History Main / ReluctantMadScientist

->''"Science does not have a moral dimension. It is like a knife. If you give it to a surgeon or a murderer, each will use it differently."''\\

Prior to the introduction of this trope, all stories about {{Mad Scientist}}s (Faust, original Frankenstein, Lovecraft) seem to revolve around the scientist's own ethical and mental condition, usually involving ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow that somehow cause him to [[GoMadFromTheRevelation go mad]]. In traditional accounts, the mad scientist himself suffers a [[FaceHeelTurn nervous breakdown]] of some sort and becomes either the villain or the victim of his own experiments. Or at best he commits a HeroicSacrifice so that our sensible, down-to-earth protagonists can right the wrongs he created.

This set up a [[EvolvingTrope new image]] of the [[MadScientist scientist]] as a sort of ''natural resource'', to be sought after by both sides. The Reluctant Mad Scientist is a figure who is not tormented by the evil that other men do with his work, because he is a Magical Nerd who mortals must tolerate.

Compare and contrast CutLexLuthorACheck. Also compare with MotherlyScientist.

* [[{{Discworld}} Leonard of Quirm]]

* A ''ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' sketch featured the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable unfortunately named]] Professor Death, a textbook ReluctantMadScientist. His "Giant DeathRay" was only so called because he invented it; its intended purpose is scanning groceries.

** At one point he invented a teddy bear that shoots [[CareBearStare rainbow colored lasers]]. When boss [[MegaCorp Mom]] wants to use them as [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever military weapons]], he protests that this would defeat the purpose, because enlarging them would eliminate the [[UncannyValley cuteness factor]] due to the [[EEqualsMCHammer square-cube law!]]

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lFZ2rOxqQM Robert Oppenheimer]], Wernher Von Braun.

** At one point he invented a teddy bear that shoots [[CareBearStare rainbow colored lasers]]. When boss [[MegaCorp Mom]] wants to use them as [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever military weapons]], he protests that this would defeat the purpose, because enlarging them would eliminate the [[UncannyValley cuteness factor]] due to the square-cube law.

** Not to mention his collection of [[ForgottenDoomsdayDevice Doomsday Devices]]. Ironically, he's ''saved'' the world with them on a few occasions but otherwise doesn't seem motivated to use them.

** Not to mention his collection of Doomsday Devices. Ironically, he's ''saved'' the world with them on a few occasions but otherwise doesn't seem motivated to use them.
-->"I suppose I could part with ''one'' and still be feared..."
* Dr. Jumba Jookiba from LiloAndStitch. (Although he doesn't like to ''think of himself'' [[EvilGenius as such]].)

The obviously charismatic Einstein and other early 20th-century physicists [[RealityIsUnrealistic somehow]] inspired the notion of the {{Reluctant Mad Scientist}} who is actually an idealist and pacifist (possibly a {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}) but generally beyond good and evil by virtue of sheer genius.

* After being rescued/turned by the Hero, they will inevitably show up again after the climax and provide a solution to help the Hero escape from the CollapsingLair which was usually set off by the failure of the scientist to disarm his own creation, which he was supposed to do while the Big Battle was taking place.

Compare and contrast CutLexLuthorACheck.

** On one episode, he invents a Care Bear-like robot capable of subduing people using [[CareBearStare rainbow colored lasers]]. When his evil boss, [[MegaCorp Mom]], wants to use them as [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever scaled-up]] military weapons, Farnsworth protests that this would defeat the purpose, because enlarging them would eliminate the [[UncannyValley cuteness factor]] due to the square-cube law or some such.

* ''TheOnion'' reports Dr. Lester Mordock is one of these, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast all evidence]] [[MadScientist to the contrary]], thanks to his invention of [[GiantEnemyCrab "Giant Super Crabs"]] which are capable of helping humanity with construction projects by shooting high velocity streams of acid.
-->"You know, it's so inspiring the way he found success after that [[CameBackWrong horrible military accident]] that left him needing the [[RedRightHand robotic claw for a hand]]... it would have left anyone else bitter and vengeful but not him. He went on to give us '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uq9pp586AE giant, marvelous crabs!]]"'''

* ''TheOnion'' reports that Dr. Lester Mordock is one of these, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast all evidence]] [[MadScientist to the contrary]], thanks to his invention of [[GiantEnemyCrab "Giant Super Crabs"]] which are capable of helping humanity with construction projects by shooting high velocity streams of acid and picking up 50-ton chunks of rubble.

