Evil Morty

Mortimer "Evil Morty" Smith of Dimension 79⊢⊇V is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Adult Swim's ''Rick and Morty'' franchise. Created by Stephen Sandoval and Ryan Ridley, and voiced by Justin Roiland for the first five seasons of the series, followed by Harry Belden beginning with the seventh season, Evil Morty is an inter-dimensional traveller and an alternate version of Morty Smith Prime (created by Rolland and Dan Harmon) from another dimension in the multiverse, where-in sick of the adventures his grandfather Rick Sanchez 79⊢⊇V would force him to endure, he had developed a mind control eyepatch to control his Rick, aiming to find a way to break free of the Central Finite Curve and the influence of the Ricks residing on it.

Introduced in "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" as Eyepatch Morty and the controller of "Evil Rick", he takes on a new identity as Candidate Morty in " The Ricklantis Mixup" and is elected President Morty of the inter-dimensional Citadel of Ricks and Mortys (populated by numerous alternate versions of himself and Rick). In " Rickmurai Jack", now ironically dubbed "Evil Morty" by Morty Prime, he uses the Citadel's population as fuel to escape the Curve. The character returns in "Unmortricken" (the opening sequence of which exploring his origin story), in which after Rick C-137's search for Rick Prime messes with the stability of his Evil Morty's new home, he helps him find and defeat Rick Prime before acquiring the latter's device capable of erasing anyone from every universe, and asking that neither Rick or Morty attempt to track him down again lest he have to use it. Alternate versions of the character from parallel dimensions are featured in the 2017 comic book limited series '' Pocket Like You Stole It'', the 2020 short film ''Rick and Morty vs. Genocider'', the 2021 short film '' Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine'', and the 2024 anime series '' Rick and Morty: The Anime''.

In November 2021, Evil Morty was added as a playable character in the role-playing video game '' Pocket Mortys'', and in August 2022, to the beta release of the crossover fighting game '' MultiVersus''. The character has received a universally positive critical reception, praised for his iconic mind control eyepatch, theme song, and outwardly calm and understanding, yet inwardly cunning and ruthless demeanor.

Development

In an interview with ''TheWrap'' in September 2017, series co-creator Dan Harmon described Evil Morty's storyline in " The Ricklantis Mixup" as having been "trying to craft more of a timeless story ikeRobert Redford in ‘ ''The Candidate''.’ Just any kind of political City Hall thriller story there". In September 2021, Harmon called Evil Morty's plan in " Rickmurai Jack" as being "about bringing Rick C-137 and Morty Prime's] relationship to the limit — going so far as to explain Rick's bullshit is what inspired the "evil" in Evil Morty's nature — and about showcasing Morty's depthless well of empathy…and perhaps neediness, but also ample empathy".

In June 2023, discussing the reasoning for the breadths of time between the character's appearances, Harmon elaborated that "to feel the characters evolve" he must "always ppearin small touches, otherwise we would risk saying too much, and we would have nothing more to say! The rule is that there must be at least one episode each season evoking the 'big story'. That way people are rewarded for continuing to watch the show". Discussing Evil Morty's team-up with Rick C-137 and Morty Prime against Rick Prime in "Unmortricken" that November, Harmon called it "a great idea to lean into hatgave me vibes of ''The Wire'' — learning throughout the first season that there’s different flavors of bad guy, and then you get that satisfaction of watching your favorite drug dealers against the one that had absolutely proven himself to be a merciless sociopath. That idea of team ups where it's not as simple, as saccharine as, ‘I’ll put on a white hat, you put on a white hat. Let’s go after the guy with black hat.’", in describing how the episode gives "the audience does chance to learn more about his psychology just as he's poised to take on an even more prominent role in the series' canon". In February 2024, ''Rick and Morty'' showrunner Scott Marder confirmed the character would return in future seasons, stating that the creatives to "have plans and grand designs with him" in the works.

For the first five seasons of the series, Evil Morty was voiced by Justin Roiland, with Harry Belden voicing him from the seventh season onwards. Keisuke Chiba also voices Evil Morty in the Japanese dub of the series, as well as in the 2020 short film ''Rick and Morty vs. Genocider'' and the 2024 anime series '' Rick and Morty: The Anime''.

Biography

Season 1

In the first season episode "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind", Eyepatch Morty is introduced alongside "Evil" Rick in the opening scene as he tranquilizes and captures another Morty while "Evil" Rick kills the other Rick. Later, Eyepatch Morty as "Evil" Rick greets Rick C-137 and his Morty as they arrive at their lair, with "Evil" Rick interrogating Rick C-137 while Eyepatch Morty silently puts Morty in a prison alongside the other Mortys they had captured, using their intelligence brainwaves as a way to conceal themselves from the Citadel, a society of Ricks and Mortys from other realities who rule the multiverse. After Morty convinces the other Mortys to overthrow "Evil" Rick, beating him to death before he can reveal to Rick why he had framed him for murder, Eyepatch Morty is among the Mortys relocated to the Citadel by the Council of Ricks. In the closing scene, a pair of Ricks discover "Evil" Rick to have a receiver implanted in his brain and have been controlled remotely; elsewhere, Eyepatch Morty removes his eyepatch, the transmitter, and crushes it under his foot, revealing him to have been the true mastermind controlling the dialogue and actions of "Evil" Rick.

