| State University | |
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| State University in Springtime | |
| 1st appearance: | Past Tense |
State University is an institution of higher learning, the alumni of which comprise a huge swath of Ventureverse characters. Many of the show's defining interpersonal relationships were formed during the characters' time at State University.
Because of the seemingly improbable number of characters who attended or taught there, Hank refers to State University as "Super-Crazy Noway School" in Past Tense.
As per a reference by Col. Gathers in The Invisible Hand of Fate, the last flashback to the University occurred sometime before August 23, 1989, the date when the Berlin Wall came down. This likely places Billy Whalen at State in the Spring (judging from the trees around the campus, deciduous and green) of 1989, or possibly the early fall of 1988. Later, Gathers refers to the "Pyramid Wars of 87" as the event that led to destruction of the real SPINX, which is seen in The Invisible Hand of Fate. This serves as a time stamp for the series, giving it both a connection to the real world and a point of reference for all events before and after.
[edit] Faculty
- Professor Hamilton G. Fantomos
Before the accident that turned him into the Phantom Limb, Hamilton Fantomos was a science professor at State University. Among his students were Billy Whalen, Sheila, and Mike Sorayama.
As seen in "The Invisible Hand of Fate", Pr. Fantomos once shared an office with Pr. Richard Impossible, who departed only a short time before Billy Whalen's arrival at State.
It should be noted that Fantomos was evil before the accident- he was not turned evil, but rather was able to realize it with his new powers. His involvement with the Guild may have been a result of his family disowning him for his handicap.
- Professor Richard Impossible
There is only a few passing references to Pr. Impossible's time at State, and it seems that he departed shortly before Billy Whalen's arrival there, as evidenced by the janitor scraping his name off the glass to the office, in "The Invisible Hand of Fate".
It is possible that Pr. Impossible was teaching at State during the time he developed the Goliath Serum, as seen in Ice Station -- Impossible!. Dr. Venture says that Impossible failed him the same semester his father died.
- Professor Mike Sorayama
It appears (from the events in "Past Tense") that Professor Sorayama, created a replicant (or android) of himself (a further reference to Blade Runner) which, in addition to carrying out a revenge plot against Dr. Venture, Pete White, Brock Samson, and Baron Underbheit, continued to conduct classes at State.
Also worth noting is a passing reference which Pr. Fantomos made to Billy in The Invisible Hand of Fate. In reference to Billy's mechanical hand, which had been installed at OSI headquarters.
This statement seems to suggest a few things about Mike Sorayama:
1.) Fantomos calls him "Mike" instead of "Professor", a possible indication that Sorayama was not currently part of the faculty at State. A plausible explanation might place him pursuing a masters degree in robotics at a more specialized school, like the University of Georgia or Carnegie Mellon.
1.a.) If we suppose point 1.), then we are led to ask ourselves a further question: why would a brilliant scientist like Mike Sorayama, clearly highly intelligent and capable of constructing androids with sophisticated AI, be working as a professor at State University? Many characters in the Ventureverse have an obvious failure aspect and a less obvious "winner" aspect (see: Rusty Venture's failure in most things/success with cloning his sons; Jonas Jr.'s defeat in the womb and subsequent growth impairment/success as a commercial scientist; Brock's general bad-assery/inability to have a relationship with the only woman he's ever loved).
Mike Sorayama's failure is obvious: his in ability to actualize his deep feelings for Leslie Cohen. But his success is equally obvious: his Leslie-bots and the doppelganger he constructed of himself are clear examples of his excellence in the field of robotics. It seems improbable that with that level of intelligence, and drive (as demonstrated by the plan for revenge he laid) that he would be teaching undergraduates at State University. Furthermore, the construction of his own doppelganger and that of the Leslie-bots would have required access to sophisticated manufacturing equipment and high grade materials: it's improbable that he constructed them at State University.
Only the replicant Sorayama ever taught at State.
2.) It might be inferred that some of Sorayama's robotic designs had been patented and were available commercially at the time of Billy Whalen's surveillance of Pr. Fantomos, and as such Billy was able to "model" his hand after the commercial version. It is equally possible that the design was from Sorayama's time in college (a thesis, perhaps?), and that Col. Gathers and Agent Samson had access to it because Sorayama was either a contractor or employee of OSI.
[edit] Students
- "T.S." Venture
From a reference by his friend Mike Sorayama to the film Blade Runner, we know that "T.S." (as he preferred in his college years) attended State sometime after June 1982 (which was the release month of Blade Runner).
It is unclear how many years he has been in college when the events depicted in Past Tense occurred, although it is clear that T.S. has spent at least one year at State. It is during his final days at State that T.S. encounters his roommate, Brock, for the first time. In a drunken rage, Brock destroys the room, beating T.S., Peter White, Werner Underbheit, and Mike Sorayama senseless. During the melee, the molar in which Jonas Venture had implanted a tracking chip is knocked out, and the next day Brock delivers the news to T.S. that his father has died.
The inherent symbolism in this event, which fits nicely with the Freudian catch-phrase "All progress begins with the death of the father", demonstrates again the Failure theme: unable to escape the influence of his father, rebelling only in superficial ways (growing his hair long, but still studying science, at which he is a failure), his ignorance of the loss of the tooth (which represents the final bond between father and son), all foreshadow a life a mediocrity. Even his eventual break with his father (the tooth and Jonas' death) is not his own doing, but an accident and coincidence.
Shortly after the news of his father's death, T.S. is involved in a lab "accident" (which was actually the Monarch's first attempt at destroying Dr. Venture). The explosion in the chemistry lab scars T.S.'s lab partner, Werner Underbheit, for life, which results in the Baron's signature metal jaw. Unaware that is was no accident, Underbheit still holds Venture accountable, because in Underland, "...the lab partnership is a sacred trust".
It is within a very short period of time after these two events (Jonas' death and the accident) that T.S. leaves school to take over Venture Industries. Pr. Impossible awards him a "sympathy D" in consideration of the death of his father.
- Brock Samson
Attending State University on a football scholarship, Brock's college experience is characterized by two things: sexual conquest and the death of Tommy the Quarterback. His career at State is short, ending during the first semester, when his football scholarship is revoked as a result of Tommy's death. Little else is known about his time in college, other than he definitely scored with Leslie Cohen, an event which was largely responsible for the events in "Past Tense".
In Eeney, Meeney, Miney ...Magic!, it is revealed that, in addition to destroying hordes of ninjas and finally bedding Molotov Cocktease, one of the things Brock most desire is to be forgiven by Tommy the Quarterback, as, until now, Brock has been unable to forgive himself.
- Peter White
Peter White attended State University at the same time as T.S. Venture, probably majoring in communications. He was roommates with Werner Underbheit, and was a DJ at the college radio station, with his own show, The White Room. He was the first DJ at State to play Bauhaus.
- Werner Ünderbheit IV
- Sheila
- Malcom (The Monarch)
In Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny, The Monarch reveals that during his college years, he spent his time abusing himself to Markie Post, of "Night Court". This gives us another event, like the Berlin Wall, with which to construct a timeline of the Ventureverse: Night Court premiered in 1984.
We also know that the Monarch had left school and was henching for Phantom Limb by the time Sheila arrived at the Citadel of Attribution, which places both Sheila (and by extension Billy Whalen) at State University after the events in "Past Tense".
He also, by T.S. Venture's account, wrote lots of "way too specific poems about Monarch butterflies".
- Mike Sorayama
- Leslie Cohen
Sorayama wanted her. Samson got her. Will we ever see her in the present?
