Sandbox / The Venture Bros. The Monarch and Cohorts

Main Character Index | Team Venture | The OSI | Venture Allies | The Monarch And Cohorts | The Guild of Calamitous Intent | Others

Characters from The Venture Brothers. This page is for the Monarch, Dr. Mrs. the Monarch (formerly Dr. Girlfriend), and their henchmen.

Due to the sheer number of Walking and Late Arrival Spoilers (including some characters' placement and, in a few cases, their very name), Spoilers Are Off for these pages. You have been warned.

---

The Monarch

Malcolm Fitzcarraldo (The Mighty Monarch, Blue Morpho II)

Voiced by: Jackson Publick

"I had true hatred with Venture... I just wanted to kick his ass! I wanted to build a MACHINE to kick his ass! I wanted to build an EMPIRE to HOUSE THE MACHINE to KICK HIS ASS!"

A supervillain themed after the monarch butterfly, the Monarch is Dr. Venture's arch-nemesis — sometimes self-proclaimed, sometimes officially — but always with intense passion. Initially ineffectual bordering on pathetic, his relationship and eventual marriage to Dr. Girlfriend fueled his growth to the top of the supervillain world, overcoming numerous obstacles to ultimately, finally become Rusty Venture's true arch-nemesis.

Real name "Malcolm Fitzcarraldo", his parents died in a plane crash when he was a child, leaving him a large inheritance that fueled his supervillainy. The events of the series test his marriage, as well as push him toward friendship with his top henchman, #21.

