WARNING:

This document contains spoilers.  Please read the story first, then come back here.

Theme

The theme of the story is cooperation.  The girls must learn how to cooperate with each other as well as with their enemies.  It is only through cooperation that they are successful.

Conversely, the forces of evil attempt to gain control through a singular and powerful force.  Their solution is to simply eliminate all those who oppose them in the slightest.  Alliances are broken once they are assumed to be no longer necessary.

Concepts of what it means to be a hero are examined.  These individual concepts are used to better define the personalities of the PowerPuff Girls (and RowdyRuff Boys) on an individual basis.

Plot

The basic plot of the story is the creation of an evil super-being more powerful than all the PowerPuff Girls combined.  This evil tyrant attempts to destroy the girls and take control over Townsville.  The girls must battle this new foe using every possible resource at their disposal including an allegiance with their sworn enemies.

There are many references throughout the story to other sci-fi and animated features.  The most glaring is the Dragonball Z: Freeza Saga.

This will probably be the last time you ever see the PPGs and RRBs this "chummy" with each other in one of my fanfics.  This isn't to say that the RRBs characters will go back to the side of evil.  I just want to keep it so that there is always a little friction between the two factions.

Characters

PowerPuff Girls

I always try to capture the essence of the girls' characters from the TV show and keep it consistent in my fanfics.  Blossom is still the leader.  Buttercup is still the rambunctious and defiant one.  Bubbles is still the sweet innocent child of the group.  Their characters learn about cooperation; not just between themselves, but even with their enemies.

Each of the girls' personal idea on what it means to be a super hero is examined.  Buttercup essentially defines being a hero as someone who can kick bad-guy fanny.  To Bubbles, being a hero is about helping others.  Blossom learns that being a hero sometimes requires sacrifice of one's self.  Each of these views are imparted to the RowdyRuff Boys as part of their development.

RowdyRuff Boys

The RowdyRuff Boys are thrust into existence once again as villains by MoJo JoJo.  However, this time they eventually become heroes through their experiences with the PowerPuff Girls.  Their characters begin to become more defined than they were in the original PowerPuff Girls episode.  Here, similarities between the three boys and their female counterparts begin to crop up.  Butch is the cantankerous one.  Brick is the consummate leader, although certainly more Machiavellian than Blossom.  Boomer is thoughtful and sympathetic, yet can be at times the most formidable of the three.

Obviously, a single story (even a very long one such as this) cannot fully define these characters.  Please see my section in the Fanfic Writing Guide on character definitions for a more in-depth view.

MoJo JoJo

Yep, good 'ol MoJo is back as his usual evil self.  However, MoJo's character gets some redeeming characteristics when he saves the RowdyRuff Boys from being destroyed.

MoJo's plans are always flawed and this time is no exception.  His first idea, the Deathray 2000, is powerful enough to destroy the girls, but is too slow to hit them.  His next idea to create the ultimate being from chemical x backfires when he looses control of the situation and ends up endangering his own existence.  Even the RowdyRuff Boys decide to fight for the side of good rather than stay with him in his never-ending quest for evil.

MoJo does not share in the glory of defeating their common enemy.  He proclaims that he conquered HER based on his invention of the Deathray 2000.  Obviously, MoJo does not learn the same lesson of cooperation as the PPGs and RRBs.

HIM

HIM wishes to create a being made from chemical x with his characteristics.  He employs the help of MoJo to make this a reality.  However, he ends up double-crossing MoJo and the RowdyRuff Boys.  This forces them to work with the PowerPuffs and eventually leads to HER's destruction.  The inspiration for HIM in this story is the evil Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars saga.

He fails in his plans because he does not appreciate the concept of cooperation.  He believed that a single "perfect" and powerful being could defeat any foe.  His lack of cooperation cost him his alliance with MoJo and the RowdyRuff Boys.  The same traits were passed on to his daughter.  These traits are what brought about her downfall as well.

HER

HER is HIM's daughter.  She is brought into this world as the most beautiful and powerful super-being of them all.  However, her megalomaniacal nature eventually brought on her downfall when all of her enemies combined their forces to destroy her.  Her outward appearance eventually changes to reveal her internal ugliness and hatred for all other life.

