Muscles Gator
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| Debuted: 2015 |
| Retired: N/A |
Muscles Gator (also known as Muscles Muscles) is the name given to a small anthropomorphic plush alligator sometimes seen on the stream. His name is derived from the pose he's in (flexing his arms) as well as his yellow tank top with a barbell on it that simply reads "MUSCLES". He is a Dakin plush manufactured in 1983. Whenever Muscles is on camera he is usually sitting on a shelf in the background or next to the microphone on the table. As of 2023 he sits atop one of the Prize Boxes just out of sight of the primary camera however he is visible on the Loot Cam in GatorUNbox.
Muscles was eventually given his own emote, "GBmuscles", a small full-body icon showing off his signature flexing pose. A slightly different crop of the image with the word "FLEX" added also exists within the Gatorbox channel on Twitch. In 2018 a replica of the character's iconic yellow "MUSCLES" tank top was made available in T-shirt form through the Gatorbox store.
In 2021 viewer n0tthedoctor found another Muscles plush and sent it to the Gatorbox post office box as part of a Viewer Mail segment. Unlike the original Muscles Gator plush this one is seen wearing a white tank top with the "MUSCLES" barbell on it. Draco was amused by the different tank top but was confused as to what to name him since "Muscles" was already taken. Chat suggested "Luigi" as a play on the Super Mario Bros and Draco went along with it naming the brother Luigi Muscles and retroactively renaming the original plush character to Muscles Muscles. Luigi was eventually renamed to "Flex" when work on the character's game began.
Yet another plush variant was found in 2023 this time featuring the same flexing alligator wearing an orange hat and sweater with a large "F" on it. It is assumed this plush was made as a tie-in for the University of Florida whose sports team mascot is an alligator. Draco was able to obtain one and dubbed him "Brainy" and said he's the long lost third Muscles brother who went off to higher education but still made time to go to the gym. A second University of Florida plush was found with a knitted letterman jacket. This one was named "Sporty" due to the fact that letterman jackets are traditionally associated with varsity sports teams and are a symbol of athletic excellence.
A fifth gator was shown on stream in early 2025 wearing a white tank top that read "Natural Athlete". Draco stated that he'd never seen this variant before and bought it the moment he found it. This Muscles brother does not yet have a name. Draco has stated that he's aware of a sixth plush that is also wearing a white tank top except this one says "USA" on it. The USA tank top variant has preemptively been named "Patriotic" even though Draco doesn't have one in his collection at this time.
Variants
- Muscles: Yellow "MUSCLES" tank top. The original character that started the trend.
- Flex: White "MUSCLES" tank top. Sent in by n0tthedoctor. Formerly named "Luigi".
- Brainy: Orange "F" shirt.
- Sporty: Navy knitted letterman jacket.
- Patriotic: White "USA" tank top.
- (Unnamed): White "Natural Athlete" tank top.
Canon
Muscles has a minor following with fans of the stream who've imagined him as a sort of side character. He is seen as a goofy meathead who is obsessed with fitness and working out and is easily confused by technology; he is prominently seen in the Incoming Transmission countdown timer that runs before every Friday show where he expresses bewilderment at a small Game Boy. Muscles is a lovable "gym bro" who would be more than happy to let you borrow his weights or share his protein shake recipes with you which he will only do if you can beat him in arm wrestling.
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| Introduced: 2017 |
| Retired: N/A |
| Shortcut: GBmuscles |
| Source: Dakin plush circa 1983. |
Game
In late 2021 Draco began preliminary work on a game titled Super Muscles Bros. starring the two gators. In this game Jessie is kidnapped by two evil snake characters named Tina and Jake and it's up to Muscles and Flex to make it through the levels of the game to rescue her. Gameplay is designed to be a cross between a 2D platformer and a beat 'em up. Players can collect fruit and ingredients as they play and in between levels meet with Brainy who will use these items to create protein shakes that will grant them special abilities for the next level such as a double jump, increased melee damage, or the ability to throw projectiles. Sporty makes occasional cameo appearances by way of billboards and advertisements endorsing various products as a famous sports athlete.
No further work has been done on the game aside from its abstract as Draco would need artists and programmers to make the game a reality. The project has been set aside until finances allow it to proceed.