Riff Raff (Underdog)
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This is a list of the characters in the ''
Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or wikt:top dog, top dog. In the case where an under ...
'' series.


Underdog

Underdog is an
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
, who is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
parody of
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
and similar heroes with secret identities. The premise was that "humble and lovable" Shoeshine Boy, a cartoon dog, was in truth the superhero Underdog. When villains threatened, Shoeshine Boy ducked into a telephone booth, where he transformed into the caped and costumed hero, destroying the booth in the process when his superpowers were activated. In the
live-action film Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a Live-action animation, live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define ...
, he appeared as a
beagle The Beagle is a small breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking inst ...
who became Jack Unger's pet. In 2008, he appeared in a
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
advertisement for
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
. As Shoeshine Boy, or "Shoeshine" for short, he talks in a regular way, but as Underdog, he speaks in rhyme, such as when he delivers his
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
, "When Polly's in trouble, I am not slow; it's hip-hip-hip and away I go!" In his civilian identity, he wears spectacles, a red vest, and a red and yellow baseball cap. His Underdog uniform consists of a loose-fitting red jumpsuit with a white "U" on the chest, red boots, and a blue cape that is rather too long and tends to drag on the ground. Underdog is voiced by
Wally Cox Wallace Maynard Cox (December 6, 1924 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He began his career as a standup comedian and played the title character of the popular early American television series '' Mister Peepers'' from 1952 to 195 ...
in the television cartoon. In the film adaptation, he is voiced by
Jason Lee Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and former professional skateboarder. He is known for playing Earl Hickey in the television comedy series ''My Name Is Earl'', for which he was nominated for ...
and portrayed onscreen by a lemon
beagle The Beagle is a small breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking inst ...
named Leo sporting a red sweater and a blue cape. In the animatronic segments for Bullwinkle's Restaurant, Bill Scott (who also reprised his established voice roles of Bullwinkle and
Dudley Do-Right Dudley Do-Right is a fictional character created by Alex Anderson, Chris Hayward, Allan Burns, Jay Ward, and Bill Scott, who appears as the main protagonist of "Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties", a segment on ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullw ...
) lent his talent as Underdog. In a 1995 Frosted Cheerios commercial,
Billy West William Richard Werstine (born 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, comedian, radio personality, impressionist and musician. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'', the title characte ...
provided his voice. In a 2005
Visa Visa most commonly refers to: * Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Vi ...
commercial, he is voiced by
Jeff Bergman Jeffrey Bergman (born July 10, 1960) is an American voice actor who has provided the modern-day voices of various classic cartoon characters, most notably with ''Looney Tunes'' and Hanna-Barbera. Bergman was the first to replace Mel Blanc as th ...
.


