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"The Forecast Manufacturer"
The Venture Bros. episode
Creep Secret Island Lair
Episode no. Season 7
Episode 9
Directed by Juno Lee
Written by Doc Hammer
Production code 709
Original air date September 30, 2018
Episode Chronology
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"The Terminus Mandate"
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"The Saphrax Protocol"
List of The Venture Bros. episodes

The Forecast Manufacturer is the ninth episode of Season 7 and the overall eightieth episode of The Venture Bros.

Plot[]

A blizzard has entirely blanketed New York City in a thick layer of snow. Dr. Venture looks out at the snow-covered skyscrapers from the warmth and safety of his penthouse home in the VenTech Tower. He encourages Billy Quizboy to hurry up in inserting an experimental new thermal regulation suppository into his rectum. Billy nervously does so in the bathroom, then steps gingerly into the living room to report back to Dr. Venture. The two hear a beeping noise that they don't recognize. Dr. Venture takes Hank with him to the panic room while he sends Billy off to pinpoint the location of the beeping.

In the panic room Hank freaks out that he is unable to get a signal, as he has been trying to reach his girlfriend Sirena all day with no success. Sergeant Hatred calls from the lobby to inform Dr. Venture that the plaza has been fully evacuated and Brock is securing the perimeter. Billy, wearing a helmet and covered with pillows that have been hastily strapped to his limbs and torso, calls to tell Dr. Venture that they've pinpointed the source of the beeping the hall closet. Dr. Venture tells Billy to send in the "bomb-defusing drone" (actually H.E.L.P.eR. in a VenTech helmet), but the nervous robot is too scared of the potential bomb to obey the command.

When they finally get the closet open it turns out not to be a bomb that was beeping--it was a military-grade phone that was ringing with a call from the Office of Secret Intelligence. Dr. Venture reluctantly takes the call, initially not wanting to take the job being offered by the O.S.I., but he agrees to it at the urging of Billy.

The Monarch and Henchman 21 show Dr. Mrs. The Monarch their new henchman practice and recruitment space: Dragon Finkelstein Karate Dojo. She applauds their effort but is less than impressed with the pre-teen class, which her husband says is a good way to get them while they're young. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch offers them a covert mission that she guarantees her husband will raise him one full EMA Level. He agrees to leave with her as soon as Henchman 21 finishes giving a young girl named Madison her lesson. Sensei Finkelstein rushes across the dojo to rebuke 21 when he slaps Madison, telling him that they're not allowed to hit the students. Despite 21's protests that they're practicing karate, Sensei Finkelstein notes that the mothers "go bananas" when you hit the kids and that 21 has made little Madison cry. 21 once more protests that "It's karate!" in disbelief.

In the living room of the VenTech Tower penthouse Billy looks at a weather map of the blizzard on a jPad. He notes based on the shape of the storm that it must be man-made. Dr. Venture correctly surmises that it's the result of an "old-school weather machine", then tells Hank to suit up. Hank is too distracted with his inability to reach his girlfriend on the phone and refuse to join his father. Brock claims he has to watch the tower, suggesting Dr. Venture ask Sergeant Hatred. An infuriated Billy, whom Dr. Venture purposely ignores each time he asks to come along, finally convinces Dr. Venture that his dedication (sticking an "an untested heat generator" up his rectum) and his training as a scientist more than qualify him to assist in the mission. Dr. Venture reluctantly performs the "Go Team Venture!" salute, touching his raised index and middle fingers to Billy's.

The Monarch and Henchman 21 head upriver to upstate New York on a boat with Dr. Mrs. The Monarch and Dr. Z. The two Council villains reveal that a rogue villain named The Creep has created his own rogue version of The Peril Partnership, the Canadian version of the Guild of Calamitous Intent. His organization has been encroaching on Guild territory and refusing to work with established institutions, prompting the Guild to authorize an off-the-books assassination of The Creep--with the acknowledgment of the O.S.I. that they will look the other way. In addition to his other crimes, The Creep has allegedly stolen the Guild's weather machine.

