Editing Colonel Bleep (section)

==Summary==
[[File:Colonel Bleep intro.webm|200px|left|thumb|Intro for the series]]
[[File:Col. Bleep's Arrival on Earth.webm|200px|left|thumb|"Col. Bleep's Arrival on Earth", which introduces the characters and synopsizes the series]]

In 1945, the [[Trinity (nuclear test)|first nuclear explosion on Earth]] has cosmic effects: Scratch, a hibernating [[Stone Age]] [[caveman]], is awakened/transported to the present by the blast; and the denizens of the possible [[exoplanet]] Futura become alarmed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Markstein |first1=Don |title=Colonel Bleep |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/bleep.htm |website=Don Markstein's Toonopedia |accessdate=2 April 2020}}</ref> The Futurians, an alien race with heads shaped like [[Reuleaux triangle]]s and small, slender bodies, send one of their own, Colonel Bleep, to investigate. Upon reaching Earth, Bleep commissions Scratch as a deputy, with Bleep representing the future and Scratch the past.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981 |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1557-5  |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool |url-access=registration |accessdate=14 March 2020 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool/page/70 70]–71}}</ref>

Representing the present day is Squeak, a [[cowboy hat]]-wearing puppet ("a happy-go-lucky boy...very much like you") and former actor that can move on his own volition but cannot speak (as a puppet, he cannot speak on his own; this concept was eventually abandoned, and Squeak occasionally spoke in some of the later episodes). Together, the three establish a base at [[Null Island|Zero Zero Island]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to protect Earth's [[Solar System]] from extraterrestrial threats.

Colonel Bleep was typically seen with a transparent bubble as a helmet, with a [[Helicopter|helicopter-like propeller]] and two antennae. The propeller, used in conjunction with Bleep's ever-present [[unicycle]], helped propel the creature through space. The antennae shot beams of "futomic energy" (a portmanteau of future and atomic), which could manifest itself in any number of ways, most commonly as a [[raygun]].  The amount of futomic energy Colonel Bleep could absorb at any given time was finite, and in a few episodes he runs out of energy and becomes vulnerable; there were also situations where the heat that the futomic beam generated would pose a hazard and make it an unsuitable choice. His helicopter could also be pressed into service as a drill or auger. Scratch's main weapons were his [[superhuman]] strength and a large [[Club (weapon)|club]]. Squeak, other than his unexplained sentience and ability to move on his own, had no identifiable superpowers.

The series drew heavy influence from the [[Space Age]] of its time. Occasionally, the planet Futura and its denizens would be seen; most of the series took place within Earth's Solar System, with intelligent life forms existing on most planets. [[Interplanetary travel]] was facilitated by [[robot]]s, and a [[space station]], X-1, served as a transportation hub. The accuracy of the science varied widely from episode to episode.

Episodes could follow any number of formats. Training episodes would often follow a format of [[binary opposition]]s in which the savvy learner Scratch would follow Bleep's instructions while the hotshot Squeak blew off his duties and got himself into trouble. [[travel documentary|Travelogues]] featured the trio visiting areas such as the [[Belgian Congo]] or [[New Orleans]], with no substantial conflict. Most commonly, the trio would be pit against intergalactic villains, some of whom were recurring: the hooded archvillain Dr. Destructo, who escaped from the [[rings of Saturn]] early in the series; Bruto the Black Robot, Dr. Destructo's former henchman; Black Patch, a [[space pirate]]; and the [[Black knight|Black Knight]] of [[Pluto (dwarf planet)|Pluto]].