TOM

The most visible face of the Toonami block is this iconic character that the Wall Street Journal once called "a bubbleheaded host." Some folks feels he's the animated equivalent of an Orwellian big brother, commanding the block to his whim. Some people just laughed at his bubble gut.

He is the host of this thing called Toonami. His official title is Toonami Operations Module, the Absolution's maintenance AI unit.

He prefers to be called TOM, and he's been the host of Toonami since July 10, 1999.

Handpicked to be the host of the block and to pilot a new space vessel by Moltar after risking his life to save a space colony from a swarm of metal-eating creatures, TOM made his official debut on the block on Saturday, July 10, 1999 around 11:55 PM EST to usher in the new era of Toonami. As anyone could see, this wasn't business as usual, as a number of familiar Toonami elements like Moltar and Clyde49 were gone, and a new atmosphere was introduced with the Absolution. He looked like one of those anime/video game robots like Bomberman or Mega Man with a HUGE gut that was a nuclear reactor.

Like his predecessor, TOM was a sardonic host, light-hearted and a little edgy. He gave daily affirmations and guides to living, but rarely made fun of the heroes and villians on the block, which Moltar tended to do once in a while. Unlike Moltar, TOM had a lot of adventures, one of which caused his untimely "death."

It was a long day for TOM. Moments after commenting on a recent newspaper article with his assistant, the Absolution's onboard AI unit Sara, an unknown object crashed through the ship's hull. Well, crashed wasn't the proper word. The object burned through the hull. Minutes later, the object revealed itself to be a creature that ate metal and rumored to be responsible for destroying spaceships for millenia. After attacking the intruder for the first time, TOM was propelled out of the ship and knocked unconscious. Fortunately, he regained his composure and came back to Sara to devise a plan to get rid of the growing creature. They launched a plan to trap the intruder in a section of the ship, hoping to jettison it once and for all. Unfortunately, as TOM used his largest weapon to try to stun the intruder, the creature grew larger, forcing TOM to try to escape from harm. This proved futile as the gelatinous creature devoured TOM, killing the familiar bubbleheaded host, shocking unexpecting viewers.

There was hope and rebirth thanks to Sara, who scanned TOM's memories and AI matrix into a larger, more action-ready shell, the TOM 2 (though he is never, ever referred to as TOM 2). After hearing from Sara that he "died," the reborn TOM got right back to action, planning to sacrifice everything to get rid of the intruder before it devours the Absolution. In short, he blew it up, and got rid of one of the engines in the process. TOM, who has transmitted heroes to the masses, was a hero himself.

For the next couple of years, TOM found himself in similar situations, taking on a garbage barge and a virus that took over Sara's controls during a mission which they were approaching the Earth. Sara was kidnapped months after that mission which lead to the destruction of the original Absolution and TOM's second death. Rebuilt by underground robot workers using only his head as the major component, TOM saved Sara and freed the robot prisoners, and as a reward, they received the current Absolution. Now TOM guides the Absolution throughout space seeking information.

TOM may be the second host of Toonami in the United States, but around the world, he has always been the face of Toonami. In Europe (including the United Kingdom, where he was the face of the Toonami network), Australia, India, Japan, and Latin America, TOM is the host they all know and love. When the block hosted a film festival, TOM was there. When the powers that be made theatrical promos, TOM was the prominant frontman. It took a while, but TOM eventually became more popular than Moltar. As the block grows over time, the face that will be the dominant icon of the block will be TOM.

Not bad for a bubbleheaded host!

Facts Behind The Scenes:

- Blum has gotten into the character of TOM by clearly accentuating the "cynical bastard" side of the character by silently saying a rude remark that can't be repeated here.