Jim Starling is a duck who was the original actor who played the titular character of Launchpad McQuack's favorite TV show, Darkwing Duck. He first appeared in the episode "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!" where he is described as an old-fashioned actor who likes to do his own stunts. By Season 2, he seeks vengeance on the new Darkwing Duck and in the process becomes Negaduck. He is the main antagonist of the episode "The Duck Knight Returns!"
Personality[]
Jim descending into madness
Unlike Dewey and Launchpad, Starling was entirely content with Alistair Boorswan's take on Darkwing, "Darkwing: First Darkness", while he believed he would be reprising the role. However, his rage at being replaced led him to physically assault Drake Mallard, and he soon took advantage of Launchpad's hero-worship to coerce him into helping him break back onto the studio lot. Starling's ego sent him into a maniacal spiral in which he assaulted and imprisoned Mallard and several guards before hijacking an electric cannon and wreaking havoc on the film set. He later showed a willingness to inflict fatal injury on Drake Mallard when the latter appeared in costume, and irritation when Launchpad attempted to stop their fighting.
For a brief instant, the words of Mallard and Launchpad moved Starling to reflect on how far he had departed from his heroic television role. However, when Launchpad was threatened and Mallard went to his aid, Starling saw it as upstaging and intervened. Having been caught in the explosion of a large electrode, Starling was believed to have been killed. With the movie cancelled, Launchpad convinces Mallard to become Darkwing in real life to honor their fallen idol. In actuality, Jim Starling fell into a drain and survived. As he walked through a pipe, a purple liquid leached from his Darkwing outfit, changing its color to red and yellow, and now looking exactly like Negaduck. He believed that Mallard had intended not merely to replace him, but to kill him and steal his place as Darkwing, using Starling's biggest fan as bait. Motivated by this delusion and a severely wounded ego, Starling now seeks revenge against Drake Mallard.
Skills and Abilities[]
- Enhanced Durability: Starling is more durable than a normal person, able to take several blows and stay standing, and also managing to survive an explosion that would have killed an ordinary person.
- Skilled hand-to-hand combatant/Master martial artist: Due to being a to playing Darkwing Duck for years, Jim has trained extensively on his own in hand-to-hand combat. Jim has excellent martial arts skills, nearly being on par with that of former secret agent Mrs. Beakley, and equal to that of Drake Mallard.
Equipment[]
- Lightning Cannon: Starling temporarily had access to a large cannon which fired bolts of electricity in the direction in which it was aimed; if aimed at flammable materials it causes them to catch fire.
- Chainsaw: Starling used a chainsaw to fight and attempt to kill Drake Mallard.
Relationships[]
Drake Mallard[]
Drake is Jim Starling's successor set to appear in the movie based on the Darkwing Duck TV show. Drake idolized Darkwing Duck so much as a child that he stood up to a bully at a younger age. Starling is contemptuous towards his successor and wants to portray Darkwing Duck in the movie himself out of a sense of entitlement. It is not long before a brawl breaks out on the set between Drake and Jim over who is the best Darkwing Duck. Jim becomes bitter and merciless attacking Drake, again and again, losing his sanity and gaining a nemesis.
Launchpad McQuack[]
Launchpad is Jim's biggest fan, and has gone to many of his autograph signings but was never able to talk to him because he always fainted. Until "The Duck Knight Returns!" Jim was flattered but never gave him much respect, but when Jim found out Darkwing Duck was in production for a movie, Launchpad happily assisted him with a limousine ride to the studio, and Jim gladly took advantage. Launchpad unconditionally loves being around and helping him so when trouble came, Jim immediately accepted Launchpad as his sidekick. When Launchpad bonded with Drake, Jim was upset and try to get his title back, through any means. Launchpad tried to get through to him, and it works. He tried to save Launchpad from an explosion of a large electrode, but afterward Starling was believed to be dead. He believed that Mallard had intended not merely to replace him but to kill him and steal his place as Darkwing, using Starling's biggest fan as bait.
Appearances[]
Season 1[]
- 11. Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System! (As Darkwing Duck)
- 22. The Last Crash of the Sunchaser! (As Darkwing Duck)
Season 2[]
- 14. Friendship Hates Magic! (As Darkwing Duck)
- 16. The Duck Knight Returns!
Season 3[]
- 12. Let's Get Dangerous! (pictured)
Games[]
Gallery
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Trivia[]
- His name is a reference to Jim Cummings, Darkwing and Negaduck's current and original voice actor.[1]
- In the original Darkwing Duck series, Negaduck was Darkwing Duck from an alternate dimension where he chose to be a villain rather than a hero, at least according to one origin story, so this incarnation being a Darkwing Duck that turned evil is rather fitting.
- Another origin story depicted him as Darkwing's evil cousin from another planet, but the episode in which this took place was clearly intended to parody various comic book and television stories rather than to be taken seriously.
- Jim Starling's tragic fall from grace seems to be based on Basil Karlo, who would eventually become one of Batman's enemies, Clayface, and has some similarities to the Joker, who claims all it takes to turn even the sanest man alive into a monster is 'one bad day'.
- Starling's history is also loosely based on the history of Adam West, best known for portraying Batman in the 60s show of the same name. After the show's cancellation, West found it difficult to find work due to having become synonymous with the character of Batman, and most frequently found himself working in Batman-related productions throughout his life. Unlike West, however, Starling seems to revel in his role as Darkwing Duck, and acts feverishly protective of the role.
- Jim Starling shares the same voice as the current voice of a long-known character to Disney, Pete, Mickey Mouse's arch-nemesis.
- Despite Jim's transformation into Negaduck in "The Duck Knight Returns!" seemingly foreshadowing a return for the character in Season 3, prior to the season's airing, it was announced that he would not return.[2]
- Jim Starling was mentioned on the title of the old Darkwing Duck show.
- However, Jim was at one point meant to appear in "Let's Get Dangerous!" as shown in the storyboards.