lurkers-guide/guide/245

<h2><a name="OV">Overview</a></h2>

<blockquote><cite>
Dodgers undertakes a perilous journey to Planet X, where a powerful alien
force awaits.
</cite>

<a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Misc/daffykosh.jpg">Daffy Duck</a> as Duck Dodgers.
</blockquote>

<pre>
Sub-genre: Intrigue
G5 rating: Second-favorite thing in the universe

Original air year: 1953

   Story by Michael Maltese
Directed by Chuck Jones
</pre>

<p>
<hr size=3>

<h2><a name="BP">Backplot</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> Shaving cream is made using Alludium Phosdex.

   <li> Earth has used up valuable natural resources and must look elsewhere
	in the universe for certain mineral needs.
</ul>

<h2><a name="UQ">Unanswered Questions</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> How are people able to breathe at an altitude of approximately 32 miles
	(17,000 stories)?

   <li> How did Marvin Martian manage to land on Planet X immediately after
	Dodgers did?  Has Mars run out of Alludium Phosdex as well?

   <li> What biological function is responsible for the glow emanated by Dodgers
	when he shouts out his name?

   <li> Are Duck Dodgers and the infamous Sinclair's Duck one and the same?

   <li> Was the actual matter of Planet X destroyed, or was its mineral content
	dispersed throughout the galaxy, where it might be found at some future
	date?

   <li> How do Duck Dodgers, Porky, and Marvin, ever leave the remains of the
	planet?
</ul>

<h2><a name="AN">Analysis</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> When Dodgers falls several stories during the first act, he suffers only
	minor injuries.  Perhaps Dodgers, by being DUCK DODGERS IN THE 24-1/2TH
	CENTURY, has powers greater than the average mortal.  Further evidence
	corroborates this when it is considered that Dodgers survives several
	lethal blasts, including one that decimates an entire planet.

   <li> Marvin Martian's ship, the "Martian Maggot" looks suspiciously like a
	Vorlon cruiser.  And yet, Ambassador Kosh is suspected to actually be
	Duck Dodgers.  So perhaps The Martian Maggot was actually stolen
	Vorlon technology.

   <li> Duck Dodgers, representing the Earth Alliance, and Marvin Martian,
	representing Mars, do seem to share a great deal of technology. (Both
	sides use machines with brand names such as "A-1" and "Acme" and have
	similarly designed secret weapons.)  It is thus logical that this
	storyline takes place after "A Voice in the Wilderness," in which the
	Mars colony secedes from Earth.  However, this conflicts with the
	timeline in "Midnight on the Firing Line" in which Garibaldi and
	Delenn view this episode, several episodes <em>before</em> the
	revolution on Mars.  Perhaps they just weren't paying attention to
	the signs and portents of an upcoming Mars revolution.

   <li> JMS has stated that there is no Trek-like "transporter" technology in
	the B5 universe; however, Dodgers uses the Evaporator to transport
	himself to the airport.  This may be an inconsistency in the B5 setting.

   <li> It is reasonable to assume that the "unknown" area displayed by Dr. I.Q.
	Hi is equivalent to "the rim" (of known space) that the Icarus had been
	exploring when Sheridan's wife dissapeared  (c.f. "In the Shadow of
	Z'ha'dum").  Could Planet X be near Z'ha'dum, or perhaps be controlled
	by the Shadows?  Its markings indicate a long-dead civilization, perhaps
	one of the oldest civilizations in the Galaxy.
</ul>

<h2><a name="NO">Notes</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> This is the only Babylon 5 episode to be entirely animated, and using
	absolutely <em>no</em> CGI for special effects.  Considering how well
	the episode turned out, Ron Thornton may have to start working on his
	resume.

   <li> This episode features no regular B5 cast members.  (Except, perhaps,
	Kosh.)

   <li> Though the character's name is common knowledge, the name Marvin Martian
	is not actually uttered on-screen.

   <li> Strangely, this episode was broadcast <em>before</em> the birth of
	JMS.  How this happened is not clear, but it's probably just one of
	those things.
</ul>

<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li> I *love* "Duck Dodgers." I have virtually all of the WB cartoons on
	tape or disk, and from where I sit, that's wonderful stuff that'll
	be around for a long, long time. No omens, just something I thought
	would be fun. (Again, connecting past/present/future, sort of our B5
	theme.) 

<p>
   <li> I don't understand...what does Sinclair's duck have to do with
	anything?  We weren't even planning on introducing the duck until late
	in season two.  I suspect a leak.  Nothing worse than a leaky duck.

<p>
   <li> "How did Sinclair's duck thing get started?"
	<p>
	Probably by watching an attractive woman walk across the room.

<p>
   <li> Me, I'm just waiting for somebody to refer to "The Long Dark" as "The
	Long Duck"....

<p>
   <li> It's a duck.  Yes, why, of course it's a ducky.  Why would I think
	anything else?  What a silly question.
	<p>
	It's a duck.
	<a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Misc/starship.gif">A texture mapped metallic
	duck coming out of a jumpgate.</a>
 	<p>
	A duck.  Of course.  A duck.
 	<p>
	AAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
 	<p>
	(I wanna see it...and I wanna see it now.)

<p>
   <li> Of the options you listed, only D poses a real problem; A-C are
	more or less okay.  The problem comes not so much from speculating on
	elements already introduced, as introducing *new* plot elements that
	have not been seen in the show to back up speculation or conjecture,
	which may or may not approximate what we're doing.  "The Minbari
	surrendered because in some episode we'll see someday the Earth had
	developed a giant killer space duck hidden on the dark side of the
	moon that would nibble the Minbari homeworld to destruction."  That is
	kind of the dividing line between what's safe and not-safe.

</ul>