Stuck Up, Up, and Away

Stuck Up, Up, and Away
General Information
Original broadcast	June 25, 1999
Details
Season	2
Episode	1
Pun	A combination of "stuck-up" and "Up, Up, and Away!"
Credits
Written by	Jason Butler Rote Amy Keating Rodgers
Storyboarded by	Paul Rudish
Directed by	John McIntyre Craig McCracken
Episode Guide
Previous episode	Uh-Oh, Dynamo
Next episode	Schoolhouse Rocked
Links
Gallery
Transcript
Errors

"Stuck Up, Up, and Away" is the first episode of season 2 of The Powerpuff Girls, and the 25th episode overall.

It first aired on Cartoon Network on June 25, 1999 in the United States as part of Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.

Summary

A mean and spoiled rich girl named Princess Morbucks, arrives at Pokey Oaks and decides to enlist herself as a Powerpuff Girl after seeing the Girls save Twiggy in distress. The girls refuse for a number of fair reasons (the only made perfectly clear being her own safety) and her attempt at proving her self-worth ends horribly for both her and the girls. So, when Blossom once again has to respectfully kibosh any chance of her being a real-life Powerpuff Girl, she becomes so enraged and consumed by her jealousy that she decides that if she can't be a Powerpuff Girl, she'll destroy them.

Plot

Morbucks and the girls.

The Narrator comments on how beautiful day Townsville is having while a new student, Princess Morbucks arrives at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten in a limousine. Her dad gives her a bundle of cash for milk money, but she looks disappointed. Ms. Keane introduces her to the class. Everyone treats her nicely, but Princess replies rudely, snobby and stuck-up to her peers. Finally, she is introduced to Twiggy, the class hamster whom she calls a "smelly, mangy, little rat". After hearing this insult, the hamster runs so fast on her treadmill that it breaks off its joint and Twiggy rolls out of her cage. The Powerpuff Girls then save Twiggy and everyone in the class cheers for them while Princess looks at them in question and approaches them, asking how they did that. They then tell Princess they are superheroes called the Powerpuff Girls. She looks amused and says she will be a Powerpuff Girl too. However, the girls giggle and say they aren't taking new members. Princess throws a fit and begs to be a member. The girls refuse to let her join because she doesn't have any superpowers, much less fighting experience. Later, at the end of the school day, the girls talk about Princess' behavior and Blossom says that given how new she is, they should give her a chance to be friends. The scene cuts to Princess crying to her father about not being a Powerpuff Girl. Daddy Morbucks gives her a stack of cash, which make Princess giggle with joy.

The next day at school, Princess Morbucks arrives with a grand entrance revealing her new outfit that looks similar to the Powerpuff Girls' dresses. She proclaims herself a Powerpuff Girl, much to Buttercup's annoyance. Blossom is about to explain to Princess why she can't join them, when the Powerpuff Hotline rings. Blossom answers and tells her sisters there is a robbery at the First National Bank. They take off and Princess follows them in a jetpack. At the bank, the robbers shoot the girls to no avail. Just as they are about to apprehend them and get back to school, Princess arrives and tries to "save" them with her gadgets. They all fail to stop them and she knocks herself out. The robbers manage to get away, but leave a bomb on Princess before they flee the scene. The girls dispose of the bomb to the citizens delight, but their cheers stop when they notice how angry the Powerpuff Girls look.

Buttercup furiously yells at Princess for her collateral blunder, and Blossom explains she doesn't have any superpowers or any crime-fighting experience, so for her own safety, she can't be a Powerpuff Girl. Naturally, Princess becomes very angry and runs off to her father and whines to him about the ordeal and then blames him for not giving her enough money to buy her a good suit. Her father then gives her a big silver briefcase and she becomes happy.

Morbucks and Blossom face-off.

The next day, Princess arrives at the school by blowing a hole in the wall, clad in solid gold battle armor. She is angry at the Powerpuff Girls and gives a speech about how they humiliated her and turned everyone against her. She declares that if she cannot be a Powerpuff Girl, then there will not be any Powerpuff Girls. Ms. Keane steps in and tells her that fighting isn't allowed in the building. Princess apologizes and tells the Girls they will take it outside, so she shoots a laser at the girls that blows them through another hole in the wall and they are on the playground. Buttercup then rushes in to fight Princess, but she is able to dodge every attack Buttercup throws at her and she knocks her out with one earth-shattering punch. Bubbles then attacks with her laser eyes, but the reflective nature of the armored plating makes them bounce off Princess' suit. Bubbles then attacks with a supersonic scream, but Princess easily blocks it with a shield and shoots down Bubbles with a tazer laser from her crown.

Morbucks' suit is destroyed.

Blossom looks in shock as Bubbles falls to the ground, totally scorched and unconscious. Princess gloats about her suit and declares that her victory is assured. Blossom scowls at her coldly while Princess keeps mocking her to no end. Annoyed with her silence, Princess shoots another crown laser at her, which Blossom dodges (by simply tilting her head to the side). The two go into an all-out battle and Blossom is able to block and dodge her attacks. Blossom then lands blows on the weak spots of her armor and finally strikes critical blows of her own. Bubbles and Buttercup, awaken, help out dealing hits on Princess and Blossom lands a final blow on Princess by icing her armor with her ice breath. Her armor shatters like glass and Blossom grabs her in midair. Princess, in tears, asks them why they won't let her be a Powerpuff Girl. Blossom tells her it is because she is just a spoiled brat; she continues by explaining what it means to be a Powerpuff Girl, which is not about getting one's way, having the best stuff, or being popular and powerful, it's about protecting those who cannot protect themselves and finishes her point by saying Princess has done nothing worthy of the name "Powerpuff". Finally, Princess is sent to jail as she calls for her daddy. The Narrator ends finishes the scene with "Well, Princess. The only ch-ching you'll be hearing is the sound of prison doors." and ends the episode by saying "The day is saved, thanks to the real Powerpuff Girls!"

