List of The Venture Bros. characters

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This is a list of main and recurring fictional characters and organizations from The Venture Bros., the Adult Swim/Cartoon Network comic science fiction series.

Character is deceased

Team Venture

Team Venture composes the central characters in the show; they live in a fortified compound in an undisclosed location somewhere in the United States. The compound doubles as the headquarters for Dr. Venture's company, Venture Industries.

  • Henry Allen "Hank" Venture (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): A teenage boy, one-half of the eponymous pairing. Hank is a combination of Joe Hardy, Jonny Quest and Fred Jones of Scooby Doo fame. He tends to be more athletic and better at disguises than his brother. He is always up for adventures and solving mysteries, but can be rather naïve, and his impulsiveness frequently gets him into trouble.
  • Dean Venture (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas): A teenage boy, the second half of the eponymous pairing. Dean is timid, selfless, and more "bookish" than Hank. He is a combination of Frank Hardy, Peter Parker from Spider-Man (in fact, he wears Spider-Man pajamas in several episodes) and a stereotypical boy from the 1950s (e.g. Henry Huggins). He has an obvious crush on Triana Orpheus.
  • Dr. Thaddeus S. "Rusty" Venture (voiced by James Urbaniak): Father of the Venture twins. He constantly lives in the shadow of his famous father Dr. Jonas Venture, from whom he inherited Venture Industries. There is some question as to his actual degree of ability in the nebulously defined field of "super-science." While Dr. Venture desperately wishes to emerge from his father's shadow, ultimately his knack for cutting corners proves his undoing, with his shoddy attempts at genuine technological innovation typically resulting in utter debacle (serving as the premise for several episodes). The doctor seems to dislike his sons; it is somewhat unclear whether he actually cares for them at all. However, he keeps cloning them and has not tried to cash in on the process, which suggests more than scientific curiosity.
  • Brock Samson (voiced by Patrick Warburton): Though not related to the Ventures per se, Brock is the bodyguard of the Venture family and an agent with the Office of Secret Intelligence. As a "Super Secret Agent," he has a license to kill and an amazing zeal to use it. His background has been revealed to be "half Swedish, quarter Polish, quarter Winnebaego". Though Brock usually displays a relaxed and casual attitude, his temper can cause him to snap into psychotic violence at the slightest provocation. His ability to dispense punishment is equaled by his ability to sustain it, to the point that he is seemingly unkillable. He also has a superhuman sexual appetite, with conquests ranging from beauty queens to sleazy strippers to "the Queen of the Ant People." He is extremely loyal to the Venture family, actually living with them in the compound, and now seems to serve as a bit of a mentor for the boys, with whom he shares an avuncular relationship.
  • H.E.L.P.eR. (voiced by "Soul-Bot"): The Venture family's personal helper robot. H.E.L.P.eR. is an acronym for Humanoid Electric Lab Partner Robot. He was created by Dr. Jonas Venture to look after his son Rusty, but now assists Brock in looking after Dean and Hank. He does not speak, but rather communicates via electronic beeps that are more or less understood by the Venture clan. Though he has very sensitive feelings, the Ventures often treat him like an old appliance or pet.

