Airdate: October 5, 2008
Written by: Christy Karacas, Stephen Warbrick, Aaron Augenblick, Chris Burns, M. Wartella
Revisions by: John Lee, Jon Glaser
By chance, the Warden winds up discovering the ruins of an ancient city called Pummelonia. He then sets up "Fight City" in order to combat boredom in the inmate population.
At the same time, the Twins also wind up wanting to get in on the action by cloning themselves a fighting warrior for the tournament...
"Combaticus" contains examples of:
- Alien Blood: The Twins are shown to have luminescent green blood. However, in a possible
Blooper later on, their mouths leak red blood after they're crushed by the falling debris. - Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Combaticus lives on in the form of a constellation, as "the new god of war".
- Barbie Doll Anatomy: Combaticus lacks any sort of genitalia or detail to his body other than muscles. It's unclear if this was the intent from the start or if his design was revised slightly, as Karacas' own depiction (seen on the season 1 poster and DVD) shows him to have nipples.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The scorpion that frightens Warden and sends Jailbot on a chase turns out to be Gore, the war god of Pummelonia. As Jailbot was ordered to kill the scorpion, he disposes of Gore with a single gunshot.
- Downer Ending: In a way. Combaticus saved the Twins, but had to die in the process. And he and Specimen 7 never got to finish their ultimate fight.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The Twins having a doorway to their computer room. Although, this was probably included for the ease of having Jailbot escape rather than having him crash through yet another wall.
- Foreshadowing: The opening begins with Jacknife robbing the dead. The main plot is kickstarted by the staff uncovering the ruins of a lost empire.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: Combined with some funny background events. As Jailbot chases the scorpion, he passes by a bunch of homeless people living in a cave society, a subway car, and a group of blue natives dancing around a fire. Later on in the episode, he chases the scorpion through an outer space dimension, and one that's a mashup of The Smurfs and Gulliver's Travels.
- Combaticus' cremains briefly form into a dust cloud in the shape of his head and shoulders, before becoming a more standard cloud shape. The Twins' tandem bike from the pilot can also be seen parked in the grass by the water.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The act of the fat cellmate's decapitation isn't shown in detail, just as a bunch of blood spraying on the (stock footage) audience with audio of a chainsaw noise. His head is shown afterwards, though.
- Healing Factor: Specimen 7 can regenerate any of its lost limbs.
- I Love the Dead: Jacknife attempts to have sex with the corpse of a woman, but it (thankfully) turns out to be Jailbot in disguise.
- Mayincatec: Pummelonia and its god Gore definitely have this in their inspiration, right down to Gore's design and him being trapped in an animal form.
- Mind Rape: The Doctor's captive has his eyes and mouth forcibly pried open, fluid forced through his nose, and is tormented by the many sounds and images he's forced to endure.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: Specimen 7 is a very eerie creature comprised of DNA and attributes from the Warden, Alice, Jared, the Warden's flying creature, Jailbot, and even Jacknife.
- Spell My Name With An S: The season 1 DVD spells out the ancient city's name as "Pamelonia", while Adult Swim's website refers to it as "Pummelonia" (reinforcing its punny name).
- Stock Footage: The same footage of cheering inmates gets looped a few times during the Fight City Battles.
- They Killed Kenny Again: Fatty winds up decapitated by a chainsaw during a fight. Although as he dies, the above stock footage plays, pretty much showing him cheering on his own death.
- Those Two Guys: Two random bored inmates in the jail that even seem unimpressed by the announcement of Fight City. They happen to both be voiced by Richard Mather as well, setting up the Twins' appearance.
- The Voiceless: Combaticus never speaks or makes any noise during the fight. Subverted in a way towards the end, when his constellation utters the final line of the episode. He can also be heard grunting when he saves the Twins.