Allies


Sweet Polly Purebred

Sweet Polly Purebred is a female anthropomorphic
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
TV
news reporter A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
and Underdog's love interest; she serves as the
damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...
of most episodes. When being pursued by an
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Christopher P. Lehman, ''American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era: A Study of Social Commentary in Films And Television Programs, 1961–1973'' (
McFarland Publishing McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its curre ...
, 2006), , p.59
Excerpts available
at
Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...
. in a plaintive voice, hoping for the object of her affections to come and rescue her. Polly's face is slightly similar to that of Underdog's, with a large muzzle and nose, she wears her platinum blonde hair styled in a
pageboy The pageboy or page boy is a hairstyle named after what was believed to be the haircut of a late medieval page boy. It has straight hair hanging to below the ear, where it usually turns under. There is often a fringe (bangs) in the front. This s ...
. Her wardrobe consists of a black
pencil skirt A pencil skirt is a slim-fitting skirt with a straight, narrow cut. Generally the hem falls to, or is just below, the knee and is tailored for a close fit. It is named for its shape: long and slim like a pencil. Style The pencil skirt may be worn ...
, white
turtleneck A polo neck, roll-neck (South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the neck. It can also refer to the type of neckline, the sty ...
top, red jacket, and black
high-heeled shoes High-heeled shoes, also known as high heels (colloquially shortened to heels), are a type of shoe with an upward-angled sole. The heel in such shoes is raised above the ball of the foot. High heels cause the legs to appear longer, make the wea ...
. In a few episodes, Polly shows her love for Underdog. For example, in the episode "March of the Monsters", she is caught by a robot and calls for Underdog. He then saves Polly, but after Underdog uses his supersonic hi-fi voice and breaks all the glass, the townspeople complain about his voice. However, Polly defends the hero and tells the people that they should thank him for saving everyone from the robots. She then goes to reward Underdog with a big kiss, but the hero backs away and flies off. Also, in the episode "The Vacuum Gun", when Polly is caught by Simon Bar Sinister's vacuum gun, she calls for Underdog and her song annoys Simon. Later in the episode, she retrieves Underdog's ring. In the live-action film, Polly is a
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) is a British list of dog breeds, breed of toy dog of spaniel type. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim (chestnut and white), Tricolor (dog), tricolour (black/white/tan), black and tan, and ruby; the coa ...
owned by a girl named Molly, a classmate of Underdog/Shoeshine's owner, Jack. She is based upon Superman's romantic interest
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
. In the 1976 Western Comics ''Underdog'' #7, it is revealed that Sweet Polly has a young
nephew In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of an individual's sibling or sibling-in-law. A niece is female and a nephew is male, and they would call their parents' siblings aunt or uncle ...
named Wilbur. She has been voiced in animated form by
Norma MacMillan Norma MacMillan (September 15, 1921 – March 16, 2001) was a Canadian actress, best known for voicing numerous characters in animation and claymation, including Casper the Friendly Ghost on '' The New Casper Cartoon Show'', Gumby on '' The Gu ...
, and in the live-action movie by
Amy Adams Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received List of awards and nom ...
(who, in a great coincidence, later played
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
).


Dan Unger

''Appearances:''
Movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Dan Unger is Jack's father. He was once a
police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...
, but quit the force after his wife died and worked as a
security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...
at the scientific institute where Simon Bar Sinister hid out after hours. Using Underdog's stolen collar, Simon and Cad were able to determine where he lived and captured him in order to lure Jack and Underdog to them. After Simon Bar Sinister fed an antidote pill to Underdog and left to forcefully negotiate with the Mayor, Dan learned that Shoeshine was Underdog. After Underdog freed the Mayor, Dan was reinstated and promoted by the Mayor and helped Underdog arrest Simon while Underdog buried a bomb Cad placed on the roof. Dan was later seen placing Simon into solitary confinement where Cad was also held. In the movie, he is portrayed by
James Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor and comedian. His television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' According to Jim'' (2001–2009), and '' Good Girls Revolt'' (2015–2016). Belushi appeared in f ...
.


General Brainley

''Appearances:'' Weathering the Storm General Brainley (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
) is in charge of the moon launch at Cape Canaveral. When he was about to send a pair of astronauts and Sweet Polly to the moon, Simon Bar Sinister and Cad Lackey hijacked the spaceship and held Sweet Polly prisoner so they could use the Weather Machine against Earth. When anything goes awry, he deems the problem an outrage.


Jack Unger

''Appearances:''
Movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Jack Unger is Underdog's human companion. He is a teenager and Dan Unger's son. His mother has died some time ago. Although Dan is very understanding, Jack's relationship with him is not very smooth. When Dan brings him the dog Shoeshine which he found in the street, Jack at first does not want him. When the dog talks to him, he is understandably upset and wonders whether he is going crazy. However, soon he decides he wants to keep him. After Shoeshine defends Molly (Jack's classmate and the teenage female owner of the
female dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. T ...
he fancies) against robbers, Jack convinces him to use his powers to fight more evil, arguing that one cannot always just do what one likes. They decide that for his superhero actions Shoeshine takes on the
secret identity A secret identity is a person's code name, cryptonym, disguise, incognito, Cover (intelligence gathering), cover and/or alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pi ...
of "Underdog", using Dan's college sweater, which has a big U on it, as his hero attire. Jack is played by Alex Neuberger.