Friends of Venture

  • Dr. Jonas Venture, Jr., also known as J.J. (voiced by James Urbaniak): Dr. Venture's deformed twin, who was absorbed by Rusty in the womb. Until the first season finale, he appeared only in Dr. Venture's nightmares. He was freed from Rusty's body via surgery after being mistaken for a tumor. Desperate to claim the life that was stolen from him, he tried to murder Dr. Venture using a giant mechanical suit that he made out of household items. Though he has the body of an infant, his head has matured to an adult appearance and bears a striking resemblance to that of his father. He also seems to have inherited his father's brilliance, unlike Thaddeus, as he earned two doctorates within the period of a month (the amount of time Thaddeus had spent escaping his former life). By the end of the first season, Thaddeus has agreed to share his Venture birthright with his brother. He is given the old Venture compound on Spider-Skull Island, as well as the X-2, the boat built by their father. Jonas Jr. appears to be everything his brother is not: scientifically astute, hard-working, attractive to women, about two feet tall, and the possessor of a full head of hair.
  • Triana Orpheus (voiced by Lisa Hammer): Dr. Orpheus's 17-year-old quasi-goth daughter. She has purple hair, and is fairly friendly with the Venture Boys. She is possibly the most down-to-earth character on the show, despite her father's tendency to dramatize. She takes an interest in kitsch. It is unclear whether she knows about Dean Venture's crush on her, or whether she feels the same towards him.
  • Pete White (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): An albino computer scientist and co-founder of Conjectural Technologies. He went to college with Venture and Ünderbheit where he hosted a New Wave radio show called "The White Room." After college, White and Billy Quizboy worked in tandem on a Jeopardy-styled gameshow, called "QuizBoys" in which Pete hosted and Billy participated. After a debacle concerning Billy's attempt at cheating on the show, White and Quizboy were fired and left to find new lives. While the two had a short falling out, Pete eventually rejoined Billy (after his short unwanted stint with OSI and his task of spying on Phantom Limb). They find refuge in a trailer near the Venture Compound where they currently reside. Like Venture and Quizboy, White tends to be somewhat lazy and half-hearted in his efforts. On occasion, characters refers to him as "the gay albino", although it is unlikely that he is really gay.
  • Master Billy Quizboy (voiced by Doc Hammer): A self-proclaimed "boy genius," Billy Whalen is actually an adult (he is 35, as revealed in The Buddy System) with a speech impediment and growth hormone deficiency. He suffers from hydrocephalus, although his intellect seems to be unaffected by this condition. He starred as a contestant on the game show Quizboy hosted by Pete White. When White gave him the answer to the final question they were both kicked off the show and Billies winnings were frozen by the FCC. White and Billy went to look for a job from Dr. Venture, and to gain money Billy competed in underground Quizes. After being shot down by Venture, they go to Mexico where Billy is attacked and loses a hand when White enters him in a dog fight. Billy leaves White, and is recruited by OSI agents Brock Samson and Hunter Gathers, who provide him with a mechanical hand. Brock and Hunter send Billy undercover to spy on Professor Fantomas, believing he is in league with the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Billy soon becomes his assistant and discovers he is trying to fix his tiny arm deformity. He has Billy help with his experiment but because Billy doesn't know what he is doing (OSI had his term paper was written by Stephen Hawking), the experiment goes wrong, Fantomas turns into Phantom Limb and Billy loses his left eye. After a mind wipe, Brock (newly assigned to Venture) smuggles Billy out of OSI and leaves him with White. He then became a neurogeneticist and co-founder of Conjectural Technologies. He is a virgin as revealed during a conversation with Pete White and Dr. Venture. In episode three of season three Billy hits his head on a toilet and remembers everything.
  • The Pirate Captain (real name unknown) (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): The leader of the "ghost pirates" in the episode "Ghosts of the Sargasso". After his initial encounter with the Venture family, he began living on the X-2 after having difficulties in finding a job. When Jonas Jr. acquired the ship, he hired the captain. He has not been referred to by any name or nickname other than "The Captain" so far.

The Order of the Triad

File:DrByronOrpheus.JPG
Dr. Byron Orpheus
  • Dr. Byron Orpheus (voiced by Steven Rattazzi): An expert necromancer and mystic who rents a portion of the Venture Compound and is friendly with Dr. Venture. Along with Brock, he is the only associate of Dr. Venture who displays any sort of competence, although his pomposity tends to detract from his abilities. His is a parody of vintage comic book magic-users such as Doctor Strange and the even older (and cornier) Mandrake the Magician. His face and hair are similar to those of Vincent Price. He has been confused for Dracula a number of times. His speech is filled with overly dramatic phrases, delivered in a theatrically grandiose voice with extreme emphasis on mundane topics, usually over a background of ominous trumpet-laden music. After witnessing Dr. Venture's various enemies, he develops a fervent desire for an archnemesis of his own. He is fiercely protective of the twin boys.
  • Jefferson Twilight (voiced by Charles Parnell): An old friend of Dr. Orpheus. He is a black man who fights blaculas for a living and wields two swords. He is a pastiche of the superhero Blade and the blaxploitation movie protagonist, Shaft. As a play on Blade's half-vampire thirst for blood or an artificial replacement, Jefferson Twilight suffers from diabetes and low blood-sugar, leading him to heavily thirst for sugared liquids, such as Nik-L-Nips. His left eye is discolored and it is recently revealed that it's a magical blacula tracker he calls the 'Blood Eye'.
  • The Alchemist (voiced by Dana Snyder): Another old friend of Dr. Orpheus, who is searching for the philosopher's stone ("as a metaphor for enlightenment") as well as a cure for AIDS. Unlike Twilight and Orpheus, it would seem that he is much less serious about his business and would rather mix business with pleasure; however, his true opinion on the Triad was revealed in the episode Showdown at Cremation Creek, where he stated that he was more into helping the balance of the Universe than running around fighting one Super-Villain. It has been openly acknowledged that he is gay and a fan of Jimmy Buffet. He is sometimes referred to as "Al", but whether this is his real name or merely short for Alchemist is uncertain.