---

• Added Alliterative Appeal: His full villain title, "The Mighty Monarch", along with his "Monarch Mobile". He also once posed as "The Mighty Manotaur" with a "Malevolent Murder Maze". He really likes this naming convention, to the point that #21 lampshades it when one of his creations isn't alliterative.
• Aesop Amnesia: Ends the series by acknowledging that he keeps backsliding into his old habits and flaws, and he's pretty much powerless to resist the urge to do so.
  "I'm so sorry about all that. Every stupid idea I have, I just dig in."
• Almighty Janitor: He starts the series as a modestly ranked "level seven" member of the Guild, and punches below his weight class by arching Venture, rated a "level one threat" by the Guild. But he's a lot more dangerous than that or his later rank of "level four" would indicate.
• Always Someone Better:
  • Phantom Limb toward him in the first two seasons. The Monarch was a lame joke villain who drove Dr. Girlfriend (the only source of competence he had) back to her ex-boyfriend, Phantom Limb. Limb was a far more competent villain, having risen to the highest ranks of the Guild and given command over the best Guild operatives, as well as being far more refined and deadly in battle with his Touch of Death. Later, this becomes inverted, when that same refinement and professionalism drive Dr. Girlfriend back to the Monarch, as Monarch proves he is far more passionate about his career and Dr. Girlfriend herself, then Monarch defeats Limb in the Battle of Cremation Creek.
  • This happens again in the later seasons when Monarch loses everything he has except 21 and his wife, the latter of whom gets promoted above him to a seat on the Council of 13, while knocking him down to a level four. Not only does he feel somewhat emasculated by his wife's status, Venture taking over VenTech rockets him back to a level 10 arch, far above the Monarch who resorts to his Blue Morpho crusade to take down the higher-rated villains so he can arch Rusty once again.
• Ambiguously Bi: There are hints here and there that he's not entirely straight. Borderline obsession with Rusty aside, he's perfectly willing to ogle men and Victor. Echo. November. implies he shot a look at Brock's naked ass for his own benefit. There is also the "open relationship" he has with his wife, with the two engaging in at least one threesome with the male villain Manta Claus.
• Animal Motif: The Monarch Butterfly, obviously. Changed to the Morpho Butterfly when he takes on his father's anti-hero identity the Blue Morpho.
• Arbitrarily Large Bank Account: He inherited a rather hefty trust fund from his parents, which is suggested to be how he funds his villainy (supplemented by stealing equipment from other villains). It eventually runs dry in season seven.
• Arch-Enemy: To Dr. Venture. Unlike many of the others, it's not just "arching", but that he genuinely wants to be his arch-enemy full-time and not be reassigned. Whenever he isn't Rusty's "official" arch, he is actively working to regain the position, whatever it takes.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: Though he himself isn't one, he has something of a royalty theme in his villain work, including a crown, a throne, and lots of gold armor. It was suggested by Dr. Girlfriend, as before this, he wasn't aware or didn't consider the "whole royalty angle" with his theme.
• Arm Cannon: His primary weapons are dart launchers built into his suit.
• Artistic License – Biology: A lot of jokes are made at his expense in the first season for not knowing nearly as much about monarch butterflies as he should. The very first episode reveals that he was raised by monarch butterflies after his parents died, and was then abandoned by them. This trait is brought back in season six when it's revealed that he has no idea what the link between a guy calling himself the Blue Morpho and a guy who collects butterflies might be because he had no idea what a "morpho" is.
  Dr. Girlfriend: Oh sweetie. Butterflies only live about nine months.
  The Monarch: What?
• Asshole Victim: He's a supervillain who has murdered, stolen, tortured, and all manner of other horrific things... who himself has been burnt, beaten, crushed, dumped, jailed, and even shoved down a toilet over the course of the series.
• Author Avatar: For Doc Hammer. Hammer has written most of the Monarch-focused episodes, particularly the ones where he clashes with Guild rules and norms. Before the series, Hammer spent decades on the "indie" music and art scenes doing "whatever he wanted to do" while following his passions. Having to work within the constraints of the television network system was incredibly frustrating to him and the Monarch became a vessel for him to express that, having him rage against the hidebound Guild and break its rules to follow his "passion".
• Bad Boss: He actually stays away from You Have Outlived Your Usefulness murders, but he often kills his henchmen for either startling him, annoying him or, in one case, to downsize. It later turns out that all of his henchmen except Mauve Shirts 21 and 24 are suicidal Death Seekers.
• Badass on Paper: For a "prick in a butterfly costume", the Monarch has one impressive resume despite having no powers and starting out as an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain. He committed what was essentially an act of terrorism in college (blowing up a building trying to kill Rusty) and got away with it scot-free. He was then able to become a full-on supervillain before he got his trust-fund and while registered as a lowly henchman in the Guild, arching Rusty unsanctioned as well as taking on the superpowered Captain Sunshine. He seduced (twice) and eventually married his boss's girlfriend, built a fully-functioning floating palace with a loyal army of henchmen, has escaped a prison built specifically to house super villains with all but one of his cohorts betraying him, has killed every Science Hero he was assigned to by the Guild with amazing ease, has managed to always become Rusty's arch-nemesis despite being legally red-taped numerous times and - to top it all off - has survived several encounters with Brock Samson. With this in mind, he probably could have had everyone in the Venture compound killed many times over (or definitely has in the case of Dean and Hank) and simply chooses not to because he is obsessed with annoying Dr. Venture.
• Batman Gambit: A rare case of a villain pulling one-off. In "The Lepidopterists", after being limited to only arching Jonas Jr. "on a trial basis", he manages to get J.J. to try to kill him, thus qualifying as "prior escalation" and allowing Monarch to arch "guild sanctioned relatives," i.e., Rusty Venture.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He's a guy in a butterfly costume, but has serious anger/daddy/insecurity issues and will not hesitate to kill anyone other than Rusty Venture without a second thought. While Rusty is more annoyed by him than anything (it helps that he has Brock on his side for most of the series), it's mentioned in "The Lepidopterists" that the Monarch has straight-up killed his last five non-Rusty "arches".
• Big Bad: While he starts as a Big Bad Wannabe and Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain, from the start to finish of the series, the Monarch is the greatest and most consistent threat to Dr. Venture, becoming more and more competent and dangerous as time goes on. Even when he doesn't have arching rights to Venture, his attempts to get those rights back and competition with other villains are huge sources of conflict, and he only definitively loses the Big Bad role to Phantom Limb in season two, the Sovereign in the "All This and Gargantua 2" special, and Mantilla in the Finale Movie.
• Big Bad Wannabe: How he started, even taking on Captain Sunshine while still an unlicensed rookie villain. As of season four, he's reversed that position to be a big fish in a small pond. Then, after his wife gets promoted to the Council of 13 in season five, he is back to fitting the trope since he now wants to be on the council as well. As of the season seven finale, he becomes a level 10 villain despite not having the resources or personal destructive ability that other level 10 villains have.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: Not particularly bushy or thick, but he does sport some extremely long, antennae-like eyebrows. They're apparently natural, too.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: Not unlike Rusty Venture. He's able to demolish every Science Hero the guild throws him against, and not only that, but he does it too quickly. He has excellent talent at villainy, but he chooses to use it to torment Rusty Venture for... unexplained reasons. The world's other "protagonists", and really the villains too, should be thankful he spends his time tormenting Rusty instead of going after them.
• Broken Pedestal: His admiration for his father's vigilante racket is immediately superseded by disgust when he finds out that he cheated on his mother with Jill St. John, Stella Stevens, and Jonas Venture Sr.
• The Bully: He's a wealthy villain with a flying fortress base, an army of henchmen, and a beautiful/intelligent girlfriend-later-wife who spends most of his time ruthlessly tormenting his much less well-off rival. Unfortunately for the Monarch, his constant antagonism of Rusty ultimately costs him most of the above over the course of the show, and he even starts resenting Dr. Mrs. the Monarch for achieving higher prestige as a villain when she was originally just his #2.
• Butt-Monkey: He is frequently defeated, suffers from many Amusing Injuries, and is in the center of many humiliating events. This is most pronounced in the first two seasons when he's more of an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain, but later seasons still have him being knocked down a peg quite often.
• Cain and Abel: After spending the entire series (and apparently decades before) antagonizing Rusty Venture, we learn in the Finale Movie that he's actually a slightly altered Rusty clone, a close-enough thing to a brother, given to his parents by Jonas Sr. when they were unable to conceive.
• Cape Wings: The wings on his costume are normally folded down into a capelike garment. He later explains that he's usually wearing a non-functional set that only works as a cape, since the ones that allow him to glide are too stiff and uncomfortable to have on all the time.
• Card-Carrying Villain: He is proud to say that he is evil and lives to torment a guy he hates. Honestly, the Monarch would probably be the poster child for the Guild if he didn't have such a habit of pushing their boundaries and testing their patience, typically because they prevent him from antagonizing the guy he loves to hate.
