Line #93 Recap/DuckTales2017S3E8ThePhantomAndTheSorceress


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/homework_0.jpg]]
2
3	When a mysterious magic thief arrives in Duckburg, Lena must confront her past and team up with her treacherous aunt, Magica [=DeSpell=].
4	----
5	!!Tropes:
6	* AccidentalMisnaming: Magica can't (or won't) remember who Violet and Webby are. Lampshaded by Webby:
7	--> '''Webby:''' ...we've met several times.
8	* AllThereInTheScript: The Egghead who interrupts the Phantom Blot as he works is named "Pepper" in the end credits.
9	* AndThisIsFor: "...Lena! And this one's for my family! [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment And this one's for Lena!]]", said by Webby when she kicks the Phantom Blot to get the magic glove off him. Lampshaded by Violet:
10	--> '''Violet:''' Stop saying who it's for and get his glove!
11	* AnythingButThat: Gladstone's reaction when he accidentally gives himself a Donald makeover after trying to use Magica's amulet.
12	* BigEater: Magica has clearly been indulging herself all this time, seeing as how her lair has piles of Papa Swan's pizza boxes, and yet she hasn't gained any weight.
13	* BittersweetEnding: ''Very heavy'' on sweet, but it still counts. Lena gains full control over her magic and sheds the final traces of Magica from her life, but Magica regains her magic and powers.
14	* BornLucky: This episode confirms that Gladstone's luck is indeed a form of magic, for when the Phantom Blot steals it, he becomes a Donald-level ButtMonkey, if not ''worse'' since he has no idea what to do without his luck.
15	* BroughtDownToNormal: The Phantom Blot's gauntlet does this to every magic-user. Specifically, he robs Gladstone from his supernatural good luck, resulting in him [[ButtMonkey suffering all sorts of accidents]] due to never needing any basic survival skills before.
16	* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Magica doesn’t remember Violet from their last encounter, doesn’t remember Webby despite personally encountering her more than once. The only person worth remembering for Magica besides Scrooge is Lena.
17	* ButtMonkey: Gladstone, due to his luck being stolen, to the point that he accidentally turns himself into Donald at one point.
18	* CallBack:
19	** The Nightmare Beast from "[[Recap/DuckTales2017S2E18HappyBirthdayDoofusDrake Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!]]" returns in this episode, where it emerges from the video game.
20	** Papa Swan's Pizza makes a return in this episode.
21	** Lena is seen wielding the Diamond Dagger from "[[Recap/DuckTales2017S1E19TheOtherBinofScroogeMcDuck The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!]]" when the girls hear Gladstone knocking on the door.
22	** There are montages both of times Magica intimidated Lena and of when Webby helped her channel her own magic.
23	* ColorCodedWizardry:
24	** The color of Lena's magic is directly discussed in this episode. Magica informs her that her own magical power is blue, while the magic of the amulet is a "superior purple".
25	** Gladstone's BornLucky magic is a green color similar to his clothing.
26	* CrazyEnoughToWork: Webby tells a snake to go get help from other snakes, even though she doesn't know if she ''can'' talk to snakes. Turns out it did work as several snakes show up to drive the Phantom Blot off.
27	* CreateYourOwnVillain: In this case, it's a villain creating her own villain. Magica wiped out the Phantom Blot's hometown and his family decades ago [[ForTheEvulz on a whim]], so he swore eternal vengeance against her. Magica wasn't worried at first because [[ButForMeItWasTuesday having her life threatened for her transgressions was common]], but unlike the others, the Blot was ''much'' more persistent.
28	* ADayInTheLimelight:
29	** For Lena as she faces her past and seeks Magica's help.
30	** Also one for the Phantom Blot, who previously only appeared as a background character but is now fleshed out with a backstory as the SoleSurvivor of a village Magica ruled and eventually destroyed ForTheEvulz.
31	* DeathGlare: Webby gives one to Violet when she suggests not having sleepovers as a way to deal with them always going wrong because of Lena's magic.
32	* {{Determinator}}: The Phantom Blot has chased after Magica for ages, no matter how many times she's defeated him. It's payed off.
33	* DoesNotLikeMagic: The Phantom Blot is even worse than Scrooge on this, being out to personally destroy everything and everyone magical, be it good or evil, as a result of what Magica did to him.
34	* DramaticIrony: The Phantom Blot tries to destroy Lena so Magica can know what it's like to lose family as he did. He's completely unaware that the two hate each other and Magica wouldn't shed a tear over Lena's death, even once having tried to kill Lena herself.
35	* EnemyMine: Lena is forced to seek Magica's help in this episode. Magica agrees only after the Phantom Blot is mentioned.
36	* EveryoneLaughsEnding: The girls laugh after Lena tells the boys that [[BlatantLies they didn't miss much]].
37	* EvilMentor: Magica to Lena, though she doesn't really do anything evil during the training montage.
38	* EvilVersusEvil: Magica helps the girls against the Phantom Blot, if only in a bid to regain Lena's amulet.
