The Dreadful Dawn

+ October 29, 2021 (HBO Max Latin America and Cartoon Network Mexico)
* June 8, 2019 (United States)

	+ May 23, 2023 (Max United States)

"**The Dreadful Dawn**", or **Pilot** (a.k.a. **Episode 1**) is the pilot and the first episode of the first season of *Villainous*.

It was announced on July 23, 2018 at Pixelatl 2018. The teaser trailer was released on September 8, 2018. The official release date of June 1, 2019 in Latin America and Brazil, since it was announced on May 18, 2019, while the English dubbed version was released on June 8, 2019 in United States.

It was re-released on HBO Max Latin America and re-aired on Cartoon Network Mexico on October 29, 2021, and it was released on Max United States on May 23, 2023.

## Synopsis

* Teaser trailer
* Official Episode

There are two shots of a room with a fireplace: a bird's eye view, and a forward-facing perspective. On top of the fireplace there is a shelf of items, and the camera pans over them.

The camera cuts to a door that then opens, revealing the lab. Another cut leads to two test tubes, one with the foul flower, and the other with Demencia. The lights suddenly shut off, and she breaks out of the test tube while taking the Evil ray laid on the table and hissing. The lights shut off once more. The camera cuts again to Dr. Flug's bulletin board, containing a calendar, sticky notes, a shopping list, 5.0.5.'s drawings, a blueprint, and a business card. It pans over to 5.0.5. sleeping with a lot of stuffed animals on top of him.

There is a shot of a door with a doorbell next to it. The doorbell has a Black Hat motif. A shadow comes over it. The shadow of Black Hat is walking through a hallway. He comes to his office, and turns off the record player. The doorbell is rung, and he looks toward it gleefully.

Picking up where Q&A Black Hat Organization replies left off, Penumbra's schemes are foiled once again by the hero of Arteno City, Sunblast, who enjoys beating her up. Penumbra, after seeing advertisements on TV, decides to contact Black Hat Organization for assistance.

After the title card, the scene cuts to Black Hat's manor, where the manor is a wreck, and a hero called Goldheart hovers before Dr. Flug, mocking him, only for Flug to pull out a ray gun and destroy the hero. The sky then goes red as Black Hat appears and congratulates Flug on his work, only to suddenly say "Mayday" repeatedly. The scene then cuts to an alarm clock (what was actually saying "Mayday" repeatedly), revealing that it was merely Flug's dream. Flug then proceeds to go through his daily schedule, starting by waking 5.0.5, who dresses up as a maid and starts vacuuming. Dr. Flug then goes to a room where a captive hero is in a cage being lowered into a pit containing Demencia, implying that the hero is being fed to her. Demencia, after attacking the hero, is raised to ground level, where she is revealed to be in a straitjacket and restraints, but quickly exits the restraints, where she ignores Dr. Flug telling her to change out of her "pajamas". Flug proceeds to yell at Demencia for this, but is suddenly contorted into folding into oblivion, only to be brought to Black Hat's office, where Black Hat reveals to Flug that Penumbra has contacted him requesting their services to eliminate Sunblast. Flug promises Penumbra that he has a plan to make sure Sunblast is dealt with and also promises Black Hat that he won't fail him, and Black Hat responds by telling Flug that he hopes Flug won't fail him, for the Doctor's good. Flug, Demencia and 5.0.5 then take a hat plane to Arteno City, where they park on the head of a large statue of Sunblast, which attracts the attention of a nearby police officer, who proceeds to climb the statue to give them a fine, as parking on the statue is only legal on Sundays. In an alleyway, Flug goes over his plan to defeat Sunblast, which involves him tracking the hero's location and 5.0.5 covering him, but doesn't involve Demencia at all, cause he finds her too reckless. Hearing this, Demencia only proves this about herself and immediately disobeys Flug by wreaking havoc in the city in order to get Sunblast's attention, which works, as he arrives shortly after. Sunblast immediately rushes at Dr. Flug *(who hasn't even done anything)*, referring to him as a nerd, which is something he hates, but Demencia proceeds to mercilessly attack the hero with no problem. Flug is not happy with this, as he wanted to stick with his plan, so he grabs a tranquiliser gun and aims for Sunblast, asking 5.0.5 to cover him, but the latter misunderstands and hugs Flug tightly, which results in him accidantally shooting Demencia. With her neutralised, Sunblast easily defeats her, Flug and 5.0.5 and tosses them back to their ship. Shortly after, a Black Hat Organization card lands in Sunblast's hand, intriguing him to pursue the villains, now knowing that Penumbra sent them to deal with him.