• Character Development: Over the course of the series, he becomes more intelligent and calculated in his villainy, growing from a "prick in a butterfly costume" to a legitimate supervillain who kills every "arch" he's assigned other than Rusty and even manages to pull off a Batman Gambit on Jonas Jr. to circumvent the Guild's red tape. He becomes much more mature in his relationship and eventual marriage to Dr. Mrs. the Monarch, accepting her as his co-villain, with some backslide when she gets promoted above him to the Council of 13. He grows from seeing Henchman 21 as, at best, a Mauve Shirt who he can barely remember, to his eventual top henchman, and then finally his best friend.
• Clone Angst: Zig-zagged. In the Finale Movie, it's revealed that he's not actually Rusty's half-brother (as implied by the events of season seven) but a slightly altered clone of him, with a small amount of baboon DNA spliced in explaining their difference in appearance and his rage issues. He doesn't take this revelation well, but a pep talk from his wife leads him to run with it as part of their rivalry, and in his last scene he taunts Rusty by calling him his better self.
• Companion Cube:
  • He had his pet cat, Mister Mostly Mittens (who has three white paws, hence the name) stuffed and he still talks to it.
  • The eponymous Butter-Glider from "The Diving Bell vs. the Butter-Glider". He even takes it on a picnic and has it in bed with him, defending it from his wife.
• Contractual Genre Blindness: Only when arching Rusty Venture. Against anyone else, he proves to be a ruthlessly, lethally effective villain.
• Cowboy Cop: A villainous example in that he has always been willing to disregard the Guild's strict rules to arch Dr. Venture, whenever and however he wishes.
• Dead Guy on Display:
  • He's kept his "mother" butterfly's preserved carcass in a frame so he can always have her close by when he's feeling down.
  • After his pet cat died, he had it stuffed and put on display in his dining room.
• Deuteragonist: After Rusty and the boys, the Monarch is easily the next most prominent character in the series. As the series follows the adventures of the Venture family, it also shows the Monarch growing from an Ineffectual Sympathetic Big Bad Wannabe to a lethally competent supervillain, supportive husband, and a friend to 21.
• Disproportionate Retribution: His lifelong vendetta against Rusty Venture is never fully explained, but a few incidents are implied to have contributed — a fight over a toy as children, Rusty making fun of his poety in college, and sleeping with his girlfriend Debbie (which Rusty did not actually do) — none of which justifies the Monarch's decades of torment.
• Does Not Drive: He used to drive in his rookie villain days, including driving his old Monarch Mobile around inside the main building on the Venture compound, but seems to have gone off it since he got a girlfriend and a bunch of henchmen who can drive him around instead. Exemplified by 21's reaction to the Monarch trying to steal a rocket ship:
  21: You don't even drive. Don't tell me you know how to fly one of these.
• The Dreaded: As the Blue Morpho to the Guild, donning his father's famous anti-hero persona to take out the higher-ranking villains between he and Rusty. The Guild puts out a massive bounty on him and encourages their members to stop arching until he is caught, nearly causing a revolt.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: While he does undergo significant Character Development over the course of the series, his earliest appearances have him acting especially quirky and unhinged. In the first episode, for example, he gets concerned about Rusty's lack of attention to Hank and Dean just minutes after contemplating torturing them. While he still gets moments of passionate lunacy throughout the rest of the series, he never comes across quite as outright bi-polar. His later lack of knowledge of butterflies also isn't present.
• Epic Fail: When his schemes backfire, they tend to backfire spectacularly, such as the time his attempt to kill Rusty (who was both half-naked and unconscious) with his flying Butter-Glider resulted in him being crushed by a submarine (It Makes Sense in Context).
• Et Tu, Brute?: He quotes this in the episode "Powerless in the Face of Death" to King Gorilla, when all of his other cohorts abandon him during his escape attempt after being threatened by Phantom Limb. King Gorilla ultimately ends up helping him.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Genuinely loves his wife and eventually admits that 21 is his best friend.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas:
  • He had his adoptive butterfly mother framed and keeps her on his desk, telling his wife she would have loved her as a daughter-in-law.
  • After initially having some respect and admiration for his father upon finding out that he was the anti-hero Blue Morpho, it quickly turns to disgust when he finds out that his father cheated on his mother.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Despite being a Card-Carrying Villain, he will often express shock when someone around him acts like a Jerkass, especially Rusty being neglectful to the boys.
• Evil Is Petty: While he hates Rusty with an all-consuming passion, he mostly seems to want to annoy him rather than actually destroy him. Even though he has several opportunities in the series to outright kill Rusty, he doesn't go through with it.
• Evil Laugh: Has a deep and genuinely menacing one. In conversation with 21, he says that he even laughs this way at normal things.
• Fan Disservice: Just like with Rusty Venture, whenever the Monarch gets naked, other characters tend to react with visible disgust. However, he's got a pretty decent physique apart from being blindingly pale, and the main problem is likely that he tends to shamelessly flaunt his nudity in inappropriate situations. At least his wife thinks he's hot.
• Foil: To his nemesis Rusty Venture, in a number of ways:
  • Rusty and The Monarch both inherited hefty fortunes from their departed parents, but Rusty lost his father in his adulthood and cruises through the "super-science" world on the coattails of others' successes, while the Monarch was orphaned as a child and clawed his way into super villainy by his own merits, not even gaining access to his trust fund until he had already established himself as a villain.
  • The Monarch has a somewhat tumultuous but long-standing, deeply romantic, and intimate relationship with Dr. Girlfriend (who he later marries, making her Dr. Mrs. the Monarch) built on trust, respect, passion, where Dr. Venture is a pitifully lonely bachelor and Casanova Wannabe.
  • The Monarch's hatred for Dr. Venture is almost tragically one-sided, to the point that he's usually considered a persistent nuisance at worst. This is largely thanks to their difference in manpower, with The Monarch's utterly inept legions of devoted henchmen falling in almost comical droves before Dr. Venture's single bodyguard.
  • Dr. Venture is a rather apathetic man in matters where his own ego and wealth aren't concerned, including The Monarch's one-sided obsession with ruining his life, and is riddled with self-doubt and unresolved trauma. The Monarch is defined by his almost inspiring passion for hatred and villainy, and has so much confidence in his abilities and purpose that his countless failures, his wife's pleas, Brock's wrath, and even strict Guild restrictions cannot dissuade him from pursuing his goal.
  • Doctor Venture is a Failure Hero, and Dr. Killinger tries to turn him into an outright villain. The Monarch is an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain who proves frighteningly effective whenever he assumes the mantle of heroism. This even goes in line with their fathers; both had heroic fathers, but Rusty is universally agreed to be a disgrace to his father's legacy, while the Monarch had criminals fearing the return of the Blue Morpho after just his first night out.
• Formally-Named Pet: He named his cat "Mister Mostly Mittens", which had three white paws and one non-white paw. He keeps it stuffed and mounted in his dining room.
• Forgot About His Powers: Subverted regarding his Cape Wings. There are a number of situations throughout the series where using them to fly away from a situation would be hugely beneficial. However, he eventually reveals that he normally wears "show wings" that are non-functional because the functional wings are awkward and heavy.
• Forgotten Childhood Friend: During "SPHINX Rising", he finds a picture of a himself as a child playing with a young Rusty together at the Venture Compound. To say it unnerves him is a massive understatement.
• For the Evulz: His sole motivation in life is tormenting Rusty Venture. He lives for it and the only implied reasons shown in the series make it Disproportionate Retribution at best (a childhood fight over a toy, Rusty mocking his poetry in college, believing incorrectly that Rusty slept with his girlfriend). Given the rather soul-crushing realization that he and Venture are both losers, there is also the implication that he wants to destroy Rusty because the Rusty represents everything about himself that he hates.
• Freudian Excuse: Any reason shown or implied in the series that the Monarch wants to torment Dr. Venture tends to stem from some slight in their youth that does not justify that treatment. A fight over a toy as children, Rusty making fun of the Monarch's poetry in college, the Monarch (incorrectly) believing that Rusty slept with his girlfriend... Even Rusty getting the credit/blame for the Monarch blowing up a college building while trying to kill Rusty angers the Monarch even more.
• Happily Adopted:
  • After surviving the plane crash that killed his parents, he is taken in by a swarm of migrating monarch butterflies. Whether he is delusional on the nature of how the butterflies treated him like family or the show's giving butterflies Amplified Animal Aptitude is ambiguous, but he dearly loved them.
  • The Fitzcarraldos, who he believed to be his birth parents, adopted him due to infertility issues, but they 100% considered him their son.
• He Cleans Up Nicely: When he starts dressing up as the Blue Morpho, he actually looks more mature and good-looking compared to his usual Monarch costume.
• Heroic Lineage:
  • It is revealed in season six that his father was the anti-heroic vigilante, the Blue Morpho. The Monarch dons his old costume and uses the identity to take out the higher-ranking villains between he and Dr. Venture in the Guild pecking order.
  • Season seven implies and the Finale Movie confirms that his actual biological father is Jonas Venture Sr., a Villain with Good Publicity treated by everyone in-universe as a legendary hero.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: He and 21 eventually become best friends, to the extent that he's actually willing to address 21 as such.
• His Name Really Is "Barkeep": Subverted. The Season 1 finale initially indicates that his surname really is The Monarch. However, later episodes confirm that his first name is "Malcolm" and his last name is "Fitzcarraldo".
