List of Underdog characters
This is a list of the characters in the Underdog series.
Underdog is an anthropomorphic dog, who is a superhero parody of Superman 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 super powers were activated. In the live action film, he appeared as a beagle who became Jack Unger's pet. In 2008, He appeared in an Super Bowl advertisement for Coca-Cola.
Underdog is voiced by Wally Cox in the television cartoon. In the film adaptation, he is voiced by Jason Lee and portrayed onscreen by a lemon beagle named Leo sporting a red sweater and a blue cape.
Allies
Sweet Polly Purebred
Sweet Polly Purebred is a female anthropomorphic dog TV news reporter and Underdog's love interest; she serves as the damsel in distress of most episodes. When being pursued by an antagonist, Polly is apt to start singing, "Oh where oh where has my Underdog gone",[1][2] in a whiny 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, and her wardrobe consists of a black skirt, white shirt, red sweater, and black high-heels. In a few episodes it is hinted that 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 sci-fi noise and breaks all the glass, the townspeople complain about his noise. However, Polly defends the hero and tells the people 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 Barsinister'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 owned by a girl named Molly. She is based upon Superman's romantic interest Lois Lane.
She was voiced by Norma MacMillan in the cartoon and voiced by Amy Adams in the live-action film.
Dan Unger
Appearances: Movie
Dan Unger is Jack's father. He was once a police officer, but quit the force after his wife passed on and is currently working as a security guard at the scientific institute where Simon Bar Sinister hid out during the after hours. Simon and Cad later 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.
General Brainley
Appearances: Weathering the Storm
General Brainley 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.
He is voiced by Allen Swift.
Jack Unger
Appearances: Movie
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 first does not want him. When the dog talks to him he is understandably upset, and wonders whether he is getting crazy. However, soon he decides he wants to keep him.
After Shoeshine defends Molly (the teenage female owner of the female dog 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 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, The Gold Bricks, The Phoney Booths, RiffRaffville
O.J. Skweez is the owner of the TTV (Total Television) building.
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 Moby-Dick and Captain Ahab.
He is voiced by Allen Swift.
Main villains
Simon Bar Sinister
Appearances: Simon Says, Go Snow, The Big Shrink, Weathering The Storm, The Phoney Booths, The Forget-Me-Net, Simon Says "No Thanksgiving", The Tickle Feather Machine, Simon Says "Be My Valentine", The Vacuum Gun, The Big Dipper, movie
Simon Bar Sinister is a mad scientist. He has an assistant named Cad Lackey. A "bend sinister", sometimes, inaccurately, called a "bar sinister", is a diagonal line in heraldry that can indicate that the person is a bastard by birth.[3]
He was voiced by Allen Swift impersonating Lionel Barrymore in the cartoon.[4] In the movie, he is portrayed by Peter Dinklage.
Cad Lackey
Appearances: Simon Says, Go Snow, The Big Shrink, Weathering The Storm, The Phoney Booths, The Forget-Me-Net, Simon Says "No Thanksgiving", The Tickle Feather Machine, Simon Says "Be My Valentine", The Vacuum Gun, The Big Dipper, movie
Cad Lackey was Simon's henchman, who, though generally dull-witted, was occasionally capable of pointing out flaws in his boss's plans. Simon was the mad scientist stereotype and paid good attention to Cad in these episodes.
In the live action film, he was portrayed as more intelligent and level-headed. He is also the security guard of a building and Simon's partner where he hid out in the building that Cad worked in after hours.
He is voiced by Ben Stone in the cartoon, in a style reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart. In the movie, he is portrayed by Patrick Warburton.
Riff Raff
Appearances: The Great Gold Robbery, Whistler's Father, The Gold Bricks, Pain Strikes Underdog, From Hopeless to Helpless, Just in Case, RiffRaffville, The Vacuum Gun, movie
Riff Raff is an anthropomorphic wolf gangster. 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 the film, Riff Raff is redone as a Rottweiler bully who meets Shoeshine and he and his dog henchmen chase him around an alley in an attempt to eat him and he is found by Dan Unger and they run away and they meet again with Polly on the sidewalk. Around the end of the film, Shoeshine barks at him enough to remove some of his fur and they 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 in the cartoon.[5] In the film, Riff Raff was voiced by Brad Garrett.
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, From Hopeless to Helpless, Riffraffville, Whistler's Father, Fearo, The Vacuum Gun, Pain Strikes Underdog
Mooch is the top gunman in Riff Raff's gang and is Riff Raff's right-hand man.
He is voiced by George S. Irving.
