Line #58 Series/SuperhumanSamuraiSyberSquad


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samurai_sybersquad.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: Creator/TimCurry adds "hammy virus villain" to Franchise/TransformersGenerationOne.]]
3
4	->''"The evil [[SIPrefixName Kilokahn]] lives inside computer circuits! With the help of Malcolm Frink, he creates Megavirus Monsters to attack electronic systems! Meanwhile, a freak accident turns Sam Collins into Servo! His friends join forces in their samurized attack vehicles! Together, they transform into... the SUPERHUMAN SAMURAI SYBER-SQUAD!"''
5	-->-- '''OpeningNarration''' (as provided by Creator/GaryOwens)
6
7	Yet another in the wave of post-''Franchise/PowerRangers'' American superhero shows adapted from Japanese {{toku}}satsu series. Adapted from Creator/TsuburayaProductions' ''Series/DenkouChoujinGridman'' ("Electric Superhuman Gridman"), ''Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad'' (yes, that is [[XtremeKoolLetterz "Syber" with an "S"]]) tells the story of Sam Collins, a high school student, guitarist and video game programmer who, after being hit by a power surge through his guitar, briefly vanishes, only to reappear with a wrist-mounted doohickey!
8
9	At the same time, the same power surge, presumably, strikes a military base. Using it as a distraction, the AI Kilokahn (voiced by Creator/TimCurry) escapes into the internet and pops onto the monitor of Sam's classmate Malcolm Frink. Malcolm enjoys designing monsters, and Kilokahn offers to bring his monsters to life as Megavirus Monsters to attack computers. Malcolm agrees, because he's just that kind of malcontent.
10
11	Later, Sam, still having an unknown phlebotinum attached to him at the wrist, tries to call a girl he recently met, only to be interrupted when a Megavirus Monster attacks the phone company, disrupting every telephone on the planet. Dejected, he notices strange activity on his computer in the form of a model called the Servo Program. While he checks it out, yet another power surge hits, this time drawing him into {{Cyberspace}}. He takes the form of Servo, and is forced to fight the Megavirus, which he has been transported to. The rest of the band, Syd, Tanker, and Amp (later replaced by Lucky) assist using "helper programs" that take the form of "samurized attack vehicles" which can fight the Megavirus independently. They can join together into a single robot, called Zenon, or combine with Servo to form Synchro. Later, they gain another set of vehicles which can transform into Drago and combine with Servo to form Phormo.
12
13	The show was notable in that, unlike most other toku adaptations of the time but like {{international coproduction}}s in their flagship ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' before and after this series, Tsuburaya themselves had direct involvement with the production, resulting in some retained plot elements, similar characterisations and reused sound effects.
14
15	Years later, Creator/StudioTrigger produced a remake of ''Gridman'' titled ''Anime/SSSSGridman''. The title pays homage to the American series, and Gridman's Assist Weapons are named in homage to Zenon's individual samurized attack vehicle components.
16	----
17	!!''Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad'' provides examples of:
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19	* ActionFigureFileCard: The toys had them.
20	* ActorAllusion: Suberted with Matthew Lawrence. In the episode "Starkey in Syberspace", Sam disguises himself as a girl so that he can get into the girl’s club. The subversion is that this was the main motive of his onscreen-father Robin Williams in ''Film/MrsDoubtfire''.
21	* AIIsACrapshoot: Kilometric Knowledge-base Animate Human Nullity (Kilokahn). Really, what were they thinking giving him a name like that? The second episode provides his backstory: an upper-echelon secret government project researching into AI that was presumed destroyed, along with the research team, in a freak plasma accident. It's never explained whether Kilokhan was corrupted by the accident or if he caused it.
22	* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Sam's girlfriend Jennifer is head cheerleader. Malcolm also pines for her too.
23	* AllJustADream: In one episode, a Megavirus Monster in Sam Collins's alarm clock gives him a sequence of DreamWithinADream nightmares. Eventually he wakes up for real and defeats it. [[spoiler:And then he wakes up for real ''for real. Probably.'']]
24	* AsYouKnow: Quite often.
25	* BigDamnHeroes: Sam's teammates did this repeatedly whenever he was being overwhelmed by a virus and needed help. Sometimes they came in with their "helper programs", other times they simply sent him his sword and shield.
26	* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Hock had large knife-like blades on his hands, large knife-like blades in his tail and a large knife-like blade in the center of his face. Notice a pattern here?
