SharkBoy is a main character and deuteragonist of The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl, and a supporting character in We Can Be Heroes
Appearance[]
As a young child, SharkBoy looks like a young boy with short, spiky black hair, and dark brown eyes. His skin is tanned, and his teeth become shark-like when he goes into a frenzy. His clothing consists of a long, dark gray jumpsuit with lighter gray shark-based armor on top of it. His breastplate covers his upper torso and sides. It has a notable shark teeth impression on the front and a shark fin on the back. The suit also has several pieces of 'armor' that resemble abs. The vambraces on both of his wrists are a dark gray with two small fins on them. His gloves are gray with a dark red on the knuckles. There is additional padding on the knuckles, and the points of his gloves are sharp. SharkBoy has a gray belt and padding on his thighs, paired with tall gray boots with fins on them. He also has a set of shark-themed goggles that he rarely uses.
As an adult, SharkBoy's appearance has shifted as he upgrades his uniform. He wears a solid gray jumpsuit with a deep blue vest over his chest and torso. The front of his vest features indentations that resemble shark teeth, with fin-like ridges protruding under the teeth. He wears a matching blue belt with a yellow Heroics symbol doubling as a buckle. He wears elbow-high blue gauntlets with matching boots. The most visible difference between his former appearance and now is a helmet that covers his upper-face. It features a shark fin on the top.
Personality[]
SharkBoy is rather headstrong and aggressive compared to others in the group. Still, he has a caring side that he's reluctant to show, unless it's for LavaGirl, who he's shown to be protective over. He's occasionally impulsive and sometimes needs convincing to follow a line of logic if it doesn't sound foolproof or if it goes against what he wants to do.
He is hot-headed, and seems to prefer lending a hand rather than a mind to the group overall, willing to follow rather than lead. SharkBoy occasionally gets overconfident in himself.
History[]
Background[]
SharkBoy was originally a human who lived on the ocean with his unnamed father in a marine research base/laboratory. He was described to be a, "marine biologist... in-training," likely to take after his father. While his father researched great white sharks, SharkBoy grew attached to them. He fed them sushi like treats and named them like pets (Goodmilk, Peggy, Eddbat, and Crackett, respectively). He liked the sharks so much his father gave him the nickname of "SharkBoy."
When a mysteriously powerful storm destroyed the research base, SharkBoy and his father were separated at sea. However, due to the kindness he showed the sharks, he was recognized by one and taken to the sharks' home to be raised with them. The sharks are shown communicating with him, and he is not shown interacting with them. His body eventually morphed to become half shark ("Eventually he grew gills, and sharp talons for claws. His teeth sharpened themselves to a point. He grew fins--all sorts of fins.") to adapt.
Max met SharkBoy while the former was fishing one summer. SharkBoy came home with Max and lived in his bathroom for an extended period. SharkBoy told Max about Planet Drool and his journey across the universe in search for his father (it's implied he traveled in a shark-themed rocket ship). He stayed until LavaGirl came to return to Planet Drool to deal with the oncoming crisis. It isn't explained how the two superheroes met nor how long they've been friends.
The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl[]
SharkBoy and LavaGirl appear through a pair of tornadoes in front of Max's school and request that he come with them to Planet Drool. They fly to the planet using a shark-shaped spacecraft, and Max learns that everything he dreamed about is real. Lavagirl explains that darkness is taking over Planet Drool. When they reach the planet, she explains that they came to Earth so Max could save Planet Drool. His dreams are going bad in the Dream Lair, which is across the planet. They have to cross several terrains to reach the Dream Lair, including the Sea of Confusion, which has now frozen over. Sharkboy is upset over the frozen ocean but Lavagirl stops his outburst with her hot touch.
They have to outrun the darkness where they discover a full roller coaster that does ever stop. SharkBoy and LavaGirl work together to stop the roller coaster and save the passengers. They end up on the ride themselves, with SharkBoy shouting out the directions the coaster is heading in so Max and LavaGirl can prepare. They are taken to Mr. Electric's lair and learn that he is taking orders from someone. Max, Sharkboy, and Lavagirl fight plugs when they are captured by Mr. Electric and sent to the Dream Graveyard.
