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Well, Mystery Incorporated, it appears you made an enemy. Fortunately for you, I still requires you alive.

—Professor Pericles, Pawn of Shadows

Professor Pericles is a parrot and the former mascot of the original Mystery Incorporated of Crystal Cove. He used to have a similar relationship with Ricky Owens as Shaggy Rogers has with Scooby-Doo. He is the main antagonist of the Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated series.

Physical appearance[]

Despite his apparently cashew-sized brain,[3] his forehead is extremely huge and broad to make up for it, suggesting he is highly intelligent. His feathers are powder gray, with a tinge of smoky purple, though he appears dark grey in dim light, and crimson tips on his tail. He has a small, floppy white plume on his head and tufts of white fur-like feathers a bit above the level of his eyes, which gives him the appearance of a balding elderly man with a stringy toupee; he wears a purple scarf. His most distinguishable trait is the long scar on his left eye.

During his imprisonment at the Crystal Cove Animal Asylum for the Criminally Insane, he wore a straitjacket to keep from trying anything, although this did not prevent him from somehow getting out of his cage and duct-taping a stun gun onto one of the guards.[3] When Pericles was seeking for then-Mayor Jones's piece of the disk, he wore a long, tattered, brownish-black cape with a pointed hood, masquerading as a fake ghost called the Shadowy Figure.[4]

In the post-Niberu world, he no longer has a scar and he's cheerful.

Personality[]

Cassidy is bitter. Angry. Brad and Judy are enigmas. Both of them. That leaves only you, Ricky... my sweet Ricky.

—Professor Pericles, The Gathering Gloom

Professor Pericles is an evil genius; sinister, insane, maniacal, cold, calculating, sadistic, and power-hungry. Since his brain is no bigger than a cashew nut, this makes him, by comparison, uncannily intelligent and he prides himself as "The smartest criminal parrot in the world." He is shown to be deranged and slightly irrational, given his appearance and demeanor. Throughout the first season it was never clear whose side he was on as one minute he was working with Mystery inc and the next he was against them. In season 2 though, he was placed in the role as the series villain.

As a master escape artist, Professor Pericles was able to escape the Animal Asylum in which he was confined, despite him wearing a straitjacket and confinement in a glass dome as a detention cell.[3] He appears like most parrots to have a liking for sunflower seeds[4]. He typically speaks with a soft, yet sinister, tone but when upset or agitated, Pericles will curse or shout in German.

It may be possible he suffered from an inferiority complex. When the last Darrow attacked the new Mystery Inc., he referred to one of them as a 'big, fat, insecure know-it-all.' Presumably, he was referring to Pericles.[5]

Even though the gang have proven useful to him, he's shown to be furious whenever they foil his plans, leaving him to make plans to destroy them once he finds the treasure.

He was rather calm and patient with Mystery Inc. at first, but after the gang took back his pieces of the Planispheric Disk, his patience began to wear down, leading him to take more extreme actions, which made him more dangerous and deadly.

Pericles is cold-hearted and unsympathetic to a fault. He will never hesitate to remove anyone that stands in his way, e.g., Hot Dog Water,[6] Cassidy Williams,[7] and Officer Johnson.[3] However, a few times he is seen showing affection to Ricky, a sign that he wished to rekindle their old relationship. He and Mr. E started working together again,[8] but true to form, Pericles could not suppress his violent, malicious nature; he started controlling Mr. E,[9] and began lashing out against his owner, striking him when Ricky locked Pericles out of the system. Pericles got back at Ricky Owens for trying to kick him out of the group by poisoning his spine, inserting the venom while Ricky was asleep. By pressing the button on a remote control, he would release small amounts of the snake venom into Ricky's body, causing him to double up in pain.[10]

He unwittingly saved Scooby Doo, whom the Evil Entity wanted to devour, by offering himself up, because, corrupted by greed, insanity and his hunger for power, he believed that if he were eaten, he would become stronger than ever. In fact, the evil entity utterly destroyed Professor Pericles, who perished moments after being ingested.[6]

Despite Pericles cruel actions, he wasn't always like this. He used to be a genuine friend to the original Mystery Incorporated, most notably Ricky. However, the evil Entity's manipulation and corruption turned Pericles into an evil and ruthless bird. Once the Evil Entity was erased from time, Pericles was shown to be happy and friendly.

Pericles on E's chest

Pericles has shown great physical strength in slapping and knocking down Mr. E during an argument.

Powers and abilities[]

Pericles is a descendant of the Anunnaki, explaining his ability to properly communicate and reason.[7]

  • Able to do magic tricks, sleight of hand, the skills of a stage magician:
  • Capable of making inanimate objects appear alive through clever trickery, props and technological know-how.[4]
  • Duct-taped a stun gun onto Officer Johnson without appearing to move.[3]
  • Escaped the Animal Asylum without breaking his glass cage.[3]

History[]

Early life[]

Ricky and Pericles first meeting

Ricky Owens and Pericles's 1st meeting.

