He’s tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties. He’s worth five multiplujillion, nine impossibidillion, seven fantasticatrillion dollars and sixteen cents. His life is like a hurricane. He solves mysteries and rewrites history. Who is he? Scrooge McDuck! The richest duck in the world! How did he get so rich and what’s he do with all of it? Let’s find out!
Scrooge McDuck was born in Glasgow, Scotland where he worked as a bootblack at a young age. It was singing shoes that got him his Lucky Dime, an American coin that inspired him to go to America to make his fortune. He’d leave for the United States and begin taking odd jobs to save up. He’d strike it rich mining for gold, he’d also find a whirlwind romance in Glittering Goldie. She took his heart and was ready to take his money but he was able to getaway with it. The two would have a complicated connection even into old age.
Smart investment and risky adventures for treasure would help Scrooge build his wealth. Creating companies under McDuck Industries, he’d expand his power and influence. He’d have enough money he could fill an entire building with it, so he did, the McDuck Money Bin was born. A massive vault filled with gold coins, Scrooge would fulfil a lifelong dream and be able to swim in his money as if it were water, this skill took time to develop and he’s one of the only ducks who can do it.
Being frugal with his money allowed Scrooge to eventually earn the title as the richest duck in the world. This came at a cost though, he’d isolated himself from others and soon was a miserly old man who hid away from the world. It wasn’t until his nephews, Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louis would arrive in his life that he’d start to go back out into the world.
Soon, Scrooge was surrounding himself with friends and family who would become companions on his new adventures. He’d find himself experiencing parental feelings towards the children in his care and that adventuring with others made it all the better. Taking care of the triplets and their friend Webby, he’d see what life was like as the father he never became.
His vast fortune meant that he had access to all manner of vehicles to help get he and his crew to all over the world, and even beyond. Time and space were just more places for Scrooge to seek out adventure and treasures, outer space and the past were places he’d travel to. Scrooge would explore all corners of the Earth and even go inward to the center of the planet itself. Nowhere in all of existence could keep Scrooge and his family from finding adventure and stopping villainy.
Having the most money ever means there are plenty of people who want to take it for themselves. Scrooge would develop a rogues gallery from mundane criminals to monsters and magic. A constant thorn in his side were Ma Beagle and her rowdy sons, The Beagle Boys as a family of criminals who were so often in prison they’d had their prison numbers just on them at all times even when not in lockup. Magica De Spell, an evil sorceress who desires the symbolic power of the Lucky Dime to charge her nefarious spells. Stuck permanently in second place, Flintheart Glomgold, the second richest duck in the world who is always trying to either steal from Scrooge or beat him and accruing a new treasure so he can finally be ranked at number one. There are countless other villains that Scrooge would come across, giant monsters, aliens, and all sorts of others who wanted the head of Scrooge McDuck. No matter how hard any of them try, though, Scrooge and company always come out on top.
There you have it! Scrooge McDuck has returned to the small screen after many years spending it in cameos. Where once the Uncle Scrooge comics were what built his world, Ducktales has become the successor of the life and adventures of Scrooge McDuck. Formerly voiced by the great, late Alan Young he is now voiced by actual Scotsman, David Tennant. What kind of adventures will Scrooge and his family get into next? We’ll have to wait and see!
Suggested Reading
Four Color Comics #178
Uncle Scrooge
Ducktales
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