Dr. Venture and Billy Quizboy take off in the X-12 supersonic jet, which lifts off from a secret housing inside the roof of the VenTech Tower. Dr. Venture is irritated with the tangle of wires hanging out of the console near the fuel gauge and radioes Brock about it, who causes Billy and Dr. Venture to chuckle and stare in disbelief at his inability to correctly pronounce "spaghetti" ("pasghetti".)

Sergeant Hatred sits behind the security desk reading a used copy of the novelization of the film The Day After Tomorrow. Hank strides through the lobby with a determined look on his face. Hatred puts the book down and tells Hank that he can't go outside in the storm, even to see his girlfriend. He warns Hank that he's becoming obsessive after Hank tells Hatred he left Sirena forty-three messages and over sixty texts. Hank counters that Hatred must have been secretly replaced with doppelgänger, because "the real Sergeant Hatred would never stop a man on a mission of love." He rushes out the door of the VenTech lobby and into the snow-covered streets of New York City.

On the deck of the boat The Monarch and Henchman 21 have changed into brightly colored wetsuits with fins, dive masks, and snorkels. Dr. Z and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch instruct them on their mission: they must meet up with The Creep and successfully convince him they want to defect to his Peril Partnership. Once they've gotten close to him, they are to assassinate him and notify the Guild that the job has been completed.

Hank Venture walks north down Central Park West, the streets and trees blanketed with a thick layer of snow. Hank scoops up a few handfuls of snow and forms them into the shape of a football. An imaginary crowd cheers in the background as Hank narrates his movements. He dashes through the snow with the ersatz football in hand, grunting as he leaps through the air and headfirst into a snow drift at the base of a lamppost. A loud clanking sound rings out as Hank's forehead makes contact with the metal pole, his body stiffening as he loses consciousness. Only his legs are visible from outside of the snow drift.

Wind howls and thunder cracks as the X-12 flies through the blizzard, rapidly approaching the weather machine. The jet flies through a dense white layer of clouds and exits the storm, finding itself in a calm blue sky above the clouds. The howling wind stops entirely. Inside the cockpit an overheating Billy strips down to his underwear, noting that the thermal regulator appears to be working too well. Dr. Venture and Billy scan a purple cloud surrounding the massive disk-like Guild weather machine, identifying the cloud as silver nitrate. Before they can take further readings they are forced into evasive maneuvers when an empty soda can flies toward the X-12 from the weather machine.

The Monarch and Henchman 21 breathe heavily as they pull an inflatable lifeboat to shore. They splash through the water in their flippers as they approach The Creep's secret island headquarters. The howling of the wind intensifies as The Creep, barely visible in silhouette through the thick snowfall, flies up on a powered glider. He asks the trespassers to identify themselves and, after The Monarch and Henchman 21 argue about wallets, the two of them explain that they want to join The Creep's Peril Partnership. The Creep replies that he must test them first and warns them to prepare to survive "the Most Dangerous Game." He flies away to his headquarters high atop the island, with Henchman 21 surmising that they will be hunted like animals. The Monarch is outraged that The Creep appears to be riding on his old Butter-Glider.

Hank Venture regains semi-consciousness, spitting up snow and barely pushing his face out of the snow drift. Blood leaks from a wound in his forehead. Hank sees a shadow approach and begs it for help, saying he has to save his girlfriend. The mysterious Scare Bear looks down at Hank and cocks its head to one side, a massive blood-covered knife clutched in its left hand.

Dr. Venture has a breakthrough in the cockpit of the X-12, reasoning that they need to stop cold air going into the intake port of the weather machine. He insists that Billy get his thermos, especially after the visibly sweating Billy protests that coffee gives him "the squirts".

The Monarch and Henchman 21 breathe heavily as they trudge up a steep snow-covered hill. At the top of the hill is a forest area with a large vine-covered brick building in the center. The area appears to be protected by an invisible force field that keeps out the snow and wind. Henchman 21 puts his hand through the force field, discovering that the climate is warm inside. The Monarch and Henchman 21 walk through the force field and onward toward The Creep's base. 

