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George Hampton and Mike Moore Reviewed by: Purrsia  The 'Cats are out working on their vehicles, when Snarf and Lion-O finish their work on the Thunderclaw and take it for a test drive. Other than Panthro grumbling about Lion-O not taking the test flight seriously, all goes well until they round a mountain side and are bathed in a strange red light. Lion-O seems mesmerized and intent on following the light, while Snarf worries, wondering why Lion-O's eyes are glowing such an eerie red. Lion-O flies right into Mumm-Ra's trap, for he has found and possesses the Beacon of Ravage Island. The Mutants are there with Mummsie, donning special glasses so they are unaffected by the beam. Do note that Snarf seems unaffected to >.o *sigh* The Mutants are there to mine the crystals that power the beacon, but for whatever reason Slithe thinks he doesn't need his protective glasses. To prove him wrong, Mumm-Ra removes the glasses and Slithe becomes an instant slave to the light. Mumm-Ra also demonstrates the beacon's power of suggestion, by making Slithe believe he's shackled when indeed he is not. Point taken. Back at the repair site, Panthro, Pumyra, Cheetara and Lynx-O have finished their work on the Feliner and Hovercat and are just about to leave when they too are struck by the red beams and compelled to follow it - all except Lynx-O who is blind and therefore cannot see the beam. The possessed 'Cats take off leaving Lynx-O grounded and in the dust. When the others show up, Snarf is distressed to see they too are obsessed with the light. So Snarf goes back to the Hovercat and decides he needs to go for help. As he dashes off, the others arrive at the Beacon. The light is off so they're not zombies anymore, but Mumm-Ra and the Mutants are closing in. But during the battle, the effects of the beam are felt when the ThunderCats become susceptable to Mutant suggestion (Lion-O running into a wall that's really not there, etc). It ends with all four trapped in a "prison". Though Cheetara is with it enough to realize the bars are an illusion, she can't break the spell and so tries to wake Lion-O up so he can use the Eye to snap them all out of it. He wakes up and gives it a shot, but to everyone's shock, it doesn't work! Mumm-Ra even convinces Lion-O to hand over the Sword. But right before he does, Lion-O tosses the Sword away. Meanwhile, Snarf crash lands at the Tower. After a comical bit with Snarfer, they consult with Lynx-O. The theory is the beam didn't effect Snarf because he has a strong will. The whole crew plus a blind-folded Bengali head off for the Island in the Thunderstrike, the Snarves acting as the blinded Thundercats' eyes. They're spotted by Vultureman and Slithe while out scouting in the Flying Machine. But instead of blasting them, Slithe mistakenly thinks they're under control of the beam and orders them over the loud speaker to crash the vessel, convincing them they're out of fuel. Though they don't follow the command, Jackalman manages to get off a good shot from his Sky Cutter, and the ThunderStrike loses a pod. Bengali decides to sacrifice himself, convinced Lynx-O can't outrun the Mutants with his pod still attached - so he takes off his blindfold and detaches from the rest of the ship. It's a given Bengali is now under the power of the beacon. But Lynx-O wants to find the Sword (the Braille Board told him it was missing, haha) before they go in for the rescue. On the ground, Mumm-ra yells at Slithe for letting Lynx-O get away and sends him back out after him. Then he admits to Ma-Mutt that he's been away from his crypt too long and is growing weak. Mummsie decides to try to stick it out until ALL the Thundercats are captured and destroyed. Meanwhile, the Snarves find the Sword, but Slithe is waiting in the wings to attack. Apparently, they escape for the next scene has Lynx-O arriving in the 'Strike and using the Sword to destroy the beacon. However, Mumm-Ra gloats that their minds have been enslaved too long. But Lion-O calls the Sword to him, sends up the signal which frees them all from the Beacon's hold. The Mutants and Mumm-Ra run rather than fight, and that's that. At the episode's closing, Panthro is back at the Tower showing off the shades he developed to ward off the Beacon's beam in case Mumm-Ra ever tries that trick again. Then the Kittens show up with glowing red rocks that the Snarves seem mesmerized by - it's candy...har har. By the way, where the heck was Tygra in this episode? No fair! Snarves are bestowed yet another superior trait - iron wills that not even magic beacons of light can bend. Yay. "No one can control my mind!" - Slithe, challenging Mumm-Ra's claim that if he takes his glasses off, he'll be helpless in the light of the Beacon. "Not even Slithe can control his mind." - Jackalman's giggly retort. "I'll give you 'submit quietly' you mutated macaw." - Panthro's response to Vultureman's suggestion that he submit quietly. "Nice work, Mutants. Four 'Cats in a bag." - Mumm-Ra gloating. "Thank Jaga Panthro didn't see that landing!" Snarf, on his 'expert' landing of the Thunderclaw. "It'll take more than a Mutant flood light to confuse me!" - Snarf bragging about how the light didn't affect him. "If you can't stand the flying, Slithe, don't join the air force." - Vultureman, after Slithe complained about his irratic flying. "Welcome to Ravage Island, ThunderLosers!" - Slithe's greeting to Lynx-O and his crew. "The Sword is a very special item, you know. It only responds to those it respects." - Snarf to Snarfer, moments before the Sword fails to respond to him haha!! leppardra: This is truly one of my favorite stories and it's beautifully animated (if only all 130 episodes had been animated that way!). Since the red eldritch light from the Ravage Island beacon affects only sighted Cats (and not snarfs, natch), the blind Lynx-O of course is the natural hero in this tale, with the two snarfs tagging along providing the comic relief. That I don't mind at all; Snarf's speech about how the Sword of Omens reacts only to people it respects, and Lynx-O proving just that when he pulls the blade out of the rocky ground when Snarf and Snarfer can't, is one of the funnier moments in the series. Begali removing his blindfold, knowing fully well what would happen if he did, was a dud. Do we have to be constantly reminded that T-Cats have more brawn than brains in certain situations? Anyway, the animation and the group picture of Lion-O freeing himself and his comrades from their mental cage is worth it. Anonymous: Why is it always Tygra the only original TC left aside in the episodes where all of the others appear together? Why can't it be Panthro? Seems they don't like him that much to spend time with him. Not fair; Tygra is potentially the best TC (yeah yeah, besides pussy Lion-O)
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