27	* BlatantLies: One episode featured an on-the-street reporter supposedly interviewing pedestrians about their thoughts on the current crisis. Every segment was labelled "Live" even though it was clearly pre-recorded as a) The segments were edited together and b) Each interviewee was actually the same person in a PaperThinDisguise. That was the joke, though, because they couldn't find anyone on the street to interview.
28	* BoisterousBruiser: Tanker. The only things he likes more than beating up viruses are his friends and football, in that order.
29	* BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: Syd reprograms Kilokhan into a harmless children's show game character in one episode in an attempt to end his threat once and for all. It works, but Malcolm fixes him.
30	* ByThePowerOfGreyskull: Each member of of the team had (at least) one.
31	** Sam: "Let's Samuraize, guys!"
32	** Sydney: "Pump up the power!"
33	** Tanker: "Let's kick some Giga-Butt!"
34	** Lucky: "Surf's up!"
35	** A one-shot guest character: “Go team?”
36	** Amp usually has a [[CouchGag random battle cry every episode]] he "samurized". Here's a few: "Two for a Dollar!", "I'll bring the marshmellows!", "With a Cherry on Top!"
37	** What's funny is, it turns out the phrases are ''completely'' [[{{Invocation}} unnecessary]]. Miss Starkey finds herself in the digital world after ''pushing a button'' when she sees Drago (and the improvements Syd was making to it) onscreen and thinks it's part of a video game.
38	* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: One episode has Sam and Team Samurai deciding to blow off a class for band practice, sure that the teacher won’t miss them. Unfortunately, the Principal has taken over the class and gives them detention for it.
39	* ClingyMacGuffin: The device that allows Sam to become Servo is stuck to his wrist and can't be removed, which probably explains why he's the only one who ever becomes Servo, with one exception.
40	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Amp was frequently called a "space cadet", and in fact it was revealed that he regularly attends space camp. In fact, in his farewell episode, he leaves behind a postcard that reads "Greetings from the Crab Nebula."
41	* CoconutSuperpowers: While obviously the virus monsters' offensive powers used against the Syber Squad could be shown, thanks to the show only having four sets they couldn't actually do more than tell the viewer secondhand about the real world effects of their meddling like creating a force field dividing the city in half or somehow turning drinking water into acid.
42	** To wit, an episode where Malcolm turns people into data via a virus-possessed camera has him "store" the people in [=CDs=] dangling from strings in his bedroom. [[AndIMustScream The trapped students can be heard screaming from the struggling, twitching discs.]]
43	* CombatMedic: Servo was an unusual variant in that he had healing powers, but he didn't restore the other members of the Squad. Rather, he could repair the damage done by the viruses after he'd destroyed them and restore the machines they'd infected to their normal functions.
44	* CompositeCharacter: While [[Series/DenkouChoujinGridman Naoto Sho and Gridman]] were separate characters who merged together, Sam Collins and Servo are one and the same, with the exception of one episode where Tank transforms into Servo because Sam's unavailable.
45	* CostumeCopycat
46	** Tanker was forced to take Sam's place as Servo on one occasion when Sam wasn't available.
47	** On a larger scale, in the toyline, the main Servo figure was repainted numerous times to represent armored versions of Tanker, Syd and Amp (along with the requisite Servo repaints and chromed figures). These armored forms did not appear in the show.
48	* DeadpanSnarker: Malcolm Frink, who goes out of his way to insult everyone around him on a regular basis.
49	* DecompositeCharacter: Syd's and Jennifer's roles in the story are held by a same character in [[Series/DenkouChoujinGridman the Japanese series]]. Yuka Inoue dates Sam's Japanese counterpart like Jennifer dates Sam and is one of the heroes like Syd.
50	* DisguisedInDrag:
51	** "Born With a Jealous Mind": when Syd wins a date with a celebrity, Tanker tries to pose as her in order to scare the guy into cancelling the date. It almost works until Syd enters.
52	** "Starkey in Syberspace": Sam does this to try to learn what goes on in an all-girls club, but he has even worse luck, as Starkey immediately sees through the disguise. Incidentally, this example also involves dressing up like Syd.
53	* DistaffCounterpart / SpearCounterpart: Sam travels to an alternate universe in one episode, where he meets a version of Malcolm who's a nice guy and essentially that universe's version of Sam. Main-universe Malcolm's role is filled by Yolanda Pratchett, the principal's daughter and friend to Sydney and Jennifer, serving as a black female version of Malcolm in that she colludes with Kilokhan and creates the Mega-Virus Monsters.
