Martin Mystery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Martin Mystery | |
|---|---|
| Format | Animated series |
| Created by | Alfredo Castelli Stephane Berry |
| Starring | Samuel Vincent Kelly Sheridan Dale Wilson Teryl Rothery |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 66 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 22 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Marathon Production |
| Original airing | Canada October 1, 2003- present; United States 2005- 2007 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Martin Mystery is an animated television series by Marathon Production. It is based on the Italian comic, Martin Mystère.
The series reimagines the title character Martin Mystery and his step-sister Diana Lombard (after Martin's mother's death, Martin's father married Diana's mom) as 16-year-olds attending Torrington Academy, a high school in Sherbrooke, Quebec. They work for the covert organization "The Center", which secretly protects the people of Earth from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats. Not everyone who works for the organization is human. The short and green-skinned Billy is one of Martin's best friends. Java works as a janitor of Diana and Martin's school and is a caveman from 200,000 years ago. As far as "The Center" is concerned, Martin's vast knowledge of the supernatural and his remarkable intuition compensate for his poor personal hygiene and huge ego. Diana resents these qualities at times, as Martin often does not seem to understand the seriousness of his missions, but generally loves him like any real brother. In a small twist of irony, Diana and Martin are lovers in the original comics version, and not siblings.
Diana is prone to many of the missions' scarier moments and often becomes a victim that Martin has to rescue, much to her chagrin. Together they form an excellent mystery solving team at the same time full of horrors and dangers.
Contents |
[edit] Broadcast
Martin Mystery had been aired in Canada on YTV and Discovery Kids in English and on VRAK.TV in French since 2004. In May 2005, Nickelodeon and NickToons Network began to air Martin Mystery as well, Nickelodeon removed Martin Mystery from their line up in August 2005. It is also seen on MBC 3 & ART Teenz channels nowadays but in Arabic (with the voice talents of "Mariam El Khesht" as "Diana Lombard" & "Mo'awad Ismail" as "Martin"). Martin Mystery began airing on Disney Channel on 2004 on its weekday afternoon line up. It was temporarily replaced by Sabrina, the Animated Series and was returned on the line up. Its airing schedule was changed from Monday to Friday to Thursday and Friday as The Emperor's New School airs from Monday to Wednesday. This January, it was totally removed from the weekday line up. It currently airs on Disney Channel Asia every weekend mornings and now also weekday aftertoons right after Totally Spies.
The show is produced by Marathon Production (a French television production company based in Paris), which also produces Totally Spies and Team Galaxy. Like Totally Spies, Martin Mystery takes on a style reminiscent of Japanese anime, although it is produced in Europe. Boys resembling Martin and rival Marvin, and Diana have appeared as cameos in Totally Spies in its episode "Super Agent Much?" and many others. Martin guest starred in the 2007 "Totally Spies" episode "Totally Mystery Much?" which had him team up with the spies to investigate Yeti sightings. The only other Martin Mystery character to appear in this "Totally Spies" episode was M.O.M.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Monsters
[edit] Martin's U-Watch
Martin Mystery, who is very much the leader of the trio, carries a high-tech device called the U-Watch. This is a piece of equipment that is an essential part on their missions, and is also the way they are usually paged to the Center. Marvin also wears one. The primary functions are:
- Legendex: a database of every monster, curse, creature, and event worthy of note known to The Center.
- Slime Scan: analyzes slime samples if it is of unknown origin. This is arguably the function most utilized by Martin.
- Bio Scan: analyzes any biological residue and sends information on The Center's database. Billy's pod can also perform a bio scan (as seen in the episode "Curse of the Hole Creature").
- X-Rod: fires a net or an energy field to capture a creature. It can also extend into a quarterstaff (like Sun Wukong's staff) for melee combat.
- I-Cutter: creates an energy blade that cuts through walls, locks, and doors; it has also been shown to shoot concentrated "laser blasts" on occasion. Like the X-Rod, it is the only other weapon capable of actual melee or ranged fighting.
- Virtual Tracer: has a GPS system that can be used to track down people or objects.
- Turbo Bungee: a grappling hook that enables the wearer to escape from confined spaces.
- Alpha Goggles: a pair of glasses with internal light beams mounted at the rims, perfect for viewing in enclosed or dark locations.
- U-Shield: generates a force field that can cover the area of an entire room. It also acts as an air supply for limited durations underwater (but only for an amount of time).
- Phone-Number Search Mode: the U-Watch's A.I. responds with an address and name when the user states a phone-number.
