Series / Flander's Company

Let's see: a psychopath, a Mad Scientist, a Dark Action Girl... and a therapist.

Nous servons le mal, et nous le servons bien. ^note We serve evil, and serve it good.

Flander's Company is a French amateur series, airing on the Nolife broadcast and edited for DVD in 2009 by Kaze (recently acquired by Viz Media).

The title company aims at providing heroes worthy foes, and as such recruits, trains and supports Supervillains. The series follows its employees in their daily routine.

The main characters are:

• Hippolyte Kurtzmann, the human resources manager, who spends most of his time receiving wannabe supervillains in his office. Sadistic and short-tempered. Was known as "Sadoman" when he was an active Villain.
• Caleb, the resident Brilliant, but Lazy Gadgeteer Genius who's supposed to run the research department, but spends most of his office hours next to the coffee machine. Was known as "Pr. Kaos" whan he was an active Villain.
• Mr. Armand Trueman, the Affably Evil CEO, who inherited the company from his father. Hates slackers, and thus Caleb.
• Cindy, Mr. Trueman's niece, a 16-year-old barbarian with an axe. Known as "Freya" when she is an active Villain.
• Dr. Parker, a friendly psychiatrist who runs the psychological assistance department, helping Supervillains with their issues. Well, when he isn't in Damien mode. Then, he's a psychopatic killer with insane powers that just wants to make Your Head Asplode.
• Carla Burnelle, co-CEO of C.C Corporation, who masters electric powers.

The first season is centered around Hippolyte and his job, and features a lot of Application of the Week episodes, but starting with the second, it becomes a lot less repetitive, with genuine story arcs, and other regulars are featured more prominently, even if Hippolyte is still the main character.

Budget is non-existent (at least in the beginning), so there is no set and almost everything is shot during weekends in the offices of French Animation magazine Animeland, hence the anime DVDs and posters in the background. The show's creator and co-writer, Ruddy Pomarede, also directs, acts (as Caleb), edits and does the visual effects. All this on his free time, which explains the slow production (twenty short episodes a year).

The overall style is very cartoonish, so the fact that everybody overacts does not ruin the show, but contributes to the general mood.

Unlike Flanderization and Stupid Sexy Flanders, has nothing to do with Ned Flanders.

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Flander's Company provides examples of:

• Addiction-Powered: Caleb got himself some short-range teleportation capabilities after drinking an average of 8-liters of coffee a day. Eventually he drinks enough to teleport a whole building.
• Amplifier Artifact:
  • Caleb's power depending on caffeine consumption, Gringo prepares him an extremely strong blend of Klatchian Coffee when a Mass Teleportation is needed.
  • In the final battle of season 3, Déborah and Kevin brings a big battery to boost Carla's Shock and Awe powers against Pyro. Although the plug doesn't go in a comfortable place....
• Anthropomorphic Personification: In the Easter special episode, the Spirit of Easter shows up. To get shot by Nadège and eaten by the cast.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:
  • Trueman is implied to be responsible for Magneto's return, the Morlocks Massacre and Temptation Island.
  • Three things are a big no-no in the FC universe: messing with the timeline, manufacturing Kryptonite and producing albums from North Canadian divas.
  • This gem from Georges in season 4:
    George: We survived Chantal Connasse, those raving mad loons of Aegis, Caleb's experiments, Cindy's puberty crisis!...
• Ascended Extra: The series is known to use this trope a lot:
  • Carla Burnelle was initially introduced as one of Hippolyte's several candidates and a parody of (former) French president's wife Carla Bruni. She was later ascended to the protagonists Arch-Enemy and later again became a protagonist herself.
  • Similarly, Kevin was first seen as a supervillain candidate, then ascended to a member of the C.C Corp. He is one of the only three survivors of the C.C by now.
  • Igor initially appeared with Countess Von Bathory as a cameo character. He later comes back and becomes Caleb's personal assistant. Even more in season 4, where he serves as the main scientist due to Caleb missing.
  • Though not specifically ascended as character, several actors appeared first as candidates to Hippolyte to later return playing major characters.
• Aside Comment:
  • In the season 2 finale, Hippolyte's Bond One-Liner after he kills Kevin is addressing the latter. However, he then gets back to add "Just kiddin'..." straight at the camera.
  • In season 4 episode 4, Caleb looks straight at the camera and says "I can't miss this!" (about Hippolyte tearing a new one to the marketing guys).
• Ass Shove:
  • Sadoman's final move involves ripping his enemies' heart by the anus. This is how he defeats Kevin.
  • In the season 3 finale, Déborah and Kevin bring a big battery to supercharge Carla's power. Guess where the plug goes....
  • In season 4, when a candidate superhero has for sole power the ability to generate flowers, Hippolyte asks for some roses with thorns and demonstrates a possible offensive use....
• Astronomic Zoom: The intro sequence.
• Atomic F-Bomb:
  • Caleb after teleporting to Egypt at the end of "Unlimited".
  • Caleb again in "Angy Junkie", yelling "BITCH!" at Carla.
• Attack Backfire: It happens a lot against Sadoman. Any attack that hurts him but fails to kill or incapacitate him will just supercharge his pain-based powers and result in a fierce, and often lethal counterattack.
• Attack of the Killer Whatever: In the second half of season 4; more precisely, attack of the Killer Sadako-Expy Stringy-Haired Zombie Girls with psycho-ultrasonic powers and born from mutated singers.
• Audible Sharpness: Cindy's axe, a lot.
• Babies Ever After: Carla in the season 4 finale. Armand doesn't seem to take it well... The baby is born during season 5, but Carla promptly send him to be reared in a "hippy community somewhere in Tibet" rather than take care herself.
• Badass Family: The Truemans.
• Badass Normal: Armand Trueman possesses no power of his own, but he makes up with his intelligence, charisma and crazyness. Too bad it clearly doesn't satisfy him.
• Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: An unusual example since the bad guys are the protagonists, but in season 4, it is doubtful Alternates Armand and Cindy would have applied as final a solution to Alternate George's problem than Hippolyte and Caleb did.
• Beam-O-War:
  • Pyro vs. Sadoman & Damien in season 3.
  • Carla vs. Alternate Caleb in season 4.
  • Carla vs. Alternate Hippolyte in the season 4 finale.
• Bear Hug: Gladys to Caleb. Ouch.
• Berserk Button:
  • Do. Not. Mess. With. Caleb's coffee. Do not. Really. Bad idea. Very bad idea. Cataclysmic idea.
  • Also count for Hippolyte:
    Hippolyte: It took me months to find a decent roaster in this universe!
  • Do not make Cindy wear girly clothes. Just... don't. Or blood will flow.
  • For Recycle-Man, it's littering. He tackles Gladys of all people for dropping a brioche wrapping.
• Beware the Nice Ones:
  • Don't mess with Parker when he's in Damien mode.