Appearances

Characters

• The Powerpuff Girls
  • Blossom
  • Bubbles
  • Buttercup
• Princess Morbucks (debut)
• Miss Keane
• Narrator
• Daddy Morbucks (debut)
• Mitch Mitchelson
• Harry Pitt
• Twiggy (debut)
• Mayor (on the phone)
• Townsvile citizens
• Narrator
• Bank robbers
• Students of Pokey Oaks Kindergarten

Locations

• Townsville
  • Pokey Oaks Kindergarten
  • Morbucks Manor (1st appearance)
  • First National Bank
• Mojo's Lair (cameo)

Objects

• Powerpuff Hotline

Errors

• When Morbucks says to the girls "That was amazing! How did you do that?", and then Bubbles says "It's easy", Buttercup's mouth is also moving also saying that "It's easy", but Buttercup doesn't have a voice line.
• When Buttercup yells "What?!", Blossom's ponytail is missing.
• After Morbucks crashes, she is besides the girls, but in the next scene, she is tied up beside the burglars.
• When Bubbles saves Twiggy, her hair is pink for a single frame.
• After Buttercup yells "What's wrong with you?!" in front of Morbucks, the tape on Morbucks from the previous scene is gone.
• When Morbucks flew into the bank and landed, her socks aren't visible. Interestingly, this error is also in the show's intro.
• After Blossom says "Look Princess, do you see why we don't let extra members on our team?", ceiling cracks that weren't there in the previous scene appear near Morbucks.
• When Morbucks' dad is playing golf, his right glove is uncolored.
• When Bubbles kicks Princess Morebucks, the "X" in the back of her hair is missing.

Bubbles' Hair Error.

Her hair is corrected on the next frame.

Blossom's back hair is missing.

If you look closely, in this shot, Blossom's back hair has her dress' color.

In this shot, Daddy Morbucks' right glove has is uncolored.

Quotes

Blossom: (laughing) Well, uh, we're not really accepting new members at this time, but thank you for your interest in our group.

Princess: (angry) What?! You can't just blow me off like some common peon! I'm Princess, and my daddy buys me anything I want! AND I WANNA BE A POWERPUFF GIRL!

Blossom: Well, I'm sorry, but you can't. We're superheroes.

Princess: Well, what's the matter? Cat got your tongue?

Blossom: (stands in silence, looking unamused)

Princess: Very well. Prepare to bow to your Princess! (shots a laser from her crown)

Blossom: (dodges it by simply tilting her head. An explosion from the beam happens behind her.  She tilts her head back to the horizontal with the same, unamused face)

[Blossom catches Princess after the girls defeat her outside Pokey Oaks Kindergarten]

Princess: (crying) Why won't you let me be a Powerpuff Girl?

Blossom: Because you're just a spoiled brat. (throws Princess on the ground and lands between her sisters) And being a Powerpuff Girl isn't about getting your way or having the best stuff or being popular or powerful. It's about using your own unique abilities to help people and the world we all live in. And you, little girl, have done nothing worthy of the name Powerpuff.

Trivia

• Morals:
  • Being a hero is not about fame or popularity. It is about using your skills to help people.
  • Don't try to act like a hero if you don't have any experience as you can make the situation worse than before. Leave this to the professionals.
• This episode and "Schoolhouse Rocked" are the first to premiere during Cartoon Network's Cartoon Cartoon Fridays programming block.
• Princess Morbucks' initial outfit is based on that of the character Veruca Salt from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, who was played by Julie Dawn Cole.
• This is the first appearance of Princess Morbucks outside of the opening credits.
  • This is also the first appearance of Twiggy, the class hamster.
• This is the first time Bubbles uses her Sonic Scream.
• Ms. Keane allowed the girls and Princess to fight outside her school, yet in the following episode "Schoolhouse Rocked", she didn't allow them to fight even outside. This was most likely because she did not believe the Gangreen Gang to be a threat to the other students, whereas Princess Morbucks actually was an apparent threat.
• The bank robber's line "I love it when a plan comes together" is the catchphrase of Hannibal Smith from The A-Team.
• This episode uses a prototype variant of the June 1999 version of the 1998-2001 animated episode outro in which the design of the girls in their normal poses is borrowed over from the November 1998 version of the 1998-2001 animated episode outro. In the next episode, that design of the girls would be replaced with a thicker version, which will remain until "Meet the Beat-Alls". The November 1998 versions of the pulsating hearts background, the 3D star explosion and the gold star shower were also borrowed over from the November 1998 version of the 1998-2001 animated episode outro, but those versions would remain in use until "Film Flam".
• This is the only episode where Princess is shown attending Pokey Oaks Kindergarten. After the episode, she was never seen in Pokey Oaks again (except for "'Twas the Fight Before Christmas").
• Blossom's battle with Princess is a direct reference to the long-running Dragon Ball franchise, specifically Dragon Ball Z. Blossom dodging Princess's energy beam with only a head tilt is a direct reference to Piccolo when training with Gohan. The fast paced attacks and movements of Blossom and Morbucks are also a reference to the fast paced punching, kicking, and dodging the characters do while fighting is also a Dragon Ball Z reference as well.
• Mojo's Lair makes a brief cameo as the girls leave school though Mojo Jojo is not seen or mentioned.
• Although the Powerpuff Girls tell Princess Morbucks that crimefighting is dangerous for people with no superpowers and that fancy gadgets will not work, Princess' retort ("Tell that to Batman!") raises a valid point that many superheroes and supervillains are actually non-powered persons with special tools to carry out their work. In later episodes, Princess proves to be an even match for the Girls via her custom devices.