Erica the Red is a recurring antagonist from the 2016 reiteration of the Cartoon Network original series The Powerpuff Girls, first appearing in the episode "A Star is Blossom". She is the title character of the fictional play "The Ballad of Erica the Red". She is characterized as a viking warrior, who lives in the matriarchal kingdom of Galhalla and whose main struggle in life is her search for a husband.
She was voiced by Cindy Robinson.
Biography[]
In "A Star is Blossom", Jared Shapiro read some magical hymn from a book, which caused a whirlwind of dark magic to form in the sky. Out of the portal came Erica the Red, a villainous viking, riding her motorcycle of terror. She entered the scene and grabbed Jared Shapiro, seeing him as a mate. Erica took Jared off to Galhalla, where she would arrange a forced marriage for themselves. The Powerpuff Girls followed them through the clouds, as they would not allow this to happen.
In Galhalla, Erica the Red and Jared Shapiro's wedding was already starting, and they were being married by a little green demon. The Powerpuff Girls busted in to stop them, and Erica gladly prepared for a fight. She was actually quite happy that they would be crashing their wedding, as she could use a good thrill. As Galhallian tradition stated, if her opponent were to defeat her in battle, the hand of Jared Shapiro in marriage would go to the winner.
Blossom and Bubbles had an argument, which led to a resolution, and a heartwarming moment. Buttercup fought with Erica the Red, while this happened and eventually, she could not do anything else all on her own, so she broke up Blossom and Bubbles' happy little moment and told them that they really needed to take care of Erica the Red.
Bubbles gave Erica the Red a papercut with a cardboard sword, winning the war. Erica the Red admitted defeat and presented Bubbles with Jared Shapiro, as well as her viking hat. Erica stopped her evil ways and sort of became friends with The Powerpuff Girls, even watching the school play of her old life story afterwards and enjoying Bubbles' portrayal of her.
In "Ragnarock and Roll", Erica the Red returned, breaking out of a meteor that crashed down to earth and dramatically introducing herself once again. Erica said that the fortune-telling prophet of Galhalla, known as Tricia the Gray, when Tricia had a vision of the future, saying that a great evil would rise in Townsville and that she was coming down to fight it with the help of The Powerpuff Girls. Erica annoyed Buttercup by constantly touting Bubbles with the title of "the toughest fighter" in the team.
Erica the Great went into town, searching for the great evil and destroying everything that looked suspicious. She picked up the fancy new car of a guy who spent his life savings customizing it and threw it into the sun, then later decapitated a little girl's ice cream cone, smashing a park bench to pieces, and finally attempting to kill The Mayor before The Powerpuff Girls finally stopped her.
Erica the Red was thrown in prison for trying to kill the mayor and Erica cursed The Powerpuff Girls for being so uncool. Erica promised The Powerpuff Girls that if they let her free, she would not hurt The Mayor anymore, only for The Powerpuff Girls to set her free, so that she could immediately attempt to kill The Mayor a second time, which got her sent right back to prison.
Shortly after the second incarceration of Erica the Red, The Mayor received a demonic trumpet in the mail, after his package got mixed up with Satan's, who received a jar of pickles. The Mayor blew his trumpet, which summoned a Lava Monster, who destroyed Townsville.
The Powerpuff Girls went back to prison to get Erica to help them defeat the Lava Monster. Erica refused because of how The Powerpuff Girls betrayed her but Buttercup said that all they did was question her for attacking The Mayor and reminded her about how earlier, she said that a true warrior always questions authority. Erica was convinced and told Buttercup that despite being the weakest, she was clearly the smart one, which led to Blossom getting offended.
Erica and The Powerpuff Girls teamed up to fight the Lava Monster but he was too powerful for them so Erica had to summon a sword called The Endbringer to kill him once and for all. Bubbles turned herself into a battering ram to knock the Lava Monster down, while Erica the Red lept into his mouth and killed him from the inside.
Trivia[]
- Erica the Red is a genderbent parody of Erik the Red.
- Erica's living residence, Galhalla is a parody on Valhalla.