54	* DubInducedPlotHole: In the original Japanese show, we get at least some sort of explanation of where Gridman came from. The American version doesn't really give any explanation as to where Servo or his helper programs came from.
55	* DudeWheresMyRespect: In one episode, Amp scored the highest on a national aptitude test. He's very hurt when everyone assumes that there was either a mistake in the scores or that he cheated. The Respect came at the end of the episode where a repeat of the test (due to loss of data earlier) showed his score was on par with Sydney.
56	* [[EveryoneOwnsAMac Everyone Owns A Compaq]]: Probably because [[PropRecycling they were all the same computer]] rather than ProductPlacement.
57	* EverythingIsOnline: ''Everything.'' Telephones, wristwatches, pompoms with lights in them, an alarm clock (not even a digital one!), and a ''windup cooking timer with no electronic components whatsoever'' have all been used to host Megavirus Monsters.
58	* EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: Probably the only reason to have "Samurai" in the title, as the show has ''nothing'' to do with them otherwise.
59	** It's possible the name was inspired by the vaguely samurai armor-ish designs of Synchro and Phormo.
60	* ExactWords: In one episode, Syd tries to design a "good" megavirus monster, and Kilokhan agrees to animate it, promising that ''he'' won't make any changes. So he gets Malcolm to reprogram it for him.
61	* {{Expy}}: Servo and Zenon bear a striking resemblance to Series/{{Ultraman}} and [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] respectively. This is not a coincidence, since the original Japanese series (''Gridman'') was a co-production between Tsuburaya and Takara.
62	* FantasticSlurs: Kilokhan refers to humans as "meat-things".
63	* FiveManBandConcert: The main characters belong to a teen rock band called "Team Samurai" but are [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything never seen performing]]. The one time they skip classes to practice, they get interrupted. And then they do a magic act for the school's talent show. Purportedly, TheLeader Sam is the lead guitarist, TheBigGuy Tanker is the drummer, TheDitz Amp is the bassist, and TheSmartGirl Syd is the keyboardist and vocalist.
64	* {{Frankenslation}}: ''Gridman'' + original footage.
65	* GenderScoff: After obtaining a small victory against Sam Collins in "Samurize", Malcolm subverts the usual phrase by saying "can't throw them at a nuclear reactor" instead of "can't live without 'em".
66	* GratuitousNinja: The virus Skorn had various ninja-related powers, including the ability to create illusory duplicates of himself, energy bolts shaped like shurikens, and ninja weapons like nunchuks and katanas.
67	* HandBlasts: Servo can shoot energy bolts from his left wrist gauntlet.
68	* HeelFaceTurn: Both Malcolm and Kilokhan, on separate occasions. It doesn't take either time.
69	* HeroesPreferSwords: The handle of Servo's shield contained a sword that he could use as a melee weapon. It could also be fused with the shield to create a strange sword/axe combination.
70	* HeroicSacrifice: Combined with [[spoiler:TheHeroDies and SenselessSacrifice]] and subverts all three of them at once. [[spoiler:When Servo is battling Kilokhan, it's clear that he's outmatched and tells Malcolm, who by now has gotten a HeelFaceTurn, to reboot the computer to destroy them both. Malcolm does so, with Sam being ready to sacrifice himself to destroy Kilokhan. All three tropes are turned on their heads as Sam's consciousness escapes the computer and returns to his body, and it turns out that Malcolm had already backed up Kilokhan on a floppy disk, so Servo's sacrifice would have been in vain.]] [[StatusQuoIsGod Go figure]]. And [[spoiler:everyone loses their memories of the event, which is why Malcolm notices that Kilokhan is missing and re-installs it onto his computer. gonk ]] It's like we're watching a CosmicRetcon ''in action''. "Those past twenty minutes? Ignore them, they never happened!"\
71	Apparently, they thought they were getting cancelled, so they used the ''Gridman'' finale for this blockbuster ending where Kilokhan finds where Sam lives, [[spoiler:fails to kill Malcolm in a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness moment, ''does kill Sam dead'' with an electric jolt before he can enter the net as Servo, there's a touching TakeUpMySword scene with Malcolm, and when Malcolm tries to become Servo, it turns out the Servo program has saved Sam via BrainUploading. Sam battles Kilokhan ''personally'' in the bowels of ''Servo's own program'' (with the villain destroying all of the helper programs except the already-summoned sword and shield) then takes the battle to Kilokhan's own turf, and has to use the power surge from the rebooting to wipe it and Kilokhan out for good. He appears to be destroyed too as Kilokhan - along with the area of the net that is him as much as his body - breaks up, but Servo manages to survive, and hopes that he can return to his human life, somehow, someday, with the answer unknown. "Maybe I can return to my body someday. Maybe not. But for now... ''let's samuraize, guys!''" And with that, he flies off, going through all the Servo-en-route footage we've seen so far, and the blip representing him travels along the telephone wires, and then leaves them, flying into the sky for parts unknown]]. ''Damn.'' Did we mention this was the Christmas episode? When they had to do more episodes, there was no way to do it ''but'' to tack on a "It all got undone somehow and nobody remembers" ending. And when they had to end the show, it feels like a CutShort as they'd already used up the GrandFinale. The last episode could've been any old episode.
