Fantastic Four: WGH "Puppet Master" Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

Stepping in for Stu, it's the Fantastic Four vs themsleves... puppet-sized that is.


http://marvel.toonzone.net/fantasticfour/ffwghtalkback.jpg (http://marvel.toonzone.net/fantasticfour/)

Episode #08: Puppet Master
Original Airdate: 16th June 2007

When a cosmic-ray saturated piece of the Fantastic Four’s space station falls to earth on the Jersey Shore, the clay of eccentric local sculptor Phillip Masters, becomes energized with the power to control the minds and actions of others. The sculptor becomes THE PUPPET MASTER and uses miniature clay versions of the Fantastic Four to control the real heroes. Puppet Master captures award-winning New York artists, including his own step-daughter, Alicia, in an attempt to take over his “rightful place” in the art world.


Comments?

[bigddan11]

Puppet Master always makes the Fantastic Four look like fools, so I'm eagerly awaiting this episode later tonight. I hope it will soon be mirrored over in the Toonami forum though.

[tb4000]

I know I wasn't the only one that noticed that Alicia seemed to be...anatomically correct in the chestal area. :ack:

[Caswin]

I think this might be the darkest episode so far. Not that that's saying much.

Especially toward the end, I was reminded of another story where people were controlled through clay (or it might've been wax, I forget) dummies, where when they were negating the effects, they had to be careful to slowly work away at the dolls and get them malleable first, or they'd hurt the people being effected. Nope, Alicia uses a sledgehammer. Guess Thing and Torch lucked out.

[FightingDreamer]

A bit lackluster this week, but 'Puppet Master' is still highly entertaining superheroics from everyone's favorite Marvel quartet.

Puppet Master himself was well done in both voice and design, and I liked the creepy, almost voodoo vibe that the character exudes. The FF remain awesome, as does H.E.R.B.I.E., and Johnny's comeuppance at the end was great for a laugh. This show is handling Alicia really well, never making a point of saying, "Oh noes, she's blind!", opting instead for showing instead of telling. Ricky, bless the writers, managed to bring some humor to the affair instead of sheer annoyance; I love how Sue handled his incessant talking, and Alicia's "Yes. You're the little boy who wants to be the sidekick of the Human Torch, right?" effectively took the wind out of his sails. And how can you not like Ben's complaint, "Hey, maybe we should drop him off at the Latverian Embassy. I'm sure Doom would love this kid!"

'Puppet Master' gets a 7.5/10, if only because it's not quite as awesome as previous episodes.

[maczero]

I love how Sue handled his incessant talking,I thought it was funny and slightly cruel. I mean it was basically the equivalent of putting a plastic bag over the kid's head. Really strange considering that Sue is probably the most popular mother in comicdom.

As for the rest of the ep, I was pretty bored by it. Interesting that they gave Puppetmaster a race change. I liked it, but still surprised by it.

[PickHut]

It must have been cold that night....

Better than last week's episode. The humor is definitely the highlight of this series, because I don't think certain moments would not have been as good without them. Like when the controlled Ben was walking off with the artist, and then one of the onlookers replied with "Now that was a harsh review" (or critic, I don't remember). And when the annoying child star appeared halfway through, I pretty much guessed the episode was gonna go downhill from that point. But they played his part nicely: he was annoying, but not to the point where he was distracting. Entertaining episode overall.

[Ahiru-kun]

I hate it when villians decide to toy with the heroes instead of just killing them outright. That's why they never win.

[Captain Highwind]

I hate it when villians decide to toy with the heroes instead of just killing them outright. That's why they never win.

Or just made dolls of each of them so he could control all four.

[Duke]

A decent episode, with some good drama as well. Not as much comedy, but thankfully H.E.R.B.I.E., the most awesomest character in the show, had more golden moments.


I thought it was funny and slightly cruel. I mean it was basically the equivalent of putting a plastic bag over the kid's head. Really strange considering that Sue is probably the most popular mother in comicdom.
Well, this Sue is a lot more sarcastic than the wholesome Sue most people are used to, so it fits her character for this series rather well.

Or just made dolls of each of them so he could control all four.
Whatever happened to his Mr. Fantastic doll?

[Stu]

A very entertaining episode that is trumped in every single way by it's follow up. I hope there's not a long wait for that episode to air, it's one of the best they've done so far.

I like The Puppet Master a lot, and I thought they did a really good job translating him into the show. A lot of Fantastic Four villains haven't really been updated a great deal since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created them way back in the day but this show has done a very good job adapting them for modern audiences so far.