On the ship, Flug criticises Demencia for going against his plan, but Demencia drowsily retaliates by saying Flug's plan sucked. Flug is quickly warned by the ship monitor of Sunblast coming their way, which results in 5.0.5 panicking and pressing the emergency button, which makes the ship take off and return to Hat Island (In the process knocking off the police officer from earlier, who had just reached them). This sends Flug into even more panic, as Sunblast is trailing them back to Hat Island, and he knows Black Hat will find out. Right on cue, Black Hat transmits from his office, aware that Flug, 5.0.5 and Demencia are on their way back. Black Hat guesses that this means they have dealt with Sunblast. Flug nervously lies that they have indeed dealt with him, and are bringing him to the lair to show his defeat in person, which delights Penumbra. Once Black Hat hangs up, Dr. Flug freaks out as he doesn't have a plan to deal with Sunblast, but after watching 5.0.5 hug Demencia, who attempts to beat him up, Flug comes up with one.

The scene cuts to Black Hat manor, where Sunblast has now arrived, and demands to know where Penumbra is. Dr. Flug then turns around on a chair, telling Sunblast that he has been expecting him (whilst stroking 5.0.5). After 5.0.5 gets off of Flug (5.0.5 was too heavy), Sunblast taunts the doctor, saying he will not lose his popularity just because Penumbra, Flug, Demencia and 5.0.5 (referring to the latter 3 as a bunch of dorks) are "afraid of a tan". Flug tells the arrogant hero that he has been looking forward to crushing him, coming up with a plan and making his team follow it, but 5.0.5 and Demencia weren't paying attention to him, but then he realised that he had to pay attention to *them*. So he then orders 5.0.5, who was standing behind Sunblast, to "cover" him. The bear proceeds to hug Sunblast, who desperately attempts to escape his grip. He than sees Demencia watching arrogantly says "her again, she couldn't handle me last time." Flug purposely enrages her by telling Demencia, who was jealous of Penumbra thoughout the episode, tells her that Sunblast "thinks Penumbra and Black Hat make a cute couple.". Right on cue, Demencia pounces on Sunblast and beats him up whilst Flug tries not to puke. Sunblast, scratched up from Demencia's attack, acts unphased, saying "that all you got, nerds?", but Flug responds with an "And this." and activates a shrink ray, shrinking Sunblast, after which he traps him in a jar. Penumbra and Black Hat then arrive on the scene, and Penumbra is ecstatic over the hero's defeat.

Back at Black Hat's office, Penumbra thanks Black Hat for his services, while the hero manages to escape the jar in which he was contained, only to be eaten by Demencia shortly after, leading Flug to put a light bulb in the hero's place. Penumbra asks Black Hat how she can pay for his service, to which he makes her sign a contract in which she gives him her soul. Black Hat tells Penumbra that it was a pleasure doing business with her, then tells her to get out, to which she responds by taking the jar containing the light bulb and leaving. Black Hat then tells Flug, Demencia and 5.0.5 that their work was exceptionally *mediocre*, and has a very 'disturbing' way of chewing them out for letting Sunblast into his domain, thinking that he wouldn't notice, which frightens the trio (even Demencia). Demencia asks Flug what the plan is, and he responds by simply saying "run".