72	* HumansAreSpecial: Servo keeps telling Kilokhan that this is the reason he always wins. For his part, Kilokhan doesn't believe that Servo is a human, because inferior "meat-things" could never defeat his superior programs.
73	* HumongousMecha: Zenon and Drago, which were formed by combining different vehicles and could also transform into armor worn by Servo.
74	** CombiningMecha
75	*** Vitor + Tractor + Borr = Zenon
76	*** Jamb + Torb = Drago
77	** MechaExpansionPack
78	*** Servo + Zenon = Synchro
79	*** Servo + Drago = Phormo[[note]]Technically Servo just combined with Torb, with Jamb being used as Phormo's weapon.[[/note]]
80	* AnIcePerson: Plexton's sister Gramm is an ice virus, although she isn't nearly as strong as her brother.
81	* ImportationExpansion: Like ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', the show shot an entirely new plot around the ''Gridman'' fight sequences.
82	* InsufferableGenius: Malcolm Frink certainly has the "insufferable" part down. As for the "genius" part, well, ''[[SmallNameBigEgo he]]'' certainly thinks he is one...
83	* IncrediblyLamePun: Most of which come from Amp, and tend to be rather well-written.
84	-->'''Amp:''' Holy Creator/MelGibson! That's enough to turn Servo into a Film/LethalWeapon!
85	* KnowWhenToFoldEm: In the episode "What Rad Universe", Sam travels to an alternate dimension where Malcolm is a nice guy who's essentially his counterpart in that universe, Jennifer is a nerdy computer genius who's essentially Sydney's counterpart and Yolanda is an angry loner who's that universe's version of Malcolm. In this universe, not only does Sam destroy Yolanda's first virus, but Jennifer also manages to destroy Kilokahn himself. Without Kilokahn, Yolanda decides to give up on being an evil genius, calm down, go into therapy and find a date for the prom.
86	* LazyBackup: In most fights Sam will go in by himself to fight the monster, get pounded, and at this point his friends, who were watching the whole time, will decide that ''now'' they should go into the computer as well to help out.
87	* LightningCanDoAnything: Or at least power surges.
88	* LovableAlphaBitch: Jennifer is really pretty and popular (and is the head cheerleader), but still a NiceGirl for the most part. A Downplayed example, as she's far more lovable than AlphaBitch.
89	* LovableJock: Tanker, who's a football player who generally is a nice guy (and crushes on the resident geek, girl Sydney), as long as Malcolm isn't around.
90	* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: One of Servo's "helper programs" is a shield that he can use to protect himself from enemy projectiles. The shield's handle also contains a sword that Servo can use to fight back.
91	* MagicalComputer: This is the only explanation for some of the things Malcolm's able to do by infecting a computer with one of his viruses, like turning water into acid by infecting a computer at the water treatment plant, or how some of the viruses are able to get into systems with nothing computerized to infect, like a wind-up alarm clock or cooking timer.
92	* ManVersusMachine
93	* MerchandiseDriven: Well, duh, but this the toyline was absolutely terrible with {{Palette Swap}}ped Servos. Just a cursory [=eBay=] search came up with a half-dozen; not only EnvironmentSpecificActionFigure variants but some labeled as "Syd" and "Tanker" figures.
94	* MisappliedPhlebotinum: Malcolm isn't all that interested in helping Kilokahn TakeOverTheWorld; he just wants to make Sam Collins miserable and steal his girlfriend. Malcolm often has to practically trick Kilokhan into going along with his small-scale plans. Of course, this doesn't necessarily prevent Kilokhan from enjoying the mayhem that results.
95	* MonsterOfTheWeek: The show manages to avert this trope on a number of occasions.
