Salamander

"Salamander" is the sixteenth episode of The Powerpuff Girls season three, and the ninety-fifth overall. It aired on August 26, 2018 on Cartoon Network. It was written by Jake Goldman, Leticia Abreu Silva, and John Martinez, produced by Pernelle Hayes, directed by series creators, Nick Jennings and Bob Boyle, and voice directed by Jack Fletcher and Jake Goldman.

Blossom lets Bubbles lead a mission after Professor Utonium has been kidnapped by the Salamander, who wants him to build a giant magnifying glass to put up against the sun and incinerate the planet.

Detailed summary
The girls watch a commercial for Cork Fork, which Blossom thinks is ridiculous, and question what kind of person would buy such a thing, when their father walks in, excited over his purchase of a box of Cork Forks. Suddenly, the wall of their house is knocked down, with two orange-suited men riding vehicles resembling hover watercrafts entering the living room and kidnapping Professor Utonium by order of their boss, the Salamander, a humanoid-looking salamander. A third henchman comes late and is bribed by Bubbles with chocolate milk to give the whereabouts of the Salamander's base. Having believed herself to have done a good job, Bubbles feels confident enough to lead the mission, which was actually promised by Blossom that she could lead the next one. Blossom hesitatingly agrees.

Already at sea, she regrets her decision, as Bubbles have got them out with stuffed animals and riding an inflatable boat called the S.S. Basket of Kittens. When they make it to the island, Bubbles makes a surprisingly efficient and effective leader with the use of their Snuggle Buddies and Cork Forks against two red and blue teams of the Salamander. But Blossom doesn't think she's taking the job seriously enough, especially when she can't follow glaringly obvious labeled directions to the Salamander's lair. Out of nowhere, the Salamander's Crowbot picks up Blossom and takes her directly to Salamander's lair as his prisoner. Buttercup looks to Bubbles for a plan, but Bubbles breaks down and runs around screaming.

While Blossom trapped is in Salamander's pit, he refers to her as the third in command, and when she flies up to retaliate, she discovers the top is covered with an invisible electrified forcefield. He then releases a monster with several eyes onto Blossom for his amusement, and checks on Professor Utonium with his magnifying glass machine, which has been finished.

Bubbles is in distress and doesn't know what to do, she even goes as far as to put her stuffed octopus in charge. Buttercup can't be the leader after what happened last time (getting her sisters and herself tied up above alligators), so she gives Bubbles a pep talk about how she's done pretty well so far and not to give up now. Now feeling confident, Bubbles takes the lead once more and takes them to his volcano lair--Mojo's volcano lair that is. Fortunately, the next volcano lair they crash into belongs to the Salamander, who is preparing his giant magnifying glass to burn the earth. Blossom tells Bubbles to think quick, who simply goofs around with Buttercup, which serves as a long enough distraction that when the giant magnifying glass rises above the lair, the day has turned to night, rendering it useless. Blossom is freed from the pit and congratulates Bubbles for doing a fine job. Bubbles is flattered but doesn't feel she quite suits the role as Blossom does.

The Salamander whines about his failure and tears off what has been a costume all this time worn by the Gnat, who wanted to take revenge on humanity by frying it the same way humanity has fried bugs with magnifying glasses for so long. The Powerpuff Girls don't have any sympathy for him, and Buttercup seems to even be bored and asks Blossom if they can just beat him up and go home, which they then proceed to do. Meanwhile, as if Professor Utonium wasn't satisfied with building one death ray, he's already working on another with giddy glee.

