History WesternAnimation / MightyMax

* YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo: The final ep, Skullmaster threatens to kill [[spoiler: Virgil]] if Max doesn't hand over his portal making cap to him. Max obliges but S.M just blast his hostage to nothing anyway.

* NeverSayDie: Definitely averted, the first episode has Skullmaster tell Max he'll die several times and they sure weren't afraid to include it either. Most episodes begin with somebody getting killed by whatever Max fights that day.

* UltimateEvil: Surprisingly, Skullmaster is ''not'' the ultimate force of evil in the series, as he mentions having a master in one episode.

* UltimateEvil: Surprisingly, Skullmaster is ''not'' the ultimate force of evil in the series, as he mentions having a master in one episode.

* BiggerBad: Despite his evil and how dangerous he is, Skullmaster mentions having a master of his own, who is [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen never seen]].

* TheDragon: Skullmaster's revelation that he has a master makes him this. Whether or not he's actively working for his master throughout the series, or is just working to further his own goals throughout the series is never revealed.

** [[ShouldersOfDoom Two shoulder pads]], [[ScaryImpracticalArmor but only on one shoulder]]: Check.

** Two shoulder pads, but only on one shoulder: Check.

** BadassBandana: Check.

* EvilPlan: Skull Master had his TakeOverTheWorld thing and the one shot villains had their own thing.

* HereWeGoAgain: [[spoiler:The final episode has Max find himself back where it all started, with the same statue with a note and the Cap inside being delivered... except there's a P.S. telling him to get there faster this time. Everyone remembers the last loop. This one will settle things.]]

* NotSoAboveItAll: Virgil chides Max for spending time playing "childish" video games. However, when Virgil is forced to play the game after Cyberskull pulls Max and Norman into the game itself, he starts to develop a taste for it himself.

* ScreamDiscretionShot: Used frequently when the MonsterOfTheWeek kills a random person.

** Sometimes bleeds into AllMythsAreOne, as Norman was apparently Thor, Lancelot, and even Samson before the series began.

* DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch: In an episode where Max must fight a swarm of killer bugs, he uses the term "bugger" a lot.For some unexplained reason, it was shown on the BBC completely unedited. [[HilarityEnsues Needless to say...]]

** Except that most of it is explained... sort of.

* RoguesGallery: Skullmaster, Dr. Eggbert Zygote, Spike and Cyberskull all return for at least a second shot at Max and company.

* GenerationXerox: Maximus, Max's predecessor from 5000 years ago, looks a lot like the kid would if he were a buffed up adult barbarian-type.

* HereWeGoAgain: [[spoiler:The final episode has Max find himself back where it all started, with the same statue with a note inside being delivered... except there's a P.S. telling him to get there faster this time. Everyone remembers the last loop. This one will settle things.]]

* TheScrappy: Ernie the annoying nerd, given nerds a bad name everywhere.

* SufficentlyAdvancedBambooTechnology: The artifact that opens all those portals? A simple cap. The rest of Lemurian technology was probably like this as well.

* TakeAThirdOption: At the end when Skullmaster has all the essentials to take over the universe. Max, obviously no match for him, remembers the last thing Virgil told him. And rather just wait around for the world to end, grabs onto the staff holding the Crystal of Souls as Skullmaster is in mid-ceremony, just hoping ''something'' will happen. [[spoiler: Amazingly his interference rewinds time, thwarting Skullmaster's endgame. Yeah it throws Max to the beginning of the series when he got the cap, but he's optimistic as Norman and Virgil are still alive and they now have the knowledge to beat Skullmaster for good]].

* ProfessorGuineaPig: Dr. Zygote and Dr. MacTaggart both count as this.

* SomewhereAPaleontologistIsCrying: One episode had a villain using a de-evolving ray to bring back dinosaurs (see the EvolutionaryLevels example above). However, the EvilScientist used lizards to get his dinosaurs. Dinosaurs and lizards, despite some similar features, are only related very distantly. Ironically, the de-evolution beam is used on Virgil, who ''should'' become a dinosaur, but instead becomes a pterosaur. Although it is unclear how closely related dinosaurs and pterosaurs are, birds did not evolve from pterodactyls. Birds evolved from theropod (meat-eating) dinosaurs.

* HereWeGoAgain: [[spoiler:The final episode has Max find himself back where it all started, with the same note on the counter... except there's a P.S. telling him to get there faster this time. Everyone remembers the last loop. This one will settle things.]]

* TakeAThirdOption: At the end when Skullmaster has all the essentials to take over the universe. Max, obviously no match for him, remembers the last thing Virgil told him. And rather just wait around for the world to end, grabs onto the staff holding the Crystal of Souls as Skullmaster is in mid-ceremony, just hoping ''something'' will happen. [[spoiler: Amazingly his interference rewinds time, thwarting Skullmaster's endgame. Yeah it throws Max to the beginning of the series when he got the cap, but hes optimistic as Norman and Virgil are still alive and they now have the knowledge to beat Skullmaster for good]].