  • Georges is an incredibly nice fellow... Just don't mess with him too much, or he will send his younger daughter after you.
• Big Bad:
  • Carla in season 2.
  • Aegis in season 3.
  • Damien and Alternate Georges Trueman in season 4.
• Big Entrance: Carla's return to Flander's in season four's "Forgiven, not Forgotten". Blasting off the doors is just the start.
  Armand: Bravo, Carla. Nice comeback. Truly. There was tension, light and sound effects, a rather good sense of timing... no, really, it was nearly perfect. A true model of the genre.
• Big "WHAT?!": Armand at the end of season 4 episode "Born Villain", after Cindy and Alternate Hippolyte side with Damien.
• Black Comedy: Plenty, along with regular comedy.
• Blasphemous Boast: Alternate Georges in the season 4 finale:
  Alternate Georges: Fortunately, unlike God, I haven't imbued my creations with free will.
• Blasting It Out of Their Hands: Alternate Cindy does it to a bunch of bank-robbers with a bullet guided by telekinesis.
• Blood Is the New Black: When Hippolyte is finally allowed to unleash his Sadoman powers in the alternate universe, he rips out Zombieber in two. He then prances around proudly covered in blood, grossing out Alternates Cindy and Armand.
• Bloody Hilarious: Whenever blood is shown, you can be sure it is going to be completely over-the-top.
• Bloody Murder: Emo-Man's superpower is to give himself a paper cut that will result in a devastating high-pressure stream of blood.
• Bond One-Liner:
  • Hippolyte as Sadoman after killing Kevin.
    Hippolyte: If you manage to come back after this, kiddo... I promise I'll hire you. [beat] Just kiddin'...
  • Armand Trueman makes one in the season 4 finale a second before the Super Serum stops acting.
    Armand: Damien, you're fired.
• Born Lucky: Gontran Fortuna, the supervillain wannabe in episode "Fortuna", has supernatural levels of luck as a superpower.
• Boss's Unfavorite Employee: Although he's somewhat jealous of his supervillain employees' superpowers, Armand Trueman generally treats them fairly as long they don't slack on the job. As a result, he's particularly hostile toward Caleb, the resident Mad Scientist, because he's Brilliant, but Lazy and would spend most of his time next to the coffee machine. Armand thus yells at and belittles Caleb at every opportunity, and once goes in shock when he realizes Caleb has actually been working.
• Brief Accent Imitation: In season 4, Carla once "quotes" Igor by imitating his Fang Thpeak and speech pattern.
• Bullet Time: In "Motus", with thrown tops.
• Butt-Monkey:
  • Gilbert the accountant.
  • Maxence in seasons 2 and 3.
  • Kevin in seasons 3 and 4.
• Calling Your Attacks: Averted most of the time, with some notable exceptions in the season 3 finale by Hippolyte, Caleb and Hitomi. Some more in season 4, mostly from Hippolyte and Cindy.
• Card-Carrying Villain: The whole organization.
• Camera Abuse: Blood splashing on the camera while Hippolyte "interviews" a candidate.
• Cat Up a Tree: In season 4 episode 11, this is Hippolyte's first outdoor mission in the alternate universe. He's not happy about it, especially since the "whirlwind of teeth and claws" variation happens.
• Celibate Hero: Or Celibate Villainess in this case — Cindy clearly has no interest in dating anybody; she rejects Trucidator's advances, and expresses disgust when her father suggests she might find somebody one day. Granted, considering the kind of relationship her parents have, her reluctance is understandable.
• Cerebus Syndrome: Season 1 was mostly a Gag-of-the-Week series with no specific plot; season 2 had an actual plot and got more serious toward the end; finally, seasons 3 and 4 mostly have a plot, and are significantly darker than the previous ones.
• Chalk Outline: In episode 11 of season 4, a TV report about an alleged mob shoot-out show the outlines on the floor, including one for a severed arm.
• Chekhov's Gun : Too many to count.
• Chekhov's Gunman:
  • Carla (The Heavy of season 2) is introduced as a one-episode character in Season One.
  • Kevin and especially Lose-man also qualify.
• Chewing the Scenery: Kurtzmann and Trueman, especially when in full supervillain mode.
  Caleb: Have the two of you taken LSD!?
• Chibi: The end credits of the Season 2 finale.
• Chirping Crickets: In "La Rédaction", following the teacher firing on the ceiling, the classroom ruckus is replaced by this.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Nico, Carla's husband, appears with her in their first episode. She appears again without him and he's never mentioned again. According to Word of God, Nico wasn't her real husband but a secret agent, and came as a cover for that scouting mission.
• Cliffhanger: Season 3 episode 19 ends with a big one.
• Combat Sadomasochist: Hippolyte as Sadoman...
• Combination Attack:
  • In season 2, Cindy and Gladys uses a Tornado Move against Maxence and the henchmen with amazing effect.
  • In season 3, Cindy and Gladys initiate it again against Liam, but it doesn't work.
  • Later, Sadoman and Pr. Kaos uses one of their own against Mello. It works perfectly, but there are unwanted side effects.
• Companion Cube: Gilbert the accountant talks to his calculator (calling it "Chantal").
• Composite Character: Sue Helen Richards is a composite of the Invisible Woman and a sitcom nympho (the name Sue Helen coming directly from Dallas).
• Crazy Enough to Work: How Hippolyte saw Caleb's plan to use Lose-man against Carla in the season 2 finale.
• Creator Provincialism: Curiously enough, as it employs mainly American super-villains, (and with names such as "Trueman"), the Flander's company is explicitly shown to be set in France (including with a few Astronomic Zooms). Notably, in season 4, when Captain Ersatz of Superdupont (a '70s parody of a French superhero) and Nightrunner (a current official hero in the Batman franchise) wonder if the company apply discount prices for compatriots.
• Cross-Cast Role:
  • Gladys Trueman is played by a male actor.
  • Hitomi Kurtzmann, of course, has the same actor as her half-brother Hippolyte.
  • Chantal Connasse too, with the same actor as her son Jocelyn.
  • And the Naruto Lawyer-Friendly Cameo is a played by a girl.
• Crossover: With Noob and Le Visiteur du Futur, two series of the same network.
• Cut the Juice: How Cindy stops the machine that made everybody's powers go mad, instead of smashing it like Hippolyte expected.
• Cyborg: Staive
• Dada Ad: One was made In-Universe as an extra video during the fourth season (as a commercial from the alternate universe).
• Daddy's Little Villain: Cindy (she's this toward her uncle, though, not her father).
• Damsel in Distress: Green Lantern's girlfriend, who has been kidnapped five times this year. Understandably, she's acting rather blasé about the whole thing by now.
• Damsel Scrappy:invoked That's how Seiya sees Saori Kido from Saint Seiya; part of the reason for his Face–Heel Turn.
  Seiya: Oh yeah? And spending your whole life running after Princess Whatshername, who's so dumb, so DUMB that she gets kidnapped every five minutes, you think it's a soft job?
