# Does Lion-O's Sword of Omens grow and shrink? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 28, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513 "2004-05-28T14:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/21 "2004-05-28T17:12:12Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > When did _that_ happen? More importantly, where can I find the video or, at least, screen shots? > > The Sword of Omens is one of those funky ultimate weapons that would save everybody a lot of trouble if the heroes would only think to whip it out at the _begininng_ of the battke. I mean, was there anything that sword couldn’t do? On the very first episode, briefly, before leaving Thundera. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/22 "2004-05-28T17:14:49Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > The Sword of Omens is one of those funky ultimate weapons that would save everybody a lot of trouble if the heroes would only think to whip it out at the _begininng_ of the battke. I mean, was there anything that sword couldn’t do? I know what you mean…“Form: Blazing Sword!” 🙂 I formed my “Blazing Sword” every time Princess Allura wiggled her way onscreen… ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/23 "2004-05-28T17:18:18Z")
> [@Bosda](#): > > Cheetara was the only female cartoon character to appear on a US animated TV show topless. In the first ever episode, all the thudercats were naked :eek: Oo-Er :eek: Oh, and don’t forget the, erm, stuff? Lightning? that used to shoot out the end of the sword when it erm got big. Damn, how much blatant innuendo did they put in this thing anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/24 "2004-05-28T17:29:57Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > It turns out that “our” Snarf is really named Oswald, and later in the series his nephew, whose name I can’t recall, joins the group, along with some other Thundercats. The nephew’s name was Snarfer. Now who’s the bigger nerd? Huh? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/25 "2004-05-28T17:53:31Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > I have in my possesion action figures of Lion-O, Cheetera, and Pantro. Unfortunately, after years of being in my addic, they aren’t in the best shape. I had Lion-O, and I had that cool ring that you put a AAA battery in and plugged into the socket in his back to make his eyes light up. It had two concentric rings of metal, one for the positive and one for the negative. One day my AAA battery ran out so I took a 9V battery and hooked up a pair of leads to Lion-O. The eyes lit with the intensity of a thousand suns and shot two parallel beams of death through several blocks of the neighborhood. The carnage was unbelievable. Years later I saw the movie Real Genius and scoffed, all those brainiacs had to do was hook up a 9V battery to a Lion-O and they would have gotten their superlaser in a jiff. It would only have lasted a couple milliseconds(my Lion-O was forever burned out after the carnage) but hell, they made Mum-Ra with those light-up eyes too. The supply of toys which could be converted into orbital weapons platforms was quite large. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/26 "2004-05-28T18:09:32Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > I had Lion-O, and I had that cool ring that you put a AAA battery in and plugged into the socket in his back to make his eyes light up. It had two concentric rings of metal, one for the positive and one for the negative. One day my AAA battery ran out so I took a 9V battery and hooked up a pair of leads to Lion-O. The eyes lit with the intensity of a thousand suns and shot two parallel beams of death through several blocks of the neighborhood. The carnage was unbelievable. Years later I saw the movie Real Genius and scoffed, all those brainiacs had to do was hook up a 9V battery to a Lion-O and they would have gotten their superlaser in a jiff. It would only have lasted a couple milliseconds(my Lion-O was forever burned out after the carnage) but hell, they made Mum-Ra with those light-up eyes too. The supply of toys which could be converted into orbital weapons platforms was quite large. > > Enjoy, > Steven I remember getting one of those for Christmas when I was about 3 or 4. Unfortunately, I don’t remember mine ever working at all. Except maybe once or twice. Now who would win in a fight between Lion-O and Marshall Bravestar. ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/27 "2004-05-28T18:13:03Z")