The hover belt around his waist produces a wobbling sound as Billy slowly descends from the X-12 through the purple cloud of silver nitrate surrounding the Guild weather machine. A protective gas mask covers Billy's face. From the safety of the X-12's cockpit Dr. Venture coaches Billy, coaxing him into defecating the Thermal Regulation Suppository into the weather machine. 

The Monarch and Henchman 21 walk over a lush green lawn as they approach the ivy-covered brick building that The Creep is using for the headquarters of his Peril Partnership. A huge collection of stolen Guild technology is gathered in front of the building, which 21 gleefully identifies one-by-one. The Creep emerges to meet The Monarch and Henchman 21, showing them his collection of banned lawn darts and inviting them to play the most dangerous game: Dive Bomb, "the sinister version of that traditional game where we throw up a dart as high as we can and then run away from it at the last minute." Henchman 21 eagerly accepts, noting that he played this game daily when he was eight years old. 

Footsteps crunch in the snow. Scare Bear carries an unconscious Hank in both arms as it trudges across the snow-covered Bow Bridge in Central Park. Hank's eyes are closed and his forehead bloody. Scare Bear looks straight ahead as it walks. 

Billy returns to the cockpit of the X-12, his skin dyed purple from the silver nitrate cloud. An empty can of Mountain Whizzy is in his left hand. Dr. Venture snaps a photo of Billy with the camera on his jWatch, saying he'll use it for the VenTech Christmas card. The two of them determine from the soda can that somebody must be piloting the Guild weather machine and a glance at the roof of the machine proves them correct: Guild Stranger S-464 stands there holding up a hand-lettered cardboard sign that reads simply "HELP". 

As they play Dive Bomb, The Creep recounts his backstory to The Monarch and Henchman 21. He was originally a top O.S.I. agent named Mission Creep who was kicked out of the organization after he mistook a camp full of Boy Scouts for a paramilitary group and slaughtered them all.

Hank Venture purchases a bag of corn chips from a dumbstruck cashier in a convenience store. The cashier hands a few coins to Hank as change. She stares in disbelief at Scare Bear, who is still carrying Hank in both arms. Hank attempts to put the coins in his nonexistent pocket, opening his hand by hip and dropping his change. The coins clatter to the floor. Hank, his eyes slightly crossed and unfocused, looks up at Scare Bear and asks if it wants to buy anything. Scare Bear's eyes look at Hank through the eyeholes in its mask but it says nothing. Their transaction completed, Scare Bear carries Hank out the front door, leaving wet footprints behind it on the tile floor of the store.

The X-12 flies through the night sky, towing the now-disabled Guild weather machine behind it on a long cable. Dr. Venture, Billy Quizboy, and Guild Stranger S-464 sit in the cockpit of the X-12. S-464 explains that he took the weather machine mission for the Peril Partnership in the hopes of making his ex-girlfriend, Agent Kimberly McManus, feel as hurt as she made him feel. Dr. Venture responds by recounting his experience with the "black widow" Novia, saying that he's been circumventing her restraining order against him by cyberstalking her from a fake Facebook account. Instead of finding the anecdote inspirational, Billy and S-464 are horrified. Dr. Venture quickly changes the subject to regain the moral high ground, haughtily announcing to S-464 that he does not play fast and loose with super science.

The Creep is still playing Dive Bomb with a fatigued Henchman 21 and The Monarch even though it has gotten dark outside. When The Monarch asks if they're done yet, The Creep announces that he'll be throwing one final big launch of the lawn dart. He tosses it with maximum effort, sending the dart soaring up toward space.

A light flashes from inside Grover Cleveland's Presidential Time Machine. The Creep turns around to look at it. Electricity audibly crackles in the air. The doors to the time machine open and Billy Quizboy steps out dressed as a Confederate officer from the Civil War followed by Dr. Venture dressed in a tuxedo and top hat with a life preserver from the RMS Titanic around his neck. The index finger on Dr. Venture's right hand is bandaged, as if his fingertip is missing. The immediately mistake The Creep for a caveman, though Dr. Venture identifies The Monarch as "Malcom". The two talk to one another while The Creep, The Monarch, and Henchman 21 look on, dumbfounded.

