| “ | Jim Starling: I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the pebble in the penny-loafer of depravity! I am... Supervillain: Darkwing Duck! Jim Starling: Oh, so you've heard of me? Let's get dangerous! |
„ |
| ~ Jim Starling in his final episode. |
| “ | It was all a setup. That hack put my fan in danger to steal the glory and humiliate me! They want grim and gritty, huh? Happy to play the part! (maniacal laughter) | „ |
| ~ Jim Starling becoming NegaDuck. |
James "Jim" Starling, later known as NegaDuck, is a supporting antagonist in the 2017 DuckTales reboot series, serving as a supporting character in Season 1, and the main antagonist of the sixteenth episode "The Duck Knight Returns" of Season 2. He is the former star of the in-universe Darkwing Duck television series, who later went insane and begins to seek vengeance on Drake Mallard for taking his role.
Like his original counterpart, he is voiced by Jim Cummings, who also played Steele in Balto, Fuzzy Lumpkins in The Powerpuff Girls, Pete in Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons, Nessus in Disney's Hercules, Long John Silver in the Pagemaster, Ed in Disney's The Lion King, Hernán Cortés in The Road to El Dorado, the Medicine Man in Young Pocahontas, Razoul in Disney's Aladdin, Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM, Lord Boxman in OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Sierra in The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire, the Bears in Sing and Hadrian in Minecraft: Story Mode.
Personality[]
In the DuckTales reboot episode The Duck Knight Returns!, Jim Starling starts out as Darkwing Dark originally did: egotistic and glory seeking, but well meaning. Unlike his heroic persona, Jim was a down on his luck actor who simply wanted to be remembered again for the very thing that brought him fame, even desiring for newer, younger fans to sign his autographs instead of his older ones (especially Launchpad, who kept fainting at the sight of him). He showed small signs of being bitter and mean, but only because he was genuinely depressed about his life situation.
Upon hearing about a Darkwing Duck movie, he saw this as a chance to earn his stardom again and was overjoyed, until he learned that he would be replaced by the younger Drake Mallard. His bruised ego and sheer jealousy refused to let him accept this and he attempted to get rid of Drake so that he would be the star. This resulted in his morality slipping and signs of mental illness cracking though the surface as he had minor psychotic episodes and then a full mental breakdown, even threatening to kill the entire studio staff just so he could be in the film. Despite all of this, he remained good deep down, as both Launchpad and Drake were able to remind him of the hero they looked up to as kids.
However, after nearly being killed on the film set, his deteriorating mental state caused him to believe he was purposely made a fool of by Drake and the accident was Drake's doing and not his own fault, finally driving him to the point of no return and transforming him into one of the most fiendish villains in cartoon history: NegaDuck.
History[]
Many years before the series began, Jim Starling starred as Darkwing Duck in a superhero television show of the same name. He was known for performing his own stunts. He was especially beloved by Launchpad McQuack and Drake Mallard, both of whom attempted to model themselves after him.
In "The Duck Knight Returns!" Jim hears that there was a Darkwing Duck movie being made, and much to his dismay that character he used to play would be done by an actor named Drake Mallard. Jim tried to steal the spotlight, which resulted in a fight against Drake in costume and setting the stage on fire. He was on the verge of killing Drake with a chainsaw until Launchpad stopped him, reminding him that he was not a villain. When the stage set is about to blow up, Jim gives his life to save Drake and Launchpad.
Everyone assumes that Jim was killed when the set explodes on him. With some encouragement from Launchpad, Drake decides to honor Jim's memory by becoming an actual superhero. Little do they know that Jim did survive the explosion and was hiding in the sewers. However, his costume becomes discolored and is now driven completely insane, becoming NegaDuck.
Quotes[]
| “ | Look, I'm the one and only Darkwing Duck! I need a real gig! I'm bigger than... sofa store openings! (...) I DON'T CARE THAT THEY SELL RECLINERS TOO!! | „ |
| ~ Jim Starling down on his luck. |
| “ | Wait... A fresh-faced new fan! I knew the kids still loved me! Haha! Who do I make this out to? (Dewey lifts up Launchpad unto table) Aww, the fainter's back! | „ |
| ~ Jim upon meeting Dewey and seeing Launchpad again. |
| “ | They are!? We am!? DARKWING DUCK IS BACK, BABY!!! | „ |
| ~ Jim learning about the new Darkwing Duck movie. |
| “ | Hey! Fragile cargo, huh!? Hoo-hoo, back on top, arriving on set for a big-shot movie in style. Thanks for the ride, fans! | „ |
| ~ Jim being escorted to McDuck studios by Launchpad and Dewey. |
| “ | Jim Starling: I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the comeback the audience demands! I am... a HUGE fan, Alister Borswan! I mean, I've never actually seen your work, but your British, so I'm sure that its... very classy and... yeah. Alister: Eh, yes, and you are? Jim Starling: HAHA!! British and funny! Woah, this feels like the beginning of a great, creative partnership! |
„ |
| ~ Jim meeting the director. |
| “ | Well, I kinda like it! Grim. Gritty. Shows off my dark, smoldering side! Hoo! Ha! | „ |
| ~ Jim approving the new direction his character's going. |
| “ | Jim Starling: Don't listen to these yahoos! We're making ART! When do we start? Alister: Oh, we're almost to finish, actually. Jim Starling: Ah! So, we're shooting the Darkwing scenes last? Alister: No. Jim Starling: Of course, I'll be put in with... CGI, heh-heh. Alister: *sigh* You are not playing Darkwing Duck; he is. |
„ |
| ~ Jim being introduced to Drake Mallard. |
| “ | Launchpad: That is not the Darkwing Duck I know and love. Jim Starling: YEAH! IT'S NOT ME! Launchpad: I wish there was some way we could show them how great the old- Jim Starling: Original! Launchpad: ...original Darkwing is! Jim Starling: Hey, maybe there is... |
„ |
| ~ Jim showcasing his frustration and plotting to get rid of of Drake. |
| “ | Are you with me... Sidekick? | „ |
| ~ Jim enlisting Launchpad's aid to get rid of Drake. |
Gallery[]
.png "Darkwing Duck (Jim Starling).png (211 KB)")
Trivia[]
- His name is either a reference to his voice actor, Jim Cummings, the Marvel comic artist, Jim Starlin, or the online media critic, Jim Sterling. It could also be the combination of all three. His surname is more like the latter.
- Unlike his original incarnation, this NegaDuck has both a different secret identity from Drake Mallard (rather than being an alternate version of him, he's a washed out actor looking for revenge against Darkwing for stealing his role) and a somewhat sympathetic motivation for becoming evil.
- In an old draft of the two parter "Let's Get Dangerous", Negaduck meant to return in disguise as Taurus Bulba's assistant, a cow woman named Calfka. Originally, Bulba was meant to get arrested at the end of the first part, while Negaduck unmasks himself and takes over as main antagonist of the second part by being the one to bring the Fearsome Four into their dimension.
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 Villains
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Glomgold Industries De Spell Family Rockerduck Family Beagle Boys FOWL Air Pirates Fearsome Four New Quackmore Institute Others See Also | ||