The Mantis-Eye Experiment

Summary

Hank and Dean celebrate their 16th birthday with a trip to the mall. However their celebration is cut short by the Monarch, now back to his old ways, while he executes 'Operation: Get Back Dr. Girlfriend'. After the ordeal, Brock is injured and he and Phantom Limb must form an uneasy alliance against a common enemy if they ever want to see their loved ones again.

Capsule

It's a lovely spring day, uh, somewhere. At a quaint little house a phone rings and a mother's loving and shrill voice yells "Gary, phone!" It's the home of Monarch Henchman #21! He answers the phone and it's 24. A ring on call waiting shortly after reveals none other than the Monarch! And now we're on three-way calling:

HENCHMAN 21
Dude, it's the Monarch.

HENCHMAN 24
Hey boss. How's prison?

THE MONARCH
Well I'm out. No thanks to you schmucks! Guess where I am now?

HENCHMAN 21
At a good friend's house?

HENCHMAN 24
[at the same time] At a Best Western?

THE MONARCH
I am sitting in the charred remains of my once mighty flying cocoon. Anyone... wanna explain to me why my cocoon is charred?

HENCHMAN 24
Because you told us to destroy the cocoon?

[the camera spins 90 degrees]

THE MONARCH
And why it is sideways?!

HENCHMAN 21
We were following orders! You can't yell at us for following orders!

HENCHMAN 24
Or kill us for following orders.

THE MONARCH
[sighs] Never mind. Just... summon the others, and get over here.

HENCHMAN 24
Uhh, there are no others.

HENCHMAN 21
Yeah, most of them joined up with Monstroso's crew when he went inside. And we kinda lost touch after that.

THE MONARCH
[inhales] I'm not gonna lose my temper. Alright, here's what is going to happen. I'm going to take a shower in what is left of my bathroom. When I get out I expect you to be here. And I expect this cocoon to be fully manned and fully operational!

The Monarch slams the phone down and attempts to crawl up the floor, which is now more of a wall. However he loses his grip and falls onto a door, which opens and drops him down a very long hallway.

24 tells 21 to be outside by five so he can pick him up. 21 hangs up and begins to hum the Mars movement from Holst's The Planets Suite while pretending he has Batman-esq security when in reality he keeps his costume on a hanger in his closet. I really can't convey the scene in text so you'll just have to be sad you're not watching it right now.

At the end of this 24 arrives, humming the same song and beeping his horn. 21 gets into the car and they get to a very dynamic and epic portion of the movement when 24's dog jumps into the backseat, much to their disdain (this entire sequence is very funny, and I apologize profusely for how unfunny it sounds by writing it... seriously go watch the damned episode!).

Roll shortened opening credits (which now include Hank & Dean).

At the Venture Compound Dr. Venture and Brock are waiting in Hank & Dean's room with party hats. A recording is playing in Hank & Dean's learning beds, which are closed. Dr. Venture gets bored and pulls out the card and the recording stops and the beds slide open revealing very much alive and not pink Hank & Dean (in their usual pajama gear).

Brock and Dr. Venture wish the boys happy birthday and Hank pushes Dean's face away and blows out the candle on the cake. Brock gives them ID cards that are burned up and Hank questions the date on the card (it doesn't match up with his age), but Dr. Venture tells him to shut up and they have a big day ahead.

Meanwhile 24 and 21 are at an inner city basketball court attempting to recruit new henchmen. 24 is not dressed in his henching gear, however, and 21 gives 24 a sales pitch for being a henchman as if they were strangers:

HENCHMAN 24
But I could never be a henchman. I am just a normal guy between the age of eighteen and thirty, a loner, and lacks ties to friends and family.

[a crowd of THUGS starts to gather]

HENCHMAN 21
You, stranger, are the perfect candidate for costumed aggression.

THUG
Yo, fat boy. We get to carry a piece?