The lawn dart falls directly into the center of The Creep's head, impaling his skull. The tip of the dart sticks out through the bottom of his chin. He turns to look at The Monarch, mutters "You win", and falls over dead.

Thinking that they have further disrupted the timeline, Billy and Dr. Venture return to the time machine. Electricity crackles and light flashes as the time-traveling Billy and Dr. Venture disappear. After a brief verbal exchange where they agree not to reveal how he died, The Monarch and Henchman 21 give a "dream team" high five while both looking straight ahead at the corpse of The Creep.

Scare Bear's wet footsteps squelch on the carpet as it carries a barely conscious Hank through the Stuyvesant University dormitory hallway. Hank groans and opens his eyes, looking around him for the first time. Scare Bear sets Hank down on his feet. Scare Bear silently raises its right arm and points straight ahead at the door to the Resident Adviser dorm room shared by Dean Venture and Jared. Hank approaches the door and knocks on it. Dean replies sharply from inside the room, asking Jared if he noticed the tie. Hank looks down with unfixed eyes, vaguely noticing that a necktie has been looped around the door handle. He opens the door and enters the room.

Hank walks into the bedroom to find his brother, Dean, in bed with Hank's girlfriend, Sirena. Sirena quickly moves to cover herself with the sheets and tells Hank that it isn't what he thinks. Dean shamefully confesses that it is. Hank says he thinks they were freezing to death and had sex to survive. They have a surreal, regretful conversation until Sirena and Dean note that there's a bear behind Hank. Hank looks over his shoulder to see Scare Bear's massive frame filling the doorway. Hank turns back to Dean and Sirena, confessing his relief that they also are able to see the bear. He falls over face first with a thud, passing out from his wound.

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch and Agent Kimberly McManus walk down a subterranean passage lined with doors in Guild Strategic Operations. They discuss the prisoner exchange, where Black Strap will return to the Guild and Guild Stranger S-464 will be turned over to the O.S.I. as a favor to Agent Kimberly McManus. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch lets McManus into the room where S-464 is recovering, then leaves the two of them to have privacy.

McManus checks the S-464 is awake, then apologizes, forgives him, and confesses her love to him. In a cruel twist she quickly learns that S-464 no longer even recognizes her as the Guild has purposely wiped his memory before turning him over to her custody. A heartbroken McManus cries out bitterly as S-464 moves to subdue the "O.S.I. incursion".

Episode Cast[]

First Appearances[]

Episode Transcript[]

See: The Forecast Manufacturer (transcript)[]

Connections to Other Episodes[]

Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean

Twenty Years to Midnight

The Diving Bell Vs. The Butter-Glider

Hostile Makeover

A Party for Tarzan

The High Cost of Loathing

The Bellicose Proxy

The Terminus Mandate

  • Dr. Mrs. The Monarch states in this episode that efforts to reach diplomatic solutions with the rogue Peril Partnership have failed. In The Terminus Mandate, The Guild villain Red Death is responsible for scuttling an attempt at peace with the Partnership.
  • Dr. Venture's date from The Terminus Mandate is referenced when he tells S-464 that he once dated a "black widow", known for causing the death of her husbands. This is a reference to Novia from the previous episode.

The Creep's Armory[]

The Creep has many stolen objects either previously mentioned or owned by characters previously mentioned in the Venture Bros. show. These include:

The Creep appears to be wearing the breastplate worn by Tank Top, an allegedly traitorous member of the O.S.I. who was killed by Molotov Cocktease in O.S.I. Love You.

The Creep also seems to be wearing the foot of Ghost Robot's Galacticon costume, last seen at Don Hell's nightclub in Bot Seeks Bot. The Guild villain Galacticon appeared subsequent to that at a Guild meeting at Don Hell's in Hostile Makeover.

Henchman 21 notes that the force field surround The Creep's base came from Jungle Jim's Green House Ray.

