A 3-part side-story concerning 'The Amazing World of Gumball'.
Thanks to the money provided by Meta-Ridley during the Golus Incident, Gumball and his brother, Darwin, can finally attend the science fair to help fund the school's admission into a Tech Expo. However, the thing they choose to display is a highly dangerous material known as 'Bio-Electricity'. Joined by Carrie and her boyfriend, Alex Voorhes, it seems to be going without a hitch. However, in a fit of jealous anger, Darwin causes things to go horribly wrong and Alex is seemingly killed by the Bio-Electricity. While Darwin is punished by being sentenced to repairs, Alex starts to reform.
He then realizes everyone (mostly, actually) has forgotten him and Darwin got off easily, the electrical being is furious. The expo soon happens, but Alex attacks the duo and chases them to said expo. Unleashing his wrath, Alex becomes the reptilian Ethereal-Shock. He starts causing havoc until Nicole gains the Varia Suit (an original version, at that). She soon defeats him soundly.
However, Mother Brain (the boss of Meta-Ridley and the one who orchestrated the whole mess) is not pleased and she resorts to blowing up the entire town. Gumball, unwittingly, is sent to her location and, armed with only a peashooter, he fights the fiend. Even when she shows her true form (the final boss from Super Metroid), he manages to defeat her. Even if it did involve them falling to Earth. The day is saved and everything is back to normal...normal as it is.
However, Mother Brain swears vengeance from her cell...
- All There in the Manual: There's an entire recap that was posted before this came out that rewrites the canon of TAWOG. It helps.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Gumball Watterson.
- Brutal Honesty: Carrie, true to her character, gives this out to Darwin once his reason for his little stunt is revealed. This makes it harsher than usual.
- Call-Back: Aside from various references to previous episodes, the Golus Incident is brought up again.
- Chase Scene: After Alex reveals himself after the accident, Gumball and Darwin find themselves running for their lives.
- Drives Like Crazy: They end up getting in Principle Brown's car and you can guess how well that goes. The steering wheel even breaks off.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: The judges, who actually advocated the horrible accident because it was more exiting.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Ethereal-Shock manages to beat V, Tina, Bobert, Penny, Ian, Firefly, and even Meta-Ridley into submission before getting on the receiving end of the line by Nicole.
- Dangerous Workplace: The Space Pirate Headquarters are made out to be like this.
- Driven by Envy: Darwin, who was pining for Carrie, is none too pleased when Alex gets the girl. This kick-starts the plot.
- Mother Brain as well is driven by this. Only her feelings are for the much younger Meta-Ridley.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Everything turns out well in the end, even after being faced with oblivion.
- Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: Water and Alex don't go well together.
- The End of the World as We Know It: Once Mother Brain reveals she'll destroy all of Elmore, everybody reacts this way.
- Energy Weapon: Mother Brain's area is loaded with these.
- Everybody Owns a Ford: Brown's car is quite generic to say the least. Needless to say, it gets wrecked.
- Evil Overlooker: Mother Brain on the last cover.
- Fantastic Nuke: Happens when Mother Brain and Gumball fall down.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: Played with in terms of Alex.
- Go Mad from the Isolation: Aside from Alex, Nicole claims the fun of being trapped in a bomb shelter is counting the days until you break from it all.
- Gone Horribly Wrong: Thanks to Darwin, Alex is loaded with volts of Bio-Electricity, seemingly killing him. And that's just the beginning!
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Nicole gets 3 claw marks over her eye thanks to Ethereal-Shock.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Serves to defy this trope as well.
- Hearing Voices: Aside from Meta-Ridley's usual shtick, he claims he can hear the voices of the dead in bomb shelters.
- High-Altitude Battle: Eventually, Mother Brain and Gumball are falling down to Earth, where they continue to fight.
- Hijacked by Mother Brain: Once her plan is revealed, Mother Brain becomes the main antagonist.
- I Like Those Odds: Gumball proclaims this after hearing about the possibilities of Bio-Electricity. When being chased, he remarks that he regrets thinking that.
- Taking You with Me: He reinstates that trope while doing this trope as he falls down to Earth with Mother Brain.
- I Shall Return: Mother Brain says this while locked up.
- Indy Ploy: Mother Brain's entire plan is built around luck. Anais even points this out.
- Jet Pack: Gumball is accidentally outfitted with this, sending him to Mother Brain's base.
- Last-Minute Project: Kind of. Gumball and Darwin, a day before, just don't know what to display. Thankfully, they get their answer.
- LEGO Genetics: Hoo boy. Bio-Electricity gives you the ability to turn into a permanent form of the first thing you think about! That being a snake-monster. Also, Nicole is loaded with Phazon and Kakavantharian DNA when given the Varia suit, changing her appearance temporarily.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: The Bio-Electricity might as well codify this trope.
