Mighty Max - Episode 20 - The Cyberskull Virus

THE CYBERSKULL VIRUS

This is the seventh episode of series 2. A digitalised creature, Cyberskull, goes on a rampage throughout the world, determined to transform the whole planet into one big computer game, of which he will be god. This episode reminds me of the movies "The Lawnmower Man" and "Tron".

Episode Captures (Click to enlarge)

Max is at the amusement arcade playing on a cool virtual reality game, but he just can't get to level 7 no matter how hard he tries. The situation becomes more frustrating when he loses the game and cannot find fifty cents to continue. He rushes out of the machine to look for Felix to borrow the money. As he searches for Felix Max is stunned to hear the voice of Virgil coming from a nearby games machine. He hurries over an sees a pixilated Virgil urging him to make his way to the nearby lift. Max rushes off to follow Virgil's instructions and finds himself falling down an empty lift shaft. However, rather than Max falling to his death he suddenly finds himself falling into the arms of a football cheerleader, who abruptly drops him on the ground. Max sees that he has arrived at a football game and spotting Norman and Virgil in the crowd, he rushes over to sit with them. Virgil shows Max a newspaper with a report of a strange creature that appeared to have turned objects into graphical images. Max suspects the nearby computer gaming company Mega Corp and the trio rush of to find the company headquarters.

Once in the lobby of Mega Corp they find a person, who Max describes as a nerd (Worm Boy: If you are reading this; yes, Max is referring to you!) This nerd claims himself to be the creator of the Cyberskull virus, but as soon as he says this another voice is heard and a second nerd steps forward and states that he is the creator. The first nerd orders the security guards to arrest the imposter, but as they step forward something weird happens; the second nerd turns himself into a robotic like creature and states his name as Cyberskull. Cyberskull reaches forward and touches the first nerd who instantly turns into a computer generated image. Cyberskull then picks up the first nerd and puts him into his computer game, never to be seen again.

The trio run outside as Cyberskull attacks and are horrified to see that he is slowly turning the city into a computer game with the aid of some pixel monsters. Norman momentarily halts their progress by destroying an electricity pilon from which they seem to be drawing power. Cyberskull then disappears and the trio jump from portal to portal to track him down. One of the places they portal into is the U.S. Presidential Rose Garden where Max is mystified to find a pixilated tulip. He picks it and comes face to face with three members of the Secret Service. Norman prepares to attack them with his sword, but Max wisely tells him that it is not a good idea to dismember Secret Service agents, so instead they leap into another portal and find themselves in Moscow. This city has become totally pixilated and Max finds another surprising thing; a pixilated box of fries. Max picks it up at the protest of Virgil but Max soon explains his theory: He believes that the tulip and fries are power-ups from the game he was playing at the arcade earlier on. This leads him to believe where they can find Cyberskull; Tokyo, where the seventh and final level of the Cyberskull game is based.

Once in Tokyo they find Cyberskull, but he has grown to huge proportions as he gains power. Norman attacks but is no match for Cyberskull who picks him up, pixilates him, and throws him into the game. Max sees his only chance of defeating Cyberskull and rescuing Norman; he must play the seventh level of the game. Max and Virgil rush into a nearby arcade, locate the relevant gaming console and prepares to do battle. The fight rages on as Max controls the pixilated Norman, throwing him the fries and tulip that he collected earlier. Together they make Norman as strong as Cyberskull, or so it seems. Just as they think they are winning Cyberskull tells Max to prepare for level eight. "But there is no level eight in this game!" Max shouts, but Cyberskull tells him that there is now. Suddenly two huge hands grow out of the wall of the pod in which Max is sitting, and drags him into the game also, leaving Virgil to take the controls. The fight continues as Norman and Max battle with Cyberskull. Max notices something nearby; a pink brain behind a translucent brick wall. This is the secret to the Cyberskull virus. He tries to pull out the bricks but they just will not budge. Norman throws him his sword and tells him to try that. Max takes a deep breath and hits the wall, which collapses leaving the brain exposed. With one last effort Max strikes at the virus brain and destroys it an instant. The pixilated world is returned to normal and Cyberskull is destroyed at long last. Once again Max has saved the world!.