The season 1 finale for Hamster & Gretel, a 22-minute episode split in two parts.
Hamster and Gretel are granted the key to the city. Unfortunately, Professor Exclamation has captured Kevin (after intercepting his date with Hiromi) and taunts the superhero duo to come save him at the abandoned doll factory. There, Hamster and Gretel are trapped as well, as Professor Exclamation uses the superpower-draining rock from "U.F. UH-OH!" to steal their superpowers and power a giant mech suit made of Unbendium, which he uses for his plans to take over the world.
Tropes:
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Fred uses the Amplifier to enlarge Hamster and his ball to run over Destructress and FistPuncher.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Professor Exclamation assigns FistPuncher and The Destructress as Co-Dragons after they lead him to the weird glowing rock in Las Vegas.
- Brick Joke: To intimidate the citizens, FistPuncher punches the statue of the mayor into the sky. Much later, after Hamster, Gretel and Kevin are saved, the statue happens to land right in front of them.
- Brought Down to Normal: Professor Exclamation drains the powers out of Hamster and Gretel, returning them back to normal. In Hamster's case, that also means he can only squeak and act like a normal hamster.
- Chekhov's Gun: The key to the city that Gretel receives. Early on, it's been stated that the key is really heavy. As it turns out, the key is also made of Unbendium, and would be able to shatter the power-draining rock if it were thrown into it.
- Continuity Cavalcade: Fred and Bailey bring superweapons from past villains to help free Kevin, Gretel and Hamster. These includes Tchotchke Jones' shrink ray, the Amplifier's amplifier ray, and CopyCat's hairball gun and prehensile tail.
- Downer Ending: For Kevin; because he got kidnapped by Professor Exclamation, he was unable to attend his date with Hiromi, leading to her breaking up with him in spite of her feelings for him (not helping that Kevin can't tell her the truth on why he was forced to stand her up). On top of that, the aliens tell Kevin straight to his face that he is not supposed to get superpowers.
- Dramatic Curtain Toss: Professor Exclamation reveals the power removing ray by dramatically pulling away the sheet covering it. He then attempts to do the same with his mecha suit, but it fails because the sheet is too big to pull away in one move.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The Destructress was noticeably concerned as she saw Gretel had no powers left and didn't want to fight. Unfortunately, her brother convinced her to do so.
- Failed a Spot Check: While waiting for Kevin to show up at the restaurant, Hiromi fails to notice Professor Exclamation stomping in the background in his giant mech with people screaming in the background.
- Hope Spot:
- There's enough of Gretel's power inside the ray for Gretel to deliver one super punch to destroy the rock. Just as she's about to, a sign falls in her way and she ends up punching it by mistake, wasting her one chance.
- Hiromi appears to forgive Kevin for standing her up when he explains he was helping his sister, but she remembers he used that same excuse before and isn't buying it this time.
- Humongous Mecha: Professor Exclamation builds a giant mecha suit of himself, complete with a Huge Holographic Head and, most importantly, elbows, to compensate for his lack of them.
- Idiot Ball: Because the writers need Hiromi to break up with Kevin, Hamster and Gretel leave the scene and don't try to explain why Kevin was late or back up his story.
- In Their Own Image: When Exclamation arrives at city hall in his mech suit, he orders everyone present to destroy city hall and rebuild it in his own image.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The upcoming even more dangerous threat as warned by the aliens is set to arrive "next season".
- Logic Bomb: Fred uses the old koan "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" to incapacitate two of Professor Exclamation's guard robots. Instead of blowing their circuits, the two robots instead argue about it and end up fighting, while Fred and Bailey escape.
- Metaphorically True: Kevin explains to Hiromi that he was late to their date because he was taking care of his little sister, which is technically true.
- Missed Him by That Much: Kevin is captured by Robot Hiromi; seconds after he disappears through the ceiling, the real Hiromi enters through the door behind him.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Fred was able to free Gretel, Hamster, and Kevin because Professor Exclamation left his password on the monitor which allowed Gretel, Hamster, Kevin, Fred, and Bailey to stop Professor Exclamation.
- Noodle Incident: Apparently, Hamster and Gretel ended up getting stuck while trying to fight a talking fungus who was about to read a long play.Hamster: Man, that guy would not shut up.
- No Power, No Color: After their power is drained, Hamster and Gretel's superhero costumes turn a drab gray.
- The Reveal: As the aliens finally show up to Hamster, Gretel and Kevin again, the three immediately ask them why they are giving superpowers to not only them, but also supervillains, and apparently, it's to prepare Hamster and Gretel for dealing with an even more powerful, yet to be revealed evil for the next season.
- Robot Me: When Kevin arrives for his date with Hiromi, she is acting strange, talking with weird grammar and eating napkins. Then she opens up her mouth and metal tentacles come out of it to trap Kevin. Turns out she was a robot built by Professor Exclamation to kidnap Kevin.
- Trauma Conga Line: Kevin gets kidnapped by Professor Exclamation, leading to him unwillingly standing Hiromi up and her breaking up with him, then the aliens tell him that they're never giving him powers and he gets wiper fluid from the UFO dumped on him.Hamster: Man, this is really not your day, Kevin.
- Vagueness Is Coming: In the final scene, the still-unseen aliens reveal the reason they gave Hamster and Gretel powers for good and bestowed evil powers to certain others is to prepare them for an even bigger and more dangerous threat that will come when they least expect it.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: The Destructress shows signs of this when she and FistPuncher are tasked to take care of the already power-drained Gretel, but this gets quickly subverted when the refusal puts Professor Exclamation's promise to her and FistPuncher on the line.