* TheOnion [[ContractualGenreBlindness News Network]] seems to believe that Dr. Lester Mordock is one of these, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast all evidence]] [[MadScientist to the contrary]], thanks to his invention of [[GiantEnemyCrab "Giant Super Crabs"]] which are capable of helping humanity with construction projects by shooting high velocity streams of acid and picking up 50-ton chunks of rubble.
-->"You know, it's so inspiring the way he found success after that [[CameBackWrong horrible military accident]] that left him needing the [[RedRightHand robotic claw for a hand]]... it would have left anyone else bitter and vengeful but not him. He went on to give us '''giant, marvelous crabs!"'''
-->--[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uq9pp586AE Experts Agree Giant, Bioengineered Crabs Pose No Threat]]

** On one episode, he invents a Care Bear-like robot capable of subduing people with cuteness using [[CareBearStare rainbow colored lasers]]. When his evil boss, [[MegaCorp Mom]], wants to use them as [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever scaled-up]] military weapons, Farnsworth protests that this would defeat the purpose, because enlarging them would eliminate the [[UncannyValley cuteness factor]] due to the square-cube law or some such.

As a Magic Nerd, the Reluctant Mad Scientist is usually presented as the only person in the story who truly understands the implications of his work and thus the only person who is truly worried about applying it to good use. When detained by the hero, he will often immediately enter into [[TheJorEl a lecture warning of the evil]] to which his own inventions could be turned if used by anyone, such as, say, the [[BigBad evil boss]] who has funded his efforts for the past 20 years.

Even when employed by the {{Big Bad}}, he is generally portrayed as TrueNeutral since he is only concerned with one thing, to continue his work. When the Earth has been blasted into a million pieces, the Reluctant Mad Scientist only shakes his head and says "I told you so".

As a Magic Nerd, the Reluctant Mad Scientist is usually presented as the only person in the story who truly understands the implications of his work and thus the only person who is truly worried about applying it to good use. When detained by the hero, he will often immediately enter into a lecture warning of the evil to which his own inventions could be turned if used by anyone, such as, say, the [[BigBad evil boss]] who has funded his efforts for the past 20 years.

* Dr. Jumba Jookiba from LiloAndStitch. (Although he doesn't like to ''[[EvilGenius think of himself]]'' as such.)

'''Dr. Emmett Brown:''' Shhhhhh. Of course. From a group of Libyan nationalists. They wanted me to build them a bomb, so I took their plutonium and in turn, gave them a shiny bomb-casing full of used pinball machine parts! Come on! Let's get you a radiation suit.

->''"Science does not have a moral dimension. It is like a knife. If you give it to a surgeon or a murderer, each will use it differently."''
--> -- '''Wernher von Braun''', inventor of the V2 ballistic missile

->''"Once ze rockets are up, who cares vhere zey come down?''
->''Zat's not my department," says Wernher von Braun.''
--> -- '''TomLehrer''', "Wernher von Braun"

<<|MakeMyIndexLive|>>)

* Alfred Nobel, the creator of dynamite, was so ashamed of its violent applications that he left much of his estate to found the Nobel Prizes. (Not actually true, but an interesting story.)
** What's not true? He changed his will so as to establish the prizes after reading an erroneously printed obituary which remembered him as a monster for finding faster ways to kill people.

** Only part of a long history of scientists inventing new, powerful weapons, hoping [[FridgeLogic nobody would be willing to use them]]. ([[[OlderThanFeudalism The ancient Roman ballista, for example, was supposed to end war because no one would want to attack an enemy who had them]].) It seems it only actually worked once they got up to the [[NukeEm A-bomb]] and even that [[ColdWar came pretty close]].

** Only part of a long history of scientists inventing new, powerful weapons, hoping [[FridgeLogic nobody would be willing to use them]]. (The ancient Roman ballista, for example, was supposed to end war because no one would want to attack an enemy who had them.) It seems it only actually worked once they got up to the [[NukeEm A-bomb]] and even that [[ColdWar came pretty close]].

* Dr. Kokintz, the inventor of the Q-Bomb in ''The Mouse That Roared''.

* Dr. Jumba Jookiba from LiloAndStitch. (Although he doesn't like to [[EvilGenius think of himself]] as such.)

* A ''ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' sketch featured the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast unfortunately named]] Professor Death, a textbook ReluctantMadScientist. His "Giant DeathRay" was only so called because he invented it; its intended purpose is scanning groceries.