Pete

Pete (also known by variations of his name, including Mighty Pete, Peg-Leg Pete, and Black Pete) is a Disney character from the Walt Disney Company studios. He is an anthropomorphic cat and is sometimes depicted with a peg leg, and known as the arch-nemesis of Mickey Mouse he is also to be the arch-nemesis of Donald Duck, and Goofy. Though usually associated with the Mickey Mouse universe, Pete appeared in Disney's animated cartoon series Alice Comedies before the first appearance of Mickey Mouse, and is Disney's oldest continuing character. He was a relatively obscure character until appearing as a regular character in the 1990s TV series Goof Troop.

Alice Comedies


Pete first appeared in the Walt Disney-produced 1920s "Alice Comedies" short subject series. He first appeared in Alice Solves the Puzzle (February 15, 1925) as Bootleg Pete. His nick-name is a reference to his career of bootlegging alcoholic beverages during the United States Prohibition (January 16, 1920 - December 5, 1933). His activities brought him at a beach in time to see Alice playing with a crossword puzzle. Pete happened to be a collector of crossword puzzles and identified Alice's puzzle being a rare one missing from his collection. The rest of the short focused on his antagonizing Alice and her drunk-on-moonshine cat Julius in order to steal it. The menacing, bear-like villain commanded quite a presence on the screen and was destined to return.

In Alice Wins the Derby (May 5, 1925) Pete, Alice and Julius are among several contestants in a combined horse racing/auto racing event. Pete first demonstrates his skill at cheating on sporting events to achieve victory. However a car accident takes both Pete and Julius out of the race. The ending is given away by the title of the short.

In Alice Is Stage Struck (October 1, 1925) Pete is cast as the stuff of nightmares for little Alice. She is depicted performing a stage version of Uncle Tom's Cabin with her live-action friends when she falls unconscious. In her nightmare, Alice is being chased by Pete in his dog sled across an Arctic environment.

In Alice Picks the Champ (November 1, 1925), Pete is depicted as the owner of a gym who challenges all who enter in a boxing fight. The invitation is extended to Julius upon his entry. Despite the title Alice is a mere spectator in their fight rather than playing a more active role.

Pete made his final appearance for the year in Alice's Tin Pony (November 15, 1925). The "pony" of the title was actually a train transporting passengers Alice and Julius along with a payroll shipment. The shipment attracts the attention of "Pete the Bear" and his gang of outlaws who attempt a train robbery. This was the first time Pete was depicted as leader of his own gang rather that a solitary villain. This depiction would prevail in his comic book appearances for decades.

In Alice on the Farm (January 1, 1926), Pete performs his first act of kidnapping. He abducts Alice from a farm early on the short. Pete places her in a bag, punches her out and gives his own, silent version of an evil laugh. Julius then has to win custody of his female friend in a duel. Arguably the first of many duels Pete would have in his long career. Notably both Pete and Julius received more screen time than Alice herself.

Pete received a darker role in Alice's Mysterious Mystery (February 15, 1926). The title mystery concerns the abduction of an entire school of puppies by two mysterious dog catchers. Amateur detectives Alice and Julius investigate the case. The trail leads to Pete and an unnamed anthropomorphic rat serving as his henchman. The duo had abducted the puppies to sell them to a local sausage factory. Arguably establishing Pete as more ruthless than a mere kidnapper.

Pete upstaged Alice again in Alice's Balloon Race (March 1, 1926) where said balloon race serves as an excuse for another confrontation between Julius and his arch-enemy. Alice served as a bit player in her own film.

In Alice's Spanish Guitar (November 29, 1926), Pete listens to Alice playing guitar in a Spanish café. Pete is charmed by her music and abducts the girl once again. He keeps her captive in his own castle. Julius once again has to save the damsel in distress.

Alice's Brown Derby (December 13, 1926) depicts a horse racing contest where Pete attempts to cheat again while Julius rides a mechanical horse. Alice the Lumberjack (December 27, 1926), finds Alice and Julius working as lumberjacks. Pete interrupts their work to abduct Alice again. Julius is forced to come to the rescue once again. Both shorts can be seen as evidence of the repetition of plot themes that plagued the series as it progressed.

Alice the Gold Bug (January 10, 1927) had Alice, Julius and Pete competing against each other in a surreal golf game. Alice Foils the Pirates (January 24, 1927) has a misleading title. Actually the short features Pete holding Alice hostage in a pirate ship while Julius comes to the rescue. Pete would later be cast as an experienced captain and occasional pirate in both his comic strip and comic book appearances.

