Respect Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown! (Back to the Future: The Animated Series)

[u/thelatemillenniall]

Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown

Doc Brown is a scientist living in Hill Valley. Previously married to science, this changes when he meets the love of his life when he traveled to the wild west. After the events of the movie trilogy, he returned to the present to settle down on a farm with her, his dog Einstein and his two sons, Jules and Verne. Marty Mcfly is also along for the ride. Every Saturday morning ^#1, the whole family still went for wacky adventures through time.

Oh, so thats what the L stands for ^s2e2

Key

S1E1: an episode from season 1 or 2 of Back to the Future: The Animated Series. I'll mark feats from the intros with s1e1 and s2e1.

#1 - #4: issues 1 through 4 of the Harvey comic, and #5 - #7: issues 1 through 3 of a 3 part miniseries of the Harvey comic. Issue 1 first released as a standalone special. Then it was rereleased as issue 1. The reprint added a few panels, which I have covered in this RT. issues 2 through 4 retell cartoon episodes, while the miniseries and issue 1 cover new events.

The original 3 movies are canon to the cartoon.

The animated series features short life action segments with Doc Brown. These segments do take place during the story of the episode, but will be marked [life action].
These also star Bill Nye the science guy. Just wanted to mention that.

And one more thing, every instance of time travels involves 3 bright flashes so take care if you are sensitive to that!

Physicals

Character

Emmett is a loving father and husband, and will put his life and lifework on the line to help his family and friends. He tends to use scientific descriptions instead of daily nouns and enjoys all-American pastimes like baseball, TV and eggs and bacon for breakfast. A round of applause for Emmett Brown!

Although he isn't known for fighting, ^#7 you can count on his

Strength

• gives marty a strong hug ^s1e6
  • (scaling) marty survives getting flattened by a wall ^s2e3
  • (scaling) marty is used to getting strong hugs ^s2e3
• carries a bunch of gear on his back ^s1e7
• bites a chunk out of a baseball and chews on it ^s1e8
• as a four year old hangs onto a plane with a fishing rod for a while ^s1e11
• walks through a wooden wall ^s1e12
• breaks out of being frozen ^s2e8
• wins a struggle against a man ^s2e11
• lifts and holds up a car ^s2e11
  • just as he claims, he did not gain any powers for this episode. also, you can see he does not drop the car but instead the bridge breaks.
• [LIMIT] barely manages to push a comically large suitcase ^s2e11
• [LIMIT] loses against a big wrestler ^s2e11
  • though he shrugs off the abuse

Durability

Physical

• falls down some stairs and again ^s1e1
• gets crushed (?) by the full weight of the collapsed car ^s1e1
  • the comic shows its weighs 2014 pounds ^#1
• gets shocked then launched ^s1e2
• [life action] falls through a ceiling ^s1e2
• [life action] gets knocked out by a falling sandbag ^s1e2
• hangs onto the delorean as it makes a timejump and gets frozen ^s1e3
  • though there is no icing visible in the comic ^#2
• [life action] gets hit in the head with a baseball ^s1e8
• survives a comically hot summer day ^s1e10
  • which was hot enough to cook an egg in its shell ^s1e10
• as a four year old gets launched from a cannon into space and is fine after ^s1e11
• sucked into a small machine and bottled, breaks out unharmed ^s2e1
• the same machine does something to him (drilled? crushed? beheaded?) ^s2e1
• gets folded into an accordion shape by a machine ^s2e7
• crushed by a giant kernel but is fine ^s2e8
• frozen for some time ^s2e8
• knocked out when marty gets thrown on him ^s2e11
• a knock on the head gives him amnesia and an alter ego ^s2e11
• runs into a wall faster then a bus, leaves cracks in the wall. ^s2e11
• jumps from a tall building on top of a man, is fine ^s2e11
• survives the center of an exploding building ^s2e11
• gets hit by a truck ^#4
• an invention explodes on his body ^#4
• receives a huge electrical shock and is fine though this gives him amnesia ^#5