Sharkboy and Lavagirl want to retrieve Max's Dream Journal so he can remember everything and return the world back to normal. Max attempts to fall asleep and dream them out of the graveyard when Lavagirl interjects and asks him to dram about her history. SharkBoy angrily tells her not to distract Max or they could end up in a sea of dreams. SharkBoy is angered by Max's inability to fall asleep and has to be restrained by LavaGirl. The trio encounters Tobor, a robot that Max never finished building in the real world. They are able to ask Tobor anything they want, so he asks Tobor if he's the King of the Ocean or not. Tobor tells him, no, then flies them to the Train of Thought so they can reach the Land of Milk and Cookies and Max can dream.
SharkBoy is repulsed by the chocolate and icing on the cookies. The trio escapes the Cookie Giants, and Max is finally ready to try and dream. LavaGirl attempts to sing Max a lullaby but her voice isn't soothing, so she enlists the job to Sharkboy who breaks out singing The Dream Song. Max begins to have a nightmare so she demands that SharkBoy stop and awakens Max just before Mr. Electric and the Plughounds arrive.
The trio is forced to fight them off, but Sharkboy realizes that his powers are draining even more than before. He is overwhelmed by the plughounds but manages to escape with Max's help. LavaGirl urges Max to dream them out of the Land of Milk and Cookies. He conjures a banana split boat and escapes. She praises him for being able to daydream, for if he is able to master that he can make anything happen at any time. Max uses her finger to draw the Crystal Heart. SharkBoy tells Max that the Ice Princess is the most beautiful girl in the world, resulting in Lavagirl burning him as she disagrees.
They arrive at the ice castle but LavaGirl can't cross the ice bridge without melting it. Max suggests she sleepwalk, and only then is she able to walk across the ice bridge. Plughounds emerge behind her and Max attempts to warn her, but SharkBoy stops him; if they awaken LavaGirl she'll reheat. She continues to walk and a few moments later, SharkBoy fears she won't make it across before the Plughounds catch up and wakes her up, causing her to reheat and melt the bridge as they sprint across. They are intercepted by Mr. Electric and rendered unconscious.
The trio is taken to the Dream Lair where Sharkboy is suspending in the air by a coil. They meet Minus who has taken over Planet Drool using Max's Dream Journal. Minus taunts Sharkboy over his father being at the bottom of the ocean, before telling LavaGirl that once he freezes over the entire planet her powers will be destroyed forever. Minus then locks the trio into a cage where Sharkboy and Lavagirl realize their powers are dying and they can't use them to escape. Sharkboy is irritated by the La-La's happy, high-pitched singing that hurts his highly trained ears. He enters a shark-frenzy and tears the bars off the cage using his teeth, allowing them to escape.
Max steals his journal back and tells Sharkboy his father is alive, but at the bottom of the ocean in a submarine searching for Sharkboy. LavaGirl becomes so excited about her life that she grabs the journal. Her lava-touch causes the journal to disintegrate. She is upset that Max made her out of lava, as she destroys everything she touches. As she vents, Sharkboy tells Max to just let her vent until she's done. She doesn't understand why she and Sharkboy are partners since their natural elements are fatal to one another; she melts near water while he shrivels near heat. Her hair lights on fire so Sharkboy users his powers to put it out. They decide to continue their journey to retrieve the Crystal Heart.
They return to the Land of Ice where Sharkboy scales the iceberg in which the Crystal Heart sits atop. Max warns him to use his claws as touching the Crystal Heart will freeze him instantly. SharkBoy slips and slides down the iceberg, with his back fin becoming stuck. He gives his gloves to Max, who retrieves the heart but drops it when the crack Sharboy caused with his fin splinters the iceberg. LavaGirl grabs the falling Crystal Heart and freezes solid, just as Ice Guardians appear to take the trio to see the Ice Princess. SharkBoy reminds Max to kneel and encourages him to speak to the girl. Once the boys get the real Crystal Heart from the Ice Princess neck, they leave the castle and push Lavagirl with them.
