When did Mike first appear on Mystery Science Theater 3000?
Mike Nelson (character)
According to The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Guide, Mike is "as intelligent as the average man", and often displays a comic unawareness of his limitations and foibles. In episode #602 Invasion U.S.A., he builds a robot whose only function appears to be to "destroy...destroy...destroy...". During the eighth season, he manages to contribute accidentally to the destruction of planets in three separate incidents. During Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, one of Mike's mistakes was trying to show off by piloting the Satellite of Love, and ended up crashing into the Hubble Space Telescope before totally destroying it while attempting to separate it from the ship. In episode #911 Devil Fish, he believes his identity has been stolen by a secret government agency merely after misplacing his wallet. He has an older brother, Eddie (also played by Nelson), a chain-smoking, hard-drinking bum who replaces him temporarily in the Time Chasers episode due to Crow going back in time to prevent Mike from getting the temp job which eventually results in his confinement on the SOL. However, this also caused Mike to die a horrible death, which was rectified by Crow going back in time once again, to fix things. Mike is also tapped by Pearl Forrester to provide "a little distraction" while she, Bobo, and the Brain Guy evacuate. This leads to Mike building a bomb out of baking soda and vinegar, and while preparing the bomb, he reminisces about other incidents in which he built such bombs (as "harmless pranks") and ends up lost in traumatic memories, overloading the bomb with too much baking soda. The blast subsequently blows up the entire planet, causing Crow to ask, "Are you out of your stupid, rotted skull, you dumb man?!"