During the credits, Penumbra (who still hasn't caught on) goes back to Arteno City on plane where she explains to "Sunblast" her plans to use his power to cure her sensitivity towards sunlight. When she notices that "Sunblast" isn't responding, she mistakes it for him falling asleep.
## Song

*Gather around my children*

*For I have a tale to tell*

*Have you heard the lore*

*Of the most peculiar man of all*

*He's tall and wears a black hat*

*And within the dark he strikes*

*Oh my!*

*No hero dares to stop him*

*They run in terror and fright*

*(If you've been having trouble with any hero or are just a parent with a terrible child, call 1-800-BLACK-HAT)*

*But you've been warned*

*Beware of—*

## Credits

* English version (Original)
* English version (redubbed)
* Spanish version

* **Directed by:**
	+ Alan Ituriel
* **SVP & CM Kids LATAM:**
	+ Pablo Zuccarino
* **Content Director - Cartoon Network Mexico:**
	+ Jaime Jiménez Rión
* **Executive Producer:**
	+ Humberto Cervera
* **Associated Producer:**
	+ Ernesto Aleman
* **Executive Director - A.I. Animation Studios:**
	+ Mayte Sanz
* **Story Editor:**
	+ Diego Valenzuela
* **Written by:**
	+ Diego Valenzuela
	+ Dave Tennant
	+ Alan Ituriel
* **Storyboard by:**
	+ Ariadna "Ami" Guillén
	+ Alan Ituriel
* **Featured Voices:**
	+ Todd Asayer as Dr. Flug
	+ Melaney Sems as Demencia
	+ Mark Fischbach as 5.0.5.
	+ Alan Ituriel as Black Hat
	+ Herschel "IV" Hatcher as Sunblast
	+ Amanda Rose as Penumbra
	+ Oliver Roberts as Goldheart
* **Additional Voices:**
	+ Paxton Greene
	+ Todd Asayer
	+ Alan Ituriel
* **Original Music by:**
	+ Kevin Manthei
* **Audio Services by:**
	+ TRACKS Productions, Inc
* **Sound Design:**
	+ Kevin Sems
* **Animation Productions by:**
	+ A.I. Animation Studio
* **2D Character Animation:**
	+ Carolina Paéz
	+ Rafael Cauich
	+ Stephen Schöer
	+ Andrea Alcaraz
	+ Alan Ituriel
* **Animators:**
	+ Gerardo Oviedo
	+ Diego Mejía
	+ Julio Márquez
	+ Michelle "MBSUX" García
	+ Julliete Urquiza
	+ Brandon Islas
	+ Vanessa Montoya
	+ Adolfo Rodríguez
	+ Emiliano Rangel
	+ Carlos Sánchez
* **Art Department:**
	+ Ami Guillén
	+ Miguel Angel "Thor" Sánchez
	+ Selene Guerrero
	+ Santiago Avila
	+ Karla Castañeda
* **Editing and Post-Production:**
	+ Gerardo Alejandro Oviedo Rodríguez
	+ Carolina Paez
	+ Rafael Cauich
* **Special Thanks to:**
	+ Ian Jones-Quartley
	+ Toby Jones

- **Dubbing Studio:**
	* VOA Studios Miami

- **Translator:**
	* Cindy Perez

- **Director:**
	* Jose Aparicio

- **Sound Engineer:**
	* Nico Chang

- **Voices by:**
	* Alan Ituriel as Black Hat
	* Yian Ruiz as Dr. Flug
	* Cindy Eliz as Demencia
	* Roly Gutierrez as Sunblast
	* Jinon Deeb as Penumbra

- **Secondary Voices by:**
	* Jason Kesser as Super-Sidekick
	* Doug Turkel as Parking Officer

- **Directed by:**
	* Alan Ituriel

- **SVP & CM Kids LATAM:**
	* Pablo Zuccarino

- **Content Director - Cartoon Network Mexico:**
	* Jaime Jiménez Rión

- **Executive Producer:**
	* Humberto Cervera

- **Associated Producer:**
	* Ernesto Aleman

- **Executive Director - A.I. Animation Studios:**
	* Mayte Sanz

- **Story Editor:**
	* Diego Valenzuela

- **Written by:**
	* Diego Valenzuela
	* Dave Tennant
	* Alan Ituriel

- **Storyboard by:**
	* Ariadna "Ami" Guillén
	* Alan Ituriel

- **Featured Voices:**
	* José Antonio Macías as Dr. Flug
	* Melissa Gedeón as Demencia
	* Mark Fischbach as 5.0.5.
	* Alan Ituriel as Black Hat
	* Manuel Peréz as Sunblast
	* Rebeca Manriquéz as Penumbra
	* Edson Matus as Goldheart

- **Additional Voices:**
	* Betzabé Jara
	* Diego Valenzuela
	* Stephen Schöer
	* Alan Ituriel