39	* EvilIsPetty: Magica tears off and eats Violet's garlic, just so she can taunt that Violet is now vulnerable to vampires.
40	* FauxHorrific: Many of the things that cause Gladstone to freak out are things other people would take for granted. For example, walking into a restaurant and being expected to pay; or going to an ATM, requesting $20, and receiving only $20; or even something being '''closed'''. Yet Gladstone treats these mundane non-events as though they're the end of the world, because they're just that different from what he's used to.
41	* FourLeafClover: During the training montage, Gladstone finds a four-leaf clover and brightens up, thinking he will get lucky again. He doesn't, as he’s promptly attacked by a rock golem conjured by Lena.
42	* FreezeFrameBonus:
43	** Scrooge is reading The Wool Street Journal. The headline reads, "Shearholders fleeced!!!"
44	** An article on the back of the paper says, "Lorem Ipsum Stone Finally Translated."
45	*** Which doubles as a GeniusBonus, in that "Lorem Ipsum" is the term for the nonsense Latin often used as placeholder text in layout and design, most often a corrupted version of Cicero's ''De finibus bonorum et malorum''.
46	** Magica has posters in her lair saying "Vengeance will be mine" and "Amulet sweet amulet". One is just an angry slice of pizza.
47	** At one point in the TrainingMontage, Gladstone gets a magical blast while wearing "Magica's lucky shirt" and reading the Duckburg Transit Timetable.
48	* FreudianExcuse: The Phantom Blot hates magic because Magica destroyed his village.
49	* GirlsNightOutEpisode: Gladstone aside, the focus is on Lena as the main character with Webby and Violet helping her.
50	* GlowingEyes: The Phantom Blot's eye sockets glow green.
51	* GoingToGiveItMoreEnergy: The Phantom Blot's gauntlet is defeated by being overloaded with Lena's friendship magic.
52	* HeWhoFightsMonsters: The Phantom Blot is characterized as someone seeking vengeance against Magica for destroying his village after ruling it tyrannically for years. Unfortunately, in his quest for revenge, he's allied himself with F.O.W.L.
53	* HeroOfAnotherStory: Scrooge and the boys' dealing with Goathouls.
54	* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: As Lena happily points out, thanks to how well Magica trained her in the use of her magic, she is now a match for Magica even when the witch gets her powers back.
55	* HowIsThatEvenPossible: The Phantom Blot shouts this when Lena starts to resist his gauntlet with her new magic.
56	* IHaveYourWife: The Phantom Blot attempts to ''break'' Magica by killing Lena in front of her as retribution for what she did to his family. Unfortunately, that tactic doesn’t work on Magica.
57	* IWillShowYouX: When Magica snarks that Lena is never focused, Lena responds "I'll show you focused."
58	* InnocentlyInsensitive: Scrooge goes on about how no good comes of magic with Lena, who is MadeOfMagic, nearby. He sheepishly amends the statement to exclude her, but Lena actually agrees given how much trouble magic has given her.
59	* KickTheDog:
60	** Magica destroyed a village that had been placating her with all manner of gifts [[ForTheEvulz just because she got bored]].
61	** The Phantom Blot is well aware that draining Lena's magic will destroy her but he doesn't care, even seeing it as a good thing because it will give Magica a taste of what she did to him.
62	* {{Leitmotif}}: When Gladstone successfully catches the magic amulet, his theme briefly plays. It gets ripped away after he points the amulet the wrong way.
63	* LetMeAtHim: Webby and Violet restrain Magica as she lunges at Lena to get her amulet back.
64	* LightIsGood: While unleashing her full power, Lena changes appearance into a white and turquoise outfit to temporarily replace her dark striped shirt, and light blue eyes instead of the usual black pupils.
65	* TheLoad: Gladstone doesn't really contribute to the girls and spends his time stumbling and complaining. Except for when he catches the magic amulet, but that doesn't last long, and he shoots himself with it.
66	* MagicVersusScience: [[EnemyMine Lena and Magica]], magic-users, are pitted against the Phantom Blot, who uses a mechanical glove to absorb and negate magic.
67	* ManaDrain: The Blot has a gauntlet, apparently of his own design, that can drain the magic from people and items, trapping it within. When Lena destroys it at the climax of the episode, the trapped magic is released.
68	* MisplacedRetribution: In response to Magica destroying his village, the Phantom Blot had dedicated himself to destroying ''all'' magic, not just Magica's.
69	* MythologyGag:
70	** The plot point of Gladstone losing his luck is similar to the episode in the original series called "Dime Enough for Luck". Incidentally, it also featured Magica [=DeSpell=], though here, she didn't even do it.
71	** Violet speculates that Gladstone's luck is magical in nature, which is the case in the comics.
72	** Magica eating garlic, when in ([[DependingOnTheWriter Italian]]) comics the mere smell is enough to incapacitate her.
73	** Magica falls into Gladstone's arms near the end, much to her repulsion. This is a nod to the relationship between them in some of the comics.
