| "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
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 Cast
- 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
First Appearances
- Beaver Inspectors (The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch in disguise)
- "Destiny" (Hank Venture in a female strength suit)
- Diamond Backdraft
- Guildslist
- Long Division
- Short Division
- S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander
- The Countess
- Wind Song
Guildslist ad
Henchman 21, as the new head of S.P.H.I.N.X., places a recruitment advertisement on Guildslist (an antagonist-centric version of Craigslist) to attract new members:
Ex B guy ISO Good Guys
Guildslist > personal > strictly platonic
Please report suspected exploitation of minors immediately.
Ex B guy ISO Good Guys
Reply to: viceroy@guildslist.org
Tired of henching for a bad-guy that doesn't appreciate you? Then join me in Sphinx...
This is your chance to make a change in the world!
SPHINX is the premier Intermediate Villainy Deactivating Service--we fight super villains before they become super villains!
Are you ready to join SPHINX and make a change in the world?
No attitudes. 420 friendly (but only in off time!) Drama-free.
Reply if interested
Thanks
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with commercial solicitations
PostingNo: 6985632555
Connections to Other Episodes
- S.P.H.I.N.X. was originally introduced in a flashback to the Pyramid Wars of 1987 in the Season 3 episode The Invisible Hand of Fate.
- Sergeant Hatred first mentioned The Monarch's crew stealing his equipment and repainting it yellow in the Season 3 episode Home is Where the Hate is.
Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel
- New S.P.H.I.N.X. was first revealed in the Season 4 episode Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel.
- New S.P.H.I.N.X.--including their headquarters on the Venture Compound, their arsenal, and The Mighty Khafra--was left entirely to Gary when the rest of the team returned to the O.S.I. in the Season 5 premiere What Color is Your Cleansuit?
- Gary uses the term "push a mess", calling back to him and The Monarch both using the term "push" to refer to defecation in What Color is Your Cleansuit?
Cultural References
Backdraft (1991)
- The S.P.H.I.N.X. member Diamond Backdraft's name references both snakes and fire, with the concept of "backdraft" popularized by the 1991 Ron Howard film Backdraft.
ChapStick (lip balm)
- Wind Song warns his wife to remove a tube of ChapStick from their baby's mouth to prevent him from getting diarrhea.
- S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander refers to himself as "Daddy Warlord of the Children of the Corn or Whatever", referencing the 1977 Stephen King short story and the film series it inspired.
- While spying on The Countess, S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander complains that her new boyfriend looks like Mindfreak illusionist Criss Angel, whom he refers to as "tacky crap".
- When describing Diamond Backdraft, Christopher McCulloch said "[i]n his civilian guise, he just looks like [musician] David Crosby."
Diamondback snakes
- Diamond Backdraft's name refers to several species of snakes known informally as "diamondbacks", including:
- Crotalus adamanteus, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake
- Crotalus atrox, the western diamondback rattlesnake
- Diamondback water snake, a common species of water snake in North America
- Gary refers to the sandworms of Arrakis and the protagonist of Dune, Paul Atreides/Muad'Dib.
- The Monarch complains that he is dressed "like an Eskimo" in his winter coat, which his wife corrects by telling him "they're called Inuits".
- While trying to determine the source of Dean's depression, Sergeant Hatred guesses "maybe you masturbated with a Furby."
G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero (1983-1986)
- The members of S.P.H.I.N.X. are analogous to the members of Cobra, the terrorist organization which opposed G.I. Joe:
- S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander parallels Cobra Commander
- The Countess parallels The Baroness
- Wind Song parallels Storm Shadow
- Hunter Gathers says he is thinking of optioning Brock and Shoreleave's disastrous report on Long Division to comedians Jim Carrey and Robin Williams.
Patton (1970)
- The scene of Hunter Gathers giving a forceful speech to an audience of the O.S.I.'s new recruits from a spotlit stage is a reference to the award winning 1970 film Patton starring George C. Scott, where General Patton similarly addressed the troops directly.
- Dr. Venture shows the "Beaver Inspectors" a family photo album featuring a picture of Hank and Dean dressed as the rag doll characters Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy for Halloween. Hank dressed as Ann, Dean as Andy.
- The Monarch says there is a photo of Dr. Venture dressed as Rambo in the family photo album.
- Hunter Gathers says he is thinking of optioning Brock and Shoreleave's disastrous report on Long Division to comedians Jim Carrey and Robin Williams.
Rock of Love with Bret Michaels (2007-2009)
- Henchman 21 disparages Hank's choice of code name--"Destiny"--as "more of a girl from Rock of Love's name."
- The Monarch calls their "Beaver Inspector" disguises Scooby-Doo magic masks.
- Gary tells Shore Leave that he thinks a S.P.H.I.N.X. gadget he found might actually be a Shake Weight , which is a modified dumbbell that oscillates, purportedly increasing the effects of exercise.
Shōgun (1975)
- Dean is seen reading a copy of the bestselling 1975 James Clavell novel Shōgun. The book gives an account of the rise of a daimyō (feudal lord) in 1600s Japan, similar to the rise of Gary as leader of S.P.H.I.N.X. in this episode.
Snickers (candy bar)
- Hunter Gathers accuses Brock and Shoreleave of metaphorically filling up Gary's "pillowcase with Snicker bars and send[ing] him home!"
- 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.", which makes Gary smile.
That's So Raven (2003-2007)
- When annoyed with Gary for ruining the O.S.I.'s infiltration of Long Division, Shore Leave 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.
The Cure, "Kyoto Song" (1985)
- When The Monarch comments on the texture of his mask, he quotes lyrics from the chorus of "Kyoto Song" by The Cure: "It's so smooth, it even feels like skin! It tells me how it feels to be new."
Wind Song perfume by Prince Matchabelli
- Gary notes that Wind Song is named after a perfume, which was released by perfumer Georges Vasili Matchabelli of Prince Matchabelli in 1952 and was heavily advertised on television in the 1980s and '90s using the song "I can't seem to forget you ... your wind song stays on my mind."
- The Monarch says that Dr. Mrs. The Monarch's "Brooklyn beardo" disguise makes her look like comedian Zach Galifianakis.
Production Notes
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: SPHINX Rising |
- One of the animation directors (Kimson Albert) usually has a "nickname" inserted into his credits. There is no such credit in this episode.
Trivia
- The character of S.P.H.I.N.X. Commander, a clear parody of Cobra Commander from G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero, was modeled on somebody show co-creator Jackson Publick knew: "I based his civilian look on a customer that we used to have at the comic shop I worked at when I was in high school. He was a skinny guy who thought he was super cool but was clearly a nerd dressing up as a nerd's idea of what a cool guy is--slicked hair, a tight Members Only jacket, and all black. Just a geek wearing the costume of an imagined cool guy."
- On the DVD commentary track Doc Hammer says that Short Division's design was based on an actual cigarette-smoking child soldier he'd seen footage or photos of--possibly from the Vietnam War--but he couldn't remember his name.
- Dr. Venture serves Red Mocho Koolers to the "Beaver Inspectors".
| Preceded by: "Venture Libre" |
The Venture Bros. episodes Original Airdate: June 16th, 2013 |
Followed by: "Spanakopita!" |