317:
At the end of the film, Agent Barton mournfully recites the list of J-Men who supposedly gave their lives in the epic struggle against the Bug. The Chief laughs, then starts choking on a cigar he is smoking. After he stops choking, The Chief points out that J-Men are flexible enough to survive any
210:, embodied by garish villains from several serials, attempts to take over the world with rock and roll. He later adds sex and drugs when music alone doesn't work. He explains his changing appearance by saying, "I'm bringing all five of my costumes!" The Lightning Bug is voiced by legendary radio
29:
228:. They appear in period-style black and white sequences that are used to frame the re-dubbed clips of car chases, explosions, flying men, sinister villains and villainesses, fights, and various other perils that are strung together in a somewhat incoherent
310:, the Military Underground Sugared Airwaves Command), then with a bomb to blow up the Lightning Bug's base on the Moon. However, the Lightning Bug beats them to it, by turning his stereo up too loud and blowing up the Moon himself (and all of
864:
646:
252:, whose car is booby trapped and then run off a cliff. The Bug, his henchmen and henchwomen (including the villainess Sombra) are opposed by the J-Men, a group of government agents hired by the legendary
259:
Besides the Chief and his bumbling sidekick, Agent Barton, the J-Men include Agents Spike, Claire and Lance, Buzz
Cufflink, Yank Smellfinger, James Armhole, Rocket Jock (clips of
804:
850:
357:
The film did not get notice during its theatrical run, but two years afterwards was popular enough when it was brought up by
International Harmony head Stuart Shapiro on the
896:
639:
653:
318:
life-threatening situation, and the final clips (from the following week's edition of the serial) show exactly how each J-Man escaped their particular peril.
730:
889:
716:
555:
621:
702:
797:
660:
1025:
776:
744:
688:
1030:
843:
303:
1015:
681:
548:
709:
695:
607:
395:
281:
1005:
825:
614:
1020:
276:
541:
471:
Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, and cheapold
Republic serials:the loopy brilliance of 'J-Men Forever'!|Dangerous Minds
61:
437:
914:
580:
363:
271:
75:
47:
470:
381:
265:
818:
1010:
783:
737:
723:
811:
790:
564:
291:
1000:
965:
448:
296:
198:, re-dubbed with comic dialog to tell a tale of world conquest by sex, drugs and rock and roll.
415:
758:
503:
192:
949:
388:
229:
184:
459:
426:
857:
253:
28:
871:
590:
368:
307:
299:. Many of them appear to die horrible, inescapable deaths in the course of the film.
180:
83:
51:
994:
751:
674:
346:
334:
311:
260:
241:
667:
585:
327:
249:
195:
481:
248:, who are hypnotized or otherwise prodded into killing themselves, and bandleader
978:
944:
939:
575:
358:
245:
211:
79:
519:
330:
214:
306:(Federal Culture Control), opposing the Lightning Bug with Muzac (created by
342:
338:
865:
Back From the
Shadows: The Firesign Theatre's 25th Anniversary Reunion Tour
526:
514:
188:
508:
497:
533:
286:
460:
FANTASIA OBSCURA: A Recycled Serial Made Rock ānā Roll|REBEAT Magazine
179:, originally titled "The Secret World War", is a 1979 comedy film by
647:
How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not
Anywhere at All
922:
537:
314:
in the process, which the J-Men consider a "double victory").
819:
Duke of
Madness Motors: The Complete "Dear Friends" Radio Era
371:. It was released on DVD November 19, 2002 by Cult DVD.
805:
Shoes For
Industry: The Best of the Firesign Theatre
958:
932:
906:
881:
835:
768:
631:
599:
164:
156:
146:
123:
113:
105:
97:
89:
71:
57:
43:
35:
21:
738:Anythynge You Want To (Shakespeare's Lost Comedie)
240:The Bug's first victims are square record moguls
640:Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him
549:
8:
897:The Firesign Theatre's Big Mystery Joke Book
654:Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers
556:
542:
534:
27:
18:
622:Nick Danger: The Case of the Missing Shoe
890:The Firesign Theatre's Big Book Of Plays
408:
302:The J-Men work in cooperation with the
285:; who transforms by using the phrase "
703:In the Next World, You're on Your Own
7:
745:Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death
689:The Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra
661:I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus
295:), Sleeve Coat, Juicy Withers, and
217:(also called "Machine Gun" Kelly).
