Spontaneously Combustible is an episode of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters from the 2nd season. It first aired on September 9, 1995.
Characters Present
Summary
When Ickis starts having burping fire, he is diagnosed as being spontaneously combustible; which means he could explode at any moment. His friends feel sorry for him, but at the same time are reluctant to be near him for fear that he could "go at any moment." The Gromble refers to the Academy monsters as "humans" because they are afraid of something they do not understand, since they were all leaving with their parents. Ickis can't deal with that, and escapes.
Plot
Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina are fishing for trash in a river while sitting inside of a bridge. Oblina catches a boot, Krumm catches a tire, and Ickis catches a fish, which he promptly throws back into the river. When he belches into Krumm's face, Krumm reminds Ickis that he might want to get it checked. But Ickis claims that it was probably something he ate.
At the Monster Academy, the monsters are taking a written exam until the time is up. When The Gromble sees Ickis still working on his test, he demands him to collect the tests and bring them to him, So Ickis complies to the teacher's demand, but as he hands him the tests, he lets out a belch, which causes him to burp out fire and accidentally burning every last test into ashes. Gromble decides to take Ickis to the doctor to see what the problem is.
At the doctor, a doctor monster runs some tests on Ickis and looks through his stomach through an X-ray, which shows burning acid inside. The doctor hides into the trunk, saying that Ickis is on the verge of blowing up. Ickis lets out another powerful belch, which destroys the X-ray machine completely. The doctor takes a look through Ickis' throat and says that he is "spontaneously combustible", meaning that he will explode any moment. Zimbo overhears this through the vent and spreads the word to the other monsters.
Ickis tells the bad news to his friends. Not too long after, all of the other monsters find out about Ickis' impending doom. Ickis wears a pail on his head and decides not to go to class, but is quickly talked into it by his friends. At the Monster Academy, Ickis intentionally lets out another belch, prompting the other monsters, with the exception of Krumm and Oblina, to isolate their selves away from him. They are later demand by Gromble to return back to their seats. The teacher introduces the other monsters to Snev, Snav's great uncle. Oblina explains that Snev was a great philosopher in modern monster history and implemented the speech "I scare, therefore I am." Gromble also introduces the monsters to Gladiack, who pioneered the sewer system, and Poopalula, who entertained thousands of monsters during the era of disbelief with mediocre talents. He also tells Ickis that the thing that all the monsters had in common was that each of them were spontaneously combustible (even deliberately trying to equivocate the fact of whether they blew up or not), just like Ickis himself. As Gromble explains this, the other monster slowly try to isolate their selves away from Ickis, only for Gromble to demand them to go back to their seats. But they quickly shift away from Ickis after the young monster lets out another arbitrary belch.
Ickis is inside the three monsters' dorm hiding inside a steel strainer. Oblina tries to convince him that the others just don't understand and that she is wise beyond her years. As The Monsters are going to bed, Ickis lays awake, only for Oblina to demand him to go to sleep. Just then a knock on the door is heard and Horvak, Krumm's father, comes by. and tells Krumm to pack his bags to harvest the mold, even though Ickis reminds him that that did it last week. Krumm tries to bring Ickis along, but Horvak refuses and takes Krumm along to leave with him. Ickis is now cognizant of the fact that Krumm is being taken away due to keep him from getting in contact of Ickis' imminent explosion. He later finds that the other monsters are packing their things and are about to leave as well. But Ickis tells them to stay while he goes instead.
At the Monster Academy, the monsters tell Gromble that Ickis would not only blow up the whole school, but the dump as well. They all point fingers until one of the monsters finally points at Zimbo, who is with The Snorch. The Gromble then tells the others that Ickis was never in any danger to anyone and calls them "humans" for listening to rumors and becoming afraid.
Back outside, Ickis is inside the bridge by a fire (presumably made from his belch) and offers a rat a piece of aa shoe. But his belch causes the rat to run away. Ickis then tells himself that he doesn't need friends and that the others got a bigger problem than he does if they are afraid of something that has yet to happen to them. He says that he doesn't care about anyone, that is until Krumm shows up. He apologizes to Ickis for leaving and soon, the other monsters show up and tells him that they wants him back.
Ickis is back home and during the night, every other monster says goodnight to him and fall asleep. Five days later, Ickis is back at the doctor, who takes another X-ray on him and looks deep inside his throat, pulling out an old bell. When the doctor tells Ickis that he is healthy, the young monster leaves the doctor's office with his friends in delight and to celebrate, they fish at the river inside the bridge, where Ickis catches something.
Trivia
- Season 2 premiere