Nergal (Billy and Mandy)
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Nergal is a recurring character in Cartoon Network's animated television series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. He is probably named after Nergal, the Babylonian god of the underworld. Nergal was voiced by David Warner in the first episodes, but he is currently voiced by Martin Jarvis.
[edit] Biography
Arch-nemesis to Billy, Mandy, and Grim, he is a sinister mutant creature who lives in the center of the Earth. He is an all-black supernatural being with yellow eyes, a green mouth, green teeth, and green organs, all of which glow. Among his powers are electrified tentacles (occasionally snake heads) that sprout from the back of his head, the ability to make objects rise up and break through the Earth's surface, and control over miniature versions of himself called "Nerglings".
Nergal is generally considered something of a loser (as seen in The Loser from the Earth's Core) and he often becomes histrionic over his failings. He is very lonely because he is alone in his home in the center of the earth. He is desperate in his attempts to make friends, and he has resorted to kidnapping Billy and Mandy (Fiend Is Like Friend Without "R"), raising a carnival from the center of the Earth (Something Stupid This Way Comes), and seducing Billy's aunt Sis, who was also lonely and desperate as him (Love is Evol Spelled Backwards).
In Love is Evol Spelled Backwards he succeeded in attempts to impress Billy's aunt. He ends up marrying Billy's aunt (thus becoming Billy's uncle). They have a son named Nergal Junior and live in Nergals's home in the center of the Earth. His son is also lonely like he was and he tries to find friends.
Nergal also appears in a new episode, "Nergal's Pizza", as a pizza baker.
[edit] Trivia
- Nergal's name is also that of an ancient Babylonian death god. It is also somewhat similar to Nurgle, one of the four major Chaos gods of the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy universes.
- Nergal's "nergling" clones are probably a reference to Zerglings. It is also similar to "nurglings", tiny, mischievous demons, resembling a miniaturized version of Nurgle himself[citation needed].
- In Love is Evol Spelled Backwards, Billy mistook Nergal for Tony Curtis and in the Portuguese dub for Brad Pitt.
- In the episode Something Stupid This Way Comes, Nergal raising a carnival from the center of the Earth is a parody of the opening cutscene of the arcade game CarnEvil, which itself is a reference to the film Something Wicked This Way Comes.
- Nergal's black complexion is possibly soot from living in the Earth's core, as in the episode Something Stupid This Way Comes, he washed it off in the shower. However, this could have equally been a joke.
- Nergal appears in the game as a playable character.