HENCHMAN 21
But of course! Your standard grade one henchman in service of the mighty Monarch is issued a dart gun and a grappling cannon. To name only a few of the exciting accoutrements that will aid the henchman in his wondrous world of career henching.

ANOTHER THUG
Hey what kinda ride we get?

HENCHMAN 21
How does an enormous flying cocoon sound to you?

HENCHMAN 24
Wow, a flying cocoon? I can already feel my life getting better!

Monarch spinning logo!

At the sideways cocoon the Monarch walks down the wall after his apparently sideways shower when it becomes a wall again and he falls to the ground as the cocoon is turned right side up. He peeks into the control room, which is stuffed with thugs dressed as henchmen.

THE MONARCH
Are we floating?

HENCHMAN 21
Hey boss!

HENCHMAN 24
[at the same time] Welcome back!

THE MONARCH
You actually did what I told you?

HENCHMAN 21
Oh yeah, we are up and running. The new guys stole some parts from Sargent Hatred's hover tank, which is cool, but broken now. So there's a couple of issues.

HENCHMAN 24
Let me do this. You know that 21 and I have been working with you for, like, ever, right? And we think it's uh, about time we were given new numbers. Like one and two.

HENCHMAN 21
Or two and one.

THE MONARCH
Fine, whatever.

HENCHMAN 21
Oh yeah, like it's that easy. No, listen to this. [yells] Henchman 28! Front and center!

THUG HENCHMAN 28
You want me? You roll your big ass over here! And I done told you, my name is number one!

THE MONARCH
I like that! Shows initiative! Seems like you collected the perfect team of go-getters to carry out my brilliant new plan. Operation get back Dr. Girlfriend! Number one, it's time you met your leader! The Monar- oh what the fuck!?

[NUMBER 1 steps forward to reveal he's wearing the Monarch's crown]

THE MONARCH
Get that off your head!

HENCHMAN 21
[sniffs] I smell weed.

Meanwhile Dr. Venture and Dean are in a department store. Dr. Venture tells Dean he's very excited and asks a saleslady for a 'speedsuit'. Which turns out to be a short-sleeved jumpsuit. Only you have to call it a speedsuit because Dr. Venture says so.

Outside the same mall Dr. Girlfriend and Phantom Limb exit his car. The cocoon floats ominously behind them. Dr. Girlfriend stops and looks behind her, but the cocoon quickly flies behind some convenient trees. Phantom Limb asks her if something is wrong, but she only sighs and says she thought she forgot something. Phantom Limb sets his car alarm.

Back at the department store Dean is now wearing his brand new red speedsuit and comments he looks like Santa's magic janitor. Dr. Venture gives Dean some embarrassing tips on how to fit a speedsuit properly (while touching and commenting on the butt and crotch areas of course) when the sales lady walks over to them. Dr. Venture tells her that it's a purchase and Dean will be wearing it home, so no need to wrap it up! Hooray!

Meanwhile Dr. Girlfriend and Phantom Limb are in the kitchen section where Phantom Limb is aflutter about various utensils he will have to purchase for an upcoming dinner party. Dr. Girlfriend is less than excited and goes to get a nosh (who knew she was Jewish?).

Hank and Brock are in the hardware section where Brock is purchasing a new caulk gun since Hank broke his old one. Hank throws a boxed Nerd football at Brock, who catches it and tells Hank to go long. Hank does but Brock's pass hits one of the Monarch thugs in the head. Hank apologizes and runs back to Brock, though not before 24 recognizes Hank.

At the food court Dr. Girlfriend is purchasing a cinnamon bun when the Monarch find her and says hi:

DR. GIRLFRIEND
What, are you gonna pretend that we just accidently ran into each other now? You know, do that 'fancy meeting you here!' routine?!

THE MONARCH
Uh, no? I guess-

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Could it be that you were tailing me in a gigantic floating cocoon? By the way, tell 24 that the cloak mode doesn't work in fourth gear.

THE MONARCH
See? We need you! Come back!

