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Disney's Darkwing Duck is a Disney cartoon show that ran from 1991 to 1995 (often inside The Disney Afternoon), featuring an eponymous superhero anthropomorphic duck with the alter ego Drake Mallard. Owing much to the tradition of The Shadow, the only people who know the hero's secret identity are his adopted daughter Gosalyn Waddlemeyer Mallard, his sidekick Launchpad McQuack (originally from Duck Tales), Gosalyn's best friend Honker Muddlefoot, and in later episodes Darkwing's girlfriend Morgana Macawber.
Darkwing works as a freelance agent of S.H.U.S.H., a covert crime fighting organization which is so secret no one even knows what the letters of the name stand for. With the help of his family and friends, he goes on various missions in which he tries to thwart the evil schemes of the members of the Fiendish Organization of World Larcany (or F.O.W.L.).
Darkwing's main weapon of choice in his crime-fighting escapades is the "gas gun" which fires a variety of different gases at his opponents. He also owns a "Dark-plane" and a motorcycle called "the Ratcatcher."
Oath
Darkwing is a big fan of dramatic entrances, and whenever he appears to villians for the first time he always gives some version of the following speech:
- I am the terror that flaps in the night,
- I am the [noun] that [verb]s you [noun],
- I am DARKWING DUCK!
The metaphor in the middle line often consists of Darkwing comparing himself to something annoying, such as "I am the bubblegum that sticks in your hair."
Other characters
- Herb and Binkie Muddlefoot (Honker's parents)
- Tank Muddlefoot (Honker's brother)
- J. Gander Hooter (director of S.H.U.S.H.)
- Dr. Sarah Bellum (S.H.U.S.H. scientist)
- Agent Vladimir Goodenov Grizlikoff (S.H.U.S.H.'s top agent)
- Gizmoduck (Launchpad's old friend and Darkwing's rival super hero, also originally from Duck Tales)
- Neptunia the Fish Queen
- Steggmutt the Dinosaur
- Posiduck (when Darkwing Duck is galvanized his positive half is known as Posiduck)
Villains
- NegaDuck (Darkwing's evil counterpart)
- Megavolt (Lord of Electricity)
- Dr. Bushroot (Master of Plants)
- Quackerjack (a vicious jester with a weird obsession for toys)
- The Liquidator (a watery villain)
- Steelbeak (chief agent of F.O.W.L.)
- Eggmen (F.O.W.L. flunkies)
- Ammonia Pine, and her sister Ample Grime
- Professor Moliarty
- Tuskernini
- Dr. Slug (who never appears in an episode in any major capacity)
- Splatter Phoenix
- Taurus Bulba
This show was inspired by two episodes of DuckTales, entitled Double O'Duck and The Masked Mallard.
There was also a Darkwing Duck video game released by Capcom.
The character of Darkwing Duck also appeared in the series Bonkers.
There is an online petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/darkwing/) to Disney calling for the show's release to DVD.
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