Season 3

Following the decimation of the Citadel and death of the Council of Ricks at the hands of Rick C-137 in the third season premiere "The Rickshank Rickdemption", a Candidate Morty represents the Morty Party in the presidential election to elect the first President of the Citadel in " The Ricklantis Mixup". Although his Campaign Manager Morty doubts he has any chance at being elected, Candidate Morty becomes the front-runner after giving an inspiring speech, before firing Campaign Manager Morty for having doubted his abilities. The following day, Campaign Manager Morty shoots Candidate Morty after receiving secret documents from him from a trench coat-wearing Rick; before being executed the following night by being thrown out of an airlock for the attempt, Campaign Manager Morty learns not only that Candidate Morty has survived his assassination attempt, but that he has been elected President. After being threatened by the Shadow Council of Ricks who had truly run the previous Citadel, the newly dubbed President Morty has those who stand against him executed and their bodies were thrown out of the Citadel's airlocks. Outside, amongst the bodies of hundreds of other Ricks and Mortys, the secret documents that Campaign Manager Morty was given are revealed to confirm that Eyepatch Morty and President Morty are the same person.

"This seems like a good time for a drink, and a cold, calculated speech with sinister overtones. A speech about politics, about order, brotherhood, power... But speeches are for campaigning. Now... is the time for action."

Season 5

President Morty returns in the fifth season finale " Rickmurai Jack". In the episode, it is revealed that—bitter about the continuous replacement and exploitation of versions of himself and disgusted by Rick's narcissism—President Morty— ironically dubbed "Evil Morty" by Morty Prime—seeks to break free of the Rick-centered, "Central Finite Curve" and into the wider multiverse where Ricks don't control the outcome of the Smith family (i.e. using certain techniques that lead to Jerry and Beth Smith having children), and aren't necessarily the smartest.

"Every version of us has spent every version of all of our lives in one infinite crib, built around an infinite fucking baby. And I'm leaving it. That's what makes me "evil" — being sick of '' him."''

In order to do so, Evil Morty framed and then captured Rick C-137 in "Close Encounters of the Rick Kind" to scan his mind for the designs for the Citadel (as C-137 was its original architect) in order to use it to breach the curve. After capturing Rick and Morty and completing the scan of Rick's brain, Evil Morty initiates his plan, killing thousands of Ricks and Mortys and using their destroyed bodies to power the Citadel, transformed into a massive portal gun. Once escaping from and destroying the curve, Evil Morty uses his own portal gun to create a yellow portal and enter the wider multiverse.

Season 7

Evil Morty returns in "Unmortricken", where in an extended flashback opening sequence, he is revealed to be from Dimension 79⊢⊇V; after his Rick had challenged him to "quit" after an adventure-gone-wrong, he had gotten him drunk and taken him over with a mind control eyepatch, leading into his actions throughout the series. His retirement is interrupted by portals opening outside the curve, caused by Rick and Morty searching for Rick Prime. Frustrated, Evil Morty confronts Rick and Morty, nonchalantly narrowing down Rick's search to a single location, and all three are captured by Rick Prime, along with other Ricks whose wives were killed by him when he erased her from every universe using "The Device Too Cool for a Name", also known as the "Omega Device". Slightly intrigued, Evil Morty helps Rick and Morty survive a gladiator match with the other Ricks, before they find Rick Prime situated at a massive new Omega Device. Following an extended battle, Evil Morty incapacitates Rick Prime, steals and deactivates the Omega Device after copying its plans for himself, and allows Rick to beat Rick Prime to death. As Rick feels like he's lost his purpose, Evil Morty notes that he knows the feeling, before asking that the pair not go after him lest he have to use his knowledge of the Omega Device to erase either one of them (something he is reluctant to do due to how many people across the multiverse would then begin to hunt him down, as Rick had been doing with Rick Prime).

Other versions

''Pocket Like You Stole It''

The comic book limited series '' Pocket Like You Stole It'' explore the origin story of the '' Pocket Mortys'' version of the character, a separate "Evil Morty" from Dimension C-594 (formerly known as "Plain Ol' Morty") who became "sick of" Ricks due to witnessing the exploitation and mass cloning of other Mortys within the " Pocket Mortys" death game. Another "Evil Morty" also appears in the series, living in a small cage next to a skull candle, and wearing a black turtleneck sweater while twirling his handlebar moustache.