- **Original Music by:**
	* Kevin Manthei

- **Audio Services by:**
	* TRACKS Productions, Inc

- **Dubbing Recording Studio:**
	* Dubbing House

- **Sound Design:**
	* Kevin Sems

- **Animation Productions by:**
	* A.I. Animation Studio

- **2D Character Animation:**
	* Carolina Paéz
	* Rafael Cauich
	* Stephen Schöer
	* Andrea Alcaraz
	* Alan Ituriel

- **Animators:**
	* Gerardo Oviedo
	* Diego Mejía
	* Julio Márquez
	* Michelle "MBSUX" García
	* Julliete Urquiza
	* Brandon Islas
	* Vanessa Montoya
	* Adolfo Rodríguez
	* Emiliano Rangel
	* Carlos Sánchez

- **Art Department:**
	* Ami Guillén
	* Miguel Angel "Thor" Sánchez
	* Selene Guerrero
	* Santiago Avila
	* Karla Castañeda

- **Editing and Post-Production:**
	* Gerardo Alejandro Oviedo Rodríguez
	* Carolina Paez
	* Rafael Cauich

- **Special Thanks to:**
	* Ian Jones-Quartley
	* Toby Jones

## Cartoon Network/Warner Bros./Hanna Barbera references/cameos

* At the beginning of the episode, three posters can be seen on the side of a building while Penumbra is walking.
	+ One poster shows Plank from *Ed Edd n Eddy* sitting on a chair in front of a microphone with the headline "Plank Live".
	+ One poster shows the titular character of *Courage The Cowardly Dog*.
	+ One poster shows Ami and Yumi from *Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi*. This poster is only seen in the farther shot.
* Later in the episode, there is a poster on the side of a building that shows Bloo from *Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends* wearing a black fedora and playing a string instrument.
* In 5.0.5.'s stuffed animals, there are stuffed animals of Gumball Watterson from *The Amazing World Of Gumball*, Buttercup from *The Powerpuff Girls*, and a Rainbow Monkey from *Codename: Kids Next Door*.

## Trivia

* Episode Lip-Sync: English

* Teaser
* Episode

* Metauro's likeness appears on a totem pole.
* Oddly, 5.0.5.'s drawing did not label Black Hat as his father like in "The Lost Cases of Boxmore", and instead labels Dr. Flug.
	+ He may have stopped considering him as his father.

* During the flash on one of 5.0.5's drawings, everyone disappears besides Black Hat, and he appears to have blood or a red tear coming out of his left eye. Since this is the eye with the monocle, it may imply he lost his eye somehow, or that he would be sad if everyone else disappeared.
* There is a full version of one of the Black Hat paintings which was given out to crew members.
* According to animator Adolfo Rodriguez, Flug's underwear had a pattern of blue airplanes but the design for the underwear was lost so instead they settled on his first name, Kenning, being tagged on the underwear instead.
* According to animator Diego Mejia, Sunblast (among others such as the cheerleader Demencia was devouring and the captured hero in the beginning) were all supposed to die in the pilot but Standards & Practices prevented it from happening.
* The scene where Flug wakes up and 5.0.5. begins cleaning was initially shown in animatic form at ConComics Abril 2019 before being halted due to "confidentiality".

#### Continuity

* Hatbot-ler's hat, the Anti-gravity device from "Horribly Heavy", and the superhero figure Black Hat breaks in "Bigger, Badder" reappear.
* There is a "STAY AWAY DEMENCIA" sign on the door to the lab, which was most likely placed after "The Lost Cases of Beach City".
* Demencia sleeps in a test tube, which strongly implies she is an experiment or has been experimented on. This was alluded to with blueprints in the background of "The Perception of Evil" and "Guide for an Evil Conquest".

#### Cultural references

* The mascot of AI Animation Studios is a part of the pile of stuffed animals on top of 5.0.5.
	+ There are also stuffed animals that vaguely resemble Alan Ituriel, Doraemon from the *Doraemon* franchise, Pikachu from the *Pokémon* franchise, and a Moomin.

- This is the second episode to be livestreamed as well as broadcasted on live TV, the first being "Q&A Black Hat Organization replies".