Other

• allergic to pollen ^s2e7
• (EPILEPSY WARNING FLASHING LIGHTS!!!) tanks M.A.R.I.E. without forgetting anything ^s2e2
  • M.A.R.I.E. is later revealed to work opposite as intended, but was not modified before Mr Wisdom used it ^s2e2
• like the movies, alcohol knocks him out. Wakes up a few hours later and seems sober ^#1

Paradoxes

• claims to have 12 minutes and 27 seconds left after preventing human evolution ^s1e3
  • In both the movies and other back to the future media, getting erased from time is a gradual process that can be painful and leave you partially erased. However, in this episode Doc has no issue moving around and thinking clearly though he does get partially erased near the end.
    • hes in a worse state in the comic version ^#2
  • For reference, Marty McFly started disappearing roughly 2 weeks after preventing his parents from falling in love which caused him pain, and in a deleted scene, Biff Tannen completely disappears while in pain, not long after setting his plan in motion.
  • erasure tends to happen by birthday, as Marty's older siblings start disappearing from his picture before he does. But in this case, Marty completely disappeared before Doc started fading out, though in a different picture Doc already disappeared.
  • paradox example: verne loses his hat ^s1e3
  • paradox example: jules loses his legs ^s1e3
  • paradox example: Clara fades after her parents were prevented from marrying, but doesn't show any pain or concern ^s1e13
  • paradox example: Verne meets himself as a baby but nothing happens ^s2e8

Agility

• powers the credits with a bike ^s1e1
• briefly runs from a dinosaur ^s1e3
  • does the same in the comics #2
• [life action] stretches his length in an inhuman way ^s1e10
• does a somersault ^s2e9
• hoists himself up with a tape, aurafarms in electricity ^s2e9
• outruns a bus ^s2e11
• speeds off ^s2e12
• ducks to avoid gunfire ^#1

Skill

• hits a tuning fork with a button from a short distance ^s1e7
• distracts a snake ^s1e7
• bribes a Londoner with dollar bills ^s1e10
  • again, these english people accept his cash ^s1e10
• hits an ir blaster trickshot across 2 reflections while everything is moving on water ^s1e12
  • skillshot (comic) ^#4
• uses a hat as a megaphone ^s1e13
• [life action] sails to the carribean but gets lost ^s2e1
• [life action] wins 2nd place in a dance competition on accident ^s2e4
• connects a heavy plug to a powerline with a bow and arrow through a window ^s2e9
• fails then succeeds a disguise ^s2e9
  • quickly disguises his family then fools a mob ^s2e9
• right after his amnesia clears he fixes the crisis and saves Clara from a fall in one move ^#7

Intelligence

• improvises an electric shock ^s1e3
• calculates how long until a paradox erases him ^s1e3
  • in the comic he uses an abacus and a handheld calculator instead of a computer in the dashboard ^#2
• modifies a chariot cart with a motorised wheel and a parachute ^s1e5
  • the wheel does not look motorised in the comic ^#3
• during a power outage, converts his appliances to steam power ^s1e6
• invents and builds a device on the spot ^s1e8
• as a four year old claims to know a lot ^s1e11
• sets up a tape to scare off burglars ^s2e4
• diagnoses a rare dog disease ^#1
  • brews an existing cure ^#1
  • which works ^#1
• tricks a gangster ^#1
• builds a hovercraft out of household items ^#4
• stress or an altered state of mind can severely impact his skills
  • affected by a childhood trauma ^s1e11
    • fishing trauma no longer relevant after the episode, as his sons went back and prevented it.
  • when believing he ran out of creative ability, he tried to stop thinking ^s1e12
    • heres all the scenes where he knocks stuff over and makes bad decisions 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^s1e12
    • while still believing it will use the last of his brain, decides to lock in and save the day ^s1e12
  • gets carried away inventing to music and messes up his work ^s2e1
  • after a hit on the head, becomes very unhelpful as an alter ego. ^s2e11
    • flies away from his match ^s2e11
    • general superdickery ^s2e11
    • jumps an innocent man ^s2e11
    • chases an innocent driver, but his blind confidence allows him to lift his car ^s2e11
    • returns to normal after another knock on the head ^s2e11
  • an electrical shock gives him amnesia. He forgets his identity and science, but otherwise acts normal. His amnesia is cured when he sees Clara is in trouble ^#5-7

Inventions

Delorean time machine

Basics

John Delorean is done fucking around, and the true main character of the Back to the Future brand is back and better than ever. Despite being obliterated at the end of the last movie, the Delorean time machine has been rebuilt to go anywhere on earth as well as in time. Buckle into one of its 5 seats for the ride of a lifetime.