• Hoist by His Own Petard:
  • During season three's "Home is Where the Hate Is", he tries to kill Rusty by planting a small explosive on his back that will cause him to violently explode. Minutes later, he finds himself in the same hot tub as him, but luckily for them both, the water shorts out the bomb.
  • In season four's "Handsome Ransom", he attempts to dish out an ironic execution to Captain Sunshine (who is powerless at night) by frying him with high-powered solar radation cannon. Instead, it powers Captain Sunshine up who proceeds to kick the Monarch's ass once again.
• Hour Glass Plot: Money-wise, his and Rusty's statuses gradually switch places with Rusty going from his father's increasingly dilapidated compound to his brother's high-tech skyscraper while the Monarch goes from thumbing his nose at his rival from a flying cocoon fortress to slumming it in his condemned family home that he hasn't visited since his parents died.
• I Coulda Been a Contender!: Many of his fellow villains, sometimes his henchmen, and even his wife at times bemoan the fact that he wasted his prime years and a substantial fortune on inconveniencing a burnt-out slacker like Rusty. The Monarch himself has moments of doubt when he appears to be on the cusp of realizing the futility of his grudge but stubbornly psyches himself back into arching his hated enemy again and again.
• Ignored Epiphany: In a number of episodes, he's ended up having to dwell on why he hates Dr. Venture so much, and ultimately concluded that doing so is pointless and that he has no good reason to hate him. By his next appearance, or even by the end of the same scene, he's back at it again—largely because his hatred doesn't seem to be born out of anything rational. Even after discovering that he's a clone of Rusty in Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, he only ruminates on the moral implications for a single scene before reaffirming his hatred for Dr. Venture.
• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: At first, when he's a lame joke villain who seems to exist to be thwarted and get his ass kicked by Brock. By the end of season two, after a little help from Dr. Killinger and reuniting with Dr. Girlfriend, he is downright lethal by season three.
• Intergenerational Friendship: He was already a supervillain when his henchman (accidentally) kidnapped a teenage #21, meaning he is probably at least a decade older. However, come season four, the two become best friends.
• Irrational Hatred: Why he hates Rusty Venture is never fully explained. A few incidents are implied to have contributed — a fight over a toy as children, Rusty making fun of his poetry in college, and sleeping with his girlfriend Debbie (which Rusty did not actually do) — none of which justifies the Monarch's decades of torment. Even in the Finale Movie, it's never fully revealed why the Monarch hates Rusty so much other than the Monarch possessing baboon DNA that makes him naturally ill-tempered overall.
• It's All About Me: And his hatred of Rusty Venture. His wife is second, but not all that close, which causes friction between them in a number of episodes.
• Jerkass: He has spent decades tormenting an already severely broken man in Rusty Venture, has no issue sending his henchman to their deaths (even killing them himself in a few cases), steals from and belittles his fellow villains, and has treated his wife poorly on numerous occassions (pre-and post-marriage).
• Karma Houdini: The season seven-opening "Morphic Trilogy" of episodes sees him successfully foist the blame for his antics as the Blue Morpho onto his unexpectedly returning predecessor, getting out of his Guild bounty and trouble with the O.S.I.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: After spending the last few seasons killing his fellow Guild members, undermining his wife's career, verbally abusing Gary, giving grief to almost everyone around him, and expressing a willingness to allow the VenTech Tower to plummet to the Earth and kill untold numbers of people while he flees to safety, he spends the closing minutes of Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart getting thrashed around the inside the mech clown head that belonged to Ned (who he insulted in season three), nearly fatally getting impaled by the statue of Jonas Venture Sr., having his life saved by his archenemy Rusty willingly providing him blood, discovering that he's a clone of Jonas, and learning that he has baboon DNA spliced into his genetic makeup.
• Lamarck Was Right: Subverted in that it appears his father had a penchant for a butterfly-themed alter ego. However, it's later revealed that his biological father is Jonas Venture Sr., with the original Blue Morpho (a.k.a. Don Fitzcarraldo a.k.a. Venturion a.k.a. Vendata) having been infertile and Jonas giving a slightly altered Rusty clone to the Fitzcarraldos to raise as their own.
• Large Ham: Hams it up with everything about his villainy. Dramatic entrances, classic "villain speeches", a genuinely intimidating Evil Laugh...
  • Lampshaded by Sgt. Hatred in Home is Where the Hate Is while playing charades:
    Sgt. Hatred: Nope, you talked, I can't count it.
    Monarch: HATRED! MARK MY WORDS! ...
    Hatred: Blah, blah, blah. We're all supervillains here, Monarch. We've heard that speech a thousand times. You don't get the points.
• The Last DJ: One of the few villains in the entire show who is genuinely motivated by actual hatred for his nemesis, and isn't just going through the motions for money, amusement, or influence like most of the Guild. It gets to the point he spends as much, if not more, of his time fighting Guild red tape as he does arching Venture. As revealed in "The Saphrax Protocol," these qualities actually make him the ideal villain in the eyes of the Guild, and they recognize him as a "Level 10" for this.
• Last of His Kind: He was born as R-22, the last of the original Rusty clones.
• LEGO Genetics: Is a 98% clone of Rusty, with the remaining two percent being from a baboon (to counter the hair-loss seen in the other clones), explaining his temper.
• Leitmotif: Has one including ominous horns, followed by a sinister string slide.
• Loophole Abuse:
  • When the Guild barred him from arching Dr. Venture in season three (in punishment for his previous unsanctioned arching of Dr. Venture), he signs up to arch Jonas Venture Jr., and after a clever plan, earned the right to terrorize J.J.'s "Guild sanctioned" relatives, including Rusty.
  • How he saves Rusty's life in a Guild-operated night club since, as Rusty's primary arch, he has the first right to kill Dr. Venture. The other villains are forced to release him.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: Implied throughout season seven and confirmed in the Finale Movie, he's the bastard child of Jonas Venture Sr. via being a Rusty clone that was given to his infertile parents to raise as their own.
  The Monarch: "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"
• Maniac Monkeys: He's a supervillain and Rusty clone with 2% baboon DNA (intended to counteract the hair loss seen in the other clones) that also gives him a violent temper. The title of the Finale Movie "Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart" is a reference to him.
• Monstrous Cannibalism: He considers himself kin to butterflies, but he's not averse to eating them if he feels like it.
• Mutually Unequal Relation: The Monarch's rivalry with Rusty Venture is almost entirely one-sided. The Monarch could drop off the face of the Earth and Venture probably wouldn't even notice, much less care.
• Nerves of Steel: Downplayed in that he's just as capable of having a breakdown as anyone else in the show, but he can keep cool under pressure when he has an understanding of the situation. "Victor. Echo. November." sees him not even flinch when Brock holds one of his knives to his throat. He barely even moves when explaining the situation and even takes the time to ogle Brock's ass on his way out.
• No Indoor Voice: Downplayed in that he does have one, but when he is being dramatic (which is often), he is almost always shouting. Even his normal speaking tone is quite a bit louder that anyone else.
• Nominal Hero: During his stint as the Blue Morpho, where he proves to be a frighteningly effective anti-hero. However, he's only killing the other villains so that he can get exclusive rights to arching Rusty.
• Not in This for Your Revolution: He frequently chafes under the Guild's rules and is only associated with them for the plethora of benefits the organization provides supervillains.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: Could be the poster boy for the trope. At first, he was an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain, easily getting thwarted and usually his ass kicked by Brock to boot. With a little boost from Dr. Killinger and reuniting with Dr. Girlfriend, he quickly became frightening competent against every Guild-assigned arch other than Rusty he got, even getting in trouble for killing them to quickly and without the required Contractual Genre Blindness. By he end of the series, he is fully recognized as the threatening villain he is, getting promoted to "Level 10".
• Offscreen Villain Dark Matter: Subverted in that, despite routinely losing up to dozens of henchmen, having expensive technology destroyed, and even having his flying cocoon fortress totaled, he's never all that impeded in terms of resources. It is mentioned early on that his parents died in a plane crash leaving him an Arbitrarily Large Bank Account trust fund which seems to fund most of his villainy and a few episodes cover him stocking back up on henchmen ("Hate Floats" has 21 and 24 recruit a bunch of Gangbangers, but they're quickly slaughtered by the end of the episode and he has more regular henchmen immediately after) and resources (stealing parts for his cocoon from Sgt. Hatred's Hover Tank). The season five finale has him lose almost all of this, then season seven sees him finally overdraw his bank account.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: He actually prefers being called "The Monarch" as he views his "adoption" by butterflies to be the true genesis of his life. His actual real first name, Malcolm, is only used in flashbacks and a couple of times by Dr. Venture to needle him. His actual last name, Fitzcarraldo, is only revealed very late in the series and he never actually seems to go by it.
• Only Sane Man: When it doesn't relate to his intense passions toward Dr. Venture (hate) or Dr. Girlfriend (love), he shown to make shockingly apt observations about the villain world. For example, he is the only person to see through Jonas Venture Sr.'s charm, remarking that he really did a number on Rusty while raising him. He also calls out the Punch-Clock Villainy, required Contractual Genre Blindness, and bordering-on-arbitrary red tape of the Guild on numerous occasions while the rest of the villain world is happy to play along.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You:
