The Rowdyruff Boys are a team of fictional villains in the Cartoon Network animated series The Powerpuff Girls. They were created by the villain Mojo Jojo as a foil to the Powerpuff Girls, and can be seen as their male counterparts. They were introduced in the show in their self titled episode, The Rowdyruff Boys, the 12th episode of the first season and destroyed in the same episode, but were eventually resurrected by Him in episode, The Boys are Back in Town.
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In The Rowdyruff Boys
In the Rowdyruff Boys' self-titled debut episode, Mojo Jojo created them during a stay in prison. Desperate to find a way to create a power to equal to the Powerpuff Girls, Mojo Jojo placed an anonymous phone call to Professor Utonium, who was all too willing to tell "the stranger on the phone from Townsville Community College" his recipe for the girls' creation (despite the fact that Mojo already knew the recipe, having gained his super-intelligence from the same accident that created the girls). Finding the ingredients of sugar, spice, and everything nice "too girly" for his needs, Mojo Jojo made a few variations on the recipe with everything he needed available in prison: snips (underarm hair), snails (escargot from the prison cafeteria), puppy dog tails (pulled from the Talking Dog), and prison toilet water (the only substance potent enough to substitute for the final ingredient, Chemical X). As with the Powerpuff Girls, the ingredients used to make the Rowdyruff Boys are based on the Nursery rhyme "What are Little Boys Made of?" When the Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys first met, they practically destroyed all of Townsville in the ensuing fight, which ultimately concluded with the Rowdyruffs leaving the girls bruised, broken, and beaten. As the girls recovered, Miss Bellum suggested a different way of fighting the boys, as they are naturally superior in combat. Taking her suggestion to the field, the Powerpuff Girls managed to destroy the Rowdyruff Boys with a single kiss on the cheeks, each to their counterpart. Being 10x irregular from the average boy, the kisses had 10x irregular the effect of disgust on the boys, which triggered an explosive reaction playing off of EVERY boy's greatest fear: cooties/kisses from only a girl is claimed to be able to spread.
In The Boys are Back in Town, and Beyond
The Rowdyruff Boys officially reappeared in the show, in the episode The Boys are Back in Town, due partially to the requests by fans. The character Him brought them back to life and added an anti-cootie vaccination to prevent the girls' kisses from having the prior deadly effect. They have different hairstyles and slightly different personalities (sexism, male chauvinism, and misogyny to some) from their first incarnation. They later appear in Bubble Boy, in which Bubbles poses as Boomer in order to trap the boys under a special binding ray the professor invented.
They also appear in an episode The City of Clipsville, in which the girls have flashbacks to various things (most of which were new/unaired scenes), including (somehow) going into the future and becoming teenagers. The Rowdyruff Boys are also teenagers in this, and despite seeming to still be "bad boys", have dulled their nature a bit and become more slacker-ish about it, and are only about as evil as the average teenage boy. Butch even drives an Escalade, which the ditzy teenage Powerpuffs confuse with an escalator. Despite this, the boys seem to have a crush on their girl counterparts, and vice versa. In another episode, titled Custody Battle, Mojo Jojo and Him have a major argument (Pointless according to the boys) over which is the Rowdyruff Boys' father. The boys ultimately break up the fight by proclaiming that they live only to destroy (the Powerpuff Girls), to the approval of both Mojo and Him. Curiously, the Rowdyruff Boys were three of the very few villains who weren't seen attacking Townsville or the Powerpuff Girls in the episode "See me, Feel me, Gnomey." This might be an implication of the fact that they may be a "different sort" of evil than the rest of the villains. Indeed, in the episode "Bubble Boy," they remorselessly take over Fuzzy Lumpkin's cabin, leaving him tied up in a corner, and in "Custody Battle," They seem to have little respect for either Him or Mojo Jojo, particularly Mojo. Hence, they obviously do not appear to consider other villains either comrades or competition, which explains their absence in "See me, Feel me, Gnomey." Currently, the Boys are now starring in new stories written for the Cartoon Network Action Pack! comic book.