96	* MundaneUtility: Lucky once has Sam turn into Servo for a magic act.
97	* MythologyGag
98	** In the AlternateUniverse episode, Tank incredulously remarks there's probably one where they're all Japanese.
99	** The moment in the supposed GrandFinale when [[spoiler:Sam urges Malcolm to become Servo in his place]] is probably a reference to the discussed but never-produced sequel to the original Japanese show, where Malcolm's equivalent character would himself have become Gridman Sigma.
100	** And then there's the fact that Servo's abilities are continually referred to as "Grid Power".
101	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Kilokhan's counterpart in the original ''Gridman'' is called Khandigi[[TheDevil fer]]. Also, see the acronym under AIIsACrapshoot; his name practically ''screams'' "five minutes after you switch me on, I'm going to pull a Skynet."
102	* NotEvenBotheringWithAnExcuse: Sometimes, Malcolm pitches to Kilokhan the practical applications of his viruses (which [[CutLexLuthorACheck he only ever uses for his petty grudges]]), other times he doesn’t.
103	* NotQuiteDead
104	** Malcolm always has another copy of the Megavirus to bring back later, although he doesn't reuse them very often. Also averting NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup.
105	** This also applied to [[spoiler:Kilokhan]] himself in the Christmas episode. Malcolm had already [[spoiler:backed Kilokhan's data up on a floppy disk before the battle with Servo that ultimately destroyed him. When Malcolm booted up his computer and tried to reload his files, Kilokhan was revived.]]
106	* NoOntologicalInertia: Subverted in that the damage the viruses do remains after they've been destroyed, but Servo can instantly repair it with the golden beams he can radiate from his chest.
107	* OhCrap: Malcolm reacts this way when Kilokahn usese a virus to try and activate the U.S.'s nuclear arsenal.
108	* OncePerEpisode
109	** Elizabeth, Sam's little sister, calls him to the laundry chute and dumps something mesy on his head. The list includes ice cream, marshmallows, and on one rare occasion, her piggy bank.
110	** Other characters have fallen victim to this too. Elizabeth once dropped a bunch of cookies on Tanker, and she dropped a mousetrap on Malcolm. Ouch.
111	** Then there was that time Sam broke his teammates out of the virus's mind-warping powers by tricking them into letting Elizabeth drop a bowling ball on their heads.
112	* OutOfOrder: The 'Mega Virus Monsters' were heavily shuffled around for the Western version, with the ''first'' battle for Gridman being not until episode ''sixteen'' for Servo, with Servo's first opponent being Gridman's third.
113	* PaperThinDisguise: The episode "The Taunt Heard Round the World" featured a news anchor interviewing people on the street about their opinion on what was going on. Each "interviewee" though, was actually the news van driver in an absurdly thin disguise, including Groucho Glasses for one. When called out he explained it was because they couldn't find anyone to interview.
114	* PersonalitySwap: There was a monster that did this. When it used its powers on Servo, he turned evil.
115	* PeoplePuppets: One episode had the Skorn virus go into Sydney's wristwatch and begin manipulating her hand. Her hand did everything from commit petty thefts to throw a teacher's lesson plan out the window to grope Jennifer's behind. Skorn also cackled about how "the girl would be his", implying that eventually he'd have control over her whole body.
116	* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Team Samurai, despite being a band, is never shown performing any songs. And in one episode where they try to practice, they keep being interrupted. Especially egregious when their entry into a talent contest is ''a magic act''.
117	* PlayingWithFire: Recurring fire virus Plexton was one of these, spitting both fireballs and fire waves at his enemies. Kord was another example, being able to generate heat of up to 10,000 degrees Celsius on his body and concentrate that heat into fireballs.
118	* PoweredArmor: Drago and the attack vehicles could help Servo fight viruses as separate entities, or reshape themselves into body armor for him to wear.
119	* ProductPlacement:
120	** Did ''COMPAQ'' hope this show would help drum up business? Possibly not, as in one of the early episodes Sydney remarks Sam's computer was a piece of crap until becoming Servo somehow turned it into a supercomputer. And that's not even going to the point that at one point in the show, even the laptops are made by Compaq.
121	** Younger tropers might not remember, but around the time this show was being made, Compaq was as ubiquitous as Dell was/is in the [=21st=] century, and offered similar bulk discounts for corporate and public-sector clients. Chances are the producers simply phoned up someone in the IT office and asked them if they could borrow a few [=PCs=] for props, and Compaq-branded kit was all they had on hand.