  Hippolyte: Indeed... seen like this...
  Seiya: Miss is supposed to be the incarnation of a warrior goddess, but as soon as she goes to the Wallmart to take advantage of discounts for the Pig Feast, slam! Two mooks drop on her, and she can't even send them flying. And of course, who has to climb 6000 steps and beats up 142 assholes to get her back? Muggins here! And in half a day, to boot, otherwise Miss could end up dead cold.
• A Day in the Limelight:
  • The first episode of season 2, "Holidays", features Dr. Parker as the only regular (beyond the intro).
  • The special episode "Super fan de!" follows Hitomi Kurtzmann for a full day.
  • Season 3 episode "La Rédaction" is about Gladys writing a school report, and thus we're seeing the Flander's Company through her eyes.
• Death Glare:
  • A pretty scary one from Silver to Hitomi during the season 3 finale.
  • It's almost Damien's signature move! Seriously, he gives one to almost everyone he fight...
  • Hippolyte isn't shy about them either, usually when the latest idiot candidate is grating on his nerves.
• Deer in the Headlights: Hippolyte is described to be this way by the TV crew interviewing him in the alternate universe. He has a good reason, however, considering said crew is constituted of all the counterparts of Aegis, the season 3's enemies.
• Deface of the Moon:
  • Thanks to Caleb's Nuclear Gun and Trucidator falling for Cindy.
  • And in the season 3 finale, where Liam explodes after being teleported there.
• Deflector Shield:
  • There's an impenetrable shield around the machine perturbing superpowers in episode "Unlimited", to Hippolyte's frustration.
  • Creating a forcefield is part of Carla's powerset, as demonstrated in the season 5 finale, protecting the whole group against a shot from Tony Shark's Kill Sat.
• Destination Defenestration:
  • Maxence putting Cindy in a girly dress results in his fall from the top of the Flander's building. Luckily an old lady cushioned his landing.
  • Kevin, using his groove powers on Alternate Hippolyte, forces him through a window.
• Dope Slap:
  • Cindy gives one to Caleb in season 3 for being one-upped by Nadège.
  • In Season 5, Henri Pottier and Caleb cannot help themselves giving repeated dope slaps to Jean Kevin Solo, a.k.a. Kylo Ren, because he looks so much like Snape (Henri even ponders if he isn't Severus Snape's hidden son).
• Double Take: Alternate Georges Trueman at the sight of a candidate rejected by Hippolyte with flowers in the fundament.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: Maxence, shot by Trueman in the season 3 finale. They were on the same team... Kinda. Well, you must remember that Maxence was a member of the C.C Corp., and their cooperation was tied by their fear of Aegis. Once Caleb's potion was ready, they didn't have any reason NOT to kill him. Plus, he wanted the potion...
• Easter Egg: Real eggs, laid by cast members who've been turned into rabbits, in an Easter special.
• Eats Babies: The vampiric poodles, from episode "Real Bad Dog". Though only one or two a week, according to Igor.
• Emo:
  • Emo-Man, duh.
  • In Season 5, Jean Kevin Solo, a.k.a. Kylo Ren, unsurprisingly. Even Carla calls him that.
• Enemy Mime: One of the candidates for a Super Villain job is a mime.
• Enemy Mine: On season 3, C.C corporation has to work with Flander's Company to defeat Aegis. Trueman even quotes: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." He'll be the one that acts as an Ungrateful Bastard in the end, sending the C.C corp. survivors to North Pole.
• Epic Fail: Invoked by Hippolyte when he and Caleb blow up their cover during season 4.
• Epileptic Trees: In-universe, with Cindy being convinced that Dr. Claw was in truth Chief Quimby.
• Episode Title Card: For seasons 1-3, the episode title is shown printed on a resume or memorandum.
• The Eponymous Show: Season 5's intro episode is part of The Fataloose Show, presented by none other than Dr. Fataloose.
• Everything's Deader with Zombies: Season 3 episode 13, when Igor's botched spell put the undead secretaries out of control.
• Evil Laugh: Damien lets one out just after he explodes Silver's head. It isn't pretty.
• Exact Words: When Georges accepts that Trucidator can date his daughter... he didn't specify which one.
• Exotic Entree: The Power Party 2009 has dishes such as baby seal canapés or panda pâté.
• Expy: Trucidator is Warduke from France Five — same actor and costume, just with a new name and now a Punch-Clock Villain rather than an alien invader.
• Eye Am Watching You: Armand makes the gesture toward Dr. Shredder in season 4, noting that he's suspiciously always back for the season's climax.
• Eye Beams: One of the supervillain candidates has this power. Problem, he's blind (and cross-eyed)...
• Face–Heel Turn: Hippolyte sometimes interviews former heroes who want to become villains. In this case, rather than putting their powers to the test, the human resources manager instead tries to make sure that they are really committed to the switch.
• Facepalm: A few...
  • Hippolyte will sometimes hold the bridge of his nose while interviewing candidates.
  • The most beautiful is certainly Hippolyte and Cindy having a simultaneous one at the end of season 3 episode 16, when Trueman agrees to a cooperation with the ex-C.C Corp members.
  • The Brotherhood of Shadows' members have several despite their short screen time:
    • Lex Luthor, when Dr. Gang accidentally shows his true face.
    • Double-facepalm for Magnetus when Dr. Gang and Dr. Fataloose start arguing.
    • Then Dr. Gang facepalming (with his gloved hand) at Fataloose's extremely lame joke.
• Facepalm Of Doom:
  • Carla does an electricity-charged one to Gladys, on her return to Flander's in season 4.
  • Carla tries the same thing in season 5, but unfortunately this time her target is Thor, God of Thunder, so it doesn't end well for her.
• Faint in Shock:
  • Hippolyte is overwhelmed by all the differences and faints in the alternate universe.
  • Kevin faints at the sight of Gladys' severed arm.
• Fake-Out Fade-Out: The season 4 episode "Karma Tsunami" ends with the surprise return of Jean-Luc Shredder. The ending credits start, but Armand yells for this to stop, demanding an explanation.
• Faking Amnesia: Both Hippolyte and Caleb in the alternate universe. It's Hippolyte's idea, at first because he thinks the true story would be too unbelievable. Afterward, they don't want their status of supervillains to come into light in a society full of superheroes.
• Fallen Hero:
  • Seiya applies for a job at Flander's in season 1.
  • Recycle-Man in season 3. Hearing the virtues of neutrality from Spawn convinced him to fully become a villain.
• Fantasy Sequence: Gilbert fantasizing about Nadège falling for him, and them having a baby calculator.
• Femme Fatale: Andromalia acts as one, as part of being a succubus, using her sexual prowess to manipulate others.