Alice at the Rodeo (February 21, 1927) features Alice and Julius in a rodeo. Alice rides a bull which has little trouble throwing the little girl off his back. Julius proves more successful in bronc riding and wins first prize. But it is Pete who escapes with his winnings. This naturally leads to another confrontation between the two rivals.

Alice in the Alps (March 21, 1927) indeed has Alice and Julius ice skating in the Alps. They encounter Pete while mountaineering. Alice's Auto Race (April 4, 1927) actually features Julius and Pete competing in their usual style. Alice's Knaughty Knight (May 2, 1927) features Julius and Pete as knights in armour fighting over the affections of Lady Alice.

Alice's Channel Swim (June 13, 1927) has Julius and Pete competing in a swimming race across the English Channel. Alice was actually the referee rather than a swimmer. Alice in the Klondike (June 27, 1927) has Alice and Julius as gold prospectors in Klondike, Yukon, Canada. Their successful search attracts their old rival Pete who wants the gold for himself. This would be the final appearance of Pete in the series. The series would have four more entries, ending with Alice in the Big League on August 22, 1927. Pete would be the only character of the series to survive its ending.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
When Disney needed a villain to place against his new star Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Pete was again put to good use. His introduction to his new adversary came with the sixth Oswald short The Ocean Hop (September 8, 1927). Apparently inspired by Charles Lindbergh, the two enter an aeroplane race across the Atlantic Ocean. Hugh Harman and Rollin Hamilton were responsible for animating several inventive gags during the film. At least one became a classic. At some point Oswald runs off a cliff and continues to walk on air without the effect of gravity until realizing there no ground to stand on. The gag would be reused in many cartoon shorts to come. One should note that Charles Lindbergh also served as the inspiration for Plane Crazy (May 15, 1928), the first cartoon to feature Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

Mickey Mouse


He then appeared as Mickey Mouse's enemy beginning with the cartoons The Gallopin' Gaucho and Steamboat Willie, (both 1928). He shed his bear-like appearance and was defined as a cat.

In the cartoons of the 1930s Pete would be Mickey Mouse's nemesis but would vary in professions, from an all-out outlaw (Gallopin' Gaucho) to a brutal law-enforcer (such as Moving Day in which he is a sheriff who serves Mickey and Donald Duck with an eviction notice). Pete has been the nemesis in most Mickey and Friends productions.

World War II


During World War II Pete was "drafted" by Walt Disney and appeared as the official mascot of the United States Merchant Marine. And while his name is never actually said, the same character and voice are used for Donald Duck's Commanding Officer, having the rank of Sergeant in both the Army or the Air-Force; whichever branch of the military Donald is enlisted in during the cartoon.

In the comic strips, though, he was spy for Nazi Germany as Mickey found out in Mickey Mouse on a Secret Mission in 1943, his motivation being the money.

Comics
In the comics Pete often teams up with Mickey Mouse enemies Sylvester Shyster, Eli Squinch, The Phantom Blot or Weasel. In earlier comic strips, Pete was portrayed as Sylvester Shyster's henchman, but gradually started to work on his own. Sometimes, Pete also teams up with other bad guys in the Disney universe, such as Scrooge McDuck's enemies (the Beagle Boys and Magica De Spell), Mad Madam Mim, Captain Hook, and the witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

DuckTales
In the first season of the 1987 TV series DuckTales, Pete appeared in a few episodes. However, he was portrayed as a different character in each of his appearances. Because of this, he wasn't always a true villain, but sometimes just a selfish individual with no evil agenda. In a few episodes, he even makes peace with Scrooge's group in the end. The various Petes appear to be their own characters, as two of them lived in different time periods, and because Scrooge never "recognizes" him, despite any previous encounters he may have had with any of the other Petes.

Goof Troop


In the 1992 TV series Goof Troop, Pete has a family who includes his wife Peg, their two children Pete Junior (or PJ for short) and Pistol, and their dog Chainsaw. They live next door to Goofy and his son Max. Pete owns a used-car dealership, and though no longer openly villainous, is still conniving (as well as abrasive, obnoxious, and truculent) and often exploits his good-hearted and somewhat addled friend Goofy. Often his schemes backfire, or he feels guilty about his oafish behavior and works to set things right. His wife Peg often attempts to rid Pete of his uncouth attitude, and his son PJ is a complete opposite of his father in behavior, as he is good friends with Goofy's son Max in the series and its spin-off movie A Goofy Movie. Jim Cummings provided Pete's booming bass voice starting from that series, and to date is still the character's voice in all media. It is eventually revealed in the series that one of the reasons why Pete dislikes Goofy so much is that when Pete was a High School quarterback in a big football game, it was Goofy who accidentally caused Pete to fumble the ball and lose the game by hitting him in the face with a pom pom (Goofy was on the cheerleading squad).

Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse
After Goof Troop, Pete reverted back to his evil ways on Mickey Mouse Works, where he frequently bullied the other characters and occasionally kidnapped Minnie Mouse. Then in House of Mouse, he plays the role of the evil landlord. Several episodes involved his attempts to close the club by sabotaging the show. He is always seen in a suit in House of Mouse and in a thug outfit in Mickey Mouse Works.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Pete appears in numerous episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney's newest 3D-animated children's series. He maintains his antagonist role, but is significantly toned down for its preschool audience- he is less malicious and more mischievous. Viewers will find that Mickey and gang are very forgiving of Pete and his escapades. He often appears as a seller of objects the gang needs, and will give them an item in exchange for beans. He is much nicer than his previous incarnations- in one episode, he invites the group to a Halloween party.

Movies
Due to being Mickey Mouse's most popular nemesis Pete is usually the main antagonist in Mickey Mouse films and special events.

In the 1983 short film Mickey's Christmas Carol, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol featuring Disney characters, Pete was cast as the Ghost of Christmas Future, who reveals himself by removing his hood and lighting a cigar, which also lights up the engraving on Scrooge's grave, and having only one line ("Why yours, Ebenezer. The richest man in the cemetery!") and laughing cruelly while Scrooge struggles to escape from his open grave as the gates of Hell are opening. Pete also made a cameo appearance as a Toon Town police officer in the very final scene of Who Framed Roger Rabbit - he is viewed from the back, alongside Goofy and Horace Horsecollar in security uniforms; this can be seen just before Porky Pig and Tinkerbell close the movie. This was a non-speaking role.

A Goofy Movie
Like in the television series, Goof Troop, Pete is Goofy's neighbor, only this time he's more friendly towards Goofy. Pete often gives Goofy advice on how to raise his son with discipline. In the film Pete is still considered the villain being that he hates the fact that Goofy and Max are getting along.

Pete's House of Villains
In this Disney's House of Mouse Direct-to-Video special, The villainous Pete and a bunch of other Disney villains take over the club. Pete gathers Disney's greatest villains such as Maleficent, Jafar, Captain Hook, The Queen, Ursula, Hades, Scar, Shere Khan any many others and takes over the House of Mouse with Pete as the villain's leader.

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers
In the 2004 made-for-video animated remake of The Three Musketeers (with Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy playing the title roles), Pete again appeared under the name Peg-Leg Pete as the villain. Here, he was the Captain of the Musketeers, aiming to take over France, with the help of his lieutenant, Clarabelle Cow, and the Beagle Boys. To do so, he must get Princess Minnie out of the way, but it proves to be difficult for him, even when he hires the film's titular trio to be her bodyguards, believing they won't do a good job protecting her. He received his own "bad guy song", using the classic music piece In the Hall of the Mountain King.

Mickey Mousecapade
Pete appears as the captain of a pirate ship in the early NES Capcom game Mickey Mousecapade (or simply Mickey Mouse). Unlike most appearances, he is not the final boss in this game.

Mickey's Dangerous Chase
In this early Game Boy game, Mickey has a present for Minnie, but Big Bad Pete steals it. To get it back, Mickey must chase him through several different zones. Pete is the final (and only) boss of the game.

Disney's Magical Quest
In Disney's Magical Quest, a trilogy by Capcom, Pete is the final boss of each game, personating a distinct ruler (Emperor, Baron and King). He serves as an evil ruler who terrorizes the land he reigns and often kidnaps another character. In Disney's Magical Quest 1, he kidnaps Pluto; in Magical Quest 3, he kidnaps Donald's nephews. Mickey and, depending on the game, Minnie or Donald, are always set to defeat him. In the end of the first two games, when he is defeated, he simply disappears, but in Magical Quest 3, however, after being defeated by Mickey and Donald, he eventually surrenders and promises to become a good person.

Quackshot
Quackshot follows the adventures of Donald Duck as he, with the aid of his three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, sets out to obtain some treasure from a map he found. Pete appears as an antagonist near the end of the game, kidnapping Donald's nephews and demanding to be given the map, and must be fought immediately prior to the final stage and boss of the game.

Mickey Mania
Mickey Mania follows Mickey Mouse, who has been catapulted back in time to his earliest appearance in Steamboat Willie. Black Pete is Mickey's archvillain throughout the entire game, all the way from his very first confrontation against Mickey in Steamboat Willie all the way to his role in then-recent 1990's The Prince and the Pauper.

