The Planet Destroyer (episode)

The Planet Destroyer is the seventh episode of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. It first aired on October 9, 2000, and is the sixth episode in production.

Synopsis

Under construction.

Plot

On Tradeworld, Lardak Lurdak purchases a drink from a vendor with counterfeit money, only for the vendor turning out to be Buzz Lightyear in disguise. Mira Nova tries to arrest him, but Lardak grabs her and throws her into Buzz as he tries to make his getaway on his hoverbike. Once Buzz and Mira disentangle themselves, Buzz pulls out a gun and fires a tracer that latches on to Lardak's bike. Confident that they can catch up to the criminal, he contacts Booster on his wrist communicator to pinpoint Lardak's location. However, Booster and XR, in orbit around Tradeworld on 42, are experiencing a strange signal jamming their equipment, preventing them from picking up the tracer's signal. Buzz and Mira decide to collar Lardak the old-fashioned way and set off in pursuit.

They weave through traffic and buildings, and when Lardak goes in one direction, Buzz and Mira split up, with Buzz still pursuing him and Mira flying off in another direction. Lardak, spotting Buzz following him, fires at a sign hoping that it will crush the Ranger, but it snags upon the sides of two buildings, leaving Buzz unscathed. However, it provides enough of a distraction for Buzz to fly past Lardak's hiding location in the recesses of a building. Lardak thinks he's safe, but Mira ghosts through the wall behind him and slaps handcuffs on him before he can react. Buzz finds them and together, Mira and Buzz take Lardak into custody.

Thy fly out of Tradeworld's atmosphere towards 42, while Lardak continues to complain, and Booster contacts Buzz again to tell him that the interference is getting "weirder". Behind the three, fuchsia rays engulf Tradeworld, spinning erratically around the planet, until it disappears in a burst of white light. Mira, shocked, wonders what could have done that, but Buzz has a feeling it's not a what, but a who.

Later on, Evil Emperor Zurg conducts a public broadcast, where he informs the galaxy that he has just tested his new Planet Destroyer on Tradeworld. He orders the Galactic Alliance and Star Command to surrender, or else he will destroy more planets. This sends the Senate into unrest, senators arguing on what course of action they should take. Madame President silences them and asks for Commander Nebula to speak, who assures the Senate that the galaxy is safe as long as his Rangers are on the job. Madame President is satisfied with this answer and they call Zurg, refusing to surrender. This tickles Zurg's fancy and he randomly selects another planet to destroy for their impudence tomorrow at noon, Planet Z time: Tangea, Mira's homeworld.

The Space Rangers take precautionary measures to protect the planet. Hundreds of Star Cruisers are in orbit around the planet, and they activate a laser-web that can prevent even the smallest particles of space dust from penetrating Tangea's atmosphere. Planet-side, Mira reassures her father, King Nova, that everything is under control. However, they don't get off on the right foot. King Nova dismissively says that Tangea can take care of its own and that they don't need "monkeys in space suits" to protect them, reminding him how he disapproves of her being part of "that space club". His words spark Mira's anger, who doesn't like her father's superior attitude against non-Tangeans, but he argues that her diversions prevent her from properly developing her mental powers and that if Mira continues to consort with monkeys, she will start to act like one.

Aboard 42, Mira returns, frustrated at her father's egotistical and arrogant attitude, but noon is fast approaching and the Rangers are on the alert for Zurg's Planet Destroyer. Booster reports that the strange energy readings have returned, and Buzz orders XR to divert more power to the laser-web. The ship begins to shake, and noon comes and passes. The shaking subsides, and Tangea is still intact, much to Mira's relief. However, the fuchsia rings return, inside the laser-web, and in another flash of white light, Tangea is gone, leaving behind only the Star Cruisers and their laser-web.

Back at the Senate Chamber, the senators are in a panic. Madame President tries in vain to get them to settle down. Senator Phlegmex announces that his people, the Phlegmians, insist that they open negotiations with Zurg immediately. Buzz respectfully points out that they can't negotiate with a monster like Zurg. Outside the chamber, Mira forlornly stares at the night sky on a balcony, and Booster and XR try, in vain, to cheer her up. Booster lacks tact, but Mira doesn't mind; she says she knows her friends and family aren't dead. XR begins to patronise her, but Mira says that she can feel her father's presence; somewhere, he is alive. XR leads Booster away, and Booster expresses his admiration on Mira looking at the bright side of things. XR, on the other hand, thinks Mira's lost her mind. After more arguments in the Senate Chamber, Madame President concedes defeat and tells Nebula to prepare for surrender. He and Buzz ask for another chance, but Madame President will hear none of it. She calls Zurg and invites him to Capital Planet to discuss the terms of their surrender.

Zurg soon arrives at Capital Plant with his forces. Citizens watch the marching Hornets in terror, and Zurg's massive dreadnought hovers over Capital Plaza, a small spacecraft emerging from it and touching down before Nebula and Madame President. Zurg emerges from it with two Grubs, and the Evil Emperor remarks that he has been dreaming of this moment since he was a "wee evil genius". Nebula grunts that he drop the pleasantries, but Zurg offers his hand for a shake, willing to let bygones be bygones. Madam President elbows Nebula to shake, but as the Commander reaches out to shake Zurg's hand, Zurg pulls it away before he can, laughing immaturely at Nebula falling for his joke. Before Zurg enters, he wonders where Buzz is so he can enjoy the sight of the Ranger grovel before him. However, Nebula informs him that Buzz has been reassigned, to the surprise of Madame President.

Team Lightyear hasn't been truly reassigned; Nebula has given them the task of locating Zurg's Planet Destroyer and taking it out, but reminds them in his recording that Star Command will deny any involvement if they are captured. Booster is excited as he plots them a course for Planet Z, but Mira says that they should head for the Pelegar System instead. Buzz reminds Mira that he has been studying his arch-nemesis for years and knows how he thinks; the Planet Destroyer is on Planet Z. Mira disagrees again and takes over the controls, steering them in the opposite direction as she tells Booster to plot them a course for the Pelegar System. Buzz demands an explanation and Mira admits that she can sense her father's presence, and all of Tangea, somewhere in the Pelegar System. She quickly adds that she knows they probably think she's crazy, but insists that she's right; she laments that she should have honed her mental powers more, which might have helped her explain it better. To Mira's surprise and delight, Buzz orders Booster to set course for the Pelegar System.

Back on Capital Planet, Zurg explains what he has in store for the planets of the Galactic Alliance. He will make everyone work 167 hours a week in lunchbox-sized cubicles, wear brain-control modules to make them mindless drones, and they will not get any dental benefits. He asks for their signatures on his surrender agreement, saying it's a necessity his lawyers insist on. Despite their reluctance, the senators start signing.

Characters

Under construction.

Quotes

Under construction.

Trivia

Under construction.

Voice Actors

Under construction.

Production Details

Under construction.