Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Film / MysteryMen

Go To

1[[quoteright:302:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mysterymen1.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:302: Before the [[Film/TheAvengers2012 Avengers]], there were...these guys.[[note]]Clockwise from top: The Sphinx, Jeff/The Blue Raja, The Spleen, Roy/Mr. Furious, Eddy/The Shoveler, Invisible Boy and in the center, Carol/The Bowler.[[/note]]]]
3->''"We're not your classic heroes. We're not the favorites. We're the other guys. We're the guys nobody ever bets on."''
4-->-- '''The Shoveler'''
5
6The (''very'' loose) 1999 film adaptation of an offshoot of the ''ComicBook/FlamingCarrot'' comics, ''Mystery Men'' tells the story of a bunch of loser superheroes, constantly overshadowed by the big-name, big-ego [[CaptainSuperhero Captain Amazing]] (Creator/GregKinnear). While the Trio of Blue Raja (Creator/HankAzaria), Mr. Furious (Creator/BenStiller) and The Shoveler (Creator/WilliamHMacy) try desperately to get themselves taken seriously, Captain Amazing laments how his career is stalling with no more high-profile villains left to defeat.
7
8But after SuperVillain Casanova Frankenstein (Creator/GeoffreyRush) gets released from a mental institution -- thanks to the machinations of Captain Amazing himself, who is rapidly losing his corporate sponsors due to his crime-free city -- it's no time at all before he's gathered the local gang leaders (including Creator/EddieIzzard), built himself a super weapon, the Psycho-frakulator, and captured Amazing.
9
10The not-exactly-kinda-eponymous characters are left needing to recruit Champion City's other underdog supers, including The Bowler (Creator/JaneaneGarofalo), The Spleen (Creator/PaulReubens) and Invisible Boy (Creator/KelMitchell), train under the enigmatic tutelage of the Sphinx (Creator/WesStudi), using weapons created by MadScientist[=/=]GadgeteerGenius Dr. Heller (Music/TomWaits) in order to save the day.
11
12''Mystery Men'' is an AffectionateParody of {{superhero}}/[[VigilanteMan vigilante]] stories, with bizarre, mostly minimal powers, and an odd look at (and much LampshadeHanging on) various conventions of the genre, and how they would fit into normal life.
13----
14!!''Mystery Men'' provides examples of:
15
16* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler: It turns out that Mr. Furious really does have rage-induced powers, he just doesn't have the hair-trigger temper he claims to have.]]
17* NinetiesAntiHero: Parodied. Roy[=/=]Mr. Furious wants to be one of these so very, very much, but the result is often quite lame because he's actually a meek, gentle guy [[IJustWantToBeBadass and not the formidable rage monster he wants to be]].
18* AbhorrentAdmirer: The Spleen for The Bowler. She turns him down quite gracefully, considering how persistent he is.
19-->'''Bowler''': There isn't enough beer in the world, Spleen. I'm sorry.
20* ActionGirl: The Bowler wipes out enemies by throwing a mystic bowling ball [[spoiler: possessed by the soul of her father, the [[LegacyCharacter original Bowler]]]].
21* ActorAllusion:
22** Possibly unintentional. Creator/JaneaneGarofalo's father's name is actually Carmine.
23** Creator/EddieIzzard's character makes a reference to "the god of haircare". In her StandUpComedy routine, she mentions that the Romans previously had crappy gods, like Simon, the God of Hairdos.
24** Captain Amazing's agent objects to Amazing's recent activities, complaining, "I'm not a magician!" The actor, Ricky Jay, really ''was'' in fact a famous card magician.
25** When the Blue Raja sits on the fork he shouts 'Claven' - the catchphrase of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Professor Frink]], also voiced by Creator/HankAzaria.
26** And depending on your interpretation, there could be something significant about Creator/MichaelBay being cast as the leader of the Fratboys gang ("Can we bring the brewskies?")
27--->Yes, of course you may bring ze brewskies.
28** Dr. A. Heller, when met for the second time, is making bizarre noises with objects, for eerie effect. Music/TomWaits has used the same noises in his music and poetry.
29** When the Mystery Men are coming up with a name for their group, Creator/KelMitchell's character, Invisible Boy, proposes they be called the "Superdudes". Superdude was a Franchise/{{Superman}} {{parody}} played by Creator/KenanThompson on ''Series/AllThat'' where Kel was repertory player.
30* AerosolFlamethrower: Tony P. uses what appears to be a custom one of these in his final confrontation with the Bowler.
31* AintTooProudToBeg: Captain Amazing, who has the best reputation of all heroes, actively bargains to be the villain's assistant upon being captured and locked into a death trap.
32* AlasPoorYorick: Carol carries Carmine's skull around with her in a bowling ball.
33* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Parodied/inverted- Roy (a.k.a Mr. Furious) would very much like to be a bad boy, and struts around making a fool of himself acting like one in the hope of impressing Monica, the waitress on whom he has a crush. Monica, for her part, is never anything less than dismissive of him... until the point when he finally just starts acting like the sweet NiceGuy he ultimately at heart is, [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan at which point she begins to warm to him]].
34* AlliterativeTitle
35* AllMythsAreTrue: The Shoveler's comment that he heard that the Sphinx could, like, cut guns in half with his mind is obviously supposed to be a wild rumor (Blue Raja even expresses disbelief at it). Turns out it's true.
36* AlwaysWantedToSayThat: While the Mystery Men are trying to deactivate the Psycho-frakulator, the Shoveler asks Captain Amazing if he knows billionaire Lance Hunt. Annoyed, Amazing replies that they're the same person, before forcing a smile and saying that he always wanted to do that. Of course, the Shoveler is left in just as much doubt.
37* AmbiguouslyGay: The Blue Raja. Not only is his mother discovering his superhero identity [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything played like a]] [[ComingOutStory coming-out story]], when the two Wonder Woman-esque women start catfighting, all of the other men are staring with interest and he just sort of looks vaguely annoyed and confused. Upping the ambiguous ante, he seems to have some chemistry with the Bowler, who explicitly tells her father that he's not a "fruit" (or a commie).
38* AmusingInjuries: A lot of damage below the belt in this one. Blue Raja is given a super wedgie by the Red-Eye gang; later he accidentally sits on one of his own forks ([[ThumbtackOnTheChair points up]]); Mr. Furious, trying to start his motorcycle, misses the kick starter and lands full force on his naughty bits (''[[GroinAttack "Testicles... rising! Can't... breathe!]]"''); Spleen gets ShotInTheAss during the final battle; and those are just the main examples. There's also Roy getting an accidental shovel to the face.
39* AnachronismStew: The movie is implied to be set in 1999, the year of its release (Lance says "let us set the tone for the new millennium", the Blue Raja mentions the British Raj having ruled India "until the early part of ''this'' century"), but still takes place in a futuristic super-metropolis with thousand-floor skyscrapers, ever-present zeppelins, billboards cowritten in English and various Asian languages, strange money (the big bills are red, the coins have square holes in them) and bizarre advanced gadgets. All of this is deliberately invoked to parody the conventions of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, the contemporary [[Film/BatmanForever Schumacher Batman films]] and alternate-history superhero fiction like ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}''.
40* AngerIsHealthyAesop: Parodied. Mr. Furious, whose power is he gets stronger when he's angry, is advised that he needs to learn how to channel it properly. It doesn't help much as he already knows this.
41-->'''The Sphinx''': If you do not master your rage-\
42'''Mr. Furious''': ''(Sarcastically)'' Then your rage will become your master? That's what you were about to say, right?\
43'''Sphinx:''' [[BlatantLies ...not necessarily.]]
44* AllPeriodsArePMS: one of the potential recruits is the "PMS Avenger" but states she can only superhero 4 days a month.
45* AreYouPonderingWhatImPondering: Used to subvert a TitleDrop, as they try to think up a team name.
46-->'''Becky Beaner:''' Well, whatever you call them, Champion City will forever owe a debt of gratitude to these mystery men.\
47'''The Sphinx:''' Wait! Wait, that's it! We are... the Super Squad! ''[awkward silence]''\
48'''The Bowler:''' No, no, alliteration in these situations is corny.
49* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: The Bowler, trying to find and activate Furious's BerserkButton, unsuccessfully runs down the list of his character flaws. She then enlists the other heroes to help, but the best they come up with is-
50-->'''Shoveler:''' Your penmanship is atrocious!\
51'''Sphinx:''' You dress in the manner of a male prostitute.
52* AscendedFanboy: Invisible Boy. At the start, he's part of a ''network'' of super wannabes that gravitates around a costume store catering to people like them.
53* AudibleSharpness: Blue Rajah's forks and spoons make stereotypical blade "whoosh" noises.
54* {{Awesome McCoolname}}:
55** [[BigBad Casanova Frankenstein]]. In fact, according to the DVD extras, he was chosen ''because'' [[RuleOfCool he had a cool-sounding name]].
56** Mr. Furious briefly attempts to convince his crush that his name is Phoenix Dark, before admitting that his name is actually Roy. It's part of his super hero 'image' as a HotBlooded brawler.
57* AwesomeButImpractical: The Blue Raja's entire deal is that he is the "Master of Cutlery" (exclusively with forks) and has an HistoricalInJoke gimmick, but he is constantly criticized by not using knives (which would make a more effective weapon), his use of forks are either poorly aimed or impractically used and no one gets the reference. He gets better while under the Sphinx's tutelage.
58* BadassCreed: The Mystery Men Oath, a deleted scene which is on the soundtrack album.
59-->'''Furious:''' I'm remembering a certain oath that we took at a certain bar downtown. "I swear that I will fight crime and oppose injustice in any form, at any hour..."\
60'''Shoveler:''' I've got kids, Roy!\
61'''Furious:''' "...and if I break this vow... ''(both recite together)'' a brick should fall from a building of great height, and chip a little chunk off my skull, and my brain gets exposed to the oxygen, and I die."\
62'''Furious:''' Your words, Eddie, your words.
63* BadassLongcoat: Mister Furious wears a black overcoat, drives a black motorcycle and refers to himself as the "lone wolf".
64* BadassNormal: The original trio. After the TrainingMontage they upgrade to WeakButSkilled.
65-->'''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Shoveler]]:''' God gave me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel ''very'' well.\
66'''[[SassyBlackWoman Lucille]]:''' You shovel better than any man I've ever known!
67* BadBoss: Casanova Frankenstein, who at one point kills a couple of his own henchmen just to make a point to the heroes.
68* BaitAndSwitch: During the superhero auditions, up walks a dark-costumed muscular man InTheHood and mask with a serious, brooding expression, getting the character's hopes up... [[spoiler: he then introduces himself as "Ballerina Man" complete with pink tutu underneath the flowing cloak.]]
69** At the end of the movie, the team hasn't come up with a name, so the reporter only refers to them as "[[TitleDrop mystery men]]". Sphinx immediately speaks up, making us believe he's [[AppropriatedAppelation buying the name]], except he actually came up with a different one.
70* BedlamHouse: The asylum that Casanova Frankenstein is locked up in is a dark and dreary place for psychos.
71* BecomingTheBoast: Mr. Furious supposedly has the superpower of rage-induced super-strength, but, when called on it near the end of the film, he reveals it's all an act[[note]]He'd managed to do it once before, and his HotBlooded act was his attempt at ''invoking'' his superpower again[[/note]]. However, when rescuing the {{Love Interest|s}} from the clutches of the BigBad, he becomes genuinely furious, genuinely gains rage-induced super-strength, and starts kicking ass. He actually does have super-strength when he legitimately gets enraged, instead of posturing or consciously trying to rile himself up.
72* BerserkButton: Most of the characters. Mr. Furious is intentionally trying to invoke this trope, without much success. Even the villains are better at it:
73-->'''[[Creator/EddieIzzard Tony P]]:''' Disco is NOT dead! Disco is LIFE!!
74* TheBerserker: Subverted with Mr. Furious who ''acts'' like one but really isn't. It's just an act. [[spoiler:Until the ending, where he truly fits the role.]]
75* BigBad: Casanova Frankenstein leads the minor villains and executes an EvilPlan.
76* BigElectricSwitch: Several, and one must be careful about how many times one flips each one because [[spoiler: otherwise you could kill someone.]]
77* BitchInSheepsClothing: Captain Amazing acts like TheCape for the press but he's truly a selfish {{jerkass}}. Only his publicist sees this side of him.
78* BizarroApocalypse: The BigBad's doomsday weapon is the Psycho-Frackulator, a machine that physically and lethally warps reality into twisted and disturbing shapes. This is used on the imprisoned Captain Amazing with disturbing results, leaving a twisted and unrecognizable corpse. Later, it's turned on the city and causes mass destruction, though of a more mundane nature.
79* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn: Initially, Blue Raja's forks bounce off everything, until the Sphinx teaches him to concentrate on the throwing itself rather than ''stylizing'' the throws, and then they always strike point-first ([[SteppingStoneSword hard enough to be used as climbing spikes]]).
80* BlackComedy: "I don't think he's gonna pull through."
81* BlameGame: The Blame-Thrower.
82* BlingBlingBang: Tony P and Tony C both have very nice looking pistols modified to look disco-like.
83* BondOneLiner: "Fraku-later, Frankenpuss."
84* BoringButPractical:
85** The Shoveler's whole deal? He has a shovel. Oddly enough, it probably makes him the most effective in a fight compared to the other two (the shovel making an effective blunt weapon), though he doesn't reach full effectiveness until after his training under the Sphinx.
86** Demonstrated with the weapon choices of Tony P's disco gang and {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by the heroes.
87--->'''Mr. Furious:''' What? Guns? That's your power, you shoot guns?\
88'''The Blue Raja:''' There's no theme at all here.\
89'''Mr. Furious:''' Weak.\
90'''The Blue Raja:''' At best.\
91[a Disco Boy wields a pipe]\
92'''The Shoveler:''' And who are you supposed to be, the Disco Plumber?\
93[another Disco Boy wields a [[ChainPain heavy chain]]]\
94'''Mr. Furious:''' See, you've got a chain, you could at least make it a ''gold'' chain. [[TemptingFate And that's just off the top of my head]].\
95'''Tony C:''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Top of your head, huh]]?\
96Cue CurbStompBattle.
97* BrutallyHonest: "You shovel better than any man I've ever known! But that doesn't make you a hero."
98* BunnyEarsLawyer: The Bowler is arguably the most powerful member of the team, and would likely be far more efficient if she didn't come off as so... spacey sometimes. (Her father ''does'' talk to her, but the others find it very hard to realize that at first, and she presents an attitude that seems sort of crazy.)
99* CallingShotgun: When the gang is piling into the Shoveler's station wagon.
100-->'''Spleen:''' Shotgun!\
101'''Blue Raja:''' Yes, well, I already called it, didn't I?
102* TheCameo:
103** When [[BigBad Casanova Frankenstein]] gathers the [[GangOfHats various gangs of Champion City]] together in an attempt to unite them, the leader of "The Frat Boys" is played by Creator/MichaelBay.
104** "The Waffler" from the superhero tryout scene is played by a pre-fame Creator/DaneCook.
105** Pencil Head is played by Creator/DougJones.
106** The gang "The Not-So-Goodie Mob" is played by... [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodie_Mob the Goodie Mob.]] Music/CeeLoGreen being the most recognizable member.
107** Dana Gould as Squeegee-Man.
108* CaptainEthnic: White Flight and the Black Menace. ''("They work together.")''
109* CardCarryingVillain: All the bad guys. Frankenstein lists off all their nasty deeds at his party and they cheer each time.
110* CardboardPrison: Averted, since what kickstarts the plot is the ''lack'' of free-roaming supervillains for Captain Amazing to fight. A couple are mentioned as being out of action for good... so he ''[[InvokedTrope invokes]]'' the trope and gets one released -- one potent enough to give him a fight worthy of publicizing... [[spoiler:one who kicks his ass, leaving the Mystery Men to save the day.]]
