Tune Up of Terror

The title card

Tune Up of Terror is the 45th episode of Action League Now!. It first premiered on the Kablam! episode, Going the Extra Mile on December 25, 1999.

Characters Present

• The Flesh
• Thundergirl
• Stinky Diver
• Meltman
• The Chief
• Bill the Lab Guy
• Hodge Podge

Plot

The episode begins at Bill the Lab Guy's lab, where we see what looks like Bill repairing the Action Mobile. The Chief tells Bill to hurry up, as Hodge Podge is on the loose again, so they need the Action Mobile to catch him. As The Chief leaves, Hodge Podge reveals himself wearing Bill's legs, with a new plan to get his revenge on the League. He has since put Bill's body in a beaker, telling him that he has the Action Mobile sabotaged by planting it with a remote control device.

Back at Action HQ, the Chief tells the League that Hodge Podge is on the loose, so they must climb aboard the Action Mobile. Meltman offers to drive, but everyone thinks it's a joke at first. However, Meltman insists that he's ready - because he finally has his driver's license! The Chief reluctantly agrees to let Meltman drive, but just this once. An excited Meltman then gets behind the wheel and starts up the Action Mobile. The Chief tells Meltman to go easy on the gas throttle, but before he can, Hodge Podge uses his remote control to control the Action Mobile, causing it to run over the rest of the League and crash down over the stairs. Meltman then asks if these vehicles are supposed to have air bags and gets crushed by one in response.

Moments later, as punishment for his assumed bad driving, The Chief angrily takes away Meltman's driver's license and cuts it in half. Meltman argues that it wasn't his fault; the Action Mobile was driving on its own. The Chief doesn't believe this and tells Meltman to stay behind (much to his disappointment) while he and the rest of the League look for Hodge Podge. Just then, Bill the Lab Guy (minus his legs) arrives in a go-kart and tells Meltman that Hodge Podge planted a remote control device in the Action Mobile, so they have to stop Hodge Podge and save the others. Meltman climbs aboard Bill's kart, ready to be a hero, so that he may be able to drive after all. He tries to start up Bill's kart, but accidentally launches Bill into a wall and apologizes, saying he's not used to power brakes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the League is looking for Hodge Podge, who is behind a couch cushion and uses his remote control to make the Action Mobile spin out of control! While this happens, Stinky gets nauseous and retches. Thundergirl asks The Chief if he took a driving lesson from Meltman, but he tells her that he is a great driver, who can adjust to his views. The Action Mobile crashes again, and The Chief begins to question what's happening. Meltman and Bill then show up, with Meltman trying to tell The Chief to stop. However, Hodge Podge sees this as a chance to kill two birds with one stone and runs over Bill's kart by controlling the Action Mobile. Eventually, the League and Hodge Podge meet face to face, where Hodge Podge makes the Action Mobile drive into the road, right into the path of a big oncoming car! The Narrator asks the viewers if the League will be flattened by this, then tells them to stay tuned for part two.

In the second act, just as it looks like the Action Mobile is about to be flattened by the big car, Meltman still drives Bill's kart into Hodge Podge, pushing him into the road and causing him to lose control of his remote for a few seconds. This gives The Chief just enough time to steer out of the way of the big car. Hodge Podge then complains that his remote doesn't work on big cars like this, which flattens him all over the place.

Later that day, the League cleans up Hodge Podge's pieces. The Chief then tells Meltman that as a reward for saving him and the League, he can drive the Action Mobile whenever he wants. An excited Meltman gets behind the wheel of the Action Mobile. Finally, The Chief tells Meltman to go easy again, but he doesn't pay attention and runs over the others once more, ending the episode.

Quotes

• The Chief: "Okay, you bozos, Hodgepodge is out there like a bad smell on a bouillabaisse. Now get on it!"

Meltman: "Great. I'll drive!"

The Chief: "What?!"

The Flesh: "Good one!"

Thundergirl: "Yeah, right!"

Stinky Diver: "And I'm the king of Finland!"

Meltman: "I'm serious; I finally passed my driver's test!"

Stinky Diver: "I guess they got tired of him coming down there and wrecking all their cars!"

• Hodge Podge: "How's my driving? Dial 1-800-JERKS!"

• Stinky Diver (As the Action Mobile spins out of control): "Here comes lunch!"