74	** The scene where Gladstone tries to be the 1,000th customer is a reference to one of the many lucky things that happened to him in his debut in the original series.
75	* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Violet mentions the possibility of an alligator attack as they're trekking through the bog. None show up though.
76	* NoodleIncident:
77	** The episode opens with Scrooge finding the kids leaping out of the TV after accidentally being transported into the world of ''Legends of Legendquest''.
78	** Scrooge and the boys busy themselves with an adventure in the mystical land of Goathul.
79	* PowerIncontinence: This episode shows that Lena has been having a lot of trouble controlling the magic of the amulet due to it being cracked, it going off with little if any prompting such as idle wishing.
80	* RapidFireNo: This is Lena's response to the prospect of having to get help from Magica in mastering her magic and defeating the Phantom Blot.
81	* {{Revenge}}: The Phantom Blot's motivation is revenge against Magica for destroying his village, and with Magica powerless, he's waited a long time for that.
82	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When Magica tells him she can't bring back his luck, Gladstone decides to walk out... but he can't because he doesn't know how to use a ''door knob''.
83	* SeenItAll:
84	** When the kids come out of the video game at the start of the episode, Scrooge guesses correctly just how they wound up like that without even a slight change in expression.
85	** Violet sleeps with garlic and a stake in case of vampires, figuring they're due for that particular problem. Webby and Lena also keep weapons nearby in case of trouble and Lena is just annoyed when they think said trouble has shown up.
86	* ShipTease: Gladstone briefly flirts with Magica when she lands in his arms.
87	* ShownTheirWork: Rattlesnakes are depicted living in a bog and climbing trees, both of which are known in some species of real-life rattlesnakes.
88	* ShoutOut:
89	** Part of the training Lena goes through is polishing the windows, something akin to [[WaxOnWaxOff Mr. Miyagi's training]] in ''Film/TheKarateKid''.
90	** Training magical powers in a swamp by a (sometimes) green mentor? [[Film/StarWarsTheEmpireStrikesBack Seems vaguely familiar.]]
91	** When trying to shoot out her magic without the amulet, Lena takes the pose of a [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII hadouken]]. The fact that the magic peters out as soon as Lena shoots it could also be a reference to JokeCharacter Dan Hibiki‘s [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha gadouken]].
92	** The girls' attempt to restrain and subdue the Blot to remove the gauntlet is ''very'' reminiscent of Iron Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy trying to get the Infinity Gauntlet off of Thanos in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.
93	*** Webby and Violet joining energies with Lena which enables her to defeat the Blot is like the Guardians [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 in their first film]] linked together to use an Infinity Stone against Ronan.
94	** Lena's friendship magic being "the greatest magic of all" seems awfully reminiscent of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic another series where friendship is magic.]]
95	** One of the customers waiting at the restaurant resembles [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Shaggy]].
96	* SignificantWardrobeShift: Lena gets one when she stops using Magica's amulet and instead uses her own magic. She replaces her gray and black oversized shirt and pink-dyed hair for a baby blue and white outfit complete with gloves, tights, and a sorceress' cape while her dyed hair takes on the new baby blue coloring.
97	* SnakesAreSinister: Inverted. Webby tells a snake to help her defeat the Phantom Blot, and at the end an army of snakes chase him away. They are sinister from the perspective of the Blot though.
98	* SuperMode: Lena manages to unlock one with [[LightEmUp light]] abilities when facing the Blot.
99	* TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim: Lena's attempts to ask Magica to train her quickly devolve into this due to how much they hate each other.
100	* TrainingMontage: Whilst Magica trains Lena to use her magic.
101	* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Scrooge and the boys go into the realm of Goathoul again, with the girls staying behind to finish their sleepover. Unfortunately the Phantom Blot chooses this time to strike, draining the magic from the portal and leaving them truly trapped there, although they are unaware of this.
102	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Della's reactions to anything supernatural have been relegated to: "Uncle Scrooge! There's a(n) X in the Y that needs your attention!".
103	* VampiresHateGarlic: Violet wears a garland of garlic in case of a vampire attack. Magica later eats it to spite her.
104	* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: The ending has Magica get her powers back and turn on the three girls. But Lena just [[CurbStompBattle curb stomps her aunt]] and the witch is done in quickly.
105	* WhamEpisode: Lena masters her own magic and gains a new outfit while Magica regains her amulet and its powers.
106	* XDaysSince: In the background of Magica's hut she has tally marks recording "Days since I've last had Dark Magycks". It's very long (at least 300 days).
107	* YankTheDogsChain:
108	** Magica once ruled over a village where they gave her gifts in exchange for not destroying their village. Magica one day destroyed it anyway.
109	** As Magica reclaims her amulet (and turns it back into her staff) and tries to destroy Lena, Lena retaliates by levitating Magica and her staff then drops them in the bog, where the staff is lost.

Context Recap / DuckTales2017S3E8ThePhantomAndTheSorceress