Mummies Alive!
About Mummies Alive!
With the 1997 debut of Mummies Alive!, action cartoon fans cheered and Egyptologists cringed. It may not have been historically or culturally accurate, but it sure did "kick some Tut" (their joke, not ours).
Modern-day boy Presley Carnovan was the spiritual successor to Prince Rapses, heir to the throne of ancient Egypt. Rapses had been murdered by his father’s trusted advisor, Scarab, despite the protection of four able Egyptian bodyguards. For his crime, Scarab was entombed alive.
In the present day, an unknowing archaeologist opened Scarab’s tomb, freeing him. Scarab now had his eye on immortality, and to do that, he needed Rapses’ spirit—which just happened to be in Presley’s body. Scarab and his zombielike minions, The Shabti, attacked Presley at the new Rapses Museum exhibition, which brought the boy to the attention of the four bodyguards. Now mummified, the bodyguards sprang to life with the cry, "With the strength of Ra!," fighting off the villains and saving Presley.
With Scarab still on the loose, the mummies became Presley’s sworn protectors. Already powerful, the mummies transformed into body-armored superheroes by means of their Ra-invoking catchphrase. Ja-Kal, the mummies’ leader, donned armor patterned after a falcon, gaining the power of flight and a bow that shot flaming arrows. Rath was the group’s inventor, transforming into cobra armor and fighting with a sword that changed into a snake. Armon was the resident strongman. He was missing an arm, but his body armor gave him a one-ton golden one. The final member was the lone female, Nefer-Tina, armored like a cat and swinging a mean whip. Nefer-Tina also drove the team’s dragster (designed and built by Rath), the Hot-Ra. Even team mascot Khati got in on the act, transforming from a small fraidy cat into a larger, more powerful one.
Most syndicated episodes pitted Presley and the mummies against Scarab (who masqueraded as businessman Harris Stone and had his own beetle-inspired body armor), his serpent Heka, incompetent pet Ammut (head of a crocodile, body of a lion, hindquarters of a hippo), and The Shabti. The mummies were amazed by modern life, though they seemed to have mastered it enough to build advanced vehicles like the Hot-Ra, the Nile-Ator Jet Cycles, and the Skycophagus. Those busy mummies also found time to teach Presley the ancient Egyptian martial art of Egyp-Tsu. When they just needed to get away from it all, the mummies could recharge their inner batteries with a rest back at the Rapses Museum (called "The Sphinx").
Designed with no other purpose than action-packed thrills, Mummies Alive! delivered. The show was co-produced by Ivan Reitman, who had previous experience dealing with the undead as director of the Ghostbusters films.
Episode guide
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Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra
It starts with an archaeologist opening a tomb in Egypt and discovering Scarab, who is finally freed after 3500 years. Then, it switches to San Francisco, where Presley is leading a normal…
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Sleepwalk Like An Egyptian
Scarab spits out a "living nightmare" scorpion. He gets his shadow to deliver it onto Presley. Presley falls into a dreamlike state, joined through dream with Prince Rapses 3500 years ago.…
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Pack To The Future
Presley's mom takes Presley to camping at Yosemite. Scarab calls for "the Trackers of Souls", made up of Set, Anubis, a bulldog, and a wolf, to track down Presley for him. Ammut tags along…
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The Gift Of Geb
Scarab summons Geb, the Spirit of the Earth to draw Presley out. Geb demands to know who wakened him, and Scarab says it was Presley. The Mummies meet Geb in the San Francisco Bay near Alca…
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Desert Chic
Apep, the Serpent of the Desert, and his four sidekicks (a Turtle, a Tyrannosaurus, a Bug, and a Scorpion) reform themselves to look like the members of a biker gang known as the "Desert Pr…
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High Nuhn
Scarab calls upon Nuhn, the Spirit of the Waters, and says he will free the spirit if he can bring Presley to him. The spirit has a rough time in this show. He flushes himself down a toilet…
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Dead Man Walking
Rath smashes into a wall and loses his memory. Rath cannot remember his name, but calls himself Ace after some thugs call him that. Four homeless street people (Theo, Rosey, Wilcox, and Max…
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Good Bye Mr. Cheops
The Mummies fight off Scarab at his Beefy Burger trap, and in the process destroy Presley's science project, a shortwave radio. Rath repairs the radio, adding an obelisk that makes it much…
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Body Slam
Scarab plants an amulet on Armon that drains his power. Armon starts getting weaker without realizing that it is being caused by the amulet. When Presley throws Armon during an Egyp-Tsu les…
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Paws
Presley's mom gives a tour of an exhibit honoring Bastet, the Cat Goddess. When Nefer-Tina is near it, she accidentally triggers some signal to Bastet and brings the goddess to the present.…
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The Curse Of Sekhmet
Scarab has a bad cold and calls upon Sekhmet, the goddess of sickness and health, to get rid of it. Sekhmet goes on a destroying kick. She brings about a bunch of plagues. First heat, next…
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Dog Bites Mummy
The 7th grader Elaine wants to be a famous reporter. She thinks Presley might be connected to the Mummies. Meanwhile Set and Anubis are still after revenge on the Mummies. They capture Elai…
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Reunion
It is Father's Day. Scarab uses a Griffin to help make the Mummies believe that Pharaoh Amenhotep, the father of Prince Rapses, has returned to be reunited with his reborn son. The spirit o…
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The Prince And The Presley
Scarab steals a scroll that can open the gates of time. He is able to bring the real Prince Rapses from the past to the present. In so doing, the spirit leaves Presley. Rapses and Presley m…
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The Egyp-Tsu Kid
A carnival comes to town. Scarab and Heka host a freak show tent. Meanwhile, Tiny Turner who is the school bully and his punk friend Chuck clobber Presley. The Mummies decide Presley needs…
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The Face In The Mirror
Set and Anubis appear on the day of an alignment of the planets, which only takes place once every 3500 years. They bring forth the Eye Of Darkness who takes over Presley's body. When final…