111-->'''Vic:''' Look, [[ImaDoctorNotaPlaceholder I'm a publicist]], [[ActorAllusion not a magician]]. You want big news, you have to have big fights. A superhero needs a supervillain and, thanks to you, we've got none left.\
112'''Cpt. Amazing:''' Then get the...th..Deathman\
113'''Vic:''' Deathman is dead.\
114'''Cpt. Amazing:''' Okay. Father Doom?\
115'''Vic:''' Life without parole. Apocalypto's doing fifty years, Armagezzmo's in exile, Baron von Chaos got the chair...\
116'''Cpt. Amazing:''' Really?\
117'''Vic:''' Casanova Frankenstein is locked up in a nut-house.\
118'''Cpt. Amazing:''' Casanova Frankenstein -- now there was a supervillain! You know, he just... he's got those eyes, you know? I can't do it, but... and that voice! Such pure evil! The battles we used to have -- extraordinary!\
119'''Vic''': "Used to." That's the problem, Captain. "Used to."\
120'''Cpt. Amazing:''' (MeaningfulLook)
121* CatFight: between the 2 Wonder Woman wannabes during the recruiting drive, much to the interest of all the Mystery Men.
122* ChainPain: One of the disco gang has a chain for a weapon. Mr. Furious [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on this when he asks why it isn't at least a ''gold'' chain.
123* CheapCostume: ''Everyone''. Before the climax, the heroes actually all take the time to sew themselves significantly better ones under the Sphinx's tutelage. They're still pretty cheap, but they look significantly less lame.
124* ChekhovsGun: Near the start of the film, Mr. Furious is instructed to tear down an old armored Herkimer at the auto yard where he works. We don't hear about it for the rest of the film until just before the final battle when heroes repair and upgrade it to bust into Casanova's mansion and to not only withstand his goons' initial assault, but strip them of their guns as well, making their suicide mission much more feasible.
125* ChekhovsSkill: Just about everything The Sphinx teaches the heroes (that stayed through training) is useful at the end, including the group hug. The one exception is the watermelons on the feet but Sphinx doesn't remember telling Roy to do that.
126* TheCity: Champion City.
127* CityOfAdventure: Champion City was obviously one in its prime, but the overwhelming success of Captain Amazing has reduced the adventure level quite a bit.
128* CivvieSpandex: Most of the group wears their "costumes" all the time (The Shoveler even using his uniform from his job as a sewer excavator), especially Invisible Boy, who until the end doesn't even come close to having a costume.
129* CityNoir: Parodied. Roy thinks he's in one of these but the others think he's lame.
130* ClarkKenting: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] with Lance Hunt as Captain Amazing. Mr. Furious has apparently tried to convince his teammates that Hunt is Captain Amazing enough times that the other two treat the idea like a worn-out conspiracy theory.
131-->'''The Shoveler:''' Oh, don't ''start'' that ''again!'' Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses.\
132'''Mr. Furious:''' He takes them off when he transforms.\
133'''The Shoveler:''' That doesn't make any sense. He wouldn't be able to see!
134* ColorCharacter: The Blue Raja, who doesn't wear blue at all (though [[ItMakesSenseInContext it makes perfect sense to him, given his supposed ancestry and nation's history]]). His friends enjoy pointing out the ridiculousness of this. However, in the end, he finally adds a blue shawl to his costume.
135* ComebackTomorrow: In a parody of the usual superhero's witty banter, Mr. Furious's comebacks tend to be either [[LameComeback bad, unintelligible]] or seriously delayed.
136--> '''The Bowler''' ''(trying to find Mr. Furious' BerserkButton)'': Well you've got a lot to be furious about, and I'll tell you why: You're not well-liked. You're, uh, you're abrasive and off-putting. You try and say pithy things, but your wit is a hindrance and so, therefore, nothing is provocative. Just mixed metaphors. Now, doesn't that make you angry? Does it infuriate you?
137* ComedicWorkSeriousScene: This is an AffectionateParody of superhero movies. The scene where Roy/Mr. Furious walks Monica home and has a heart-to-heart conversation with her is genuinely heartwarming.
138* ComicallyMissingThePoint: This exchange between The Blue Raja and The Bowler.
139-->'''Blue Raja''': Am I to understand that you've inserted your father's skull inside that ball for bowling?
140-->'''Bowler''': No. The guy at the Pro Shop did it.
141* TheComicallySerious: The Shoveler can talk about comic weirdness with a pitch-perfect straight-faced delivery from William H. Macy.
142* CompanionCube: Carmine's skull-in-a-ball. He argues with his daughter constantly but no one else can hear him.
143* CoolButInefficient: Blue Raja can throw silverware with unerring accuracy, but only when he is trained to give up on theatrics that keep throwing off his aim. And even then, no knives, only forks or spoons. ''Maybe'' a pie server if he was really pressed.
144* CoolCar:
145** The Herkimer Battle Jitney. The "finest non-lethal military vehicle ever made!"
146** Casanova's limo, a converted Corvette. Limos don't get any cooler than this.
147* CoolMask: Played straight with the Sphinx (who is "terribly mysterious") but oddly averted for the rest of TheTeam (Invisible Boy finally includes a pair of goggles when he makes his costume for the final act).
148* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: Carmine The Bowler's death was officially ruled as an accident.
149-->'''Mr. Furious:''' Seem to remember there being a little controversy around his death.\
150'''The Bowler:''' That's right. The police said it was an accident. He'd come home late one night and fell down an elevator shaft. Onto some bullets.\
151'''The Blue Raja:''' You know, I've always suspected a bit of foul play.
152* CorporateSponsoredSuperhero: Captain Amazing may well be the TropeMaker, given the sponsorship decals and emblems on his uniform. The plot is kicked off because he suddenly lost the Pepsi sponsorship and is set to lose more sponsors without any real criminals to fight. He also provides the page image.
153-->''Gum Disease and Gingivitis can be a crime, that's why I use Mighty Whitey; I want my teeth to look amazing.''
154* CreatorCameo: Director Kinka Usher makes a brief cameo as "Moe".
155* CripplingOverspecialization: The Blue Raja only works with non-bladed cutlery.
156-->"I'm the '''''Blue Raja!''' I'm not... Stab-man, I'm not Knifey Boy, I'm the Blue Raja."
157* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler: Captain Amazing]]'s death by [[RealityWarping psycho-frakulation]] is [[BodyHorror gross and horrifying]].
158* CurbstompBattle:
159** When the Disco gang beats up the trio, they literally throw them on the ground and stomp them.
160** [[spoiler: The final fight between Casanova Frankenstein and Mr. Furious starts out with Casanova beating the crap out of him. Once he makes the mistake of triggering Furious' UnstoppableRage, the tide turns in Furious' favor]].
161* CursedWithAwesome: A mixed blessing with Spleen, who cut the cheese and blamed it on an old gypsy woman who was walking by. She cursed him with farts of amazing potency and accuracy.
162* DareToBeBadass: The Shoveler [[https://youtu.be/XFC2o44koIA rallies the team]] just before the climax, going through each member in turn, as seen under RousingSpeech.
163* DarkAgeOfSupernames: Parodied when Roy tries to pretend his name is Phoenix Dark (neé Dirk Steel), only to give in and say his real name.
164* DarkMistress: Dr. Anabel Leek, Cassanova's psychiatrist and then lover.
165* DeathByCameo: Creator/MichaelBay portrays the leader of the Frat Boys. Casanova kills them later to show [[KickTheDog how evil he can be]].
166* DeconstructiveParody: Of the standard super-hero world. If you have a truly successful superhero, eventually they're going to run out of villains. Also, having a superpower and heroic desire is not enough to be a superhero and it's not a glamorous life. On another level, it does this to celebrity-loving culture -- what it does to the people who seek it, and the people who have it. Above all, it makes fun of both aspects.
167* DeconReconSwitch: Despite real life difficulties, the cast still becomes successful crimefighters in their own right.
168* DeducingTheSecretIdentity: Mr. Furious manages to (correctly) deduce that oligarch lawyer Lance Hunt is the SecretIdentity of Captain Amazing, but his friends shoot him down because "[[ClarkKenting Lance Hunt wears glasses]]."
169* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "I guess tonight, the lone wolf... hunts... alone."
170* DieselPunk: Among other things, there's the Herkimer Battle Jitney.