I suppose I may as well confess it, when I was a kid I used to hide behind a cushion everytime Mumm-Ra changed into his big monster thing (Mumm-Ra The Ever-Living? Bet that name took them literally minutes to come up with :dubious: ) Anyway, the bigger question is: Is it ok to link to the screencaptures from, ahem, the first episode? I mean, part of me says it’s a kids programme and all, but after all, they _are_ naked 😕 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/28 "2004-05-28T18:21:29Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > Maybe I’m just in the minority here or something, but: Ironhide was _black_? That’s news to me. I mean, Jazz, yeah… No, Jazz was black. Scatman Crothers (he of _Hong Kong Fooey_), in fact. Ironhide was Optimus Prime’s sockpuppet, since both were voiced by Peter Cullen (now known as Eeyore on Disney’s _Winnie the Pooh_ stuff). ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/29 "2004-05-28T20:10:57Z")
> [@Stonebow](#): > > It is a cartoon truism: The ‘black’ character is always the coolest. I submit: > > Thundercats: Panthro > GI Joe: Roadblack (yes, we all know that Snake Eytes was really the coolest, but he was only physically black, not ethnically black) > Transformers: Ironhide > Transformers Beast Wars: Tigatron/TigerHawk > The ~Real~ Ghostbusters: Winston > Hey Arnold: Gerald > Charlie Brown: Franklin (this one might need work) > South Park: Chef > Anything on Adult Swim > > 🙂 I’m another big fan of Panthro (his nunchucks were the coolest and he built the Thundertank…that was an awesome toy). I have to disagree with your other choices though, because some of those characters just weren’t all that cool. GI Joe: Outside of Snake Eyes, Bazooka was the coolest. Transformers: Optimus Prime was the coolest. I mean, he was the Prime! Assuming he’s off the list, the prize goes to Grimlock. Transformers Beast Wars: I’d say Cheetor, especially after his third transformation. The ~Real~ Ghostbusters…sorry, Slimmer wins that one, and he was green. Charlie Brown: Snoopy, man! I’ll give you South Park (Chef is a friggin’ badass, they don’t use him nearly enough these days), and Hey Arnold because I’ve never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/30 "2004-05-28T20:29:01Z")
Ok, hello! Do any of these older cartoons come on any channel anymore??? I really liked the regular X-Men cartoon that was on for a while too (not the revolution or evolution -whatever it is called- one that comes on now). ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/31 "2004-05-28T20:47:24Z")
Now I’m on a mission to rig my Lion-O action figure to a car battery and melt that gay He-Man figure with my newly aquired lazer vision. Of topic, but I also found a figure that, IIRC, is a GI-GOE figue called “Misquitor” that has a transparent torso window with blood in it. When you pushed the little pump button on its back, the blood would flow. Freakin sweet! ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/32 "2004-05-28T20:53:15Z")
Correction, it was a He-Man toy, not GI-JOE (which I choked and spelled wrong in my previous post anyway)! Thanks to the wonders of the internet and Yahoo, I give you [Miquitor](http://www.toydreams.cwc.net/motu/loose/misquitor.jpg)! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/33 "2004-05-28T22:29:08Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > The nephew’s name was Snarfer. Which always bore with it the chilling possibility that an even more horrifyingly wretched character might be introduced named “Snarfest.” I always had the hots for Tigra. I figured he had to be gay, what with being named after a [girl](http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nova/8426/tigra/) and all. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/34 "2004-05-28T22:50:07Z")
**Diceman** You are wrong. Snarf’s real name was Ozbert. After finding that out, Panthro teased Snarf for quite a while. He stopped when Snarf helped solve a problem by suggesting salvaging parts from the wreck of the RatStar. Re Nudity On The First Episode Yep. One of the many things different about Third Earth is that the Thundercats must wear clothing to protect themselves. Though they are technically naked before that, it’s like everybody’s wearing an invisible unitard. Cheetara’s breasts aren’t actually covered, but they move as if they were- and no nipple or areola is visible. Re The Sword Of Omens Lion O would only do the “Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! Thundercats ho!” when he wanted to project the Thundercats symbol and summon the other Thundercats. If he simply wanted to make the sword grow, or shoot a zap bolt with it, he simply said “Hoooooo!”. Lion O also occasionally used the sword to become stronger or shoot a truly massive bolt “Ancient Sword Of Omens, give me power beyond power!”