The Black Cube

"The Black Cube" Season: 2 Production code: 210a Broadcast number: 56 Written by: Frank Angones Storyboards by: Benjamin Balistreri Directed by: Dave Thomas Broadcast Information Disney Channel US Premiere: TBA Disney XD US Premiere: November 16, 2015 International Debut: TBA See more... Paired with "The Eye on the Skull Ship" Story arc(s) "The Battle Royale"

“	A bad attitude only makes it rougher. Learn to let go of anger, and you won't have to suffer.	”
— Wander

Wander convinces a down-on-his-luck villain to spend a day looking on the bright side of things instead of collecting the souls of others.

Episode Summary

After being humiliated during the events of The Battle Royale, the Black Cube of Darkness falls into a deep depression. His landlord threatens him with eviction, his girlfriend breaks up with him, and his car is towed all on the same rainy day. Fortunately, the Cube runs into Wander and Sylvia, who help brighten up his day. Despite Wander's help, the Cube's happiness is quickly cut short due to harassment from a trio of bullies and the fearful reactions of everyone he meets.

At his new job as a fast food cashier, the Black Cube is grilled by his boss for being late, but his mood picks up when Wander and Sylvia show up for lunch, and the former cheerfully gives him a generous amount of money. It doesn't last, however, as the bullies from earlier arrive and continue to harass the Cube, to the point where the lead bully gives him a ridiculously complex food order. Fed up, the Cube destroys the cash register and prepares to attack them, but the money from the exploded register scatters all over the floor, prompting the bullies to steal it. Fired on the spot, the dejected Cube leaves to the continued laughter of the bullies, a sympathetic Wander and Sylvia, and disappointed looks from the Cube's ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.

On a bridge, the Cube contemplates suicide, when the bullies arrive once again and continue to walk all over him, until their leader slips and falls into the harbor. Hearing that the teen never learned how to swim, the Cube attempts to save him, but the leader refuses his help, forcing the Cube to steal his soul and push him up from the water. Despite this good deed, the teens accuse the Cube of willingly trying to harm them, causing an angry mob to quickly form against the Cube and make him lose control. Wander and Sylvia arrive on the scene and try to stop the madness, only for Wander to have his soul sucked out when he tries to reason with the Cube.

Sylvia then reprimands the population for judging the Black Cube based on his bad actions without looking for the good inside him, leaving the aliens who were hostile to the Cube feeling nothing but shame. As Wander recovers, Sylvia then says that she doesn't blame the Cube for going crazy and asks if any of the civilians ever had a bad day. The landlord and restaurant manager who look identical tell them that their respective twin brothers didn't remember to call them on their birthdays before looking at each other and eventually hug and cry their eyes out. The teen leader said that he didn't get on the Soccer team, the snake on the skateboard teen says that he did make it as well but he hates soccer anyway and the cyclops teen says the he is 'suffering from a distinct case of ennui'. When his friends look at him in confusion, he just states that he also use words he doesn't know to sound significant. Sylvia says that she and Wander are on the run from several villains, but never let it ruin another person's day. She then says that sometimes the best way is to tell somebody, and directly tells the Cube, "I'm sorry you had a bad day".

With a sense of compensation for the Black Cube and everybody else, the rain stops and color appears all around the scenery and Wander and everybody else sing about how they're all just "little black cubes of darkness" while the once again-happy Cube hovers down to Wander, who makes a smiley face on the condensation of the cube with the right eye dripping as if the Black Cube was shedding a tear of joy.

Transcript

For a full transcript of The Black Cube, click here.

Gallery

The image gallery for The Black Cube may be viewed here.

Trivia

• This is the seventh episode where Wander reforms a villain.
• This is also the first time in an episode where a character considers suicide.
• The black and white style of the episode and the climax with the angry mob are possibly references to Frankenstein.
  • Much like the Monster in the book and film, the Black Cube was ostracized from the rest of society and generally assumed to be evil, despite their good deeds.
• The episode shares many similarities to the anime Elfen Lied.
  • Both protagonists were repeatedly bullied to the point of brutal, super-powered violence.

Production Information

• This episode's title was originally revealed on Zap2it.

Background Information

International Premieres

• February 17, 2016 (Disney XD Turkey)

Errors

• Noel Wells is credited for voicing Lord Dominator in this episode; however, she actually voices Stacy instead (the ex-girlfriend of the Black Cube of Darkness).
• In the promo when Wander's soul is being stolen, it's shown to be taken away as a duty, but in the episode, it's played as a sacrifice.

Cast

• Jack McBrayer as Wander
• April Winchell as Sylvia
• Andy Bean as the Black Cube
• H. Michael Croner as Obvious Teen
• Josh Sussman as Weasly Teen
• Noel Wells as Stacy
• Calum Worthy as Teen Leader

References

Previous: The New Toy

Episodes

Next: The Eye on the Skull Ship