Ron and Kim are assigned to write a paper on their personal heroes. Forbidden from writing about Kim herself, Ron scrambles to find a new hero, which culminates in their returning to Hego. However, one of Hego's Rogues Gallery, the Mathter, turns Ron into anti-matter. Anything he touches will explode.
Meanwhile, Ron's dad is trying to earn a position in Ron's paper.
This episode includes the following tropes:
- Added Alliterative Appeal: Hego compliments Wade on an alliterative sentence.
- Artistic License – Physics: In reality, if Ron were turned to anti-matter, it'd be a very short episode after that. He'd destroy anything he touches, including the ground.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: During the ending credits, Barkin is reading over Ron's report about his dad. His tone of voice leads you to believe that he's not buying that anything on it is real, especially the part about the man being able to fire blasts of concentrated math out of his skull. However, after the screen goes black, Barkin tells Ron excitedly that his dad is awesome, and the boy is getting an A+.
- Bubble Boy: After being turned into anti-matter, Ron has to remain in a containment bubble until he can be returned to normal.
- Calculus Is Arcane Knowledge: Despite being a mathematics-themed villain, the Mathter seems to have no real knowledge of math above basic algebra. He's understandably beaten by Ron's dad, who's an actuary and thus actually has knowledge of math at calculus level and beyond.Mathter: How... how could you.... calculate my every move?
Mr. Stoppable: It was easy: I did the math.
Mathter: Brackets!! - Call-Back: In a private moment in Go Tower, Hego becomes the latest person in the franchise to sing an Oh Boyz song.
- Comically Missing the Point: Ron can't take Kim's very obvious hints that he should write about his dad.
- Consulting Mister Puppet: While bummed about being left behind while the rest of Team Go goes on a cruise, Hego pretends that a couple of finger puppets are his brothers consoling him.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The Mathter erases all of Ron's records from the global database and later turns him into an anti-matter boy all just because he uses a variable (saying his tape recorder cost twenty bucks).
- Elmer Fudd Syndrome: The mayor of GO City has a speech impediment. It gets subverted when Kim thinks he said "Master" instead of "Mathter".
- Goofy Print Underwear: Kim points out that Hego's underwear has seahorses on it when he shows up to a fight without pants.
- Hurricane of Puns: If you have a low tolerance for puns, this is a doozy. A bucket load of math puns was used for the Mathter. Examples include: Hego yelling "Fore!" right before the Mathter throws the number four at Kim, the Mathter's minions being called Coefficients, and this:Mathter: Oh why don't you just relax and have some Pi! [throws Pi-shaped weapon at Kim]
Ron: Kim!
Mathter: Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Now it's your turn to feel the full wrath of my math.
Ron: Okay, um, sure could use, I don't know, a hero right about now.
Mathter: Now prepare to be subtracted entirely because-
Ron: Because what? My number's up?
Mathter: Oh. Yes.- Lampshaded later in that episode:
Kim: Agghh! Okay, one more lame-o math reference, and I am going to LOSE IT! - I'm Not a Hero, I'm...: When the Mathter asks "what kind of hero" Ron's dad is, Mr. Stoppable responds, "I'm no hero, I'm actuary of the year."
- Internal Deconstruction: Ron's parents are often shown not to have the best relationship with their son, do not involve him with any important decisions and are the source of at least one of his major phobias. Even if he wasn't surrounded by famous geniuses and literal heroes, Kim included, on a daily basis, Ron has little reason to (initially) consider someone who involves himself so little in his life as his hero.
- Lame Pun Reaction: Hego tries to whitewash the problem with Ron being an anti-matter boy by saying that 'hanging with Ron will be a blast?'. Kim is understandably unimpressed.
- Lampshade Hanging: Kim points out how convenient it is that they are dealing with a math-crazed villain that Ron's dad is perfectly suited to face off against because of his expertise in crunching numbers.
- Loophole Abuse: When Mathter Un-persons Ron's school record, effectively expelling him, Ron is initially ecstatic, thinking he doesn't have to do his paper. However, Barkin states otherwise, on the grounds that Ron was still a student when the assignment was given.
- Mundane Made Awesome: Ron’s dad using his actuary skills to stop the Mathter, represented by him standing there, looking menacing.
- Newhart Phone Call: Bonnie has one with an unknown caller, but the fact that she uses the phrase "he goes" several times in a row gives Ron the idea to use Hego for his paper.
- Noodle Incident:
- After the "Paper-Machete" incident, Mrs. Stoppable swore off school projects.
Kim: Don't you mean paper maché?
Ron: I wish I did, Kim. I wish I did.- Apparently, Ron once parachuted into the UN building without his pants. Fortunately, he passed it off by saying, "I'm all about comfort". Apparently, the Security Council approved and updated their dress code.
- Parental Neglect: The Stoppables' lack of involvement in Ron's life is highlighted when he doesn't take them, particularly his father, as the subject for his paper on his greatest hero. Mr. Stoppable tries doing volunteer work to get Ron to reconsider.
- Pungeon Master: The Mathter is forever using math jokes like "subtracted [killed]" or "your number is up."
- Stuff Blowing Up: Whenever Ron touches anything after he's turned into anti-matter, it explodes.
- Tempting Fate:
- Lampshaded by Kim and Ron:Ron: Could...
Kim: "...this day get any worse?" It will if you say that! - Seconds after Hego comments that "our next step could be our last", symbol-weapons begin flying. Kim responds, "You so asked for this." Furthermore, Hego trips that trap by... stepping on a pressure plate.
- Lampshaded by Kim and Ron:
- This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: Ron's father, an actuary, spends an entire episode trying to be a hero to his son. Luckily, his number-crunching skills turned out very useful when they faced the Mathter.Kim: Did you know your dad had it in him?
Ron: No, but who knew we’d be facing a math-crazed villain?
Kim: Yep. So convenient. - Un-person: The first part of Mathter's revenge plot against Ron involves erasing him from all electronic records world-wide, resulting in him being effectively expelled and fired. Fortunately, Wade is able to undo this in a few keystrokes.
- "Well Done, Dad!" Guy: Mr. Stoppable continues trying different things so that his son will acknowledge him as his hero.
