"Hero for a Day" is the 09th of 35 Darkwing Duck comic stories published in the Disney Adventures magazine.
Summary[]
Darkwing Duck is teaching Launchpad to be a hero on his own by adopting the role of villain in a training scenario. He aims a pie bazooka at Launchpad with the order that he disarms him, but Launchpad just cowers in a corner, saying he's sorry. Annoyed, Darkwing fires at him before handing him the bazooka to show how it's done. As Launchpad hesitantly takes aim, Darkwing has an anvil drop on him. Given the results so far, Darkwing tries something different and takes the role of victim. A large stuffed bear toy belonging to Gosalyn is cast in the role of the Back-Alley Bushwacker and Launchpad is instructed to save Darkwing from the toy. He does so by kicking the toy high up in the air, not expecting it to land on Darkwing and crush him. Launchpad runs off to inform Gosalyn and Honker of what happened and together they get Darkwing into bed. In a delirious state, Darkwing tries to escape from their care because he can't rest knowing St. Canard is not protected. Gosalyn and Honker solve this by handing Launchpad a costume of Darkwing's from a time he had gained a few pounds to wear and sending him out on patrol as Darkwing Duck.
Launchpad is nervous, but the children tell him not to worry, as simply the sight of Darkwing will likely keep things peaceful in the city. Right then they here a cry for help from a dark alley and Launchpad rushes in to save the civilian. He gets knocked down for his efforts by the Back-Alley Bushwacker. Escape is impossible because the villain has his eye on him. Launchpad tries to trick him by asking for help finding his contact lens, which the villain graciously provides. Launchpad hits him on the head with a wooden beam while he's distracted, but it only annoys the Back-Alley Bushwacker. Gosalyn then has the idea to hand the villain the pie bazooka. When he aims it at Launchpad, Launchpad cowers and apologizes. The Back-Alley Bushwacker bursts out laughing from this unexpected turn of events and leans on the bazooka to hold him up. Launchpad quickly pulls the trigger, hitting him full with a cherry pie.
The next morning, Drake is feeling a lot better and he proposes that he and Launchpad go back to training. Launchpad tries to decline, but Drake launches into a rant about how he needs to keep up his edge in case he ever comes face to face with a powerful villain like the Back-Alley Bushwacker. Gosalyn casually mentions Launchpad already dealt with him last night. Drake is incredulous but as both children confirm the story, he becomes pleasantly surprised instead and wants to know all about how Launchpad dealt with that villain.
Cast[]
Quotes[]
- "I'm sorry? That's it? What kind of wimpy last words are those? I'm almost too embarrassed to blast you! ...Almost!!"
- — Darkwing channels his inner Negaduck.
- "What would you rather do, save the entire free world from evil and decay, or eat pie?"
- "What kind of pie?"
- — Darkwing gives Launchpad the wrong question.
- "I am terrible, flapping in the night! I am the mailman who returns your letters for insufficient postage or because the address got smudged! Won't I get creamed by the time I say all that??"
- — Launchpad on intro speeches, Round I.
- "DW! DW! Speak to me, buddy! I didn't mean to squash ya like a big purple beetle, honest!"
- — Launchpad, Round I.
- "It was an accident! I didn't intentionally skoosh him like an over-ripe yam!"
- — Launchpad, Round II.
- "I flap terribly in the night! I am the plumber who unplugs your... I knew I'd never have time to say all that!"
- — Launchpad on intro speeches, Round II.
- "Hmm, where did this come from? Oh, well. Never look a gift bazooka in the mouth oy always say."
- — Back-Alley Bushwacker
Notes[]
Continuity[]
- A decent placement for this comic story compared to the cartoon would be shortly before "A Duck by Any Other Name". Launchpad receives a Darkwing suit of his own in this story and already had one in the episode, not to mention him standing in for Darkwing in the episode appears something they've been practicing for a while already when in the comic this is a first.
- Although never referred to as such, the pie bazooka is clearly the Svaco-650 pie gun, (Doug Gray and John Blair Moore also did the "Just Us Justice Ducks" comic adaptation) filled with regular pies instead of the expando-whammo variety. Given the above point about this being pre-"A Duck by Any Other Name" and the relative harmlessness compared to the gun in "Just Us Justice Ducks", it could be an earlier model in the gun's lineage.
Milestones[]
- This comic marks the first appearance of the Back-Alley Bushwacker.
Other[]
- This comic story was reprinted in Colossal Comics Collection #10 in 1993.