122	* PunnyName: Amp Ere = Ampere, the SI unit of current.
123	* PutOnABus: Amp moves away, leaving behind a postcard that says "Greetings from the Crab Nebula."
124	* RocketPunch: Zenon can fire its hands as missiles.
125	* RuleOfFunny: The effect of the Megavirus Monsters on the real world is usually something comedic, such as turning the school principal into the [[NewAgeRetroHippie hippie he had been in the 1960s]]. Of course, sometimes it's not so funny. Turning all the water into hydrochloric acid, which ''looks just like water,'' and is corrosive enough that what it does if it gets on your skin, let alone if you ''drink'' it, is definitely kid-unfriendly. Kilokhan also once decided "screw your petty revenge plans, I'm gonna use this virus to take over the world's nuclear arsenal and start WorldWarIII."
126	* SheWhoMustNotBeSeen: Elizabeth, Sam Collins's sister. Sam talks with her through the laundry chute, and she drops objects on Sam's head. The one time she actually comes down into the basement, the power is out and we still can't see her because it's pitch black. We also never see ''or'' hear Sam's parents, though sometimes one of the team is heard talking to them on the way down.
127	* ShowWithinAShow: Whenever a TV show or movie is shown playing and it's not a plot-advancing newscast, it's always ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors''. Not that it's ever identified within the show.
128	* StalkerWithACrush: Malcolm wanted Jennifer to pose for him so he could draw her. How does he get her to do it? Uses a virus to trap her in the Digital World and freeze her in place on his computer screen. [[{{Squick}} Ick.]]
129	* StockFootage: Naturally. Besides the fight sequences, ''Gridman'' also contributed footage showing some of the virus's effects on the human world, or showing Servo or a virus entering an electrical system, as well as Gridman's ''own'' stock footage of Gridman launching into the Computer World, sans Naoto.
130	* SurferDude: Lucky London is established as this stereotype, as his catchphrase aptly demonstrates, "Surfs up!"
131	* TakeThat: In a scene where Sidney demonstrates her synthesizer's voice manipulation:
132	-->'''Amp:''' This is so freaky! I sound like an alien, or a... [[NonSequitur green can-opener]] or something!\
133	'''Tanker:''' Amp, that's your real voice.\
134	'''Amp:''' Oh sure. And wrestling is all fake.
135	* TeenGenius: Malcolm and Sydney both qualify given the former's creation of viruses and the latter's MissionControl support.
136	* UnexplainedRecovery: After having their brains fried by Kilokhan in the Christmas episode, Sid, Tanker and Amp wake up with no ill effects after the battle is over. In the same episode, Sam’s dead body returns to life at the same time.[[note]]You'd almost think the series got briefly uncancelled...[[/note]]
137	* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Sometimes the villain plots were funny, but sometimes they were ''not'' and either would have killed lots of people horribly if Servo hadn't stopped them, or ''must have killed lots of people horribly'' but a kids' show has to gloss over it (again, putting hydrochloric acid in all tap water was not a nice thing to do.) Kilokhan more than once attempted a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness and would have let Malcolm die. Malcolm himself is not the HarmlessVillain he sounds like by this point: he's as gleeful about watching the suffering caused by the "kill a whole lot of people" plans as he is about the "annoy Sam, because why not?" plans so long as he himself isn't in the line of fire, and then there's the FridgeHorror of him: a kid whose ego and paranoia makes him take anything not going his way, or even gestures of kindness, as proof everyone is out to get him, and he wants revenge on everyone around him for these either very minor or completely imagined slights? Many an actual mass-murderer, including some school shooters, are basically people like Malcolm who found guns instead of evil computer programs in need of a MonsterOfTheWeek designer.
138	* VillainExitStageLeft: Kilokahn will sometimes withdraw viruses if he thinks they're too valuable to lose, most notably Plexton and Hock. Sometimes they come back, [[TookALevelInBadass with improvements.]]
139	* VillainousRescue: In one episode where Servo was BrainwashedAndCrazy and actually began working with the virus, the rest of the Squad came in to stop him with Zenon. Zenon was winning against both Servo and the virus until Kilokahn intervened, using his powers to banish the rest of the Squad from Syberspace.
140	* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: The "sybersquad" has more mundane issues like classes and relationships in addition to whatever trouble Malcom and Kilokhan are up to.
141	* WrestlerInAllOfUs: Servo handed out the occasional German suplex and bodyslam.
142

Context Series / SuperhumanSamuraiSyberSquad