844:Not Insane or Anything You Want To
14:
918:(voiced by Proctor and Bergman)
682:Roller Maidens from Outer Space
275:), the Caped Madman (clips of
117:Pan-Canadian Film Distributors
1:
710:Just Folks... A Firesign Chat
269:), the Lone Star (clips from
1026:1970s English-language films
696:Everything You Know Is Wrong
289:"), Spy Swatter (clips from
282:Adventures of Captain Marvel
826:Dope Humor of the Seventies
615:A Firesign Chat with Papoon
1047:
119:International Harmony (US)
1031:American spy comedy films
571:
396:Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
224:and Philip Proctor plays
183:and Peter Bergman of the
26:
851:What This Country Needs
266:Radar Men from the Moon
1016:1970s spy comedy films
191:using film clips from
784:Forward Into the Past
724:The Three Faces of Al
416:Turner Classic Movies
812:Papoon for President
565:The Firesign Theatre
382:What's Up Tiger Lily
333:features music from
220:Peter Bergman plays
966:Proctor and Bergman
1006:1970s parody films
769:Compilation albums
449:Head East|AllMusic
367:to the point of a
16:1979 American film
1021:1979 comedy films
988:
987:
791:Lawyer's Hospital
759:Bride of Firesign
482:DVD Savant Review
438:Night Flight Plus
254:J. Eager Believer
206:In the film, the
172:
171:
109:Richard H. Theiss
39:Richard Patterson
1038:
959:Related articles
950:George Tirebiter
558:
551:
544:
535:
484:
479:
473:
468:
462:
457:
451:
446:
440:
435:
429:
424:
418:
413:
389:Hercules Returns
187:. The film is a
185:Firesign Theatre
139:
137:
31:
19:
1046:
1045:
1041:
1040:
1039:
1037:
1036:
1035:
991:
990:
989:
984:
954:
928:
902:
877:
858:Fighting Clowns
831:
764:
731:Eat or Be Eaten
717:Give Us a Break
627:
595:
567:
562:
532:
493:
488:
487:
480:
476:
469:
465:
458:
454:
447:
443:
436:
432:
427:Video Detective
425:
421:
414:
410:
405:
377:
355:
324:
272:Captain America
250:'Screen' Dorsey
238:
204:
149:
142:
135:
133:
126:
118:
82:
78:
66:
64:
50:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1044:
1042:
1034:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
993:
992:
986:
985:
983:
982:
975:
968:
962:
960:
956:
955:
953:
952:
947:
942:
936:
934:
930:
929:
927:
926:
919:
910:
908:
904:
903:
901:
900:
893:
885:
883:
879:
878:
876:
875:
872:Radio Now Live
868:
861:
854:
847:
839:
837:
833:
832:
830:
829:
822:
815:
808:
801:
794:
787:
780:
772:
770:
766:
765:
763:
762:
755:
748:
741:
734:
727:
720:
713:
706:
699:
692:
685:
678:
671:
664:
657:
650:
643:
635:
633:
629:
628:
626:
625:
618:
611:
603:
601:
597:
596:
594:
593:
591:Philip Proctor
588:
583:
578:
572:
569:
568:
563:
561:
560:
553:
546:
538:
531:
530:
517:
506:
494:
492:
491:External links
489:
486:
485:
474:
463:
452:
441:
430:
419:
407:
406:
404:
401:
400:
399:
392:
385:
376:
373:
369:cult following
354:
351:
323:
320:
277:Captain Marvel
237:
234:
203:
200:
181:Philip Proctor
170:
169:
166:
162:
161:
158:
154:
153:
150:
147:
144:
143:
141:
140:
129:
127:
124:
121:
120:
115:
114:Distributed by
111:
110:
107:
103:
102:
99:
95:
94:
91:
90:Cinematography
87:
86:
84:Philip Proctor
73:
69:
68:
67:Willy Schopfer
65:William Howard
62:Patrick Curtis
59:
55:
54:
52:Philip Proctor
45:
41:
40:
37:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1043:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
998:
996:
981:
980:
976:
974:
973:
972:J-Men Forever
969:
967:
964:
963:
961:
957:
951:
948:
946:
943:
941:
