Celebrating the ridiculous moment Megadeth's Dave Mustaine appeared on Daffy Duck spin-off, Duck Dodgers

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Animation)

Posters for Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi horror Alien lured curious cinema-goers to theatres across the world with the tag-line, "In space, no can hear you scream".

Sounds chilling, but it's just simple science. Don't believe us? Sure.

But do take it as fact, as the boffins at the Smithsonian Institute explain: "In space, there is no air, so sound has nothing to travel through. If someone were to scream in space, the sound wouldn't even leave their mouths."

So it comes as no surprise that the title of the Duck Dodgers episode In Space, No One Can Hear You Rock adds irrefutable evidence to that the notion that space is probably a poor place to host a show. Sorry, Muse.

The short-lived Warner Bros. Animation Daffy Duck spin-off show aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang between 2003 and 2005, broadcasting 39 episodes.

On November 5, 2005, the penultimate double-bill (coupled with Ridealong Calamity) threw up something of a surprise, when Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine popped up on the show. Of course, Mustaine is no stranger to television, notching up appearances on Rock N' Roll Jeopardy!, The Drew Carrey Show, Black Scorpion, Behind the Music, I Love the 80s, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and CNN.

In the episode, written by Mark Banker and Kevin Seccia, and directed by Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone, aliens are forcing jazz on the earth, so the Megadeth frontman is brought out of cryogenic suspension to retaliate with some riffs. His memory is partially erased but joins Megaduck on stage and things go awry. Thankfully, his memory is jogged and his bandmates appear to perform Back In The Day from the 2004 album The System Has Failed.

Balance is restored, thanks to the redemptive powers of metal. But in space. With a duck.

Watch a clip of the show below.

In a tweet posted in 2016, Mustaine explained why he chose to participate in an animated series with Daffy.

"I did it for my kids at the time," he explained to a fan. "I wish more dads would put their kids first more often."

The Megadeth frontman made a reappearance in the final episode of the cartoon, but had some harsh words for the feathered space captain after sharing the stage.

"Dodgers is the worst guitar player in existence," he sneered. "He should be behind bars, he's that bad – he's a punk. I really I can't believe they made Dodgers captain; I'd be a better captain than him. I've got my own helmet." Classic Dave.

Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty-six years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press.