• Fight for the Last Bite: The episode "Motus" is one lengthy fight scene between the various characters over the last donuts, the first action-filled episode of the series. In the end, Dr. Parker picks up the last donuts and eats it, oblivious that his co-workers are fighting each other outside for it.
• Forced Transformation: In "PWNED!", Hippolyte gets turned into a potted plant by one of Caleb's experiments. Mr. Trueman is not amused.
• Full-Name Ultimatum: Georges gives two to his daughter, Cindy, during the series:
  • The first one was during the 9th episode of the 3rd season, after Trucidator exhausts his patience:
    Georges: CINDY PRISCILLA TRUEMAN, GO AND GET ME MY RIFLE!
  • The second one was during the final episode of season 4, in which he scolds his mind-controlled daughter in a (successful) attempt to snap her out of it.
• Funny Background Event: In season 4 episode 16, while Cindy and Alternate Caleb are having a conversation, Carla is trying to avoid both Armand and Alternate Hippolyte.
• Funny Bruce Lee Noises: Superpowered Armand in the season 4 finale, undoubtedly a Fist of the North Star parody.
• Gale-Force Sound: Hippolyte yelling. Not a superpower, but if he's riled enough...
• Genre Savvy: All villains are perfectly aware that they shouldn't mess with the timeline, as the Dr. Doom Captain Ersatz points out:
  Dr. Fataloose: Of course, we must not play with the space-time continuum! Everybody knows that, it always monstrously mess up things...
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man:
  • Hippolyte gives a few good slaps to Caleb to help him "focus" in season 4 episode 2.
  • Then in the season 4 finale, Georges slaps Cindy to break Damien's Mind Control.
• The Ghost: Gladys and Cindy's mother.
• Girly Bruiser: The Cindy from the parallel universe in season 4, with her badass abilities and her pink hair, is the Poster Child for this trope.
• A Glass in the Hand: Parodied with Caleb crushing his coffee cup in the season 4 finale. Though considering how much Caleb loves coffee, it shows well how upset he his.
• Gory Discretion Shot:
  • Cindy only uses her axe off-screen.
  • Averted when Damien uses his powers against someone's head.
• Gratuitous English: A lot of the episode titles. Except one (which is Gratuitous Japanese), any episode title of the fourth season is this.
• Gratuitous German: Hitomi Kurtzmann. Also used by Hippolyte during his (Anti-)Heroic BSoD against his sister.
• Gratuitous Japanese: The infamous "Schmurtz!" ad and the title episode "Karma Tsunami", both from the fourth season.
• Groin Attack:
  • One of Cindy's "demonstrations" against a Mook.
  • Carla's farewell to Alternate Hippolyte in the season 4 finale.
• Ground-Shattering Landing: Cindy can do, notably in "Motus".
• Helium Speech: In the musical episode, Mr. Trueman breathes from a helium balloon before singing.
• Heroic BSoD: Well, more like Villainous BSOD, but Hippolyte sure has a big one at the sight of his half-sister Hitomi Kurtzmann. Lovingly described in details by Dr. Parker.
• Hero with an F in Good: Clearly Recycle-Man before his full Face–Heel Turn. He was violently beating up innocent people just for not recycling properly.
• Hideous Hangover Cure: Caleb prepares one for Armand, directly referencing Back to the Future Part III. It's very, very efficient.
• High-Pressure Emotion: In "PWNED!", Hippolyte has steam shooting from his ears just before suffering a Forced Transformation.
• Hold Up Your Score: In "Angry Junkie", while the employees are forced to do some gym, Nadège, Jocelyn and Carla scores them (giving notes of 2, 4 and π, respectively).
• Holographic Terminal: The alternate universe Flander's has a whole room of them.
• Homoerotic Subtext: One of the reasons why Seiya wants to turn villain: he is fed up with the constant yaoi-themed innuendos of his teammates.
• Horrifying the Horror: Hippolyte Kurtzmann is a scary supervillain and even scarier Resource Manager, but even him is quite afraid of interviewing Seiya for a prospective Face–Heel Turn. So is Caleb, in fact.
• Hot Potato: Happens with the spatio-temporal "egg" about to go off, which Reed Richards first throws to Hippolyte, who passes it to Caleb, and which finally ends up in Damien's hands.
• Huddle Shot: After Recycle-Man gets massacred by Gladys, he wakes in a hospital bed with the Flander's Company people huddled above him.
• I Just Want to Be Special: Trueman, the only "Muggle".
• "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Georges does this with Cindy in the season 4 finale.
• I'll Take Two Beers Too: Alternate Armand will drink a whisky, a bloody mary and a vodka apple.
• Imagine Spotting: In season 4 episode 18, "Born Villain", when Damien reveals how he manipulated Nadège, the latter suddenly interrupts and protests that she might have been mind-controlled, but she'd never "stroked his shell" as just seen in the unreliable flashback.
• Instant Cosplay Surprise: Inflicted on the Flander's employees by Maxence and Déborah in episode "Bad Taste".
• Insult Backfire: In the season 4 finale:
  • Hippolyte to Alternate George, after the reveal he's the Big Bad:
    Hippolyte: It's Evil. Congratulations, little girl: you've just met your first supervillain.
    Alternate George: Oh, coming from such a specialist as yourself, I'll take this as a compliment, thanks.
  • Then Damien does this against Über-Caleb:
    Über-Caleb: You bastard!
    Damien: [grinning] Flatteries will get you nowhere...
• Intangibility: Nadège Pruneau's superpower. She doesn't use it too often, but it can come in handy.
• In the Name of the Moon: By Hitomi Kurtzmann: "In the name of the sow's constellation, I will punish you! GRUIIIIIII!"
• I Think You Broke Him: Caleb says this about Hippolyte, frozen at the sight of his half-sister.
• I've Got an X, and I'm Not Afraid to Use It!: Caleb to Damien.
  Caleb: Beware! I've got a new-generation remote control, and I won't hesitate to use it!
• Jaw Drop: A collective one when Cindy give a farewell kiss to Alternate Caleb at the end of the season 4 finale.
• Joke Character:
  • Nearly every villain who wants to join the Flander's Company may qualify.
  • And then we have Hitomi, who is the embodiment of this trope.
  • Kevin takes this trope and runs with it.
• Just Between You and Me: Averted twice in the same episode.
  • First, wannabe-villain Kevin starts monologuing; Hippolyte hits him and yells, "Rule number 3 of a long-living villain: NO FUCKING MONOLOGUE!"
  • Later, Carla:
    Carla: Now I could talk for a long time, in order to let you have time to find something to save your butts, but I'll go straight to the part where I explode you one after the other!
• Kamehame Hadoken:
  • Master Kim, to test the Mooks' training.
  • Über-Caleb's final move against Damien.
• Kayfabe: The relationship heroes-villains in the Flander's Company's universe is likened to Professional Wrestling during a conversation between Cindy and Alternate Caleb.
• Klatchian Coffee: Caleb's personal blend. Alternate Caleb has the misfortune of drinking one cup because of Gringo, and ends up incapacitated for three days.