O.J. Skweez

''Appearances:'' Fearo, From Hopeless to Helpless, The Gold Bricks, The Phoney Booths, RiffRaffville, The Vacuum Gun O.J. Skweez is the owner of the TTV (
Total Television Total TeleVision productions was an American animation studio founded in 1959 by Buck Biggers, Chester "Chet" Stover, Joe Harris, and Treadwell D. Covington. They were executives in the advertising agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample who had the a ...
) building and is Sweet Polly's employer. He is voiced by Mort Marshall.


Professor Moby Von Ahab

''Appearances:'' The Bubbleheads Professor Moby Von Ahab is one of the world's leading scientists who helped Sweet Polly investigate what was happening beneath the sea when the Bubblehead Empire planned to conquer the surface world. His name is a take-off on both
Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...
and
Captain Ahab Captain Ahab is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in Herman Melville's ''Moby-Dick'' (1851). He is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship '' Pequod''. On a previous voyage, the white whale Moby Dick bit off Ahab's leg and ...
. He is voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
.


Officer Flim Flanigan

''Appearances:'' A New Villain, Batty-Man Officer Flim Flanigan previously appeared frequently on the ''
King Leonardo and His Short Subjects ''King Leonardo and His Short Subjects'' (also known as ''The King and Odie Show'') is an American Saturday-morning animated television series that aired on NBC from October 15, 1960 to December 23, 1961; the original ''Short Subjects'' package ...
'' segment "The Hunter". He was included as the
chief of police A chief of police (COP) is the title given to an appointed official or an elected one in the command hierarchy, chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. A chief of police may also be known as a police chief or somet ...
during later episodes.


Villains


Simon Bar Sinister

''Appearances:'' Simon Says, Go Snow, Zot, The Big Shrink, Weathering The Storm, The Phoney Booths, The Forget-Me-Net, Simon Says "No Thanksgiving", The Tickle Feather Machine, The Big Dipper, Simon Says "Be My Valentine", The Vacuum Gun,
movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Simon Bar Sinister is a
mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as "mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insanity, insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabas ...
. (A ''
bend sinister In heraldry, a bend is a band or strap running from the upper dexter (the bearer's right side and the viewer's left) corner of the shield to the lower sinister (the bearer's left side, and the viewer's right). Authorities differ as to how m ...
''—sometimes, inaccurately, called a ''
bar sinister In heraldry, a bend is a band or strap running from the upper dexter (the bearer's right side and the viewer's left) corner of the shield to the lower sinister (the bearer's left side, and the viewer's right). Authorities differ as to how mu ...
''—is a diagonal line in
heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...
that can indicate that the bearer is a bastard by birth.) He is the wickedest man in the world, precedes all his commands with “
Simon Says Simon Says is a children's game for three or more players. One player takes the role of "Simon" and issues instructions (usually physical actions such as "jump in the air" or "stick out your tongue") to the other players, which should be foll ...
,” and has an assistant named Cad Lackey. It is Simon Bar Sinister's ambition to rule the world, but, each time, Underdog defeats him. Simon is short, with very sparse hair except for a pair of thick black eyebrows. His skin is a sickly green with dark circles around his eyes, and his front teeth stick out of his mouth. He wears a white
lab coat A white coat, also known as a laboratory coat or lab coat, is a knee-length overcoat or smock worn by professionals in the medical field or by those involved in laboratory work. The coat protects their street clothes and also serves as a simpl ...
over a black suit with a black bow tie and a pair of purple gloves. For the TV series, Simon Bar Sinister was voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
, impersonating
Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' A Free Soul'' (1931) ...
. For the movie, he is voiced by
Peter Dinklage Peter Hayden Dinklage (; born June 11, 1969) is an American actor. Portraying Tyrion Lannister on the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), Dinklage won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama S ...
.