The episode review page has been up on MAA for a while, to view it, click on the title card below.


http://marvel.toonzone.net/fantasticfour/reviews/puppetmaster/01.jpg (http://marvel.toonzone.net/fantasticfour/reviews/puppetmaster)

[Spideyfan1983]

I liked the episode. The real shocker for me was Puppet Master being Alicia's step dad.

[ShadowGUN]

Nice episode. Love the way Alicia and Sue handle the kid. Speaking of him did anyone notice his appearance look similar to Franklin Richards? The Puppet Master was great too. The scene of him streching Reed was funny.

9/10

[maczero]

I thought it was funny and slightly cruel. I mean it was basically the equivalent of putting a plastic bag over the kid's head. Really strange considering that Sue is probably the most popular mother in comicdom.

Well, this Sue is a lot more sarcastic than the wholesome Sue most people are used to, so it fits her character for this series rather well.
True but still pretty harsh. I've seen comic Sue use that same manuever to take out super villians.

[FightingDreamer]

True but still pretty harsh. I've seen comic Sue use that same manuever to take out super villians.

Well, she used that to help take down the Hulk back in Hard Knocks, but she probably wasn't using the same level of concentration to quiet Ricky.

[bigddan11]

I'm glad to see they are having continuity occur between this and the movie, but I still hate Things painted 4. Alicia and Ben make a god team together, and even though I knew Puppet Master was Alicia's stepdad, I wasn't expecting them to actually show how he got the clay and how he wants revenge.

[Duke]

Well, she used that to help take down the Hulk back in Hard Knocks, but she probably wasn't using the same level of concentration to quiet Ricky.
Yea, the bubble didn't cut off his air or anything like it did to the Hulk. All it did was gag him.

I bet a bunch of real-life mothers wish they could do that. :P

[90'sCartoonMan]

That was interesting how Puppet Master's origin was tied into the FF's story. I liked that bit, but his design didn't really work for me. Not a fan of those pink lips.

That kid was annoying, he took too much time away from the rest of the episode. Alicia didn't come in until halfway through, so her history with Masters felt rushed. She should've been in there earlier to re-establish her as an artist or something. I was also wondering why Ben never met Masters...or maybe Alicia would have a sculpture of him around...since in the beginning of the episode he just moves him aside like he's any old bum.


Especially toward the end, I was reminded of another story where people were controlled through clay (or it might've been wax, I forget) dummies, where when they were negating the effects, they had to be careful to slowly work away at the dolls and get them malleable first, or they'd hurt the people being effected. Nope, Alicia uses a sledgehammer. Guess Thing and Torch lucked out.

Yeah, just smashing the things didn't seem like a bright idea to me.

[Mr.Kurtz]

That was interesting how Puppet Master's origin was tied into the FF's story. I liked that bit, but his design didn't really work for me. Not a fan of those pink lips.

That kid was annoying, he took too much time away from the rest of the episode. Alicia didn't come in until halfway through, so her history with Masters felt rushed. She should've been in there earlier to re-establish her as an artist or something. I was also wondering why Ben never met Masters...or maybe Alicia would have a sculpture of him around...since in the beginning of the episode he just moves him aside like he's any old bum.



Yeah, just smashing the things didn't seem like a bright idea to me.


I pretty much agree with all these criticisms. I think a good angle they could have taken to include the comedy would be Ben meeting Alicia's father for the first time. To tie it in more, the puppet master could have used Ben and Alicia's relationship as a way into the Baxter Buidling to steal the piece of the space station.

And the ending was too easy. But the character relationships were good and it was pretty entertaining.

[Neo Ultra Mike]

This was another fun episode of the series, though it does seem to have a few plotholes lagging through it. For example, if Phil Masters could just at the end control the FF with his mind by using the wax scupltures, why not make wax out of all of them? Why only Ben and then Johnny? Also why make such a small Ben wax and a big Johnny wax? What the bigger the wax the more control he has over it or something? Also it seems kind of weird he never made a Susan wax at all. Still I did like the mentions of anything Reed saying passing over everyone else's head, Susan asking why they would be annoyed by the kid (who otherwise didn't serve much of an important/entertaining role. And who saw the ending with Johnny not getting his movie deal a mile away?), Alicia playing a pretty big part (although is she the granddaughter of the "Puppet Master" in the comics or not) and the ending where Puppet Master makes another puppet of the guard. Silly human guards: you need to give full caviity searches of any kind of superpowered villian so you make sure he dosen't have anything on him like clay so he can escape. Oh well still a standard ep, annoying kid and plotholes aside.

