It's the Fourth of July and Calvin is excited! Excited enough to wake up his parents at one in the morning to tell them that, at any rate. His joy is shattered, however, when his father reveals they're not getting any fireworks this year.
Naturally, Calvin attempts to amend this at a G.R.O.S.S. meeting. Once the flaws of his plan are exposed, he switches to Plan B - outright pleading for fireworks. He ends up sent to his room. Shortly afterwards, he's climbed out of his room and off to buy some fireworks.
... if he was 18 or older, at least. After trying several times to fool the worker, he simply reasons with him - and gets some fireworks. They make the most beautiful display he'd ever seen - well worth enduring his father's screaming and cussing.
Satisfied, the duo lie in bed, where Hobbes asks where the second firework has gone. It's revealed that the second firework destroyed an alien spaceship's force field and thrusters.
Tropes:
- Accidental Hero: Calvin, having prevented an Alien Invasion via one of his fireworks.
- Alien Invasion: As mentioned above, Calvin accidentally stops one.
- Batter Up!: One of the two aliens does this to their partner.
- Bedsheet Ladder: Calvin and Hobbes use one when attempting to get fireworks.
- Big "WHAT?!": Calvin, when his dad announces that they're not getting any fireworks.
- Deflector Shields: The aliens' spaceship has one, but it's destroyed by Calvin's firecracker.
- Gainax Ending: It turns out that Calvin accidentally stopped an Alien Invasion with a firecracker. This could be considered a precursor to the series' later World of Weirdness setting.
- Gilligan Cut:Calvin: OK, Hobbes. All we have to do is buy a couple of fireworks, and then, set them off tonight. We'll say to Mom and Dad we didn't do it, and Kabaam! A wonderful 4th of July.Fireworks seller: Sorry kid, you have to be 18 or older to make a purchase.
- Large Ham: Calvin."REVENGE! RE-VEEEEEEEEEENGE!"
- Time for Plan B: Which turns out to be flat-out begging for fireworks.
- Totem Pole Trench: Double subverted: Upon a tall man in a suit walking up to the fireworks stand, the worker recognizes him as Calvin and snatches his hat... revealing a very angry man's face. Later, another tall man in a suit comes up, and the worker exposes the head as a stuffed tiger.