171* DiscoDan: The Disco boys are an entire GangOfHats of them but "there's no theme at all" with their weapons.
172* DistinctionWithoutADifference: The Bowler sneaks one in.
173--> '''Blue Rajah:''' Are you saying you inserted your father's ''skull'' inside that... ball for bowling?\
174'''Bowler:''' Nah. The guy at the pro shop did it.
175* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler: Casanova is sent plummeting into his doomsday device by Mr. Furious. Though the machine itself kills him instead of the fall]].
176* DoesntLikeGuns:
177** Apparently using a ''gun'' is hilariously gauche in the world of ''Mystery Men''. The heroes openly mock the Disco Boys for using guns instead of using ''some'' kind of disco-themed weaponry.
178** The Blue Raja has been 'crystal clear' about refusing to use guns.
179--->'''The Shoveler:''' Won't even use a knife...
180** Dr. Heller only makes non-lethal weapons. Even the heroes seem dismissive of that and actually start going back to their car, until he shows off his canned tornadoes and blame-thrower.
181** Sphinx is able to cut them in half with his mind, though he isn't seen cutting anything else in half.
182* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The Blue Raja's coming out as a superhero to his mother is phrased as if it was a coming out of a different sort. His mother even remarks that she was saving her mother's cutlery for his wedding, but that that day looks to be far off.
183* TheDragon: Tony P, the leader of the Disco Boys, is Casanova's main muscle and closest associate. Tony P has his own Dragon, Tony C, within the Disco Boys itself.
184* DressesTheSame: Two women at the superhero audition get in a fight over their matching costumes; both are dressed like Franchise/WonderWoman.
185* DudeWheresMyRespect: Mr. Furious throughout the film. Everyone from his boss, to the police, to his own teammates disrespect him.
186** Of course his teammates get no respect either, except from their own families.
187* EmbarrassingSuperpower: "The Spleen" has Main/{{Fartillery}} powers. While his powers can be effective, he compounds the issue by being a socially awkward and unattractive.
188* EmergencyWeapon: The Shoveler, sans shovel, deflects an attack with a ''trowel''.
189* EmpathicWeapon: Carmine can only be successfully wielded by his daughter, who argues with him more often than not.
190* EngineeredHeroics: The impetus of the plot; Captain Amazing gets Casanova Frankenstein released so that Amazing has a real villain to fight and stops losing corporate sponsors.
191* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: The Sphinx can cut guns in half with his mind because he's a "terribly mysterious" mystic.
192* EvenEvilHasStandards: Dr. Leek is clearly fed up and disgusted with the antics of Casanova's gangster henchmen at their reunion banquet.
193* EvilGenius: Casanova was able to build the Psycho-frakulator, something that was said to be impossible to build. Combines this with MadScientist.
194* EvilIsHammy: ''God yes''. Creator/GeoffreyRush clearly understood the assignment when told he would be playing a comic book villain.
195-->'''Casanova:''' A FISH FORK! Is NO MATCH for my machine!!
196** Creator/EddieIzzard gets a few moments as well as Tony P.
197--->'''Tony P:''' Disco is NOT dead! Disco is LIFE!!
198* EvilIsNotAToy: Captain Amazing only wants a better villain to fight, but Casanova Frankenstein quickly gets the upper hand.
199* EvilPlan: Casanova Frankenstein plans to use the Psycho-frakulator on the city, which will fry their brains. No one knows why he wants to do this, but then again, he ''did'' spend the last thirty years in a nut house.
200* ExactWords: At Casanova Frankenstein's parole hearing, Dr. Leek assures everyone that Casanova is no more a danger to the city than [[DarkMistress she is]].
201* ExoticWeaponSupremacy: Everyone uses these, except for the Disco Boys, who use boring old guns. For added flavor there's a weapon designer (Music/TomWaits!) who specializes in these.
202* {{Expy}}:
203** To some degree, most of the characters have (or parody) the characteristics of certain trademarked super-heroes and villains.
204*** The Blue Raja is one of Hawkeye/Green Arrow (albeit with a different choice of weapon), and Mr. Furious ''wants'' to be one of Wolverine or the Hulk.
205*** Captain Amazing is a sort of pastiche of Captain America and Batman - with Clark Kent's glasses and Booster Gold's shallow attitude.
206*** Casanova Frankenstein is obviously strongly influenced by the Joker, although his gadgeteer tendencies invoke Lex Luthor or Dr. Doom.
207*** Also, the initial three members are based on the three classic members of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica: The Shoveler is Jay Garrick, original ComicBook/TheFlash (the helmet, and the squeaky-clean personality), Blue Rajah is Alan Scott, the original ComicBook/GreenLantern ([[HilariousInHindsight the flamboyant attire]][[invoked]] and not being dressed in the color he's named after), and Mister Furious is Ted Grant, aka Wildcat (the temper, the (albeit faux) gruff attitude).
208* {{Failure Hero}}es: TheTeam is this until their final confrontation with the BigBad. The police mock them after a C-string villain team beat the crap out of them.
209* {{Fartillery}}: "The Spleen," forevermore he who dealt it.
210%% * Do not add Five Man Band. It does not fit for the following reasons: 1.) Too many members. 2.) Invisible Boy is not The Chick because he is not female and the chick MUST be female. 3.) Roy may or may not be the hero and without a hero there is no lancer.
211* ForkFencing: The Blue Raja wields forks (not knives!).
212* FreudianTrio: The 'Big Three'.
213** Shoveler as Ego; level-headed balancer.
214** Blue Raja as Superego; obsessed with history and social conventions.
215** Mr. Furious as Id; "I ''am'' a ticking time bomb of fury."
216* FurAndLoathing: The gang called "The Furriers", a bunch of {{femme fatale}}s wearing leather and fur.
217* GadgeteerGenius: Heller. He makes cutting edge [[InsistentTerminology nonlethal]] weapons in his trailer.
218-->'''The Shoveler:''' Doctor, you really are a genius.\
219'''Dr. Heller:''' That's what the card says.
220* GangOfHats: The Disco Boys are most obvious, but all the gangs in Champion City appear to have some quirk.
221* {{Gasshole}}: The Spleen (see {{Fartillery}} above).
222* GloryDays: Captain Amazing hasn't had a decent battle in years.
223* GoneHorriblyRight: Captain Amazing had Casanova Frankenstein released simply so he could fight a capable adversary. Turns out Frankenstein was so capable, he was able to capture Amazing and go through with his doomsday plan nearly unopposed.
224* GratuitousDiscoSequence: Casanova Frankenstein's mansion and main gang all revolve around disco, which is supposedly dead.
225* GroinAttack: There are a few:
226** The Red-Eyes give Blue Raja an especially vicious wedgie.
227** Roy inflicts one on ''himself'' while trying to start his motorcycle; he misses the lever and lands full on the gas tank, then spends the rest of the scene whimpering.
228** Using the shrink-ray on the Furriers gives them, as the Bowler put it "a wedgie they won't soon forget".
229** The Blond Wonder Woman punches the Brunette Wonder Woman down low after the latter punched the former in the face.
230* HappilyMarried: The Shoveler and his wife, Lucille, may feud over his heroing, but they worry because they love each other. She outright tells them that he's "a good husband and father" but not a superhero.
231* HateSink: [[SmugSuper Captain Amazing]], real name Lance Hunt, is the superhero of Champion City. Unlike the genuinely heroic Mystery Men, however, [[ItsAllAboutMe Amazing is only in it for the fame and the money]] and [[{{Jerkass}} has no respect for his fans or other superheroes]]. Amazing crosses the line when, in an attempt to keep [[CorporateSponsoredSuperhero his sponsors]] from pulling their endorsements due to his fights being boring without supervillains, he tricks the insane asylum staff in releasing his nemesis Casanova Frankenstein, counting on Casanova to wreak havoc. He does this instead of just quietly giving up the Captain Amazing gig since [[ItsAllAboutMe he loves the fame and money]], not because he actually cares for the people of Champion City. After Casanova blows up the asylum, Amazing arrives to apprehend him ([[TheSociopath showing no concern for all]] the inmates, guards, and asylum staff who are all dead because of him), but [[HoistbyHisOwnPetard is captured by Casanova instead]], and fails to convince Casanova to release him despite [[AintTooProudtoBeg promising to help with the evil plan]]. [[spoiler: Considering he spends his final moments [[{{Jerkass}} yelling at and insulting the Mystery Men]], you will [[AssholeVictim probably cheer]] at his [[PoorCommunicationKills accidental death]] by psycho-frakulation]].
232* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: "Farting" sounds like a lame power but Spleen can selectively knock out everyone in a diner and is able to do it at will. In fact, it's probably the most consistently useful superpower the heroes have. Even being invisible ''when nobody can see you'' turns out to have its uses.
233* HeroicBSOD: After his romantic interest tries to convince him to be himself rather than conform to his 'angry' theme, Mr. Furious takes this to mean that he has no powers. This leads something of an existential crisis as his friends are preparing for battle. [[spoiler:He eventually snaps out of it when he gets angry for real]].
234* HeroicSacrifice: It seemed that Carmine was going to do this at the climax of the movie. Subverted in that A.) He was already dead (a fact that was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]) and B.) It turns out at the end that he 'survived', somewhat to the annoyance of the hero [[EmpathicWeapon wielding him]].
235* HuddleShot: "Group hug!"
236* ICallItVera: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in the case of The Bowler, who calls her bowling ball Carmine because it's possessed by the spirit of her father, Carmine (and ''contains his skull''). It talks back, although only she can hear it.
237* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: Of all the insults the team delivers attempting to get Furious fired up for battle, the only one he really reacts to is Sphinx's "You dress in the manner of a male prostitute."
238* IceCreamKoan:
239** Most of The Sphinx's teachings are suspiciously predictable word play.
240--->'''Sphinx:''' To learn my teachings, I must first teach you how to learn.
241** The pinnacle:
242--->'''Furious:''' (trying to balance a hammer on his head) What's the point of this?\
243'''Sphinx:''' When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack.
244** And then some:
245--->'''Sphinx:''' Your temper is very quick, my friend. But until you learn to master your rage--\
246'''Furious:''' Your rage will become your master? (beat) That's what you were gonna say, right?\
247'''Sphinx:''' ... Not necessarily.
248* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: The Bowler cites this as the reason she won't kill Tony P. [[spoiler:Her father, however, has no such reservations.]]
249* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Supplies the page quote.
250-->'''Capt. Amazing:''' I knew you couldn't change.\
251'''Casanova Frankenstein:''' I knew you'd know that.\
252'''Capt. Amazing:''' Oh, I know that. ''And I'' knew you'd know I'd know you knew.\
253'''Casanova Frankenstein:''' But I didn't. I only knew that you'd know that I knew. Did you know that?\
254'''Capt. Amazing:''' . . . of course.
255* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: When Capt. Amazing complains to his PR rep Vic about losing his sponsorships, Vic tells him that he's "a publicist, not a magician." [[note]]Ricky Jay, who plays Vic, was actually a magician in RealLife and able to throw playing cards with such deadly accuracy it would make The Blue Raja proud.[[/note]]
256* ImprobableAimingSkills: After training under the Sphinx, The Blue Raja is shown to have impeccable aiming skills that border on the superhuman. This is mainly due to his bad habit of flourishing his throws as opposed to concentrating on landing the shot.
257* ImprobableWeaponUser:
258** [[ShovelStrike The Shoveler]], [[WeaponizedBall The Bowler]], and a [[ForkFencing fork-flinger]], and that's just from the heroes.
259** Casanova Frankenstein attacks with his ''one'' long pinkie nail, and the cast react just as if it were a full set of claws.
260* InsistentTerminology:
261** The Blue Raja constantly corrects anyone who says that the Sphinx is mysterious -- he's actually ''terribly'' mysterious.
262** Mr. Furious insists on having his steak cooked very rare, then says it means "pink, not bloody". Except "very rare" means bloody and pink would be medium.
263* InsultedAwake: Parodied. The team try this on Mr. Furious when he no longer feels furious, but their insults are so lame and he's become so mild-mannered [[spoiler: due to falling in love]] that they can't even achieve a MinorInsultMeltdown:
264-->'''The Bowler''': You're not well-liked. You're uh, you're abrasive and off-putting. You try and say pithy things, but your wit is a hindrance and therefore nothing is provocative. Just mixed metaphors. Now, doesn't that make you angry? Does it infuriate you?\
265'''Mr. Furious''': No.\
266'''The Bowler''': Well, it should. Aren't you angry? Come on, man!\
267'''The Shoveler''': [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Your penmanship is atrocious!]]\
268'''The Sphinx''': You dress in the manner of a male prostitute!
269* IntrepidReporter: Becky Beaner, the one covering the super hero activities, would probably be Captain Amazing's love interest in a happier world.
270* InvisibleStreaker: When Invisible Boy turns invisible, his (visible) clothes fall off.
271* {{Irony}}:
272** Invisible Boy actually can become completely transparent... but only when nobody, including himself, is looking directly at him. So he's already technically "invisible" even if he doesn't become transparent. [[spoiler:It actually does have a use, though. Turns out electronic cameras and sensors ''don't'' count as anybody looking.]]
273** "Deathman is dead."
274* ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime: Captain Amazing released Casanova Frankenstein from the asylum so he can have a high-profile supervillain to fight again. It backfires badly.
275* ItsWhatIDo:
276-->'''The Shoveler:''' Doctor, you are a genius.\
277'''Dr. Heller:''' That's what the card says.
278** Also, why shovels are the Shoveler's weapon; shoveling is what he does best.
279** Captain Amazing says this word for word when asked how he knew about the Red-Eyes' attack on the nursing home.
280* JiveTurkey: Dropped by, of course, the disco gang.
281* JumpedAtTheCall: The whole movie is a reconstruction. Some who jump at the call are not really cut out for heroism, and sometimes they pull it off anyway.
282* KarmicDeath: This film ''loves'' 'em:
283** [[spoiler: Casanova is ultimately killed when he is thrown into his own doomsday device]].
284** [[spoiler: Tony P. is killed by the "ghost" of Carmine The Bowler - whom he ''murdered'']].
285** [[spoiler: Captain Amazing is killed as a direct result of freeing Casanova just for the good publicity of catching him again]].
286* TheLawOfPowerProportionateToEffort: Inverted. The harder Mr. Furious tries to get angry to invoke his rage-induced super-strength, the farther he seems to get from the genuine anger he needs. It gets bad enough that leading up to the climactic battle, he begins to doubt whether he ever actually had powers at all. [[spoiler: Being threatened by villains doesn't make him angry because he wants to fight bad guys. Seeing the woman he loves being threatened does make him extremely angry. Turns out he does have powers... he just needs to let them activate naturally instead of trying to force them.]]
287* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: When some of the group enter Dr. Heller's lair in an abandoned amusement park, eerie music adds to the creepy atmosphere. Turns out Dr. Heller is playing eerie music.
288* LegacyCharacter:
289** [Carol] The Bowler; her father, Carmine the Bowler, was a fairly well known crime-fighter before her. Bad guys derisively call her "Baby Bowler" because of this.
290** Also Pencilhead and Son of Pencilhead.
291* LethalJokeWeapon: Dr. Heller's specialty. He's initially written off because all of his inventions are non-lethal, but then he starts showing off what his inventions can do, including subduing foes by shrinking their clothes, causing enemies to drop everything and start bickering with each other, and even ''tornado grenades''.
292* LetsGetDangerous: This effectively summarizes the premise of this movie and is given a lampshade in the final battle sequence:
293-->'''Mr. Furious''': Rage...taking over...\
294'''Casanova Frankenstein''': Ja ja ja. We've heard it all before.\
295'''Mr. Furious''': No, no, no. Rage ''really'' taking over!
296* LikesOlderWomen: Heller frequents the retirement home to pick up chicks.
297* LiteralMinded: When the Blue Raja asks the Bowler if she really put her father's skull in her bowling ball, she assures him she didn't. "The guy at the Pro Shop did it."
298* MadScientist: Dr. Heller combines mad science with a TechnicalPacifist attitude.
