Power Tom

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"Power Tom" is the forty-second sub-episode of Tom and Jerry Tales.

[edit] Synopsis

In Tom's fantasy, Tom, who is dressed in a superhero suit as Power Tom, is flying around the city saving people and performing great deeds of heroism and strength, such as stopping crooks and saving a helpless victim (mailman) from an angry dog, and is given a huge parade afterwards....

...until Mrs. Two-Shoes rouses him from his nap, calling him a "lazy good-for-nothing", asks him "Oh, why don't you do something constructive, like catch that blasted mouse!?" and wonders aloud whatever possessed her to get a cat to begin with: "Why I even have a cat sure beats me. Well I'm off to do some shopping. Be back later tonight." As she leaves to go shopping, slamming the door and breaking her picture in the process, Tom ignores her statements and returns back to sleep. While sleeping, Jerry enters with popcorn, ready to eat and turns on the TV, interrupting Tom's sleep. He wakes up and turns off the TV. Jerry becomes peeved and takes his popcorn out on Tom. Tom recovers himself and gives chase. They head outside in the yard, completely hidden on a carving of a snail where Tom desperately tries to hunt him down. He finds him and then, Jerry triggers a secret lever (which is a snail tentacle) and activates a secret hideout. He hesitates from the hole and dives down without a second chance as Tom stalks him.

The duo discover themselves in an underground lair or laboratory. Tom slides down a pole and finds himself in a silly pink outfit and a utility belt. Looking embarrassed at his reflection in the mirror, Jerry is laughing at Tom's misfortune. He is about to pound Jerry with an electrical whip for giggling when a call comes in for a person known as 'Power Gal' about a robbery in progress at the Quimby District downtown. The computer downloads the coordinates to the Quimby District to the GPS (utility belt) and also, displays for Tom the activation word for Power Gal's gadgets: 'Cucamonga'. He whispers the word to himself and the suit suddenly activates. He flies into the night, along with Jerry, hanging on to his tail.

Three quite literal cat burglars are robbing million dollar bags from a bank when Tom stops them. The 3 cat robbers laugh at Tom's girly stature and take him less than seriously in his ridiculous pink suit. Tom tries to fulfill his objective by thwarting their bank robbery but one of the burglars abuses him gleefully with a bag and breaks all of his teeth. Meanwhile, they stopped Jerry trying to help Tom out as they continuously torture the fallen hero. They spin him around into the inside of a regular bin. "And don't forget your stamp!" One of them violently stamps Tom's tail and throws Jerry along with Tom in the bin as well. However, as the three bad cats make their way with their reward, the real 'Power Gal' shows up (completely faceless on screen), surprising the 3 cat burglars and deals out swift and brutal justice by grabbing 3 of their tails and throwing them in a dumpster bin. She shreds back Tom's girly pink superhero suit and flies off, yelling in the distance: "CUCAMONGA!!" As Tom & Jerry managed to get out of the bin and watch the real 'Power Gal' takes off, the 3 cat burglars were about to gang up on the duo but gets stopped by a police force. The duo sneak away and make a break for it behind the bank and out of the police's sight.

At home, Tom & Jerry were tired & exhausted from their objective. They relax themselves by turning on the TV and resting on the couch. Jerry hears the front door open and hides inside a cushion as Mrs. Two-Shoes steps in from her shopping: "Still on the couch, huh, Thomas?" While on her way to her bedroom, she stops and listens to a news report of a 'mysterious cat & mouse duo' who helped 'Power Gal' thwart a bank robbery. Jerry pops out of his cushion and looks at Tom, smiling with excitement as they hit the highlights. Mrs. Two-Shoes then asks Tom why he can't be more like that brave cat once in a while. She walks upstairs, magically changing her boots to the colour pink. The duo both stare at her and at each other confusingly and find out that the real 'Power Gal' is Mrs. Two-Shoes.

The cartoon ends with Jerry winking at the screen (literally breaking the fourth wall) with the circle iris closing in.

[edit] Notes

  • Power Tom was written by Charles Schneider.
  • The Quimby District is named for Fred Quimby, MGM's producer in its heyday.
  • The town of Cucamonga is a long-running gag in the TV and radio business; it was most notably the last stop uttered by Mel Blanc as his train conductor character in the Jack Benny radio show (Blanc's version stresses the first syllable and pauses, Tom does not).
  • Butch has a new voice beginning in this short.
  • The setting in Tom's fantasy (the full view and layout of the city and the dark red sky) is subsequently similar to a classic TV Show called Batman: The Animated Series.
  • The superhero outfit (with the abbreviated 'T') entirely is a similar reference to Superman.

[edit] Goofs/Nitpicks

  • Power Girl's costume fits Tom very well, though Mrs. Two-Shoes is a rather large lady.