- 5.0.5.'s design has changed starting with this episode; he now has tufts of hair on his head and chest.
	* This was first shown on images from PodemosBailar.

- The other characters on Cartoon Network Latin America's website had Black Hat's top hat overlaid on them to advertise the episode.[citation needed]

* When Penumbra signs her soul over to Black Hat, a part of her shadow merges with his.
* Alan Ituriel can be seen behind Penumbra in the airplane.
* In Atreno City a license plate reads 17-15 M4Y. May 15, 2017 is celebrated as the beginning of *Villainous*.
* Several lines of the Spanish version were changed due to cultural and censorship purposes. Eg; "Shut up! Goldenheart!" was changed to "Slience, you fool!", as well as how in the Spanish version, Flug tend to refer to 5.0.5. as Panchito (Fluffy/Fuzzybean in English) but called him by his proper name in the English version.
	+ The English redubbed version also had lines changed from the original English version as well.
		- Aside from the scene where Black Hat finds Flug's performance mediocre, Alan Ituriel is the only actor in the original dub whose initial recordings were left intact.

#### Errors

* 5.0.5.'s voice was muted in the redubbed English version.

#### Continuity

* The setting of Atreno City was teased at the end of "Q&A Black Hat Organization replies".
* 5.0.5. wears his maid outfit from Phase One.
* The pictures 5.0.5. drew in the Teaser are similar to the ones in the episode.

#### Cultural references

* While Penumbra is walking through town, there are posters that advertise shows for Ami and Yumi from *Hi-Hi Puffy Ami Yumi*, Courage the Cowardly Dog from the *show of the same name*, Plank from *Ed, Edd, n' Eddy*, and Bloo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
* 5.0.5. has stuffed animals that resemble a Rainbow Monkey from *Codename: Kids Next Door*, Buttercup from *The Powerpuff Girls*, Panda from We Bare Bears, Gumball from *The Amazing World of Gumball*.
* There are stores called "Hot Tropic" and "Sunbucks", which are obvious references to the stores named Hot Topic and Starbucks.
* As Sunblast tosses Flug, 5.0.5 and Demencia back to their ship, Flug screams "Team Black Hat is blasting off again", a reference to the Team Rocket blasting off again running gag from the Pokemon anime series. Also, José Macías is the voice actor of James in the Latin American dub of the anime.
	+ This only occurs in the Spanish version. The English version just has the three screaming.
* The head of Miss Chalice from *Cuphead* can be seen when Sunblast throws the villains across town.

#### Notes

* Consequently, the events of the pilot episode take place before the main series, which is entitled **Episode 0**.

## References

1. ↑ Ituriel, Alan (2019-05-28). Me está encantando el #VillainousChallenge Tanto que les voy a responder algo pequeño de el episodio especial "El Atroz Amanecer" o su título en inglés "The Dreadful Dawn". (ES). Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved on May 29, 2019.
2. ↑ [Network LA] (18-5-2019). Villanos - Episodio Especial - El Atroz Amanecer | Cartoon Network (ES). Archived from the original on May 26, 2019.
3. ↑ Pixelatl (2018-07-23). #InvitadoPixelatl 2018. ALAN ITURIEL. El creador de Villainous de Cartoon Network regresa a Pixelatl y viene con una sorpresa exclusiva para todo sus seguidores: https://elfestival.mx/2018/es-MX/invitados/1282/63/Alan\_Ituriel.html #SaveTheDate 4-8 sep. Cuernavaca, México. Boletos: https://www.elfestival.mx/2018/es-MX/57/58/1213/Compraasigna\_pasaportes.html #Concordia (ES). Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved on September 9, 2018.
4. ↑ El Festival. CONTENT - El Festival. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved on September 10, 2018.
5. ↑ Cartoon Network LA (2018-09-08). Villanos - Teaser Trailer | Cartoon Network (ES). Retrieved on September 10, 2018.
6. ↑ [Network LA] (18-5-2019). #villanos #cartoonnetwork (ES). Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. “¡No podemos elegir un héroe! ¿Ustedes? 🎩”
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/Adolfo\_Tza/status/1144311136030011397
8. ↑ https://twitter.com/bendermejia/status/1404900328781328385
9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8cI\_kFZBLg