Episode 9 Valley of the Man-Apes
Thundarr, Ariel and Ookla’s view of a peaceful valley is ruined by the sight of a group of ditch-digging Man-apes, who have successfully recovered the hand of a giant robotic gorilla. The Man-ape leader Simias orders the apes to attack the spying heroes, and Ookla is thrown into a river gorge. Thundarr and Ariel go down into the gorge to save Ookla, and Simias orders his apes to forget about the humans and get back to the task of making “the Mighty One” whole again.
In the river gorge Thundarr and Ariel build a raft to follow after Ookla, eventually finding him being held prisoner in a walled-off city populated by Jack Kirby designed little people who have mistaken the Mok for a Man-ape. After this mistake is cleared up by Thundarr Zet, the leader of the little people, explains that they are at war with the Man-apes and fear the resurrection of the Mighty One who will surely be used to crush them. The heroes agree to help the village as per usual and go after the Man-apes, finding a group of them unearthing more of the Mighty One near the wreckage of a bi-plane. They follow the apes back to the ancient ruins of a “moo-vie” studio, and engage in battle with Simias and his apes in an old time western saloon to hilarious effect. But the apes best the heroes with some skillfully deployed lasso work, and a gloating Simias taunts them with a sneak peak at the headless but otherwise complete body of the Mighty One, a giant robotic gorilla — likely, but not explicitly, the one used in the 76 version of King Kong. Simias and his apes go to presumably find the Mighty One’s head leaving the tied up heroes to face a fire-breathing dragon that dwells in the ruins of the studio.
Thundarr breaks free of his bonds and gives the dragon a taste of his sun sword, and following an awkward moment with Ookla Ariel humanely cages the dragon with magic. As the heroes race to warn the little people the Man-Apes complete reconstruction of the Mighty One, who comes to life via Simias’ control console and steps on a movie camera on his way to destroy the village.
The heroes arrive in time to help defend the walled city but they prove ineffective against the giant robot ape and it knocks down the high walls and drives the villagers into the woods. As Simias and his apes take the village the heroes retreat to the ancient bi-plane and drag it to a clearing where Ariel brings it to life with magic. Despite the chauvinistic reservations of her companions Ariel successfully pilots the bi-plane back to the village, and Thundarr cuts off one of the Mighty One’s hands with his sun sword from the wing of the plane. The plane is swatted down and Ariel and Ookla escape via parachute as Thundarr climbs up the Mighty One’s fur and stabs him in the chest, causing the giant ape bot to smoke, spark and collapse. Simias and his apes are driven from the village and Zet of the little people gives Thundarr all the credit for vanquishing the Mighty One to Ookla’s amusement and Ariel’s chagrin.
To merely call this a masterpiece is frankly an insult to this towering artistic work. This one literally has it all, from Kirby designs to ripping off the Planet of the Apes to the fact that it’s built around an homage to the Dino De Laurentis King Kong. 5 stars.