[They sit]

THE MONARCH
Everything is crazy. The henchmen cry themselves to sleep at night. I think the cocoon is probably really- busted, I don't know. I can't even tell. There's, there's just so many buttons. [he gets shaken up] So many buttons!

DR. GIRLFRIEND
[sighs] Cut to the chase, Monarch.

THE MONARCH
Don't you want to console me?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Why do you want me back? Because your tree fort is falling apart, or because you love me?

THE MONARCH
Because I- love. You. Because, because when I used to lay my world-worn brow on your perfect breasts and feel the phlegmy rumble of your as you told me [deepens voice slightly] 'this is heaven', I believed you.

DR. GIRLFRIEND
You can't do that. When you threw me out I was devastated. I would have come home if you asked me to, yes I'm that stupid. But you didn't. You called me a whore and you went back to your 'I'll get you Dr. Venture' shenanigans.

HENCHMAN 24
[in THE MONARCH's earpiece] Boss? Boss!

THE MONARCH
What do you want?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
I want you to grow up! But it's a little late now. I've found another.

HENCHMAN 24
Boss, code blue! You'll never guess who just walked in!

THE MONARCH
Who?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
You know damn well I'm staying with Phantom Limb.

HENCHMAN 24
Dr. Venture.

THE MONARCH
Holy crap!

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Do you actually expect me to wait around?

THE MONARCH
Move in!!

DR. GIRLFRIEND
What?

HENCHMAN 24
[at the same time] What?

THE MONARCH
Uhh, move in with me!

HENCHMAN 24
What, do you want me to share the bedroom with you?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Move in with you?

THE MONARCH
No, don't be an a-hole! I was talking to- [realizes] ah heh heh. I was talking-

DR. GIRLFRIEND
You were talking to who? To your henchmen. I don't believe I was falling for this! You haven't changed at all, let me tell you something about Phantom Limb. He's an animal-

She trails off and we cut to the cocoon where 21 and the Monarch thugs are listening in on the conversation since the line is open. Dr. Girlfriend, meanwhile, gets up and leaves, but the Monarch grabs with her and pleads for her to stay and talk more.

Just then Phantom Limb shows up, quite angry. The Monarch darts Dr. Girlfriend in the neck and attempts to do the same to Phantom Limb, but he deflects the attempts. The Monarch instead grabs Dr. Girlfriend and makes a flying escape.

Dr. Venture, Brock and the boys meanwhile are getting ready to leave. Hank notes that Dean looks like the mayor of Candyland. Just then they are surrounded by Monarch henchmen. Brock quickly pushes the boys back, though all they end up doing is falling down the escalator.

The Monarch, still flying, has an inner monolog on how much he loves Dr. Girlfriend, even though she is unconscious.

Back by the escalators Brock shoves his new caulk gun into the gut of a hefty thug and fires it, causing caulk to come out of his mouth and eyes (gross). Dr. Venture meanwhile gets punched very hard in the face. He crawls around on the floor looking for his glasses. He finds them only to realize that one of his eyes is hanging out of the socket. Holy crap!

Hank, meanwhile, unwraps his football and, while running up the down escalator, throws the ball at a thug. It hits him in the head, but since it's a Nerf nothing happens. The thug responds by firing a shot at Hank, which deflects off his belt buckle and knocks him down the escalator.

The Monarch is flying overhead and drops Dr. Girlfriend when he hears the gunshot. She lands on top of Hank and Dean. The Monarch crashes into the wall.

Brock rushes the thug that shot Hank but the thug instead fires at Brock, who falls to the ground in a pool of blood. The thug is about to fire on Brock again when the Monarch lands on top of him. Some mall cops show up.

THE MONARCH
Shit! Mall cops! Henchmen, retreat!

The henchmen grab Dr. Venture and run away. Phantom Limb is watching from the floor above them and shakes his invisible fist at them, exclaiming that he won't let the Monarch keep her. At this point he notices Brock.

