T.O.M 3.5 Era (apr 1, 2012 – jan 6, 2013)
Description:
TOM 3.5 was the sixth host of Toonami and the fifth incarnation of TOM after TOM 4. TOM 3.5 was voiced by veteran voice actor Steve Blum. This version of TOM remained in service for nearly a year, from May 26, 2012 to April 20, 2013, when he was upgraded to TOM 5 without explanation. His backstory has yet to be revealed and most likely will remain that way. TOM 3.5's routine differed slightly from that of his predecessors to compensate for the block's low budget on Adult Swim. During his hosting period, he delivered new messages with each weekly Toonami opening. He also started promoting Twitter Hashtags for Toonami series by including them in intros and bumpers.
TOM 3.5 was revealed to the public via an Adult Swim commercial on May 23, 2012. While many thought that this was simply TOM 3, he is considered a new updated HD version with subtle alterations to his design. He broadcasted Toonami from aboard an updated HD version of the Absolution Mk. II dubbed the GPS Absolution Mk. II.5 by fans. SARA did not appear during his hosting period, even though she appeared during the April Fools stunt on April 1, 2012 that resulted in the rebirth of the block on Adult Swim. He is the very first incarnation of TOM to speak profanity as the block moved from the kid friendly Cartoon Network to the more mature oriented Adult Swim.
TOM 3.5 also had a conversation with TOM 4 during his hosting period, showing them to be different individuals. Both TOMs stated that they should tell a story someday, presumably about TOM 4's origins, and TOM 4 stated that running Toonami was all up to TOM 3.5 now. On March 10, 2013, it was announced during the Toonami panel at MomoCon that TOM 3.5 would be upgraded to TOM 5 along with the GPS Absolution MK.III. His final appearance as host of Toonami came on April 20, 2013. The backstory behind the transition from TOM 3.5 to TOM 5 has never been explained.
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