Clyde 49

What's the deal with that little beetle-like satellite on the TICA logo? Well, if you're new to Toonami, that little beetle-like satellite is Clyde 49, precursor of the little robotic mascots of Toonami.

Before Toonami even premiered on Cartoon Network, there was a strange little satellite flying closer to the Earth's atmosphere. Launched by Moltar on the Ghost Planet, the satellite droid known as Clyde 49 became the first icon of the Toonami generation.

Clyde 49 served as Moltar's eyes and ears in the universe. His primary mission is to transmit images of the various universes and realms back to mission control at Ghost Planet, Moltar's homebase. Of course, knowing what his creator likes, Clyde transmits action from all over the galaxy. Clyde realizes that he has to play the role of the cautious observer and not interfere with the action he sees. He has to be discreet when he gathers information, so, chances are, Clyde's hiding himself in the background. On the rare occasion that he was out in the open, Clyde 49 was always looking for action and curious about everything. He buzzed fighter jets, battled mad robots, and occasionally spent time in the warm Florida sun, relaxing poolside.

Clyde 49 was often prominently displayed in a test pattern during the first two and a half years of Toonami. He was always flashed on the screen by Moltar, who watched as his creation became as enigmic as a network icon can get. When Moltar launched the Absolution into space and hired TOM to become its pilot and controller, Clyde 49's original mission was over and he quietly returned to Ghost Planet.

Though gone, he's not forgotten. There has been four generations of Clydes since the original completed his mission. The first new Clydes, collectively called Clyde 50s, were mostly sentinent droids with limited personalities, although one of them did manage to be more user friendly. The following year, DOKs, bulky battle-ready Clydes, were introduced. After the destruction of the original Absolution, the third generation of Clydes, huge "floating emoticons" robots, emerged aboard the new Absolution. They didn't last long, but almost a year later, the current generation of Clydes, which combined the ease of control of the Clyde 50s and the design aesthetic of Clyde 49, was introduced in a blue and yellow hue and more insectlike than the previous three Clydes ushering in the new era of exploration that began nearly a decade ago.

Clyde 49 was an icon used heavily by the first generation of Toonami fansites, including The X Bridge during its CNX years. Clyde 49 represented Toonami in a time when Cartoon Network didn't always look kindly on the block. Clyde 49 was the iconic spirit of the Revolution. When TOM and the Ghost Planet Spaceship Absolution helped relaunch Toonami in July 1999, Clyde 49 was phased out. Though he's no longer a part of the block, but Clyde 49 is all but forgotten.