They only have ten seconds until darkness takes over, but the Crystal Heart doesn't work for Max. LavaGirl shatters the frozen cage to tell them that only the Ice Princess can make the heart work, but it's too late as darkness has already taken over. Mr. Electric appears and baits Sharkboy into the ocean, using his impulsive nature against him. Mr. Electric then unleashes a box of electric eels that render him unconscious. LavaGirl has to jump in the water to save him, telling Max that she has to do this as Sharkboy is her best friend. She brings Sharkboy to the surface but the exposure to the water dims her fire too much and she nearly dies.
SharkBoy jolts awake just as the volcano in the distance begins to flame up. He realizes that only he can get LavaGirl to the volcano in time to save her, but Max warns him against carrying her there as he'll burn up, but SharkBoy insists on doing it. As Sharkboy takes her to the volcano, Max dreams of a better Lavagirl. He realizes she's not destruction or Evil - she's light. Sharkboy throws her into the volcano then runs to safety. She emerges from the volcano in a beacon of flaming light. Max joins Sharkboy using his newfound powers. SharkBoy and Lavagirl fight off the Plughounds while Max defeats Minus. Sharkboy rejoins Max and Lavagirl and reveals he's finally the King of the ocean.
Minus tells Sharkboy that he's free to find his father on Earth, everything on Planet Drool will return to normal, and LavaGirl can rule Earth's lava world. Mr. Electric escapes to Earth to destroy the planet, with Max realizing that he's dreaming. Lavagirl tells him to make the dream real, as Max did with Sharkboy and Lavagirl, and dream with his eyes open. When they count to three, Max opens his eyes and awakens back in his classroom.
As the tornadoes tear through Earth, Max's mother is almost sucked into the tornado when LavaGirl appears and saves her. Sharkboy saves Max's father from the opposing tornado. SharkBoy and Lavagirl then safely escort Max's parents to the school. The next day, Max tells his classmates where Sharkboy and Lavagirl are. Sharkboy is King of the ocean and all its creatures while searching for his father's submarine in the darkest parts of the ocean. The only light he has is a place where the light shines almost as bright as the sun, where Lavagirl lives out her dream as Queen of Earth's volcanoes that boil at the bottom of the sea. This is a source of life for all living things. They don't visit Max anymore, but he can visit them in his dreams.
We Can Be Heroes[]
In the year 2020, SharkBoy is married to LavaGirl, and together, they have daughter named Guppy. He is a member of a superhero team called The Heroics, where he fights Evil and defends Earth alongside his wife. He has seemingly mastered his powers and has upgraded his suit from the one he used as a child. He is called into action one day when aliens invade Earth to take over the world. He appeared from the ocean depths when a shark launched him onto a pier of South Padre Island. He uses technology created by Tech-No to fly but crashes into a helicopter. His crash led to his capture by the aliens. He is taken to the spaceship alongside his fellow Heroics and imprisoned in a cell.
The in-fighting doesn't stop in capture, as Blinding Fast complains to SharkBoy that he doesn't communicate with the rest of the team. Marcus quips that if the Heroics had fought the aliens like this, they wouldn't be in prison. Blinding Fast says that's what he's been trying to tell SharkBoy, who throws a shark-shaped boomerang at his head. Miracle Guy taunts SharkBoy by asking him to sing one of his little songs. Sharkboy squares-off with Miracle Guy, though LavaGirl intervenes before the situation can escalate. He is surprised when Guppy and the rest of his teammate's children arrive to save them. He expresses joy over his youngest daughter using her powers to help her team and shares his happiness with LavaGirl.
Later, he charges the new addition to the cells and is easily overpowered by the member, who reveals herself as Grandma Moreno. Grandma Moreno shames the Heroics and SharkBoy for their poor fighting skills. By the end of the day, Guppy and the new generation of The Heroics rescue the rest of the Heroics, SharkBoy included. The children have passed the alien's tests and are deemed worthy of taking over their parent's roles as Earth's heroes. SharkBoy embraces his youngest daughter and wife, ready to live a peaceful life once more.
Powers and Abilities[]
Natural abilities[]
Due to his inhuman makeup, SharkBoy has several advanced abilities. His hearing, instincts, reflexes, agility, and speed are all advanced in comparison to a normal human. Like LavaGirl, he can jump to great heights.