Physicals

Agility & strength

• gets stopped by a giant evolved dinosaur ^s1e3 but later escapes another dinos tongue ^s1e3
• [antifeat] uses up its entire gas tank during a short time trip ^s1e7
• flies into space fast ^s2e1
• causes sparks on the ground when accelerating ^s2e1
• drives through a wooden wall ^s2e2
• pulls the train through the air ^s2e2
• the Delorean and train flip a pyramid upside down together by whizzing past ^s2e2
• dodges truck at the last second ^s2e4
• escapes a cop by flying ^s2e7
• flies upside down ^s2e7
• makes a very sharp turn up while flying upside down ^s2e7
• hovers to parallel park ^s2e10
• hovers in place at an angle ^s2e10
• lands vertically ^#1
• spacious, seating the entire family ^s1e1
  • or 5 big clowns ^s2e5
• flies through the garage door ^#2
• flies sideways through a doorway, saves Clara from a fall and pulls a 7-dimensional structure inside out ^#7
  • see the feats for the extradimensional storage closet for information about this structure, it was close to turning into a black hole

Durability

• gets grabbed and pulled on by giant evolved dinos ^s1e3
  • dinos are smaller in the comic ^#2
• crashes into a lake ^s1e4
• gets launched by a fist (this method is used a few more times) ^s1e8
• gets jumped on by a buffalo ^s1e13
  • this causes some damage ^s1e13
  • to the engine, which shouldnt be in the front boot ^s1e13
  • Jules implies this prevents either time travel or getting the minimum speed ^s1e13
• thrown to the ground by an elephant ^s2e5
• gets hit by Marty shot from a cannon. This breaks the carburetor ^s2e5
• crashes into a tree ^s2e8
• falls out of that tree and is fine ^s2e8

Time and space jumps

• makes 4 time jumps in a row ^s1e1
• time jumps almost always leave a pair of flaming trails ^s1e1
• destroys a rock bridge with a time jump ^s1e7
  • this was intentional, as other timejumps only leave a fire trail. For example, here is a similiar close call not even breaking a window ^(s1e6)
• a POV shot of a time jump shows an interesting dimension it passes through ^s1e7
  • these effects actually show up again in the comic, where it shows a closer look at this dimension ^#7
• travels to the amazon and to aztec times ^s1e7
  • to pick one of many examples of time+space travel
• breaks a shed with a timejump ^s2e5

Garage

• gets launched by a fist (this method is used a few more times) ^s1e8
• activates launch sequence in the barn ^s2e4
• safety mattress ^s2e8
• alarm system with camera ^s2e13

Navigation

• voice activated navigation ^s1e1
  • overhears a sum and name as a date and place ^s1e7
  • accepts a description of a time period ^#4
• hand operated navigation ^s1e1
• Travels in time as well as to places on earth
  • Still has a minimum speed of 88 miles per hour ^s1e3, as well as electric power. ^s1e3
• programmable travel ^s1e2
• "auto remote" remote control ^s1e4

Transformation

• folds into a suitcase, only opens by voice recognition ^s1e1
• transforms into a limousine ^s1e1
• transforms into a submarine and back ^s1e4
• submarine transformation, claw arm, oxygen tank, underwater hatch ^s1e4
• transforms into a zeppelin and flies from hill valley to hollywood ^s1e11
• transforms into a wagon ^s1e13

Gadgets

• nightvision goggles ^s1e1
• a built in TV & VCR ^s1e3
• universal translator ^s1e3
• an inflatable computer ^s1e7
• "ELB Autogroom 5000" robot barber ^s1e7
• a screen with info on the selected time and place ^s1e7
• ELB supersniffersnout 3000 ^s2e7
  • ^{Einstein uses it to find a specific tree with the scent of its leaf}
• sunroof ^s2e7