299* MagicalNativeAmerican: The Sphinx is a complicated, rather parodic example. He's played by a Native actor, but his powers, code name, and costume are not Native themed, he works at a Mexican restaurant and can be summoned by ordering the right combo meal, and his "wise" advice is basically nonsense.
300* TheMagnificentSevenSamurai: PlayedForLaughs, with lovable loser superheroes. ''The Magnificent Seven'' even gets a tiny shout-out.
301--> '''Dr. Heller''' ''(watching the team drive off for the final battle): Vaya con Dios.''
302* {{Malaproper}}: Mr. Furious. He doesn't appreciate being called on it.
303* MalevolentMaskedMen: The Red-Eyes, even including a GasMaskMook.
304* MenstrualMenace: The PMS Avenger only works four days a month.
305* {{Metaphorgotten}}:
306** Constantly by Mr. Furious.
307--->'''Mr. Furious:''' I don't need a compass to tell me which way the wind shines.
308** Lampshaded by the Bowler when she's trying to rile him up:
309--->'''The Bowler:''' You constantly try to say pithy things, but your wit is a hindrance, so nothing is provocative! It's all mixed metaphors!
310* {{Mentor}}: The Sphinx teaches the others how to become proper super heroes.
311* MilkingTheGiantCow: Mr. Furious whenever he tries to invoke his UnstoppableRage.
312* MisfitMobilizationMoment: The charge on Casanova Frankenstein's mansion is when the Mystery Men transition from goofballs to heroes.
313* MrFixit: Heller. He restores the Herkimer Battle Jitney, for starters.
314* MundaneMadeAwesome: Look at the RousingSpeech example below. Who knew making an Egg Salad sandwich could be so awesome?
315* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: The Bowler's confrontation of Tony P, starts with introducing herself. It comes complete with YouKilledMyFather.
316* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Invisible Boy.
317-->'''Blue Raja''': [[BiggerIsBetterInBed Two hands there, son.]]
318* NegateYourOwnSacrifice: The Bowler throwing her ball (containing the spirit of Carmine the Bowler) into the Psycho-frakulator.
319-->'''The Bowler:''' Now, the good news is you're not going to die, because you're already dead.
320* NeverTrustATrailer: In one HBO trailer, as the narrator starts with saying something evil is brewing, we get to see a creepy closeup of a man screaming or laughing in the midst of some vortex. It must be important! [[spoiler:Nah, it's just the Spleen caught in the demonstration of Heller's tornado in a can, which is never used after that.]]
321* NiceCharacterMeanActor: Captain Amazing. Which is to say that the "real" Captain Amazing is an asshole, despite his heroic reputation.
322* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
323** Captain Amazing, in his civilian persona of Lance Hunt, decides to free Casanova potentially putting countless civilians in danger so he could have a real villain to fight, and to boost his ratings. Bad idea.
324** When half the team [[spoiler:kill Captain Amazing during a rescue attempt but Amazing gets the blame for giving such poor instructions.]]
325--->'''The Blue Raja:''' [[spoiler: Oh, my God. Oh, my God, we killed him.]]\
326'''The Shoveler:''' [[spoiler: What do you mean "we"? I was right here.]]
327* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Casanova threatening Furious' girlfriend ultimately snaps him out of his HeroicBSOD and allows him to finally awaken his UnstoppableRage for real]].
328* NonIndicativeName:
329** The Blue Raja doesn't wear blue. And while he has a long explanation about why a white man with a [[spoiler: totally fake]] British accent is dressing as an Indian prince -- it has to do with the British occupation of India in the early 20th century -- he never gets around to explaining why he exclusively throws ''forks'', which has nothing to do with anything else he's got.
330** The Spleen; an organ which acts as a blood filter and doesn't really have anything to do with flatulence. (Beyond possibly alluding to the phrase "Venting his spleen".)
331* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Dr. Heller is a mad genius, but not ''that'' mad.
332--> '''The Spleen''' ''(of a strange gun):'' It's a shrinker!\
333'''The Bowler:''' How do you know... oh, hey! A ''manual!''
334* TheNudifier: One of Heller's weapons causes fabric to shrink. When used on a gang of scantily-clad women, it incapacitates them... and makes Mr. Furious feel like his trousers are a little tight, too.
335* OddFriendship: Blue Raja and Bowler get rather chummy over the course of film.
336* OohMeAccentsSlipping:
337** The British Creator/EddieIzzard playing the (kinda) Brooklyn accented Tony P. It's almost unbearable.
338** Subverted with Creator/GeoffreyRush, an Australian, portraying Casanova Frankenstein with a very well done German/Austrian accent, though he is an acclaimed stage actor as well.
339* OneBookAuthor: The film's financial failure, coupled with his displeasure while working on it, made this the only feature film to be directed by commercial director Kinka Usher.
340* OnlySaneMan: Mr. Furious is the only one who realizes that Lance Hunt is Captain Amazing. He's also the only one who sees that the Sphinx just makes up his "mysterious" sayings by rearranging the words.
341* OurFounder: A gigantic neon-lit statue of Captain Amazing.
342* ParentalNeglect: Invisible Boy tells his father "Hey dad, I'm taking three strange men into my room" when he has The Blue Raja, The Shoveler and Mr. Furious over in a testing tone. His dad doesn't even appear to notice any of it (his son or the three men), indicating this is a long-running feature of their relationship.
343* ParodiedTrope: So many superhero tropes are spoofed here.
344* PartingFromConsciousnessWords: Right after Captain Amazing asks whether what he just picked up is not evidence, it shoots out a cloud of pink smoke. Captain Amazing is told it'll knock him out and can only briefly protest:
345-->'''Casanova Frankenstein:''' "It's a chloroform-deploying portable enticement snare."\
346'''Captain Amazing: '''"... Ah, dang!"
347* PerformanceAnxiety: Invisible Boy can only turn invisible when no one is looking at him.
348* PerplexingPlurals: Captain Amazing comments to Casanova Frankenstein that they have always been each other's greatest "nemisises..nemisi..." (It's "nemeses".)
349* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: The Bowler reacts to Invisible Boy's... "transparency" with this:
350-->"Maybe you should put some shorts on... or something... if you wanna keep fighting evil today."
351* PlotTailoredToTheParty: The assault on Chez Casa Casanova. From invisibility to magic bowling balls to fork throwing etc., everyone's powers are used to solve some problem or obstacle.
352* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Carmine is apparently this:
353-->''' The Bowler''': So you're a British man who converted to Islam, sort of like Cat Stevens?\
354'''Blue Raja:''' No. Until the early part of this century, India was in fact part of the British Empire, whose government there was called the British Raj after the Hindi word for "sovereignty". Furthermore--\
355'''The Bowler:''' Wait -- so sorry. ''[to her bowling ball]'' What? ''Dad!'' No, he's not a commie, nor a fruit. ''[to the Blue Raja]'' Sorry. His ignorance embarrasses me.
356* PoorCommunicationKills: Literally, when [[spoiler:Captain Amazing gives confusing instructions on how to deactivate the deathtrap he's in, causing the group to slowly devolve into SeinfeldianConversation and eventually activate it by accident after Amazing starts screaming at them to stop being so stupid]].
357* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Parodied constantly.
358** The Blue Raja rehearses them in his room.
359** Mr. Furious is constantly trying to come up with these, but as the Bowler accurately points out "your wit is a hindrance, so nothing is provocative -- it's all mixed metaphors." He does, however, come up with a pretty good one when he finally [[LetsGetDangerous gets dangerous]]:
360--->'''Mr. Furious:''' Someone must have ripped the "Q" section out of my dictionary, [[{{Determinator}} 'cause I don't know the meaning of the word "quit"]]!
361* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: The Bowler's Bowling Ball will always return to her hand when thrown. Justified due to being possessed by the soul of her dead father.
362* ProductPlacement: In-universe, as Captain Amazing's costume is plastered in corporate logos.
363* ProverbialWisdom: The Sphinx, who serves as a mentor to the main characters, always speaks in proverbs and aphorisms.
364* {{Pun}}:
365** The Blue Raja drops a couple of fork and spoon-related puns during the course of the movie. He even practices some in front of a mirror.