- Love Makes You Evil: Darwin tosses morality out the window when Alex and Carrie's relationship hits him like a train.
- Mother Brain was already evil before this, but...well...
- Love Hurts: Way to go, DARWIN. Was it worth it?
- Mama Bear: Nicole, especially after she gets the Varia Suit.
- Mix-and-Match Weapon: Not only is Nicole now outfitted with the Varia Suit, but she also gained scythes that double as blasters. See below for the possible reason.
- The Mourning After: Carrie is significantly more down than she already is after Alex dies. Those who have a bit more common sense/care a bit more also do this.
- Ms. Fanservice: Averted. Nicole, even after her much more alluring transformation, still is a bit flat-chested.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Darwin and Alex have this reaction after they cause their sorts of havoc. The whole town seems to do this when reminded of how they treated Alex.
- Mythology Gag: Count how many there are related to Metroid. Please.
- No OSHA Compliance: Aside from the Bio-Electricity accidents, the Space Pirates also have a propulsion system that also serves to send Gumball and Mother Brain hurtling to Earth.
- Noodle Incident: The last time Nicole stepped on a nail, the Wattersons had to find a new roof.
- Also, Banana Joe's peeling incident.
- Not the Fall That Kills You…: While she doesn't die, Mother Brain is finished off by an electrical blast from Ethereal-Shock, right after she just fell to Earth while getting blasted to Hell.
- Oh, Crap!: A notable one is when Meta-Ridley realizes he just sent his son to Mother Brain's base.
- The Parent-Produced Project: A very disastrous example. Meta-Ridley provides highly dangerous Bio-Electricity with all safety precautions...except that Mother Brain sabotaged the containment suits.
- Police Are Useless: The Doughnut Sheriff, as always.
- The Power of Love: Surprisingly, Alex's love and memories of being with Carrie are what puts him back together moments after the accident.
- Rage Breaking Point: The fanfic for Darwin, Alex, and Mother Brain.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Alex is more than a bit furious at the town for trying to forget him.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Rocky does this when Alex starts to show himself.
- Science Fair: There's one Elmore has to fund attendance for the upcoming Technology Expo.
- Self-Destruct Button: Sussie, of all people, has this to blow up the school once things go haywire.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Doubles as this.
- Shout-Out: A notable one is when Gumball is sent into space, a rainbow banner flowing behind him. And an orchestral version of the Nyan Cat theme plays. C'mon! The joke's right there!
- Sick and Wrong: Mother Brain's love for Meta-Ridley.
- Skewed Priorities: By the time the explosion clears out, V asks if he still got first prize.
- Song Fic: While some of Alex's scenes have some lyrics, Nicole's battle with Ethereal-Shock warrants the song 'Philistine' from No More Heroes 2 to play. Heck, the battle is a bit of a Shout-Out.
- Take Me Instead: Darwin decides to atone for his sins by throwing himself at Ethereal-Shock.
- Take That!: During the accident, one volt causes some text to randomly jot out "EBOLA! RED ALERT!". This could be taking a jab at the panic that was had at one point in 2015.
- Tap on the Head: Ian, on V's orders, does this with a rock against one of the judges. This is to confuse him into giving them first prize.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Happens at a few points, but the most notable is on the last cover. Well put, Gumball.
- Transformation Sequence: Alex and Nicole have these. Only Alex's form is more permanent.
- Transformation Trinket: The Varia Suit causes a stark change in Nicole, making her a bit more Cat-like...and far more insanely violent.
- Un-person: A driving point in the story. Alex is considered this EVEN AFTER HIS DEATH. The rest is history after that.
- Villainous Breakdown: Mother Brain is a bit more unhinged later on.
- Wave-Motion Gun: The final attack that brings Ethereal-Shock down to Earth...literally.
- Weapons Kitchen Sink: On the cover for the last part.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: It's revealed that Nicole has a very bad fear of snakes due to her uncle dying as a result of a piñata prank gone horribly wrong. It's so bad that she's willing to have her family hide in a bomb shelter until the infestation of garden snakes runs thin.
- Face Your Fears: This leads to a satisfying battle with Ethereal-Shock.
- Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: Gumball and Darwin experience this when they learn Banana Joe can't help them.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Aside from Ethereal-Shock, Nicole, upon getting the power suit, not only has her appearance change, but she's far more giddy and quick to violence. Not to say she doesn't retain her humanity.
- Mother Brain is also noticeably more unhinged in her next form.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Meta-Ridley gives this one to Nicole to inspire her to conquer her fear.
- You Are Fat: Along the way, Darwin kept calling Alex 'round in some areas' just to make him feel bad.
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Alex has calmed down! Hooray! Wait, what about Mother Brain?
