During the pirate attack on Plastic Beach, 2D hid in his underwater quarters. Unwittingly he'd made himself prey to a far fiercer foe: a great white whale known as Ma**ive Dick (weirdly, no relation to Moby). The blubbery beast swallowed 2D in one bite, and swam into the deep.
But a lifetime spent eating ocean garbage – and now 2D – took its toll on Ma**ive, and he died. His carca** washed up on a desert island, where 2D was finally free... to die of starvation, due to a total lack of survival sk**s. Unable even to catch crabs (which was more Murdoc's forte), 2D had no option but to eat his former host. Rancid whale blubber for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With a side of sand.
Several months later, 2D spotted a plane flying along the coast. Moved to tears by this beacon of hope, he set off in its direction. Twenty-three minutes later he was in the middle of a full-scale beach rave. It turns 2D wasn't marooned at all. He had in fact landed on Guadalupe, off the Mexican coast. 2D joined the beach party, ate some strange-tasting brownies, and came third in the wet T-shirt contest.
As he claimed his prize, 2D had a eureka moment. He would have a gap year and find himself. It turned out finding himself was really easy – he was right there. But he stayed the rest of the year anyway, until he got sacked from his job weaving friendship bracelets. It was time to fly home.
At Heathrow, a man at arrivals held up a sign saying 'wa*ker'. 2D followed him to his car, which drove him to West London, where he was reunited with Murdoc, Russel and Noodle. Gorillaz were back.