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Don't forget to say "Cheese!"

— Max to Phoebe


Phoebe vs. Max is the second episode of Season 1 of The Thundermans.

Summary

A prank war between Phoebe and Max gets out of control, and Hank and Barb take a creative approach to getting Nora and Billy to do their chores.

Plot

Main Plot

Phoebe's School Photo
Max School Photo

It's picture day at Hiddenville High where Phoebe and Cherry are about to have their photos taken. Phoebe is excited because this is her first school photo at Hiddenville High. In her former school, the pictures always had to be formal... in a uniform. She flashes back to her middle school pictures where she was wearing the Thundermans superhero costumes. She tells Cherry that she wants the pictures to be perfect.

Phoebe Covered In Cheese

Phoebe covered in Cheese and Chocolate

But then Max comes over and the Thunder Twins exchange a series of disapproval looks. Max starts making fun of Phoebe, telling her that if she wants to be perfect she would have to change everything about herself. Phoebe asks Max if he's going to take a photo wearing his dirty shirt. He says that he takes his photos the way he wants. He then flashes back to middle school taking photos in his villain costumes. He then assures Phoebe no one will notice him because they will be looking at her? Why? Max uses his telekinesis to dump chocolate from the ceiling on Phoebe as the picture is being taken. Phoebe asks the photographer to take another photo. Max tells Phoebe not to forget to say "cheese!" She says cheese and you guessed it, cheese falls down the ceiling all over Phoebe's head!

Phoebe and Barb

Phoebe and Barb

Later at home, Phoebe vents to Barb about Max pranks as Barb tries to clean the cheese out of her hair. She says that she had hoped Max wouldn't bring his pranks back to school after moving to Hiddenville. Hank tells them that Max has changed and he knows what he did is wrong, and that's why he hasn't come home yet because he's afraid of his father. But thank Max comes over and calls his dad "Hank-o" and starts making fun of him. Hank asks Max why he did it and Max explains that mischief and mayhem are what super-villains do. Barb and Hank tell him that they hoped he had grown past the super-villain phase after moving to Hiddenville to live a normal life. But Max assures them that he won't give up because one day the League of Master Villains will call him. The parents ground him and confiscate his phone for two weeks.

Phoebe Floating Max

Barb and Hank force Max to apologize to his sister. He says he's sorry but then calls her "fondue-doo head." That's it. Phoebe uses her telekinesis to suspend Max in the air. Hank asks her to put him down but instead she starts insulting him. After trading multiple insults, she drops him onto the floor. When the parents leave, Phoebe laughs at Max for having to go two weeks without a phone but Max tells her that he has phones everywhere as he picks up another phone from the living room. Phoebe threatens to prank Max back to give him a taste of his own medicine but Max says that she has no dark side in her to pull off a prank.

Billy in the Hall

Billy in the wall

Later that night, Phoebe greases the slide to Max's Lair so that Max will trip and fall. Nora catches her in the act and Phoebe tries to deny what she was doing. Nora already figured out what Phoebe is up to and offers to join in the prank. Unfortunately, Billy jumps into the slide which torpoedoes him past Max's lair, into the other wall, destroying Max's Dark Mayhem poster. Dr. Colosso complains to Billy for not knocking. Max gets mad at Billy for ruining his poster instead of checking on him to see if he was fine. Phoebe runs to Max's lair using the stairs. Phoebe tries to apologize to Billy but stops from admitting that the prank was for Max after seeing him. Max accuses Phoebe of endangering their little siblings just to get back at him. Phoebe tells Max the prank was made for him and she would never endanger her siblings... just before Nora jumps into the slide and gets stuck on Billy's hole.

Phoebe Threatens to Prank Max

Phoebe threatens to Prank Max back

Max calls Phoebe's prank lame but Phoebe vows to come up with the best prank even if it takes her all night. Flashforward to the following day. Phoebe is sleeping in her bed and Max is staring at her, taking pictures. He asks her if she's come up with her prank yet. He then reveals that he's pranked her. The school bell rings. It turns out Phoebe was sleeping in her bed in the school hallway. The other students walk out of class and start laughing at her. Cherry tells Phoebe that she's going to be late for biology. Phoebe covers herself with a blanket and waits for the students to go to their next class.

Max and Phoebe in Bed in School

Phoebe Wakes up in School

Because of the embarrassment, Phoebe heads home early only to find Barb and Hank dressed up in their superhero costumes (as Electriss and Thunderman) playing video games. She tells them that she came back early because Max pranked her again. Hank says it's time to drop Thunder on Max but Barb tells him to let the teens work out their issues on their own because that's what it says on chapter six of her self-help book, "Letting Teens Work Out Issues on Their Own." Hank makes fun of the chapter title and tells Barb that she wasted money on that book. Barb tells Phoebe to do whatever she thinks is necessary. Phoebe declares that she will hit Max where it hurts. At first Barb tries to stop her but she gets distracted by the video game and lets Phoebe do whatever she wants.

