| "SPHINX Rising" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Venture Bros. episode | |||
 The "New" New S.P.H.I.N.X. team led by Gary | |||
| Episode no. |
Season 5 Episode 3 | ||
| Directed by | Jackson Publick | ||
| Written by | Doc Hammer | ||
| Production code | 502 | ||
| Original air date | June 16th, 2013 | ||
| Episode Chronology | |||
| |||
| List of The Venture Bros. episodes | |||
SPHINX Rising is the third episode of Season 5 and the overall fifty-eighth episode of The Venture Bros.
Synopsis
Edit
After accidentally thwarting an O.S.I. sting operation, Gary posts a request on Guildlist to recruit new members into S.P.H.I.N.X.. However, his posting attracts the attention of three of S.P.H.I.N.X.'s original members: the ninja Wind Song, snake and fire expert Diamond Backdraft, and the original S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander, who is trying to reunite with his old lover The Countess, whose strengthsuit is now used by Hank. Hank chooses the codename "Destiny" (which Dr. Venture and Hatred both think is a stripper Hank has fallen in love with).
The three original S.P.H.I.N.X. members are trying to go out in a blaze of glory knowing that the cyanide chips in their brains will soon activate. Meanwhile, the Monarch and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch infiltrate the Venture compound posing as "Beaver Inspectors" who are there to to prevent an infestation of beavers, while planting explosives, but afterwards the Monarch discovers a photo in one of Venture's scrapbooks of himself as a child playing with Dr. Venture, a meeting he cannot remember. Hatred has a heart to heart with Dean, who he suspects is cutting himself, and Dean alludes that he has discovered the truth about his cloning.
Finally, S.P.H.I.N.X. headquarters on the Venture Compound is destroyed, along with the flying base, leaving Gary homeless and without an organization.
Episode CastEdit
- James Urbaniak: Dr. Venture
- Patrick Warburton: Brock Samson
- Mike Sinterniklaas: Dean Venture
- Chris McCulloch: Hank Venture, Sgt. Hatred, Hunter Gathers, The Monarch, Commander
- Doc Hammer: 21, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, Shoreleave
- Tim Meadows: Wind Song
- Larry Murphy: Diamond Backdraft, Man in Robe
Cultural ReferencesEdit
- Gary refers to the sandworms of Arrakis and the protagonist of Dune, Paul Atreides/Muad'Dib.
G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero (1985-1986)
- The members of S.P.H.I.N.X. are analogous to the members of Cobra, the terrorist organization which opposed G.I. Joe. Specifically, S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander parallels Cobra Commander, while Wind Song parallels Storm Shadow and The Countess parallels The Baroness.
- The Monarch calls their disguises Scooby-Doo masks.
- Brock takes his crossbow away from Gary, causing Gary to lament that it made him feel like a Wookiee. When Brock gives it back to him at the end of the episode, he tells him "...You work it like a Wookiee."
That's So Raven (2003-2007)
- When annoyed, Shoreleave says "That's so Raven."
The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
- Wind Song's casual outfit, particularly his garish sweater, is a reference to Cliff Huxtable's attire on The Cosby Show.
| Preceded by: "Venture Libre" | The Venture Bros. episodes Original Airdate: June 16th, 2013 | Followed by: "Spanakopita!" |