• Kneel Before Zod: Damien-in-Carla's-body starts such a monologue, but is interrupted.
• Knight of Cerebus:
  • The C.C Corporation, to a minor extent. When they show up, the series starts having an actual plot and go from pure comedy to action comedy.
  • Aegis, on the other hand, plays this trope pretty much straight.
• Knuckle Cracking: Lots of characters have this bad habit, most notably Cindy.
• Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: A lot of them, but only as minor characters. Usually, their name is an untranslatable pun about a French slang variation of the original name. There are cameos of:
  • Seiya
  • Mario and Luigi
  • Harry Potter
  • Captain America
  • Elizabeth Bathory
  • Vegeta
  • Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke
  • Doctor Doom
  • Magneto
  • Lex Luthor
  • Darth Vader
  • Reed Richards and Susan Storm
  • Green Lantern
  • Dr. Claw
  • Spider-Man
  • Black Cat
  • Batman
  • V
  • Superdupont
  • Nightrunner
• Lens Flare:
  • Often used in the exterior shots of the Flander's building.
  • And with the outer space shots of the Brotherhood of Shadows' satellite.
• Lotus Position: In a season 1 episode, Dr. Parker tries to teach relaxation to Hippolyte and Caleb with this position.
• Loud of War: One of Kevin's powers, which he uses against Hippolyte. It backfires spectacularly.
• Magic Wand:
  • Caleb presents a few of his invention to Henri Potier. The "Terminator" one proves to be quite the blast.
  • Also used by Alternate Hippolyte the Cheesemancer.
  • Combining the two, in the season 5 finale Armand uses a Cheesemancer wand studded with kryptonite against Supermec.
• Man Bites Man: Hippolyte bites Reed Richards' hand to make him let go of his remote-control gizmo.
• The Man in the Mirror Talks Back: In the musical episode, Dr. Parker's reflection in the mirror turns into Damien.
• Massive Multiplayer Crossover: Considering all the Lawyer-Friendly Cameos and some occasional references in dialogues, Flander's Company is set in an universe which mixes the Marvel, DC, Men in Black, Saint Seiya, Harry Potter, Naruto, Star Wars, Inspector Gadget and Super Mario Bros. franchises. There are some cross-over with Damned, Noob and Le Visiteur du Futur (three other French webseries), too.
• Mass Teleportation:
  • In the season 2 finale, a machine created by Caleb is used to divide the enemies and turn a big brawl into a series of separate duels.
  • In season 3, Caleb's power is amplified by another invention (and a good amount of Klatchian Coffee) to displace the whole Flander's building.
• Medium-Shift Gag:
  • Sadoman's "final moves" are shown as shadowed short animations (also a form of Gory Discretion Shot).
    Sadoman: DOUBLE COSMIC FIST!!
  • The history of the "1983 Holocaust" in the alternate universe is in comic-book style with limited animation.
  • The backstory of the Choristes' universe is also animated, but in a much darker style.
• Mind Rape: Alternate Armand describes Zombieber's horrid song power as exactly this trope.
• Mistaken for Gay: The villain Trucidator ("Slayator") shortly suffers this from Dr. Parker. Trucidator came to Dr. Parker because he was bullied because he is black, but before the explanation is finished, Parker first thinks Trucidator was victim of homophobia. Note that Trucidator's general appearance (muscular, bared chest and iron chains) makes this mistake understandable.
• Mistaken for Junkie: In season 3 episode 3, "Tongs Rapsody", when Hippolyte and Armand go full Large Ham before the Naruto parodies, Caleb wonders out loud if they're both on LSD.
• Mooks:
  • Cindy's role is to train them. They even have a training camp.
  • The C.C Corp henchmen in season 2.
  • In season 4, the Choristes.
• More than Mind Control: How Damien turns Cindy and Alternate Hippolyte to his side with his psychic powers: he targets those who are already discontent with the return to normal after the alternate-universe mess.
• Multistage Teleport: In the season 4 finale, it is implied this is how Caleb manages to vanquishes Alternate Armand during their fight. At first he uses his teleportation powers to send his opponent away, but the latter has Super-Speed and is back in a few seconds. Sick of this, Caleb finally chains his teleportations through his clones, and we see an orbital shot of multiple "teleport flashes" all over the Eurasian continent, from France to Japan, where he abandons Armand. The speedster is still back a few minutes later, but that leaves enough time for Caleb and Hippolyte to deal with the Big Bad.
• Musical Episode: "Once More with Devil", the season 3 opener.
• Music Videos: A few were made as DVD bonus.
  • The ending sequence song for seasons 2 and 3, "Super Pouvoir" by Virgin Princess.
  • Hitomi Kurtzmann mit O.D.I.L — "I need a Villain"
  • Kerryz Bobo ft. Hitomi Kurtzmann — "Dschinghis Khan"
  • A parody of "Womanizer" by Britney Spears — "Kochoneizer" by Hitomi Kurtzmann.
• Must Have Caffeine:
  • Caleb, who spends almost his entire office time next to the coffee machine. Having it removed prompts his resignation, as hoped by C.C Corporation — what they hadn't planned was the going berserk part. It may be because of his caffeine-induced teleport powers. Anyway, that does NOT explain his worship for George Clooney, who is more-or-less his GOD.^note In France, George Clooney plays in an series of ads for the Nespresso coffee machine, which is the model used by Caleb. Thus his cult for the actor.
  • To a slightly lesser extent, Hippolyte.
• My Beloved Smother: Gontran Fortuna, to compensate his unbelievable luck, has a very possessive mother. And unfortunately, she's luckier than him.
• Neck Lift: Damien to Luigi in "Jumpen Hallaucost".
• Nepotism: Cindy is no doubt a powerful villainess, but she wouldn't have gotten a job at Flander's without her uncle.
• Newspaper Dating: Caleb checks a newspaper after going through the vortex to make sure they didn't travel through time.
• Ninja Prop: In season 5, Caleb introduces his two cousins, both also played by Ruddy Pomarede (even the female). Since the series uses a limited cast and members of the same family played by the same actors has happened in previous seasons, even for Cross-Cast Roles (notably Chantal Conasse and Hitomi Kurtzmann), it is easy to forget that Caleb has the power to create clones of himself, and indeed the two "cousins" are fake.
• Noblewoman's Laugh: Cindy in an Imagine Spot from Gladys.
• No-Dialogue Episode: "Motus", except for the prologue and The Stinger.
• No Endor Holocaust:
  • Averted with Aegis blowing up the C.C Corp buildings all over the world, causing hundred of victims, as stated on TV.
  • However, in the season 3 finale, the big hole on the Moon and the meteor shower that ensue doesn't seem to cause a mass extinction.
• Nose Bleed: Hippolyte has one while interviewing Andromalia at the Japan Expo.
