Now, Manny, we have work to do. The divine angel who is your mother is coming to visit! And we must… clean up this mess, at once!
Oh, you gotta hear this story! [Flashback story begins with his parents walking through the park and Maria pushing him in a baby carriage as a baby; voice-over] When my folks first got married, Mom used to think Dad being White Pantera was cool. Then, one day…
FRFlashback Rodolfo
[changes into his White Pantera identity and runs over to stop El Mal Verde, who's causing trouble] Halt, fiend! So says, White- [gets smashed repeatedly by El Mal Verde's metal club; El Mal Verde laughs and walks away; holds up a thumbs up, beaten and battered as Maria runs over to him while carrying Baby Manny]
[voice-over as Maria starts hyperventilating] It was the first time she saw my dad get hurt, and she totally lost it.
[Fade to giant monster creatures attacking the city, and Manny, now a toddler]
[voice-over] Maria didn't want me to be a superhero anymore. She couldn't stand to see me in danger. But I could not ignore the crisp, clean refreshing call of crime fighting! It is in my blood! [Maria watches in horror as he gets beaten up by the giant monsters, then starts hyperventilating in panic, pulls her hair, and screams] In the end, she could not stand it anymore. [Fade to her packing up her suitcases] She had to… [sobs] leave me!
Maria[kisses Manny on the forehead, then stands outside the front door as Rodolfo looks on in heartbreak] I'm sorry, but I married the man, not the mask.
[The door closes in front of her and Granpapi enters a split second later]
[voice-over] I moved in to make sure Rodolfo and Manny would be okay. Also because I crashed my evil headquarters of evil. Maria's career as a mariachi singer took off after that. She traveled the world, performing for adoring fans everywhere, even Luxembourg! Manny goes to visit her every month.
[Cut to Manny first getting his El Tigre belt]
[voice-over] I got my El Tigre belt after Mom went on tour. [changes into El Tigre for the first time; end of flashback] And I, uh…haven't had a chance to tell her about it yet.
Dude, she is gonna freak when she finds out!
I know. So that's why we gotta clean. If my mom sees all this wreckage, she'll know we've been doing superhero stuff, and she'll freak out.
[agitated] I just asked why you gotta hide stuff! You don't gotta tell me your whole life story, man!
Hurry! Maria will be here tomorrow! And I will once again behold a sweet goddess without whom my life has become a pit of misery. And who I never think about anymore.
Didn't I tell you? Maria called to say she's coming early. She should be here in about, eh… no minutes.
[The doorbell rings and Rodolfo freezes in fear, realizing that Maria has arrived]
Move it, people! We've got evidence to hide!
[Manny, Frida, and Grandpapi rush around the house, cleaning up the mess and covering El Oso with a blanket, disguising him as a chair]
He's frozen in fear of seeing his one and only true love, who he never thinks about anymore.
[Rivera House; Rodolfo and Maria discuss with their son about sending him to a charm school in Switzerland if he gets expelled]
Manuel Pablo Gutierrez O'Brian Equihua Rivera, if you get expelled, we are going to send you to a charm school.
Maria
In Switzerland.
[Manny reacts with horror and opens his mouth to scream, but is confused to see his grandpapi doing it]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! No grandson of mine is going to a charm school! Or to Switzerland! It is.... unnatural.
Nonsense! It will be good for Manny. They will teach him punctuality, etiquette, and how to knit cute little tea cozies.
MGManny & Grandpapi
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maria
I'm sorry, mijo, but you have to take responsibility for your actions. Make us proud.
[Little later, Manny walks into his room, sulking, and closes the door behind him before leaning against it]
[kicks the door down, which lands on Manny; panicking] If I get expelled, my parents are gonna send me to military school! Can you think of anything worse?!
This is serious, dude. If we get sent to different schools, we'll never see each other again. We cannot be late tomorrow.
Right. We got work to do.
[Manny spin launches Frida all the way to school, making her save herself and arrive just in time]
[catches his daughter; proudly] Frida, I knew you could do it.
RMRodolfo & Maria
[concerned] Where's Manny?
[Vice Principal Chakal chuckles evilly, believing Manny is gonna be expelled if he arrives late]
ETEl Tigre/Manny
[facing Señor Siniestro] Looks like I'm gonna learn to knit tea cozies.
Maria
[as Manny makes it school, just in the nick of time; happily] Manny, we are so proud of you!
ETEl Tigre/Manny
[weakly] Hooray.
I was finally going to be rid of him!
