Awesome / ThunderCats (1985)

• First episode: Panthro nonchalantly catches a spiked mace swung at him with one hand, laughs, and crushes it.
  Panthro: (laughs) If you guys were mean as you are ugly, then maybe you'd be trouble.
• The Thundercats fighting a whole horde of mutants (as opposed to just the usual trio) at the end of the pilot. Cheetara and the twins have some action scenes that are cool enough to be included in the opening theme song for the rest of the show.
• Giant ghost Jaga vs. giant ghost Grune.
  Lion-O: Jaga! Take my strength!
  Jaga: (struggling) No, Lion-O! No!
  Lion-O: I command you, Jaga! As Lord of the Thundercats, I command you to TAKE! MY! STRENGTH!
• In "The Doomgaze", Cheetara single-handedly defeats Monkian, Slythe, and Jackalman and then rescues Lion-O from Ta-She's Doomgaze.
• Snarf rescues the Thundercats in "Snarf Takes up the Challenge."
• Panthro and the Thunderkittens arriving in time to turn the tables on the Giant Technopede in "Turmagar the Tuska".
• In episode 114, the Thundercats rescue Snarf from under a pile of rubble. Lion-O gets a big boost to strength due to Heroic Resolve, complete with Glowing Eyes and Theme Music Power-Up.
• "Sword in a Hole": Lion-O orders the Sword of Owens to return to his hand, and it comes out of the black hole.
• "The Telepathy Beam": With a little help from Lynx-O, Cheetara gets the confidence to fight against Vultureman's telepathy beam that been messing with her head, and proceeds to blow up the telepathy machine, attack the Sky Tomb, and save the Thundercats with the power of her mind.
  Cheetara: I am Cheetara. In my heart, I know I'm the strongest of my kind. The pride of my people. I am unique in this universe, and I will not. Be DEFEATED!
• Lion-O's anointment trials are all passed awesomely, but especially the Trial of Speed as Lion-O just barely manages to beat Cheetara in a race through sheer determination, refusing to give up even when he doesn't think he'll win.
  • Throughout the arc, Lion-O has to go unarmed for his trials, which makes all of his victories awesome - especially his big fight with Mumm-Ra.
  • At the end of the arc, Lion-O does the usual "Thundercats, Ho!" bit with the Sword of Omens - only this time now as the official Lord of the Thundercats!
• The original series opening theme is still considered one of the eighties best.
• Here's something you won't hear everyday, Snarfer is awesome. Near the end of the "Mumm-Ra Lives" arc, Snarfer came face to face with Alluro. Alluro tries his classic song and dance, which had almost beaten Panthro an episode earlier. But Snarfer throws off his magic in a snap.
  Alluro: You don't stand a chance. (throws one of his magic spheres toward Snarfer)
  Snarfer: Snarfs never give in. Nope no sir. NEVER SAY DIE! (Snarfer head-butts the damn thing!)
• In the episode "The Mossland Monster", Snarf and his nephew Snarfer are part of a search party looking for a missing Tygra, when the duo are attacked by a 50 foot tall plant monster. In addition to being superstrong, the monster also regenerates from all damage done to it and can fire beams of energy from its eyes that covers whatever they hit with thick moss, paralyzing its victims. Snarf has seen this thing effortlessly toss a spaceship around like a toy, but when it corners him and Snarfer, Snarf places himself between the monster and his nephew, and tries to reassure him that he'll do whatever he can to protect him. It's a very brave and touching moment for Snarf, who we see KNOWS he's doomed, but is going to do whatever he can to protect his nephew anyway, even if its just making sure he gets shot first. Thankfully, Lion-O makes a last minute save.
  • It gets even better later in the episode when the monster manages to corner all of the Thundercats again, after having taken everything Lion-O and Bengali could throw at it, before blasting the two of them and incapacitating them. Despite having seen the thing take down Lion-O and the Sword of Omens, Snarf STILL puts himself in front of Snarfer and then starts TRASH TALKING the thing. Once again, Snarf KNOWS this thing just took down the Lord of the Thundercats and one of the most powerful weapons in the show, but he just refuses to back down or do anything but protect his nephew as best he could.
  • And how do they finally defeat this creature? Lion-O uses the Sword of Omens to bring a giant stone Thundercat statue to life, and have it fight the giant moss monster. He even gives the stone giant the Sword of Omens, which morphs into a giant sized blade that stone giant eventually uses to cut the moss monster to shreds. Bit of a Deus ex Machina, but we basically get to watch a kaiju battle between a giant stone Thundercat wielding a giant Sword of Omens against a giant plant monster with eyebeams.
• Snarf's invocation of the Ancient Spirits of Evil and the subsequent beatdown of Mumm-ra definitely count.
  Snarf: Ancient Spirits of Evil! Transform this canine form to Snarf-Ra, The Ever-Living!
  • "Canine" form? He's feline, surely?
    • He was in Ma-Mutt's form at the time. Don't ask me why.
• Monkian's Took a Level in Badass into a Physical God in "Monkian's Bargain," especially when he ultimately Starscreams Mumm-Ra.
  • Likewise, a now-outmatched Mumm-Ra still manages to get the last laugh:
  Mumm-Ra: You rule Third Earth. But it is a kingdom you will never see. Because you can never leave my pyramid! {Activates a Sealed Evil in a Can trap that rapidly reforms after each time Monkian destroys it, which ultimately forces him to concede.}
• Even when he was switched into Jackal-man's weaker body, Slithe still maintained command and caught Lion-O off guard in a fight.
  This is no cowardly jackal you're dealing with, cub!
• The Demolisher beat Mumm-Ra, and probably would have killed him then and there if Mumm-Ra didn't get the Demolisher's attention focused on the Thundercats.
• Lion-O arm wrestles a caveman for the Time Capsule, while a lightning storm appears out of nowhere as it happens.
  Snarf: There's no way you can beat him! Look at the size of him!
  Lion-O: We'll just have to see.

---