[90'sCartoonMan]

This was another fun episode of the series, though it does seem to have a few plotholes lagging through it. For example, if Phil Masters could just at the end control the FF with his mind by using the wax scupltures, why not make wax out of all of them? Why only Ben and then Johnny? Also why make such a small Ben wax and a big Johnny wax? What the bigger the wax the more control he has over it or something? Also it seems kind of weird he never made a Susan wax at all. Still I did like the mentions of anything Reed saying passing over everyone else's head, Susan asking why they would be annoyed by the kid (who otherwise didn't serve much of an important/entertaining role. And who saw the ending with Johnny not getting his movie deal a mile away?), Alicia playing a pretty big part (although is she the granddaughter of the "Puppet Master" in the comics or not) and the ending where Puppet Master makes another puppet of the guard. Silly human guards: you need to give full caviity searches of any kind of superpowered villian so you make sure he dosen't have anything on him like clay so he can escape. Oh well still a standard ep, annoying kid and plotholes aside.

What they could've done was give Puppet Master only enough clay to sculpt Ben and Johnny (but obviously if he had enough to make a huge one of Johnny, he'd have enough for all of them).

In the comics, Alicia is the stepdaughter of Puppet Master.

[Silverstar]

In the comics, Alicia is the stepdaughter of Puppet Master.

It's the same deal on this show. In the episode, Puppet Master says to Alicia, "I know I'm only your stepfather, but I've raised you like my own".

The only difference is that the Masters weren't black in the comics.

[Stu]

It's the same deal on this show. In the episode, Puppet Master says to Alicia, "I know I'm only your stepfather, but I've raised you like my own".

The only difference is that the Masters weren't black in the comics.

I'd give that as a nod to the movies more than anything else. Doesn't bother me, I thought the revamped design for The Puppet Master was a lot better than the creepy old man from the comics.

[Anarky]

I know I wasn't the only one that noticed that Alicia seemed to be...anatomically correct in the chestal area. :ack:

must've been a cool autumn evening

this ep seemed to mirror Teen Titans' "Switched"
I'm well aware that F4's Puppet Master probably predates TT's Puppet King by a decade or so but animationwise it comes as a replicant of sorts.

to date, not one of my faves but i'll still watch it on reruns and dvd.

2.5

btw, was this creative license or was Puppet Master Alicia's father/stepfather in the comics as well?

[maczero]

btw, was this creative license or was Puppet Master Alicia's father/stepfather in the comics as well?
He's her stepfather in the comic too.

[Bones Justice]

Just watched this episode today...



I mean it was basically the equivalent of putting a plastic bag over the kid's head.


It must have been cold that night....

Yeah, I'm surprised that they got away with both of those. Not that I didn't appreciate both of them, mind you, but I could see folks getting upset about them.



Silly human guards: you need to give full caviity searches of any kind of superpowered villian so you make sure he dosen't have anything on him like clay so he can escape. Oh well still a standard ep, annoying kid and plotholes aside.

Well, as disturbing as the thought of anyone having to give Puppet Master a cavity search is, they probably did that but still didn't find his hidden clay. The clay was actually molded into the shape of a pair of sunglasses (minus the lenses, which were real). After the guard left, he popped out the lenses, then crushed the "frames" in his hands, which turned out to be cosmic clay. I actually thought that was fairly clever, if you can accept the fact that they would have let him keep the sunglasses in the first place. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

I thought this episode was pretty good, one of the better episodes so far. I don't even like Puppet Master in the comics but I thought they did a good job with him here. I really appreciated his redesign, still homely as all get-out but at least he looks human now. I liked how they explained his powers throughout the episode, also, both in the opening scene and in Puppet Master's house; much better than the cliche of having the villain alone, talking himself through his entire origin.

The fights were some of the better ones the show has had so far, too. I was a little disappointed that Sue still showed up Ben in the strength department but then maybe he was already fighting Puppet Master's control. Reed trying to smother the Torch was also odd since you'd think he'd be smarter than that, but at least they were showing some battle contact for a change.

Alicia was interesting in this episode, too (and I ain't just talking about her twin rockets). They never once played up the fact that she's blind yet still made it obvious. I was surprised that she was able to find the mallet and Ben's statue so easily but then, I guess she knows her way around her step-father's workshop by memory.

The kid was annoying more than funny but I got a laugh at how Sue handled him. I was half expecting the kid to pass out after a few moments!

Good episode, three stars from me.