Biker Mice from Mars

Plot

On Mars, a race of anthropomorphic mice with a culture similar to humans was nearly wiped out by the Plutarkians, alien fish-like humanoids who plunder planets for natural resources. Three survivors—Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie—escape in a spaceship but are shot down and crash-land in Chicago. There they meet mechanic Charlene "Charley" Davidson and learn that the Plutarkians have come to Earth to steal its resources. The mice discover that Chicago industrialist Lawrence Limburger is actually a Plutarkian in disguise, plotting to ransack Earth. Limburger employs mad scientist Dr. Karbunkle and the idiotic Greasepit, along with supervillains from elsewhere in the galaxy, to steal resources for Plutark. The Biker Mice repeatedly thwart his schemes, often destroying his tall tower, forcing him to rebuild it.

Characters

Throttle, voiced by Rob Paulsen, is the tan-furred leader with a rattail and quiff. He is logical and level-headed, having lost his sight in an incident on Mars that also cost Modo his right arm and Vinnie the right side of his face. Fitted with faulty bionic eyes, Throttle wears green sunglasses with field spec capabilities and a powered glove called Nuke Knucks made by Harley. He carries a holstered laser pistol and wears a leather biker vest, the only one of the trio to wear clothes instead of armor.

His right bicep has a tattoo resembling the series' logo, and he rides a black chopper. Modo, voiced by Dorian Harewood, is the gray-furred gentle giant with an eye patch and shoulder pads. He lost his right arm and left eye in the same incident. Dr. Karbunkle replaced his arm with a robotic limb containing a laser cannon and great strength, part of thwarted plans to create bionic warriors.

Normally gentle and empathic, Modo becomes enraged when called a 'rat', his right eye flashing red. His blue cruiser, named "Li'l Hoss", has demonstrated AI capability, often driving itself and responding to his commands. Vinnie, voiced by Ian Ziering, is the white-furred thrill-seeker and self-proclaimed lady-killer, an egomaniac with an inferiority complex. The right side of his face was burned off, so he wears a flexible face-plate.

He rides a red sport bike and is the most active and skilled of the three, volunteering for dangerous tasks for the rush and glory.

Production

Marvel Productions President Rick Ungar responded to demand for a successor by creating Biker Mice from Mars, debuting the characters in a comic book in summer 1993 to build hype. Ungar's inspiration came while lunching at a deli in Studio City, Los Angeles, when a group of motorcyclists arrived, capturing attention; he was struck by how outdated his view of biker culture was, as most riders were white-collar professionals. Promotional deals were secured for merchandising tie-ins and a video game adaptation for Nintendo and Sega consoles, aiming to accelerate the popularity that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had achieved over five years into five months.

After completing all 65 episodes, supervising producer Tom Tataranowicz was hired by Marvel to retool the second seasons of Fantastic Four and Iron Man. The series became the number 1 syndicated series at various points. Best Film and Video Corp.'s home video release of the pilot and first two episodes performed extremely well during Christmas 1993, with President Roy Winnick calling it their fastest seller. Toy manufacturer Galoob agreed to provide financial backing.

Other media

An LCD game was released for Tiger Electronic Game in 1993. Konami released a Biker Mice from Mars video game for the Super NES in 1994; the PAL version features extensive advertisements for Snickers candy bars. A Sega Mega Drive game was planned but never released. A mobile game was released in 2015 by 9thImpact for iOS and Android. Marvel Comics published a three-issue series in the early 1990s, with a fourth issue solicited. Marvel UK published its own series; the American series and portions of the British series were published in Germany in seven magazine-sized issues from 1994 to 1995. Oni Press rebooted the comic series in July 2024.