I’ve been watching some of my favorite Thundercats episodes of season 1&2 again and I’ve noticed a few things on episode 63 “Mumm-Rana” and 86 “Mumm-Rana’s Belt” that don’t fit in the story correctly. It might be a small mistake that doesn’t actually deviate too much or loose the continuity so I don’t consider it a big deal, but it just raised me a couple of questions. In the beginning of episode 63 we see early on, the Feliner launching and leaving Third earth’s orbital course, while in space Cheetara says “I want to get some good laser maps of the star system”, at that time the mutants inside the Ratstar attack the Thundercats and the ensuing space-battle ends up with the Ratstar destroyed (once again) and the three mutants abandoning the ship. Their escape pods were heading to an unknown planet and as Panthro who was piloting the Feliner mentioned prior to taking off, going far away from this foreign world “We can’t hang around here this atmosphere will burn us up” i believed that the White pyramid wasn’t located in Third Earth. Upon landing, the mutants weren’t familiar with that place and were left wondering where they are. Now fast-forward 25 episodes and in the episode 86 we learn from Snarf recounting the story of Queen Luna and Magic Belt that in the ancient days of Third Earth, the wicked queen Luna (Luna’s grandmother) was wreaking havoc to the natives making slaves of the Wollos, the Berbils even the Warrior Maidens, only to be stopped by the only being on Third Earth as strong as her, the good equivalent of Mumm-Ra, Mumm-Rana. Finally, in the legend Mumm-Rana managed to acquire the powerful Magic Belt of the Ancients and beat the evil queen sentencing her to exile on the Third Moon of Planet Plun-Darr which also caused me one more question about the true origin of the Lunatacs. Later on this episode we see the diminutive sorceress, Luna making hastily her way towards the White Pyramid through the Desert of Lava Geysers to get back her grandmother’s belt. Of course this is taking place in the vast territories of Third Earth and not in another dimension or planet. Pumyra arrives too inside the White Pyramid on foot whereas in the end of episode 63 Lion-o in order to save the weakened Mumm-Rana rushes her back to the White Pyramid with the Feliner because as Tygra said “The Feliner, it’s our only chance” meaning to return her back where she belongs. Having said that, I am not sure if Mamm-Rana’s presence in Third Earth is either as old as Mumm-Ra’s or she is an ancient sorceress from another planet which the mutants happened upon.
About the Lunatacs, from Part 1 “Mumm-Ra Lives” we learn that long before the Mutants came in Third Earth, the Lunatacs had already arrived from the Moons of Plun-Darr waging war against the Ever-living wizard and even the old and wise Lynx-o claimed to have heard about the fearsome raiders but before his time, suggesting they go way back in the history of Moons of Plun-Darr. Now on the other hand if Snarf’s account is correct on the episode 86 and Queen Luna, forebear of Luna and the Lunatacs, came from Third Earth and lived there doing her evil deeds and the reason she left was because she got exiled by Mumm-Rana on the Third Moon of Planet Plun-Darr then consequently the Lunatacs original home planet should also be Third Earth. Both alternative origins don’t make any substantial difference but I wanted to delve into their background stories.
I too have been watching the DVD sets lately. I feel that those two episodes just left out a few details that would have made things a lot clearer. Without doing a review of the episodes again to doublecheck myself, I’ll give my thoughts.
The Feliner/Ratstar battle took place as the Feliner was getting ready to leave the atmosphere of Third Earth. Being that high above the ground it would have been easy for the Mutants’ escape pods to have landed many miles away. Even after 2-3 years of being on Third Earth it is highly unlikely either the ThunderCats or the Mutants would have covered every square inch of the planet.
Anyway, they crash landed in an area they had not explored before. That makes most of the stories make sense. Now for Queen Luna and her belt. The ThunderCats randomly found Third Earth to make their new home. But before that, Grune was banashed from Thundera and just happened to land on Third Earth. And the LunaTacs also randomly found their way to Third Earth. Apparently, Queen Luna was out looting across the universe and also found Third Earth. After defeat in a battle with Mumm-Rana, Queen Luna’s belt was kept by Mumm-Rana, and Queen Luna was banished back to her home on one of the moons of Plun-darr. That actually helps everything else make sense. Queen Luna’s grand-daughter Luna lead the LunaTacs to Third Earth looking for revenge and came to odds with Mumm-Ra.
As for using the Feliner to save Mumm-Rana, it would be the fastest way to get to her pyramid, as they could fly over mountains, oceans, or any other obstical that would have slowed down the ThunderTank.
But there are good questions to ask from this point as well. How is it that the ThunderCats, Queen Luna, and the banished Grune all ended up on Third Earth?
From the epic and personal favorite episode “Ghost Warrior” we learn from the frightened Bolkens who in a stormy night stumbled upon Grune’s tomb which was covered with a stone slab and trees to prevent others from entering, that this formidable warrior had ravaged Third Earth centuries ago. When they accidentally released his spirit the two Bolkens identified him right away and were familiar with the legend about Grune’s evil actions in the past, even later on this episode some other natives recognize him too as they come for help to Thundercats and characteristically describe him as “the single saber-toothed”. We don’t know how or who defeated and sealed away Grune inside the tomb a long time ago. During the three appearances of Grune at the episodes Thundercats Ho Part V, Return to Thundera, part II and The Ghost Warrior there is no further explanation on his imprisonment in Third Earth, I guess this is a good question; Mumm-Ra could have been a possible answer considering what he did to the Lunatacs encasing them in molten rock when they attempted to take control, something similar might have happened to Grune. Most likely he landed in Third Earth by chance after Jaga sent him into exile in space following the lengthy battle in Thundera. Noteworthy, I thing it was a very mature and progressive idea, given the year it was shown and that it was kids mainly oriented, how Grune the first two times we see him was in ethereal form whereas the third returns resurrected as Mumm-Ra summons him from the eternal grave.
[FONT="]About the Lunatacs all we know is they had arrived in Third Earth a long time before the mutants did and when Mumm-ra order them to free the Lunatacs they were caught by surprise since they didn’t expect to be in Third Earth too. Finally I believe the legend of Queen Luna and Mumm-Rana must have occurred many centuries ago preceding the aforementioned events[/FONT]
i agreed with your thoughts leo
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