Story Train Evil Morty

In a possible future in " Never Ricking Morty", Evil Morty is shown to be in command of several armies of alternate versions of Rick Sanchez and Mr. Meeseeks, alongside the Gazorpazorp species, Morty Smith Jr., and a Palpatine-dressed Mr. Poopybutthole, with Morty himself equipped with a robotic arm and trident while wearing a cape and his mind-control eyepatch. Generated by the Story Train as a physical representation of the "limitless potential" of the future, this version of Evil Morty is confused (along with all the other characters) when the train's own Story Rick and Morty begin praying to Jesus Christ to help them, an "out-of-character"-enough moment to cause the train's antagonist Story Lord to intervene.

''Rick and Morty vs. Genocider''

In the ''Rick and Morty'' anime short ''Rick and Morty vs. Genocider'', an alternate spectacled President Morty and the Citadel send another Morty on a mission to Japan to track down Rick C-137 and prevent him from joining a renegade group of Ricks commanding "The Genocider". After Rick C-137 destroys The Genocider and is apparently himself killed, President Morty is revealed to have been in control of both The Genocider and the forces of the Citadel he sent alongside the other Morty, before ordering a memorial constructed for the fallen Ricks and disposing of his remote control for The Genocider. After then entering a hallway alone, he looks somberly into the distance.

''Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine''

An alternate version of Evil Morty appears in the 2021 short film '' Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine''. Existing within a simulation, sitting on a throne surrounded by ''The Matrix''-inspired monitors of his visage, and declaring himself "God of this Infinite Hell", he warns Rick and Morty that the Nightmare Machine cannot die, and they will now become as Void, before vanishing on being punched in the face by Morty, before a giant robotic floating head of his visage attacks them.

In other media

The cliffhanger ending of the Oni Press ''Rick and Morty'' comic series arc " Rick Revenge Squad" alludes to a potential future alliance between an alternate version of Evil Morty (as President Morty), Lucius Needful, Zeep Xanflorp, Supernova, Beta VII, Phoenixperson, and the rebuilt Galactic Federation.

Video games

In November 2021, Evil Morty was added as a playable character in the role-playing video game '' Pocket Mortys'', with his design based on his appearance in " Rickmurai Jack", after having been playable as the "Evil Rick" whose actions and dialogue he remotely controlled in "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" since the game's launch in January 2016. In November 2023, a new skin of Evil Morty was added to the game as "Original Grandson Morty", after his Morty Prime disguise from "Unmortricken".

In August 2022, Evil Morty was added as a playable character to the beta release of the crossover fighting game '' MultiVersus'' as a series of alternate character skins for Morty Smith, with his primary design based on his "President Morty" appearance in " The Ricklantis Mixup", as well as the "Story Train Evil Morty" from " Never Ricking Morty".

Reception

The character has received an overall positive reception. The theme song of the character, " For the Damaged Coda" (2000) by indie rock band Blonde Redhead, gained renewed exposure for its use in the series, spawning several memes around the character and song.

''Vulture'' praised "the blissed-out sexy indie hememusic" of the newly-dubbed President (Evil) Morty and their initially "adorable and non hreatening" appearance in " The Ricklantis Mixup", in addition to expressing interest in the various fan theories around the character. ''Screen Rant'' praised the character as "one of the most compelling villains the series could offer" despite their "brief and cryptic" appearances, in particular complimenting their Machiavellian character traits, while ''Flickering Myth'' praised the character as "a igfan favourite and easily the show’s most enigmatic character." ''Paste'' referred to "the mo tsobering aspect of Evil Morty's return the realization that he’s…not so different from the Patrick Bate-Morty we met in " Rest and Ricklaxation" two weeks ago. Ruthless, confident, without a conscience and smarter than he gets credit for are all traits we've seen embodied in Morty's ideal of himself, and they all exist in Evil Morty, who now seems like a possible culmination of the aforementioned long-term moral development (or atrophy) of the Morty we know. ''The Mary Sue'' praised the initial character concept as "generator of a million theories, wisely held back by the writers for moments of maximum punch", describing their reintroduction as "the perfect way to force the issue of our Morty’s increased instability and keep things from reverting to the status quo." before concluding that:

" ustinRoiland sells the gravitas and magnetism of Eyepatch Morty well—it’s easy to forget that this is a character we know very little about, beyond what could be extrapolated through the Rick he was controlling. Given the opportunity to start from not-quite-scratch, we’re presented with a character who is inscrutable on a larger scale but understandable in the moment. He’s a chameleon and, by his admission, a believer in action. It’s a fantastic setup, effectively deploying the return of the now infamous “For the Damaged oda�� backing track without feeling forced."

Since the release of "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" in March 2014, Evil Morty has become one of the most popular characters in the overall ''Rick and Morty'' franchise, with several memes being made about him and "life's most dramatic twists and turns", in particular based around the " For the Damaged Coda" theme song.

Accolades and nominations

References

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