Phil
From Bonus Stage
Phil Argus is a co-star of Bonus Stage. He is easily irritated and generally unhappy due to being constantly subjected to the wacky shenanigans of his companions, if you could call them that. Unlike Joel, Phil has more common sense and often questions everything. However, it is hinted throughout the series that he isn't well educated, which often causes him problems.
Phil's personality has evolved over time. Though he has never lost his cynical angst, he has grown noticeably more energetic throughout the series. For example, in Character, Phil embodies the stereotypical loser moping around the house. As Joel said, he "needed some character development." By the seventh season, Phil seemed to be growing more fed up with his situation and began to lash out more often. This change may in part be due to the switch in voices between him and Joel, which, according to Rya, may also have had some effect on his intelligence.
Even though Joel is Phil's supposed friend, all Phil ever does is complain about how stupid Joel is and how all his ideas suck. Despite this, Phil still hangs around with Joel. It wasn't until Evil's New Groove, that Phil came to the conclusion that he needed the counterbalance that Joel provided in his life. Yet, this has not stopped Phil from seeking opportunities to distance himself from Joel on occassion (FifeCon, Joel Goes to College).
The only person in Bonus Stage that Phil seems to tolerate is Elly, who he has a crush on. However, Elly has done nothing but reject Phil, despite his sometimes desperate advances. Elly's recent relationship with Andrew has rekindled the flames of Phil's passion for her into a blazing bonfire of bitterness and violent rage.
He seems to have bad luck when it comes to girls. There was Candice Jones, who drove Phil away by being too emo. Then there was Michelle, who was sent to the Phantom Zone and even shot by his goatee. The girlfriend that he had the most in common with turned out to be his female clone. It was revealed in Rya's Wedding that Rya was built by Joel to be yet another girlfriend for Phil, but this intention has never played out (despite speculation that the two had begun to fall in love with each other), and, due to her permanent death in Ryaconning, never will. All this past history explains Phil's reluctance to form a romantic relationship with Cassidy, despite Joel's attempts.
In High Score, Phil obtains super-powers in the episode Superphil. This relic from High Score was carried on into the Bonus Stage universe and is sometimes relevant to the plot. His rarely seen super-powers re-emerged in Revenge of the Pathetic, where he used them to fight Evil. Among his various abilities are super-strength, flight, laser-fingers, laser-eyes, super-ears, regeneration, force fields, "Elegant Spinning Destiny", and the ability to make objects disintegrate by touching them with his bare fingers, as shown in Virtual Finger (though that one hasn't really been continuous). He also possesses the Philarang. Despite all these super-powers, he doesn't seem to be especially resistant to harm.
After their adventures on Hydrox, Phil was ready to resume a normal life back on Earth. Or at least, Bonus Stage's equivalent to normal. However, in Just Passion Through, he grew tired of Joel's ideas and decided to travel to the past and prevent Bonus Stage from ever happening. Later, in Fission Mailed, he almost succeeded in preventing Bonus Stage's existence, by causing himself and Joel to die before they had the ability to be revived. Phil would have succeeded if he had not given the Time Machine to himself in GRUFFO. Elly, June, and Brad were able to find the remote and travel to the past. While they were not able to stop Joel from killing himself, they were able to salvage a device that secures the existence of Episodes 2-86.
Fun Facts
- Phil apparently shares his birthday with Satan, judging from First Cursh, meaning Phil's birthday falls on October 22nd.
- His eye colors switch from pink (Virtual Finger) to red (Life in the Blast Lanes) back to pink (Fickle Nickel) and then to light ocean blue (Legionally Blind).
- When questioned about his awkward posture by his past self in GRUFFO, Phil stated that he had a nail in his back that was causing the problem.
- He also saw his past self as "an asshole," and his past self thinks of his future self as "a retard."
Filmography
- Debut: E Quest (High Score), Car (Bonus Stage)
- Final Appearance: The FAT of the LAN
- Complete Filmography
Character Design
Also Known As...
See Also
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