Darkwing Duck
Series, 1991, The Disney Afternoon, Set in St. Canard
Darkwing Duck is #4 of 17 in release order and #4 of 17 in chronological order in the Disney Channel Cartoons.
The story
The adventures of superhero Darkwing Duck, aided by his sidekick Launchpad McQuack. In his secret identity of Drake Mallard, he lives in a suburban house with his adopted daughter Gosalyn, next door to the bafflingly dim-witted Muddlefoot family. A spin-off of DuckTales.
Darkwing Duck recap
Drake Mallard lives a quiet suburban life in the city of St. Canard and secretly fights crime as Darkwing Duck, a vain caped hero who announces himself with "I am the terror that flaps in the night." He adopts Gosalyn, a hyperactive orphan girl who wants to join the action, and Launchpad McQuack from DuckTales becomes his sidekick and pilot. Next door live the Muddlefoots, whose son Honker is Gosalyn's best friend. Darkwing's rogues include his evil double Negaduck, the plant mutant Bushroot, Megavolt, the toymaker Quackerjack, the water villain Liquidator and the spy organisation F.O.W.L., led in the field by Steelbeak. The show ran 91 episodes from 1991 to 1992, in syndication and on ABC, mixing superhero parody with family comedy.
Darkwing Duck ending explained
Darkwing Duck ended without a finale; the last episode aired on ABC in December 1992 as a standalone adventure, with Drake's secret identity still intact. Comics continued the story, and Drake Mallard became a major character in the 2017 DuckTales reboot. In September 2026 Disney+ ordered a new Darkwing Duck series, with Mark Hamill voicing Drake and Seth Rogen voicing Launchpad.
Where to watch Darkwing Duck
Darkwing Duck is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Apple TV and Fandango At Home.
Ratings
IMDb 7.6/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after TaleSpin, before Gargoyles.
- Chronological order: after TaleSpin, before Gargoyles.
Cast
- Jim Cummings as Darkwing Duck (voice)
- Christine Cavanaugh as Gosalyn Waddlemeyer-Mallard (voice)
- Terence McGovern as Launchpad McQuack (voice)
- Katie Leigh as Boy (voice)
- Susan Tolsky as Binkie Muddlefoot / Aggressive Mother (voice)
- Dan Castellaneta as Megavolt / Elmo Sputterspark (voice)
- Frank Welker as Eek / Squeak / Archie (voice)
- Danny Mann as J. Gander Hooter / FOWL High Command (voice)
- Tino Insana as Dr. Reginald Bushroot (voice)
- Dana Hill as Tank Muddlefoot (voice)
- Rob Paulsen as Steelbeak (voice)
- Michael Bell as Quackerjack / Shakespearean Actor / Fireman (voice)