Original Team Venture

  • Dr. Jonas Venture, Sr. (voiced by Paul Boocock): Deceased father of Dr. Thaddeus Venture and Jonas Junior, seen in dreams, hallucinations, old videotapes, and flashbacks. He was the foremost scientist and adventurer in the world of his time. He created what is now known as Venture Industries and led the original Team Venture. His character is based on Doc Savage and Dr. Benton Quest.
  • The Action Man, whose real name is Rodney (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Retired member of the original Team Venture. He is an all-American supersoldier reminiscent of a B-grade Nick Fury, though his costume evokes elements of a vintage Captain America. Since his retirement, he has become a crotchety old man with flatulence problems. He married Major Tom's widow, Jeannie, after Tom's tragic accident. It was implied in the episode "Ghosts Of the Sargasso" that he cheated with Jeannie before Tom's death (in a deleted scene from "Past Tense," Otto Aquarius directly refers to him as an adulterer); Tom himself bitterly remarks in the same Episode, "I'm Happy, Hope You're Happy Too", implying that he knew about and accepted the affair. Dr. Orpheus predicted that Action Man would have a fatal stroke two years and seventeen days after an accidental confrontation. The Action Man gets his name from the David Bowie song "Ashes to Ashes", which functioned as a follow-up to "Space Oddity", which introduced "Major Tom".
  • Colonel Horace Gentleman (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Retired member of the original Team Venture and later ersatz leader of the reformed Team Venture. He is a British gentleman and adventurer in the vein of Allan Quatermain and James Bond. The influence is apparent in the similarity of his voice to that of Sean Connery, who has played both characters in movies. He dresses in an old-fashioned British suit, complete with cane. It is briefly implied that he is a pederast and this was later confirmed by the creators.[1] In the second season, Hank and Dean find him apparently dead of unspecified causes; however, it is revealed in the Season 3 episode "Now Museum, Now You Don't" that he was merely in a diabetic coma and is still alive. Apparently had a penchant for writing out random lists in his notebook such as "Toys Colonel Gentleman Wishes He Had When He Was a Lad but They Weren't Invented Yet" and "Hollywood actresses that need a smack in the mouth" A deleted scene from the episode expands his toy list, and adds others.
  • Kano (unvoiced): Retired member of the original Team Venture. He is a master of the martial arts and an accomplished pilot. He never speaks, and only communicates by way of origami and sparse gestures. As Col. Gentleman describes him, his hands are "powerful enough to crush a boulder, yet delicate enough to crush a butterfly." Although not a villain, his silent demeanor, fighting skills and brute strength all correspond with the bodyguard/henchman archetype found in many works of fiction, with particular similarities to Oddjob. Although a hulking, powerful fighter, he is still no match for Brock Samson, at least in his old age. In addition to his skill in fighting and origami, Kano also appears to be a capable aircraft pilot ("despite his racial handicap," according to Col. Gentleman).
  • Otto Aquarius (voiced by T. Ryder Smith): Retired member of the original Team Venture. An exiled son of Atlantis, he is half-human and half-Atlantean, which grants him a greatly extended life-span. Most recently, he has converted to either The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (according to the special features section of the Season 1 DVD) or the Jehovah's Witnesses (according to Jackson Publick's blog), though his bizarre appearance often sabotages his attempts at evangelism. Due to his newfound faith, he is now a pacifist, limiting his usefulness to the reformed Team Venture. In a deleted scene, he refuses to work alongside Kano, Col. Gentleman, and the Action Man, accusing them of being, "an idolater, a sodomite, and an adulterer" respectively; he goes on to explain that the only reason he went in the first place was to accumulate missionary hours. He is a parody of aquatic characters such as Sub-Mariner, Aquaman and Abe Sapien of Hellboy fame.