Commercial.

Brock slowly comes to. His arm is bandaged up and he's laying on Phantom Limb's couch. Brock asks where he is an Phantom Limb explains in dramatic fashion that Brock is in location B of the Guild, which is something he very much likes explaining. Brock attempts to get up:

PHANTOM LIMB
No, don't get up. You've been shot. Sadly it wasn't fatal. I have removed the bullet. And three others. A blowgun dart, two shark's teeth, the tip of a bayonet, a twisted paper clip and a meager handful of buckshot. You may want to learn how to duck.

BROCK
In a couple of minutes I'm gonna get up and pound your smug face into that armrest, so why don't you spend your last minutes of life telling me what went down.

PHANTOM LIMB
It seems that our mutual friend the Monarch has himself a death wish. He's operating in full costumed aggression without a Guild license. His henchmen are using level five offensive weapons for a level one threat (no offense to Dr. Venture), and he's kidnapped my girlfriend.

BROCK
So, what are you gonna do about it?

PHANTOM LIMB
Not me. We. I left out one small detail. The Monarch also kidnapped your entire family.

Spinning Monarch logo!

In the cocoon the Monarch is lecturing his new henchmen for their reckless behavior and use of real guns. He tells them to hand over their guns (because they're not standard issue) but they only laugh at him. He presses further but only ends up with a gun pointed at his face. Let the mutiny begin.

Back at the mall, Dr. Girlfriend and the boys are in the parking lot.

DEAN
Wait a minute, hold up! Who are you?!

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Keep up! Where are you parked?

HANK
Where am I what?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Your car, where's your car?

HANK
Well I don't have-

DEAN
We came in our bodyguard's car, why?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Because my ex-boyfriend, the idiot that he is, kidnapped your father and Brock, and probably my current beau. And you two are gonna take me to him, now.

HANK
Yessm!

DEAN
Wait! How do you know Brock?

HANK
[pointing at Brock's car] Here it is!

[DR. GIRLFRIEND pulls a bobby pin out of her hair and walks over to the passenger side]

HANK
Aren't you gonna-

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Hank, you drive! I never drive mad. [she unlocks the driver side door for HANK]

DEAN
Brock would never let us drive his-

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Don't be such a candy-ass, Dean. Get in the back.

DEAN
Hey! How do you know my name?

HANK
You heard the woman, candy-ass.

Before Hank gets in Dr. Girlfriend tells him to wait. She uses the bobby pin to pick the ignition and flames shoot out of the steering wheel. It's safe now!

DEAN
How do you know all this stuff, lady!?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Ah, I number two'd for Truckulese when I was first starting out. I can hot wire anything.

DEAN
No, I mean how did you know it was gonna-

[the car starts]

HANK
Woah. Ten o'clock, two o'clock.

DR. GIRLFRIEND
You can do this, Hank. That pedal on your left, that's the clutch. Put your foot on it. Now shift into first gear. See that little diagram on the knob. With the little one on it?

DEAN
[gasps] Wait a minute. Are you our mommy?

Dr. Girlfriend looks back at Dean who is tossed backwards by Hank accelerating through the parking lot.

Spinning Monarch logo!

The Monarch, Dr. Venture and 21 & 24 meanwhile are confined to a jail cell in the cocoon. The Monarch goes on about how upset he is to have to share a cell with his sworn enemy, which Dr. Venture gets annoyed by because he still doesn't know why the Monarch hates him. However 21 interrupts and tells them that in order to escape they'll all need to work together. If they can get some weapons then they could take down the thugs. Only problem is that the armory is on the other side of the throne room, which is where the thugs are (plus the fact that they're locked in a cell). However 21 notes that they are right below his room where he has his own personal stash of weapons. All they have to do is crawl through the air duct right above them. It's a small duct though, and 21 is not a small man.

