Answers to WTFWTK 2.50!

[Jon-O]

Well that explains the tweaks to Orko's backstory. I can understand their reasoning.

[Swanmarsh]

1. TheFallen:
We all know that MOTUC is an avatar of the imagination but what is the story behind the chain connected to Vikor's wrist? Obviously, it is on there because of the original drawing but has a story been developed as to why it is actually there?

We imagine the chains are left over from a recent adventure. Perhaps a breakout from a dungeon or being captured temporarily by the Fighting Foe Men!

With respect, this is lame. If the chains were from just another adventure why would Vikor leave them attached to his wrist. Clearly the chains represent some significant event in Vikor's history. This is a story we deserve to know.

For the rest of his life our Phantom's father kept the chains by which he was bound to a ox-drawn well for months, held captive and unable to rescue his wife-to-be. That is the type of event that would qualify for Vikor keeping the chains.

A thought I've had is that maybe Vikor was chained by the FFM to a gateway which held captive the Goddess or even the Demon (from The Ordeal of Man-E-Faces mini-comic) and that when eventually Vikor broke free he retained the chain as a sign of honour (or shame).

At any rate, whatever the story, let's hope TG and the bio-writers reconsider the above answer and choose to give the chains real historical/emotional importance to Vikor in some future bio of a Preternian character or Fighting Foe Man.

[Reboot]

With respect, this is lame. If the chains were from just another adventure why would Vikor leave them attached to his wrist.

Because he couldn't get the damn manacles off?

[Swanmarsh]

Because he couldn't get the damn manacles off?

Then I wanna know the story of the damn magical impervious manacles!

[Reboot]

Then I wanna know the story of the damn magical impervious manacles!

Traditionally, cold iron was thought to disrupt magickal energies! Just plain, strong, iron manacles would be enough

[TheFallen]

With respect, this is lame. If the chains were from just another adventure why would Vikor leave them attached to his wrist. Clearly the chains represent some significant event in Vikor's history. This is a story we deserve to know.

I was very disappointed with the answer TG gave. I was hoping they would have more information for it like they did for Scareglow's Reliquary.

The reliquary wasn't even explained very well in Scareglow's bio and TG had to actually clarify it. He should have done the same thing for Vikor. Unless, of course, there will be more information on Vikor on another bio down the line.

[Swanmarsh]

Traditionally, cold iron was thought to disrupt magickal energies! Just plain, strong, iron manacles would be enough

So ... Vikor not have any blacksmith friends?

I was very disappointed with the answer TG gave. I was hoping they would have more information for it like they did for Scareglow's Reliquary.

The reliquary wasn't even explained very well in Scareglow's bio and TG had to actually clarify it. He should have done the same thing for Vikor. Unless, of course, there will be more information on Vikor on another bio down the line.

Hope this is another issue TG does a 180 on and he gets those bio writers to come up with something better!

[Reboot]

So ... Vikor not have any blacksmith friends?

Sure. He just doesn't want his hands burned off!

[RocketPunch]

Well that explains the tweaks to Orko's backstory. I can understand their reasoning.

I don't. Orko already had an important role in the story, and I still feel there was no need to change his character so drastically.

[Mr. Shokoti]

I don't. Orko already had an important role in the story, and I still feel there was no need to change his character so drastically.

Agreed. For awhile, I liked most things in the MOTUC bios but Orko's was the worst change yet I think. As much as I like that he kept his Filmation design, they might as well have made him look like his MYP counterpart or something brand new. "My Orko" is not a secret agent.

[Eternian Poet]

You need to know where the chains came from?

Make it up. Because of you don't, Mattel will screw it up.

My suggestion: Vikor was working on the first flushable toilet, but got tangled up in the chain & was lucky to get the pot off his foot.

[Eamon]

In my continuity, Vikor is a just one kinky SOB!

[MegaGearMax]

I don't. Orko already had an important role in the story, and I still feel there was no need to change his character so drastically.

While I disagree with the degree, I do see why they changed Orko.

He was a Saturday Morning cartoon character who was placed there to identify with kids. Without any entertainment or kids, Orko is comic relief for no reason, so his role HAD to change. The bio writers probably wanted to get rid of his Jar-Jar Binks/Snarf/Scrappy-Doo like annoying tendencies regardless. Heck, many might have grown up disliking those Orko antics that some fans find hilarious.

[Mr. Shokoti]

While I disagree with the degree, I do see why they changed Orko.

He was a Saturday Morning cartoon character who was placed there to identify with kids. Without any entertainment or kids, Orko is comic relief for no reason, so his role HAD to change. The bio writers probably wanted to get rid of his Jar-Jar Binks/Snarf/Scrappy-Doo like annoying tendencies regardless. Heck, many might have grown up disliking those Orko antics that some fans find hilarious.

As you already said, "without any entertainment", why was there a need to change Orko in the first place? There's only so much they can put in these bios and I doubt they're going to use Orko much again in any upcoming bios anyway. There's no MOTUC comic or cartoon. His bio is the only time he's going to be featured until there are (and only for a few sentences no less). Why would a fan favorite(yes, not everyone likes him but it seems like the majority on this site do) need to have his bio drastically change his personality to sell his toy? Maybe someone will prove me wrong, but I can't see someone hating Orko for decades for either his personality or design going...

"Hey!!! He's a secret agent!!! Now I like him & am going to buy him!!!"