Archvillains and henchmen

File:-21+24.jpg
#24 (left) and #21 purchasing a lightsaber
  • The Monarch (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Dr. Venture's self-styled archnemesis. His real name is Malcolm. He is obsessed with Monarch butterflies, which he claims raised him as a child after he survived the plane wreck which killed his parents in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. In fact, he only spent a few months unsuccessfully imitating them before returning to claim his inheritance, and still seems to have almost no understanding of their biology or behavior. He then attended State University where he began arching Dr. Venture, but for reasons as yet unrevealed. He then began henching for a variety of villains, and was employed by Phantom Limb as Shadow Man 9, until he became the Monarch and seduced Dr. Girlfriend. Though he frequently describes himself as Dr. Venture's nemesis, their rivalry resides almost completely in the Monarch's imagination. In reality, Dr. Venture considers him more a nuisance than a genuine threat. His plans against the Venture family are usually bizarre and fail for a number of sad reasons. For instance, his first attempt on Venture's life instead mutilated his lab partner, Verner Underbeit (Underbeit believes Venture was responsible). At the end of season one, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison after being framed by the Phantom Limb. However, in the second season, he escaped and began to rebuild his criminal operation, being reunited with Dr. Girlfriend in the process and eventually marrying her. As of the third season, the two have moved into Phantom Limb's old mansion in a town called Malice.
    • Henchman 21, whose real name is Gary (voiced by Doc Hammer): An overweight pop-culture geek who lives with his mother. He is always accompanied by Henchman 24. Wrote (or at least provided the cover-photo for) "Flight of the Monarch", a tell-all that starts the chain of events ending in the Monarch's incarceration. In the first episode of season two, being without costume for the first time, he is described by 24 as resembling Kevin Smith. He briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a supervillain himself, "the Viceroy." He claims that he joined the world of henching when he was kidnapped by The Monarch's henchmen when he was 15. When not henching, Number 21 runs a comic book hotline, the "Atomic Comic Collection Connection" from his bedroom.
    • Henchman 24, (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): a tall, thin man with voice characteristics resembling comic Ray Romano. He and Henchman 21 frequently have arguments about unusual hypothetical situations. Is described by 21 in the first episode of the second season as resembling Jerry Seinfeld with a unibrow. He tends to repeat words that are dirty or have a double entendre like "loin" and "jerkin". Number 24 served as Shadowman 24 for Phantomlimb at the same time the Monarch was Shadowman 9. The Monarch promised to make him his number two in return for a favor, a promise which has never been carried out. Number 24's powder blue Nissan Stanza becomes the replacement Monarch Mobile after the Monach's lair is destroyed but is promptly stolen by a fleeing prostitute. The Stanza later inexplicably reappears in the garage of the Monarch's Cocoon. It was heavily damaged when the Cocoon crashed in the Grand Canyon. The Monarch doesn't remember much about 24 besides the fact he thinks his voice sounds like aforementioned Ray Romano. 24 has revealed to Dean that his ex-girlfriend married his stepfather and that he has always wanted to be a cabinet maker.
  • Doctor Girlfriend (voiced by Doc Hammer): Wife and assistant to the Monarch. Her real name is Sheila. She bears a remarkable similarity to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and shares her New England accent. Her comically deep voice (the character is voiced by a man) is a parody of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' relatively low voice for a woman, and at one point the creators claimed that they originally imagined her as sounding like actor Harvey Fierstein. Rumors that she is a transsexual have been dispelled as a red herring; her voice is attributed to cigarette smoking. She was introduced to the world of costumed villainy by Phantom Limb, her then-lover and former professor. She initially failed as an independent villain named Lady Au Pair. She then served as Phantom Limb's second-in-command under the codename Queen Etheria, until she was seduced by the Monarch at a party. Dr. Girlfriend was the undisputed brains behind the Monarch's operations, but she felt unappreciated by him. After a short separation, Dr. Girlfriend and the Monarch renew their relationship on the condition that the Monarch stops arching Dr. Venture and makes Dr. Girlfriend his partner, not just his "number 2." They are married in the Season 2 finale and recognized by the Guild of Calamitous Intent as "villain and villainess" in Season 3. Dr. Girlfriend now goes by the name Dr. Mrs. The Monarch and has designed a new butterfly-themed costume for herself.
