ɪnðə fˈaɪnəl ˈɪʃuː ʌvðə kˈɑːmɪk æt ðə bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ʌv tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ɪn ɐ sˈɛɡmənt ɹˈɪʔn̩ ænd dɹˈɔːn baɪ dʒˈæk ˈɑːlɪvɚ, tˈɑːm θˈʌɡ wʌz ɹᵻvˈiːld tə hæv pəzˈɛst ɡɹˈeɪt ɪntˈɛlɪdʒəns ˈæftɚ pˈæsɪŋ ˈɔːl ʌv hɪz ɛɡzˈæmz wɪð flˈaɪɪŋ kˈʌlɚz; tˈɑːm, hˌuː hæd ˈɔːlweɪz pɹˈaɪdᵻd hɪmsˈɛlf ˌɔn bˌiːɪŋ ɐ bɹˈeɪnləs bˈʊli, ɪz dˌɪsɐpˈɔɪntᵻd tə lˈɜːn ðæt hiː ɪz ɪn fˈækt ɐ bɹˈeɪni bˈʊli.
In the final issue of the comic at the beginning of 2000 in a segment written and drawn by Jack Oliver, Tom Thug was revealed to have possessed great intelligence after passing all of his exams with flying colours; Tom, who had always prided himself on being a brainless bully, is disappointed to learn that he is in fact a brainy bully.