Milo Thatch

Milo James Thatch is the main protagonist of Walt Disney Pictures' animated feature Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He is voiced by actor Michael J. Fox.

Biography
Milo James Thatch was born in 1882 to British parents whom he lost early in his childhood. After their passing, he was adopted by his grandfather, Thaddeus Thatch, with whom he was very close. When Milo was young, Thaddeus often told Milo stories of the lost continent of Atlantis, which was supposedly sunk beneath the Atlantic Ocean following a cataclysmic disaster. Milo was fascinated by these stories, and in life made it his personal goal to prove the existence of the legendary city.

By 1914, Milo was a linguist and professor of archaeology in Washington, D.C., trying desperately to prove to his contemporaries at the museum that Atlantis was a real civilization. His eccentric pursuit of the topic labeled him a nutcase by those forced to listen to his stories, so Milo could never secure the funding to start an expedition to search for Atlantis.

The Search for Atlantis
After yet another disastrous session in 1914, Milo returned home where he was greeted by Helga Katrina Sinclair, a German woman with a proposition for Milo. Milo and Helga went to the Whitmore Mansion, where Milo met Preston B. Whitmore, one of his grandfather's closest friends prior to the latter's death. Mr. Whitmore presented Milo with a gift left to him by his grandfather, which happened to be the long-lost Shepherd's Journal. The journal supposedly contained the information necessary to uncover Atlantis, but Whitmore didn't buy the legend either. Milo then declared that even if he was not granted funding, he would find Atlantis on his own, even with a rowboat. Impressed by Milo's determination, Whitmore revealed that he had in fact planned the entire expedition. He had made a bet with Thaddeus that if he found the journal, he would fund such an expedition. Whitmore informed Milo that the expeditionary team needed an expert linguist, and Milo eagerly agreed to the job.

Milo and the rest of the team set sail towards Atlantis onboard the massive submarine Ulysses, which had been specially designed for the purpose of uncovering Atlantis. Upon meeting its commander, Lyle Tiberius Rourke, who led the team that found the journal, Milo boarded the Ulysses and got acquainted with its crew. He was immediately viewed as an outcast by most due to his socially awkward personality, so he initially received only their scorn and ridicule.

During the first day of the journey, the Ulysses is attacked by the Leviathan, which Milo said was the mythical guardian of Atlantis capable of shooting sparks of fire. Milo was shocked to discover that the creature, which took the form of an enormous lobster, was not an organic being, but a massive machine. The crew of the Ulysses attempt to fight the creature off, but the ship is heavily damaged and the survivors are forced to abandon ship. Milo evacuates on an Evac-Sub with Rourke and some members of the team, and is among the few to survive the disastrous escape from the Leviathan. Milo is then left to guide the team, as the journal he possesses is their only means of finding the city. ???????