  • Gets into rivalries with Baron Ünderbheit (season one) and Sgt. Hatred (season three) over who gets to be Rusty's true, Guild-sanctioned Arch-Enemy, with this idea largely as his justification.
  • He saves Rusty's life in a Guild operated nightclub in "Bot Seeks Bot", since, as Rusty's primary arch, he has the first right to kill Venture, forcing the other villains to release him.
  • In season six, after losing the rights to arch Rusty once again, he takes up the mantle of the antiheroic vigilante, the Blue Morpho, to kill off any other potential arches of Rusty and is shockingly effective in doing so.
  • Outright enforced by the Guild in the finale movie; with Monarch being a clone of Rusty, and thus technically his brother, they've got an evil opposite thing going on, so Monarch gets exclusive rights to arch Venture that, per Dr. Mrs., the Guild couldn't touch even if they wanted to.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: He's actually be a very competent supervillain up against anyone other than Rusty Venture and an incredible Badass on Paper, though few in the show ever acknowledge it, largely because he's devoted his life to hounding a washed-up has-been who has Brock Samson as his bodyguard. He defeats Phantom Limb who has superior resources in the Battle of Cremation Creek, kills every Science Hero he's assigned other than Rusty with frightening ease, and takes out a slew of high-ranking Guild villains as the Blue Morpho. By the end of the series, he finally gets some recognition as he becomes a "Level 10 Villain", the highest the Guild gives out, despite lacking the individual prowess (compared to someone like Red Death) or resources (compared to someone like Wide Whale) of other "Level Tens".
• Patricide: His attempt to frame his crimes on the original Blue Morpho during the season seven-opening "Morphic Trilogy" results in both his success and the accidental deaths of BOTH his fathers (Jonas Sr. being his biological father and the original Blue Morpho, Don Fitzcarraldo, being his adoptive father resurrected as an android).
• Punch-Clock Villain:
  • While he is working as a henchman for Phantom Limb early in his career, as seen in "Shadowman 9". He treats like a typical low-wage job that he only needs until his "trust money slides out of escrow" and convinces 24 to cover for him so he can attend Limb's party as a villain.
  • Notably averted once he becomes an actual full-fledged villain, as his passionate hatred of Rusty Venture makes him an exception compared to most other Guild villains who fit this trope.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Invokes this himself when he calls Jonas Jr. a "retard" while arching him in "The Lepidopterists" — as he points out, he's the bad guy, he's not going to stoop to saying something embarrassing like "bungling boob" if he can, and he doesn't give a shit if it makes the mentally disabled Ned feel bad.
• Psychopathic Manchild: He can be remarkably infantile at times, with extreme temper tantrums, to say nothing of his irrational all-consuming grudge against a single man who hardly acknowledges his existence.
• Raised by Wolves: Claims to have been raised by monarch butterflies after his parents died in a plane crash when he was a preteen. The money for his college education and villainy were provided for by a trust fund.
• Redemption Promotion: He tends to show his Not-So-Harmless Villain qualities best when he's fighting other villains, especially as the Blue Morpho. In just a handful of episodes, he takes out multiple powerful supervillains, including an entire team. It's a further parallel between he and Dr. Venture.
• Running Gag: There are several instances when The Monarch is forced to take a taxi that he either shoots the cab driver or sends his henchmen to do his dirty work to get out of paying the fare.
• Skewed Priorities: Everything takes a backseat to torment Dr. Venture, except for his relationship with Dr. Girlfriend. This leads to him taking on Rusty as his best man when his henchmen, unaware that he promised Dr. Girlfriend that he'd stop arching Dr. Venture, successfully kidnap the Venture family as a "wedding present".
• Small Name, Big Ego: Zig-zagged throughout the series. He obviously believes that he is an amazing supervillain and that his rivalry with Dr. Venture is the stuff of legends. Rusty himself is mostly mildly annoyed by the Monarch at best, and spends much of the early series just seeing him as another member of his Rogues Gallery (if a particularly persistent one). As for the Guild, he starts off as a decently well-rated "level seven" villain, but mostly on the strength of his wealth thanks to a trust fund from his parents. Without that, he drops to a level four, but works his way back up by the end of the series to a full-blown level ten.
• Strong Family Resemblance: When out of costume, the show calls attention to his shared facial features with Rusty Venture. As revealed in the Finale Movie, there is a good reason for this — the Monarch is a slightly altered Rusty clone, with 2% baboon DNA spliced in to counteract early male pattern baldness, while also giving him a more volatile temper and accounting for why they don't look exactly the same.
• Technician/Performer Team-Up: A recurring element of his character is that he tends to take on partners, like Sheila and 21, who are by all means Technicians — more skilled, intelligent, and competent at overall supervillainy, but lacking in motivation, flair, and charisma. Meanwhile, the Monarch himself is a born Performer — incredibly erratic and often mediocre in skill, but passionate about the supervillain lifestyle to a downright infectious degree, and willing to throw his whole heart into every new scheme.
• Too Dumb to Live: Like Rusty, he's primarily survived through a mixture of much more competent cohorts bailing him out and just plain dumb luck.
• Tranquillizer Dart: His wrist-mounted dart shooters fire them, as do his henchmen's default rifles. Given the Guild's "Equally Matched Aggression" rules, this is the most he get away with using against a "level one threat" in Rusty Venture, despite himself being a "level seven" villain throughout the first several seasons. During his stint as the Blue Morpho, he also uses them, showing that his adoptive father had a penchant for these as well.
• Trigger-Happy: Approach him cautiously; he tends to fire his wrist-mounted dart guns at anyone or anything that startles him, even if it's just for a surprise birthday party.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: He's pale, gaunt, and lacky with a massive nose and Big Ol' Eyebrows while Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is a conventionally attractive woman.
• Ungrateful Bastard: When Rusty saves his life in the series finale and the connection between them is fully defined, he seriously considers giving up arching him. Then a pep talk from his wife (who says she would've been fine with him quitting) causes him to have Rusty pantsed in front of the rest of the protagonist before he swears undying hatred and promises of further antagonism as his god-given right as the perceived "better" clone.
• Unknown Rival: Downplayed in that he's hardly unknown thanks to his constant tormenting, but his obsessive hatred of Dr. Venture is completely one-sided - Rusty doesn't seem to think of him as anything other than another of the many supervillains who constantly interfere with his life. Even he admits how hard it is to make Rusty suffer after all he's been through.
• The Unreveal: Exactly why the Monarch hates hates Dr. Venture with such a passion is never fully revealed. Jealousy is implied to be part it, possibly self-loathing as well. We get a couple of hints — a fight over a toy as children, Rusty making fun of his poetry in college, him (incorrectly) believing that Rusty slept with his girlfriend — but nothing that warrants trying to blow him up followed by decades of supervillainy torment.
• Unusual Eyebrows: They're massive and most of their length extends from his face, so they look like antennae. The first time he hooked up with the future Dr. Girlfriend, he told her he had something to tell her and happened to take off his helmet for the first time in her presence. (It was actually about something else.)
  Sheila: Eyebrows! Wow. OK. I- I thought your mask was an aesthetic choice but I can get used to...
• Useless Protagonist: Is utterly unhelpful in both "All This and Gargantua-2" and Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, requiring his wife to facilitate his rescue, and getting shown up by Rusty in both specials.
• Villainous Friendship: Once Henchman 21 takes a level in badass and becomes the Monarch's right-hand man, the two of them actually become friends. 21 ends up turning down a chance at becoming a "Level Four" villain while remaining a henchman because he doesn't have the kind of hate the Monarch has, he just wants to help his friend.
• Villainous Rescue: In the season five episode "Bot Seeks Bot," Rusty Venture is captured in a Guild-operated night club and about to be dipped into acid (even Brock Samson knows it would be suicide to attempt to rescue Doc surrounded by so many supervillains), when Monarch shows up, citing Guild regulations which state that he has the first right to kill Venture as Venture's primary arch. The other villains are forced to release Dr. Venture.
• Villain Protagonist: He is the story's protagonist as often as the antagonist, putting him into Deuteragonist territory while getting the most focus of any character other than Rusty himself by the final seasons. It's heavily implied in the final season and outright confirmed in the Finale Movie that he is one of the eponymous "Venture Brothers", being a slightly altered clone of Rusty.
• Willfully Weak: There's a heavy implication that the Monarch massively pulls his punches against the Ventures. Given his track record against anyone other than them and his occasional remarks that he sees their feud as some epic rivalry, it's quite likely that he's utterly uninterested in killing the Ventures and just wants their battle to continue for as long as it can.
• Would Hit a Girl: Shoots his wife with a Tranquillizer Dart in season six so he could take out more of Wide Wale's goons as the Blue Morpho without her getting suspicious. He also has a habit of tossing prostitutes into death traps after he's done having sex with them.
• Your Mom: One of the underlying reasons he resists the possibility that he's one of Jonas' children is that he loathes the idea of him compromising his parents' marriage, and he tries to strangle Rusty to death when he brings up the possibility of his mother getting seduced by their potential joint father.