Characters

 * style="background-color:#clear"| Blossom Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Amanda Leighton
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Buttercup Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Natalie Palamides
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Bubbles Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Kristen Li
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Ad announcer (voice only)
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Man on TV
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Professor Utonium
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Tom Kane
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Henchman #1
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Henchman #2
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Salamander
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Jason Kaye
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Henchman #3
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Blue Team member #1
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Blue Team member #2
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Red Team member #1
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Red Team member #2
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Red Team member #3
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Mojo Jojo
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Roger L. Jackson
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Larry
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#clear"| The Gnat
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Jason Kaye
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Red Team member #1
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Red Team member #2
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Red Team member #3
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Mojo Jojo
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Roger L. Jackson
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Larry
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#clear"| The Gnat
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Jason Kaye
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Larry
 * style="background-color:#ffff00"| N/A
 * style="background-color:#clear"| The Gnat
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Jason Kaye
 * style="background-color:#clear"| The Gnat
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Jason Kaye

Organizations

 * Powerpuff Girls

Locations

 * Earth
 * United States
 * Pokey Oaks County
 * Townsville
 * Utonium residence
 * Townsville Park
 * Townsville Central Park
 * Townsville Volcano Mountain
 * Mojo's residence
 * Salamander's lair

Objects

 * Cork fork
 * Octi
 * Monsieur Ducky
 * President Dinosaur
 * Crowbot
 * Giant magnifying glass
 * Destructo Ray

Vehicles

 * S.S. Basket of Kittens

Filming
It was copyrighted in 2018.

Music
The theme song, "Who's Got the Power?," and the music were composed by Mike Reagan. The opening theme song was written by Reagan and Bob Boyle, and the end credits song was written by Tristan Sedillo and Hannah Watanabe-Rocco, with both songs being performed by Tacocat.

Crew credits

 * Storyboard artists: Leticia Abreu Silva, John Martinez
 * Story editors: Haley Mancini, Jake Goldman
 * Art directors: Roman Laney, Paula Spence
 * Supervising directors: Abe Audish, James Burks
 * Supervising animation director: Sheri Wheeler
 * Production manager: Jasmin Hazem
 * Production coordinators: Adrienne Lee, Heather Navarro
 * Production assistants: Grace Chen, Jody Wegner
 * Character designer: Dean Heezen
 * Props and effects designer: Nathan Rico, Eunji Lee BRoess
 * Background designers: Santino Lascano, Clark Snyder
 * Background painters: Garrett Lee, Olivia Asser
 * Color stylists: Ashley Fisher, Miguel A. Jimenez
 * Animatic editor: Miguel A. Jimenez
 * Storyboard revisionists: Karen Wang, Megan Fisher
 * Animation directors: Robert Alvarez, Randy Myers, Sheri Wheeler
 * Animation checkers: Sandy Benenati, Julie Benenati
 * Casting director: Jack Fletcher
 * Original casting director: Linda Lamontagne
 * Recording studio manager: Stacy Renfroe
 * Recording engineers: Bill Devine, Austin Gorrigan
 * Director production technology: Antonio Gonella
 * Picture editor: Paul Douglas
 * Assistant editor: Krista Henrickson
 * After effects artist: Joel Espana
 * Dialogue editor: Tony Ostyn
 * Track reader: Slightly Off Track
 * Supervising sound editors: Alex Borquez, Timothy J. Borquez
 * Sound effects editors: Scott Manke, Daisuke Sawa
 * Re-recording mixers: Patrick Janssen, Timothy J. Barquez, C.A.S.
 * Post production manager: Alicia Parkinson
 * Post production assistant: Therisse Amunatigui
 * Production estimator: Carolyn Johnstone
 * Production administrator: Linda Barry
 * Overseas production facility: Smip, Inc.
 * Animation director: Hwang Gi-Ho
 * Main title animation: Golden Wolf
 * Current series executive: Mike Rauch
 * Executive producers: Jennifer Pelphrey, Curtis Lelash, Brian A. Miller, Rob Sorcher, Nick Jennings
 * Co-executive producer: Bob Boyle

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: August 26, 2018 on Cartoon Network

Behind the scenes

 * Buttercup calls the Gnat Jimmy, part of the recurring joke with the Powerpuff Girls calling him by the wrong name.

Home availability

 * Not available. 😢