Mutant League
Encyclopedia
Mutant League was an animated series based on the videogames Mutant League Football
and Mutant League Hockey
which aired from 2 July 1994 to 24 February 1996. The show ran for two seasons, with the second typically incorporating more poignant stories and issues (such as Magic Johnson
contracting HIV), while the first seemed somewhat hodgepodge with little regard for continuity (the Monsters have one win streak that ends twice, for instance). There are forty episodes in all, thirteen in Season 1 and twenty-seven in Season 2.
reveals buried toxic waste, and the fumes cause all of the attendees and players to mutate, including young Bones Justice (cf. Bones Jackson in the games). A sports federation based around the superhuman beings, the Mutant League, springs up, and Bones grows up to play for the Midway Monsters. Corrupt league commissioner Zalgor Prigg constantly schemes to get the popular athlete to play for any one of the four teams he owns (Slayers, Evils, Derangers or Ooze), or if nothing else discredit him for refusing to join. Bones' search for his father, missing since the day of the quake, and his personal quest to bring order and fair play to the league, are subplots throughout the series. Several other characters from the games such as Razor Kidd, Mo and Spew, K.T. Slayer, Grim McSlam and Coach McWimple regularly appear in the show.
Unlike the games, players didn't die from their unique approach to contact sports; though frequently maimed to the point of losing body parts, through treatments in a machine called the Rejuvenator which bathed them in toxic chemicals, they would soon be as good as new. The show also has no robot players (except in one episode where K.T. Slayer was benched by robotic clones of himself.), and only five teams: the Monsters, the Slayers, the Ooze, the Derangers and the Screaming Evils. It also has the teams competing in all manner of sports, not just the ones seen in the games. Most commonly Football, but also hockey
, basketball
, soccer, baseball
, volleyball
and even monster truck
races and sumo
wrestling. As with the videogames, all of these sports were modified with deathtraps and loose rules on violence to accommodate the near-indestructible nature of the players. Some episodes end with a "grudge match" between two particular players.
A line of action figures was released based on the show, but went virtually unknown.
Rumours of a Mutant League wrestling league surfaced featuring such characters as The Polluter, The Toxic Teacher, and "Dad" (or possibly Butch Justice) but apparently never entered production.
tape of the show was released in 1996, featuring episodes edited together into what was called Mutant League: The Movie.
Mutant League Football
Mutant League Football is a video game that was released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis. The game was designed using the Madden '93 engine, and features a different take on football, where the games resemble a war as much as a sporting competition....
and Mutant League Hockey
Mutant League Hockey
Mutant League Hockey is a hockey game that was released in 1994 for the Sega Genesis. This video game is a spin-off of Mutant League Football and features several of the same team names and players as well as new ones.-Summary:...
which aired from 2 July 1994 to 24 February 1996. The show ran for two seasons, with the second typically incorporating more poignant stories and issues (such as Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
contracting HIV), while the first seemed somewhat hodgepodge with little regard for continuity (the Monsters have one win streak that ends twice, for instance). There are forty episodes in all, thirteen in Season 1 and twenty-seven in Season 2.
Plot
During a football game, an earthquakeEarthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
reveals buried toxic waste, and the fumes cause all of the attendees and players to mutate, including young Bones Justice (cf. Bones Jackson in the games). A sports federation based around the superhuman beings, the Mutant League, springs up, and Bones grows up to play for the Midway Monsters. Corrupt league commissioner Zalgor Prigg constantly schemes to get the popular athlete to play for any one of the four teams he owns (Slayers, Evils, Derangers or Ooze), or if nothing else discredit him for refusing to join. Bones' search for his father, missing since the day of the quake, and his personal quest to bring order and fair play to the league, are subplots throughout the series. Several other characters from the games such as Razor Kidd, Mo and Spew, K.T. Slayer, Grim McSlam and Coach McWimple regularly appear in the show.
Unlike the games, players didn't die from their unique approach to contact sports; though frequently maimed to the point of losing body parts, through treatments in a machine called the Rejuvenator which bathed them in toxic chemicals, they would soon be as good as new. The show also has no robot players (except in one episode where K.T. Slayer was benched by robotic clones of himself.), and only five teams: the Monsters, the Slayers, the Ooze, the Derangers and the Screaming Evils. It also has the teams competing in all manner of sports, not just the ones seen in the games. Most commonly Football, but also hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and even monster truck
Monster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
races and sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestling. As with the videogames, all of these sports were modified with deathtraps and loose rules on violence to accommodate the near-indestructible nature of the players. Some episodes end with a "grudge match" between two particular players.
A line of action figures was released based on the show, but went virtually unknown.
Rumours of a Mutant League wrestling league surfaced featuring such characters as The Polluter, The Toxic Teacher, and "Dad" (or possibly Butch Justice) but apparently never entered production.
Midway Monsters
- Bones Justice: The main protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the series. Bones joined the Monsters because it was the only team in the Mutant League that Prigg doesn't own. Bones seeks out Prigg to learn the truth about his father Butch Justice. He never takes off his shade and his eyes glow red when angered. - Razor Kidd: A lizard-like mutant who was dumped by the Slayers and joined the Monsters. He and Bones begin as rivals but become close friends.
- Mo & Spewster: Twin troll brothers with superior brawn, but miminal intelligence.
- Darkstar: A tough mutant who loves to fight anyone, because of his brutality and inadvertently knocking down Prigg, as punishment, he was sent to the Monsters where he butts heads with Bones until he learned to play fair. Though he plays fair, he's still brutal to those who threaten his teammates.
- Thrasher: Daughter of Malone. She and Darkstar usually have arguments.
- Elanore McWhimple: Supporting staff of the Monsters.
- Malone: Mysterious owner of the Midway Monsters.
- George Mcwhimple: Husband of Elanore McWhimple and coach of the Monsters.
- Slick Toxin: A mutant high-school star athlete recruited by Bones Justice.
Slay City Slayers
- K.T. Slayer: A troll with brute force and a vicious take-no-prisoners attitude. Slayer is also Prigg's right-hand mutant and team captain of the Slayers. He the primary rival of Bones and will do almost anything to put Bones out of commission.
- Jackie LaGrunge: A dangerous 9 year veteran, LaGrunge has become even more deadly as this former hybrid evoles into a whiptoid.
Derangers
- Joe Magician: A mutant obviously punned after Joe MontanaJoe MontanaJoseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, team captain of the Derangers. - Grim McSlam: A mutant with 4 arms and punned after Jim McMahonJim McMahonJames Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
.
Screaming Evils
- Madman: A demented hyena man, team captain of the Evils.
- Madboy: Son of the demented hyenaHyenaHyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
man Madman.
Other Characters
- Bob Babble: Main announcer for MLSN (Mutant League Sports Network), often seen at times, and frequently heard.
- Sherry Steele: MLSN's human female reporter and a secret ally of the Monsters.
- Zalgor Prigg: Corrupt commissioner of the Mutant League, once a power-hungry businessman when he was human. The main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the series. - Kang: A werewolfWerewolfA werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
with a Don KingDon KingDonald "Don" King is an American boxing promoter particularly known for his hairstyle and flamboyant personality. His career highlights include promoting "The Rumble in the Jungle" and the "Thrilla in Manila". He also had a long association with Mike Tyson...
hairdo, Prigg's personal assistant.
Home video
A 69 minute VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape of the show was released in 1996, featuring episodes edited together into what was called Mutant League: The Movie.