The Flesh: "Yummers!"

(Stinky throws up)

The Flesh: "Yuckers!"

Allusions

• When Meltman says, "Jane, stop this crazy thing!", he is referencing a line from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, The Jetsons, whenever George Jetson's treadmill malfunctions.

Trivia

• This episode marks the final appearance of Hodgepodge.

Previous Episode

• What's Eating the Flesh

Next Episode

• Armageddon Outta Here

Chief’s Phrase

”Hodge Podge is out there like a bad smell on a bouillabaisse”

Gallery

"Dateline: Bill the Lab Guy's lab, where a brilliant brainac applies his decades of scientific study to... a lube job." "Hurry it up, Lab Guy. Hodge Podge is on the loose again, and we need the Action Mobile ASAP. Got it?"

"I got it, all right..."

"...and you're gonna get yours, Action Jerks!"

"Hodgepodge, you fiend. What have you done to the Action Mobile?"

"Just watch, Half-a-Lab-Guy! Now the Action Mobile is gonna be unsafe at any speed!"

"We find our heroes at Action HQ all revved up and ready to go."

"Okay, you bozos. Hodge Podge is out there like a bad smell on a bouillabaisse. Now get on it!"

"Great. I'll drive!" "What?!"

"Good one!" "Yeah, right." "And I'm the king of Finland."

"I'm serious. I finally passed my driver's test!"

"I guess they got tired of him coming down there and wrecking all their cars!"

"What do you say, Chief? Can I drive? Can I? Oh, pretty please?"

"All right. Just this once." "Yay! I get to drive!"

"Now, that's torque."

"Now, go easy on that gas throttle."

"Ha ha ha!"

"What was that, Chief?"

"I said go easy on that..."

After having the Chief run over...

"How's my driving? Dial 1-800-Jerks!"

...Hodge Podge then makes the car runs over the Action eague

"STOP THIS CRAZY THING!!"

"Aren't these things supposed to have air bags?"

"Ow!"

"Moments later..." "Looks like you won't be needing this anymore!"

"Jerk!" "Menace!" "Road hog!"

"But Chief, it's not my fault! That car's got a mind of its own!"

"Well, that makes one of you! From now on, the only thing you're driving is a desk! The rest of you, let's move out!"

The League leaves without Meltman.

"Aw, man!"

"No. I was afraid of this. "Bill! What happened to your legs?" "It's Hodge Podge. He's planted a remote control device in the Action Mobile. That car's a death trap."

"Phew! Glad I'm not with them."

"No, you fool! We have to stop them!" "Uh, yeah, right!"

"This is my big chance to be a hero, and prove I can drive!" "Oh, joy."

"Sorry, I'm not used to power brakes."

"Meanwhile..." "Keep your eyes peeled for Hodge Podge."

"What a beautiful day for a little spin, Action dumb heads!"

"Here comes lunch!" "Yummers!" (Stinky throws up) "Yuckers!"

"Chief, did you take a driving lesson from Meltman?"

"That melted meathead wrecked a delicate calibration of the rack-and-pinion steering! Fortunately, I'm a great driver, and I can adjust!"

"Nice adjustment, Chief!" "Blast it! What in the Sam Hill is going on here?"

"Chief, no! Stop the car!"

"Oh, goody-goody gumdrops! Bumper cars for bumper jerks!"

"Don't worry, Chief!"

"Uh, start worrying."

"Put on the brakes!" "Mommy!" "Stop!" "Not having fun."

"Going my way, Action Losers?"

"HODGE PODGE!!"

"That's my name..."

"...too bad you won't have a chance to wear it out!"

"Is the Action League about to become an Action pancake? Find out on the Action-injection fueled conclusion of... Action League Now!

"With a vengeful villain enjoying his joystick, is this the end of the road for our speeding superheroes?"

"Sorry, I don't brake for evil."

"No fair!"

"Whoo, doggie! I can steer again!"

The Action Mobile steers out of the way of the big car...

"Why don't these things work on big cars? Darn!"

...and it then crushes Hodge Podge to pieces... for good this time.

"Later that day..." "YAY!" "Meltman, we owe you our lives."

"If you ever want to drive the Action Mobile..." "Do you mean it?" "You've earned it." "Yay, I get to drive!"

"Now remember: go easy on the gas."

"Yippie!" "Oof!" "The end."