You just can't keep a good character down.

In the 1960s, he was a villian known as Moltar, the Molten Man, a fiery presence hellbent on destroying the cosmic defender known as Space Ghost. After an ill-fated alliance with the Council of Doom, he was never seen again.

In 1994, he reemerged as a prisoner deep within the catacombs of Ghost Planet Industries, where he served out his sentence as a reluctant producer of the popular Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast To Coast. While he was doing that, Moltar got bored with listening to the once noble yet moronic host and wanted to see what else was out there.

He became an observer of worlds, witnessing numerous universes (including a universe where Space Ghost isn't a total jerk) and finding action just about everywhere. Filled with inspiration, Moltar created and launched a sentient Clyde 49 into space to transmit his findings back to the Ghost Planet control room. About a year after he first began his observations, the transmissions reached the Earth via Cartoon Network.

Every now and then, Moltar would dispense his dry wit and observations on the block, appreciating the villians and the heroes of the shows, reviewing video games every now and then, and making fun of heroes like Birdman and Space Ghost. He'd also give sage advice to the viewers, not unlike what TOM did during his time on the block, and on one occasion, Moltar gave a riveting speech about Reruns, why they're so prevalent, and to have patience about the new things to come.

Around spring 1999, Moltar wanted to actually travel throughout the universe himself, but since he was basically bound to the duties of a producer on Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast, so he wanted to build his own ship. After that was a wash, he got a used vessel he named the Ghost Planet Spaceship Absolution. After witnessing the heroic acts of a sentinent droid named TOM, Moltar was impressed and invited him to take the command of the Absolution and personally do the job Moltar once did, discover and explore universes, and transmit them back to Ghost Planet and Cartoon Network.

A lot of older, longtime Toonami fans actually favor the original host of Toonami than any incarnation of the current host. After all, most of them were already familiar with the big guy from his days on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Not surprisingly, when fans realized that the creators of that cult classic were also behind Toonami, the fanbase grew en masse (plus, Moltar's presence on Toonami explained why he wasn't on the gone-but-not-forgotten comedyfest known as Cartoon Planet). Still, he was only on the block for two and a third years on the block, the second shortest stint on the block, just behind the first incarnation of TOM. Though he returned to the final seasons of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, he remained a part of the legacy of Toonami. Long live Moltar, the baddest man to ever grace the television screens.

To which he'd probably reply "Whatever."

Little Known Facts

- Clay is a frequent writer and designer of SGC2C as well as write random issues of Space Ghost-themed Cartoon Network comics.

TOM

For almost a decade, he has been the most visible face of the Toonami block. In any incarnation, this iconic character has served as the guide for what some consider the best years of the block. As popular as he is to longtime fans, he also had his detractors. The Wall Street Journal once called him "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. But the character has always put his own life on the line to protect others, whether it's a space colony, a loyal friend like SARA, or a spaceship stuck on a garbage destroyer. And even in his current, more controversial form, he personifies all aspects of Toonami, the good and the bad.

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 GPS 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. Until recently, TOM guided the Absolution throughout space seeking information, scouring lost alien worlds in the process.

Recently, an unknown event caused a strange transformation within TOM. No longer a tall model, TOM has gained a humanoid face and a squat, rusting body. He is the head of a command center with a trio of assistants (Flash, D, and Clyde) but without the aid of SARA nor the Absolution (whose disappearances haven't been explained). Regardless, TOM now sends transmissions across the universe from a terrestial-bound station.

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, no matter what it may look like, will be TOM.

Not bad for a bubbleheaded host!

Facts Behind The Scenes: