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"Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I)" is the twelfth episode in the second season of The Venture Bros.

Plot

After a romantic tryst between Dr. Girlfriend and The Monarch goes sour over the Monarch's jealousy of Phantom Limb, Dr. Girlfriend gets ready to leave in a huff when Monarch proposes to her. Dr. Girlfriend lays out a few stipulations, the last one being that Monarch ends his vendetta against Dr. Venture. After some reluctance, the Monarch agrees and Dr. Girlfriend accepts. One month later, the Cocoon has been trashed (thanks to the Monarch's bachelor party) and scores of disheveled henchmen, including #21 and #24, wake up to discover that the entire Venture family, including a shirtless and annoyed Brock Samson, are locked up in the holding cell.

In the meantime, the Monarch meets with Phantom Limb to pick up Dr. Girlfriend's (now Dr. Fiancée's) belongings. While there, Phantom Limb chats with Monarch while doing some hunting; his prey turns out to be Monarch's former prisonmates. In quick order, he shoots Mr. Monday, takes out Dr. Septapus and shoots off White Noise's arm. Limb reveals that he had Tiny Attorney win their appeals, then promptly shoots a naked Tiny Attorney. After briefly turning the gun on Monarch, he lets him go pick up Dr. Girlfriend's belongings, but not before warning Monarch that he will have his revenge.

During this time, The Order of the Triad is fighting Torrid over the "all seeing orb," a giant round object that resembles a large eyeball. The team forms a pyramid and successfully subdues Torrid. The battle, however, was less than impressive for the trio, all of whom complain about holding up Dr. Orpheus and feel slightly embarrassed. Orpheus chalks it up due to a lack of practice and admonishes them to work harder and decides to convene a training session at his house, one that the Alchemist assumes is a "slumber party".

Upon returning to the cocoon, Monarch is horrified at the discovery of the Venture family, knowing that Dr. Girlfriend would assume that he was behind it and would be furious. His horror gives way to surprise and asks them how they even captured them, given that they haven't succeeded in this task in ten years of trying. It turns out that after the bachelor party, the henchmen got very inebriated and decided to get a tattoo for #21, at the same tattoo parlor that Brock Samson was coincidentally also getting a tattoo. Upon seeing him, the henchmen decided to attack, while Brock was off his guard. After a vicious struggle, with the "predictable casualties," they managed to overpower and capture him. Upon realizing that the Venture family was now defenseless, they drunkenly stormed the Venture compound and captured the now unprotected Venture family. After this revelation, Dr. Girlfriend walks in. Upon seeing the Venture family, she is infuriated and threatens to call the wedding off. The Monarch quickly comes up with an explanation: Dr. Venture is his best man in a gesture of good faith and that they were only in the cell because of Hank's curiosity. He lowers his voice and tells Dr. Girlfriend that Hank isn't exactly the "sharpest tack" and that he probably thinks they're in a submarine or something. This explanation is helped when Hank groggily asks where he is. Accepting this, Dr. Girlfriend goes to get dressed, but not before giving the Monarch a long kiss and grabbing his butt, which leads Dr. Venture to realize that she was 'Charlene' (from Mid-Life Chrysalis).

Meanwhile, The Sovereign notifies Phantom Limb that his request, upon review, has been denied and directs him not to commit any acts of vengeance against The Monarch. The Sovereign adds that the Guild cannot authorize such requests because of Breakups, and suggests that Limb keep a diary instead, or jog with friends. Phantom Limb gives The Sovereign his word that he will not move against the Monarch (in the conversation, the Sovereign lets it slip that he has a "wedding to get to" but changes the subject). However, after their communique ends, the Phantom Limb is seen massing a large helicopter strike force...

#21, #24 and the Monarch lead the Venture family around the cocoon after they agree to go along with the wedding. Brock and the Monarch get into a minor argument in which Brock questions the Monarch's sexuality and Dr. Girlfriend's femininity, which the Monarch attributes to jealousy and in turn, insults Brock's tattoo ("Hell-o, jealous much? Heh, excuse me, but I am not the rough trade in the tight camisole with a naked guy tattooed on my arm!"). Brock had been attempting to get an Icarus tattoo from the Led Zeppelin albums, which the Monarch also mocks ("Super f*&%ing cool - when I was, like, 14."). Hank and #21 exchange putdowns over life as a henchman and Hank's clothing while Dean annoys #24 with his pseudo-scientific questioning. Dr. Venture spots a murderous moppet and slips away to find Dr. Girlfriend. On arriving at her room, he enters and begins to hit on her. After some initial confusion, she remembers her previous liaison with Dr. Venture.