Cad Lackey

''Appearances:'' Go Snow, The Big Shrink, Weathering The Storm, The Phoney Booths, The Forget-Me-Net, Simon Says "No Thanksgiving", The Tickle Feather Machine, The Big Dipper, Simon Says "Be My Valentine", The Vacuum Gun,
movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Cad Lackey was Simon's henchman, who, though generally dull-witted, was occasionally capable of pointing out flaws in his boss's plans. Contrary to the mad scientist stereotype, Simon actually paid good attention to Cad's suggestions in these episodes. Cad is tall, with slicked-back blond hair, and originally had a pallid complexion in "Go Snow", "The Big Shrink", and "Weathering the Storm", but has a healthier complexion from "The Phoney Booths" onward. He wears a red smock and black trousers and shoes. In the live-action film, he was portrayed as more intelligent and level-headed. He was Simon's partner and the
security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...
of a building where Simon hid out after hours. He is voiced by Ben Stone impersonating
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
in the cartoon. In the movie, he is portrayed by
Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. His live action TV roles include David Puddy on ''Seinfeld'', the Tick (character), title character on ''The Tick (2001 TV series), The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less than Perfect'' ...
.


Riff Raff

''Appearances:'' The Great Gold Robbery, Fearo, From Hopeless to Helpless, The Gold Bricks, Pain Strikes Underdog, Whistler's Father, RiffRaffville, Just In Case, The Vacuum Gun,
movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Riff Raff is an
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...
. He leads an unnamed gang that often carry out various crime waves until they are stopped by Underdog. In "The Vacuum Gun," Riff Raff and his gang were among the criminals that were recruited by Simon Bar Sinister. In keeping with the classic gangster image he likes to cultivate, Riff wears a greyish purple pinstripe suit with a white flower in the left lapel, a black shirt, a yellow tie, and black shoes. In the film, Riff Raff is portrayed as a
Rottweiler The Rottweiler (, , ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered mea ...
. When he meets Shoeshine, he and his dog henchmen chase him around an alley in an attempt to eat him until he is found by Dan Unger, when they run away. They meet again with Polly (whom Riff Raff tries to flirt with) on the sidewalk. Around the end of the film, Shoeshine barks at Riff Raff enough to remove some of his fur and he and his henchmen run away again for the last time. In contrast to his role as a major villain on the series, Riff Raff is portrayed as more of a comic relief minor villain. Riff Raff is voiced by Allen Swift impersonating
George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...
in the cartoon.Doug Nye
"No need to fear, Underdog is here"
Knight-Ridder Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. It was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, allowing the latter to become the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States at the time ...
in ''
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'' is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is owned by Gannett. History ''The Lubbock Avalanche'' was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" ...
'', September 22, 2000. In the film, Riff Raff was voiced by
Brad Garrett Brad H. Gerstenfeld (born April 14, 1960), known professionally as Brad Garrett, is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Garrett was initially successful as a stand-up comedian in the early 1980s. Taking advantage of that success in the la ...
.


Riff Raff's gang

In addition to some unnamed members, the following are members of Riff Raff's gang:


Dinah Mite

''Appearances:'' Whistler's Father Dinah Mite is one of the criminals Riff Raff summoned in the episode "Whistler's Father". She is the best bomb-tosser in the crime business.


Mooch

''Appearances:'' The Great Gold Robbery, Fearo, From Hopeless to Helpless, Pain Strikes Underdog, Whistler's Father, RiffRaffville, The Vacuum Gun Mooch is the top gunman in Riff Raff's gang and is Riff Raff's right-hand man. He is modeled after
Walter Matthau Walter John Matthau ( Matthow; ; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters. He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including '' The Od ...
and voiced by
George S. Irving George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials '' The Yea ...
.


Nails the Carpenter

''Appearances:'' Just in Case Nails the
Carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...
is one of the new members of Riff Raff's gang. He rebuilt the sunken ship of
Captain Kidd William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in Ne ...
as part of Riff Raff's
ghost ship A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a ship, vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the ''Flying Dutchman'', or a physical Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict, derelict found adrift with its cre ...
plot.


Needles the Tailor

''Appearances:'' Just In Case Needles the
Tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
is one of the new members of Riff Raff's gang. He sewed a sail as part of Riff Raff's ghost ship plot.


