Darkwing Duck

Disney's Darkwing Duck is a Disney cartoon show that ran from 1991 to 1994 (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 and Batman, the only people who know the hero's secret identity are his adopted daughter Gosalyn Waddlemeyer Mallard (mistakenly referred to as his niece in recent Disney information sources), his sidekick Launchpad McQuack (originally from Duck Tales), Gosalyn's best friend Honker Muddlefoot, and in later episodes, Darkwing's girlfriend Morgana Macawber. The show is set in the fictional city of St. Canard.

Related Topics:
Disney - Cartoon - 1991 - 1994 - The Disney Afternoon - Eponym - Superhero - Anthropomorphic - Duck - The Shadow - Batman - Secret identity - Gosalyn Waddlemeyer Mallard - Sidekick - Launchpad McQuack - Duck Tales - Honker Muddlefoot - Morgana Macawber - Fictional - City - St. Canard

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The show's hero often demonstrates a large degree of clumsiness and lack of common sense that is hampered by his tremendous ego. However, unlike Inspector Gadget and similar cartoon heroes, Darkwing is actually extraordinarily competent?once he puts aside distractions and focuses completely on the case. This moment of transition would mark the start of each story's climax, and is almost invariably signaled by Darkwing's catchphrase (featured in the show's opening theme), "Let's get dangerous!"

Related Topics:
Inspector Gadget - Catchphrase

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In some episodes, Darkwing is sent on missions as a freelance agent of S.H.U.S.H., a covert crime fighting organization that is so secret, nobody knows what the acronym stands for. (S.H.U.S.H. is a parody of the Marvel Comics S.H.I.E.L.D., a top-secret government organization) His S.H.U.S.H. missions most often have the aim of thwarting various evil schemes of the Fiendish Organization for World Larceny (or F.O.W.L.).

Related Topics:
Freelance - S.H.U.S.H. - Marvel Comics - S.H.I.E.L.D. - F.O.W.L.

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Darkwing's main weapon of choice in his crime-fighting escapades is his "gas gun", which fires a variety of different gases at his opponents. His main forms of transportation are the Thunderquack, a small airplane-like vehicle shaped like a duck's head that he depends on his sidekick to fly, and his motorcycle, called the Ratcatcher.

Related Topics:
Gas - Airplane - Motorcycle

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When not fighting crime, Darkwing Duck's alter ego is Drake Mallard, whose occupation is never given. (This has lead to inquiries by some fans as to how Darkwing makes any monetary income.) Although in the first episode it is shown that Darkwing lives in his Bridge Tower lair, he gets a home and an alter ego only after adopting Gosalyn Waddlemeyer. This hints perhaps that he, for some reason, may not truly even need his alter ego for anything more than giving Gosalyn some semblance of a normal life.

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