Q: How do you know Megavolt's real name? When do they use it on the show?
A: In the episode "Clash Reunion". Up until this episode, Darkwing is oblivious to his history with Megavolt; however, in this one, his class reunion is coming up so he takes out his yearbook to relive the memories, and Gosalyn discovers that one of his classmates is now Megavolt. Guess Drake was just too close to the source to realize it. ;) If you can see this episode at all, you should. It's not just one of the best "origin" eps for a villain, it's a semi-origin for Darkwing too, and it's just one of the best eps, period.
Q: How did Megavolt get his powers?
A: Again, if you haven't seen this ep and get a chance to, do it! Anyway, here's the abbreviated version: Megs started off as mild-mannered high school nerd Elmo Sputterspark. He was quite a brain, but as a result got picked on by the high school "champion" Hamm String and his girlfriend Prina Lott. One afternoon, while Elmo was experimenting with static electricity, Hamm sabotaged the experiment as a joke. As a result, Elmo ended up with some pretty wicked electrical powers... Not to mention a hairdo that most would not be caught dead with nowadays. Think about what happens when you stick your finger in a light socket... Well, aside from you most likely DYING, in any case. Another result of this little prank was that Elmo's brain was permanently fried by the electrical backlash. He could barely remember who he was, but he knew he wanted revenge. So, he went to his high school prom to terrorize and victimize, and blow up the school and all of the students with it!! He first claimed the name "Megawatt", but upon finding out that this was the name of the band playing the prom, he changed it to "Megavolt". He was barely stopped by a young Darkwing Duck who just happened to be in the neighborhood... Or did it have something to do with Drake "the dweeb" Mallard, who disappeared just before Darkwing showed up? Anyway, thus began a lifelong adversarial relationship between DW and Megavolt, with neither one realizing their earlier connection until years later.
Q: Does Megavolt still know DW's secret identity?
A: In a sense, yes. He's kind of too nutty to really remember his own name, let alone Drake's.
Q: So Megavolt is crazy?
A: Hoo boy, yes! Well - he has his "on" days, and his "off" days. His "off" days being the days when he seems to feel that his sole mission on the planet is to free the enslaved lightbulbs of the city. He usually talks to them. Sometimes he makes them talk back. Then there's the truly frightening thought that he sometimes asks them out on dates, and presumably they accept. O_o
Q: Who's crazier - Megavolt, or Quackerjack?
A: Hmmm, tough call... Both of them have their moments. But, when they're teamed up, even though both of them seem to be rather out of touch with reality, I'd have to say that Megs seems to be slightly saner. Keep in mind, that's all relative.
Q: Is Megs really a bad guy, then? Or is he just crazy?
A: Well, I think he's a bad guy because he's crazy. Although a lot of his spare time is spent freeing electrical appliances from the cruel tasks humanity sets upon them, he does invent plenty of equipment with the sole purpose of robbing banks. He'd probably kill Darkwing if given the chance. Granted, however, he has teamed up with DW on a few occasions - but usually only when he's been kicked around by a more powerful enemy, and needs a way to take that enemy down. Afterwards, he's generally not at all hesitant to turn on Darkwing (or try to, anyway). So he's obviously a bad guy through and through, but what makes him that way? Was it festering under the surface all along, or was it totally brought on by his transformation from geek into lunatic? Well... I guess I kind of answered that question just then. ;) Hey, if I were forced to be electrocuted by a classmate, I'd probably be pretty peeved, myself. And chances are, after years of living with that kind of animosity towards others, I might even turn to a life of crime as a form of revenge. Though I can't say for sure.
Q: What are the limits of Megavolt's power?
A: Well, unfortunately, I can't tell you that. It's never really been specified on the show - I'd guess, whatever they feel like having him do that is related to electricity, that's the limit. *shrug* Under various circumstances, he has been able to bring appliances to life and travel through electrical currents - this doesn't, however, mean he can just do these things naturally. Usually, the more elaborate things Megs ends up doing are because of some invention he's thought up, rather than his inborn propensity for electricity.
Q: Does Megavolt do a better job or a worse job when he's with the Fearsome Five?
A: Kind of both, I'd say. Better, because it's five against one (or however many good guys there are, I guess). Worse, however, because Megavolt does not work well with others - and neither do the other members of the Fearsome Five. They bicker, plot against each other, and at times get into physical fights. So - mainly to Negaduck's dismay - they tend to usually trip themselves up in the end.
Q: Why does Megavolt seem so much smarter when he's on his own, than when he's with the Fearsome Five?
A: Well, of course, really it's just how they choose to write him. *G* But, trying to think of a reason within the character: you'll notice that almost all of the members of the F5 seem a lot dumber when they're together than when they're acting individually. Why is this? Well, my thought is that it's because Negaduck is the strongest personality among them, and he's established himself as the brains. So, the other four step down and just don't bother to think. They're the muscle. Of course, there's also just the general fact that Megs can be a genius and a dim bulb at the same time: One of his fave books is "Squishy the Squirrel's Guide to Quantum Physics". ^_~
Q: Do we ever see Megavolt out of the jumpsuit?