Sandy the Safecracker

''Appearances:'' Whistler's Father, Riffraffville, The Vacuum Gun Sandy the
Safecracker Safe-cracking is the process of opening a safe without either the combination or the key. Physical methods Safes have widely different designs, construction methods, and locking mechanisms. A safe cracker needs to know the specifics of whicheve ...
is the best at breaking banks. He just opens safes with his fingers.


Smitty the Blacksmith

''Appearances:'' Just In Case Smitty the
Blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
is one of the new members of Riff Raff's gang. He hammered out an anchor as part of Riff Raff's ghost ship plot. Voiced by
George S. Irving George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials '' The Yea ...
.


Spinny Wheels

''Appearances:'' Whistler's Father, Riffraffville, The Vacuum Gun Spinny Wheels is the best getaway car driver in the crime business.


Witch Doctor

''Appearances:'' Just In Case The
Witch Doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...
is one of the new members of Riff Raff's gang. He was the disguised prisoner who went with Riff Raff during the prison break. When asked by Nails, Needles, and Smitty why they should bring him along during the prison break and give him a share of the loot, Riff Raff kept telling them "Just In Case". When Sweet Polly Purebred ends up captured during her infiltration, Riff Raff reveals the disguised prisoner to be a Witch Doctor. When Underdog arrives, the Witch Doctor puts Underdog under a voodoo spell which was instantly broken by Underdog taking his Super Energy Pill. Voiced by
George S. Irving George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials '' The Yea ...
.


Other villains


Batty-Man

''Appearances:'' Batty-Man, The Vacuum Gun Batty-Man (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
) is a
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
villain who commands a massive army of giant
bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s and lives in Belfrey Castle. In "Batty-Man", he and his batty army caused a crime wave nationwide, baffling everyone in the country. The crime wave was arranged to make Underdog powerless enough so Batty-Man could not be stopped from pulling the crime of the century. Soon, Underdog found out Batty-Man was the crook behind the crime wave after Sweet Polly was taken captive. Underdog had to rescue her and defeat Batty-Man, but he failed and was captured. Batty-Man later planned to steal all the gold in
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
and use it to go to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
by turning the gold into bowling balls. Underdog and Polly escaped before they could get turned into bowling balls and defeated Batty-Man. Everything was then returned to its rightful owners. Batty-Man was later freed from prison by Simon Bar Sinister. He, along with Riff Raff and the Electric Eel, was enlisted to help Simon with his Vacuum Gun plan, which Underdog later stopped. In the 1987 Spotlight Comics ''Underdog'' #2, Batty-Man was at home watching the news when he noticed Sweet Polly. He instantly fell in love with Sweet Polly and ordered his right-hand man, Georgie, and his bat minions to kidnap Sweet Polly and bring her over to his castle in order to woo her. But Sweet Polly did not return his feelings and Batty-Man ordered Georgie to take her down to the
catacombs Catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. Any chamber used as a burial place is considered a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etym ...
. Shoeshine heard Polly's cries for help and changed into Underdog to rescue her. After Polly was rescued, Batty-Man said to her that "their love was never meant to be."


=Georgie

= ''Appearances:'' Batty-Man, The Vacuum Gun Georgie (voiced by
George S. Irving George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials '' The Yea ...
) is Batty-Man's assistant.


The Bubblehead Empire

''Appearances:'' The Bubbleheads The Bubblehead Empire is a society of people who all wear air helmets and live under the sea, in the city of Maldemare (the name being a take-off on the French phrase mal de mer, meaning “seasickness”). They command sea creatures to do their bidding and deal with their prisoners by feeding them to a giant clam. The city is ruled by the ''Bubblehead Emperor'', who in turn was ruled by the ''Bubblehead Empress''. The Bubblehead Empress was tired of living under the sea, so she wanted to take over the dry land. The Bubblehead scientists worked to destroy the land, using earthquakes and volcanoes, but those two evil plans were foiled by Underdog. As a result, the two scientists were fed to the Giant Clam. The third evil plot was to use a machine creating a tidal wave powerful enough to destroy the Earth. Soon, everybody around the world was aware that something peculiar was happening to the ocean. Sweet Polly Purebred, with the aid from one of the world's leading scientists Professor Moby Von Ahab (the name being a take-off on both Captain Ahab and Moby Dick), investigated what was happening under the sea, but were eventually captured and tossed into the giant clam. Underdog got word that his friends were held captive, rescued Sweet Polly and the Professor and destroyed the tidal wave machine.