Mickey's Speedway USA
In this game, Pete is a heavyweight racer who is high on speed and available for play, but gets replaced when the players selects between Ludwig Von Drake or Huey, Dewey and Louie.

Kingdom Hearts II


In Kingdom Hearts II, Pete is one of the main villains that Sora and co. had to deal with. He was originally a steamboat captain from the Disney Castle world whom King Mickey once worked for, referring to Mickey himself as the "boat boy king", but was punished and then banished to another dimension for his evil ways. However, he was freed by Maleficent, whom he vowed to help conquer the worlds, or as he put it, "have her help me take over", by recruiting many of the villains and building a Heartless army, thus absent during the events of the first game. Pete first encountered Sora and company at Yen Sid's tower, learning what became of Maleficent. He was a bit distraught to hear that Maleficent was killed, but was glad to see her back. Despite updating her on events of Organization XIII, Pete lost Maleficent's confidence due to not trying to get her back and/or trying to take over without her. Still, his loyalty and luck in outliving the other villains, though often only because of his cowardice, keeps him firmly as her second in command and most loyal henchman, despite Maleficent's insults and annoyance. When Maleficent's merciless insults led to a depressed Pete yearning for "the good old days," a portal to the past was opened and Maleficent decided to give Pete a second chance. In the Timeless River, he tried to get the Cornerstone of Light by stealing his old boat from his "1920s-style" past self, but failed when Sora and co. stopped him with some help from "Past-Pete" (though he was only intent on wanting revenge on "the punk what stole my steamboat" without realizing the identity of his future-self; though Sora attempted to tell him, Goofy prevented him from doing so). Strangely, Maleficent constantly threatens to kill Pete because of his failings, but never makes good on them.

In the game, he helped Hades bring up the Underdrome (possibly because Hades's rule over the dead would give him access to previously defeated villains), attempted to gain possession of Jafar's lamp to make the villain into a Heartless, helped Barbossa's crew undo their curse at Port Royal, and appeared as a lion while teaming up with Scar in the Pride Lands. Although Maleficent doesn't usually treat him well, to the point where Pete is reduced to tears when she calls him a "useless imbecile," he is much more accepted by the other villains he meets (however, Hades' short fuse causes him to yell at Pete when Hades feels patronized). Pete mostly serves as an evil yet comically inept villain, and is not seen as a serious threat by Sora and co.; Sora even remarks to Leon that Pete's "not smart enough to tie his own shoes." He is a boss thrice, first in the Olympus Coliseum where he is able to summon Heartless to help him in a timed battle, and the last two times in the Timeless River (counting a short fight against Pete's past self). In the second fight, he attempts to steal the Cornerstone of Light using the hijacked steamboat, but he is incapacitated when the debris he tosses at Sora and co. is hurled back at him, knocking him out. The final time, he fights similar to the first fight, facing both Sora and co. and the enraged Past Pete. His attacks range from bombs punches and throwing fire crackers and he is able to manipulate the environment the characters are in, he can also cast Reflect to become invincible for a few seconds. He is also an opponent in the Hades Cup. By the end of the game, Maleficent wanted control of The Castle That Never Was, but Pete warns the over-confident Witch that they're so close the darkness the Heartless feed on, they might not obey them anymore. Later, when Maleficent offered to allow Sora and co. to get to Xemnas, he was a bit reluctant to fight the massive army of Heartless spawned from Ansem's failed machine, but a banter with Mickey made Pete determined to fight alongside Maleficent out of pride. What happened to them after Sora's group defeated Xemnas is unknown.

Apart from the vintage appearance of Past Pete, the KHII version of Pete seems to take most of its cues from his Goof Troop characterization. Many of his attacks resemble throwing bowling balls, and bowling was something of an obsession for Pete in his Goof Troop days.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Pete reappears in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep which takes place ten years prior to Kingdom Hearts II. In it he is a resident of the world Disney Town which surrounds Disney Castle. He uses the disguise of Captain Justice to fool the town into believing that he is a superhero thus gaining fame and adoration while at the same time playing the role of a villain named Captain Dark which he uses to further his evil schemes.

Disney TH!NK Fast
In Disney TH!NK Fast, Pete appears as the final secret playable character after you've collected 30,000 points in a simple game.

Voices
Billy Bletcher, 1932 - 1954

Will Ryan, 1983 (Mickey's Christmas Carol), 1987 (DuckTales; Down and Out With Donald Duck)

Arthur Burghardt, 1990 (The Prince and the Pauper)

Jim Cummings, 1992 - Present, 2000 (Peg-Leg Pete's House of Villains), 2004 (Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers and others)

Tōru Ōhira (Japanese)