David Ryder

"Let's go out there and KICK SOME ASS!"

- Ryder to the engineering crew.

David "Dave" Ryder is the protagonist of the 1988 South African movie Space Mutiny.

He was portrayed by Reb Brown.

A Stingray Viper pilot, the well muscled Ryder was tasked with bringing Professor Thomas Spooner to the generational ship Southern Sun. During the mission his flight was attacked by pirates, and sabotage on the Southern Sun caused his Viper to crash land. While Ryder was able to eject, Spooner was not so fortunate and died in the crash.

After the crash he met Commander Jansen and Captain Scott Devers. Despite some conflict with Jansen's daughter Lea the two quickly became friends and it soon blossomed into love.

When Ryder was able to present evidence to Jansen and Devers that Enforcer Commander Kalgan had started an insurrection on the Southern Sun, the pair fired Kalgan as head of security and appointed Ryder in his place. Ryder was able to rescue Lea from Kalgan's clutches, then led the loyalists to victory over Kalgan and Chief Engineer McPhearson. Kalgan apparently died when the golf cart he was driving collided with Ryder's golf cart, setting off a massive explosion. (Kalgan was later revealed to have survived).

Ryder and Lea continued their relationship, and prepared to marry after the mutiny was put down.

Trivia

 * Reb Brown is married to his Space Mutiny co-star Cisse Cameron, who played Lea Jansen in the film. Her appearance in the film led the MST3K crew to make a number of age related jokes, but she is actually six years younger than Brown.

The Many Names of David Ryder
When MST3K screened the episode, Mike Nelson, Crow T. Robot, and Tom Servo took to giving Ryder a large number of nicknames, which follow below.

Slab Bulkhead • Fridge Largemeat • Punt Speedchunk • Butch Deadlift • Bold Bigflank • Splint Chesthair • Flint Ironstag • Bolt Vanderhuge • Thick McRunfast • Blast Hardcheese • Buff Drinklots • Trunk Slamchest • Fist Rockbone • Stump Beefknob • Smash Lampjaw • Punch Rockgroin • Buck Plankchest • Stump Chunkmen • Dirk Hardpec • Rip Steakface • Slate Slabrock • Crud Bonemeal • Brick HardMeat • Rip Slagcheek • Punch Sideiron • Gristle McThornbody • Slate Fistcrunch • Buff Hardback • Bob Johnson • Blast Thickneck • Crunch Buttsteak • Slab Squatthrust • Lump Beefbroth • Touch Rustrod • Reef Blastbody • Big McLargeHuge • Smoke ManMuscle • Eat Punchbeef • Hack Blowfist • Roll Fizzlebeef