    • Tim-Tom and Kevin (voiced by Christopher McCulloch and Doc Hammer, respectively): achondroplastic dwarves who were Dr. Girlfriend's "Murderous Moppets" in her solo career as Lady Au Pair. They apparently remain on good terms with her, helping in her application to be the Order of the Triad's nemesis, helping her at her wedding, and organizing the rebuilding of the cocoon after its destruction. Neither of them speak to Dr. Girlfriend (on screen), but outside of her presence, they are both surly, foul-mouthed, and utterly psychotic (they seem to ferociously attack with their matching stilettos with very little provocation). Both of them wear Little Lord Fauntleroy suits and ribboned hats. Tim-Tom is white (and speaks with a cockney accent) and wears a blond curly-top wig, whereas Kevin is black, and does not have a wig (he appears to have a jeri-curl, and thus curly hair like his partner). They apparently also deceive their mistress: she tells The Monarch that they were upset that The Monarch Henchmen pick on them, and that #24 was bullying them -- when in fact they terrorize (and routinely brutalize) The Henchmen and Tim-Tom savagely knifed (and nearly murdered) #24 after he jubilantly poured Gatorade on him as a mischievous affirmation of The Moppets' leadership. Dr. Girlfriend seemed to completely believe The Moppets' story, but The Monarch seemed dubious. After Dr. Girlfriend becomes Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, the Moppets apparently officially join the Monarch's organization, performing reconnaissance on the Venture compound for the Monarch (disguised as child participants in Dr. Venture's "Day Camp for Boy Adventurers") and accompanying the villainous couple on a mission while costumed as larvae.
  • Baron Werner Ünderbheit (voiced by T. Ryder Smith): A noted member of the Guild of Calamitous Intent and former tyrant dictator of Ünderland. He wears a prosthetic metal jaw and speaks in a thick, pseudo-German accent. He blames Dr. Venture for the loss of his jaw; as he says, "In my country, a lab-partnership is a sacred trust. One is always supposed to look out for one's lab-partner! Venture...did not" It has since been revealed that the explosion that disfigured Ünderbheit was actually caused by the Monarch, in an attempt to kill Dr. Venture. Baron Ünderbheit is a parody of Doctor Doom and has been jokingly identified as such in the context of show (e.g. The Monarch referred to him as "that dime store Doctor Doom"). Ünderland is a sovereign nation that shares a border with Michigan, but its exact location has not been revealed. It is either an enclave within Michigan entirely, or an enclave within the United States that shares a border with Michigan and one or more other states and/or Great Lakes. Depending on Ünderland's exact size (Brock Samson has described it as "smaller than Delaware"), shape, and location, it could feasibly stretch into Canadian waters, or even border Canada itself. Ünderland is a parody of Latveria and other fictional comic-book countries, which play on the reader's relative lack of knowledge of Geography.
    • Manservant (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Baron Ünderbheit's long-time personal servant, given to him as a birthday present from his mother while he was in college. He is so completely devoted to Ünderbheit that he almost seems to have no will of his own; he speaks in a zombie-like monotone somewhat reminiscent of Peter Lorre, and always appears to be staring into space. His fate after the deposition of Baron Ünderbheit is unknown.
  • Phantom Limb (voiced by James Urbaniak): A villain with invisible arms and legs. He is arguably the most competent villain seen thus far in the Venture Brothers universe, although he seems largely indifferent to the Ventures themselves. Although he is quite cunning and ruthless, he is also one of the more culturally refined characters in the show, judging from his interest in Persian rugs and fine cheeses. He framed the Monarch for murder and attempted to foil the Monarch's escape plot, ostensibly because he wants Dr. Girlfriend all to himself. It was later revealed in season 2 that the framing of the Monarch was simply part of a larger picture to lure out and kill The Sovereign/David Bowie and seize the leadership of the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Despite his intellect, he often comes off as pretentious, and at times clueless about the repercussions of his action - as if he's too far into his 'role' to understand what he's doing. At the end of season 2, he seems to have escaped, although minus one invisible leg (and perhaps another 'limb'). His name and invisible limbs are references to the phantom limb syndrome experienced by amputees. The name and purple costume are also references to the comic book and comic strip hero The Phantom. It is reveled in episode three of season three that he was originally professor Hamilton G. Fantomas at a state college, and had tiny deformed arms. When Billy Quizboy was sent in by OSI to spy on him, Fantomas made Billy his lab partner thinking he was a brilliant mind. During an experiment to turn his limbs to normal size a malfunction happens which turned Fantomas into Phantom limb, and ripped out Billy's left eye.
  • Sergeant Hatred (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Dr Venture's new arch-nemesis after The Monarch's forced leave from arching Venture, he is a large man with a giant red 'H' tattooed on his face (the rest of the word "hatred" is tattooed vertically down his body) and wears military fatigues much like the Marvel villain Nuke. He is also now the Monarch's next door neighbor after the Monarch moved into Phantom Limb's former house. The Monarch's henchman, namely 21 and 24, routinely steal parts from Hatred's technology, using his hover tank to rebuild the cocoon and 21 stole jet packs from him as well. He also once captured Hank and Dean and subsequently molested them - an experience only Hank remembers (Dean was passed out from the wine); he mentions at a party he hosts that he can't be within 50 feet of a minor due to a court order. Apparently married to Princess Tinyfeet and has a massive foot fetish. He has revealed that he's taken Venture as his arch-enemy as revenge on the Monarch for his years of theft, as he'll treat them "like a god damn king", and making Venture's life wonderful. He was Brock's former supervisor in the OSI.

