Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Season 1, Episode 6 Recap: The Beyonder

In almost every episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, a mysterious male voice narrates the villain’s backstory. But who is Backstory Man? In season 1, episode 6, his identity is finally revealed.

He’s the Beyonder — a mischievous, all-knowing cosmic entity who loves musical numbers and chaos. He has blue hair, black-and-orange skin, and can shape-shift, teleport, and create illusions. With vast knowledge of the universe, he was sent by his species to study humans. He finds Lunella fascinating because of her intelligence and wants to learn more about humanity from her.

However, the timing of Beyonder’s arrival couldn’t be worse. Intermediate School 833 is hosting a science fair where the winner gets to visit the Wakanda Outreach Center. Lunella’s partner, Eduardo, is goofy and well-meaning, but he wants to make a sound machine, while Lunella wants to invent a fuel efficient energy source. 

Lunella works on her science fair project, while Eduardo struggles with his sound machine. Lunella calls him useless, which gives Beyonder an idea. He reveals his true motive for studying humans — he wants to see if humanity deserves to exist. Thanks to Lunella’s comment, he thinks she is the only valuable human and the rest are worthless. Lunella pleads with Beyonder to spare humanity, and he says he’ll reconsider…if she wins the science fair with Eduardo.

Lunella wants to fix the situation by herself and works on her machine. Eduardo tries to help her, but he is shocked when he finds out she built her project without him. He feels rejected and decides to work on his own machine. Meanwhile, Beyonder warns Lunella that he knows what she is up to. Lunella regrets underestimating Eduardo and decides to help him with his sound machine. However, their invention falls apart in front of the judges. To make things worse, Beyonder destroys the Earth, leaving only Lunella and Devil Dinosaur behind.

However, the Beyonder reveals that it was all an illusion and admits he’s impressed by how creative and complex humans are. Lunella and Eduardo get honorable mentions, while two students who levitate themselves with giant magnets win the science fair and the trip to the Wakanda Outreach Center. The Earth is safe for now, but Beyonder says he may come back someday.

Highlights & Easter Eggs from Season 1, Episode 6: 

• If the Beyonder sounds familiar, he’s voiced by Laurence Fishburne — who’s also one of the co-creators and co-executive producers of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
• This version of the Beyonder is different from the one in the comics. In the comics, he was fascinated with Earth’s superheroes and was responsible for the epic Secret Wars crossover.
• Since episode 2, Backstory Man/Beyonder only speaks when he reveals a villain’s backstory. Moon Girl has hinted from the beginning that Beyonder would be a future antagonist in the series. 
• The subway car in Lunella’s lab has Beyonder’s name in graffiti on the side. If you rewatch season 1, you’ll notice it’s always there.
• This episode reveals that Wakanda exists in this universe. It shows the “Wakanda Forever” arm cross and the silhouettes of Black Panther, Shuri, and Okoye.
• Song of the week: “The Beyonder” sung by, well, the Beyonder.
• The Beyonder’s preference for “animated versions” mocks Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic animated films. To say reactions have been divisive is an understatement.
• Beyonder plays “Symphony No. 616 in B minor” while he destroys humanity. This is a reference to Earth-616, where most Marvel Comics stories take place. It could also refer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe being the new Earth-616. It’s complicated.