A: Other than in "Clash Reunion", when he's still Elmo, the only time that comes to mind is in "Duck Blind". There's a scene there when he's in his robe, without the plug hat. Apparently he still even has some hair. ;)
Q: We DW fans call him Sparky. Was that in the show? (submitted by an anonymous DW Fan)
A: Yep, it's a running gag in quite a few of the episodes Megs is in. As is his usual response - "Don't call me SPARKY!!"
Q: Megavolt is one of my favorite villains. If you don't believe it, look at my e-mail :8-) But I have seen "Clash Reunion" only once, and it was
several years ago. Where can I download a few screengrabs from it to bring back memories? Or maybe this episode is available on video cassettes?
(submitted by Sputterspark@hotmail.com)
A: I don't currently have any screengrabs, or know where any are. But I posted this because I thought
maybe someone else who is reading it does have some, or know where to find them, and they can maybe
email our Megs fan-in-need? :)
Q: Will Megavolt go out with me? :p (submitted by Hyperistithian@home.com)
A: Should I ask him for you in homeroom tomorrow morning? ;)
Q: Why are Megavolt and
Quackerjack together in some
episodes? (submitted by anonymous)
A: 'Cause they're so danged funny! *g* Okay, probably not the answer you're looking for... My guess is that they relate to each other
better than any of the other members of the Fearsome Five. They share a lot of the same ideals - crime for the sake of a good time,
it seems like - and besides which, they can play games of "who is crazier than who"! In episodes like "Stressed to Kill" it's obvious
that they're almost "buddies" - at least, as close as those two really ever come. ^_~
Q: if megavolt can't stand water, how does he take bathes
and drink because if he didn't he would dehydrate right? (submitted by negaduck.mistress@Megavolt.zzn.com)
Someone asked, does Licky eat? What I'd like to know is, Does Megavolt
drink? Let me rephrase that. Given that liquids are dangerous to him,
can Megs drink at all? (submitted by anonymous)
A: Whoa - two different people with essentially the same question! And a good one, too - it had me stumped for
a while. Here's what I came up with: we haven't really seen any proof that liquids are dangers to Megavolt himself,
personally. We have seen that he shorts out when water touches him, but is that because of *him* specifically,
or because of the equipment he's always wearing? So I'm going to say that it's less a personal reaction and more
of a "battery" reaction. As for baths though, I don't know... maybe he *doesn't* bathe? But he does own a bathrobe, so
who can say. *G*
Q: Do you think Megavolt and Darkwing have built up a
certain affection for one another after so many years of fighting? (Kind of
the "best enemies" deal, not necessarily romantic.) I know you
mentioned him attempting to kill Darkwing--then again, there are also those
scenes in "Clash Reunion" where he decides not to kill Darkwing because
he feels bad for him...and then later in the episode he hugs Darkwing
when Darkwing gets his confidence back--he seems genuine when he does it
and only stops when Darkwing essentially tells him to cut it out and
remember their roles as eternal antagonists. Um, this is kind of a
ramble, I guess, and very subjective anyway, and I guess I'm pretty much
answering myself. But what do you think?
A: I have to say that I don't know if that's the case with Darkwing; I mean, I could do a little dissection with Darkwing and how he views his enemies, but that would take PAGES. *G* I think it's very possible with Megavolt, though: Megs, at various times, seems to view the entire thing as a game, and Darkwing is a major player in that game. I don't know how real Megavolt ever thinks anything is, that's the thing. I mean, in "Jailbird" he's very happy to take the opportunity to kill Darkwing, without pausing after having begged DW for help, and received it, a short while earlier. But maybe that's just part of the game, too. If I had to pick a villain who probably actually liked Darkwing on some level, and considered him a friend, I'd say Bushroot; but Megavolt has a personal connection to Darkwing and, although he doesn't seem to remember the same things all the time, that's not to say that he doesn't have a certain level of affection in him somewhere for DW. ...And THAT is rambly. *G* Now, as for Darkwing: like I said, that's complicated, but I think he has a strange relationship of contempt/attachment/gratitude to his enemies, and I don't know how Megavolt would rank on that, or if there's a difference between various enemies, or what.
Q: Who would you say is Darkwing Duck's archnemesis, Megavolt or Negaduck?Ê I seem to remember DW calling Megavolt his archenemy one time, but DW and Negs are pretty evenly matched as adversaries. (submitted by squishytwig@aol.com)
A: Well, in terms of referring to Megs as his archenemy, consider "Just Us Justice Ducks", in which DW refers to pretty much every villain in the series as "the most dangerous villain ever!" and some variation on that. In other words, I think DW has referred to Megs as his archenemy before... But that doesn't mean Megs is the only one he's referred to that way. *G* It's a hard toss-up to decide, as an objective observer, between Negaduck and Megavolt as more dangerous to Darkwing. Negaduck is a better planner, but Megavolt is so out there that he can be just as much of a threat. I'd probably say Negaduck, though, because if you accept the concept that Negs is Darkwing's "dark side", that by definition makes them pretty evenly matched. ^_~
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