'''Max:''' ''"You know, I knew you were going to say that. Come on man. What about the air force, or the U.N.? ArnoldSchwarzenegger? I mean we don't want to hog all the glory for ourselves..."''

Mighty Max is an animated series by the Film Roman animation studio. It run from September, 1993 to December, 1994. A total of 40 episodes in two seasons.

On top of everything else, the show technically qualified as ''educational'' without being patronizing or boring, thanks to making it distinct and separate from the main show by ending [[TheTag the program]] using AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle tags. The show typically worked a given topic into the episode's plot, such as by showing a monster powered by quartz crystals and then explaining quartz's scientific properties afterward.

* AnAxeToGrind: Norman eventually gains the confidence to beat Spike when Max and Virgil retrieve his father's battleaxe.

* DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch: In an episode where Max must fight a swarm of killer bugs, he uses the term "bugger" a lot.For some unexplained reason, it was shown on the BBC completely unedited. [[{{HilarityEnsues}} Needless to say...]]

* TheDragAlong: Max had his moments.
* DropTheHammer: When he was known as Thor, Norman wielded the mighty warhammer Mjolnir. He uses it again when he fights the Doom Dragon alongside Max and Virgil.

* EvilPlan: Skull Master had his TakeOverTheWorld thing and the one shot villains had their own thing.

** Except when he's voicing Lava Lord. So long as you know he did the voice of [[TransformersGeneration1 Megatron]], you'll know it's him because it's the same ever-so-creepy rasping voice.

* HowDoIShotWeb: Dr. Eggbert Zygote uses his evolutionary ray on himself to evolve himself into a higher form of human, but he has absolutely no idea how to ''use'' his advanced intellect and powers. Later subverted in his second episode, where he's learned how to use his new abilities.

* IHaveManyNames: Norman is the name he was born with, and that he uses today. However, he's also been known as Thor, Little John, Samson and Sir Lancelot.

* KidWithTheLeash: Max occasionally has to remind Norman that beating up policemen and soldiers is a bad idea.

* NotSoAboveItAll: Virgil chides Max for spending time playing "childish" video games. However, when Virgil is forced to play the game after Cyberskull pulls Max and Norman into the game itself, he starts to develop a taste for it himself.

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Episode seven had a group of parasites controlled by a central brain. When they latched onto people, they became zombies. Removing the parasite turned people back. Skullmaster's own zombies are eventually freed once Max destroys the Crystal of Souls that kept them bound to obey Skullmaster.
* PapaWolf: Norman isn't Max's father, but threatening Max when he's around is a very bad idea.
* ParentalSubstitute: Virgil is something of a father figure to Max in lieu of Max's DisappearedDad. Norman functions more as a cool badass uncle.
* ProfessorGuineaPig: Dr. Zygote and Dr. MacTaggart both count as this.

* ResignedToTheCall: There are clearly times when Max would rather just be skateboarding or playing video games like any ordinary kid, but he's always there for the world every time it needs him.
* RoguesGallery: Skullmaster, Dr. Eggbert Zygote, Spike and Cyberskull all return for at least a second shot at Max and company.

* SociopathicHero: Norman loves to fight, and occasionally gives a PsychoticSmirk whenever he gets into a really nasty fight. More than that, though, he's also devotedly loyal to Max and the cause of good.

* VillainWorld: Skullmaster's plan in the finale would have created this by rewriting time.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Conqueror, after being defeated by Norman, has been set free of his neverending cycle of fighting, and wishes to join humanity (humans flee from him out of fear, though, which rather irritates him). He's never seen, heard of or mentioned again after that. Apparently, eight foot tall humanoid talking lions just wandering about is no cause for attention.
* WhatHaveIBecome: Being turned into a human spider-thing drives Dr. Stanley Kirby completely insane. Although he was originally an innocent victim, he becomes determined to convert every other person on Earth into a human spider like him. What's especially chilling about this episode is that he actually becomes more and more spider-like over the course of the episode, finally becoming a sentient giant spider right before he's consumed by the flames.

* WorfEffect: Norman is the show's {{badass}} which means that a lot of {{monsters of the week}} go through him to show how dangerous they are.

* WholePlotReference: The episode "Out In The Cold" to ''Film/TheThing''/"Literature/WhoGoesThere" by JohnWCampbell - except here, there are multiple shapeshifting aliens.

* CompleteMonster: Skullmaster for one, but [[spoiler: Dr. Mac Taggart deserves a dishonorable mention. First she shackles the immortal werewolves and drains their blood so she can use it to become a hideous wolf-monster, and then she starts using her new wolf form to butcher ''and eat'' innocent people.]]