• Not Hyperbole: In season 4, when Gautier says that Caleb "had done the work of four people," he adds "Literally!" — and the camera zooms out to show that Caleb has duplicated himself for the additional brain power.
• Not Me This Time: Pr. Jean-Luc Shredder says this about the season 4 plot.
• Not Wearing Tights:
  • Subverted with Aegis. They wear costumes, but no masks.
  • Nobody in the company has a costume to begin with. Then in season 2 (Cindy, Hippolyte, Damien, Caleb) and 3 (Hitomi, Carla, Truman) more and more characters decide to get (or to wear again) a super costume for fights. Handwaved by Carla at the end of season 3 :
    Carla: I will not fight in a Chanel suit!
    Cindy: Didn't stop you when you fought us last year!
• Nuclear Mutant: The Murlok in the Japan Expo episode — at least, that is Hippolyte's theory. It doesn't stop Cindy from turning it into sushi, however.
• Of Corpse He's Alive: Okay, Hippolyte isn't dead, but he is suffering from a serious breakdown in episode "Cas de conscience". So, what do Caleb and Cindy do? Use him as a puppet to keep engaging lame candidates.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • A literal one said in the Season 3 Finale by Mello who is exploded in mid-air by Hippolyte and Caleb's final attack, "Combo Gothic Tits on Fire!"
  • Earlier in the same episode, Mello, stuck in the ground with only his head surfacing, has a Oh, Crap! moment when Pyro clearly says that she doesn't give a damn about him, as she's ready to unleash a miniature sun on the protagonists and Mello nearby.
• One Dialogue, Two Conversations: When Caleb is asking Mr. Trueman if he can engage an assistant (who ends up being Igor), the boss seems to be responding positively, but he is in fact talking on the phone (with an earpiece hidden by his hair) and has no idea what Caleb wanted.
• One to Million to One: In the season 5 finale superhero battle royale, Kevin, in a spectacular case of New Powers as the Plot Demands, spew some green silk from his mouth and wraps himself in a cocoon. It later breaks open, releasing a swarm of Kevin-headed butterflies which fly around before reforming anew into Kevin as human-butterfly hybrid. Nadège is very disturbed by the whole sight.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • Armand has such a reaction in "PWNED!"
    Caleb: What? I said something I shouldn't have?
    Mr. Trueman: No... but my brain crashed while trying to assimilate the fact that you've been working...
  • In the season 4 finale, when Gladys shows up possessed by Damien.
    Carla: She... she's just articulated two grammatically correct sentences!
    Cindy: Who is this monster?!
• Operation: [Blank]: In season 3, the name of the plan to teleport the whole Flander's building? "Operation: Clooney"
• Overly-Nervous Flop Sweat: Parodied with villain wannabe "Transpire-Man" ("Sweaty-Man"). He does indeed sweat a lot when nervous... meaning he can weaponize it by producing a blast of water from his armpits, strong enough to propel an opponent through a wall.
• Pillar of Light: In season 1 episode "Terroriste !", an accidental discharge of Caleb's Nuclear Gun bursts through 12 stairs and into the sky, finally blowing up a satellite.
• Pinball Projectile: Used by Hippolyte with his Hand Blast ricocheting against a wall to take Alternate Cindy by surprise and disarm her.
• Pokémon Speak: Grunt, one of the supervillain trainees, just says "Grunt!"
• Power Incontinence: Happens to everyone in season 2 episode "Unlimited", thanks to one of Caleb's inventions malfunctioning. Hilarity Ensues...
• Predecessor Villain: Oswald Trueman, the father of Armand and Georges, who founded the Flander's Company (in both universes).
• Promotion to Opening Titles:
  • Carla in season 3.
  • Gladys in season 4, replacing Parker.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Pretty much all the recurring characters. Except they're not exactly nice guys to begin with.
• Punched Across the Room:
  • Liam to Carla in "Fashion Victim", through a wall.
  • Über-Caleb to Carla in "Forgiven, Not Forgotten", through several walls.
• Put on a Bus:
  • Nadège, at the end of season 3, where she is caught by a black hole created by Mello. Word of God mentions that she's on a trip to Japan, hence her nonavailability as an actress for the next season, scheduled in late 2010. The Bus Came Back in season 4.
  • Igor doesn't appear at all in season 5, nor is he even mentioned.
• Pyromaniac: Pyro...
• Raging Stiffie: Andromalia inflicts this on Dr. Parker. Hippolyte resists, but only by thinking about lots of dead puppies.
• Readings Blew Up the Scale: Caleb builds a "Millstone Detector" to alleviate a bit Hippolyte's work. That's when Maxence and Déborah show up; the detector quite naturally explodes.
• Record Needle Scratch: A frequent comedic effect.
  • The music in "Motus", when everybody try for the last donut.
  • When Hippolyte interrupts Recycle-Man's overly dramatic monologue.
    Hippolyte: Do you intend to do your little pre-nuptial parade every time I ask a question? Because if so, I'll just stop...
  • In "Memo to Human Resources", when Alternate Hippolyte is confronted to the first candidate: Shitfly-Man.
  • In "This Is How We Do", when Gauthier interrupts Caleb playing with his labcoat.
  • Echoed in "Forgiven not Forgotten", with Gringo playing with Caleb's labcoat and interrupted by Alternate Caleb.
  • In season 5, the heroic music suddenly crashes when Caleb and Hippolyte realize that Thor believes Carla is their hostage.
• Retired Badass: Before taking desk jobs, Hippolyte and Caleb were quite efficient supervillains.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge:
  • Carla against Pyro during the season 3 finale.
  • She does it again against Trueman in season 4 after learning he lost his new powers and lack most of his forces. She is however quickly defeated by Über-Caleb.
• Rock–Paper–Scissors: In the season 4 finale, Caleb and Hippolyte decides this way who can choose his opponent.
• Sad Clown: Gladys sees Caleb as such.
• Sand Necktie: In a flashback, Recycle-Man is seen inflicting this on two people for three days, under the snow, to make them "feel how everything in nature is connected".
• Sarcastic Clapping: Armand, complimenting Carla for her spectacular comeback in season 4.
• Say My Name: Whenever something goes wrong or explodes at Flander's Company, you can be sure to hear Mr. Trueman yelling "CAAAALEEEEEB!!" shortly thereafter.
• The Scream:
  • A big one by Silver when Hitomi "milks" her in the season 3 finale. The character, who until then was shown to be The Stoic, proceeds to literally obliterate her.
  • Followed, in the same episode, by Liam's when he discovers his girlfriend, Pyro, has burnt down to ashes.
• Self-Duplication: Caleb's power of duplication went from "I can duplicate myself a little" to Naruto-esque proportions. Which leads to one of the most ridiculous fights in the show, with Caleb fighting against "Narugros".
• Series Continuity Error: In the season 4 finale, there's view of the energy blast that destroyed Damien rising above the atmosphere. Cool shot, except the stream is clearly coming from France, while the last battle is supposed to happen in Pennsylvania, at Reed Richards' manor, as with the beginning of season 4.