He was once an associate of Abigail Gluck in Bavaria in the 1930s.[7] He had somehow crashed into a tree in Ricky's front yard, when he was just a child. Despite initial mistrust, Ricky was trusted and nursed Pericles back to health until he was healthy enough to fly again. Initially sad, Ricky was then pleasantly surprised to see Pericles fly back and the two became friends ever since.[8]

He visited the buried Darrow Mansion along with the rest of the old Mystery Incorporated.[5]

He helped investigate the old Spanish church where the Freak of Crystal Cove had been sighted, and speculated the monster might have led them there on purpose. He was very interested when the drawing of the Planispheric Disk was discovered.[12]

Pericles left scarred

Fred Jones, Sr. leaves Pericles scarred.

Professor Pericles went to the Crystal Cove Caves with the original Mystery Incorporated and led them to a site where the first Planispheric Disk piece was found. He teamed up with Fred Jones, Sr. to betray the original Mystery Incorporated and find the treasure of the conquistadors. His left eye was injured when (the yet to be) Mayor Jones betrayed him. He was wrongly accused of a crime and sent to Crystal Cove's Animal Asylum.[2]

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated[]

Season one[]

Pericles in a straitjacket

Imprisoned at the Crystal Cove Animal Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

The gang discovered that he was the mascot of the original Mystery Inc. in a Crystal Cove High School yearbook.[13]

After Gill Littlefoot was taken to jail, Velma Dinkley picked up a box she found from Mr. E. She opened it and saw a picture of the original Mystery Inc. with Professor Pericles circled. The message said, "Don't give up, this has happened before."[14]

Pericles was found in a glass cage in the animal asylum. He was depicted as a crazy bird who had the smartest brain in the world. When Daphne Blake opened the locket she had found in the Crystal Cove Caves,[15] music played; Professor Pericles said, "Mystery Incorporated to the rescue." He warned the Mystery Inc. gang: "Beware of those closest to you," especially Fred Jones, Jr.. In the end, the parrot broke out during the Fright Hound's attack on the Animal Asylum. The real reason was that he knew the gang was coming to the rescue. Sheriff Bronson Stone was contacted by Officer Johnson that all the inmates were rounded up except for Professor Pericles. Mr. E told Scooby and the gang to "follow the parrot."[3]

Pericles secretly gave Aphrodite her love potion formula, then helped with the antidote, so that he could get the help of Scooby-Doo to obtain things he needed to find the lost treasure of the conquistadors. He sent a mocking message to the gang and Mr. E through his henchman telling them this. During all of this, Pericles meets Angel Dynamite and is implied to know her true identity.[11]

Professor Pericles is the Shadowy Figure

Unmasked as the "Shadowy Figure."

He haunted Mayor Jones in his home by taking over his son's traps, and managed to steal his piece of the Planispheric Disk.[4]

He watched using video monitors when the gang was attacked by the Obliteratrix, and thought about helping them because he still needed them alive.[12]

Professor Pericles

Pericles gloating

He went to Ed Machine's house and told Ed that he wanted to deliver a message to Ricky (or Mr. E). However, Pericles didn't want to use words and attacked Ed Machine. He later showed up when the gang was down in the Crystal Cove Caves. He had used a tracker to see where the Mystery Machine was and said there was nothing to fear. The Freak of Crystal Cove appeared and swiped Pericles, knocking him to the ground. He managed to get the piece of the Planispheric Disk away from the Freak, and mocked Scooby about it before flying away. In anger, Scooby vowed to stop Pericles.[2]

Season two[]

He summoned the former members of the original Mystery Inc. when the kids gathered the next two pieces, tying with his own amount.[16]

Mr. E then invited Pericles into a partnership, though this may be more than a mere partnership and they may miss each other's friendship. Mr. E agreed and the two of them held a toast that they would use the treasure to conquer the world. They also heard Cassidy on the radio and agreed to "silence" her forever.[8]

He told the gang that he lived for more than 80 years, as he recalled being a friend of Abigail Gluck in the 1930s. He took over her underwater robot factory after her death and retrieved the final disk piece and escaped, while activating the self-destruct sequence destroying the base, which took Cassidy with it.[7]

He had a fond remembrance of Krampus terrorizing children while still trying to get the gang's pieces. When he thought he finally had them, he was completely shocked when he finds their pieces stolen and that the gang tricked them into stealing fake ones.

He lectured Brad and Judy for failing to manipulate their own son and sets them with the task of recovering the pieces.

