Magiswords Trilogy

The Magiswords Trilogy is a fan-made series of stories created by Frozarburst that began around the same time as Toon Wars' release as a humorous miniseries in the form of Fusion Wars before the main crossover series. However, after its initial release, it was received so well that it was expanded into a trilogy that coincided with Toon Wars before merging into its main story following the Samurai Jack arc. Magiswords: Fusion Wars was released on December 28, 2017, while Pax Morbidia was released on March 5, 2018, and Magiswords Echoes was posted on June 12 of the same year, ending on November 19 just a month before the initial release of Toon Wars: The Final Days.

## Development

The Magiswords Trilogy originally began with Fusion Wars as a single two-part story that was meant to be a parody of Hasbro's *Transformers: Combiner Wars* cartoon, which was generally panned by critics and fans of the franchise. Around this time, Frozarburst was making the finishing touches on the introduction to Toon Wars, but during the early phases of development for the Final Days arc, he discovered Cartoon Network original series, *Mighty Magiswords* by Kyle A. Carrozza, starting with the Academy Shorts to a majority of the series up to the season 1 finale, *Quest for Knowledge.* Though the show was received with mixed to poor reviews with rather poor viewership, Frozarburst saw potential in some of the characters other than the main cast and decided to use them in his *Combiner Wars* parody, *Fusion Wars*, which would joke with concepts from Hasbro's series like introducing the mysterious Combiner Magisword/Blade of Combination that combines the users into one being. Though it was meant to be a joke and was unimportant to Toon Wars at first, which was released a few days afterward, the two-part story was received positively by both fans of the show and new viewers of Frozar's content, making a name for himself thanks to his story, new concepts, and fan art to support it. It also became the first non-crossover fanfiction about the series to be posted on Fanfiction.net and for himself. This, along with the success of Toon Wars, prompted Frozar to make a brief followup to the ending of part 2 with two more chapters to explore the lore he inadvertently introduced in the first half of the miniseries, and hint at potential future stories with the characters.

During the production of the Gumball Saga, Frozarburst worked with Eternos137 from Deviantart and Fanfiction.net to make another brief miniseries titled Pax Morbidia, which would focus on the character Morbidia stopping an unstoppable threat. It would merge both creators' ideas and create the concept of Magiswords that could grant the user special abilities when fusing multiple swords at once. Since this was entirely based around humor to ease the tension of Toon Wars, Frozarburst decided to set the miniseries between the events of Fusion Wars Parts 2-3. And though the cliche "It was a dream" reveal was disappointing to some, and lacked any artwork, the fanfiction was still very well received. After its release, the Samurai Jack Saga was posted.

It was at this point that Frozarburst decided to make a third and final installment titled Magiswords: Echoes, which would introduce the cartoon to the main Toon Wars series following the end of the Samurai Jack Saga. At the time of its development, the original Magiswords series was releasing its first batch of episodes for season 2, which Frozarburst originally thought was not going to happen due to poor ratings and marketing. However, this was achieved should the show have been a success for Cartoon Network. Since he made Fusion Wars to be more like a sequel to the series since it begins right after the ending scene of the season 1 finale, this concerned him. Luckily, Frozarburst managed to craft the story in a way that it could avoid any mistakes in the timeline, having it occur 2 years after the Jack Saga and Fusion Wars. Since Magiswords was filler based as well, this meant that not every episode directly influenced the crossover. Magiswords: Echoes also had the luxury of giving minor characters from the show more development and things to do; as was the case most prominently with Professor MaBarnacle (who was created by TheGreatLukeSki for one episode in the series), Princess Zange, Nyando, and Plunderbite. In addition, certain characters like Vambre and Prohyas were given more of an arc around themselves that could be merged with episodes from the original show, such as the Warriors' obsession with Magiswords, or Familiar's self doubt in himself. Since the story was supposed to be the last Magiswords-focused fanfiction Frozar would write, it was made into an extended 10-part miniseries, making it the longest story he had to release as a result of numerous delays from college, multiple individual character scenes, development on the Final Days, and a lack of early drafts. Despite its troubling making and over abundance of characters during the final battle , Magiswords Echoes was well received in both story, characters, and artwork and to many was considered the cartoon's ultimate finale as it was prematurely canceled by Cartoon Network on August when it released the final batch of episodes for free on the website before unceremoniously closing it. Though the series was streamed again on Hulu, it too received very little attention. However, it's legacy continued in the form of several fan-works and crossovers featuring its cast.

Although the trilogy was over, Magiswords characters would be frequently used by Frozarburst in both fan art and *Toon Wars: Shorts* as part of the primary cast*.* And certain characters would be given a hugely important role in *Toon Wars: The Final Days,* which concluded the Toon Wars series.

