End of year Q and A

 "The following is a fan-made blog, whose opinion is only those involved in its writing. It is not officially endorsed by Rooster Teeth Productions or a representative of the views of the Death Battle staff at large."

Ultraguy: Hey there. Thought it might be fun to answer a few general questions. This isn't some official thing btw, just a fun side blog I made spontaneously. 

What character did you enjoy researching the most

Probably Megaman.EXE. I’m a big fan of Megaman as a whole, and Battle Network was one of my favorite series growing up. He also has A LOT of stuff, which makes him interesting to go into in-depth.

Who the first character you researched for DB was

The first character I recall ever giving notes on was Fox McCloud(this was back before the RT was more formal). The first character I was ever officially assigned was Sora.

How much power do researchers have in choosing matchups

I have all the power imaginable. The RT staff are merely an extension of my will.

Which character do you want to research for DB the most?

Probably Gwenpool from Marvel comics.

What character were you excited to research the most when the season was planned out?

Probably Shadow. I was really looking forward to seeing him get the “modern” DB treatment.

Was there ever a MU that you were told was happening and your first response was "wait what?"

I think the only fight the show has ever done that I was surprised about was Deadpool vs Pinkie Pie.

Favorite episode you weren't involved in?

Jack vs Afro Samurai I suppose.

Why did Aizen lose to Madara

Since when did you think losing the Death Battle wasn’t a part of Aizen’s grand plan?

If money and resources and such weren't an issue, what would be the one thing you'd like to add to the show?

A fully decked-out mansion to serve as a headquarters, but just for me. Then I would just retire without making anything ever again.

What is the episode that got you into DB

I watched almost from the start, but I think it was Eggman vs Wily where I actually got into the series.

When Broly Q and A

How much are you willing to pay?

What is your favorite episode you've worked on

The Megaman Battle Royal. It was a lot of work getting the info on 5 characters with such extensive arsenals, so I’m amazed we pulled it off.

Out of the combatants you’ve researched, who would you say is your favorite character-wise

Probably Mob. He’s a good boi and honestly, he’s probably the only character on this show I wish didn’t have to lose his fight.

What do you think about stomp matchups?

This is just my personal opinion, but I really don’t mind them. Most fights end up having huge stat advantages once you actually crunch numbers regardless, and honestly as long as the characters themselves are interesting and a match is requested I don’t think it should matter.

Saitama vs Popeye questions?

I think the episode does a good job of addressing everything tbh. Just watch that(It’s very VERY good).

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Anyway, thank you all for watching the show. I hope Season 9 is as amazing as this one was.

Character Analysis: Popeye (Feat DJTiki)

 

Popeye, the Sailor Man

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Preliminary Notes

1. Popeye is a series with nearly one-hundred years of history to sift through. He came about through his original appearances in Thimble Theatre. Since then, he’s had more newspaper strips, cartoons, comics, live-action movies, and tons of reboots and parodies. Listing them all here would be a pain.

3. This analysis will focus on all of Popeye’s officially sanctioned material with the cartoons acting as the main source for information. Anything that is fanmade is excluded from the analysis.

Background

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Born as the son of Poopdeck Pappy and an unnamed woman in Santa Monica, Popeye would be born at two to three years of age (with a pipe in his mouth, likely a gift from Pappy). His father would leave him with an orphanage to go on adventures. Popeye exercised as quickly as he realized he could (around age 4). Eventually, a fellow by the name of Whaler Joe would take him in. 

At age 6, he would take it upon himself to fight bullies and try everything he can to make sure that his guardian couldn’t fall on hard times. Despite this and his troublemaking (or heroic?) habits, he still grew up without much. Whale Joe would inspire him to take the path of a sailor, so that at age 12, he would find himself amongst the Josie Lee crew of sailors. Coming into his own, Popeye found many successes. He went back home to Sweethaven to find his mother and live with her for a while. Here, he figured out the power of spinach. He would then grow into an adult and reconnect with his old sailor rival, Bluto. 

During the story of Thimble Theatre’s comic strip run, Popeye would fall head over heels over a woman named Olive Oyl. She had left her previous boyfriend Ham Gravy (yes that is his name). His old rival Bluto would also set his eyes on being Olive’s lover. And so, the two would form a mutually toxic relationship of battling for her affection. Forty-years old, Popeye is going on adventures with his girlfriend, rivals, storybook villains, his nephews, and the people of Sweethaven as he takes to spinach and wins… whatever the issue is that day.

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• Name: Popeye

• Gender: Male

• Age: 40

• Height: 5’6”

• Weight: 158 lbs | 71 kg

Powers & Abilities

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Base Popeye

Superhuman Characteristics - On his own, he’s already much stronger than an average human, being able to bend iron, toss around pianos, and punch out bricked walls easily.

Body Malleability - Popeye’s body is like that of rubber. When he gets squashed, crushed, twisted, he can restore himself. He can also do this intentionally to his body for pseudo-flight or stronger punches. HIs famous Twister Punch is him twisting his arms and unleashing a tornado-like attack.

Deconstruction & Matter Manipulation - As quickly as the first episode, Popeye is shown to be able to punch anything into something else (inanimate or otherwise). Typically it works by deconstructing an object to something similar, but it has worked by turning one thing into another type of matter entirely. 

Corn Cob Pipe - His pipe can be used to blow fire or as an airway in case he’s incapitated and needs spinach. He has used it for flight before.

Regeneration - His body can survive total disintegration. As he’s able to pick up Spinach despite the fact. This extends to the fact that hard hits never actually tear his body apart.