Personalities and Strengths
When they were first introduced, the personality of the Rowdyruff Boys were very similar, as their only goal was to defeat the Powerpuff Girls and cause havoc. When they were revived by Him, their personalities began to differ, although they still strive to have fun while causing destructive havoc. They are extremely violent and confrontational to the point that they're often fighting even one another with very little provocation at all. They all wear long shirts with black stripes and black pants. While all of the boys have the basic abilities of ability to survive in outer space, limited invulnerability, ability to project a variety of kinetic blasts, x-ray vision, flight, superhuman speed, and superhuman strength, each boy has an ability unique to him.
Weaknesses
The one big difference between the Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys are their weaknesses. Though the Powerpuff Girls have been defeated before, they don't have any glaring weaknesses except when they are divided. The Rowdyruff Boys, on the other hand, have several significant weaknesses that they all share. Due to the boys' being as strong, fast, and powerful as the girls and almost impossible to defeat in head-on combat, these weaknesses must constantly be exploited by the Powerpuff Girls.
- Girl Kisses/Cooties: While they have superpowers, the Rowdyruff Boys are still little boys and fear girly kisses due to cooties. This is the reason why they are defeated in the Rowdyruff Boys. After the Powerpuff Girls regain consciousness following their defeat at the hands of the Rowdyruff Boys, Ms. Bellum tells them that there is one thing all boys hate, hinting at their weakness. Heeding Ms. Bellum's advice, the girls each land a kiss on the boys, causing them to explode. Ever since their revival in the Boys are Back in Town, they have become immune to girly kisses thanks to Him's anti-cootie vaccination. Alongside the vaccination, whenever they are kissed, they grow in size and power. It is unknown if this effect is ongoing.
- Threatening of Masculinity: While it doesn't have the same effect on the Rowdyruff Boys as the kisses did, it is undoubtedly another big weakness. Due to their enormous size and immunity to their previous weakness in "The Boys are Back in Town," they were nearly unstoppable. However, after Buttercup forces Butch to bite his tongue, Butch begins to cry and shrink. Blossom then realizes that their size will diminish whenever their masculinity is threatened. With that, the girls emasculate the boys by pulling down their pants to treating them like babies. It is unknown if this weakness still exists.
- Uncontrollable Destruction: Not as threatening as the other two weaknesses, but the boys' love of destruction is used against them by the Powerpuff Girls. In Boy Toys, the girls obtain from Princess Morbucks a boat, a plane and a tank (which Princess had originally had made to defeat the girls), and use them in battle against the Rowdyruff Boys. The boys notice how much destruction these vehicles create, and soon take control of them. However, their love for destruction caused them to fire their weapons at each other, resulting in the destruction of each vehicle in turn. Although vehicles did nothing to harm the boys themselves, they enjoyed playing with them so much that their own laughter subdued them.
Brick
| Brick | |
|---|---|
 Brick in Bubble Boy |
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| First appearance | "The Rowdyruff Boys" |
| Last appearance | "Custody Battle" |
| Portrayed by | Rob Paulsen |
| Episode count | 6 + 2 short cameos |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Mojo Jojo (1st father), Boomer (Brother), Butch (Brother) Him (2nd father) |
Brick is Red-haired, red-eyed, dressed in red with long hair and wears a backwards-turned red cap. Blossom's counterpart.
First Appearance
Brick has short red hair with a center part and another one to each side, much like Blossom's hairlines.
Later Appearances
Brick has a bit of red hair visible on his head, short and very ragged in front and quite long in back, similar to Blossom's hair, but very ragged at the ends and no longer sticking out from under the edge of his cap in front sometimes.
Personality
Just like Blossom, Brick has taken liberty of being the (self-appointed) leader of the Rowdyruff Boys. When they were introduced, Brick did most of the talking. When they were revived, Brick became much more bossy. He will always have the final say in anything the Rowdyruff Boys do. This also contributed to his arrogant nature as he sees himself as the smartest out of the boys and he usually gloats. It should also be noted that he seems to have a habit of, upon introducing himself to female characters, sarcastically using terms of endearment. In "The Boys are Back in Town," for example, he addresses Blossom as "babe."