• Share the Male Pain: The Mooks after one of Cindy's "demonstrations".
• Shock and Awe: Carla Burnelle's superpower.
• Shout-Out: Too many to list them all, but notably:
  • The opening theme tune is from the movie Brazil.
  • Staive is a parody of Steve Austin from The Six Million Dollar Man.
  • The logo and sequence revealing the project that created Damien is inspired by Lost.
  • "Motus", one of the first episodes to feature action scenes, does so with music from The Incredibles.
  • Season 2 episode 19 begins and ends 24-style.
  • Igor (and his former mistress, Countess Von Bathory of Überwald) came straight out of Discworld.
  • Saint Seiya: Seiya choosing to become a Villain. And once again by Hitomi with one of her attacks: "Nebula Knacki!"
  • Hippolyte: "I'm too old for this shit!"
  • Caleb is often seen using a tool looking suspiciously like a sonic screwdriver, and his Nuclear Rifle looks very much like Jak's Morphgun's Blaster Mod (later modified a bit to look less similar). Possibly justified since Caleb (played by the writer/director) is also a huge nerd and may very well have built many of his gadgets as real, functioning pop-culture shout-outs.
  • During season 4, Caleb and Hippolyte ends up in an alternate reality, in which Superman's spaceship has landed in North Korea instead of America. It's easy to see here a Shout-Out to Superman: Red Son, a DC Universe Elseworld story in which Superman's spaceship landed in the Soviet Union.
  • Carla's speech when taken over by Damien's mind is straight out of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, when Galadriel is tempted by the power of the One Ring.
  • Alternate Armand, while moving a fishbowl by magic, sings the same song as Merlin in The Sword in the Stone.
    Cindy: He's forced to sing that when casting a spell?
    Alternate Caleb: No... but it makes him so happy...
  • The high-inquisition A.I. is called HAL.
  • Igor: "In my opinion... it'sh a lupus."
  • The logo for the Brotherhood of Shadows is a hand with the pinky raised, which can't help but bring to mind Dr. Evil.
• Shovel Strike:
  • How Damien welcomes back Carla at Flander's. And then Hippolyte does the same with Kevin.
  • Ironically, Damien then ends up at the receiving end of it (while in Carla's body) from Alternate Caleb.
  • At the start of season 5, Armand is about to brain Caleb with a shovel, but is stopped cold upon seeing that his latest invention can duplicate matter. Armand immediately tries it on bank notes.
• Sibling Team:
  • Cindy and Gladys.
  • Armand and George (though they're not exactly equals).
• Slipped the Ropes: Parker, twice, in the episode "Holidays".
• The Smurfette Principle: Cindy is the only female character in the company before the introduction of Gladys. Subverted with the C.C corporation which has more female than male characters. And only Carla and Nadège are competent in the team. Subverted again with AEGIS.
• Some Kind of Force Field: The trope's name is said by Nadège in "Unlimited". The force field protecting Caleb's invention is indeed only visible when struck.
• The Spartan Way: This is how the Mooks are trained, according to the episode when Cindy runs a mooks training camp.
• Special Edition Title: Season 3 episodes 7, 10 and 11 have the usual music and style of opening, except the title isn't "Flander's Company" but "C.C Corporation" instead, and the cast is from the latter society, since the episodes focus on them.
• Spider-Sense: Parodied in season 2 episode 9, with Hippolyte's instinct for millstones flaring up (with a typical anime effect) as Déborah and Maxence come near. As for Caleb's Millstone Detector, it explodes.
• Spit Take:
  • Caleb, after drinking a coffee with what he thought was sugar, but is in fact vampire ashes.
  • Hippolyte, with the first return of Kevin in Season 2, right in Déborah's face. She calls hims a "spitting llama" afterward.
• Split Screen:
  • To visualize both alternate universes at the same time in season 4.
  • Also abused in the fight between Alternate Caleb and Cindy.
• Split-Screen Phone Call: In season 4 episode 17, between the various superheroes.
• Spoiler Opening: Carla being promoted to the opening title in season 3 hints of the ensuing Enemy Mine, and then her Heel–Face Turn.
• Static Stun Gun:
  • Caleb once tries tasering Gladys... to absolutely no effect.
  • Alternate Georges Trueman shocks Hippolyte to stop him from molesting Alternate Kevin.
• Stern Teacher: Parodied with Gladys' teacher in "La Rédaction", who demands silence while firing a handgun.
• Stripped to the Bone: Pyro
• Super Costume Clothier: The Chantal Connasse company in season two. Their takeover bid on Flanders Company was motivated by the fact they wanted to get back the business of super villains clothes as well.
• Superpowered Evil Side: Parker has one.
• Superpowered Mooks:
  • A few of the henchmen enrolled by C.C Corp have superpowers. They still don't slow the protagonists much.
  • The Choristes too, having a dangerous screaming attack.
• Super Serum: Caleb creates one by combining the DNA of the Supers at hand, thanks to the help of Dr. Shredder's researches as well as the Visitor from the Future. Unfortunately, as Armand Trueman soon finds out, its effect is very limited in time.
• Super Window Jump: Hippolyte has a very gratuitous one in season 3 episode 12.
  Hippolyte: Lesson number 12 of the supervillain: always indulges in a charismatic entrance.
• Super Zeroes: A lot of the candidates, even those with potentially strong powers, don't find grace in Hippolyte's eyes because they're way too uncool to make good supervillains. More of them are engaged nonetheless in season 3 because of the dearth of Flander's employees.
  • First and foremost, Lose-Man.
  • But especially Kevin.
  • Staive; Recycle-Man; Sweaty-Man; Emo-Man...
• Surveillance as the Plot Demands: It takes some time for the satellites to align, but the Alternate Flander's Company is sure well-equiped.
• Take Our Word for It: Not everything is seen on-screen; several events are just described by the characters, to ease up the special effects, or just for comedic effect.
  • The Christmas episode during season 2. We hear a lot about the children, but actually never see them.
  • In "Unlimited", we don't see Carla at all, but Nadège mentions that she had to put both hands in the toilet to ground her uncontrollable electric discharges.
• Take That!:
  • President Sarkozy has been amongst Flander's villains.
  • Season 4 episode 17:
    Batman: They hack me off, all of them, by thinking I'm the IMF boss! [pause] Do I look like I'd go to a Sofitel?
  • The whole Choristes backstory is a big Take That! to several pop singers.
• Tears of Blood: In season 1, upon meeting Kevin for the first time, Hippolyte jokingly says his clothes make eyes bleed a bit. In the season 3 finale, Hippolyte's eyes are truly bleeding at the sight of Kevin's latest, horrible costume.
• Teleportation:
  • One part of Caleb's superpowers is to make short-range jumps (unless his power is amplified) thanks to his over-consumption of caffeine.