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch (Sheila, Queen Etherea, Lady Au Pair, Dr. Girlfriend)

Voiced by: Doc Hammer

"I was thinking of something that plays off my abilities more than my sexuality."

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is an attractive and husky-voiced villainess, beloved by the Monarch, who is often the only source of competence and voice of reason in his life. Despite being skilled, intelligent, and highly capable, she was a failure as the solo villain "Lady Au Pair" and found more success serving as the "#2" for (and dating) a number of male villains, including Phantom Limb as "Queen Etherea". After a fight with the Monarch, she leaves him and returns to Phantom Limb, who only sees her as arm candy, ultimately driving her back to the more passionate Monarch with the two getting married. After serving as his partner in villainy, she is promoted to the Guild's Council of 13 and quickly becomes its most active member, though not without straining her marriage.

---

• Ambiguous Gender: Her chain-smoker voice causes many throughout the series to believe she had a sex change (or was planning one). She, the Monarch, and Phantom Limb all vehemently confirm that she's a woman each time it's brought up.
• Affably Evil: Though she can be ruthless, she is easily one of the most reasonable, respectful, and courteous villains in the series. She will not hesitate to torture or kill, especially if it is for her husband's benefit, who she genuinely loves, but she makes sure all proper rules are followed in the process.
• Arch-Enemy: Her official "arch" during her solo villain career as Lady Au Pair was the bridal-themed superheroine Novia. When required to perform one final "arching" to remain on the Council of 13 in season seven, she draws Novia and has a breakdown when the two meet. She does manage to swipe Novia's wallet, though.
• Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: She still holds a grudge against Brock Samson for not taking advantage of her when he had the chance, even stating the trope almost by name at the time.
• Atrocious Alias: Her formal villain name after marrying the Monarch, Dr. Mrs. the Monarch, is an awkward mouthful and challenging to type. It is very rarely ever used in full, save for more formal Guild situations. At one point, during a Council of 13 meeting, Phantom Limb lampshades it by calling her "Dr. Mrs. Whatever Now".
• Because I'm Good At It: There is every indication that she could have been a great full-fledged supervillain if she chose to pursue it. Her stint as Lady Au Pair seems to have failed due to her inexperience, sexist Guild red tape limiting her as a female villain, and because, according to her, her Murderous Moppets were hard to handle. Instead, she entered a series of The Dragon/Hyper-Competent Sidekick roles to established male villains (Truckules, Phantom Limb, the Monarch) to develop and found herself preferring it. Her pragmatism and intelligence make her an especially good fit for the passionate but impulsive Monarch, keeping his schemes grounded and practical. She becomes the Monarch's official villainous partner after their marriage and, in this role, gets the attention of Guild leadership which ultimately leads to her joining the Council of 13.
• Berserk Button: Sheila hates people who are unprofessional. She doesn't much care for chauvinistic males either, even though she often uses her assets to get the drop on lecherous men.
• Beware the Nice Ones: She knows what she's doing and she can be very civil and friendly, but you shouldn't let your guard down when she's around. She's a frequent user of the Honey Trap, will play the "Good Cop" during interrogations, ensures that Guild rules are followed... but will then turn around and, for example, set your dislocated hip without anesthesia for making a lewd comment to her.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: While she's initially the Hypercompetent Sidekick and The Dragon to the Monarch, they settle into a professional partnership after their marriage. She later joins the new Council of 13 in season six on top of it.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: There is every indication that she could be a fantastic solo villain if she wanted to be. She earned an apparently legitimate doctorate in engineering, designed much of the Monarch's techology including the cocoon's security system, and is a pretty skilled Waif-Fu combatant. However, her first attempt at solo villainy as Lady Au Pair failed due to her inexperience, poor choice of henchmen, and sexist Guild red tape preventing her from using her actual skills, so she became arm candy for Phantom Limb and a sort of Team Mom for the Monarch's operation because it was easier. She grows out of this later in the series, where her detailed knowledge of Guild law earns her a seat on the Council of 13, and seems to the Guild's defacto leader by the end.
• Crossdressing Voices: Exaggerated. She is voiced by the male Doc Hammer doing a deeper voice than he does for any of the numerous male characters he voices.
• Consummate Professional: She is a highly professional, respectful, reasonable supervillain who treats her craft like a "hard-working executive" type trying to balance an unruly corporation (first the Monarch's organization, then the Guild itself) and a dysfunctional marriage.
• Dark Action Girl: Martial prowess isn't her specialty, but she has been shown on a few occasions to be capable of kicking ass Waif-Fu-style.
• Dark Mistress: A classic example. Though she could easily be a competent villainess in her own right, she serves as The Dragon/Hyper-Competent Sidekick for the villains she dates. The trope was even called the "Doctor Girlfriend" before it got renamed.
• Deadpan Snarker: Most often happens when whatever villain she is with jeopardizes their plans by trying to be overly macho, particularly Phantom Limb.
• The Dragon: Has made something of a career out of this within the Guild between her time with Phantom Limb and the Monarch. It's implied that she could be a great solo villain, but her time as Lady Au Pair soured her on it. She became Phantom Limb's #2 as "Queen Etheria", but left him because all he wanted her to be was arm candy and didn't take advantage of her many other talents. She was drawn to the Monarch for his passion and because he allowed her to use her skills on security, gadgetry, and Guild knowledge. After their marriage, she is officially the Monarch's "co-villain", though (willingly) continues to act as more of a #2 in most matters. When she gets promoted the Council of 13, Monarch is irrated with her becoming his "boss" and their relationship goes back to being rocky for a while. Finally, while not quite to the level of some of the show's other Action Girls, she can more than hold her own in a fight with an application of Waif-Fu.
• Dragon-in-Chief: Deconstructed as while she wants to excel and move up as a supervillain, she's conscious of how this would make the insecure and easily jealous Monarch feel. She happily serves as The Dragon and Hyper-Competent Sidekick for him, being far more competent in most areas of villainy (planning, technology, Guild law), though ultimately gets promoted above him to the Guild's Council of 13. Her becoming his "boss" creates a new area of friction late in the series.
• Dude Magnet: The Monarch, Phantom Limb, Dr. Venture, Henchman 21, and Copy Cat have all fallen for her throughout the series. She is mentioned as having been with a number of other villains, both before dating the Monarch and during their "open marriage". Completely averted with Brock, however, much to her irritation.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: Part of the reason she leaves Phantom Limb to work for the Monarch is that the latter actually appreciates her for making his plans to go after Venture possible while Limb is generally sexist and condescending to her, seeing her only as his arm candy. She eventually gets her much due "respect" by joining the Guild's Council of 13.
• Even Evil Has Standards: During her first meeting as a member of the Council of 13, she calls out the Sovereign's plan to destroy Gargantua-2 and all the innocent civilians onboard to be extreme and insane. Overlaps with Pragmatic Villainy because such an action would anger the O.S.I., whom the Guild has an uneasy truce with. She's also fairly sympathetic towards Rusty and the boys in the earlier seasons, at one point expressing guilt that she pretended to date Rusty to inject him with a mutagenic serum.
• Family Versus Career: A running theme in the final seasons after her promotion to the Council of 13. This puts a strain on her marriage when she has to enforce Guild rules and keep her husband from doing what he really wants to do (arch Dr. Venture at all costs). As part of the Guild's deal with New York City based Level 10 villain Wide Whale for his support, he gets exclusive arching rights to Dr. Venture, leading to the Monarch's "Blue Morpho" vigilante crusade that results in the deaths of several prominent Guild villains. Comes to a head in season seven's "The Terminus Mandate", as she discovers archaic Guild rules requiring that the ruling body retire from active villainy. The Monarch does not take this well, and even she worries if it may be the end for the two as she has to choose between her hard-earned leadership position or being an active villain alongside her husband. Interestingly enough, we also see that she was always a career-orientated woman as she herself noted, which creates a hilarious contrast to her former arch, Novia, a former bridal-themed heroine turned Black Widow. Her last assignment has her meeting up with Novia and the stress causes her to have a breakdown, getting comforted by Novia.
• Friendly Enemy: When not actively arching him, and when he's not being a disgusting Casanova Wannabe, she actually gets along with Dr. Venture pretty well. She regrets being a Honey Trap from him in "Mid-Life Chrysalis" and the two even bond over how ridiculous their lives have been in "Return to Malice". Unfortunately, he is usually being too much of an Abhorrent Admirer for it to last.
• Gadgeteer Genius: She has a legitimate doctorate in engineering and puts it to use by designing the Monarch's equipment, the cocoon's security system, replicating/weaponizing Captain Sunshine's powers, and working on a cure delivery system to the mutated interns in "What Color is Your Cleansuit?"
• Hyper-Competent Sidekick: While she is initially The Dragon to the Monarch and later his "Co-Villain", she's far more capable and competent than her husband in planning, logistics, engineering, and knowledge of Guild law. There is every indication that she could be a fantastic solo villain if she had kept at it, but her solo Lady Au Pair stint went poorly due to her inexperience, poor choice of henchmen, and sexist Guild red tape limiting what she could do as a female villain. She also doesn't have any superhuman powers nor the budget to develop any sort of superscience technologies on her own. Finally, she lacks the passion for villainy that the Monarch has, as well as his talent for dramatics. Finally, there is an element of Family Versus Career at play, as she's conscious of how her advancement would make the insecure Monarch feel, and she just plain enjoys watching her husband indulge himself in what he does. This trope eventually becomes Downplayed and eventually even Averted at times, though less from any lack of competency on her part and more that her husband finally Took a Level in Badass.