Recurring and minor characters

File:Molotov cocktease.jpg
Molotov Cocktease
  • Molotov Cocktease (voiced by Mia Barron): Brock Samson's sometimes-ally, sometimes-antagonist, and full-time love interest. Years ago she killed his partner, and he killed her father and took out her left eye. Despite their history, she holds Brock in very high regard and doesn't understand his loyalty nor obedience to the Ventures. She is an ex-Soviet agent, now making her living as a mercenary. She shares a somewhat sadomasochistic relationship with Brock, who has referred to her as "the only woman [he has] ever loved." Unfortunately for him, she wears a chastity belt bearing a Soviet hammer and sickle mentioning that "it is always cold in Siberia" to Brock's exclaimation of "I thought the Cold War was over," so their relationship can never be consummated. Her name is a pun combining "Molotov cocktail" with "cock tease" (referring primarily to her chastity belt). In some Venture Bros. related artwork, her last name is spelled "Coqtiz," though "Cocktease" seems to be the official spelling. Her name is also an obvious reference to Bond girls who have improbably provocative names such as Pussy Galore.
  • Col. Bud Manstrong (voiced by Terrence Fleming): Until recently, with the late Anna Baldovitch, was the leader of the two man crew of the abandoned space station, "Gargantua-1". He is a very repressed individual who cowers under the will of his inebriated mother and his severely old-fashioned attitudes towards sex brought tremendous strain on the relationship between him and Baldovitch, especially when Brock Samson ended up in the middle of things. After Gargantua-1 crashed on a wanted terrorist, Manstrong is treated as a hero and was offered the vice-presidency, which he turned down in horror upon learning of the president's indiscretions. Alternates between immaturity and sheer denial when confronted with sex and anything remotely unpleasant.
  • Watch and Ward (voiced by Christopher McCulloch and Doc Hammer respectively): Two Guild operatives who seem to be part of some form of communications center. They work directly with Phantom Limb. They frequently engage in petty arguments that are based on actual conversations between the show's creators. Their names may derive from the Watch and Ward Society.
  • Col. Hunter Gathers (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Brock's former mentor from when he was in training for the OSI. He has since gone into hiding after having a sex-change operation. He appears to be a reference to Hunter S. Thompson and his name a play on the term Hunter-gatherer. Other than Brock, Gathers was the only OSI agent who believed the Guild was still in existence in the late eighties, as of "The Invisible Hand of Fate". Despite being extraordinarily eccentric, he seems to care about his job and defending his country. He also taught Brock the strict rule of never killing women or children, as that differentiated them from the "bad guys."
  • Kim (voiced by Nina Hellman): Triana's friend, whose fashion sense causes several people to assume that she is a supervillain. She develops a true interest in supervillainy after an encounter with Dr. Girlfriend. As a supervillain, she vows to make Hank and Dean her arch-enemies.
  • The Master (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin): a supernatural presence who lives in a black void accessible through a portal in Triana's closet, he is Dr. Orpheus's old teacher and mentor to magic. With a much more laid-back personality than Orpheus, he often chides his student for being extremely uptight. Despite this, he has admitted that Orpheus is still his best student and seems to have a fondness for him, frequently letting Orpheus come to him for advice. He is never seen in a human form (it is questionable whether he even has a form of his own) but rather as various talking animals; notably Cerberus and the horse rumored to have squashed Catherine the Great. Perhaps more disturbingly, he is always partaking in some sort of sensual pleasure: when transformed into the horse, he is seen suspended by a pulley-system preparing to engage in sexual intercourse with a multi-headed doppleganger of Catherine the Great; when Cerberus, he performs autofellatio, commenting on the pleasure derived from the act.
  • Myra Brandish (voiced by Joanna Adler): Hank and Dean's possible biological mother. According to Brock, she was an American Gladiator under the name PowerKat. However, she claims to be a former OSI agent who guarded Venture in the same manner as Brock does except that Myra fell for Dr. Venture and after some aggressive, one-sided flirting on her part, they had a fling, resulting in Hank and Dean. Regardless of her true past, Dr. Venture has admitted to having sex with her. Unfortunately she went insane and has since become a recurring nuisance for Dr. Venture and Brock; she would periodically break out of the asylum and do something different based on whatever medication she is on; once burning down the compound. Some evidence does exist to support Myra's claim to have worked for the OSI. In "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" she accurately quotes some of the same regulations that Col.Hunter Gathers quoted to Brock during their first meeting. Also, in "Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny" the Monarch has a flash back on being beaten up by Myra in the Venture Compound which is identical to Myra's own recollection of the same incident from "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills".
  • General Manhowers (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Due to his high military rank, he is one Dr. Venture's main clients. Has ordered 100 Venturesteins and 100 Oo-rays for military use. Is apparently a General of the Air Force, though he refers to the Army in the pilot episode. This is perhaps due to his somewhat failing mental state, which causes him to go on long tirades about practically nothing.
  • Dr. Henry Killinger: A cross between the diplomat Henry Kissinger, the magical nanny Mary Poppins, and a stereotypical super villain, he never goes without his "magic murder bag". The Monarch hires him as a new "number two", and he implements new reforms into the Cocoon in an attempt to turn around their spectacular failures. He ends up reuniting Dr. Girlfriend with the Monarch, and it is implied that this was his intention all along, as well as the Oni's failing attempt to reunite Myra Brandish and Dr. Venture. Once finished, he flies away with his umbrella in a similar manner to Poppins. He returns in Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part II) for the wedding of the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend as the minister and flies away again as Phantom Limb attacks the Cocoon, where the ceremony is being performed. Killinger appears again in a larger role in The Doctor Is Sin, an episode of season three, when Dr. Venture faces the possibility of having to sell the Venture Compound, and Killinger shows up to turn the company into an efficient super-science machine. It is speculated that Killinger's plan all along was to turn Dr. Venture into a super villain, such as reuniting him with an insane Myra and keeping the Monarch away from him. An encounter between Dr. Orpheus and Killinger left Orpheus comatose, hinting that there may be far more to Killinger than meets the eye. It was mentioned in the commentary for I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills that Killinger may actually be the alter-ego of Henry Kissinger in the Venture Universe, but they hadn't decided yet.
  • The Sovereign / David Bowie (portrayed by Christopher McCulloch / voiced by James Urbaniak): The mysterious entity who runs the Guild of Calamitous Intent. He mostly communicates only through telescreens which obscured his face and voice. He was invited to the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend's wedding and gave away the bride. In a nod to his reputation as one of rock music's greatest chameleons, Bowie has the ability to shape-shift into anything from another human being to a cigarette.
  • Dermott Fictel (voiced by Doc Hammer): An obnoxious teenager who first appeared in "The Buddy System". It was confirmed in audio commentary for that episode that he is to appear again. At the end of "The Buddy System", he states he met his father, which he claims to be Brock Samson in "Tears of a Sea Cow". This should not be taken as fact, however as Dermott is a compulsive liar. He repeatedly claims to be a world-renowned martial artist, and makes obviously false excuses when asked to demonstrate.