IMO, Orko would have sold just as well without the bio making him a secret agent. To me this just seems to be a case of a change ToyGuru or whoever else is involved with the bios wanted and nothing more.

[RocketPunch]

While I disagree with the degree, I do see why they changed Orko.

He was a Saturday Morning cartoon character who was placed there to identify with kids. Without any entertainment or kids, Orko is comic relief for no reason, so his role HAD to change. The bio writers probably wanted to get rid of his Jar-Jar Binks/Snarf/Scrappy-Doo like annoying tendencies regardless. Heck, many might have grown up disliking those Orko antics that some fans find hilarious.

To me it seems like the bio writers just didn't understand Orko at all or the vital role he already played in the story. Yes he was comic relief, but some of us still enjoyed him in that role, even as adults.

He was also so much more than that, a mighty sorcerer reduced to being a court jester, who was constantly having to prove his usefulness and help his friends. By turning him into a secret agent who's only there to watch over Adam, they've removed a lot of his potential to grow and evolve. I just don't see a lot of room for character development any more.


They've taken a character who is supposed to be fun and light-hearted and attempted to make him all serious, when that's not what Orko is about. It's like revealing that C-3P0 was actually sent by the Jedi to watch over Luke! They've not stayed faithful to the Orko I know and love, despite the fact his toy looks exactly like his Filmation design.

[MegaGearMax]

As you already said, "without any entertainment", why was there a need to change Orko in the first place? There's only so much they can put in these bios and I doubt they're going to use Orko much again in any upcoming bios anyway. There's no MOTUC comic or cartoon. His bio is the only time he's going to be featured until there are (and only for a few sentences no less). Why would a fan favorite(yes, not everyone likes him but it seems like the majority on this site do) need to have his bio drastically change his personality to sell his toy? Maybe someone will prove me wrong, but I can't see someone hating Orko for decades for either his personality or design going...

"Hey!!! He's a secret agent!!! Now I like him & am going to buy him!!!"

IMO, Orko would have sold just as well without the bio making him a secret agent. To me this just seems to be a case of a change ToyGuru or whoever else is involved with the bios wanted and nothing more.

In the way that the bios are written, Orko can't be comic relief or do anything ridiculous.

I do agree that maybe the bio writing team probably thought that Orko was always annoying and decided to make him "a much cooler character". It's probably that same anti-saturday morning cartoon mascot mentality that the new ThunderCats cartoon writers have toward Snarf or the Scooby Doo movie writers had toward Scrappy-Doo.

To me it seems like the bio writers just didn't understand Orko at all or the vital role he already played in the story. Yes he was comic relief, but some of us still enjoyed him in that role, even as adults.

He was also so much more than that, a mighty sorcerer reduced to being a court jester, who was constantly having to prove his usefulness and help his friends. By turning him into a secret agent who's only there to watch over Adam, they've removed a lot of his potential to grow and evolve. I just don't see a lot of room for character development any more.

I like your description of him. It's akin to how I would portray him. Unfortunately that gets lost whenever he becomes the "little kid who gets in trouble". The mighty sorcerer becomes an annoying kid who throws common sense out of the window. OR when the characters treat this mighty, but depowered sorcerer like a child "Go clean your room, Orko!".

They've taken a character who is supposed to be fun and light-hearted and attempted to make him all serious, when that's not what Orko is about. It's like revealing that C-3P0 was actually sent by the Jedi to watch over Luke! They've not stayed faithful to the Orko I know and love, despite the fact his toy looks exactly like his Filmation design.

The bio-writers probably thought that they were fixing Jar-Jar Binks.

Like I've said before...while I don't like the secret agent angle, I totally understand the intent behind it.

[Mr. Shokoti]

I do agree that maybe the bio writing team probably thought that Orko was always annoying and decided to make him "a much cooler character". It's probably that same anti-saturday morning cartoon mascot mentality that the new ThunderCats cartoon writers have toward Snarf or the Scooby Doo movie writers had toward Scrappy-Doo.

I didn't mind Scrappy Doo as a kid(although I haven't really watched any of his episodes since I was a kid either) but I felt the Scrappy Doo in the first Scooby Doo live action movie was a million times worse. He was an evil "little person" who urinated on people.

I'm a pretty big Thundercats fan already but I'm going to love the irony if I end up liking Cartoon Network's upcoming show better than Rankin-Bass' while you hate it & prefer the original show.

The bio-writers probably thought that they were fixing Jar-Jar Binks.

I think Orko is more R2D2 or even C3PO. Sure, he isn't liked by everyone but, he not only has a lot of fans, he is an iconic piece of the franchise that spawned him. I don't know who MOTU's Jar Jar is. I'd like to think it was Odiphus but I'm afraid that he has more fans than I think he should. I don't know why it was necessary to take away Cringer & Battle Cat's voices to make the toon more mature but giving Orko the voice of a ****** and making Stinkor an evil Ewok was OK.

[Met-Hild]

Then I wanna know the story of the damn magical impervious manacles!

Maybe they wanted to keep Vikor from ever escaping and messing with their plans. So they created the unbreakable manacles for that purpose but forgot to make the chain similarily invulnerable! This mistake cost them their lives when Vikor broke his chains, and thanked his captors for the new pair of massive magical wrist guards impervious to all damage by bashing them to death with them.

Or is that a bit too violent for MOTU? For some reason whenever I imagine Vikor fighting, I can't see him doing anything less than chopping off limbs and breaking skulls.