One afternoon, Rusty is going through some old mail when he opens a large box containing a death threat from the Monarch, involving a cobra jumping out of the box to bite him... [[Forgot to Feed the Monster|Except not really]].

* [[You Know I'm Black, Right?]]: Averted and parodied in "What Goes Down, Must Come Up":

'''Doctor Orpheus''': No, it's because you soiled yourself... ''and'' he's gay. }}

* [[You're Insane!]]: Inverted when Phantom Limb is talking to a member of "The Revenge Society", who are all inanimate objects, in front of Guild Councilman Red Mantle (who has Councilman Dragoon's head sewn onto his shoulder) and Billy (who has been stuffed inside a potato sack):

'''Red Mantle''': Because you are ''sane!'' }}

* [[You Should Know This Already]]: Invoked in the DVD commentary for season three, where Doc Hammer gives away one of the season's biggest developments in the commentary for ''every'' episode.

* [[You Wouldn't Shoot Me]]: Brock says this to Hank and Dean when they're [[Brainwashed and Crazy]]. In this case, though, Brock says it as a threat; it's not that they're afraid to kill him, they're afraid of what he'll do to them if they try.

* [[Zeerust]]: The entire Venture Compound, as well as the other Venture bases and various other elements of the show.