938:
937:
935:
931:
925:
924:
920:
917:
916:
912:
911:
909:
905:
899:
898:
894:
892:
891:
887:
886:
884:
880:
874:
873:
869:
867:
866:
862:
860:
859:
855:
853:
852:
848:
846:
845:
841:
840:
838:
834:
828:
827:
823:
821:
820:
816:
814:
813:
809:
807:
806:
802:
800:
799:
798:Box of Danger
795:
793:
792:
788:
786:
785:
781:
779:
778:
774:
773:
771:
767:
761:
760:
756:
754:
753:
752:Boom Dot Bust
749:
747:
746:
742:
740:
739:
735:
733:
732:
728:
726:
725:
721:
719:
718:
714:
712:
711:
707:
705:
704:
700:
698:
697:
693:
691:
690:
686:
684:
683:
679:
677:
676:
675:How Time Flys
672:
670:
669:
665:
663:
662:
658:
656:
655:
651:
649:
648:
644:
642:
641:
637:
636:
634:
632:Studio albums
630:
624:
623:
619:
617:
616:
612:
610:
609:
605:
604:
602:
598:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
581:Peter Bergman
579:
577:
574:
573:
570:
566:
559:
554:
552:
547:
545:
540:
539:
536:
529:
528:
523:
522:
521:J-Men Forever
518:
516:
512:
511:
510:J-Men Forever
507:
505:
501:
500:
499:J-Men Forever
496:
495:
490:
483:
478:
475:
472:
467:
464:
461:
456:
453:
450:
445:
442:
439:
434:
431:
428:
423:
420:
417:
412:
409:
402:
398:
397:
393:
391:
390:
386:
384:
383:
379:
378:
374:
372:
370:
366:
365:
360:
352:
350:
348:
347:Billy Preston
344:
340:
336:
332:
329:
321:
319:
315:
313:
312:New York City
309:
305:
300:
298:
297:Admiral Balzy
294:
293:
288:
284:
283:
278:
274:
273:
268:
267:
262:
261:Commando Cody
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
242:Lawrence Milk
235:
233:
231:
227:
223:
218:
216:
213:
209:
208:Lightning Bug
201:
199:
197:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
177:
176:J-Men Forever
167:
163:
160:United States
159:
155:
151:
145:
131:
130:
128:
122:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
85:
81:
77:
76:Peter Bergman
74:
70:
63:
60:
56:
53:
49:
48:Peter Bergman
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
25:
22:J-Men Forever
20:
1011:Collage film
977:
971:
970:
945:Rocky Rococo
921:
913:
895:
888:
870:
863:
856:
849:
842:
824:
817:
810:
803:
796:
789:
782:
777:Dear Friends
775:
757:
750:
743:
736:
729:
722:
715:
708:
701:
694:
687:
680:
673:
668:TV or Not TV
666:
659:
652:
645:
638:
620:
613:
608:Dear Friends
606:
586:David Ossman
525:
520:
509:
498:
477:
466:
455:
444:
433:
422:
411:
394:
387:
380:
364:Night Flight
362:
356:
328:classic rock
326:The movie's
325:
316:
301:
290:
280:
270:
264:
258:
239:
226:Agent Barton
225:
221:
219:
207:
205:
175:
174:
173:
148:Running time
125:Release date
979:Americathon
940:Nick Danger
915:B-17 Bomber
907:Video games
836:Live albums
576:Phil Austin
359:USA Network
292:Spy Smasher
101:Gail Werbin
93:Bruce Logan
80:M. G. Kelly
58:Produced by
36:Directed by
1001:1979 films
995:Categories
933:Characters
403:References
331:soundtrack
322:Soundtrack
308:M.U.S.A.C.
246:Jive Davis
215:M.G. Kelly
152:73 minutes
44:Written by
343:Head East
339:The Tubes
222:The Chief
98:Edited by
527:TV Guide
515:AllMovie
375:See also
193:Republic
189:pastiche
165:Language
106:Music by
72:Starring
353:Release
287:Sh-Boom
202:Summary
196:serials
168:English
157:Country
134: (
335:Budgie
304:F.C.C.
882:Books
600:Radio
361:show
279:from
263:from
923:Pyst
504:IMDb
345:and
244:and
236:Plot
230:plot
136:1979
132:1979
524:at
513:at
502:at
997::
349:.
341:,
337:,
256:.
232:.
212:DJ
557:e
550:t
543:v
138:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