At the Venture Compound, Orpheus is busy with Jefferson Twilight when the Alchemist arrives, dressed in Hawaiian garb. The Alchemist suggests they start drinking, but Orpheus and Twilight are put off by this, as it's still before noon, and Twilight is a teetotaler. After a brief back and forth, the Alchemist tempts Twilight with "Nik-L-Nips", sweet colored sugarwater that comes in tiny bottle-shaped wax containers. Twilight snaps and fights with Alchemist for taunting him. Later, we see that Twilight drank all the Nips and is passed out from his sugar binge. The Alchemist asks Orpheus if he really thought that a bunch of middle-aged guys were honestly going to take this whole 'superhero team thing' seriously, and continues that being magic superheroes who keep chasing the same guy "...is completely gay! And that is coming from a guy that voluntarily has sex with men!" Disappointed, Orpheus says that he'd hoped they would, but is interrupted by an alarm from his brooch, which tells him that great destruction and death is coming. Orpheus assumes that the Alchemist isn't interested, but Alchemist tells him that this is the kind of thing he is interested in. Enthused, both he and The Alchemist (as well as Nien Nunb, whom they conjured from a Star Wars trading card) prepare to intervene along with the still-unconscious Jefferson.

At the Monarch's cocoon, the wedding is about to begin. #21 and Hank argue over the contents of #21's closet, which #21 insists are collectibles, but Hank dismisses as toys. After playing around with some of #21's stuff, #21 lets Hank borrow an old-school henchman costume for the wedding (which is attended by mostly supervillains, necessitating an appropriate costume for Hank). Hank also puts on a fake goatee, and jokes around by pretending to be a minor Russian villain. The weak disguise proves useful, as he ends up seated next to Sergeant Hatred, whom Hank remembers "bad-touched him." Tired of Dean's pestering, #24 suggests to Dean that he go "exploring" to the engine room, but warns him not to touch anything. While Dean is outside the engine room door, however, it opens and a henchman enjoins Dean to deliver an urgent report to the Monarch: the radar indicates numerous helicopters are en route. However, Dean sees something interesting and heads into the engine room.

As the wedding begins, David Bowie arrives to give away Dr. Girlfriend (after some threats exchanged with Brock, who apparently has a past with Bowie). Dr. Killinger performs the ceremony, but just before the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend can say "I do", Guild of Calamitous Intent helicopters surround the cocoon and Phantom Limb appears on the com monitor. In violation of direct orders from Sovereign, he announces that if the Monarch doesn't hand over Dr. Girlfriend in 5 minutes, he will destroy the Cocoon...and all inside.

Cultural references

This article may contain minor, trivial or unrelated fictional references. Trivia or references unimportant to the overall plot of a work of fiction should be edited to explain their importance or deleted.

• The Monarch says "...and make a lamp shade from the flesh of Brock Samson!" a reference to Ed Gein a serial killer made a lamp shade out of one of his victims
• Brock calls 21 "Chunk" an allusion to the movie the Goonies's character.
• After obtaining the "all seeing orb", The Alchemist holds it up to his face and says that he is a member of The Residents, referencing that group's frequent use of giant eyeball masks to conceal their identities.
• Hank takes the vandyke beard from a vintage toy called "Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces". This toy was a doll of a bald blue-eyed Caucasian man that came with an assortment of beards, mustaches, hairpieces and a pair of glasses that could be applied in different combinations. Part of the advertising for the toy was that children could also wear the beards and mustaches for their own "disguises". 21 calls Hank "the Mirror, Mirror version of Hank," or "Evil Hank," an apparent reference to the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror" where an evil version of Mr. Spock has a beard.
• David Bowie (voice impersonated by James Urbaniak) appears in this episode (after being referenced several times) along with Klaus Nomi and Iggy Pop.
• Bowie's line "I know when to go out" is the opening line to his song "Modern Love."
• Dr. Venture recites two consecutive lines from "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield. This recitation is directly referred to by the Monarch.
• Brock kills the henchmen with a jawbone; this is an allusion the the Biblical Hero Samson (for whom Brock is named), who killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass (Judges 15:15).
  • Brock also mentions in Mid-life Chrysalis that he'd rip off an alligator's jaw to use as a boomerang while studying for his O.S.I. exam with Dean.
• The tattoo that Brock is getting is the famous Led zeppelin Icarus logo.