  • Star Trek-style teleportation is the way to join the Power Party on the Red Witch's satellite.
• Teleportation Misfire: Caleb suffers from one in "Unlimited" when his power goes awry because of one of his inventions. He starts blinking uncontrollably all over the place, before ending up in Egypt.
• Tempting Fate: Lost at the North Pole, Carla can't help but state that the situation can't get any worse. Cue polar bear.
• Terrible Interviewees Montage:
  • Season 1 is entirely this (except for Seiya's interview).
  • Including the convention special, where only a succubus makes the cut.
  • In season 2, the episode where Hippolyte resign.
  • The one in season 4 where the two Hippolytes unsuccessfully try to handle each other's job.
• There Are No Therapists: Subverted, on top of the fact that Dr. Parker is very good at his job. Too bad there's no therapist for him.
• Think Unsexy Thoughts: When asked how he's resisting Andromalia's influence, Hippolyte answers that he's thinking about dead puppies.
• This Cannot Be!: Damien-in-Gladys'-body in the season 4 finale, about to be obliterated by Über-Caleb.
• This Is for Emphasis, Bitch!: Damien delivers one to Pyro just before she's annihilated by Carla: "Hasta la vista, bitch!"
• Too Dumb to Live:
  • A lots of the supervillain candidates that Hippolyte "interviews".
  • Maxence and Déborah, especially during Cindy's "makeover".
    Hippolyte: [disbelievingly] But... they have the preservation instinct of a herd of lemmings!
  • Literally in the case of Staive and Lose-Man in season 4.
• Too Kinky to Torture:
  • Sadoman, of course.
  • Alternate Carla turns out to be this when Hippolyte attempts it on her.
• Too Much Information: Nadège's report about the world where the Choristes come from is very much this for Alternates Caleb and Hippolyte, as well as Carla. Doesn't bother Igor, though.
• Torches and Pitchforks: Vampire Countess Von Bathory, except it was from a angry mob, after she stole babies to feed her vampire puppies.
• Tornado Move:
  • Cindy and Gladys can perform one as a combination attack.
  • Alternate Armand can create one on his own thanks to his Super-Speed.
• Trail of Bread Crumbs: Nadège using chips to lure Gladys toward Damien's brain.
• Trap Door: Hippolyte has one in the "Super Pouvoir" music video to get rid quickly of pesky candidates. Not seen in the series proper, though.
• Traumatic Haircut:
  • Hippolyte inflicts this on his half-sister Hitomi in season 2 episode "German Ubber Fantasy".
  • In the season 5 finale, this is how the hair-obsessed Thor is defeated, by giving him the same girly hairdo as Cindy. He promptly goes into shock.
• Troperiffic: No, ya think? Seriously, the episodes are short, but the trope concentration of each of them is impressive.
• Troubled Fetal Position: Alternate Hippolyte, on learning that the regular universe Flander's Company manages supervillains and not superheroes.
• Try to Fit That on a Business Card: Said by Igor about his mistress, Countess Lacrimosa Noctis Genocida Von Bathory.
• A Twinkle in the Sky: Done to Damien-in-Gladys'-Body by Superpowered Armand in the season 4 finale.
• Twinkle Smile: Alternate Hippolyte in the ad opening season 4 episode 5.
• Twitchy Eye: Hippolyte's eyebrow starts twitching about 30 seconds after meeting Déborah and Maxence.
• Two Lines, No Waiting: Starting with episode 18, the season 4 finale follows the storylines in the two universes leading to climactic, simultaneous battles.
• Two Scenes, One Dialogue:
  • The beginning of season 4 episode "Memo to Human Resources", with scenes in the two separate universes, where Armand and Alternate George are having a complimentary conversation.
  • Also, the lengthy exposition at the start of episode 18, "Born Villain", switch from one universe to the other, but the dialogue is still in continuity as the same plan is initiated on both sides.
• Uncomfortable Elevator Moment: In season 2 episode 18. When they hear a fart, Caleb accuses the unconscious Dr. Parker.
• The Undead: Flander's Company's secretaries.
• The Un-Smile: When Alternate Kevin asks Hippolyte to make a "happy face", he gets this.
• Villain Episode: Well, technically the protagonists are villains already, but their Evil Versus Evil rivals of the C.C Corporation have 3 episodes focused on them in Season 3. Those even have their own Special Edition Title, with "C.C Corporation" instead of "Flander's Company" as title, and its cast replacing the latter's in the opening credits.
• Villain Protagonist: The whole cast. Parker and Georges, to an extent may be a subversion. The former works for and with villains, but he's a friendly and naïve man. Most of the time...
• Vomit Discretion Shot:
  • Caleb (on Hippolyte's shoes) during Igor's interview in "Yes Master!"
  • In "We Are Family", a depressive Armand in Cindy's face — any visual being cut short by the end credits.
    Georges: Hey, for once he did eat his breakfast.
    Cindy: [disgusted] DADDY!
  • Carla, on learning that her counterpart and Hippolyte are lovers in the alternate universe.
  • Carla as well as Alternates Caleb and Hippolyte, after hearing the origin story of the Choristes from Nadège.
• Weird Trade Union:
  • The Flander's Company kinda works this way for supervillains.
  • There's also "Les Larbins Patchwork" agency for evil genius assistants like Igor.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Aegis. They kills dozens of supervillains during 3 months, despite the fact that they were abiding by contracts and thus, not a danger to the general population.
• What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Most of the time, the candidates Hippolyte receives have the most useless and ridiculous superpowers the writers could imagine.
  • Lose-man can absorb the ambient "Lose"... which makes him incredibly unlucky. Sure, when he has absorbed enough, he can release it all at once in a powerful energy blast. This, he can do about... once a month.
  • In an episode of the third season, Hippolyte must engage a man saying that he can cause a deluge by dancing wearing a duck rubber ring and a tutu on a techno/space opera remix of the Lake of Swans. Seriously. (Poor Hippolyte lost it...)
  • The alternate universe has its own lame applicants too. One seems to think he can become a superhero with the sole power of creating flower bouquets. Hippolyte suggests he should create roses, with lots of thorns, and demonstrates how to use them offensively...
• Where It All Began: The main action of season 4, at least for the regular Flander's Company, begins and end at the manor of the "Quatre Fantastoques".
• Wimp Fight: In Season 5 episode 1, between Tony Shark and Brusse Wayne. Unfortunately for them, it gets filmed and put on social media.
• World of Ham: Played for laugh.
• Would Hit a Girl: Being villains, none of the male characters have any qualms about this. Most notably, Armand during the "Moskau" song, shoving away Hitomi, headbutting Carla and swinging at Déborah from behind.
• Your Head Asplode:
  • Damien's signature move.
  • Happens to Cindy during her (short) accounting stage.
• You Shall Not Pass!: Maxence with Aegis. Lampshaded with Gratuitous English.

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