He created a mutant cattle herd to destroy Crystal Cove and give the gang nowhere to hide. However, the gang saved the town by capturing the herd's queen. Furious by this, Pericles vowed revenge on the gang for ruining his plan.[9]

He implanted mutated cobra larvae into Mr. E's spinal column in his sleep, and assumed effective control of Destroido Corp.[10]

He had recovered the Planispheric Disk from Fred after threatening to harm Daphne. He returned to Destroido to make the preparations needed to free his master. It's revealed that he knew about the cosmological event called Nibiru the entire time.[17]

Using slave labor from Crystal Cove, he found the underground gate leading to the cursed treasure.[18]

He's shown to have known that the gang have found the keys required to open the gates. He used Hot Dog Water as a hostage to get the gang to cooperate. When Marcie broke free, she turned the tables by holding him hostage in order to give the others a head-start. However, thanks to Brad and Judy, Pericles escaped her grasp, and she was shot to death in cold blood. He led his group through the elemental dimensions to the sarcophagus of the Evil Entity, and freed it.[6]

Giant Pericles

Pericles, after being consumed by the Evil Entity.

He asked the Evil Entity to be its host, instead of Scooby-Doo, hoping he would have the immense power to destroy Mystery Incorporated. Instead, he was killed by the Entity shortly after his body was used as a vessel. Eventually, his vessel was destroyed by Mystery Incorporated when they destroyed the crystal sarcophagus, anchoring the Evil Entity into their world. A black hole was created in its place, which pulled in Pericles/the Entity.[1]

Post-Nibiru[]

Creationex mascot

Pericles in the new world.

The black hole sucked everything away, leaving only Mystery Incorporated left, then created an explosion, which recreated the timeline of Crystal Cove around them, making a wholesome and brighter place to life. For instance, Pericles, now happy and without a scar, became the mascot for a now-married Ricky Owens and Cassidy Williams at their company, Creationex Corp.[1]

Appearances[]

Notes/trivia[]

  • In Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Crystal Cove Online, the player is rewarded a trophy of Professor Pericles when two treasure maps are completed.
  • Even though Pericles was the main villain of the series, in the first season he was helpful to the gang, but in later episodes he was shown to be on his own side. By the end of the first season and his return in Season 2 he showed his villainous side making him the villain.
  • Professor Pericles is somewhat similar to Professor James Moriarty.
  • Pericles may have been named for the renowned ancient Greek orator (c. 495 – 429 BC), as it fits his intricate schemes and erudite nature.
  • His gray plumage and red tail feathers hint at his being an African Gray parrot; this species is considered one of the two most intelligent and articulate parrot species (the other being the Amazon parrot). It has been observed that African grays may be prone to behavioral problems due to their sensitive natures.
  • Pericles is the original Mystery Inc. equivalent of Scooby-Doo.
  • Despite the title, Pericles never acts like a Professor.
  • Even though he is a parrot, he looks more like an owl.

In other languages[]

Actor Language Notes
Enrico Di Troia Italian Season 1
Gianni Giuliano Season 2
Giannis Stefopoulos (Γιάννης Στεφόπουλος)
Thanasis Kourlabas (Θανάσης Κουρλαμπάς)
Greek Season 1 episode 10 (Star TV Dub)
Season 1 episodes 13-26 (Star TV Dub)
Vasilis Milios (Βασίλης Μήλιος)
Christos Syriotis (Χρήστος Συριώτης)
Season 2 episodes 1-13 (Star TV Dub)
Season 2 episodes 14-26 (Star TV Dub)
Christos Thanos (Χρήστος Θάνος) Boomerang TV Dub
Denis Boileau French
Walmir Barbosa Brazilian Portuguese
Juan Carlos Tinoco Latin Spanish Cartoon Network/ Boomerang TV Dub

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Come Undone, season 2, episode 26.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 All Fear the Freak
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Howl of the Fright Hound, season 1, episode 10.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 A Haunting in Crystal Cove
  5. 5.0 5.1 Escape from Mystery Manor, season 1, episode 17.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Through the Curtain, season 2, episode 25.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 The Midnight Zone, season 2, episode 11.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Gathering Gloom, season 2, episode 7.
  9. 9.0 9.1 The Horrible Herd, season 2, episode 17.
  10. 10.0 10.1 The Devouring, season 2, episode 19.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Where Walks Aphrodite, season 1, episode 16.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Pawn of Shadows, season 1, episode 25.
  13. The Legend of Alice May, season 1, episode 6.
  14. The Grasp of the Gnome, season 1, episode 8.
  15. Beware the Beast from Below, season 1, episode 1.
  16. The Hodag of Horror, season 2, episode 5.
  17. The Man in the Mirror, season 2, episode 21.
  18. Gates of Gloom, season 2, episode 24.


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