THE SECRET FORMULA
is a dark webcomic based on the long-running series SpongeBob SquarePants by Poptartguap. In this comic, Plankton finally learns the truth of the Krabby Patty secret formula... but it is far worse than he could have imagined.
The webcomic is similar to other SpongeBob fan works such as The Bikini Bottom Horror, which also coincidentally has a character being harvested for Krabby Patty meat.
The webcomic provides examples of:
- Adaptational Heroism: Plankton is depicted as being the hero of the webcomic who is appalled upon learning what Krabby Patties were made of. He later avenges SpongeBob and Gary by killing Mr. Krabs.
- Adaptational Villainy: Mr. Krabs was already a greedy cheapskate in the main series, but at the least he still had several redeeming traits that kept him from being truly reprehensible. Here, however, Mr. Krabs is depicted as a vile Serial Killer who harvests SpongeBob for six weeks and even kills Gary for his slime.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Before his Villainous Breakdown, Mr. Krabs shouts, "NO! STOP!" as Plankton is about to tear his arms off in his robot suit.
- Ambiguous Situation: Did SpongeBob disappear six weeks before the comic started or at the beginning of the comic? If the former, why did nobody else investigate SpongeBob's home and come across Gary's corpse? If the latter, why didn't Karen mention it took six weeks to find a clue as to his whereabouts? Why was Gary killed instead of kidnapped for his slime? What happened to Mr. Krabs' other victims?
- An Arm and a Leg: Plankton's arms and a leg are rotted away from being left for dead in a warehouse with SpongeBob's corpse, which started to leak toxins following the latter's death. He's given mechanical replacements by Karen, and Plankton pays Mr. Krabs back for this on top of everything else by ripping off the killer's arms while piloting a mech suit.
- Asshole Victim: To say Mr. Krabs deserved to get killed by Plankton in an understatement.
- Ax-Crazy: Mr. Krabs is a deranged, sadistic, and greedy Serial Killer.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: Mr. Krabs smashes Gary's shell to bits because his slime was an ingredient.
- Big Bad: Mr. Krabs, who is depicted as a greedy opportunist who harvests his fry cook for meat while also implied to have killed many others.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Plankton is left to die in the chamber SpongeBob was trapped in, Karen manages to track him down and tears open the wall to save him.
- Bittersweet Ending: Mr. Krabs is dead and, thanks to Karen, his crimes will be exposed to the public which will clear her and Plankton's names. However, SpongeBob and Gary are also dead.
- Death by Adaptation: Gary is killed by Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob is later given a Mercy Kill by Plankton, and Mr. Krabs is put down via being sliced in half by Plankton's robot suit.
- Death Seeker: SpongeBob, thanks to the state Mr. Krabs put him in. He encourages Plankton to kill him by turning the kill switch lever.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Prior to his Heel–Face Turn, Plankton's evil pride is completely shattered once he finally gets to read what the secret formula is. He also seems to treat killing SpongeBob in particular as unforgivable while confronting Krabs in the warehouse where the fry cook was held and then in the Krusty Krab.
- Everyone Has Standards: While he may have found him annoying, Squidward was shown to be horrified upon seeing the news of SpongeBob's death.
- A Fate Worse Than Death: When Plankton finds SpongeBob, the sponge is emaciated upon being endlessly harvested by his boss, forcing Plankton to Mercy Kill him.
- For the Evulz: After taunting Plankton over his failure to save SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs leaves him to rot in the abandoned warehouse. Worse, the moment SpongeBob died resulted in toxins being released from his body.
- I'm a Humanitarian: One of the ingredients for the Krabby Patty is crab meat.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Sheldon J. Plankton, of all characters, is portrayed as this. After having learned the truth about the Krabby Patty secret formula, he is so absolutely horrified that he goes out of his way to try to warn SpongeBob about it, unfortunately being too late to save him, which he shows remorse over. Initially depressed from this, he sets out to find SpongeBob in Rock Bottom and try to rescue him after Karen convinces him to keep going. When he does find SpongeBob (who has been harvested for his flesh by Mr. Krabs for six weeks) and SpongeBob insists for Plankton to put him out of his misery, Plankton cries and is extremely hesitant to kill SpongeBob, but does so anyway to save SpongeBob from his torture. Later, after Karen rescues him from his imprisonment, Plankton decides to take down Mr. Krabs once and for all to prevent anyone else from going through the same torture SpongeBob (or any other of Krabs's victims) went through. His killing of Krabs, while brutal, is completely justified given everything Krabs did, and Plankton did it for the justice for all the lives Krabs claimed. At the end of the webcomic, having completely subverted all of his corrupting qualities, Plankton and Karen send Gary's ashes to Patrick as a memory.
- Insult Backfire: Mr. Krabs tries to mock Plankton by calling him an insect and that he was a nobody. Plankton acknowledges that he is, but retorts by pointing out that SpongeBob wasn't one.
- Mercy Kill: Plankton regretfully puts SpongeBob out of his misery when it becomes clear that it's too late to save him.
- No-Nonsense Nemesis: After barely being saved by Karen's intervention, Plankton drops all notions of fair play or mercy. Returning to the Krusty Krab in a mech suit to surpass Mr. Krabs' strength, he stealthily grabs him from behind to throw the killer crustacean into his own desk, then immediately rips off his arms to leave him helpless on the ground after being tossed back out into the main dining area.
- Plot Hole: Karen mentions having access to all of Bikini Bottom's CCTV yet finds one that had been illicitly deactivated in the different town of Rock Bottom.
- Say My Name: Mr. Krabs *roars* Plankton's name after he runs away from the Krusty Krab after learning about the secret formula.
- The Secret of Long Pork Pies: This webcomic's entire premise is that Mr. Krabs is a Serial Killer who murders people and uses their flesh to make Krabby Patties.
- Serial Killer: Mr. Krabs not only torturously harvests his fry cook for weeks, but he also murders Gary and, judging from the recipe, killed several crabs, tunas, and anchovies.
- Tyop on the Cover: The title on Webtoon spells "secret" as "SECERT". The cover page uses the correct spelling.
- Villainous Breakdown: Mr. Krabs has one after Plankton is about to kill him after he tore off his krab arms.
- Mr. Krabs: "CURSE YOU, PLANKTON! I... I was never that envious... low-life insect that you are! You can... only dream of me success... and that'll haunt you forever."Plankton: "None of that matters anymore. It all ends tonight."Mr. Krabs: "You're... YOU'RE NOBODY! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ANYTHING! ROT IN HELL, INSECT!"Plankton: "I am nobody... but SpongeBob wasn't."
- Villain with Good Publicity: Mr. Krabs is very beloved by the people of Bikini Bottom and, once he is found dead, Plankton is immediately accused of the murder. However, Karen says that she leaked the truth online so it was inevitable that everyone will learn about his true nature.
- You Monster!: Plankton says this to Krabs after doing a Mercy Kill to SpongeBob.