Irving and Ralph

''Appearances:'' Zot Irving and Ralph are a two-headed
dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
that are known as the legendary enemies of the planet Zot. For every task they do, they do it with teamwork as noted by the quote "Teamwork! Teamwork! That's what counts!". When they attacked while Underdog was to forcibly wed Glissando, Princess of Zot, Underdog easily defeated them and they promised never to bother Zot's inhabitants again. Upon their defeat, Underdog was allowed to return home to Earth, knowing that he had helped Glissando find her future husband: Zot's Prime Minister.


The Magnet Men

''Appearances:'' The Magnet Men, The Flying Sorcerers The Magnet Men are evil robots from another planet. The Magnet Men feed on metal. They demanded that the Earth give them all of its metal. When the Earth refuses, the Magnet Men use their Great Gravity Gun to pull the Earth towards them. As the Earth moves away from the Sun, the planet plunges into a deep freeze. Underdog defeats the Magnet Men, destroys the Great Gravity Gun, and puts the Earth back in its correct position in space. In "The Flying Sorcerers," one Magnet Man was abducted by Prince Bric and Prince Brac to make a cake for their father, King Cup. Unfortunately, all cakes the Magnet Men make are made of metal.


The Marbleheads

''Appearances:'' The Marbleheads The Marbleheads are people made of marble. ''Captain Marblehead'' (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
) is the dictator of their planet. Captain Marblehead holds their most powerful weapon, the Granite Gun, that could turn anyone into solid stone and used it on Underdog, but to Marblehead's shock he breaks free. Underdog defeats the Marbleheads and the Granite Gun and frees all the slaves.


The Molemen

''Appearances:'' The Molemen The Molemen are an evil society of giant moles who live underground, led by the evil ''King Mange'' (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
). They planned to conquer the world by stealing all the food in the world, thus making everyone weak, sluggish and without energy. With this advantage, the Molemen and their giant ants would have no problem conquering the world. Other giant bugs under the Molemens' ownership include a giant caterpillar who encased Underdog and Polly in a cocoon, and a giant spider who attempted to trap them in a web. As Sweet Polly was investigating the thefts, she was captured by King Mange and Underdog was called to rescue her, but he succumbed to the Mole-Hole Gun, the Molemen's secret weapon. Afterwards, he was captured. King Mange threatened to destroy Sweet Polly if Underdog did not do what Mange said. Underdog got Sweet Polly free and soon had the answer to everyone's energy problems. He filled every water reservoir in the world with his Super Energy Pills, investing the water with tremendous energy. Soon afterward, the citizens had enough energy to escape the Molemen's attack and the Army had the strength to fight. King Mange was eventually defeated and arrested.


Overcat

''Appearances:'' Underdog vs. Overcat Overcat (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
) is a giant anthropomorphic
cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
who was once the infamous ruler of the planet Felina. He is an arrogant bully and also has all of Underdog's powers. One day on Felina, the milk wells ran dry, so Overcat stole the cows from the Earth, kidnapped Sweet Polly Purebred and forced her to milk the cows so the giant cats of Felina can have a lifetime supply of milk. After Underdog rescued Polly and the cows, Overcat challenged Underdog to a winner-take-all fight. Unless Underdog fought Overcat, the giant cats of Felina would destroy the Earth. As Underdog fought Overcat, it appeared Overcat had the upper-hand, but Overcat's size and lack of speed allowed Underdog to come out the victor. Underdog promised milk growing from coconut trees to the giant cats of Felina if the giant cats banished Overcat from Felina and let the other worlds live as they pleased. Underdog carried out the promise and all the cats were happy, because with the coconut trees, the cats would not run out of milk. After being banished from Felina, Overcat swore he would find another planet to conquer, train harder to become stronger and one day return to Earth to wipe out Underdog. Despite this, Overcat was never seen in the series again afterwards.