366** Tony P. manages to combine EvilGloating, a bad pun, and a disco-era movie reference.
367---> '''Tony P.:''' Hello. I'm the guy who gave your daddy the Film/{{Shaft}}.
368* RagTagBunchOfMisfits: One of the definitive film examples and intentionally so.
369** A guy who thinks he's the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]].
370** A married man with a shovel.
371** A MommasBoy who throws forks.
372** A shy teen with pointless invisibility powers.
373** A LegacyCharacter looking for revenge.
374** Somebody with supernaturally-induced gas.
375** Their SixthRanger is a guy whose superpower is that he's "''Terribly'' mysterious" (and can cut guns in half with his mind).
376* RageBreakingPoint: Parodied throughout with Mr. Furious' desperate attempts to invoke the trope through a MinorInsultMeltdown, only to be laughably pathetic every time. [[spoiler: At least until Casanova Frankenstein takes his girlfriend hostage, at which point he ''does'' hit this.]]
377* RealityWarping: The Psycho-frakulator seems to be a weaponized form of this. It warps its target until they die.
378* RetroUniverse: There are traces of this here and there, especially with the reporters' fashion. As a whole, it seems to be a weird mesh of the 40s, the 70s and then-present day late 90s.
379* RousingSpeech: Perhaps the best example [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative concerning a sandwich]].
380-->'''The Shoveler''': This is egg salad. It's loaded with cholesterol. The wife won't even let me touch it. Hardly seems to matter now, 'cause chances are, we're already dead. Amazing is gone. There's no use waiting for the cavalry, because as of this moment, the cavalry is us. This is our fight, whether we like it or not. Just we few. We're not your classic superheroes. We're not the favorites. We're the other guys. We're the guys nobody ever bets on. But I'll tell you what I think. ... We're all in over our heads, and we know it. But if we take on this fight, those of us who survive it will forever after show our scars with pride, and say, 'That's right! I was there! I fought the good fight!' So whatdaya say? Do we all gather together, and go kick some Casanova butt? ''Or do I eat this sandwich?''
381* RummageSaleReject: Not just the Mystery Men; all the wannabes wear mismatched or dirty equipment.
382* RunningGag:
383** "Why don't you tell me?" "Why don't you tell ''me''?"
384** The heroes failing to agree on a name for their gang, leading to a subverted TitleDrop at the end.
385* SarcasticConfession: As the team is trying to free Captain Amazing from Casanova's machine, the Shoveler asks him if he knows Lance Hunt. Captain Amazing admits to being him, then after a moment claims he was joking and says he [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat always wanted to say that]].
386* SassyBlackWoman: Lucille, The Shoveler's wife, sasses ''and'' nags him about his superheroing.
387* SceneryPorn: If you liked ''Film/BladeRunner'''s futuristic Los Angeles, you'll ''love'' this.
388* SecretIdentity: Played straight with Captain Amazing and the Sphinx, but played with concerning the rest of the Mystery Men - they don't wear masks, but are still fairly secretive about their real names. The Shoveler (Eddie), the Blue Raja (Jeffrey) and Mr. Furious (Roy) use first names fairly freely when not in battle, the Bowler's (Carol) is said only once, and we don't hear their full names or learn Invisible Boy, Spleen or the Sphinx's real names at all.
389* ShoePhone: Played with in the scene where Captain Amazing initially confronts Casanova Frankenstein and tells him to deactivate a variety of weapons hidden in normally benign objects, only to be snared by [[spoiler:a portable enticement snare that looks like a remote detonator]].
390* ShotInTheAss: Spleen takes a bullet to the rear during the climactic battle. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to have an impact on his powers.
391* ShoutOut:
392** The scene where Casanova Frankenstein gathers the various gimmicked gangs of Champion City together at his mansion in an effort to unite them all under his rule, culminating with the rousing cry, "Can you dig it?" is a shout out to ''Film/TheWarriors''.
393** Roy does a [[Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan Six Million Dollar Man]] slow-motion jump, complete with the iconic sound-effect.
394** Roy also at one point counterquips Casanova with "[[Creator/WilliamShatner Don't correct me. It sickens me.]]"
395*** Also, when the team is exiting the bar, they can be heard discussing the pronunciation of "Sabotage."
396** When Mr. Furious tries to pretend that he has an AwesomeMcCoolName in order to impress his LoveInterest, he claims his name is "[[Comicbook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga Phoenix Dark]]."
397** The metal fingernail appliances worn by Casanova are similar to those worn by Creator/AlanMoore.
398** "[[Franchise/StarWars May the forks be with us!]]"
399* ShoutOutToShakespeare: The Shoveler's RousingSpeech is reminiscent of the [[Theatre/HenryV 'band of brothers']] speech. "We will show our scars with pride" indeed, making this OlderThanSteam.
400* ShovelStrike: The Shoveler shovels very well. He also has a trowel.
401* ShroudedInMyth: This is ''literally'' the Sphinx's main power. (Mind you, his other power is chopping guns in half with his mind.)
402* ASideOrderOfRomance: Roy/Mr. Furious has a crush on Monica, a waitress at the restaurant he and his wannabe superhero friends frequent. He tries to impress her by acting "cool" and playing up the superhero angle, but she isn't interested until he begins to drop the bravado.
403* SlasherSmile: A heroic example, when Mr. Furious [[LetsGetDangerous finally comes into his own]], he has a scary rage smile.
404* SkywardScream: Mr. Furious does this when he's trying (and failing ([[LetsGetDangerous and then succeeding]])) to invoke UnstoppableRage.
405* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Carol the Bowler is the only woman on the team. She's also the only woman in the film who's a main character, or has more than a few scenes or lines.
406* SpandexLatexOrLeather: One of the most eclectic mixtures in any medium, involving a bit of just about everything - Captain Amazing's costume is molded rubber and chrome armor covered in sponsored ads, while supervillain Casanova Frankenstein displays a taste for multiple velvet outfits and strange gold jewelry. The Mystery Men themselves all sport low-budget, piecemeal "costumes": The Shoveler wears mining equipment, a catcher's chest pad and jeans, the Blue Raja a thrift-store quality Indian ensemble, Mr. Furious a black leather motorcycle outfit with a black fake-leather BadassLongcoat over it, etc. After meeting the Sphinx (who wears a vinyl cowl and billowing black velvet robes, later revealed to have dazzling blue and silver spandex hidden beneath), they sew proper costumes, which incorporate spandex (Spleen and Sphinx), leather (Furious and the Bowler), silver mail (Shoveler), ornately colorful jewel-covered fabrics (the Blue Raja) and what appears to be an elaborately painted mural of Champion City (the Invisible Boy).
407* StealthPun: The Spleen's name makes no sense until you remember the phrase "venting one's spleen."
408* StormingTheCastle: The attack on Casanova's mansion and driving straight through the gate.
409* SuperStrength: Mr. Furious, but only when his UnstoppableRage truly kicks in. It's stated he once lifted a city bus all on his own to save people trapped under it (despite him making excuses due to presently suffering a HeroicBSOD at the time). [[spoiler: Proven when triggered at the end, which allows him to manhandle Casanova]].
410* SuperTeam: The film is essentially the origin story for the titular Mystery Men. They start out with just three heroes -- Mr. Furious, the Blue Raja and the Shoveler -- and they add various members and allies as the story goes, coming into their own when they stop Casanova Frankenstein.
411* SuperZeroes: Of the "zero to hero" kind. They're all very, very silly heroes--the Blue Raja throws forks and spoons but ''not'' anything bladed, which might be useful--but they prove effective fighters and they save the day. When they hold auditions at the Shoveler's home, they find themselves swamped by superheroes who are even lamer than ''they'' are.
412* {{Superhero}}: Parodies the genre. The only ones with genuine superpowers are Spleen, Sphinx, and Invisible Boy. Bowler skirts the issue with her 'artifact of power'.
413* SuperheroCapitalOfTheWorld: Champion City is a city overrun with various [[GangOfHats Hatted Gangs]] and positively ''swimming'' in [[SuperZeroes Z-grade wannabe superheroes]], Captain Amazing eclipsing every single one of them as Champion City's chief defender.