## Story

### Original Series

In the original series by Kyle Carrozza and Cartoon Network, which Fusion Wars occurs after, it was heavily centered around the Warriors for Hire going through multiple shenanigans and quests that often always involve them collecting or utilizing a sword with magic-based abilities to help others or themselves. Their origin was explained in the two-part special "Quest for Knowledge" where we learn that their mother, Kablammica Warrior, was a famous warrior of the land and had used Magiswords before, giving them the motivation to find more, starting with their time at the Adventure Academy where they first met their friends and sometimes rivals and their professor Cyrus, who confiscated a number of their Magiswords for not being a part of the curriculum and just making things way too easy. Despite their continuous ridicule from both Cyrus and others, they still continued their collection to the point where it became an obsession of theirs. Eventually, in the second half of Quest for Knowledge, Cyrus vaguely tells them about the legendary Knowledge Magisword and that in order to find it, they must use a map that their peers have the other pieces to, which they use to locate the sword in a hidden room in the old academy, only for the Warrior's rival Glori, who was made evil by them when they dejected her in her debut "Biggest Fan," to get it first and find out it was just a mind reader. She used it to attack everyone when they all went in unplanned, but Vambre and Prohyas used their Magiswords and Vambre's brain to defeat their former fan. Afterward, the others give them the new sword; some in humiliation, others feeling as though they've earned it not realizing the logic behind it, and Glori is sent to the academy detention room. However, while she's in there and the Alumni Melee Brawl is going on, Vambre and Prohyas use the Knowledge Magisword to summon Bunky the Closet and get their confiscated swords back without Cyrus looking.

### Fusion Wars

Right after the events of the cartoon episode, Glori managed to escape the detention room and steal the Knowledge Magisword from Vambre and Prohyas along with their entire collection at night. The two of them scramble back to the academy for help from Cyrus and some of their peers, who seem all too disappointed in them for using the new sword to steal. This is especially concerning to their professor since he knows if Glori learns how to merge the swords together with the Knowledge Magisword, she will accidentally unleash a powerful alien titan who was sealed in it years ago after coming to Earth to try and purge it of all life. The only way to defeat her is by using the hidden Blade of Combination to fuse into the legendary warrior Centurion, who is strong enough to defeat her. Together, the Warriors for Hire with Cyrus, Cattus, Witchy Simone, Bimm, and Familiar combine into the great titan and go out to battle Fusion, who was in possession of all their Magiswords and Glori. It was until Centurion managed to heavily wound her that a defused Familiar could deliver the final blow that destroyed her for good, saving Glori and freeing all the Magiswords stolen by her. Realizing the danger Fusion could have inflicted, Glori reconciles with Prohyas and Vambre and decides to turn a new leaf starting with repairing any damages and returning all the confiscated swords to Bunky. The Warriors for Hire at first disagree with her plan until they're convinced all this was partially their fault for stealing the swords in the first place, though they still hold onto the Knowledge Magisword and get their collection back with their friends' permission.

Following the end of Part 2, however, it is revealed a week later that Fusion was an invader sent by a mothership crew trying to purge the world for colonization. Since Fusion was destroyed, they set out to destroy the world with their ship's planet buster, sending tuning forks down to direct the laser. This forces Centurion to return and battle through the mothership members with help from the returning Phibby Croax before eventually reaching the cruiser's bridge and battling their leader, Lord Green/Omega Fusion. This all ends when Bimm distracts Omega long enough for Cattus to bring her down permanently with the Combiner Magisword and destroys the planet buster and mothership saving the day once more. However, the power source needed to combine anyone into Centurion was deactivated by Omega before her demise.

### Pax Morbidia

Taking place in between Parts 2 and 3 of Fusion Wars, Pax Morbidia centers around Morbidia trying to form an elaborate plan to destroy a supposedly unstoppable monster that seeks to destroy the land after a failsafe was activated by all the Magiswords for their neglect and misuse. Her plan focuses around the concept of Trinity Forms, which were individual transformations achieved when three Magiswords are combined to grant the users special abilities. In the end, Morbidia's plan succeeded, but she along with the other heroes minus those missing in action like Bimm or Danelda were killed. However, it is quickly revealed that it was all a lengthy dream by Prohyas that was caused after he became one of Centurion's components, thus beginning part 3 of Fusion Wars.

### Echoes

A few years into the Toon Wars, Vambre and Princess Zange are one day captured by a mysterious robot army known as the Echo Corp. The Toon Force, who have allied with the Adventure Squad after the Samurai Jack Saga, help them prepare for a potential invasion and send an away team (consisting of Familiar, Cattus, Prohyas, Phibby, Glori, and the pirates) to their space station that's holding Vambre and Zange captive. After a clever trap was used to take out a majority the team, the others on the surface are forced into a full scale battle known as the Siege of Rhybloflaven. Around this time, Cyrus reunites with an old team of his own known as the Savage Six, consisting of himself, Frank Paul, Professor MaBarnacle, Old Man, the Mysterious Hooded Woman, Kablammica Warrior, and a currently missing individual named Marty. Although the power source needed to combine others into Centurion was previously destroyed, Jimmy Neutron invents an alternative that reactivates the Combiner Magisword and allows for Bimm, Simone, Danelda, Hoppus, Gateaux, and Morbidia to fuse into the alternate fusion Combaticus. Soon, the armies begin to lessen in numbers, and the remaining members of the away team free the Princess and Vambre and destroy the Echo Factory. However, when Vambre and Prohyas Warrior personally set out to confront the mysterious villain in charge of the whole operation, they are beaten severely by him and cast back down to Earth. The rest of the team along with Zange decide to take him on together and learn that DeBizz was behind it all seeking to test his robot army to sell them for profit to space terrorists across the galaxy while also gaining more from an unknown individual who tasked him with finding the Knowledge Magisword for him, which he uses instead to power his new Commando Suit. Luckily, after a long fight, the villainous businessman is defeated and the space station is destroyed while the Echo Troops are all deactivated by the Toon Force.

