Superhero Sibling Rivalry

**"Superhero Sibling Rivalry"** is the first segment of the third episode of the first season of *Hamster & Gretel*, and the fifth episode overall. It is paired with "Close Shave" and premiered on Disney Channel on August 20, 2022. On August 17, 2022, this episode was released early on Disney+.

After endless arguing, Kevin decides to become Gretel's "nemesis", as they take a break from each other. This leaves Hamster and Gretel to fight FistPuncher and The Destructress, a pair of supervillain siblings, without Kevin's help.

## Plot

After a week of seemingly endless bickering, Carolina tells Gretel and Kevin that they need a break from each other, which they accept. Hamster and Gretel depart to fight twin villains The Destructress and FistPuncher, while Kevin decides to go to the mall with Fred. However, Kevin is unable to enjoy his time there due to continually worrying about Gretel. Meanwhile, Hamster and Gretel at first have an easy time with the villains, but they incapacitate the heroes by trapping them under a large pile of heavy objects and vehicles. Gretel calls Kevin to tell him about the situation and he rushes down to the scene.

Once he arrives, he whitnesses The Destructress and FistPuncher arguing with each other, which he uses to his advantage by tricking them into lifting the objects off of Hamster and Gretel, disguising it as a game show. This then allows Hamster and Gretel to defeat the villains, who are trapped under many heavy objects. On the way home, Kevin and Gretel reconcile, both being glad that they do not treat each other the way The Destructress and FistPuncher treat each other.

## Cast and characters

* Meli Povenmire as Gretel Grant-Gomez
* Michael Cimino as Kevin Grant-Gomez
* Beck Bennett as Hamster
* Carolina Ravassa as Carolina Grant-Gomez
* Matt Jones as Dave Grant
* Alyson Stoner as The Destructress
* Brock Powell as FistPuncher, Animus Machina
* Joey King as Fred Grant

### Additional voices

* Michael Cimino
* Carolina Ravassa as Speeding Villain, Skeleton Villain, Businesswoman
* Brock Powell as Dock Worker
* Isaac Robinson-Smith as Emergency Procedures Man

## Transcript

*Click here to read the full transcript of **"Superhero Sibling Rivalry"**.*

## Background information

### Trivia

* It is revealed that Hamster and Gretel can lift up to 157 tons between the two of them, while The Destructress and FistPuncher can lift up to 156 tons.
* This episode was released early to Disney+ on August 17, 2022.

### Allusions

* ***Phineas and Ferb*** - Near the beginning of the episode, Kevin and Gretel are at the drive-thru window of Slushy Burger, a fast-food chain that (along with its affilliate, Mr. Slushy Dawg) appeared numerous times throughout the series.
* ***Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs*** - Gretel remembers Snow White letting animals lick the scraps off the dishes, in reference to the original fairy tale and 1937 Disney animated film.
* ***Match Game*** - During the song "How Much Can You Lift?", one shot displays spinning panels showing FistPuncher, The Destructress, and Kevin, similar to the opening sequence of this game show when the panelists are introduced.
* ***Who Wants to Be a Millionaire*** - One shot of FistPuncher shows four answer panels (two panels in two rows), with the words "How", "much", "can you", and "lift?" in each of the four panels during the song. These panels are very similar to the panels shown during a question in this game show.
* ***Family Feud*** - The last shot of the song has all five words ("How much can you lift?") in five separate panels displayed on a board (two short panels in two rows, one long panel stretching across below them), and The Destructress and FistPuncher standing at a podium with two buttons determining who answers first. This is a reference this popular game show, where the top answers are displayed on the board, and two people from their respective families stand at a podium and try to press the button quickly to find out who gets to go first.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/shows/hamster-gretel/episodes/superhero-sibling-rivalry-close-shave/
2. ↑ https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-8-20-2022-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html