It should be noted that the 'unofficial' functions include an internal flashlight, communications device, and even a laser/blaster function which is really rarely used. On one occasion, it's shown that the U-Watch has a slot for what looks like memory cards, and allows it to run additional programs from them (this is seen in the "Curse of the Necklace" episode before Martin heads into the portal for his mission. He gains the ability to detect "dead zones" and uses it shortly after). Interestingly enough, it has never been verified that the U-Watch actually tells the time.
- Laser Gun: shoots out lasers with the touch of one button.
[edit] Ultra U-Watch
M.O.M. wears her own U-Watch, the 'Ultra U-Watch' which is additionally capable of opening portals. More experienced agents also possess the Ultra U-Watch. It is superior to the standard U-Watch in every way as it possesses more features, such as Ultra Concentrated Sunbeam and Ultra Legendex. This U-Watch is also different in appearance: it is brownish-red as compared to the all green look of the standard U-Watch.
- Ultra Concentrated Sunbeam: The U-Watch emits a powerful beam of light which is hot enough to melt objects
- Center Vehicle: Summons a Center SUV for transportation
- X-Goggles: A device used to see in the dark
- Portal : Is capable of opening and closing portals
- Ultra Legendex: An encyclopedia of every monster or legend known to the Center
- Hologram: A device that projects images
[edit] Episode Guide
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- The giant venus fly trap in "Movie Monster Mayhem" also has an appearance as Java's gift for Billy in "They Came from Outer Space: Part One" and in M.O.M's office in "Shriek from Beyond".
- Diana's favorite comfort food is poached salmon.
- In Diana's nightmare, an evil alarm clock walks out of the mist although there was never an evil alarm clock in the part when she wakes up saying she had a dream about going to Australia.
- In 1980s Martin Mistery comic books Diana is his fiance, Martin is an archeologist who discovered the Agarthy underworl, his old friend is Dylan Dog
- Martin is actually the senior adviser of the Psi Psi Psi sorority.
- Although Martin's outfits always include a red top with yellow flames, his favorite color is actually orange.
- In Martin's nightmare M.O.M fires him and her mouth turns parasitic
- Number of times Jenni expressed interest in Martin: 5
- M.O.M's office doubles as a nightclub, and she has been described as "a real party animal".
- A boy crushed by rubble in "Shriek from Beyond" looks an awful lot like Marvin
- In an episode where Martin and the group go investigate the paranormal in Oregon, all the townsfolk are pictured as stereotypical southern hillbillies, despite Colorado's being a northern state and one of the closer states to Canada. Some have interpreted this as the company's view on Americans in general.
- Before M.O.M worked for the Center, she used to drive an ice cream truck.
- "Code 7-5-9-2" brings M.O.M's office into full lockdown.
- The Center SUVs that appear in the show resemble a 1998-2003 Dodge Durango and a 2003 Hummer H2
- The Episode "Haunting Of The Blackwater" makes several references to the 1977 Stephen King novel, The Shining.
- The Center once had Martin reanimate a tomb of dead mummies mentioned in the episode, "Return of the Beast."
- While Java is a caveman, he has adapted to a modern lifestyle, except for his unremitting fear of technology and his unbearably smelly foot problem, which probably stems from his feet's lack of ventilation, as cavemen didn't wear shoes. In addition, he does not wear socks with his shoes. It is often noted that Diana is grossed out by the stench, and must wear a respirator to protect herself whenever Java takes off his shoes, because the smell is just too overwhelming. However, this odor may be caused from Java's lack of hygiene.
- In the episode "Rage of the Leprechaun," Martin mentions the Lucky Charms cereal mascot.
- In the first episode, It Came From the Bog, a subtle reference to the Metal Gear Solid series is made. As Martin, Java, and Diana leave M.O.M's room to go on the mission she states "Now I must save Agent Anaconda from the reptile-dispatching cyborg", a reference to Snake and one of the bosses.
- Martin, in most of the episodes during the first season, wore a black long-sleeve undershirt.
- During the trash compactor scene in "They Lurk Beneath", the intergalactic trash monster mentioned by Martin is a parody of the dianoga from Star Wars: A New Hope
- The Episode "Zombie Island" Is an obvious parody of Fantasy Island.
- Martin Mystery has appeared in Nicktoons attack of the Toybots for the DS
- In the episode "The House of Zombies", Martin, Diana, Billy, and M.O.M find a cabin that looks like the one in the 1987 film called The Evil Dead 2. Also as in the movie, Martin locks M.O.M in the cellar when she gets possessed, and the forest comes to life.
- Initial episodes of X-files bear remarkable resemblance to Martin Mistery comic books
