Throttle (Biker Mice From Mars character)
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Throttle is one of the three principal (and eponymous) characters - the others being Vinnie and Modo - of the American cartoon series Biker Mice From Mars. He is a humanoid mouse, and a member of the Freedom Fighters organisation committed to liberating Mars from domination by the fish-like Plutarkians, and later the humanoid cat Catatonians. Throughout the three Biker Mice spend most of their time on Earth, initially after being shot down by a Plutarkian warship, and later returning to the planet on a special mission to recover equipment vital to the survival of the Martian population.
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[edit] Character, background and appearance
[edit] Physical appearance
Like the other mice in the series, Throttle is a humanoid Martian Cave Mouse. 23 at the start of the first series, Throttle is 6ft 4, and weighs 260lbs.
He is brown/tan furred, with red eyes, is generally considered the most handsome of the Biker Mice (‘the bros’) and has a very well developed physique.
In the new series he has been re-drawn as significantly less muscular, a decision which has received a mixed reaction from fans of the ‘classic’ series.
[edit] Dress
Throttle’s habitual dress throughout all four seasons consists of close-fitting blue trousers, black motorcycle boots, a red bandanna around his neck, and a black leather sleeveless jacket. In the new series he wears a single green bandoleer across his chest and under the jacket. In the episode Hard Rock, a flashback to the Martian Wars of Liberation shows him dressed in a dark green sleeveless jacket with brown trousers and boots and a turquoise headband. In Once Upon A Time On Mars, set during the Wars and before the mice came to Earth, he is dressed in similar clothing, with various military equipment on belts and bandoleers.
[edit] Throttle’s shades
All three of the mice have distinctive injuries as a result of the Wars of Liberation. In Throttle’s case, he was blinded in a missile strike (as documented in Once Upon A Time On Mars), and his eyes were replaced by a bionic pair as an experiment by the Plutarkian-employed scientist Dr Karbunkle. Their operation is, however, at best erratic and as a result he almost constantly wears a pair of green shades with polarised lenses which serve to rectify this problem.
[edit] Background
Throttle’s background is something of a mystery. Apart from a couple of brief references to his mother – which tell the audience little more than that she existed – nothing is known of his family. The use of the term "bros" by the Biker Mice to refer to themselves is purely a symbol of camaraderie; there is no evidence that they are in any way related. From his late teens Throttle was being groomed to take a leading role in the Freedom Fighters. This group was formed by the legendary mouse Stoker in response to the corruption of the Martian government and ineffectiveness of the Martian Army that had allowed the Plutarkians to gain the upper hand. Stoker became mentor to Throttle, Modo and Vinnie, and it is he who trained Throttle for his leading role. Although in the classic series Throttle's role as leader of the Biker Mice appears to be fairly informal, in the new series he carries the rank of Commander, and was briefly (in Break Up) promoted to One Star General. Nothing is known of Throttle’s life before his time in the Freedom Fighters.
[edit] Character
A quiet, thoughtful type – as encapsulated in his distinctive, soft, quietly authoritative voice - Throttle can tend towards being sombre, probably at least to an extent as a result of his experiences in the Wars of Liberation and the cares placed on his shoulders as a Martian leader in them. He, however, is equally as enthusiastic in combat as his fellow Martians, and easily holds his own in the wise-cracks and wry observations that characterise the mice’s conversation, and is even on occasion prepared to resort to excruciating puns (“It appears to be unani-mouse!”, Bleu Cheese Bros). Although the dedication to the Martian cause of all three bros is beyond question, Throttle’s commitment is such that he is prepared to put duty before all other considerations.
[edit] Equipment
[edit] Throttle's bike
Given the title of the series, it is inevitable that the mice's bikes feature prominently. In the original series, Throttle's black bike resembles a classic Harley Davidson, fitted with all the usual refinements of the Freedom Fighters’ favourite mode of transport. These include lasers, rocket motors allowing very high speed or even sort bursts of low altitude flight, a tail-mounted grappling hook, and artificial intelligence. This last feature, common to all the bikes, allows it to come when whistled for, respond to commands when Throttle is not actually riding it (as in Road Ravens, amongst other incidents), and even operate independently for self-defence and other purposes. Controversially amongst fans of the classic series, in the new series Throttle rides a green bike, although its design is essentially the same as it’s predecessor. There is a belief circulating that Throttle's bike is called "Lady"; this is a myth, originating with a single throwaway line in Road Ravens, where Throttle refers to his bike as "a real lady".
[edit] Weapons
A distinctive feature of Throttle's dress is the pistol he carries in a holster slung, gunfighter-style, at his hip. His principal weapons, however, are his "Nuke Knucks". These are a series of small ovals on Throttle’s right glove (and, in the new series, on his left as well). They project an energy field around his fist, which substantially increases the force of his punch, and can also be used to shoot pulses of energy (a feature used more frequently in the new series than before). They were created for him by the Freedom Fighter’s mechanic on Mars, Harley.
[edit] Relationship with Carbine
At some point in the past Throttle met and fell in love with a Martian Army officer by the name of Carbine. Their relationship has proved a long and rocky one. They got off to a bad start, thanks to the mutual antagonism between the Army and the Freedom Fighters, with the young lovers caught in the middle. The Wars placed a great strain on the couple, not least because the pair were both determined to place their duty over personal matters. This could extend even to placing their duty above the life of their partner.
For example, when the Biker Mice were captured by the Plutarkians (and apparently imprisoned away from Mars, possibly on Plutark) it seemed as if Throttle and Carbine would be separated for good. However, when the mice were able to return home with arch-villain Lawrence Limburger as their prisoner (Back to Mars), they found that Plutarkian propaganda had convinced the Martian authorities that the bros had turned traitor. Although she may have had her personal doubts, Carbine could not take the risk of ignoring the accusations and was quite prepared to have Throttle (and Vinnie and Modo) arrested, and would have had them executed if events had not allowed them to prove their innocence.
Although the Wars against Plutark were ultimately won, the power vacuum their defeat left was quickly filled by the Catatonians, so war continues to keep the two mice apart into the new series, a situation that looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.
[edit] References
‘From Mars’
Official Website
Biker Mice From Mars Episodes: Road Ravens (1993); Hard Rock (1994); Back to Mars Parts 1 -3 (1994); Break Up (2006).