414* SuperheroPackingHeat: The Disco Boys, to our heroes' great amusement, use non-disco guns.
415* SuperheroesWearTights: Mostly averted, as it primarily depicts the DarkerAndEdgier comic styles that were more about leather and combat gear, but played straight by the Sphinx and the Spleen in the final act (the Sphinx's boots imply that he was always wearing the tights under his robes of mystery).
416* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
417** Captain Amazing's rogues gallery are all retired, permanently incarcerated, or dead. JokerImmunity doesn't exist in real life.
418** Amazing's biggest problem isn't the fact he can't handle the crime, but he handles it ''too well''. As a result, sponsors are pulling out, since he's ''boring'' as an InvincibleHero and with less and less super villains to fight.
419* ThatPoorCat: Happens while The Blue Raja is using a dartboard for target practice.
420* ThisIsGonnaSuck: The last words of [[spoiler:Captain Amazing]] are a grousing "Uh-oh, wrong switch."
421* TheTeam
422** TheBigGuy: The Mystery Men have a number of heavy hitters.
423*** Spleen's gas attack is "silent but deadly".
424*** Dr. Heller has an arsenal of non-lethal weaponry
425*** Bowler's bowling ball is like a guided missile and returns when she throws it.
426*** When he's truly angry, Mr. Furious is a formidable fighter.
427** TheFace: Invisible Boy's biggest contribution to the team is his networking ability. "I know lots of super heroes."
428** TheLeader: The Shoveler gives the RousingSpeech. Interestingly, when he says "Leadership, it's what we've been missing." He was looking at Mr.Furious as if disappointed that he didn't live up to this role.
429** TheSmartGuy:
430*** Dr. Heller is the Gadgeteer Genius who made their gear and transport.
431*** The Blue Raja has vast array of specialized forks, a well-researched back story and is a rather knowledgeable history buff.
432** MentorArchetype: The Sphinx trained them all.
433* TeamPowerWalk: Played straight on the way to Casanova's Mansion, then parodied as Mr. Furious doesn't feel powerful enough to continue, and turns around. The two nearest just hook him under the arms and keep walking, dragging him along without even turning their heads.
434* TechnicalPacifist: Doctor Heller, who designs nonlethal weapons, such as the "Shrinker" (which causes the target's clothing to contract painfully tight) and the "Blame-thrower" (which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin starts]] [[BlameGame arguments]]).
435* TerribleIntervieweesMontage: The [[https://youtu.be/QXFR1L_gOg8 audition sequence]], in which the team goes through the likes of "The Waffler", "Ballerina Man", and "PMS Avenger".
436* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: Played with for Invisible Boy. He can only turn invisible when no one is looking at him, which seems useless [[spoiler: until they encounter an automated defense system]]. [[NotCompletelyUseless Which is not exactly uncommon]].
437* TitleDrop: See AreYouPonderingWhatImPondering?, above, where the reporter says "these mystery men".
438* ToiletHumor: A skunk humping the leg of a fart-powered superhero, just to name one example.
439* TokenMinority: Invisible Boy and The Sphinx are the only people of color on the team. The Bowler is the only woman among them.
440* TookALevelInBadass: Everyone, after meeting The Sphinx. This was the point of finding him.
441* TornadoMove: Dr. Heller has invented a "Tornado in a Can". He uses one to get the heroes' attention when they have decided he was a crackpot and go to leave.
442* TrickBomb: A tornado in a can.
443* TruthInTelevision: Shovel fighting ''was'' taught to most infantry through the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The reasoning was that infantry were often responsible for digging their own foxholes, and their enemies were unlikely to honor a call of "Time out!" while they went to fetch their gun or bayonet.
444* TVNeverLies: Parodied during a conversation between Mr. Furious and Monica the waitress:
445-->'''Mr. Furious:''' I'll have a steak, please, very rare. That means pink, not bloody. And can I get some ice? I had a little mishap defending justice over at the nursing home.\
446'''Monica:''' I thought I heard on TV that that was Captain Amazing.\
447'''Mr. Furious:''' [[SarcasmMode Ooh! Let's all be good automaton droids and believe everything we see on TV!]]\
448'''Monica:''' I'll just go place your order now...
449* UnstoppableRage: This is ''supposed'' to be Mr. Furious' power but he's defeated by stress balls and can't get it to actually work. [[spoiler:It finally works in the end.]]
450-->'''Mr. Furious:''' ''That little sucker just saved your life.''
451* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Invisible Boy's power evolved from the way that everyone in his life ignored him, to the point that the following gets no reaction whatsoever:
452-->'''Invisible Boy:''' Hey, dad, I'm going to my room with three strange men!
453* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Captain Amazing's publicist inadvertently gave him the idea to release Casanova Frankenstein, setting up the events of the film.
454* VictoryIsBoring: And unprofitable. After putting away every supervillain in the city, Captain Amazing is left with only incompetent gangs of thugs, which prompts him to get Casanova Frankenstein released.
455* VigilanteMilitia: The Mystery Men are composed of three Z-list superheroes: Mister Furious, Blue Raja and The Shoveler. When Captain Amazing gets taken out by the villain, these three recruit The Bowler, Invisible Boy and The Spleen to the cause of taking down Casanova Frankenstein.
456* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Casanova Frankenstein is a very serious and menacing villain in an otherwise comedic film.
457* WaxOnWaxOff: Parodied when the Sphinx trains the eponymous squad with a series of bizarre physical feats justified by odd wordplay, as seen in this exchange:
458-->'''Mr. Furious:''' Why am I balancing a hammer on my head?\
459'''The Sphinx:''' When you can balance a '''''[[IceCreamKoan tack hammer]]''''' on your head, you can head off your foes with a '''''[[{{Pun}} balanced]]'' [[{{Pun}} attack!]]'''\
460'''Mr. Furious:''' And why do I have these watermelons on my feet?\
461'''The Sphinx:''' [''{{beat}}''] I don't remember asking you to do that.
462* WeaponizedBall: The Bowler uses a bowling ball possessed by the spirit of her father (the original Bowler) as a weapon.
463* WhatAPieceOfJunk: The Herkimer Battle Jitney. Roy explains to his boss earlier in the film (because he works at the junkyard the Jitney is in) that the thing is armored to the point that a bomb can't damage it and she insists that he must tear it apart with a piddly crowbar, which is effectively impossible. When Roy brings up the Jitney in the third act Heller tells him how great it is, and it demonstrates why after being restored at the climax.
464* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Dr. Annabelle Leek joins Casanova as his evil concubine, then vanishes without a trace halfway through the movie. [[WordOfGod DVD supplemental materials]][[invoked]] say there were originally some very funny bits with her that got cut out. According to the script on IMDB, she angrily tries to shoot Casanova when he's having an IHaveYouNowMyPretty moment with Monica, accusing him of living up to his name as TheCasanova. Casanova turns on the charm, convincing Anabel to drop the gun, then tells her YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness and tosses her out a window to her death. The heroes when scaling the building later see her fall and hear her inevitable thud.
465* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Everybody on the team, which is central to the premise but special mention goes to Invisible Boy who can only turn invisible when nobody is looking; this is only useful when trying to avoid electronic detection in a room where everybody is on his side and agrees not to look at him (he even has to close his eyes, since it also doesn't work when he's looking at ''himself'').
466* WhyDontYouMarryIt: The Bowler says this to The Shoveler about Mr. Furious, which turns into an ArgumentOfContradictions.
467* WickedCultured: Casanova Frankenstein's mansion and sense of fashion, although bizarrely and brilliantly mixed with Everything's Funkier With Disco.
468* YouCanSeeMe: Unfortunately, Invisible Boy, yes. We can. [[BiggerIsBetterInBed EVERYTHING, too]].
469* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In the climax, the BigBad kills a group of Mooks expressly to demonstrate to the heroes that, unlike them, he can sacrifice his allies if he has to, or, y'know, [[ForTheEvulz if he feels like it]].
470* YouKilledMyFather: The Bowler. Downplayed by the fact [[spoiler: it's her dead father who ultimately avenges himself]].
471* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld: A few can be seen floating over Champion City.

Top