Back at Phantom Limb's pad, Brock has a weird device fitted on his arm. It's a muscle growth accelerator that helps in healing his fresh bullet wound. Phantom Limb notes that it's a device from back when he was a 'scientific goody goody'. Brock notes that whenever an experiment goes bad and messes up someone then the scientist always becomes a crazy wackjob in a costume that only serves to piss him off. Phantom Limb responds by turning up the juice on the device (which hurts) and telling Brock that they need to go into the cocoon and get everyone back 'quietly and surgically'. Brock protests siding with Phantom Limb, even temporarily, but it doesn't seem like he's getting out of it.

Back at the cocoon 24 pulls a greased up and almost naked 21 through the air ducts. The Monarch grudgingly admits that Dr. Venture's WD-40 was a good idea (never leave home without it!).

21 then shows off his stash of weapons. Toys.

THE MONARCH
You fucking idiot! What are we supposed to do with this crap? Make them laugh so hard they blow malt liquor out of their noses?

DR. VENTURE
No, I think you'll have that covered when you storm the room in butterfly costumes.

THE MONARCH
Oh, ha ha ha heh heh. Nice onesie, dick. Does it have snaps in the back, so you can make poopies?

HENCHMAN 24
Ohhhhh snap!!

DR. VENTURE
This is a speedsuit, mister. Not a 'onesie'!

THE MONARCH
Oh hey, maybe they'll think you're a three year old with progeria, and take pity on us.

HENCHMAN 24
Ohhh! In your face!!

HENCHMAN 21
Would you stop that!? Look, this is extra-amusing and everything, but we've got us a cocoon to take back!

DR. VENTURE
[mocking] With toys.

HENCHMAN 21
Toys schmoys. Check this action. [he grabs a box] An official, licensed, replica Lord of the Ring sword.

HENCHMAN 24
Now we're talkin'!

[24 grabs the box and is about to tear it open]

HENCHMAN 21
Hey, what are you doing!? That is mint in box!

Back at Limb Lair:

BROCK
Not even a scar? Did you look around the nipple, or belly button? Sometimes they- they put 'em in through there.

PHANTOM LIMB
Look, she is all woman. I have explored every supple inch of her and have found nothing but nectar.

BROCK
Alright, fine. Maybe the Monarch's just better equipped.

PHANTOM LIMB
You are strapping on an ultra-light gyropack. They are only issued to top ranking Guild officials.

BROCK
No I mean better... equipped.

PHANTOM LIMB
She was kidnapped, alright?! Kid. Napped.

BROCK
Ehh, I'm just sayin'.

Phantom Limb shows Brock how to work the helicopter packs they have strapped on and they're off! No 'lock and load' from PL just yet, but the night it still young!

Hank, meanwhile, is driving! And he's sure to point it out every few seconds. Dr. Girlfriend is feeding him directions.

DEAN
Mommy, how do you know where to go?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
I'm not your mommy! And I put a tracer on the Monarch when we were first dating- HANK, take this right!

[HANK takes an insanely sharp and quick right]

HANK
I'm driving! I'm a driver!

DEAN & DR. GIRLFRIEND
We know!

DR. GIRLFRIEND
Yeah, tracer. You do stuff like that when you date super villains.

DEAN
Where'd you put it? Is it in his brain? Or is it like a secret tracer tooth?

DR. GIRLFRIEND
No, I hid it in my mouth and I jammed it up hi- Honey, like I said, you do some pretty strange things when you date super villains.

Back at the cocoon Brock uses a net cannon on one of the thugs. He comments on how it's the first one he's ever used that actually works. Phantom Limb, meanwhile, is using his crazy invisible but weird light-up killer hands (the result of a botched experiment that made him evil) on another thug. Only two thugs left. Phantom Limb tells Brock to follow his lead.

