Attack of the Mutant (TV episode)

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Episode

"Attack of the Mutant" is the second and third episode of season two of the Goosebumps TV series and the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes overall. Part one and part two premiered on September 7, 1996, on Fox during the Fox Kids block.

Cast[]

Dan Warry-Smith as Skipper Matthews
Melissa Bathory as Libby
Maurice Godin as Mr. Matthews
Mag Ruffman as Mrs. Matthews
Adam Schofield as Wilson
Scott Wickware as The Masked Mutant
Adam West as The Galloping Gazelle
Rummy Bishop as Old Man
Bill Lake as Bus Driver

Blurb[]

Skipper Matthews has an awesome comic collection. His favorite is The Masked Mutant, the story of an evil, power-mad super-villain, who is out to gain control of the universe! One day, while lost in a strange part of town, Skipper discovers a building that mysteriously resembles the Mutant's secret headquarters . . . a building that magically disappears. . . .

Differences from the book[]

Skipper's friend, Wilson, collects rocks instead of stamps.
Skipper's sister Mitzi is absent.
"Libby" (the girl The Mask Mutant transforms into) is depicted as a blonde instead of having red hair.
The Magnificent Molecule Man is completely absent.
The Mutant doesn't turn himself into a leopard after he trips the Gazelle up.
The ending of the episode is slightly altered. We do NOT see Skipper assuming he has returned to his normal life. In the book, Skipper found out he is a comic book character after he accidentally cuts himself and realizing his blood is now ink. In the TV episode, we see that he really does become "The Colossal Elastic Boy" after his arm stretches and snaps back to him from the kitchen to his mother's shock.
In the book, Skipper's dad is described as being big and broad. The television version has Skipper's dad as a skinny, stereotypical nerd.
In the book, the Galloping Gazelle runs away in fear. In the episode the mutant convinces him he’s getting too old to be a superhero.
Skipper doesn't go to Libby's house.
The Mutant's creator is named Ernie Atwater instead of Jimmy Starenko.
In the book, Skipper lives in Riverview Falls. In the episode, the town's name is changed to Tarrington.
The episode adds a part where Skipper starts viewing the world under a comic book filter.
The episode adds Skipper's mom being into romance novels.
The Masked Mutant is given the ability to teleport.

Other media[]

Goosebumps Presents[]

No.	Cover	Release date	Pages
12		May 1997	63

Home media[]

Title	Release date	Media type
Attack of the Mutant	September 13, 2011	DVD
3-Pack Thriller	August 26, 2014	DVD

Goofs[]

The Masked Mutant is seen on top of the bus in one scene, but Libby (later revealed to be the Masked Mutant in disguise) is sitting right next to Skipper on the bus in the next.
Skipper spots the Masked Mutant's headquarters the first time he goes past. He then goes back the next day, and the headquarters have vanished. He then goes back a third time, and the headquarters aren't there yet again. However, Skipper says "How can it be. It was right here yesterday," although it was not.
In the scene where Skipper is trying to find the Masked Mutant's headquarters, the cover of the Masked Mutant comic he's holding peels back a bit, revealing the book underneath to actually be a Punisher comic, specifically Punisher #8 from June/July of 1996.

Trivia[]

Skipper has a cardboard cutout of Wolverine.
The episode is the only episode in the entire TV series to have a notable guest star; Adam West, known for playing the titular character in the 60's Batman TV show, plays the Gazelle. He would later reprise the character in the PC game.
The bus, which Skipper keeps catching to go to the headquarters, has Goosebumps advertisements on the side of the bus saying, "Two thumbs up".
The overpass used as a background in "Be Careful What You Wish For" was used again as a background in this television episode behind Skipper when he is looking towards the Masked Mutant's headquarters.
When Skipper entered the Masked Mutant's headquarters the second time, The Masked Mutant's laughter can be heard. However, some internationally dubbed versions did not have laughter. In the Italian dub of the episode, there was no audible laughter. In the German dub, the Masked Mutant's laughter was dubbed over by a different actor (The Masked Mutant's German voice dubbing was performed by: Karl Schulz).
Dan Warry-Smith (Skipper Mathews) played Seth Gold in season three's, "Click".
Scott Wickware (The Masked Mutant) played The Haunted Mask in "Haunted Mask II", and a hard hat worker in "Welcome to Dead House", both from season two.
The skyline of Toronto is clearly seen in the background of The Masked Mutant's headquarters, most notably the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the Skydome). The building adjacent to the Mutant Headquarters is the Amsterdam Brewing Company.
The Masked Mutant’s headquarters was filmed inside an old Molson Brewery in downtown Toronto. A cutout figure of the Masked Mutant was left behind after filming.
Ernie Atwater's last name is likely a reference to series producer, Martha Atwater.
While "Be Careful What Wish For..." had aired 4 months prior, this was advertised as the season 2 premiere.
This episode was adapted into Goosebumps Presents Book #12.
- The scene where a bus driver tells Skipper that comics will warp his mind is omitted, as well as a scene with Skipper and Wilson in Part 2.
- The initial scene with Libby adds a moment where Skipper mentions that the Mutant can't turn into liquids, to establish how he will be defeated later. The original book only sated he can turn into anything solid.
- The opening is extended, adding more lines between the Mutant and Gazelle, as well as making what is happening more clear.
- The dialogue in the first scene with Wilson is slightly rearranged. In the episode, Skipper explains The Masked Mutant to him after showing him the mutant's HQ, while here this happens directly before that.
- Wilson is given an extra moment explaining why he likes rocks: They're everywhere.
- In general, a few scenes are trimmed down.
- The scene with Wilson where Skipper explains the invisibility curtain is removed.
- The cliffhanger of Part 1 is slightly changed to be Libby playing a prank, while the episode implied her scaring him with the cut out was an accident.
- The Masked Mutant is given a few more one-liners.
- The ending scene is the same but it is stated that Skipper sees everything in comic vision now. Also, he says "I'm stretchin!" instead of just "Stretchin!".

Gallery[]

Goosebumps Promo - Attack of the Mutant

Cartoon Network Goosebumps Promo - Attack of the Mutant

Goosebumps TV series
Season 1	The Haunted Mask • The Cuckoo Clock of Doom • The Girl Who Cried Monster • Welcome to Camp Nightmare • Phantom of the Auditorium • Piano Lessons Can Be Murder • Return of the Mummy • Night of the Living Dummy II • Stay Out of the Basement • My Hairiest Adventure • It Came from Beneath the Sink • Say Cheese and Die • A Night in Terror Tower • The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
Season 2	Be Careful What You Wish For... • Attack of the Mutant • Bad Hare Day • The Headless Ghost • Go Eat Worms • You Can't Scare Me • Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes • Ghost Beach • Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns • The Haunted Mask II • Let's Get Invisible • Scarecrow Walks at Midnight • Monster Blood • More Monster Blood • Vampire Breath • How to Kill a Monster • Calling All Creeps • Welcome to Dead House • Don't Wake Mummy • The Blob That Ate Everyone • Night of the Living Dummy III
Season 3	Shocker on Shock Street • My Best Friend Is Invisible • The House of No Return • Don't Go To Sleep • Click • An Old Story • The Barking Ghost • One Day at HorrorLand • The Haunted House Game • Perfect School • Werewolf Skin • Awesome Ants • Bride of the Living Dummy • Strained Peas • Say Cheese and Die... Again • Chillogy • Teacher's Pet
Season 4	How I Got My Shrunken Head • The Ghost Next Door • Cry of the Cat • Deep Trouble