### Aftermath

Following Magiswords Echoes, the Adventure Squad remained prominently allied with the Toon Force up until the very end where the organization decided to disband after 5 years of service, thus leading into the events of Toon Wars: The Final Days. Bimm and a half-dead Witchy Simone would be the sole survivors of Lyvsheria and go on to join the Toon Force on their journey to save the multiverse from a mysterious Virus Entity. Come the end of the saga, they are reunited by Familiar and a handful of other cartoons, forging the Final Magisword to purge the Toon God and the Virus Entity from the multiverse, allowing Jimmy Neutron to use the Fourth Wall to completely revert Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon to a peaceful state, merging them into the Toonverse.

## Time Placement

Since *Mighty Magiswords* was not a story-driven cartoon, it made it easier for Frozarburst to make his trilogy. However, there are occasional references to previous episodes from the series which suggests the trilogy takes place after its final episode. Fusion Wars Parts 1-2, specifically, is set directly after the end of Quest for Knowledge, but between it and Parts 3-4, it is possible to see the rest of the actual show before getting into Pax Morbidia and the remainder of Fusion Wars. This means that episodes focused on certain characters (such as *Like Water for Bimm* or *Status of Cattus*) could potentially occur before Parts 3-4, even if they aren't brought up in the story.

Outside of the show's run, the Cartoon Network official crossover special which Prohyas and Gumball cameo in, *Crossover Nexus*, takes place somewhere prior to the initial act of the Nicktoons Saga before the Syndicate could fully manipulate those from the other dimension, which explains how they were able to discover so many worlds in a short amount of time without the need for further research. Magiswords: Echoes, specifically, takes place 2 years after the Samurai Jack Saga but 3 years before Toon Wars: The Final Days.

## Trivia

* Despite seeing as much of the original series as possible, almost all of Frozarburst's fanfictions lack a majority of the characters from *Mighty Magiswords* other than those reintroduced in Echoes. Phil and Penny Plasm, however, were later brought back for *Toon Wars: Shorts,* while others are either unknown or have been confirmed to have died during Echoes.
* Fusion Wars was the first time Frozarburst made a fanfiction that was not a crossover. Though some hints in the fanfiction suggest part of Fusion's story came from *Steven Universe.*
* Part of the way Fusion Wars fits in with Toon Wars is similar to how movies for individual characters merge with full crossover events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
* Out of all the characters in the show, Cattus the One Blade, Princess Zange, Witchy Simone, Bimm, and Familiar are Frozarburst's favorites; both to watch and to write and draw. He also admits he dislikes Vambre and Prohyas Warrior but doesn't mind writing them into his fan works.
* Interestingly, there was at one point a Magiswords app introduced along with the show, but it was underutilized by fans and average mobile users. As indicated in the show, when a certain icon appeared or the narrator says "Choose your Magisword," the player would earn information on the chosen sword or the one seen in the episode. But beyond that, nothing else happens. In addition, since Magiswords rarely aired anywhere, it meant that the app couldn't have been used unless the episodes in question had aired. Due to this, the app was quickly abandoned by Cartoon Network. Though the narrator in both the game and the show, voiced by Arin Hanson, would be reused frequently in the trilogy and Toon Wars, sometimes to the point of annoyance to the characters.
* The Magiswords Trilogy was the first fan-series to be released by Frozarburst on Magiswords' Amino App. Fusion Wars is also the first non-crossover fanfiction related to Magiswords to be posted on Fanfiction.net, and Frozar's fan art featuring Professor MaBarnacle, Nyando, Cyrus, and Plunderbite would be the first for all the characters. Storyboarder Luke Ski, who voiced Cattus and created MaBarnacle, also discovered his artwork and confirmed this.
* Due to Frozarburst's art style, almost none of Kyle Carrozza's style was carried over to his artwork. This is due to Frozar's emphasis on relative proportions and an attempt at a more realistic but consistently stylized approach. The first noticeable difference in design is with Cattus, who's given shoulder guards and a less-pudgy body type (which would later be altered to look more like the original while still staying consistent with the style and design).
	+ Oddly in concept art, background characters or actual people with names Frozarburst had not drawn at all were kept consistent with Kyle's art style despite his attempt at altering them in some way.