The Liquidator (real name Bud Flud) is a recurring antagonist of the Darkwing Duck franchise. He was a crooked bottled water salesman that fell into a reservoir he had contaminated, turning him into a mutant dog-like creature with the power to assume a viscous form and control water who constantly talks in advertising-style lingo. He's also a member of Negaduck's Fearsome Five.
Originally a crooked businessman who owned Sparkling Crystal Pure Flud Water, a bottled water company based in St. Canard, Bud Flud contaminated the water supply of his competitors during a heat wave in order to corner the market. During an attempt to sabotage his final competitor, Koo Koo Fizzy Water, he was caught by Darkwing Duck and seemingly died when he fell into one of the tainted vats. In actuality, the volatile chemicals Flud had poured into the vat ended up altering his molecular structure, transforming him into a being made entirely of living water. With his new powers, Liquidator first sought revenge against Darkwing for causing his mutation and then used his hydrokinesis to turn all the water in St. Canard into a resin like substance, granting him an absolute stranglehold on the city's water business. Darkwing was finally able to defeat the Liquidator by pouring powdered cement into him, trapping him in a statue like form and restoring the city's water to normal.
Because he was once a businessman, much of the Liquidator’s dialogue was based on advertising slogans. He later formed part of the Fearsome Five as a henchman, which included the villains Megavolt, Bushroot, and Quackerjack, and whose leader was the evil incarnation of Darkwing Duck, Negaduck. It is believed that the Liquidator only had one 'episode to himself' because the writers found his catch-phrase centric dialogue too hard to write.
Powers[]
Because he's living water, the Liquidator's liquid physiology allows him to alter his form however he sees fit as well as making him immune to physical damage. He also has total control over water; able to raise its temperature to scalding levels or even alter its molecular structure into a solid resin-like substance.
Despite his durability the Liquidator is far from invincible. Cold temperatures can freeze him solid while solidifying agents like cement mix can trap him in an immobile state. He can also be contained in sponges and other absorbent materials.
Appearances[]
Although a relatively popular Darkwing Duck villain, the Liquidator only made major appearances in six episodes, with five of them alongside the Fearsome Five. In fact, his origin episode, and the only episode where he appears solo ("Dry Hard", the 23rd episode in production order) only aired after the character appeared in the two "Just Us Justice Ducks" episodes and "Life, the Negaverse, and Everything", leaving many first-time viewers of "Justice Ducks" wondering where exactly he came from. He also made cameo appearances in "Ghoul of My Dreams" and "Time and Punishment".
A kinder, gentler version of the Liquidator was part of the Friendly Four in the Negaverse.
In "Jail Bird", when Negaduck steals all of his powers, Liquidator kept his altered appearance, similarly to Bushroot. It is unknown why he didn't revert to his original form.
His powers and origin are identical to those of Spider-Man's villain Hydro-Man.
"Dry Hard" is the only episode where Liquidator appears solo. All his other appearances were as part of the Fearsome Five. Tad Stones once said this was because his dialogue was very difficult to write because of its dependence on cliché ad slogans and catchphrases.
Perhaps because of this, in the comic story "Fluffy's Reign of Terror!", most of Liquidator's dialogue was instead references to classic songs.
In "Dry Hard", Liquidator was accompanied by two girls who sang and danced wearing big mascot-like costumes that were relevant to the situation. This was a reference to the Old Gold cigarette girls from the 1950s.