The Creep mentions wielding PoseiDonJuan's Sexy Trident and wearing Gerock the Demolisher's fur underpants.

Cultural References[]

Activism

Antonio Brown

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

BioShock Infinite (2013)

  • Time traveling Doc Venture is missing part of a finger and time traveling Billy is in a Confederate uniform from the American Civil War, both potential references to the popular time-traveling/dimension-hopping video game BioShock Infinite (2013).

Body Glove

Boy Scouts of America

Build-A-Bear

Cable

  • The Creep is primarily a parody of the Marvel Comics character Cable, as both have a similar look (muscular build, robotic eye and arm), "extreme" demeanor, and emphasis on militancy. Each also leads an "extreme" splinter group, with The Creep starting a rogue version of The Peril Partnership and Cable leading the X-Men spinoff group X-Force (formerly the New Mutants).

Eight Crazy Nights (2002)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

  • During the karate class for pre-teens, 21 and a young girl reenact a scene from Enter the Dragon (potentially knowingly and unknowingly, respectively) in which the character played by Bruce Lee is giving a private lesson to a martial arts student. 21 is berated for striking the child in a similar fashion as in the movie, as the children in the karate class are too young to hit each other without crying and this upsets their parents.

Hangman

  • Someone appears to have been playing Hangman on the dry-erase board on the door to Dean and Jared's dorm room.

Jimi Hendrix

  • After Billy Whalen says the "purple haze" surrounding the weather machine is made of silver nitrate, Dr. Venture asks if "The Wind Cries Mary" on the other side, a joke referencing the song by Jimi Hendrix, because Hendrix has a song called "Purple Haze." The silver nitrate itself has been used in real life cloud seeding weather control efforts.

Lawn Darts

  • The Creep's game of Bombardment is an unofficial variation of Lawn Darts, which has been banned in the US and Canada due to deaths and injuries from the pointed metal tips.

Living Colour

  • The Monarch says to 21 their wetsuits make them appear as if they're in a "Cult of Personality video". This is a reference to the song and music video "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour.

Maurkice Pouncey

Moon Landing (1969)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Mountain Dew

  • The design of the "Mountain Whizzy" can thrown at the X-12 indicates it's a take-off of Mountain Dew.

Paul Smith

  • When The Monarch presents The Creep with his wallet, Henchman 21 expresses his frustration with The Monarch that he isn't using the $200 Paul Smith brand wallet that 21 bought for him. The Monarch says that the color was teal and that it was a lady's wallet, despite the fact that it's a men's brand.

Pollepel Island

Resident Evil

  • Someone has taped a slip of paper that reads "evil" over the placard on Jared and Dean’s dorm room door that reads "RESIDENT ASSISTANT" so that it now reads "RESIDENT evil".

RMS Titanic (1912)

  • Time-traveling Doc Venture is dressed as a passenger from the RMS Titanic.

Salt 'N Pepa

Spider-Man

  • A Spider-Man action figure is taped to the door of Jared and Dean's dorm room. The color scheme is the reverse of Spider-Man's traditional costume (red and blue swapped, white and black swapped). While Spider-Man is a pop culture character in the world of The Venture Bros. (as evidenced by Dean's Spider-Man pajamas), Jared as Brown Widow serves as the "real life" equivalent of Spider-Man within their world.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

The Most Dangerous Game (1924)

  • The Creep says that The Monarch and 21 must survive "the most dangerous game". This is thought to be a reference by The Monarch and 21 to the 1924 short story by Richard Connel, in which humans are hunted safari style. Instead, The Creep is merely referring to a "sinister" version of a (still quite dangerous) children's game played with lawn darts. The Creep comments that he had to look all over the globe to procure the lawn darts after a world-wide ban, a reference to lawn dart ban in the US and Canada of the real world.

The Shining (1980)

Tiger Schulmann

Time Bandits (1981)

Twister (1996)

Trivia[]

Gallery[]


Preceded by:
"The Terminus Mandate"
The Venture Bros. episodes
Original Airdate:
September 30, 2018
Followed by:
"The Saphrax Protocol"
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