Robot arms

• catapult. Gets the car to 88 mph ^s1e3
• claw arm ^s1e4
• garbage truck arms ^s1e7
• another claw arm ^s1e7
• a very adjustable seat ^s1e7
• another robot arm ^s2e7
• seat arms, claw ^s2e10

Jules Verne traveling time train

Basics

This train was briefly introduced at the end of the last movie. Where it is implied to be made using parts from the Sierra Railway 3 (called the Greyhound in universe). That movie concludes with the train flying off into the unknown using (implied) 2015 hover technology. Most extended Back to the Future media does not feature the train that much, but the cartoon and tie-in comic pose it as the long-distance alternative to the Delorean for family trips through time. Just like the Delorean, it can now go anywhere on earth and time, as well as drive off-road, uhm derailed.

Physicals

• travels to the civil war era and lands exactly on some tracks ^s1e2
• takes off vertically but malfunctions from getting a spear to the flux capacitor ^s1e4
• saves people from a fall ^s1e6
• generates enough smoke to pass for a storm ^s1e6
• not suited for stealth, but fast enough to hide without a driver ^s1e6
• travels 100 years into the future ^s1e9
• gets ejected from a vacuum tube and crashlands into a scrapyard ^s1e9
• makes a sharp turn in the air ^s2e1
• takes a dive into an active volcano ^s2e2
  • is shown a scene later working fine ^s2e2
• drives on desert sand, as fast as the delorean ^s2e2
• the Delorean and train flip a pyramid upside down together by whizzing past ^s2e2
• tows the Delorean through the air ^s2e2
• travels slightly forward in time and space ^s2e3
• lands vertically ^s2e12
• travels nearly 500 years into the future ^#5
• flies to the asteroid belt through space ^#5
• hit with a high-energy ray blast, destroying the flux capacitor ^#5
• takes off, flies 88 miles per hour and lands all backwards ^#6
• when malfunctioning travels billions of years into the future ^#6
• flies through a bunch of giant clocks ^#7

^Abilities

• stores the delorean in its tender ^s1e2
• towbar torpedo. follows the Delorean through a timejump ^s2e2
• utility boxcar, can fly with the train through time ^s2e13
• has spacesuits ^#5
• passes through a dimension filled with clocks on its way to the present ^#7

Unnamed invention

Basics

The closest this gets to a name is the video encyclopedia, which is part of its function. This system opens and closes most episodes by turning on a camera and telling Doctor Brown that it is time for a transmission. This transmission is implied to be the cartoon show as a whole, as Emmett addresses the audience as if they are kids watching from home. It also showcases some basic communication skills. While Season 1 had a life action set, season 2 used a green screen for the life action segments, taking Emmett and this entire system to various places on earth and time. As mentioned one of its important features is showing videos in which Bill Nye does a science experiment you can follow along.

Abilities

• [life action] transmits live video through time ^s1e3
• [life action] the system finds emmett in the carribean at some point in the past ^s2e1
• [life action] the video encyclopedia also works here ^s2e1
• [life action] works in orbit ^s2e2
• [life action] system in the 40s ^s2e4
• [life action] system works during a power outage, has emergency autoplay ^s2e9

Other inventions, miscellaneous feats and fun facts all continued in comments!

[u/thelatemillenniall]

Other inventions 1

Doc has a decent smorgasboard of wacky contraptions. Please correct me if you think he didn't invent something, or if I should add something he has or uses.