Connections to other episodes

• Almost all of the Monarch's cellmates from "Powerless in the Face of Death", as well as Tiny Attorney (first seen in "The Trial of the Monarch"), return to be shot down and killed by Phantom Limb so as to intimidate the Monarch. The roster of killed villains does not include King Gorilla, however, hinting that he may return in Season 3.
• Brock's statement to Hank that Dean is, "Probably sitting down torturing Monstroso with Snapple Facts," may be a reference to an incident in which Dean directly quoted a Snapple Fact about penguins to Triana Orpheus during a discussion about his education.
• Sergeant Hatred, previously mentioned in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" and "Hate Floats" and briefly seen in the background of "Fallen Arches", has his first speaking role in this episode. Hank also makes a reference to a comment in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" in which he claims Sergeant Hatred has molested the Venture boys.
• Truckules, mentioned by The Monarch in a deleted scene from "The Trial of the Monarch," again by Dr. Girlfriend in "Hate Floats" and seen with Sgt. Hatred in "Fallen Arches", has his first speaking role as well.
• Dr. Killinger returns in this episode to finish off his original goal - getting Monarch & Doctor Girlfriend together again - by performing the wedding.
• David Bowie, previously mentioned in "The Incredible Mr. Brisby", is another character to make his first speaking part - albeit with an impersonated voice.
• Dr. Girlfriend's Moppets also return in this episode.
• The events Dr. Venture talks about with Dr. Girlfriend took place in "Mid-Life Chrysalis".
• Sgt. Hatred mentions that he sees monitors from his Hover-Tank at the wedding. In "Hate Floats", #21 and #24 mention that they repaired the cocoon with parts from Sgt. Hatred's Hover-Tank.
• We see the return of #21's Memorabilia cupboard, first found in "Hate Floats". Hank finally demonstrates to him that the various pieces of Fan collectibles inside can be used as toys after all.
• We are reminded of Brock's affection for the "Icarus" logo from Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records when he decides to have it tattooed to his upper arm. The tattoo remains unfinished (wing-less) because of the surprise attack by the Monarch's henchmen.
• Almost all of the Villains seen in "Fallen Arches" and "Tag Sale – You're It!" appear as part of the wedding reception.
• Dr. Jonas Venture Sr. has a brief cameo; his voice is used in #24's 'Dr Venture & Rusty' alarm clock, saying "Hello, Rusty - It's Time to Get Up!", as he had in "Careers in Science".
• The old henchman suit given to Hank by #21 is the costume used by the Monarch's henchmen in the pilot episode of The Venture Bros., "The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay".

Production notes

• The episode was very close to missing the Sunday broadcast as the plane carrying the videotape was struck by lightning, forcing it to be diverted to another airport. In addition, the episode did not premiere on the Adult Swim Fix on Friday as it was not delivered in time for conversion and posting, making it the only episode of the second season not to be shown on the Fix before airing on television. Shortly after its premiere, the episode was added to the Fix.
• This is the only episode of The Venture Bros. to be split into two parts; as a result, it has no end credits. The salient credits roll during the first scene after the opening titles instead.
• Cremation Creek is an actual part of the Grand Canyon, which is where the Monarch's cocoon lair is located.

References

1. Episode "Powerless in the Face of Death"
2. Episode "Eeney, Meeney, Miney... Magic!"
3. ^ Episode "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills"
4. ^ Episode "Hate Floats"
5. ^ Episode "Fallen Arches"
6. ^ Episode "Mid-Life Chrysalis"
7. Episode "Tag Sale – You're It!"
8. Episode "Careers in Science"
9. Episode "The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay"
10. urbaniak: Everything You Aways Wanted to Know About Urbaniak But Didn't Care to Ask
11. Re: WE'RE BEING SCREWED OVER!!! - Comedy Discussion - Adult Swim
12. Grand Canyon 100 II

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