Who's Dying to Be a Gazillionaire?

Not to be confused with  Who Dares to be a Millionaire?

"Who's Dying to Be a Gazillionaire?" is the fifth comic issue, which was released 25 July, 2001 in the US.

Act I
Free Waterfall III is killed for getting the million dollar question on Morbo's game show wrong. The Professor needs to pay one million dollars in back-taxes to the IRS or he'll have to sell Planet Express. Everyone but Fry gives up on the company, however they all do their best to help. Fry signs up for Morbo's game show. To prevent Fry's death, the Professor decides to get a loan from Mom.

Act II
Mom offers instead to buy Planet Express, the Professor rejects the offer. Fry heads to the set of the show and is joined by "answer buddy" Leela. Fry wins the million and avoids his and Leela's deaths by remembering something Scruffy told him. However, the Professor sold the company to Mom already, making Fry no longer qualified for the show. The Professor works out how to get the company back.

Trivia

 * Zoidberg's name apparently means "smarty pants" in Squiddish.
 * In the time challenge on the game show, contestants were to put four planets in order of distance from the Earth, Wernstrom is beaten by Gorgak, Raoul and Fry, however he successfully beat Hattie and Randy.
 * Scruffy now seems much more social.
 * We see more evidence of Fry and Scruffy's friendship.

Alien Language Sightings
Time: Right after Fry figures out the answer to the final question

Location: person from the audience

Language: AL2

Translation: He pulled that one out of his ass

Continuity

 * The Planet Express Ship crashes through a billboard.

Allusions

 * Morbo's show is based on Who Want's to be a Millionaire.
 * Four comic series are listed as having just celebrated their thousandth issue, with Free Waterfall III failling to identify the one that had not. They were:
 * Space Boy in Outer Space
 * Superbot, Machine of Steel
 * Justice League of Central America - not the answer
 *  - as this series, produced by Bongo Comics, ran from 1996 to 1999. It is most likely the answer.
 * The cover makes a reference to The Simpsons.

Special Features

 * Cubert's Guide to Sci-Fi - Pt.1: How to plan your convention weekend.

Characters

 * Amy
 * Bender
 * Cubert Farnsworth
 * Dr. Zoidberg
 * Debut: Free Waterfall III
 * Fry
 * Gorgax
 * Hattie McDoogal
 * Hermes
 * Kif Kroker
 * Leela
 * Mom
 * Morbo
 * Prof. Farnsworth
 * Randy Munchnik
 * Raoul Inglis
 * Sal
 * Scruffy
 * Wernstrom
 * Walt, Larry and Igner
 * Zapp Brannigan

Comic Credits

 * Story
 * Eric Rogers
 * Pencils
 * James Lloyd
 * Inks
 * Phyllis Novin
 * Colors
 * Dave Stewart
 * Letters
 * Karen Bates
 * Editor
 * Bill Morrison
 * Master of Ceremonies
 * Matt Groening