The Adventure Begins (Spongetastic Adventures)

The Adventure Begins is the pilot episode of Spongetastic Adventures. In this episode, SpongeBob and friends go on an adventure with a famous explorer. The transcript can be viewed here.

Characters

 * Mailfish (debut)
 * SpongeBob SquarePants (debut)
 * Eugene H. Krabs (debut)
 * Squidward Tentacles (debut)
 * Sheldon J. Plankton (debut)
 * Karen Plankton (debut)
 * Gary the Snail (debut)
 * Patrick Star (debut)
 * Ike Steelshark (debut)
 * Bob the Pilot (debut)

Synopsis
SpongeBob brings in the mail at the Krusty Krab, which includes a letter from an "Ike Steelshark". Suddenly, Mr. Krabs bursts in and says that Ike Steelshark is the greatest, and more importantly, richest explorer in the ocean. He reveals that he entered himself in a sweepstakes to get to go on a cross-ocean expedition with Ike and that he won. He also decides to invite SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward as his three guests.

Meanwhile at the Chum Bucket. Plankton is spying on the Krusty Krab. He discovers that Krabs won the sweepstakes, which Plankton had entered. Plankton reveals to Karen that he had wanted to win the sweepstakes and go on the expedition so that he could steal the Great Krabby Idol from the Ancient Temple of the Cheapskates, something the two rivals have been searching for for years. He decides he's going to have to follow Krabs and get to the Temple first...

SpongeBob goes to his house and tells Gary that he's leaving. He also calls Patrick, who's at an impression class, and tells him about the expedition.

SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs meet Ike at the Bikini Bottom Airport and they board Ike's personal plane. Plankton, communicating with Karen via radio, sneaks into their luggage. He is crushed by Ike's harpoon while in his briefcase.

In a montage, SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and Ike travel to a tundra, a desert, a jungle, and a few other places. Plankton continues to follow them, but gets crushed several times. At a particularly harsh desert, Plankton sabotages their radio equipment and tricks the group into destroying most of the rest of their supplies. Plankton boards the plane, using dummies he packed to make it look like SpongeBob and friends are onboard. The plane heads towards it's last stop, Cheapskate Island, where the Great Krabby Idol is.

SpongeBob and friends find Plankton's radio, which he dropped while moving the dummies, and call Karen. Patrick does a perfect Plankton impression to trick her into sending a Chum-Plane. The group use the plane to get to Cheapskate Island.

Meanwhile, Plankton barely passes the Temple's traps. SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs use the Temple's elevator to follow Plankton while Ike tries to get through the traps alone. They tackle Plankton just as he's about to pass the final trap, a password test. Plankton tricks Mr. Krabs into saying the password, "penny", and everyone does a mad dash for the final chamber. The group argue about who gets the Idol. Mr. Krabs wants to sell it for a fortune, Plankton wants to so he can hold it from Krabs unless he gives him the Krabby Patty Secret Formula, Squidward wants to be famous for discovering it, and SpongeBob and Patrick want to keep it where it is. While they're arguing, Ike arrives and stealthily takes the Idol, wanting it as a trophy, and escapes with it. This triggers a giant boulder, which SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward run from. Mr. Krabs and Plankton are too busy arguing and are crushed. Ike escapes with the plane, but crashes in the ocean due to Plankton leaving the plane on, using up all of the fuel. Mr. Krabs and Plankton run out of the Temple, chased by the boulder. Ike is crushed by the boulder, destroying the Idol. SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Ike's assistant, Bob, escape in the Chum-Plane while Krabs, Plankton, and Ike fight over the broken pieces of the Idol.

Trivia

 * This episode is the series pilot.
 * This episode is a two-parter.
 * This episode features actor Hugh Jackman as Ike Steelshark.
 * The ending sequence with a temple full of traps and an idol is a reference to the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 * Ike Steelshark is a reference to Crocodile Dundee as well as Steve Irwin.