Day: December 5, 1988

MST3K Story: Dr. Forrester is preparing for his trip to the Mad Scientists Convention and Dr. Erhardt warns him against blowing the convention up again this time. (Dr. F counters that he only did that twice; the third time he used incendiaries so it just burned quickly.) When they contact the SOL, Joel shows off his airbag helmet, with the Mads countering with the Chalkman, a nails-on-chalkboard device. After a demonstration of Deep 13’s new security system that leaves both scientists injured, they send the movie; this time, with an episode of a serial before the main feature. When they get out of the theater, Joel and the Bots find that the SOL has been covered by “Demon Dogs”, strange skeletal space canines, whose presence is proving a danger to the ship. Tom convinces the others that he can reason with the creatures, but due to his fire hydrant-inspired design, the results are disastrous (and as icky as you might think). Eventually, the leader of the dog people, Enoch, comes on board the SOL and explains that they had traveled across the vastness of space to do worship to the “giant bone” and to bury it on the Moon. Apparently, they were tricked by the SOL’s dogbone shape and were not expecting it to be inhabited. Despite Joel and Enoch’s attempts to make peace, things don’t go well. Crow acts insultingly towards Enoch and Tom is still upset over the Demon Dogs’ earlier behavior. Things really go south, though, when Gypsy shows up and eats Enoch. Joel then decides to send Crow out to talk to the Demon Dogs, since he’s the only one who looks remotely like Enoch, but they are not fooled and treat Crow much the same as they did Tom Servo. As they watch the end of the movie, a Demon Dog makes its way into the theater, driving them out. They emerge to find that the SOL has been overrun. Joel decides to jettison a giant ball-shaped piece of equipment and the Demon Dogs give chase. All seems fine until Tom Servo reminds him that playing fetch usually involves chasing and then bringing back. Joel seems unhappy with the results of the experiment, but the Mads are satisfied.

Moon Rocket Story: Mr. Henderson, a powerful government official, informs Commando Cody and his team that a series of mysterious explosions seem to originate from the Moon. Cody investigates, tracking down and capturing the alien ray gun being used by the agents of the Moon operating on Earth. Once the Moon connection is confirmed, Cody decides to take a rocket and investigate the Moon directly. He and his team land on the Moon and Cody uses his rocket suit to find the aliens’ headquarters, where he is caught in a trap by Retik, the leader of the Moon.

The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy Story: Dr. Eduardo Almada brings together several of his fellow scientists to explain his most recent experiences. He had recently put his wife, Flora, under hypnosis and discovered that she had a former life as Xochi, a maiden during the times of the Aztecs. Xochi had been in love with a man named Popoca and, despite her vows of purity and destiny to be sacrificed to the gods, they broke Aztec law and tried to run away together. For their crimes, he was sentenced to being mummified alive and she was put to death. Using the knowledge obtained from Flora, Dr. Almada had led a small expedition into the temple and acquired a cursed breastplate from Xochi’s remains. When he returned later for a necklace needed to translate the inscription on the plate, he found that he had awoken the mummy of Popoca. The mummy followed Dr. Almada to his home and kidnapped Flora, thinking she was Xochi. But Dr. Almada and his friends were able to rescue her. Unknown to Dr. Almada, one of his fellow scientists, Dr. Krupp, had become determined to steal the Aztec treasure. First, he kidnapped Flora and forced Dr. Almada to translate the hieroglyphics on the Aztec treasure. But his plans were ruined when the mummy arrived and rescued Flora and the doctor. Krupp managed to escape and next hypnotized Flora, using her mental connection to the mummy to locate it. Although Dr. Almada realized what Krupp had done, he could not deduce why Krupp had not tried to steal the treasure. He explains to his fellow scientists that five years have passed since that time and there has been no sign of Krupp. But clues lead him to deduce that Krupp is working on a plan that goes beyond mere treasure. In the past five years, Krupp has found a way to bring dead tissue back to life. He has used this knowledge to build a “human robot” that he believes will allow him to conquer the world. As a test of his robot’s power, he sets it against the mummy of Popoca. The two monsters clash and the robot seems to be overpowering the mummy when the police arrive and shoot the control device out of Krupp’s hands. The mummy is then able to easily destroy the robot and Krupp. Flora gives the treasure back to the mummy and he returns to his eternal rest.

MST3K segments written by Trace Beaulieu, Joel Hodgson, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, Mike Nelson and Josh (J. Elvis) Weinstein
MST3K segments director unknown

Moon Rocket written by Ronald Davidson
Moon Rocket directed by Fred C. Brannon
Moon Rocket music by Stanley Wilson

The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy written by Alfredo Salazar and Guillermo Calderón
The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy directed by Rafael Portillo
The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy music by Antonio Díaz Conde

MST3K Guest Cast: Jim Mallon (Enoch)

Moon Rocket Cast: George Wallace (Commando Cody), Aline Towne (Joan Gilbert), Roy Barcroft (Retik), William Bakewell (Ted Richards), Clayton Moore (Graber), Peter Brocco (Krog), Robert R. Stephenson (Daly), Don Walters (Mr. Henderson)

The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy Cast: Ramón Gay (Dr. Eduardo Almada), Roda Arenas (Flora Almada / Xochi), Crox Alvaredo (Pinacate), Luis Aceves Castañeda (Dr. Krupp), Jorge Mondragón (Dr. Sepúlveda), Arturo Martínez (Tierno), Emma Roldán (Maria), Julián de Meriche (Comandante), Ángel Di Stefani (Popoca, the Mummy)

LogBook entry by Philip R. Frey