Max and Dark Mayhem

Max Gets Call From Dark Mayhem


After school, Max slides into his lair and finds Dr. Colosso taking a shower. He tells Colosso that he feels bad for Phoebe, waking up in school, in front of all the kids. Both Max and Colosso then laugh, claiming that Phoebe would never take down Max. Just around then, Max receives a video call from Dark Mayhem through his computers in the lair. Max at first thinks that Phoebe is trying to prank him because he didn't expect Dark Mayhem to actually call him. The caller gets angry and says that he's not Phoebe. He even causes Max's lights to flicker, just to prove that he is very powerful. Both Max and Colosso get scared. He convinces Max by asking him if his sister was capable of hacking his computers. Max says Nora could hack them but not Phoebe. So, Max is convinced that this is in fact Dark Mayhem. He starts fangirling over him, saying how cool the evil villain is. Dark Mayhem tells Max if only his dark side was as good as his butt-kissing, he would make it to the League of Master Villains. However, Mayhem admits that Max has a super-villain potential. This gets Max all jumped up and excited before Mayhem silences him! Mayhem then tells Max that in order to join the league, he has to pass a test that will prove that he can do anything they tell him to. No questions asked. Max agrees.

Max Pranked by Phoebe

Max pranked by Phoebe

The following day at school, Max gets another call from Dark Mayhem asking him if he did as planned. Max agrees and then takes off his shirt and trouser to reveal that he's dressed in a bra and an embarrassing Hawaiian women clothing. Dark Mayhem congratulates Max and tells him that he's been officially pranked. The caller takes off their mask and is revealed to be Phoebe Thunderman! Max freaks out. Phoebe then uses her telekinesis to ring the bell. All the students get in the hallway and start laughing at Max.

Phoebe Scared

Phoebe gets paranoid

Phoebe later calls Cherry to brag about pulling the best prank ever on Max. Nora then comes over carrying some of Phoebe's stuff and tells Phoebe that she should be very worried about Max getting back at her... as soon as he figures how to get the bra off. The Thunder Monitor announces that someone is at the door. A delivery guy delivers a lot of things for Max, including live crickets, itching powder, radioactive wastes, etc. This gets Phoebe paranoid. She gets so paranoid that she thinks everything Max is doing is a prank. Max gives Phoebe a "Best Sister" shirt present but she first beats it up before opening the gift. Phoebe even dumps a bucket of water on boy dressed up as Max, only to realize that Max is just behind her.

Phoebe Wants to Push the Button

Phoebe pushes the button

She goes to Max's lair and calls for a truce because she can't take it anymore but Max says it's not over until he says it's over. Phoebe refuses to give him the satisfaction. If he doesn't end the pranks, she will. She then starts looking at Max's gadgets and jokes about pressing the buttons. Max tells her not to press the red button. She presses the red button. Max's lair immediately locks itself down with Thundertanium and goes on a self-destruct mode. Phoebe dismisses it as another one of Max's pranks but Max freaks out, telling her it is for real. Max says that his prank was not pranking her and watching her break-down. Dr. Colosso freaks out convincing Phoebe that the self destruct is real.

Phoebe and Max Self Destruct Panic

Phoebe and Max panic

The Thunder Twins try to escape with no success. The MAX-6000 machine announces that the lair will self-destruct in 5 minutes, but Phoebe accidentally activates a shortcut by pressing another button, reducing their time to 90 seconds. Phoebe asks Max if this super-villain thing is really worth it. He explains how cool being a super-villain is but with only 60 seconds to live, he admits that it is probably not worth it. Max admits to Phoebe that he only wants to be a super-villain because Phoebe is so good at being a super-hero and he doesn't want to be second-best. He wants to be the best at what he does, even if it means being best at being bad.

Phoebe Destroys Max 6000

Phoebe destroys Max-6000

With only 20 seconds left before total annihilation, Max freaks out and grabs Phoebe in fear, telling her that it's over. Phoebe says it's not over until she says it's over. She then grabs a hammer and starts hitting the MAX-6000 machine with it until she destroys the machine. The self-destruct sequence ends. Now, it's over. Max is impressed and grateful and scared at the same time. He shakes Phoebe's hand for a truce.

During dinner, Nora asks if Max and Phoebe are done pranking. Phoebe says yes but Max tries to deny it. Then Phoebe pulls a hammer using her powers. Max gets scared and agrees that pranking is completely behind them.

Subplot

Nora and Billy Argue

Nora demands to have the last pudding cup from Billy but when Billy refuses, Nora heats the cup with her heat vision power. Billy burns his tongue and the two kids start fighting. Hank and Barb try to stop them from fighting. Hank yells at them to take out the trash but Barb tells him that she's been reading a book about conflict resolution, which teaches her to let the kids resolve their conflict on their own. She tells Billy and Nora to continue putting things in the trash and whoever let's trash fall on the ground, will be the one to take out the trash.

