The Origin of Dr. Viper

Animato Summary

Airdates: November 26/27, 1994
Written by Glenn Leopold

With SWAT Kats nearing its end, the mystery surrounding one of its major villains is finally solved in this flashback story. Dr. Zyme (who was killed in “The Giant Bacteria”) and his partner Dr. Elrod Purvis co-develop Viper Mutagen 368, a regenerative growth formula that the “idealistic fool” Zyme wants to donate to Megakat City but the greedy Purvis wants to sell to the highest bidder. While attempting to steal the chemical, Purvis spills it on himself and seems to die, but the flawed formula causes him to revive as the murderous mutant we all know and hate. And when Viper endangers Zyme, Mayor Manx, Deputy Mayor Briggs and Commander Feral with his giant mutant mosquitoes, only the SWAT Kats can rescue them all. Easily the best of the SWAT Kats shorts, this is so densely packed with characters and subplots that it easily could have been expanded to a full-length episode. But then, how could we live without “Volcanus Erupts!”? A-.