Unique Abilities
While Brick has not displayed anything the girls can't do, he is the only Rowdyruff Boy to use eye lasers. As seen in "The Boys are Back in Town," He is a thicker and more powerful version than his counterpart, Blossom.
Boomer
| Boomer | |
|---|---|
 Boomer in Bubble Boy |
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| First appearance | "The Rowdyruff Boys" |
| Last appearance | "Custody Battle" |
| Portrayed by | Rob Paulsen |
| Episode count | 6 + 2 short cameos |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Mojo Jojo (father), Brick (Brother), Butch (Brother), Him (2nd father) |
Boomer is Blond-haired, dark blue-eyed, dressed in dark blue. Bubbles' counterpart.
First Appearance
Boomer has short blond hair parted in the middle, after Bubbles' style.
Later Appearances
Boomer has his blond hair grown out a bit longer and more raggedly cut than before.
Personality
Boomer, like Bubbles, is often picked on by the other two due to bewing extremely naïve (and, to an extent, his stupidity). He is the complete "evil" boy version of Bubbles as while, he may stray from the main goal and separate himself because of his different perspective on things, he is exceedingly dumber than when he was first created. Sometimes Boomer will make a comment often dimwittedly only to be rebuked or questioned by Brick or other characters. He is also apparently subjected to many of dares and orders by Brick.
Unique Abilities
Boomer has displayed one unique ability in "The Boys are Back in Town": the power to create a baseball bat out of energy which can be used to deflect projectiles, such as Bubbles' energy orbs. This ability has not appeared since.
Butch
| Butch | |
|---|---|
 Butch in Bubble Boy |
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| First appearance | "The Rowdyruff Boys" |
| Last appearance | "Custody Battle" |
| Portrayed by | Roger L. Jackson |
| Episode count | 6 + 2 short cameos |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Mojo Jojo (father), Brick (Brother), Boomer (Brother), Him (2nd father) |
Butch is Black-haired, dark green-eyed, dressed in dark green. Buttercup's counterpart.
First Appearance
Butch has short black hair parted similar to Buttercup's, with a cowlick standing up in back.
Later Appearance
Butch has spiky black hair with Buttercup's part above his eyes but he no longer has a cowlick.
Personality
While all three boys love to cause havoc, Butch seems to enjoy it the most. Often, he'll be twitching just to get out and do anything destructive. In the Boys are Back in Town he is seen acting like a mad dog whenever Brick announces a game. It should also be noted that he seems to enjoy fighting as well.
Unique Abilities
Butch has displayed the ability to create a force field of energy which absorbs beams and other energy attacks. This ability, like Boomer's baseball bat, has not appeared since "The Boys are Back in Town."
Relationship with the girls
As villains, the boys obviously have a negative relationship with the girls. Hence, the girls seem to exhibit mutual disdain and hatred of the boys. However, in the episode The Boys Are Back In Town, when Blossom tells the girls to "give them [the Rowdyruff Boys] some sugar [to kiss them]," Bubbles replies, "I want the blonde! I think he's cute!" (Referring to Boomer.) In "City of Clipsville" the teenage versions of the girls seem to be attracted to the boys and vice versa. How this turns out, however, is unknown, and the episode itself is somewhat non-canonical.
Trivia
- Like The Powerpuff Girls, the first letter of each of The Rowdyruff Boys' names start with the letter "B".
- Unlike The Powerpuff Girls, their names don't have a set of double letters except for Boomer.
- Unlike The Powerpuff Girls, they gave themselves their own names shortly after they were born. Professer Utonium gave The Powerpuff Girls' names based on their personality.
- Unlike other villains of the show, The Rowdyruff Boys really don't have a reason to be villains, or to destroy The Powerpuff Girls, especially in their self-titled episode.
