| Rose Whalen | |
|---|---|
| The Venture Bros. character | |
  frameless Rose Whalen | |
| First appearance |
The Devil's Grip |
| Voiced by |
Doc Hammer |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Triple Threat |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Mom |
| Relatives |
Master Billy Quizboy (son) The Action Man (paramour) |
| Notable characteristics |
Mother Able fighter Possibly former dancer |
| Current Alliances |
Team Venture |
| Prior Alliances |
Jass |
| Enemies |
Augustus St. Cloud (son's archenemy) Brainulo The Revenge Society |
Rose Whalen is the mother of Master Billy Quizboy, the paramour of the recently widowed The Action Man, a roommate of Colonel Gentleman, and the former crimefighting partner of Jass.
Character History
Although originally referred to in Season 1 episode 6[1] when her son tells Dr. Girlfriend that his mother calls him her "little water baby", we don't get to actually see Rose until Season 5. In episode 8 of Season 5[2] Hank Venture meets Rose while trying to help his godfather and temporary guardian in his lust-fueled pursuit of the silver haired beauty. It does not take Hank too long to figure out that Rose is the Quiz Boy's mom thanks to the fact that she sounds almost exactly like her son and bears more than a passing resemblance to Master Billy. While Rose is portrayed as very wholesome, almost to a fault, we soon learn she is far from naive.
First, Rose explains to Hank and The Action Man that she has been out of touch with her son because she suspects that he believes she does not approve of his lifestyle. This is, of course, due to a misunderstanding on her part, believing that her son's roommate (Pete White) is his lover, much to the duo's awkward confusion. Eventually, she meets Pete, at which point she goes out of her way to fawn over the man she presumes is her son's lover/boyfriend, as they express awkwardness over the matter. The exact reasons behind Billy's animosity or at least why he hasn't spoken to her is never explained, but his OSI-induced amnesia may be a factor.
We next see that there may be more to Rose Whalen than meets the eye during her visit to Gargantua 2. In the season 6 special episode All This and Gargantua-2 when everyone in the casino is pinned down during The Revenge Society's raid on the space station, Rose shows she is no shrinking violet. While The Action Man and Colonel Gentleman are both eager to keep their heads down until the mayhem is over, Billy's mother will have none of it. She rallies everyone to launch a counterattack on the Revenge Society. Once Rose springs into action it's obvious that this is not her first time playing the part of a bad ass, with acrobatic leaps and a knockout flying sidekick. When her son asks her how she acquired her ninja-like skills, she hesitates just long enough for their chance to escape to arise. Saved from having to confess her superhero past, Rose cops out and instead tells her son that she used to be a dancer.
By season 6 Rose has moved in with The Action Man, who has become roommates with Colonel Gentleman in his apartment on Christopher Street in New York City. Her son Billy and his best friend Pete White also live with them.
In season 7's sixth episode[3], her son's archenemy Augustus St. Cloud breaks into the Christopher Street apartment with the intention of wreaking havoc on Billy. He is quickly subdued by Colonel Gentleman, who alerts Rose to St. Cloud's presence and turns the offending Level 1 arch over to her. Rose is immediately protective of her son, rolling up her sleeves and offering to give St. Cloud one free shot before she beats him up. The fight itself is not shown, but in St. Cloud's next scene his face is covered with thick makeup to hide the damage inflicted on it by Rose, implying that she bested him easily.
Triple Threat
Triple Threat, under Brainulo's mind control.
In The Devil's Grip we learn that Rose was known by the superhero persona Triple Threat in her youth and previously worked with the original Team Venture, as The Action Man confided in Hank that he'd "been trying to drill Rose for like 40 years", suggesting he'd known her since the mid-'60s. This is said after a flashback with Colonel Gentleman where the supervillain Brainulo forces The Action Man to fight his "crush" Triple Threat and Gentleman to fight his own "crush", Triple Threat's superhero partner Jass.
Episode Appearances
Season 1
- Tag Sale - You're It! (mentioned)
Season 5
- The Devil's Grip (first appearance)
Season 6
Season 7
Trivia
- Wears a pin shaped like a red rose on her lapel.
- Her Triple Threat costume featured a line drawing of a rose on the lapel.
- Considers rock 'n roll "the devil's music", preferring Show tunes.
- To date, Rose and Billy have not mentioned a father in their family life.
- This could mean that Rose is either a single mother or divorced, but this has yet to be revealed.
- It is speculated that Rose's old crimefighting partner, Jass, is Billy's real father though this has not been confirmed.
- Rose's voice is based on actress Carol Channing.[4]
- Rose has a habit of singing the lullaby "Hush, Little Baby" to her son when she thinks he needs to be soothed, and refuses to stop until she completes the entire song (much to Billy's consternation.)[5]
- Triple Threat, Rose's superhero persona, was a mixture of Zatanna, Black Canary, Ann Miller from Sugar Babies, Ann-Margret, and Debbie Reynolds according to Jackson Publick.[4]
- In entertainment a "triple threat" is a performer who excels at acting, singing, and dancing. Famous historical examples include Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Judy Garland.
- Triple Threat and Jass both dress like dancers and incorporate classic Broadway dance moves into their fighting styles, a nod to legendary dance couple Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.[4]
- The first time we see Rose fight she and The Action Man perform a move called the "Meet Me in St. Louis", a reference to the 1944 musical film starring Judy Garland.[5]
Gallery
(The Devil's Grip)
