Thaddeus E. Klang

Thaddeus E. Klang is a character in Disney's TaleSpin. He was the leader of a cult-like organization seeking the secret weapon hidden in the lost city of Tinabula. He is a green cobra with a black cloak, warlock-like hat, metallic jaw (capable of crushing hard objects with his bites), metallic limbs, and speaks with a metallic echo to his voice (the abundance of metal being the basis for his name). He is voiced by Tim Curry.

Role in the series
A few months ago, Klang learned of a Ms. Katie Dodd, an archeologist who was working on uncovering the lost city of Tinabula. Evidently Klang had heard of the legend of Tinabula, that somewhere within the ancient city was a weapon that could destroy anything with sound waves. Enticed by the awesome power this legend suggested, Klang traveled to the deserts outside Ghafia to "persuade" Ms. Dodd to find the weapon for him.

Aware that his interference could stir up trouble with the local authorities, Klang surrounded himself with red-robed desert mercenaries, paid to aid him in his quest. He also possessed a large number of giant desert beetles — scarabs — that normally dwell in uncharted portions of the desert. This latter part may seem a bit incredible, but several of our officers have actually had close encounters with these monstrous bugs. One specimen is currently in captivity pending an inspection by foreign zoologists.

The first part of Klang's plan was a success: he forced archeologist Dodd to uncover the city and discover the location of the weapon. At last Klang had achieved his ultimate goal. Brashly, he tested the destructive force of this tool of evil by firing into the sand toward Ghafia. This caused a tidal wave of sand that swept through our city, smothering the buildings and blowing down citizens in the streets.

Confident that he now had unstoppable power at his disposal, Klang put forth an ultimatem: either Ghafia give him one million guilders or he would shake the city until there was nothing left. Our police forces sent tanks in an attempt to apprehend Klang, but his defenses left them in the dust (literally). With no way to raise the money in time and no other recourse, Ghafia's fate was sealed.

Fortunately, two friends of Ms. Dodd managed to free her from Klang's men. According to her knowledge of Tinabulan lore, there was a "master bell" which when rung would destroy the city once and for all. Despite interference from Klang and his cohorts, Dodd's company found and activated the bell, causing a massive earthquake in the city that completely destroyed Tinabula without a trace.

Klang managed to pose quite a threat and even obtained the lost city's weapon, but was defeated when the weapon backfired and buried the city. Afterward, his metallic parts fell off, revealing him to simply be a regular, albeit over-sized, cobra. He would appear to still be at large, though nothing has been seen of him since.