The Impossibles

  • Professor Richard Impossible (voiced by Stephen Colbert): Founder of Impossible Industries, a major government contractor, and former professor to Dr. Venture, Mr. White, and Billy Quizboy. He holds science and the pursuit of knowledge in a much higher regard than he does his wife or other people; at times this has made itself manifest as homicidal ruthlessness, though most of the time he's simply out of touch. Impossible and his cohorts are a parody of the Fantastic Four: an experiment with cosmic radiation gave them each strange abilities (this parody is referenced explicitly in the episode "Love Bheits" when it is mentioned that the Impossibles beat the Ventures in a costume contest by dressing as the Fantastic Four). Richard can stretch his body like rubber, similar to Mister Fantastic, and seems to use this power to make himself appear taller. The other members of his family have useless parodies of the other members' powers. Jackson Publick's blog states that Colbert's representatives have said he has neither "the time nor the interest" to further voice Professor Impossible.
  • Sally Impossible (voiced by Mia Barron): Richard's wife. Has invisible skin which leaves her muscle tissue visible (which is significantly less useful than the abilities of the Invisible Woman) and she requires all her concentration to keep her skin visible. This power is occasionally referred to as her becoming "visible" (making her "the visible woman"). Sally developed, and still maintains, a crush on Dr. Venture, who was repelled when he discovered her condition. Richard has implied that she has been repeatedly unfaithful and that her newborn son might be fathered by someone else, although this may have been Richard being very callous, and not a grounded accusation. This is a reference to the Invisible Woman's relationship with the Sub-Mariner, who has pursued her romantically from their first encounter. Eventually, it came to the point where Richard was keeping Sally practically as a prisoner in their home and keeping her under constant guard, accurately suspecting that she wanted to run away from him. Sally is currently dating Jonas Venture Jr. and resides on Spider Skull Island with the rest of the Impossibles, sans Richard.
  • Rocket Impossible: Sally and Richard's newborn son. Thus far he has not displayed any sort of super powers or genetic mutations. He is a parody of Franklin Richards, son of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. Richard has previously voiced concerns that he may not be the father.
  • Ned (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Sally and Cody's mentally handicapped cousin. Has a pale orange, lumpy appearance. He is stronger than ordinary people, but not nearly as strong or impervious to harm as The Thing. He has been described as a "giant callus"
  • Cody (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): Sally's brother. Bursts into flames when exposed to oxygen. Unlike the Human Torch, he cannot control this very painful reaction, so he is kept in an air-tight container. As a result, he is usually in a state of unconsciousness. It is unknown whether he was brought to Spider Skull Island by Jonas Jr. with the rest of his family or if he's still under the control of Professor Impossible.

Ünderland

  • Girl Hitler (voiced by Mia Barron): Formerly one of Baron Ünderbheit's senior advisors, she (along with Catclops and Manic Eightball) was "executed" for betraying Ünderbheit's confidence, although all three survived. Since Baron Ünderbheit's removal from power, she has become Ünderland's president. As her name suggests, she resembles Adolf Hitler, complete with toothbrush moustache, which makes it humorous that she now presides over a nation modeled after Germanic stereotypes.
  • Catclops (voiced by James Urbaniak): A Cyclops with a cat's face in the place of an eye and a tail protruding from the back of his head, likely a reference to the Art Spiegelman comic "Maus"[citation needed]. After their "execution" by tiger-bombs, he and Girl Hitler fled underground, where they led an ineffectual group of freedom fighters. After Ünderland's liberation, he proposed to Girl Hitler. A "Cat Clop" is an occasional slang for cat droppings[citation needed].
  • Manic Eightball (unvoiced): He is a human with the powers of a magic 8-ball. He was "executed" by Baron Ünderbheit for treason along with Catclops and Girl Hitler. Despite surviving the combination of tiger attack and explosion, he was captured and remained a prisoner of Ünderbheit, who used his eight-ball power for advice. Lacking a mouth, he never speaks, instead using the 8-ball messages on his chest to answer yes or no questions (Except for one message, calling Ünderbheit an "asshole").

Imprisoned villains

  • King Gorilla (voiced by Christopher McCulloch): A talking, homosexual gorilla who befriended the Monarch while in jail. King Gorilla was a member of the Guild of Calamitous Intent until his imprisonment for brutal murder and rape (in that order) of Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil during a reality TV show. Because of his high-profile crime, the Guild turned its back on King Gorilla and has led to the villain becoming bitter and cynical towards the Guild. After kidnapping and attempting to rape the Monarch, he was moved enough by the Monarch's quest to regain Dr. Girlfriend's love that he assisted in the fellow villain's escape from prison. When he is hesitant to help the Monarch before he does, the Monarch parodies a quote from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, saying, "Et tu, King?" His ability to talk and walk upright is not explained, and he has an obsession with Tarzan (Jackson Publick has suggested that he somehow houses and raises multiple Tarzans in his cell or the common area of the prison). King Gorilla mirrors the many super gorillas and apes that exist comics (particularly in the DC Universe), which include several heroic ones like Solovar, Detective Chimp or Congorilla, but are mostly villains like Monsieur Mallah (who also talks and is homosexual), Gorilla Grodd (a talking genius level gorilla, enemy of the Flash and member of the Secret Society of Super Villains), Ultra-Humanite, Titano, The Mod Gorilla Boss, Gorilla Boss, Jackanapes, etc.
  • Tiny Joseph (voiced by Doc Hammer): Although he originally appeared as one of the Monarch's henchmen in a dream sequence in "A Very Venture Christmas", he later appeared as the Monarch's cellmate. He is only a few inches tall, and was used as a projectile in the Monarch's makeshift prison dartgun.

Jonny Quest

Although The Venture Bros. is based on Jonny Quest, the creators have used several of its characters. This is due to the fact that Cartoon Network owns the rights to the Jonny Quest characters.