Hypnosis - By reading a book Bluto had on hypnosis, Popeye learned to do the same.

Space Sustainment - Can survive in the reaches of space, on the moon or other planets.

Spinach Summoning / Control - If Spinach is around, he can get it. He keeps one in his shirt, but he’s also been able to summon some from nowhere, whistle for it, and even call to the audience to get some.

4th Wall Awareness / Interaction - Popeye knows that there is an audience of people watching him. He can ask them for aid and it’s likely they’ll give it to him. He can even exit the cartoon.

Spinach Popeye

Massive Improvements to previous abilities plus…

Unlimited Stamina

Invisibility

Flight - His pseudo-flight turns into actual flight. Whether that is just regular flying or turning into a rocket.

Non-corporeal Interaction - Fights enemies with no discernable physical mass like ghosts or lightning.

Age Restoration - In case he needs to, spinach can turn his base back several years.

Shapeshifting - Turning his body into anything. Literally anything the situation calls for.

Genius Intellect - He gains intellect so profound that he can solve engineering issues with a simple flurry of his fists.

Time Manipulation - Popeye reached relativity with spinach and traveled through space “in an hour.”

Perfect Temperature Control - He cannot be frozen or melted in his state of being.

Resistance to magical attacks & physical harm - most conventional attacks don’t work on him now.

Resistance to Existence Erasure - Even if the universe itself is turned off, Popeye is fine.

Toon Force - This is the catchall term for cartoons that have feats based on the fact that it’s funny. Anything can happen to Popeye or his friends and they will be fine. This means that nothing has ever had long term repercussions to Popeye’s body. He can do what he needs for the story.

Spinach Can - Most infamous of Popeye, his Spinach Can is no joke. If anyone eats it, they gain the powers of Popeye listed above. By eating it, your body is instantly revitalized and improved, even if you never ate spinach before. It could be theorized that Popeye’s been eating it for so long that he naturally had some of its strength applied to him.

Feats

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Strength & Attack Potency

Base

• Gave the sun a black eye (3:47)

• Bent & lifted steel, smashed concrete, bricks, etc.

• Stronger than animals found at the zoo & circus (5:30)

• Roped together giant landmasses (5:50)

• Defeated a boxer who had eaten Spinach in his base form

• Alongside Spinach Pappy, knocked people out of the cartoon

Spinach

• Fought an entire storm, lightning and all (5:50)

• Muscles often fashioned with sticks of dynamite, atom bombs, boulders, etc.

• Muscles detonated and violently fragmented a sperm whale (6:15)

• Punched Bluto around the circumference of the world and to the moon | (5:55) & (1:25)

• Fractured the sun with a tree (6:40)

• Pulled a mountaintop towards him from its peak (6:02)

• Threw a Martian ship back at the moon

• Knocked a boxer out of a television set into someone else’s home (5:40)

• Punched Bluto so hard that when he landed, it tilted Earth’s axis (5:20)

• Fought on par with “The Man Upstairs” in various physical contests

• Should be comparable to other Spinach feats…

• Olive Oyl throwing this lady to a star in outer space (5:15)

• Pappy Poopdeck aiding Popeye and breaking the animation

• A single can of spinach can fracture yellow stars (2:13 & 2:29)

Speed & Reactions

Base

• Faster than lightning bolts (1:02)

• Steering his boat across the south of US in seconds (1:16)

Spinach

• Punched multiple lighting bolts out of the sky (5:32)

• Rocketed himself from the moon to earth

• Blitzed Bluto while he had been under the effects of Spinach himself (5:25)

• Reached relativity and turned back time an hour. Says he “traveled through space in an hour.”

• Constructed at least thirteen massive ships from scrap metal in seconds. (5:55)

• Fast enough to be in two places at once and punch himself

Durability & Stamina

Base

• Getting assaulted by animals, thugs, generally anyone that has beef with him

• Is generally bulletproof

• Cannonballs bounces off his stomach (3:45)

• Survived complete disintegration (twice)

• Apparently Popeye and Bluto crashed into hell? (2:50)

• Taken blows from people who had eaten spinach:

• The Boxer in the Thimble Theatre comics

• Bluto (5:48)

• Olive Oyl (6:10)

Spinach

• Spinach instantly revives him whether he’s tuckered out, frozen, or completely disintegrated.

• Was unaffected after “The Man Upstairs” shut off the entire universe.

• The same as Base Popeye and scaling to his own attacks. Generally speaking, Popeye has never actually been defeated or even hurt after eating Spinach, so there’s nothing in the way for direct durability feats.

Skill & Intelligence

Base

• Served in the Navy and received many medals due to his patriotism.

• Excellent handyman, pilot, hunter, and of course, sailor.

• Trained himself in the sport of boxing

• Tracked down lost treasure and his lost father.

• Worked as a private eye detective once

• Started his own diner

• Did battle with Hercules, Sinbad, Ali Baba, and “The Man Upstairs”

• Favored by the Greek Gods 

• ...is a fan of Superman comics...

Spinach

• Previous stuff enhanced.

• Becomes an excellent dancer.

• Can play any instrument.

• Solved complex engineering and construction issues in mere seconds.

• Knows exactly what to do to win a fight and does it. (likely linked to Toon Force)

• Saved Earth from alien invasions multiple times

Weaknesses

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• Nothing notable besides his irritability. Most of his in-universe weaknesses are usually handwaved by a random ability he can just pull out (such as summoning spinach from real life if he’s in a lot of trouble).