"Hare-Way to the Stars" is a 1958 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and starring Bugs Bunny and (not yet named) Marvin the Martian. It has a similar to premise to "Haredevil Hare", which was released ten years earlier.
One morning, after waking up from a bender (having mixed carrot juice with radish juice), Bugs Bunny prepares for a morning dip in the lake. Unbeknownst to him, however, a missile launchpad had been setup directly over his burrow, and in his daze, inadvertently climbs into it just before it blasts off. Upon reaching the other end, Bugs only has a moment to realize he is in space before a passing satellite carries him off, resulting in him crash-landing on a strange world consisting of Floating Platforms. There, he meets a local, Marvin, who, after 2,000 years of work, finally completed his Illidium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator (which resembles a stick of dynamite) enabling him to fulfill his dream of seeing Venus unobstructed by blowing up the Earth. In the midst of asking for a Flying Saucer to get home, Bugs realizes what intentions the creature has for his planet and swipes the Space Modulator when he isn't looking. Unfortunately, Marvin responds by dispatching a band of Instant Martians after him. Bugs eventually manages to evade the Martians, get a flying saucer, and leaves Marvin's Space Modulator to blow up in his face while taking his supply of Instant Martians. Unfortunately, upon returning to Earth, Bugs has a crash-landing that inadvertently causes an Alien Invasion.
"Hare-Way to the Stars" provides examples of:
- Accidental Astronaut: Bugs Bunny accidentally climbs out of his rabbit hole and straight into the rocket set just over it.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Bugs is somehow able to survive in space without a spacesuit.
- Bolivian Army Ending: The cartoon ends with Bugs preventing Marvin from blowing up the Earth and getting back home, but he ends up falling in the sewer with the container of Instant Martians. He then advises the audience to run for the hills before he does just that as the sprouts on the Martians' heads start bursting through the ground.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: At the end of the cartoon, after Bugs accidentally drops the jar of Instant Martians into the sewer, he turns to the camera and says "Run for the hills, folks! Or you'll be up to your armpits in Martians!"
- Contrived Coincidence: Bugs ends up on Marvin's homeworld just as he was preparing to blow up the Earth.
- Delayed "Oh, Crap!": Bugs gets two of these in a row, first when Marvin explains that the Earth will be gone in a few seconds, then again when Marvin explains that's because he's plotting to blow it up.
- Earth-Shattering Kaboom: Marvin plans to blow up the Earth because "it obstructs my view of Venus." Note that while this short is the Trope Namer, the trope itself is averted by Bugs' intervention (see Where's the Kaboom? below).
- Faux Affably Evil: Bugs asks Marvin to help him return to Earth, to which Marvin politely explains the Earth will be gone soon. When asked, he politely explains he intends to destroy the planet for obstructing his view of Venus.
- Hangover Sensitivity: Bugs is implied to be recovering from a hang-over, waking up and complaining "Gad, what a night! I'll never mix radish juice and carrot juice again!"
- His and Hers: While walking through his burrow to his hole, Bugs passes a towel rack with towels saying "His" and "Hares".
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Marvin eventually gets his Space Modulator back, only for it to immediately explode in his hands.Marvin: [woozily] Well, back to the old drawing board...
- Instant Mass: Just Add Water!: The "Instant Martians" are little pebbles that turn into full-sized Martians with a squirt of water. One comes out undersized until Marvin adds a little more water. In the ending, Bugs accidentally drops them all in the sewer; just before the cartoon ends, the street buckles as the now giant Martians are about to burst through.
- Late to the Realization: As in "Haredevil Hare", it takes Bugs a while to realize what Marvin is going to do to the Earth.
- Mirror Routine: Bugs does one with one of the Martians chasing him in order to trick it into driving its hover bike off the platform.
- Mook Maker: Marvin has a dispenser of over 10,000 Instant Martians. Bugs takes his supply as he leaves, and ends up dropping the whole jar when he falls in the sewer.
- Mundane Utility: What was Marvin's reason for wanting to blow up Earth? Just so he could see Venus unobstructed.
- Oh, Crap!: Bugs at the end when he sees he’s on a collision course with the construction sign.
- Really 700 Years Old: Marvin claims he's been working on his Space Modulator for 2,000 years, indicating he has a very long life span.
- Reused Character Design: The Instant Martians use the same bird-like design as the alien in the Porky Pig cartoon "Jumping Jupiter".
- Where's the Kaboom?: Bugs snuffs out and takes the Illidium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator before it detonates. Marvin's comment afterwards is the Trope Namer for this and Earth-Shattering Kaboom.Marvin: Where's the "kaboom?" There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering "KA-BOOM!"