• Informed Judaism: According to Jackson Publick in creator commentary, she is possibly of Sephardic Jewish descent.
• Irony: She was always a career-oriented woman which contrasts against her former arch, Novia, a bridal-themed heroine, as seen in the past. However, by season seven, she is now Happily Married and Affably Evil while dealing with Family Versus Career. Meanwhile, her former arch is now a Black Widow who kills rich men (with her latest target turning out to be Dr. Venture as revealed in the B-plot).
• I Have Many Names: Her given name is Sheila, and at different points she goes by Lady Au Pair (as a nanny-themed solo villain), Queen Etherea (as Phantom Limb's #2), Dr. Girlfriend (while dating the Monarch), and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch (after marrying the Monarch and becoming his co-villain). The Monarch has also called her Dr. Ex Girlfriend, Dr. Fiancee, and Dr. My Wife.
• Jewish and Nerdy: According to creator commentary, she is possibly of Sephardic Jewish descent and has a doctorate in engineering, a classic "nerdy" profession.
• Loophole Abuse: Her intimate knowledge of Guild law allows her to do this frequently. Most prominently, after the Monarch is barred from arching Rusty in season three as punishment for his previous unsanctioned arching, she arranges for him to arch Rusty's brother, Jonas Jr. They manage to pull off a villainous Batman Gambit by having J.J. (who doesn't like the whole heroes/villians affair) try to kill them, allowing them to arch "Guild sanctioned relatives" of J.J., i.e. Rusty. Later, they pull off a Villainous Rescue of Rusty from a group of other villains via literal application of The Only One Allowed to Defeat You, perfectly in-line with Guild rules. This intimate knowledge of Guild law gets her recognized by the Sovereign and a seat on the Council of 13.
• Morality Pet: In the early seasons, her main purpose is to reign in the Monarch's insanity and make him more relatable. He does genuinely love her and even agrees to give up arching Dr. Venture to marry her in the season two finale. (Though they conspire to get him back by the end of the next season).
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: She is one of the few main characters with "Dr." in her title to have actually earned a legitimate doctorate, as confirmed by the creator commentary, and it's in engineering. Make no mistake however, she's an Affably Evil Consummate Professional supervillain.
• Ms. Fanservice: Usually wearing skimpy lingerie, a skimpy leotard, or something with a short skirt. When she designed a new costume for herself, there's a whole scene focused on showing it off. Even in her slightly-more-conservative Council of 13 Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS-inspired costume, she gets a sexy "dropped keys" diversion scene...
• Not That Kind of Doctor: She has a genuine doctorate, as confirmed in the creator commentary, and it's apparently in engineering. As the Gadgeteer Genius behind the Monarch's equipment and cocoon security, the title is most certainly earned. Notably, she is one of the few regular characters with "Dr." in their title to have actually earned it, with Rusty's based on an honorary degree from Tijuana and and Orpheus' being "bestowed by a higher power" (while actually only having a bachelor's degree). Ironically, she's also the only one who doesn't obsess over it. She's called Dr. Girlfriend/Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, but doesn't make a big deal out of the others not being doctors the way they do. Note that, despite this, she does apparently have at least some anatomical knowledge, as she provides medical aid including defibrillating the Monarch at one point and later setting Rusty's dislocated hip.
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: She has a legitimate degree in engineering, but shows knowledge in other sciences including physics, biology, and anatomy.
• Only Sane Man: She's one of the sanest people in the series. She's generally easygoing and her default demeanor isn't malicious, which just makes her someone you shouldn't underestimate. This is best shown in the season five premiere "What Color is Your Cleansuit?", where it's revealed that to combat the supposed mutant army Dr. Venture was building, she contacted the foremost specialist on genetic mutations to create a serum to reverse the mutations, rather than create mutant henchmen of their own as the Monarch wanted. In her words "You don't fight fire with fire, you fight it with water."
• Putting on the Reich: The costume she wears for Guild business after joining the Council of 13 is heavily Nazi-inspired, complete with a red and black peaked cap and long coat, even being lampshaded at one point with a comparison to Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
• Really Gets Around: She is stated or implied to have bedded quite a few villains in her early days before settling down with the Monarch. Even then, given their open marriage, she continues to sleep around as the two are the most notorious swingers in the Guild. When #21 confesses to his makeout session with her, the Monarch doesn't even bat an eye. Per the Monarch, Manta Claus did much nastier things to her, while he watched. "And then she made [us all] all breakfast!"
• Signature Headgear: All of her primary identities and roles are associated with a specific costume including some type of head covering.
  • As Dr. Girlfriend she wore a purple pillbox hat, in accordance with the Jackie Kennedy Onassis theme.
  • Her first outfit as Dr. Mrs. The Monarch gave her a Cool Crown to match her husband's.
  • Joining the Council of 13 led her to adopt a black peaked cap with Guild insignia on the badge.
• Smoky Voice: Season three establishes that her extremely husky voice is the result of very heavy smoking; she goes through three packs a day.
• Stripperiffic:
  • Her Queen Etherea costume while the #2 for Phantom Limb has a few opaque lines just covering her breasts and genitals. The rest is see-thru Vapor Wear.
  • Her Dr. Mrs. the Monarch costume is a leotard with a Navel-Deep Neckline that shows off her ample cleavage.
• Taught by Experience: She's made a career out of being the #2 for multiple supervillains before meeting the Monarch, during which she gets a ton of first-hand experience with the villain lifestyle, including deep knowledge of the Guild's rules. She uses this knowledge to bend them later on while working with the Monarch, which ultimately earns her a seat on the Council of 13.
• Team Mom: To the Monarch's organization in the early seasons, where she's most often seen consoling him, actingly matronly to the henchmen, and buying snacks for villainous summits. When she returns after leaving him, she's much more active their actual villainy, now being her husband's "co-villain".
• Technician/Performer Team-Up: The "technician" to the Monarch's "performer". She is a highly intelligent engineer (technician) who failed as a solo villain in part due to a lack of passion and knows the rulebook of the Guild inside and out. She makes the Monarch far more competent and deadly. For a time, after he was a little too passionate, she left him and returned to her ex, Phantom Limb, a Man of Wealth and Taste-styled supervillain whose primary form of "villainy" is dealing in stolen art. She's reminded of why she left him, with Limb lacking the Monarch's passion and treating her as arm candy, not allowing her to actually use her skills and knowledge.
• Unholy Matrimony: With the Monarch. The two are far more effective villains with each other than on their own. He is passionate with a flair for the dramatic, but unrealistic with his plans and downright incompetent when it comes to technology. She is a skilled Gadgeteer Genius and excellent planner but lacks in motivation and resources as a solo villain. Together, they cover for each other's weaknesses to create a downright lethal villain duo.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Her extremely deep voice is usually completely ignored, though it gets occasional Lampshade Hanging (especially from Brock Samson, who often seems to be the only one to notice it). She is otherwise a Dude Magnet with none caring about the voice.
• Uptight Loves Wild: She's rather reserved and stoic to a large amount of the insanity inherent to the whole "supervillain" life while her attraction to the Monarch seems partly based in how passionate he is about it.
• Vocal Dissonance: A decidedly feminine Ms. Fanservice with a voice gruffer and deeper than many of the male cast members. It's eventually revealed to be the result of a three-pack-a-day smoking habit, and her voice was a little lighter during college (though Brock still thinks she was born male).
• Vocal Evolution: Her voice was even deeper and masculine in earlier episodes, but gradually became (somehow) more feminine while retaining the Brooklyn-trucker vibe. In some episodes of the first season, her voice sounded a bit congested, almost like she had a cold.
• What Does She See in Him?: A Running Gag in the early seasons revolves around this and her relationship with the Monarch. She's a talented, hard-working, highly intelligent, and gorgeous woman who almost singlehandedly carries the Monarch's entire operation toward arching Dr. Venture. Why she remains a Manchild like him is beyond anyone... until, after one of his blow-ups, she actually does leave him and return to her ex, Phantom Limb. Then, we get to see their relationship from another perspective where its revealed that the Monarch is a passionate villain and sensitive lover who genuinely appreciates her, as both a woman and a partner in crime, unlike the Phantom Limb who wants her as arm candy to his Wicked Cultured style of villainy. After she returns to and marries the Monarch, they become "co-villains", with the Monarch spending more of his time trying to keep her love and giving her more respect, which causes their relationship to blossom further. Essentially, they bring out the best in each other and their areas of villainous competency compliment one another well.
• Whole Costume Reference: As Dr. Girlfriend, she wears a dress and hat nearly identical to one famously worn by Jacqueline Kennedy. Hilariously, as shown in "Home Is Where the Hate Is", she doesn't know who Jackie Kennedy is. In later seasons she gets a new costume to match her husband's butterfly-themed affair before wearing official Guild-themed dresses and suits in her role as Councilwoman.