- The Rowdyruff Boys are unlockable characters to play as in two of the three games of The Powerpuff Girls video games for the Gameboy Color when you input a special code. The games include Bad Mojo Jojo, and Battle Him. They do make an appearance in Paint The Townsville Green, but are unplayable.[1]
Fan Views
- For years, the Powerpuff Girls fan community (on the Internet) has been sharply divided on the issue of the boys' return. Many fans of the show wanted The Rowdyruff Boys as regularly appearing characters, while others disagreed vehemently. Part of the reason against their return was due to an overabundance of fan fiction stories involving the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys in romantic situations. Finally, The Rowdyruff Boys officially reappeared in the show, in the episode The Boys are Back in Town, due partially to the requests by fans.
- Some fans imply that Boomer is the least evil of the three (If anything, not evil at all), as he most likely follows his brothers in what they do, due to his need for acceptance / conformity. This is particularly true in the episode "The Boys are Back in Town", after the Rowdyruff Boys meet the Powerpuff Girls for the second time (In the entire series), Boomer innocently starts fluffing his hair and then plays with a fly. This shows his lack of care for destroying the Powerpuff Girls. Unfortunately, Brick ended up punching him in the face to make him "snap out of it".
- Many fans and/or watchers of the series argue that the episode The Boys are Back in Town was the only smart and event changing move the writers had made since under new management when the original creator, Craig McCracken, left the show with an entirely new director and storyboard artist and animators taking over the production.
- Fans find the episode Bubble Boy, to be a mostly pointless episode since nothing important was gained or lost that would help or change the series except for the ray beam that the professor invented, which the origins or time built are currently not explained.
Powerpuff Girls Z
In Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z the Rowdyruff boys resemble a street gang. They dress in black windbreakers lined with their trademark colors and skate shoes that increase their speed. Also, Brick has shorter hair and wears a band-aid on his cheek, while Boomer's hair is slightly longer and spikier and Butch tends to have an Asian appearance with an emo-style hairdo. He also bears somewhat of a resemblance to Sasuke Uchiha and Sai from the Anime / Manga, Naruto. Unlike the American series, where the boys were equal height with the girls, the trio is somewhat shorter than the girls in the anime. When they are introduced in the show, they start to dance off as if in a rap video. They were created by Mojo Jojo after breaking into the Professor's lab and stealing a canister of Chemical Z. Mojo also used Momoko's curly straw, Miyako's used cotton swab, Kaoru's smelly sweat sock, and snips of Mojo's hair to create them. The Rowdyruff Boys love to disgust and annoy the citizens of Tokyo City, as well as the Powerpuff Girls Z, who they refer to as "old hags." They have no respect for anyone, including Mojo Jojo who they refer to as "Mama." The boys, like the girls, have weapons. Brick uses a Momoko's curly straw to fire spitballs, Boomer uses Miyako's cotton swab to throw earwax, and Butch uses a Kaoru's smelly sock as a boomerang. They love pulling pranks on innocent people. They later appear in the episode Powerpuff Rowdyruff Boys, in which the boys steal the Powerpuff Girls Z outfits and weapons, and, despite being inexperienced in using the weapons, manage to convince everyone that they're the Powerpuff Girls Z. However, they relinquish the outfits when the girliness of the suits is pointed out. Later, in Girls, Beyond Time and Space, the Gangreen Gang point out the boys are not real monsters. It is then that they first discover that they were created from Mojo and The Girls' DNA, causing them to react in a funny combination of shock and depression. When they're about to walk away, Him turns them into "real Monsters," giving them better powers for a short time. Like their original counterparts, they are ultimately defeated by kisses blown to them by the Powerpuff Girls Z. Unlike the original, they do not explode because of this, but rather are sent into a state of unconscious shock. They have appeared in:
- Episode 20
- Episode 42
- Episode 51
- Episode 52 (Short cameo)
External links
- RowdyRuff.net (fan site)
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| Characters | The Powerpuff Girls - Professor Utonium - Mojo Jojo - Princess Morbucks - The Rowdyruff Boys - Sedusa - Gangreen Gang - Minor characters |
| Related media | The Powerpuff Girls Movie - Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z |
| Episodes - Craig McCracken | |
References
- ^ The Rowdyruff Boys in video games. rowdyruff.net. Retrieved on 2007-07-30.