Slippery Eel (a.k.a. The Electric Eel)

''Appearances:'' A New Villain, The Vacuum Gun Slippery Eel is one of the world's most dangerous criminals. He got the name ''The Electric Eel'' after he was electrified by the gates of the prison's electric fence while he was trying to escape. After being electrified, he gained the power to control electricity. Electric Eel was the only villain who ever actually defeated Underdog, using his electrical powers and apparently killing Underdog. However, before he "died", Underdog requested that he not be thrown into the lake. Eel, being the villain that he was, naturally decided to throw Underdog into the lake, which drained the electricity from Underdog's body and restored him to "life", whereupon he polished off Eel and his gang. Eel was then confined in a glass prison cell. In "The Vacuum Gun," Electric Eel and his gang were recruited by Simon Bar Sinister when he found Eel's sewer hideout.


Tap Tap the Chiseler

''Appearances:'' From Hopeless to Helpless, Tricky Trap by Tap Tap Tap Tap the Chiseler is a criminal that chisels jewelry, making them into smaller pieces of jewelry. He bears an uncanny amazing resemblance to Underdog, and Tap Tap can use this advantage to impersonate Underdog. However, unlike Underdog, he does not speak in rhyme. He also seems to be close friends with Riff Raff. He is voiced by
George S. Irving George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials '' The Yea ...
. In "From Hopeless to Helpless", after Riff Raff stole the Hopeless Diamond, Tap Tap was hired to help cut it into little pieces so that Riff Raff could sell it and impersonate Underdog in order to commit crimes all over town. Everyone, including Sweet Polly (this is the only episode in the series where even she begin to doubt about Underdog, due to her being fooled by Tap Tap and mistaking him for Underdog after he snatched her purse), thought Underdog had turned to crime and he was sent to jail, much to Underdog's shock. Tap Tap pulled off the crimes so excellently that even Underdog (thanks to Sweet Polly's biased lecturing) was convinced he was guilty, believing that he had sleepwalked when the crimes were committed. However, Riff Raff needed Underdog to break the Hopeless Diamond into a million pieces after Tap Tap had failed to cut it, so they broke Underdog out of jail and told Underdog that Tap Tap had imitated him and framed him for the crimes all over town. Now knowing that Tap Tap had been responsible for the crimes that were supposedly committed by him, Underdog pretended to really turn to crime in order to fool the gang. When he finally retrieved the Hopeless Diamond from Riff Raff, Mooch and Tap Tap, he apprehended them and explained to the townspeople, including Sweet Polly, how Tap Tap had imitated him and framed him for the crimes. The townspeople, including Sweet Polly apologized to Underdog for the misunderstanding and falsely accusing him, and prior to the episode "Tricky Trap by Tap Tap", Tap Tap was sent to prison. At that point, Tap Tap once again disguised himself as Underdog again and broke out of jail on the same day Underdog was visiting the prison. Part of his revenge plan was to first purchase a bomb from a bomb factory and borrow a policeman's handcuffs. He used the handcuffs to cuff himself to Sweet Polly and threatened to use the bomb to blow himself and Sweet Polly to bits if Underdog did not do what he said. Underdog stopped him by melting the handcuffs with his cosmic vision, then tackling Tap Tap, accidentally detonating the bomb in the process. Underdog was, of course, unharmed, while Tap Tap was left singed and dazed before being taken back to prison.