PL flops on the floor in front of the remaining thugs, pretending he's a paraplegic. He tells the thugs to have mercy on him and finish him off, but they only stare in horror. Brock runs out and tells them to have a heart and put one between his eyes. The thugs continue to stare at Phantom Limb, so Brock tells them to give him their guns so he can do it. They comply and Brock throws the guns over his shoulder with a grin. Phantom Limb grabs one of the thugs and does the killer hand thing. The other thug is not so lucky as Brock punches him, and then grabs his hand and forces him to shove his own finger rather far up his ass. Phantom Limb applauds Brock for his show boating.

Just then Brock's car comes barreling through the side of the cocoon. It lands in front of them and the bumper falls out (Brock just fixed that too). Dr. Girlfriend and the boys get out and the reunited group have a quick reunion. Except, where's the Doc?

Back in 21's room Dr. Venture has donned a Magneto helmet and is holding some Magic the Gathering cards. As weapons. 24 has the still boxed Lord of the Rings sword and the Monarch is strapping on some of those giant foam Hulk fists. They put their hands on the center, touching fists. The Hulk hands comment 'smash puny humans!'.

Outside in the throne room Phantom Limb hears the sound. Brock walks over to the door which the Monarch and co. are on the other side of. The Monarch says they're going through on the count of three. One. Two. Three! They run through in dramatic fashion. The screen fades to a sepia action still and many sounds of pain and beatings are heard.

Roll end credits.

The Monarch lays in a bloody mess on the floor. 21, 24 and Dr. Venture are all fine. Dr. Venture laments that he's glad he wasn't first through the door. Dr. Girlfriend (after yelling at Dean for calling her his mommy yet again) tells Phantom Limb not to kill the Monarch since he's only guilty of not being able to get over her:

PHANTOM LIMB
As you wish, my queen. He is only a man, and no man is immune to your charm.

BROCK
Pssht, 'no man'. I'm still lookin' for scars on her.

[he is hit with a dart and passes out on top of THE MONARCH]

PHANTOM LIMB
[holding his dart gun] What? I'm a super villain.

Notes

• As stated in the capsule, the song 24 and 21 are humming is a movement from The Planets, by Gustav Holst. The specific movement is called Mars, the Bringer of War. The Planets has six other movements; one for each planet sans Pluto.
  
  
• The opening credits are shortened once again, and changed from the previous episode. Obviously Jonas Jr. and Dr. Venture being portrayed as the new Venture brothers was intended as deception, but that's out the window now. Hank & Dean's unique running styles return, though there are no intros for any characters aside from a quick flash of each of their faces.
  
  
• Before most of the Monarch's scenes in the cocoon there's a spinning Monarch logo (butterfly wings with the Monarch's mug in the middle) which is a parody of most shows in the 80's (most notably the 1960's Batman TV show starring Adam West) that used a logo of some sort for a transition between scenes. The original Transformers, for example, would flash a Decepticon or Autobot logo on the screen when transitioning from a scene involving one faction to the other.
  
  
• There actually is something called a speedsuit, but it's not a jumpsuit like Dr. Venture (and later Dean) wears. Speedsuits are actually spandex outfits worn by runners and cyclists for minimum wind resistance and maximum crotch bulge (assuming a man is wearing it).
  
  
• Phantom Limb's past is explored for the first time in this episode. We now know that he was once a 'goody goody' scientist who went bad after an experiment turned his arms and legs (and maybe more?) invisible. We also find out that he has crazy killer hands that glow in the dark and kill people. Also he has a flair for the dramatic, but that's standard issue for a super villain.
  
  
• Right before Hank throws the Nerf ball at a henchman he says to himself "You can do it, Duffy Moon!" This is a reference to The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy Moon, which is an ABC Afterschool Special from 1976. The title character is shorter than all his classmates and the special teaches kids how to "THINK BIG". The line Hank speaks is a famous line (as well as the tagline) from the special.
  