Nora and Billy Trash Wars

Nora and Billy Trash Wars

Nora and Billy continue piling up garbage in the trash can. When it becomes too difficult, they start competing over who will make it fall. Eventually, the trash becomes too much until it explodes. Barb agrees that the self-help books are misleading. Billy and Nora try to run out, claiming that they've learned their lesson. Barb yells at them to get back and clean the trash. She admits to Hank that yelling at kids works. Then, the next morning, as Barb shows off her new self-help book, Hank tricks her into letting him get his hands on the book and rips, destroys, and ruins the book by tossing it into an activate fruit juicer.

Cast

Main Cast

Recurring Cast

Guest Cast

  • Paul Mckinney as Photographer
  • Shaan Sharma as Delivery Guy

Continuity

  • Max and Phoebe's "fights" get them stuck again in a room about to explode again in Phoebe vs. Max: The Sequel.
  • The real Dark Mayhem becomes the main villain in Season 3, and gives Max a trial run at being a supervillain throughout the season.

Trivia

  • In this episode it is revealed why Max decided to become a supervillain.
  • In the scene where Max complained that his brother Billy ruined Max's poster of his idol, Dark Mayhem, Max kinda forgot he had 2 Dark Mayhem posters.
  • This is the first time Barb is seen in her super suit. Hank first wore his super suit in Adventures in Supersitting.
  • Highest rated episode of Season 1 along with Crime After Crime.
  • This is the second most viewed episode ever with the first being Thunder in Paradise.

Quotes

Max: *to Phoebe* Check it out Pheebs, they even gave you a nickname - Fondue-Doo Head.
Hank: Max, why would you dump chocolate and cheese on your sister on picture day?
Max: Well, I was gonna use chilli but it's twelve bucks a gallon.
Hank: That doesn't seem too high...
Phoebe: Dad?!!!

— Hank, Max and Phoebe


Phoebe: I'm so done with your pranks Max. You know what you need? A taste of your own medicine?
Max: What? You are gonna prank me? Phoebe, you need a little dark side in you to do that.
Phoebe: I have plenty of dark side. Who do you think puts the empty jar of peanut butter back on the shelf? This girl!
Max: No, I do that-
Phoebe: Stop! That drives me crazy!

— Phoebe and Max


Gallery

The Thundermans Episodes
Season 1
Adventures in SupersittingPhoebe vs. MaxDinner PartyReport CardDitch DayThis Looks Like a Job For...Weekend GuestYou Stole My Thunder, ManWeird Science FairCrime After CrimeGoing WonkersRestaurant CrashersThundersensePhoebe's a Clone NowHave an Ice BirthdayNothing to Lose SleepoverPretty Little ChoirsPaging Dr. ThundermanUp, Up, and Vacay!Breaking Dad
Season 2
Thunder VanFour Supes and a BabyMax's MinionsPheebs Will Rock YouThe Haunted ThundermansShred It GoBlue DetectiveCheer and Present DangerChange of ArtWinter ThunderlandParents Just Don't ThunderstandMeet the EvilmansThe Neverfriending Story|You've Got FailDoubles TroubleWho's Your Mommy?The Amazing Rat RaceMall Time CrooksIt's Not What You LinkCape FearCall of Lunch DutyOne Hit ThunderThe Girl with the Dragon SnafuA Hero Is Born
Season 3
Phoebe vs. Max: The SequelOn the Straight and ArrowWhy You Buggin'?Exit Stage TheftAre You Afraid of the Park?Evil Never SleepsDoppel-GamersFloral SupportPatch Me If You CanGive Me a Break UpNo Country for Old MentorsDate ExpectationsHe Got Game NightKiss Me NateDog Day After-SchoolOriginal PranksterChutes and SplattersI'm Gonna Forget You, SuckaBeat the ParentsCan't Hardly DateRobin Hood: Prince of PheebsAunt Misbehavin'Stealing HomeBack to SchoolThundermans: Secret Revealed
Season 4
Happy HeroweenThundermans: Banished!Smells Like Team SpiritMax to the FutureBetter Off WedParks & T-RexDate of EmergencyOrange is the New MaxDitch PerfectMay Z-Force Be With You21 Dump StreetCome What MayhemThunder in ParadiseSave the Past DanceZ's All ThatCan't Hardly DateRevenge of the SmithNowhere to SlideSignificant BrotherRhythm n' ShoesMake it Pop PopSide-Kicking and ScreamingCookie MistakeAll the President's Thunder-MenMad Max: Beyond ThunderhomeThe ThundredthLooperheroesThe Thunder Games


Thundermans newpromopic2

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