Wicked Witch of Pickyoon

''Appearances:'' The Witch of Pickyoon The Wicked Witch of Pickyoon is an evil
witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
who rules over the strange land of the Pickyoons and has enslaved all who inhabit the land. She lives in a castle in the mountains of Pickyoon. She wished to be the most powerful being in all of Pickyoon and she was, until Underdog came along. She planned to capture Sweet Polly and put Underdog in her power. She put a spell on Sweet Polly, causing her to fall asleep for 1,000 years. The Witch was the only one who knew how to break the spell (although, everybody knows the only way to break a spell is as if the hero kisses someone under the spell). If she was going to tell Underdog how to undo the spell, he had to perform three tasks: steal water, steal diamonds and help her assemble an army to conquer the world. Unless Underdog helped the Witch with those tasks, she would not break the spell that had been cast on Sweet Polly. Underdog refused to accomplish the tasks, for it would make him as wicked as the Witch. But every time Underdog refused to do the tasks, the Witch reminded him that Polly would sleep for 1,000 years unless he did what she said. Underdog struck water by burrowing through the underground depths of Pickyoon and made diamonds out of coal. Soon, all that was left was to help the Witch conquer the world. When Underdog refused to perform the final task, he eventually got into a fight with the Witch, causing her to vanish forever by destroying her broom. Afterwards, Underdog awakened Polly with a kiss and the people of Pickyoon were freed from the Witch's power.


Zorm

''Appearances:'' Round and Round Zorm is the ruler of a strange planet. He planned to take over the world, but in order to do that, he must keep Underdog from interfering. He sent Cron to Earth. Cron put a charm around Underdog's neck that caused him to fall under his dizzy spell when standing up. But when Underdog sat down, he felt perfectly fine. Underdog eventually got the charm off and foiled Zorm's plan.


=Cron

= ''Appearances:'' Round and Round Cron is Zorm's henchman.


Reformed villains

The following villains gave up their evil plans after being thwarted by Underdog:


The Cloud Men

''Appearances:'' The Silver Thieves The Cloud Men are a race of
ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
-like creatures. They live on the Planet Cumulus and are led by ''King Cumulus Regulus'' (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
). When humans "interfere with them," the Cloud Men lightning jolt them by shooting out electric bolts from their fingers that turn them into living statues. They stole all the silver on Earth, including Underdog's ring, because everything they had was made of gold and "every Cloud Man must have a silver lining". When Underdog and Sweet Polly headed for a conveyor belt, Underdog found his ring and took his Underdog Super Energy Pill, then defeated the Cloud Men. In the end, the Cloud Men traded gold for silver with the Earth.


The Flying Sorcerers

''Appearances:'' The Flying Sorcerers The Flying Sorcerers are a strange alien race led by ''King Cup'' (voiced by
Allen Swift Ira J. Stadlen (January 16, 1924 – April 18, 2010), known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced cartoon characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ' ...
). King Cup sent his twin sons ''Prince Bric'' and ''Prince Brac'' to find someone who can bake a cake for his people after the old royal baker was fired for his cake not being good. The first two baking slaves they found upon King Cup firing a dart at three possible planets were a Magnet Man and an inhabitant of Zot, but they could not bake a cake that tasted like cake (the Magnet Man's cake was made of metal and the Zot Man's cake's texture was gummy and sticky) and were imprisoned. Then they made Sweet Polly their new baking slave. Before Underdog could rescue her, Bric and Brac transformed him into a
bouncing ball The physics of a bouncing ball concerns the physical behaviour of bouncing balls, particularly its motion before, during, and after impact against the surface of another body. Several aspects of a bouncing ball's behaviour serve as an introd ...
. Sweet Polly was forced to bake 500 cakes for the Flying Sorcerers, but her weariness from baking the cakes made her fall into the giant mixing bowl she was using to make the cakes. Underdog freed himself from Bric and Brac's spell and defeated the Flying Sorcerers. At first, King Cup was upset that Underdog was taking his baking slave home, but after vowing he would not abuse others again, he received one of Sweet Polly's cake recipes so that he could make his own cakes for his people. It's implied that King Cup released and returned the Magnet and Zot Men to their respective home planets afterwards.


Other characters


Helen L. Patterson

''Appearances:''
Film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Helen Patterson is the Principal of Molly and Jack's school. Jack tried to fool her and his teachers into thinking he had monkey pox and tried to forge his father's signature, but she saw through the prank. She is portrayed by
Samantha Bee Samantha Anne Bee (born October 25, 1969) is a Canadian-American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actress, and television host. Bee rose to fame as a correspondent on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', where she became the ...
.


References

{{Reflist
Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or wikt:top dog, top dog. In the case where an under ...