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Miscast
Scarab has his Shabti trying to recast Talos at the City Junk Yard, but the Mummies destroy that operation. Rath takes some of the magical material, and back at the Sphinx creates his own 1…
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Sleight Of Hand
Scarab dares the Mummies to face him in the Challenge of the Maze. This is an ancient challenge where the winner gets the right to be the Pharaoh's protector. The Mummies faced a lot of the…
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Missing Ja-Kal
Scarab decides to try to get rid of Ja-Kal. By doing so, he figures the Mummies without their leader will fall into disarray. Scarab uses a ceramic falcon idol to attack Ja-Kal's animal sig…
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Ghouls' Gold
Scarab has gone broke trying to fight the Mummies. So he brings out a bunch of spirits of dead gold miners from the graveyard to acquire gold for him, but they are uncontrollable and go aft…
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Tempting Offer
Chontra returns. She makes a deal with Scarab to bring Presley to him in exchange for some of the eternal life in the Prince's spirit. Chontra transforms into a young girl, calling herself…
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Loss Of Face
Scarab makes a potion to make him look young and handsome. The potion accidentally ends up on Nefer-Tina, and turns her beautiful. "Wow, she looks 3000 years younger", Armon says. Nefer-Tin…
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Kid Scarab
Scarab turns himself into a kid with a purple backpack and a purple baseball hat that he wears backwards. Heka hides in his backpack. Meanwhile, the Mummies are acting as chaperones for a C…
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Married To The Geb
A strange series of earthquakes take place, emanating from the Twin Peaks Park. The Mummies and Presley go there and find it is Geb, the Spirit of the Earth, who is saddened because he and…
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Water, Water Everywhere...
Water, water, everywhere ... and not a drop to drink (unless they pay me) says Scarab. Scarab summons Nuhn who starts drying up the city's water supply. With the city out of water, Scarab i…
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A Dark And Shrieky Night
The show begins with the Mummies in battle with Scarab and his Shabti. After the battle, they find themselves far away from their Sphinx needing to re-energize. Without any power left to tr…
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Pepped with Good Intention
Nefer-Tina wishes on a star for someone to love her. Somehow that wish brings Apep back through the Western Gate. He is in the same human form known as Pep as he was in Desert Chic, and aga…
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Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Huxley
Presley and the Mummies are at school to get the stone obelisk that brought Chontra in Good Bye Mr. Cheops. Presley gets stopped by Mr. Huxley, who tries out this "science project" and gets…
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Monster Truck Mania
The Monster Truck Rally of the Century is taking place, and Bubba Baxter, Presley's race-truck driver friend is entered. Bubba accidentally gets knocked out, so the Mummies and Presley driv…
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Eye Of The Beholder
Mr. Huxley and his class (including Presley) are touring the Fisherman's Wharf. Chontra terrifies them with spirits and leaves a cat statue that the Mummies take back to their Sphinx. Chont…
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Tree O'Clock Rock
Scarab believes the Tree of Life can make him younger again, so he hires Bes to get the Tree for him. Bes uses magic and a tree moving machine to move the Tree of Life, but never said anyth…
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Object Of His Affections
Talos is back, and he is in love with San Francisco's famous Statue of Victory and he takes the statue. Scarab offers to bring his "girlfriend" to life if Talos would bring Prince Rapses (P…
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The Bird-Mummy Of Alcatraz
Presley and the Mummies go on a tour of Alcatraz. Armon takes a side trip to the dining hall and the Mummies and Presley lose the group. Scarab uses Shabti to make the tour guide believe ev…
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Honey, I Shrunk The Mummies
Rath is trying an incantation to invoke the power of a Talisman (a bug-like amulet). Rath translated the incantation incorrectly into: "By the spirit that guides us all, make me as the beet…
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True Believer
The Mummies buy clothes to better blend in with the people. Ja-Kal and Armon look great in their suits. Rath looks "common" in his muscle shirt (number 6) and red baseball hat he is wearing…
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Who's Who?
A Chinese fire-breathing dragon comes to life. Joe and Bob's police car go up in flames. It is the handiwork of Bes. Bes changes identities: First Ja-Kal with Nefer-Tina, then Armon with Ra…
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My Dad The Hero
Presley's father arrives unexpectedly for the weekend. Presley is delighted to see him. Presley's father is not the most honorable man. He secretly picks up a rock and gives it to Presley c…
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Brother's Keeper (Family Feud Part 1)
A new exhibit is featured at the museum. Two mummy cases are included, and the Mummies note that one is labeled "Kimas" and the other "Scorpion". When Ja-Kal opens a case, Set and Anubis at…
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New Mummy In Town (Family Feud Part 2)
Scarab now calls forth Kimas' spirit. Heka tells Kimas about the modern world and he takes a skateboard and goes out to explore. Nefer-Tina and Armon see Kimas in trouble, but he easily mum…
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The Heart's Arrow (Family Feud Part 3)
Ja-Kal contemplates about Kimas, about his own son, and about his duty. Rath realizes that if they destroy Arakh's scorpion charm, then Arakh's scorpion suit will be sent back through the W…
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We've Got One!
While the Mummies are fighting Scarab, Rath crashes into Bob the policeman, and they are both knocked unconscious. Together, they get taken to the hospital. Joe is excited, thinking Rath is…
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Show Me The Mummy!
The final episode. Joe has become intent on finding out who and what these Mummies are. He hosts a KKIM radio broadcast asking to hear from those who have had run ins with the Mummies. Many…