  • Jonny Quest (voiced by Brendon Small): Since the death of Race Bannon, he has been secreted away within the Quest diving bell, feeding (when possible) his addiction to narcotics. Is fooled into handing over a piece of Dr. Venture Sr.'s machinery after being bribed by the Captain and Jonas Jr., an act that Jonas Jr. resented. He has recently sobered up, but is still a high strung nervous wreck due to his many psychological issues which may or may not have contributed to his drug addiction in the first place. He states "never having a father", which may hint that Dr. Quest showed constant neglect for Johnny. His named is changed in the third season to Action Johnny, this possibly the brand name he was marketed by within the universe.
  • Race Bannon: Brock's friend from the Office of Secret Intelligence, where he once worked as a torturer. Died after jumping from a jet that Nat King Cobra's Snake Men were piloting while retrieving the Goliath Serum. He carries various spy gadgets (all of them extremely dangerous) that are reminiscent of those carried by James Bond. Soiled himself upon death.
  • Hadji Singh: See Hadji Singh. Another former Jonny Quest character, he is now a manager working with Jonas Jr. He is seen also taking care of Jonny, while worrying that if he brings Jonny back home, his (Hadji's) wife will leave him.

Organizations

Name Purpose Information Status
Team Venture/
Venture Industries
Adventuring and scientific research The world's foremost adventuring organization decades ago. It consisted of a group of extraordinary gentlemen led by the late, great, Jonas Venture. Although the present group is a less-than-worthy successor to the original team, they occasionally manage to have fantastic adventures nonetheless. Retired (original)
Active (new)
The Guild of Calamitous Intent Organized super-villainy syndicate A shadowy syndicate of major and minor supervillains, ne'er-do-wells, and otherwise outlandish criminals. The Guild has laws and guidelines regulating villainous behavior. Undercover Guild operatives are called "Strangers." The activities of Strangers are monitored by two Guild operatives (Watch and Ward), who receive orders from the mysterious entity, Sovereign, who was revealed to be none other than David Bowie. Active
Monarch henchmen Henching for the Monarch The loyal henchmen of The Monarch, who claims they prefer to be called "minions" to "henchmen." They are responsible for keeping the cocoon up and running as well as carrying out orders. They are armed with dart guns. The only henchmen that appear to continuously survive The Monarch's many botched attempts at killing Dr. Venture are Henchmen 21 and 24. Active
The Order of the Triad Adventuring Dr. Orpheus' adventuring team recently approved for arching by the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Active
Office of Secret Intelligence Secret spy organization The supersecret spy organization of which Brock Samson is a member. According to agent Hunter Gathers, the OSI has been in existence since "the second American Revolution — the invisible one". It trained him into the wonder he is today. Its name seems to be patterned after that of the real-life Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA.

Its military outfits are vaguely reminiscent of those of S.H.I.E.L.D., but the dress code was discontinued in the 80's, leading some members to choose flamboyant costumes. This is a deliberate reference to shows like G.I. Joe, where members of a military organization have highly individualized costumes as opposed to uniforms.

Active
Impossible Industries Scientific research and development A scientific empire headed by Professor Richard Impossible. It includes a think tank in a secluded location near the North Pole and main headquarters in New York City. Pete White, Master Billy Quizboy, and Dr. Venture were selected to participate in an undisclosed project for the think tank. In the episode 20 Years to Midnight, several characters fall from a window in the New York City headquarters through a subway ventilation grate and directly into the path of an oncoming V train (on the F,V,B,D line) at which time a "5th Ave" sign is posted in the station. Based on this, the Impossible Industries headquarters is located across the street from/near the 53rd Street and 5th Avenue V station. Active
Ünderland Troops Forced military of Ünderland for former leader Baron Ünderbheit Soldiers (formerly) at the service of Ünderland and Baron Ünderbheit. Seem to be proud of the discipline involved and unfazed by the fact they would be executed at age 38. Unknown
Conjectural Technologies Business A business started by Pete White and Master Billy Quizboy, operated out of the trailer in which they live. Dr. Venture contacted them to help identify and cure Dean's testicular torsion and enlisted their help in trying to fix his father's shrink ray to win a bet with Dr. Orpheus. Active
State University School A University which was attended by many of the series major characters, mostly at the same time (a period about 20 years ago). Dr. Venture, Brock Samson, Pete White, Werner Ünderbheit, Mike Sorayama, Dr. Girlfriend, and The Monarch all attended the university. Brock left to join the Army during his Freshman year, and several tragedies befell the others, but it is unknown if any of them graduated. Professor Hamilton Fantamas was employed there, until the accident which transformed him into Phantom Limb. Billy Quizboy attended for a few weeks, but only as a spy for OSI who were looking into Fantamas. Professor Richard Impossible was also on the faculty, and shared an office with Fantamas, and taught at least one class attended by Thaddeus Venture. Impossible left the faculty shortly before Fantamas's accident, possibly because of a scandal involving dating a student (the future Mrs. Sally Impossible).

References

  1. ^ Season 2 DVD commentary for "Powerless in the Face of Death"

See also

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