The HER character was inspired in part by the story of Lucifer in Judeo-Christian mythology.  Lucifer is described as "full of wisdom" and "perfect in beauty."  Pride and self love were Lucifer's downfall as it is with HER.

Freeza from the Dragonball Z series is the other character I based HER on.  It's probably a bit redundant since Freeza seems to have been based on Lucifer as well.

Professor Utonium

The Professor provides the role of father figure once again.  He reveals to the PowerPuff Girls the lesson of cooperation early on in the story.  He follows his own advice and helps MoJo in his time of need.  By combining forces with MoJo, he helps save the day.

Symbolism

There is a significant amount of symbolism in the story.  I pointed out many of the symbolic points via the flashing exclamation point bullets scattered throughout the document.  However, there are many details left to explain.

Duality

The use of duality in a story is used to:

• Distinguish two usually contradictory parts or opinions (e.g., Good and evil; male and female; life and death.)
• Imply that things are not always what they seem.

In the story, each PowerPuff Girl has a male counterpart.  The girls represent the positive forces of good and order and the boys (initially) the negative side of evil and chaos.  The same applies to the Professor and MoJo; the Deathray 2000 and HIM.  Even the other kinds of symbolism used (north/south, left right, etc.) are based on the concept of duality.

The second definition of duality implies that appearances can be deceptive.  HER appears at first to be the embodiment of beauty and peace.  However, she eventually transforms to show her true inner self.  The RowdyRuff Boys look the same as before, but are very different from the last time.

Three

Three represents the triad of family; male, female, and child; beginning, middle, and end; birth, life, and death.  In short, the number three indicates completeness.  It is a number that comes up a lot in the story:

• Three PowerPuff Girls.
• Three RowdyRuff Boys.
• Three items needed to be obtained to create HER.
• Three groups to create HER (HIM, MoJo, and the RRBs)
• Three groups needed to destroy HER (MoJo and the Professor at the lab, PPGs, and RRBs)
• HER fell three times before she was destroyed.

Six

In Christian mythology, the number six is sometimes understood to represent "imperfection."  HIM uses six drops of his blood to create the "perfect" super-being.  This is symbolic of the fact that she is indeed flawed and imperfect.

Seven

Seven is often thought of as the number of "perfection" in Christian mythology.  The satellite needs seven seconds to hit its target.  HER thought she destroyed the satellite, but she was unsuccessful.  The satellite eventually was the means by which HER is destroyed.

South

Many times in the story, the PowerPuff Girls and RowdyRuff Boys go off to find HER.  The ones that find her go in the south direction.  South is symbolic of well, you know...HECK!

Left and Right

Left as historically been associated with evil and right with righteousness.  I didn't specify where the characters stood and moved in most of the scenes since it would have made the story very difficult to read through in its written form.  Furthermore, it would look ridiculous to have a character always face a certain way just to be "clever."  Some examples of where I would use this kind of symbolism are when:

• The PowerPuff Girls and RowdyRuff Boys meet for the first time in this story, the boys are on the left side of the screen and the girls are on the right.
• Butch leaves the lab to confront HER by himself.  He blasts off through the roof traveling west.  Brick and Boomer decide to follow, but Blossom intercepts.  This is symbolic of Blossom saving them from moving to the "dark" side.
• HER returns from space and confronts Brick and Blossom, Brick goes northwest and Blossom northeast.  Brick flies over to Blossom.  This is symbolic of Brick's final transition to the side of good.

I wonder if they were conscious about this in the original RRB episode?  I do remember the kiss scene had the boys on the left and girls on the right.  Hmmm...time to fire up the 'ol VCR!

Deathray 2000

Before I talk about the satellite, I want to make something clear.  HIM is not Satan.  HER is not the Anti-Christ.  HIM wants to turn Townsville into Heck on Earth, not Hell.  HIM has lobster-like claws, Satan does not.  HER is a girl, the Anti-Christ is (will be) male.  Now that we've got that over with, the Deathray 2000 represents the hand of...well, not God per se, but...uh...let's say...the "anti-HIM".

The fact that the Deathray 2000 takes seven seconds to fire and the writing on the side that gets obscured are references to its identity.  See if you can decipher the latter.

Update: Wow!  Someone finally got it!  Brian Stinson <incomingblackeagle@earthlink.net> correctly deduced it!  The answer is... Deus Ex Machina.