Two Black Clouds members from the Rhinestone Eyes storyboard.
The Black Clouds, also known as The Pirate Jets were an underground network of pirates and assassins led by Malthus, a demon of weaponry and underworld armourer. Their best known associate is the Boogieman.
History[]
After Murdoc broke out of jail in Mexico with his associate Pablo, the pair began a career in arms dealing. They started using the Hell Hole at Kong Studios to send weapons to the underworld. Eventually, Murdoc scammed a organisation that turned out to be The Black Clouds by selling them fake and broken weaponry he had purchased from a country in the process of upgrading.
The Black Clouds helicopters appeared in the El Mañana music video to terminate Noodle as a warning to Murdoc not to cross them again. Noodle survived the attack by parachuting off the island before the final explosion, and the helicopters actually killed Jimmy Manson, a criminal locked up inside the windmill who was double crossed by Murdoc. After the video's shoot, Noodle was nowhere to be found, leaving behind only a used parachute. The Black Clouds were indirectly mentioned at the end of Rise of the Ogre.
Years later the Boogieman kidnapped 2-D as a part of the deal between him and Murdoc. It quickly became apparent that Murdoc scammed him and the Boogieman sent The Black Clouds again to hunt him once and for all. In order to escape them Murdoc quickly moved to the remote Plastic Beach after burning down the Kong Studios and cashing in on the insurance money.
In the Stylo music video a hitman played by Bruce Willis. hired by The Black Clouds is sent to hunt down Murdoc, 2-D and Cyborg Noodle, but is ultimately unsuccessful when the band escapes by driving into the ocean. The Pirate Jets are seen again in the On Melancholy Hill music video attacking the ship M. Harriet that Noodle was on. During the Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour Murdoc, 2-D and Cyborg Noodle spent the entire tour locked in the dressing room while the Gorillaz Live Band took over the stage thanks to the Boogieman's help.
The Black Clouds later picked up transmission from Murdoc's Pirate Radio Show and discovered his whereabouts. Rhinestone Eyes storyboard shows the Pirates finally reaching Plastic Beach in the April of 2011, fighting Noodle, Cyborg Noodle, Russel and the collaborators of Plastic Beach. They can also be heard attacking the island in Pirate Radio Episode 5. During the siege of Plastic Beach the Boogieman who came to take Murdoc's soul was tricked into collecting the wrong soul after Murdoc hired The Imposter Murdoc to work as a double. After the Boogieman collected The Imposter's soul Murdoc's debt was fulfilled and grudges were set aside. It can be presumed that the remaining forces of The Black Clouds all perished at the battle of Plastic Beach.
Trivia[]
- The members of The Black Clouds seen in the Rhinestone Eyes storyboard represent actual members of the Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour live band, those being Damon Albarn, Cass Browne, Mike Smith, Jesse Hackett, Paul Simonon and Jeff Wootton.
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