I was finally going to be rid of him!
[his mustache piece falls off; enraged at Sergio with a background of fire] YOU'RE LATE! 500 DETENTIONS!
[Sergio screams in shock]
Everything worked out great, Manny. There's just one problem.
ETEl Tigre/Manny
My shattered spine?
We gotta keep getting here on time every day for the rest of the year.
[Manny faints and passes out]
Maria, I must speak to you… alone. [Cut to them in his room] I am concerned that…
Maria
[notices the painting of herself up on the wall] Rodolfo, what is that?
What?! Nothing! I put it there to cover a hole. [clears throat] Maria, I am concerned that Manny is being led astray by his Grandpapi's criminal misdeeds.
Maria
[holds up a book of "Kids Manny's Age"] Kids Manny's Age are susceptible to their grandparent's influence. It's a fact.
We need to discuss the possibility of… Grandpapi moving out of the house.
[hearing his parents' discussion through the walls] No! He can't leave! Grandpapi isn't a bad influence on me.
How'd you learn to eavesdrop like this?
[Manny and Maria are eating at Burritos Explosivos for lunch]
Thanks, Mom. Burritos Explosivos is my favorite!
Maria
[sees a bull's head on the wall] Oh, mijo, look. Remember when you were younger and that bull used to freak you out?
Mom, I was a little kid, then. [An explosion blows the bull's head from the wall and it lands in his lap; screaming frightfully]
ETEl Tigre/Manny
[after taking down El Oso] Mom, may I be excused from the table to take El Oso to jail?
Aw, man, I almost got rid of the prison lice. And I'm gonna bust out again, anyways.
ETEl Tigre/Manny
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Maria
Manny, wait, he's right.
ETEl Tigre/Manny & Customers
He is?
Maria
Yes. Since I've been back, you fought El Oso 17 times. He doesn't need jail, he needs to change.
ETEl Tigre/Manny
Villains can't change, Mom.
Maria
Well, maybe they would, if someone taught them about compassion and anger management. Oh, and how to be lice-free.
ETEl Tigre/Manny
I really think...
Maria
No, Manny. My mind is made up. I'll make Miracle City a better place from the bottom up. This I swear!
Maria
[drops the "One Week Without Evil" cake on the ground when she sees the fighting] What's going on?
ETEl Tigre/Manny
Why don't you tell her, Dr. Betrayal?
Uh… We were just, um… We were…
We were about to pull off the heist of the century, man. The Miracle City Mint.
Maria
But, you said you wanted to change.
We lied. Dr. Chipotle Sr. advises you to DEAL with it.
Maria
[incredibly infuriated] DEAL WITH IT?! YOU SORRY, STINKING HALF-TIN MAN! YOU AIN'T GONNA ROB THE MINT ON MY WATCH!
BBully
We know that your father is a coward!
[Manny and all the other students react in complete shock]
[changes into El Tigre and hangs the three bullies up on the chandelier; angrily] It's not nice to spit lies about my father!
BBully
It's no lie. We heard the man at the bodega say White Pantera once ran away from a fight with... El Mal Verde.
ETEl Tigre/Manny
My father is no coward! LIAR!
Maria
[off-screen] Manuel Pablo Gutierrez O'Brian Equihua Rivera!
SStudents
Librarian! [they all escape from the hallway]
Maria
Put down those unsanitary boys and come here, right now. [gestures to Frida as she's about to walk away] You too, Frida.
BBully
[as Manny grumpily puts him and his friends down on the floor; smugly] Lucky your mom showed up.
[Manny gives them a death glare, causing them to scream and crash into the lockers as they try to run away]
Those jerks insulted the Rivera family name! They made up some crazy story about Dad running away from a guy called, El Mal Verde.
Maria
[gasps in horrified shock] El Mal Verde.
Who is this guy? He sounds like bad salsa.
Maria
El Mal Verde is the biggest, meanest, most vicious bandito of all time! Every 10 years, he comes down from the peak of Mount Tortura and attacks Miracle City. Once, some superheroes went to stop him, but they… [starts to hyperventilate] Then your father, he went up, too, and…
Maria
[gasping and panting] And… you should talk to him about it!
[Manny kicks the school library doors open and enters, after his conversation with his father, feeling bad-tempered]
Maria
Oh. You spoke to your father?
[grumpily] Huh, you mean the coward?!
Maria
[having to hear that; sharped] Manny!
It's true! He ran from a fight! He tarnished our family name, Mom!
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera · 255 quotes