. The sword was not indestructible, and was snapped in two in one episode. The Enflamer (Let fire become white. Let fire become star bright. Let the Enflamer come forth!) was able to swim in an active volcano and reforge the sword. Re Mumm Ra He also had a charming bulldog by the name of Mumm Mutt. I am not making this up. Mumm Ra dwelt in a black/very dark green pyramid. The good wizard Mumm Rana dwelt in a white pyramid (Ancient spirits of good, transform this good form, to Mumm Rana the ever good!) The rather studly Egyptian Wiz Ra dwelt in a gold pyramid. He was buff, brown-skinned and Cheetara fell in love with him. AFAIK He only appeared in one episode. Lion O eventually killed Mumm Ra during the five part Anointment Trials which were necessary for him to be crowned king. There’s currently a Thundercats comic book series set a decade or two after the cartoon. I refuse to read it (For me the canon closed at the end of the Anointment Trials). But a quick flip through a friend’s issue reveals Mumm Ra ruling the world and keeping Wily Kat (and it’s implied Wily Kit as well) as his sex slaves. The evil wizard keeping sex slaves doesn’t bother me. It’s the fact that Lion O irrevocably destroyed him twenty years ago that bugs me. Unless it’s a flashback, there isn’t even enough left of Mumm Ra to rot. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/35 "2004-05-28T23:39:58Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > Maybe I’m just in the minority here or something, but: Ironhide was _black_? That’s news to me. I mean, Jazz, yeah… Yeah. Ironhide is white. A good ol’ boy, even. Jazz is definitely black. So is Prime, actually. As to Beast Wars: Tigatron is, indeed, black. So is Silverbolt. But TigerHawk is mixed race, since Air Razor is white. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/36 "2004-05-28T23:52:12Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Yeah. Ironhide is white. A good ol’ boy, even. > > Jazz is definitely black. > > So is Prime, actually. > > As to Beast Wars: Tigatron is, indeed, black. So is Silverbolt. But TigerHawk is mixed race, since Air Razor is white. Ok, this is kinda off topic as it is not a cartoon (but I am sure there is a cartoon version somewhere) but I was knocked off my ass when I found out Elmo is black. I mean, come on. That little voice coming out of a big black man?!?! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/37 "2004-05-29T01:28:58Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Lion-O has the mind of a child because, chronologically, he _is_ a child, about the same age as WilyCat and WilyKit. When the Thundercats’ ship was fleeing Thundera, the group was put into stasis pods, because it would take years to reach their destination. After the ship crashed on Third Earth, Lion-O’s pod malfunctioned, allowing his body to age while he slept. Years later, when the Mutants arrived and woke up the Thundercats, Lion-O had grown into a man, but was still mentally a child. Everyone else was still exactly the same as he/she was before entering the pods. Wait a minute … I remember the explanation from the pilot episode, and Lion-O’s pod never malfunctioned. Before Jaga died, he told everyone, “Even though your body will be in statis, some aging will take place” as the ship would take decades/centuries to travel from Thunderra to Third Earth. Supposedly, **everyone** aged a little bit. Which bugged me, because Lion-O grew up while WilyKitt and WilyKatt didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/38 "2004-05-29T02:03:17Z")
> [@RitzyRae](#): > > Ok, hello! Do any of these older cartoons come on any channel anymore??? I really liked the regular X-Men cartoon that was on for a while too (not the revolution or evolution -whatever it is called- one that comes on now). Thundercats plays (or at least, did until just recently) on the Cartoon Network; you can check their schedule to see exactly when. The Cartoon Network spinoff channel Boomerang has more shows like this, but it’s not as widely carried. The original X-Men cartoon series is run every once in a while on ABC Family (formerly the Fox Family channel). ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/39 "2004-05-29T06:11:21Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Jazz is definitely black. > > So is Prime, actually. [No, Prime isn’t black.](http://www.tfrid.com/pictures/BotCon_97/cullen.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513/40 "2004-05-29T06:40:52Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > [No, Prime isn’t black.](http://www.tfrid.com/pictures/BotCon_97/cullen.jpg) That’s not Prime, that’s a human. I wasn’t talking about the VAs, I was continuing the ‘black characters’ tangent, giving my opinion on which Transformers give a ‘black’ vibe. (See my comment on TigerHawk.) I knew I should have kept the note explaining that. Ah, well. (Silverbolt, BTW, is also played by a white man: Scott MacNeil, who also plays Rattrap and Waspinator.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lion-os-sword-of-omens-grow-and-shrink/247513.md?page=3)