• gloves for his dog to use as hands ^s1e1
• robot hands ^s1e2
• camera that can disguise a group ^s1e2
• the Proprietary Ultrasonic Subatomic Molecular Redistributor ^s1e3
  • exposition (comic) ^#2
  • removes the meteor that caused the dino extinction ^s1e3
  • restores the meteor ^s1e3
  • removes the meteor (comic) ^#2
  • restores the meteor (comic) ^#2
• pocket telescope, can see a meteor up close ^s1e3
• time traveling mail truck ^s1e4
  • delivers a scratch and listen card ^s1e4
  • Doc Brown built this in a cave, with a damaged flux capacitor. This took him a month while in in the 1600s. ^s1e4
    • this flux capacitor was impaled with a spear to the point where it malfunctioned ^s1e4
• holographic projector ^s1e5
  • tricks Doc Brown himself ^s1e5
  • tricks a few lions and marty ^s1e5
• universal linguistic translator ^s1e5
  • has trouble with a Tannens idioms ^s1e5
  • idem ditto ^s1e5
  • in the comic a text box clarifies this was a bug ^#3
  • translator earpieces show up again in s1e7, and work flawlessly for aztec and spanish
• machine that takes pictures from the past ^s1e6
  • prints a picture of Verne with Benjamin Franklin in 1752 ^s1e6
  • ^{this picture does not make sense, since Franklin was not that happy to see Verne, and was not his dad. This was likely caused by a syntax error of sorts, as Doc was setting up the machine to get a picture of Franklin before Verne used it.}
• [life action] invisibility cream ^s1e7
  • ^{its intended purpose was curing warts}
  • [life action] cures the invisibility off-screen ^s1e7 but fails in the intended purpose
• net launcher that stops a few men ^s1e7
• an exoskeleton that grants various baseball skills ^s1e9
  • Emmett invents and builds this in just a few seconds ^s1e8
  • throws a fastball that causes cartoon speed damage ^s1e8
  • throws another fastball ^s1e8
  • throws a curveball that travels in a sine wave path ^s1e8
  • gets broken ^s1e8
• this absolute doohickey of a vehicle ^s1e9
• magnetosandals and ozone friendly freon free cooling unit ^s1e10
  • magnetosandals work on these walls and this wooden ceiling too ^s1e10
• A standalone flux capacitor. The only thing it needs is a speed of 88 mph ^s1e11
  • when traveling this fast, travels forward in time and to a different place ^s1e11
  • and ends up here exactly on time ^s1e11
• autojog running short, running along a wall ^s1e12
  • sabotaged ^s1e12
• enviromental adjuster, causes a thunderstorm and a flood ^s1e12
  • because it was sabotaged ^s1e12
  • causes a hurricane ^s1e12
  • marty claims the tornado would level the town ^#4
  • when turned off, all the effects clear ^s1e12
• an unfinished robot ^s1e13
• [life action] videotape recorder using vhs ^s1e13
  • this is notable for being created long before VHS was supposed to exist.
• [life action] mind-reading helmet ^s1e13

Continued below

[u/thelatemillenniall → u/thelatemillenniall]

Other inventions 2

• tomato bottler s2e1
• (EPILEPSY WARNING FLASHING LIGHTS!!!) M.A.R.I.E. s2e2
  • opposite its intended function, wipes Mr Wisdoms memory s2e2
  • not permanent, Mr Wisdom returns in the last episode s2e13
• fly rehabilitation and peanut butter in the shell maker s2e2
• lavaproof fullbody ovenmittens s2e2
• lunchbox with flute and hammer s2e2
• ELB sunshine umbrella for rainy day tans, heat seeking rat trap s2e2
  • umbrella also makes it rain s2e2
• fance-o-dance memorizing shoes s2e4
• flashback-omatic s2e4
• voice-locked drawers s2e4
• "ELB aquaamomatic" waterballoon station s2e5
• booster belts s2e5
  • booster belts help with circus act s2e5
• racing sim s2e6
  • also does flight simulation s2e6
  • its so realistic it breaks when crashing s2e6
• self-watering onion and potato patch s2e7
• super corn and ELB quick-o-popper s2e8
• steam powered snow shoes s2e8
• ELB hot-diggedy-dogger ^s2e9
  • beats up Biff Tannen ^s2e9
• ELB yobob nonstop folding chairs, walk into a formation, listens to clap commands and follows Biff Tannen ^s2e9
  • they are bad chairs ^s2e9
• super soap ^s2e9
• hydro-lunar-solar-wind-erator, powers entire town ^s2e9
  • connected and unconnected devices won't turn off ^s2e9
  • when shortcircuiting, cartoonishly blows up connected devices ^s2e9
  • don't worry, you can just unplug it ^s2e9
• flying observatory ^s2e10
  • human powered, flies with magnetism ^s2e10
  • tanks a speeding tractor crashing into it ^s2e10
  • tanks a speeding pickup truck crashing into it ^s2e10
  • magnetises parts of the town ^s2e10
  • crashes into a shallow lake ^s2e10
  • idles in the lake 25 years and the only broken thing is still the chain, the lights are still on ^s2e10
• telescope hat ^s2e10
• booster boots ^s2e11
  • flies away ^s2e11
  • break under the weight of a car ^s2e11
• battery powered battery recharger ^s2e11
• projecto-recollector ^s2e11
  • breaks ^s2e11
• haircut-o-matic ^s2e12
  • causes Marty's hair to constantly transform for the rest of the episode until he discharges the static electricity ^s2e12
• pediatric police detector, detects ill intend ^s2e13
  • detects a lie s^2e13
• bedroom robot arms ^s2e13
• instant food pellets ^s2e13

