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Launch Time

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“ Sabotage! You must stop the launch! „
~ Gadget to the administrator
Launch Time
Season 1, Episode 26
Launch Time - Inspector Gadget - Screen Shot 01
Air date October 14, 1983
Episode guide
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"Gadget Goes West" (syndication order)
"M.A.D. Trap" (production order) 		Next
"Photo Safari" (syndication order)
"Volcano Island" (production order)

"Launch Time" is the 26th episode of Inspector Gadget. It is the 22nd episode in production order.

Synopsis[]

M.A.D. plans to sabotage the space shuttle that is being sent to repair a satellite. Their plan: To modify the satellite to have everyone hear the power of Dr. Claw. Gadget is sent to investigate, while Brain follows. While Gadget gets his orders, Dr. Claw's operative, the M.A.D. Saboteur, arrives to let him know everything at the launch facility is going according to plan and he'll make sure Gadget does not ruin the plot.

At the launch facility, a dry run for the launch begins. Gadget is approaching the facility when he hears the dry run countdown. Assuming they've already begun launch sequence, he transforms the Gadget Van into Gadgetmobile mode and hurries there. Not stopping at the entrance gate to be granted access, he smashes right through it, triggering an "Intruder Alert!" alarm, scrambling three of the base's security personnel to intercept him. Guessing them to be the saboteurs, he is able to disable them with the Gadgetmobile's glue missiles, while also subjecting them to the laughing gas as well.

Pulling up to the launch pad, he attempts to warn them to abort the launch. As the flight director comes out to confront Gadget to demand an explanation, the M.A.D. Saboteur sends the astronaut assigned as the pilot over the railing and plummeting to the ground below. Gadget saves him with his Gadget Coat as an airbag, but the pilot still injures his ankle. After the flight director clears up the misunderstanding and explains they were doing a dry run for the real launch, Gadget begins his investigation while the flight director tells the pilot they'll have to scrub him from the mission, much to his disappointment.

As Gadget begins his search, he mistakes the M.A.D. Saboteur for the new pilot and offers to help protect him from any threats. Using this to his advantage, the M.A.D. Saboteur subjects Gadget to several tests the astronauts go through for their training, including a centrifuge, zero gravity chamber, rocket car test track, and a meteor cannon. Brain protects Gadget from the first three while disguised as a member of the base's maintenance crew or an astronaut himself, while Penny is able to hitch a ride to the base on top of the fuel tanker for the shuttle. When the tanker stops at the checkpoint, the security officer, Sam, tells the driver he needs to check his vehicle for any tampering under Gadget's orders. Luckily, Sam doesn't see Penny hiding on top of the trailer, and gives the driver the all-clear before opening the gate and waving him through. Once inside the base, Penny checks the shuttle to see it is fine, and the base P.A. announces to prepare for the real launch in a short while.

Battered and bruised from his repeated failures to take out Gadget, the M.A.D. Saboteur tells Dr. Claw that Gadget is taking his place piloting the shuttle. Not at all upset by this change of plans, Claw decides to take out the shuttle and Gadget directly, and has the M.A.D. Saboteur handle it. Checking to make sure the coast is clear, the M.A.D. Saboteur slips over to plant some explosives on one of the shuttle's engines, but is noticed by Penny while he sets it up. After he leaves, she checks a strange beeping sound, and is horrified to see he planted a bomb on the engine. Meanwhile, Dr. Claw decides to lend his saboteur a hand, and takes off from his castle in the M.A.D. Mobile in M.A.D. Jet mode and heads for the spaceport.

While Gadget ascends the gantry in the elevator to get into the ship, Penny is rejoined by Brain, and she tells him to stall the launch sequence for as long as he can while she defuses the bomb, having already notified Chief Quimby so he'll be let in by base security to arrest the M.A.D. Saboteur. Brain heads over to the Launch Control Center, where the flight director and his flight controllers are preparing the final countdown. As the CAPCOM is beginning the final 30-second countdown, Brain bursts in, and disconnects the CAPCOM's headset from his console, taunting him afterwards as the CAPCOM tells him he can't pull that stunt and then chasing him around the room as the other controllers watch in puzzlement. The flight director soon orders the launch stopped and Brain apprehended, but when the CAPCOM finally tackles Brain and removes his helmet, he's surprised to see it's just a dog, as Brain barks in annoyance at having failed stalling the launch longer.