He has the capability to control sharks (and potentially other sea life) as well as talk to them. He can breathe underwater for limited periods.
When he gets enraged/angered, he goes into a mode called "Shark Frenzy." In this mode, he becomes irrationally angry, frantic, and animalistic. He's shown to have further increased strength in this state.
Technology[]
SharkBoy has a Shark Bike. It's implied it runs on regular gasoline. However, the bike ceased to work as Max didn't think to dream of any gas for the bike.
The rocket ship that SharkBoy, LavaGirl, and Max use to fly to Planet Drool seems to belong to SharkBoy, as it resembles a shark.
Relationships[]
SharkBoy's father[]
Since SharkBoy has been looking for his father ever since they were separated and vice versa, it's implied they had a good relationship. SharkBoy is visibly mournful when Minus told him that his father was "at the bottom of the ocean," implying he was dead. He was equally excited when Max told him that his father was alive and in a submarine to search for SharkBoy.
Sharks[]
From a young age, SharkBoy got along with the great white sharks his father researched. His attitude toward them gave him his nickname. And, due to his relationship with them, the sharks gladly took him in as, "one of their own." They happily listened to SharkBoy's command to attack Mr. Electric once the ocean was thawed out.
Max[]
SharkBoy has a positive relationship with Max, albeit competitive now and again. Upon their first meeting, Max took SharkBoy into his own home where Max kept SharkBoy "fed and in water." SharkBoy seemingly enjoyed telling Max about his adventures across the universe.
SharkBoy seems to have a one-sided competitive relationship. He tries to take action first and gives Max negative reactions when Max makes mistakes/messes up. Despite this, he does not hate Max, and is friendly and respectful to him on other occasions.
LavaGirl[]
LavaGirl is SharkBoy's wife and childhood love. They have a pre-established friendship from before "The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl". He trusts and cares for her greatly, to the point where he was willing to risk his life to save hers. When she needed to be thrown into a volcano to recharge her dimmed fire, SharkBoy carried her to the volcano even though the exposure to heat was detrimental to his survival. LavaGirl seems to bring out the best reactions from SharkBoy, often calming him when he's upset and serving as a reminder for him not to act impulsively. It's implied he has a crush on her that she reciprocates, as she kissed his cheek and attempted to put her arm around his shoulders. Their relationship is unique as they are opposing elements that can destroy one another; water weakens LavaGirl while heat causes SharkBoy to shrivel. In fact, as children, her touch sometimes caused his skin to burn. In their later years, they married and had daughter together, Guppy.
Mr. Electric[]
Due to their different alignments, they're naturally enemies. SharkBoy hates Mr. Electric for his attempt to corrupt Planet Drool. While he's more vulnerable to Mr. Electric's attacks (as he prefers to be in water, a conductor for electricity), he still attacks him and his minions as much as possible.
Gallery[]
- Main article: SharkBoy/Gallery
Trivia[]
- SharkBoy's teeth change shape and position throughout the movie. Sometimes they resemble humans, sometimes they are sharp like those of a shark, and other times, a combination of the two species (probably to give Lautner ease in performing his lines).
- SharkBoy is shown to keep raw fish on him for extended periods of time.
- He seems to see no issue with this while Max showed disgust at the month-old, foul-smelling fish.
- He doesn't like, nor can he consume, human food such as chocolate and frosting. He shows a visible disgust at the taste.
- This is either because he hasn't had "human food" since he was very young, or because his body can no longer tolerate the substances due to his prolonged time in the ocean.
- SharkBoy's advanced senses can cause overstimulation.
- This overstimulation has been shown to lead to the aforementioned Shark Frenzy.
- SharkBoy is one of the few characters in The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl without an apparent real-world counterpart.
- For the film We Can Be Heroes, Robert Rodriguez decided to make SharkBoy into a real person as opposed to a character in a dream to legitimize the Heroics team.[1]
- In We Can Be Heroes, "Sharkboy" does not speak, however when he hugs Guppy and Lavagirl, his laughter is heard.