Nails the Carpenter
Appearances: Just in Case
Nails the Carpenter is one of the new members of Riff Raff's gang. He rebuilt the sunken ship of Captain Kidd as part of Riff Raff's Ghost Ship plot.
Needles the Tailor
Appearances: Just in Case
Needles the Tailor 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
Sandy the Safecracker is the best at breaking banks. He just opens safes with his fingers.
Smitty the Blacksmith
Appearances: Just in Case
Smitty the Blacksmith 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.
Spinny Wheels
Appearances: Whistler's Father, Riffraffville
Spinny Wheels is the best getaway car driver in the crime business.
Witch Doctor
Appearances: Just in Case
The Witch Doctor 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 Purebread 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 using the Super Energy Pill.
Voiced by George S. Irving.
Other villains
Batty-Man
Appearances: Batty-Man, The Vacuum Gun
Batty-Man (voiced by Allen Swift) is a vampire villain who commands a massive army of Giant Bats and lives in Belfrey Castle.
In "Batty-Man", he and his batty army have caused a crime wave nationwide. Underdog, the police, and everyone in the country were baffled because of these crime waves. The crime wave was arranged to make Underdog powerless enough so Batty-Man can't 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 had to defeat Batty Man, but failed and was captured. Batty-Man later planned to steal all the gold in Fort Knox and use them to go to Europe, by turning the gold into bowling balls. Underdog and Polly escaped before they could get turned into bowling balls and stopped Batty Man and everything was returned to its rightful owners.
Batty-Man was later freed from prison by Simon Bar Sinister. He, along with Riff Raff and Slippery Eel were enlisted to help Simon with his Vacuum Gun plan which Underdog later stopped.
Georgie
Georgie (voiced by George S. Irving) is Batty-Man's assistant.
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. 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 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 Purebread, with the aid from one of the world's leading scientists, Prof. Moby Von Ahab (name being a take-off on 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, and 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 that are known as the legendary enemies in the community 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 to 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 Magnet Men are evil people from another planet. Underdog defeats them when they make the Earth cold.
The Marbleheads
Appearances: The Marbleheads
The Marbleheads are people made of marble. Captain Marblehead (voiced by Allen Swift) 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 Marbelheads 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) and plan to conquer the world by stealing all the food in the world, thus making everybody weak, sluggish and without energy. With this advantage, the Molemen and their ants would have no problem conquering the world.
As Sweet Polly was investigating the thefts, she was captured by King Mange, and Underdog was called to rescue her, but he was succumbed to the Mole-Hole Gun, the Molemen's secret weapon. Afterwards, he was captured. King Mange threatened to destroy Sweet Polly if Underdog didn't do what Mange said. Underdog got Polly free, and had the answer to everyone's energy problems. He filled every water reservoir in the world with his Super Energy Vitamin Pills, filling the water with tremendous energy. Soon after, the citizens had enough energy to escape the Molemen attack and the Army had the strength to fight. King Mange was eventually defeated and arrested.
Overcat
Appearances: Underdog vs. Overcat
Overcat is a giant cat who was once the infamous ruler of the planet Felina. He is a bully and is very arrogant and he also has all of Underdog's powers. He is voiced by Allen Swift.
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-takes-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 due to Overcat's size and lack of speed, Underdog came out the victor. Underdog promised the giant cats of Felina to give them milk growing from coconut trees 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 won't run out of milk. After being banished from Felina, Overcat swore he would find another planet to conquer and train harder to become stronger and one day return to Earth to wipe out Underdog.
Slippery Eel (A.K.A. Electric Eel)
Appearances: A New Villain, The Vacuum Gun
Slippery Eel is one of the world's most dangerous criminals. He got the name 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.
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 and thus ensuring Eel is imprisoned in a glass prison.
In "The Vacuum Gun," Electric Eel and his gang were recruited by Simon Bar Sinister when he found his 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 amazing resemblance to Underdog, and Tap-Tap can use this advantage to impersonate Underdog. He also seems to be close friends with Riff Raff. He is voiced by George S. Irving.