Meanwhile, Penny finds the weak spot of the bomb with disconnecting the yellow wire in the circuitry, but has trouble finding it. The M.A.D. Saboteur calls Claw, concerned about the countdown being halted, thinking maybe they found his bomb, but Claw assures him he'll handle it, and tells M.A.D. Cat to prepare the M.A.D. Mobile's missiles for an aerial assault on the launch pad. As M.A.D. Cat primes the missiles, Penny opens the bomb's cover and finds the yellow wire, pulling it out and disarming the bomb. With Brain subdued, the CAPCOM is able to resume the countdown as Gadget waits in the shuttle's cockpit for takeoff. As the CAPCOM resumes the countdown at 15 seconds, the M.A.D. Mobile swoops in and fires a salvo at the shuttle, destroying the gantry connected to it, causing the countdown to halt at 3 seconds as the CAPCOM asks in shock upon seeing the launch pad under attack, "What...? WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"

Doctor Claw tells M.A.D. Cat to prepare another salvo, while Gadget finally decides he's not going to space after all. Below the launch pad, base security, MCPD, and the base's firefighting apparatus rush to the launch pad. Upon seeing the security forces and police arrive, the M.A.D. Saboteur decides to make his escape, as does Doctor Claw in the M.A.D. Mobile, muttering "Curses!" over being forced to withdraw before he could finish off the shuttle and Gadget. Chief Quimby emerges from the first cruiser that pulled up with the security team, and as Penny and a released Brain join him, he asks about Gadget, only for Brain to point out him emerging from the shuttle, unaware of the gantry being destroyed, so there's no elevator for him to take back to the ground, having assumed the saboteur didn't show up, so he'll have to think up a new plan.

As Gadget then steps out and plummets to the ground, he tries to slow his fall with his Gadget Umbrella, but it fails, as usual, and he ends up landing on top of the M.A.D. Saboteur as he tried to avoid being seen by Quimby and the security guards. As Penny and Brain check on Gadget to see if he's alright, he assures them he is before he explains how his only clue to the saboteur was his lunchbox. At that point, having lost whatever sanity he might still have had, the M.A.D. Saboteur throws Gadget off of himself before confessing to being the saboteur all along and begs to be arrested so he can be as far away from Gadget as possible. Quimby grants his request and cuffs him, while Gadget admits he knew the lunchbox would lead him right to the saboteur after all. Quimby commends Gadget on another job well done, and as Gadget thanks Quimby, in the M.A.D. Mobile, Claw grumbles in anger at Gadget winning again, launching M.A.D. Cat off the passenger side seat when he slams his fist down on the cushion, and snarling that he hates winners as he flies away, leaving a black smoke contrail in his wake.

The episode ends with Gadget talking about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day, a tip he learned at NASA, all the while accidentally burning a grapefruit he was trying to cook, leaving him and Penny laughing while Brain just rolls his eyes and facepalms in amusement.

Featuring Voices of[]

Trivia[]

  • After taking out a trio of security guards he mistook for M.A.D. agents, Gadget says, "Scratch three M.A.D. agents!"

Gadgets used[]

Locations[]

Chief Quimby's disguise[]

  • Carnival barker

Self-destructing message[]

  • "Communications satellite has been damaged. M.A.D. plans to sabotage the spaceship sent up to make repairs. Stop the saboteurs. This message will self-destruct."

Brain's disguises[]

  • Scooter motorist
  • Mechanic
  • Astronaut

Penny's gadgets[]

M.A.D. Agents[]

Gadgetmobile Gadgets[]

  • Converts from Gadget Van to Gadgetmobile
  • Deploys hilarious gas, pumped by Gadget hands from back of mobile
  • Fires glue gun

Home media releases[]

  • Gadget to the Rescue (Family Home Entertainment)

Gallery[]

Video[]

Inspector Gadget 125 Launch Time (Full Episode)

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