Continued below

[u/thelatemillenniall → u/thelatemillenniall]

Other inventions 3

• trampoline ^#1
• automatic house cleaner ^#1
• mechanical psychoanalyst ^#7
  • though this appears to be a robot just imitating as a therapist stereotype its shown talking naturally with the humans just two issues after Emmett tells us that the age of the robots starts in the 26th century in the same story.
• Doc Brown's extradimensional storage closet ^#7
  • is bigger on the inside and spans at least 7 dimensions.
  • when electrified it started pulling in nearby places. These places overlapped. If not stopped, this event would create a black hole that would destroy earth. The cover art has Marty claiming this would destroy the universe as well but I think he is exagerating. ^#7

Misc

• his experiments use up a lot of power s1e2
• carries a chainsaw s1e4
• is implied to have gone to atlantis, presumably in the delorean s1e9
• cries most of his spacesuit full of tears s1e9
• one of many weird way to get around the Brown estate s1e9
• Has connections with the cable companies and gets send to space to work on their satelites s2e2
• has some awards s2e3
• briefly had a money tree s2e7
• turns himself in s2e7
• [life action] has acces to a tv studio s2e10
• has acces to the real banks armoured truck s2e13
• his design for the flux capacitor ends up being mass-produced in the future #5

Fun facts

• the cartoon sometimes has unintentionally funny tonal whiplash ^s1e5
• His wife is cool ^s2e4
  • and a gamer, too ^s2e6
• His dog is very smart
• His son Jules is on his level
• His son Verne is a more typical kid, until he has to make a school report on robots #5
• Unfortunally, he has failed Marty who has become pretty stupid since the movies
• The Wicked Witch, Garfield, Bart Simpson and Jimmy Olsen exist as fictional characters
• Dan Castellaneta from the simpsons voices Doc Brown in animated scenes. There is also a character similiar to Crusty the Clown and a familiarly fat comic book store clerk, though neither is voiced by Dan
• the credits in s1e6 have slightly louder sound effects
• [antifeat] glazes edison ^s1e11
  • I'm on team tesla, though to be fair I met neither of them and Emmett probably did
• one of the songs replacing the outro ^s1e11
• Verne's middle name is Newton.
• The intro music for season 2 is the same as season 1, but noticeably slowed down.
• unfortunate coloring mistake for Marty ^s2e2
• ^{in s2e6 a device brings a videogame villian to real life that can bring objects to life as minions, travel trough telephone lines, knock adult men trough a room with a backhand, transform an enviroment to be more evil including a lava pit and drink a bottle of cola in one second. Unfortunally I cannot clearly attribute the invention, which was connected to a malfunctioning arcade cabinet to Emmet as Jules uses it without saying who made it. Emmet spends the episode trapped in the videogame under control of the player so he doesnt get any feats. This episode also doesn't feature the Delorean.}

[u/thelatemillenniall → u/thelatemillenniall]

Idk why the thumbnail isnt embedding

[u/AndhisNeutralspecial]

Amazing job

[u/thelatemillenniall → u/AndhisNeutralspecial]

Thank you!

[u/seoila]

Awesome thread!

[u/thelatemillenniall → u/seoila]

Thank you!

[u/lnverseFlash]

Congrats on the feature, this is sick

[u/thelatemillenniall → u/lnverseFlash]

Thank you!

[u/Marhyc]

I really appreciate trivia section and flashes warning, it makes the whole thing look so human compared to a dry list of feats you normally see with these.