The Peggy/Penny
Paradox
So, who are they?
Are they a they?
Or just a her?
Though there have been many theroies discussed, debated in a most heated fashion, guesses, and just plain ol' good story telling, there have been only a few repeated enough to be considered practicable.
These are the three most common theroies:
1) Twins reunited--
After Peggy’s supposed death, Penny found her way to Artie's Artery the very night that the Hong Kong Cavaliers took the stage. Whether by coincidence or some deep sense, Penny was attracted to the band. It’s no wonder, seeing his dead wife in the audience, Buckaroo heard her name as “Peggy”, not “Penny.”
Penny had a twin connection with her sister, despite the long separation, and, through instinct, intuition, maybe even “twin telepathy”, Penny was able to, eventually make a connection with Peggy, leading Buckaroo and the Cavaliers to her rescue.
The fact that both girls were now home and in love with the same man is a tale yet to be told.
2) Twins Separated--
Peggy is gone for good. No one knows what happened to her body, but she is not out there waiting to be rescued, waiting to come home.
Maybe it is “twin telepathy” that draws Penny to her sister’s past. Maybe just coincidence, but, then how does she seem to know things that Peggy would have known?
Despite their similarities, Peggy and Penny have definite personality differences. Buckaroo might have been attracted to Penny first because of the likeness to his dead wife, but, as he got to know her, he fell in love just as equally with the differences.
Though Penny, lacking the self confidence of her late sister, always wonders if he loves her, or the memory of Peggy.
3) Brainwashed --
Peggy Simpson Banzai is not dead.
Told in Extradition from Hell, Buckaroo is told that his wife was not dead, but, in fact, stolen under the influence of Tavala (a nerve poison which destroys the mind and soul but actually improves one's health). Captain Happen backs up the claim when he reveals his involvement with a "No! It’s not Peggy! Peggy’s alive!" before he commits suicide. It becomes apparent Xan is the culprit when it is discovered that Happen was under the influence of a surgical brain-controlling implant Xan uses on his death-dwarves.
Despite numerous missions, some of which ended with deaths of Blue Blazes (including Mrs. Johnson’s husband), Buckaroo Banzai never found Peggy.
Under Xan’s sway, the Penny persona was created either as a mental defense against Xan‘s evil or under his direction. Whether the Penny persona escaped or was released is still unknown.
Equally unknown is whether Penny walked into Artie's Artery by coincidence, plan, or a shadow of memory from Peggy.
Whichever, being with Buckaroo and the Cavaliers stirred the Peggy persona until. Her multiple personalities began to fight for control, revealing what she truly is to those closest to her. With the help of Buckaroo and the other doctors of the Banzai Institute, Peggy eventually became the dominate persona and she returned to her life as Peggy Simpson Banzai.
For how long has yet to be discovered.
