Warning: contains spoilers forThundercats#10!
TheThundercatsfranchise takes a dark turn as fans learn Thundera was far worse than they imagined. The home world of the Thundercats, Thundera, was always held in high regard, and seemed to be a utopia. However, Dynamite’sThundercats#10 paints a far different picture of Thundera.Using the war with the Mu’Tants as a backdrop, Thundera’s pristine reputation is forever tarnished in a massive change toThundercatslore.
Thundercats#10, written by Declan Shalvey and drawn by Joe Mulvey, is told from Slythe,the leader of the Mu’Tants’, perspective. Slythe, despite his ways, is devoted to his wife and child. When war with Thundera breaks out, Slythe goes off to fight. Slythe returns home to tragedy, as Thunderan’s forces kill his family, and he swears revenge.Years later, on Third Earth, Slythe learns the truth: his family was only abducted, not killed. The Thunderan generals did not have it in themselves to kill the mother and her child–but the damage was done.
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Since the premiere ofThundercatsin 1985, the franchise has been subjected to several reboots, but at the core of each, the premise remains the same: the Thundercats fight on Third Earth against Mumm-Ra and the Mu’Tants. Prior to the Thundercats arrival on Third Earth, they fought a long and brutal battle against the Mu’Tants, resulting in the destruction of Thundera. What triggered the war was never explained in the original cartoon.Backstories were few and far between in that era: the Mu’Tants were the bad guys and the Thundercats the heroes–simple as that.
To this end, writer Drew Moss, working largely in collaboration with artist Drew Moss, has hemmed close to the origin story presented in the 1985 cartoon, but at the same time introducing new characters, such as Calica and the mysterious Apex.
TheThundercats’ most recent reboot, from Dynamite Entertainment, has successfully balanced nostalgia for the original cartoon with the need to drive the franchise forward. To this end, writer Drew Moss, working largely in collaboration with artist Drew Moss, has hemmed close to the origin story presented in the 1985 cartoon, but at the same time introducing new characters, such as Calicaand the mysterious Apex. Fans have responded enthusiastically to Dynamite’s newThundercatstitle, helping drive it to record-setting sales. The book continues to deliver each month, building the mystery of Third Earth even further.
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Shalvey and Moss have also tinkered with theThundercatsfranchise through revelations about existing characters. InThundercats#1, Jaga, who served as an “Obi-Wan Kenobi” type to Lion-O,met Mumm-Ra prior to the team’s arrivalon Third Earth. While this connection still has not been explored, it nevertheless came as a shock to longtimeThundercatsfans. Shalvey and Moss have also hinted that Snarf, the Thundercats team mascot, is far more powerful than he appears. Snarf has been regarded by some fans as a pointless character, but a future issue promises to cast these doubts aside and reveal the truth.
Prior to Dynamite, DC Comics held the rights to produceThundercatscomics. Both Wildstorm and Marvel have also held the license.
The newThundercatstitle also made one huge change to the lore, one that goes a long way to explaining why Third Earth was full of so many hostile aliens: it was a penal colony for Thundera. For countless years, Thundera banished its worst criminals to Third Earth. While the same issue did not give an insight into Thundera’s legal system, the glimpses fans have received in bothThundercats#10 and the rest of the series do not necessarily paint a rosy picture. If the Thunderan army was willing to abduct Slythe’s family, what else were they capable of doing?
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Thundercats#10 also does not go into detail on what started the war between Thundera and the Mu’Tants, and the answer to this question may play out in the book’s second year.The seeds Shalvey and Moss have sown in the first 10 issues present a more balanced and nuanced look at Thundera, and it is possible that they started the war.Thundercats#10 showed that the leaders of Thundera were not above under-handed attacks on their opponents. While the Thunderans did not kill anyone, at least this time, they still split families up and caused a lot of trauma.
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If Thundera did indeed start the war with Slythe and the Mu’Tants, it adds a new and darker layer to the classicThundercatsorigin story.Kid cartoons of the 1980s, such asThundercatsand its sister showSilverhawks, did not concern themselves with issues of morality and justice. Everything in these cartoons was black and white, and the good guys always won. Keep in mind, the point of these cartoons was to sell toys and not function as critical explorations of abstract concepts. Darkening up Thundera a bit gives theThundercatsfranchise a more subtle and sophisticated layer.
The Thundercats Must Reckon With Their Home World’s Dark Past
What Are the Sins of Thundera’s Past?
The Thundercats’ struggle against Mumm-Ra and the Mu’Tants becomes an allegory for Thundera dealing with the sins of its past.
Even if Thundera was not the instigator of the war, they still nevertheless committed numerous atrocities during the course of it, and a reckoning may be on the horizon.On Third Earth, the Thundercats team is constantly surrounded by the ghosts of Thundera’s dark past.The Thundercats’ struggle against Mumm-Ra and the Mu’Tants becomes an allegory for Thundera dealing with the sins of its past. Hopefully, theThundercatswill learn the lesson and plan for a better version of Thundera.
