Jack in Space
Episode numeral: V
Original air date: 8/27/01
While having a quiet drink at a pool with a deer, Jack suddenly hears a powerful roaring sound! Investigation suggests it seems to be a rocket ship, populated by a crew of human scientists. The scientists explain that many of them were forced into creating the first Beetle Drones before they all fled Aku's regime out of guilt—now they want to escape to another planet and start a new home.
The problem? Aku's established a perimeter around the Earth populated by swarms of lethal drones. In fact, even building the ship is illegal—a fact proven when mantis-like robots emerge from the wood and declare the scientists are to be exterminated. Luckily, Jack makes short work of them, and agrees to help the scientists make it through to space by fighting off the drones as they go.
The scientists are grateful, and hail Jack as a hero. In fact, some of them even have an idea about how to get Jack back to his own home. But when the rocket goes up and the drones attack, things just might get harder than they thought...
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Physics: The Faster-Than-Light Travel plan may sound plausible to a layman: the ship itself travels at just below light speed, so it would seem sensible that launching the pod would be enough to go faster than light. Unfortunately, the closer you get to light speed, the weirder physics gets, and the speed of light itself is non-relativistic. Suffice to say, launching Jack's pod would have only gotten him slightly closer to light speed, not exceeding or even matching it.
- Artistic License – Space: Jack uses the flame from his jetpack to set his sword on fire, which is impossible in a place that has no oxygen.
- Bittersweet Ending: Jack fends off the drones long enough for the scientists escape, but misses his chance to be sent back in time as a result.
- Casting Gag: Tom Kenny plays an young, friendly optimist with yellow as a part of his character design. Sound familar?
- Combining Mecha: The wasp drones can merge into a gun capable of destroying a spaceship in one shot.
- Faster-Than-Light Travel: The plan to get Jack home: by firing him out of an escape pod from a ship already going at light-speed.
- Flaming Sword: Jack heats his sword with his jetpack's flame to fight the drones.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Jack ultimately chooses to save the scientists by going back to destroy the wasp drones, thus sacrificing the plan that would have returned him home.
- If My Calculations Are Correct: One scientist has telling the others the odds as his Catchphrase.
- Jet Pack: Jack gets one as part of his spacesuit: after learning how to fly it, he puts it to good use.
- Mecha-Mooks: There are tons this episode, all based on Big Creepy-Crawlies: there are wasp drones, mosquito drones, woodlouse drones and mantises.
- The Smurfette Principle: Out of the main group of scientists Jack helps, only one of them is female; her helmet is pink.note
- Training Montage: Jack gets put through astronaut training to prepare him for his battle in space.