In "From Hopeless to Helpless", after Riff Raff stole the Hopeless Diamond, Tap-Tap was hired to help break apart the Hopeless Diamond so Riff Raff could sell it and impersonate Underdog to pull crimes all over town. Everyone, including Sweet Polly (this is the only episode in the series where even she assumed the worst about Underdog due to her being fooled by Tap-Tap and mistaking him as Underdog after he snatched her purse), thought Underdog turned to crime and he was sent to jail. Tap-Tap pulled the crimes so excellently, even Underdog was convinced he was guilty, believing he sleepwalked when the crimes were pulled. Riff Raff needed Underdog to break the Hopeless Diamond into a million pieces when Tap-Tap failed to cut it, so, they broke Underdog out of jail and told Underdog that Tap-Tap imitated him. Now knowing that Tap-Tap has been responsible for the crimes that were pulled against him, Underdog pretended to turn to crime, and 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 imitated him and framed him for the crimes. And so, the townspeople apologized to Underdog for the misunderstanding, and prior to the episode "Tricky-Trap by Tap-Tap", Tap-Tap was sent to prison.
At that point, Tap-Tap disguised himself as Underdog and broke out of jail on the same day Underdog was visiting the prison. His plan was to purchase a bomb from a bomb factory and borrow a policeman's handcuffs. He used the handcuffs to cuff himself to Sweet Polly, and used the bomb to blow himself and Polly to bits if Underdog didn't do what he said. Underdog stopped him by melting the handcuffs with his super vision, then tackling Tap-Tap, accidentally detonating the bomb in the process. Underdog was unharmed, while Tap-Tap was left singed and dazed.
Wicked Witch of Pickyoon
Appearances: The Witch of Pickyoon
The Wicked Witch of Pickyoon is an evil witch who rules over the strange land of the Pickyoons and has enslaved all who inhabit the lands. She lives in a castle in the mountains of Pickyoon.
She wishes to be the most powerful being in all of Pickyoon, that is, until Underdog came. 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 1000 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, she forced him to perform three tasks: steal water and diamonds and help her assemble and army to conquer the world. Unless Underdog helped the Witch with those tasks, she would not break the spell that was 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 1000 years unless he did what she said. Underdog struck water by burrowing through the depths of Pickyoon and made diamonds out of coal, and 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. After the fight, the Witch disappeared forever after Underdog destroyed her broom. After destroying the Witch, Underdog awakened Polly with a kiss and the people of Pickyoon were freed from the Witch's grasp.
Zorm
Appearances: Round and Round
Zorm is the ruler of a strange planet. He plans to take over the world, but in order to do that, he intends to keep Underdog from interfering. He sent Cron, one of his henchmen, to Earth. He put a charm around Underdog's neck, causing him to fall under his dizzy spell when he is standing.
Reformed villains
The Cloud Men
Appearances: The Silver Thieves
The Cloud Men are a race of ghost-like creatures. They live on the Planet Cumulus and are led by King Cumulus Regulus (voiced by Allen Swift). When people "interfere with them" by "attacking them," they lightning jolt them. They steal all the silver on Earth, including Underdog's ring, because all clouds need a silver lining. When Underdog and Sweet Polly head for a conveyor belt, Underdog finds his ring and takes the Underdog energy vitamin pill. Underdog defeats the Cloudmen. In the end, the Cloud Men trade 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).
King Cup sent his twin sons Prince Brac and Prince Bric to find someone who can bake a cake for his people after the old 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 couldn't bake a cake that tasted like cake (though the Magnet Man's cake was made of metal) and were imprisoned. Then, they found Sweet Polly to be their new baking slave. Before Underdog could rescue her, Bric and Brac transformed him into a bouncing ball. Sweet Polly was forced to bake 500 cakes for the Flying Sorcerers, but her weariness from baking the other cakes made her fall into the giant mixing bowl she was using to make 500 cakes. Underdog freed himself from Bric and Brac's spell and defeated the Flying Sorcerers. At first, King Cup was upset that Underdog was bringing his baking slave home, but after vowing he wouldn't abuse others again, he received one of Sweet Polly's cake recipes so he can make a cake for his people.
Other characters
Helen Patterson
Appearances: Movie
Helen Patterson is the Principal of Molly and Jack's school.
She is portrayed by Samantha Bee.
References
- ↑ Christopher P. Lehman, American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era: A Study of Social Commentary in Films And Television Programs, 1961–1973 (McFarland Publishing, 2006), ISBN 978-0-7864-5142-5, p.59. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ↑ David Mansour, From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005), ISBN 978-0-7407-9307-3, p. 474. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ↑ Bryan Garner, Garner's Modern American Usage, (Oxford University Press, 2009), ISBN 978-0-19-988877-1, p. 97. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ↑ Tim Hollis, Hi There, Boys and Girls! America's Local Children's TV Programs (University Press of Mississippi, 2001), ISBN 978-1-57806-396-3, p. 193. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ↑ Doug Nye, "No need to fear, Underdog is here", Knight-Ridder in Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, September 22, 2000.