  
• The Monarch's monolog while flying with an unconscious Dr. Girlfriend is a homage to the love theme from the 1978 Superman movie. The song is named Can You Read My Mind and written by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse. Of course the part the Monarch recites is the part sang by Lois Lane, which adds to the hilarity. Here are the lyrics to the first verse (which is exactly what the Monarch says, except for the third and fourth lines and he says 'goddess' instead of 'god' of course):
  

  Can you read my mind?
  Do you know what it is you do to me?
  Don't know who you are
  Just a friend from another star
  Here I am
  Like a kid at the school
  Holding hands
  With a god
  I'm a fool

• If you're wondering why Dean and Hank (but mostly Dean) have no idea who Dr. Girlfriend is, it's because they have very little interaction with her in the past. Dr. Girlfriend of course knows them since she spent a lot of time arching Dr. Venture when she was with the Monarch. However, Hank & Dean's interaction with her was very limited in season one. They were both jailed in the cocoon in Dia de los Dangerous, but never talked to her. Dr. Girlfriend was in disguise in Mid-life Chrysalis (and never spoke to Hank, though Dean did greet her at the front door once). In Are You There God she only got to talk to Hank as Dean was off having his testicles untwisted. In Tag Sale all three were at the Venture Compound, but Hank & Dean never talked to or even saw her (aside from when the Monarch was making his dramatic exit, but it's conceivable that they were devoting their complete attention to the Monarch's theatrics). And finally in Trial of the Monarch Hank & Dean only present in the courtroom for a brief moment after Dr. Girlfriend revealed herself and started her testimony. This has been disputed a few times, and the other possibility is that they simply didn't have all their memories in place by this point. I like my theory better though because it's longer and makes slightly less sense.
  
  
• Just so we're clear, Dr. Girlfriend does say "I never drive mad", not 'men'. From the comments in Jackson's LiveJournal:
  

  Dude, seriously...are you actually arguing with the guy who WROTE the scene? Who's sitting next to the guy who ALSO WROTE the scene and SPOKE the line? It's "mad," trust me. Granted, Dr. Girlfriend's accent doesn't have the hardest "d" in the world, and it's possible that between the music, sound effects and the recording it's not the clearest line of dialogue ever broadcast, but you asked and I answered.

• When the Monarch is reading his new henchmen the riot act, he calls them a bunch of "Turk 182's". This is a reference to the movie of the same name where the protagonist spray paints "Tyler Knew, Turk 182" all over the city since his firefighter brother was injured in an off-duty rescue and was denied injury benefits. Tyler Knew is the city mayor. Thanks to Alan Vorse and also James Rich for bringing that to my attention.
  
  
• 24 calls 21 'double-stuff' after pulling him out of the air duct. 21 has a definite Kevin Smith thing going on, and one of Jay's nicknames for Silent Bob in various Kevin Smith movies was double-stuff. Thanks to Ward Whipple for pointing that one out.
  
  
• 21's stash is filled with familiar, yet legally distinct merchandise. The shot of the closet shows various things such as Wolverine's claws and Batman's utility belt. The weapons used by the motley crew are Dr. Venture donning Magneto's helmet (comic Magneto, not movie Magneto) and arming himself with Magic: The Gathering cards, 24 with a still boxed Lord of the Rings replica sword (the sword is named 'Sting' in the books and belongs to Bilbo and later Frodo, if you're curious), 21 with Captain America's shield and The Monarch with those awesome foam Hulk fists that talk when you punch something. Needless to say they were doomed from the very start.
  
  
• This has been pointed out of me a few times, so I figure I may as well mention it. Right before the credits role one of the very last sounds you hear is a famous scream sound called the Wilhelm scream. Suffice to say it's a very famous sound and you can find it in a ton of movies and TV shows as well as various other locations which now include the Venture Brothers.
  
  
• In the post end credits Phantom Limb actually shoots Brock with one of the Monarch's darts. I don't know the story behind that, other than perhaps he found it laying around or maybe that's the standard design for darts given to all Guild members. Or it's entirely possible that the animators are overworked and underbudgeted, so they just used an already designed dart rather than design a new one for Phantom Limb to be used in approximately six frames of animation. Whichever reason you like best.