Henchman 21

Gary Fischer (Henchman 21, Two-Ton Twenty-One, The Viceroy, Kano II)

Voiced by: Doc Hammer

"I don't want to have to be a villain without him, I don't have that kind of grudge. I just want to help my best friend with his hate."

A nerdy, chubby henchman of the Monarch since he was accidentally kidnapped at 15, he was best friends with Henchman 24 and the two appeared early on as recurring characters. Following 24's death, he trains to be a more competent combatant and works his way up to become the Monarch's top henchman but becomes disillusioned with his boss and strikes out on his own, briefly joining SPHINX. He returns to the Monarch for the final seasons, serving as his #2 and becoming his best friend.

---

• Accidental Kidnapping: Gary was accidentally kidnapped by the Monarch's henchmen while on a class trip to Washington D.C. to visit Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, and he — a chunky young teenager with a ponytail, older than the other kids in his grade, and holding an American flag — looked enough like Campbell to be abducted by mistake. An enraged Monarch ordered him to be killed, but the other henchmen adopted him into their ranks.
• Acrofatic: Along with Stout Strength, after he takes a level in badass. Despite his size, he becomes faster, more athletic, and capable of performing some impressive martial arts moves.
  Monarch: You move like a thin guy, but you're not. You're beefy.
• Action Survivor: As henchmen, he and 24 are essentially meant to be Mook Cannon Fodder, especially in the deadly world of the series. And yet, they survive three whole seasons, even after every other Monarch henchman quit or was killed in some gruesome fashion. After 24's death in the season three finale, 21 starts taking steps to go from merely surviving to being badass himself.
• Affably Evil: Downplayed in that he barely qualifies as evil at all, with his most malicious acts being performed under orders from the Monarch. He's mostly a pretty agreeable guy who gets along with almost everyone, even the Ventures, especially Hank.
• Alas, Poor Yorick: After 24 dies, 21 keeps his skull as a memento, and claims he can talk to 24 through it. He finally buries it in "Operation P.R.O.M." and then realizes that he was never actually talking to 24 at all, but a guilt-induced hallucination.
• All for Nothing: He bulked up and trained to fight after 24's death, hoping to prevent future henchmen deaths. However, the entire Fluttering Horde is wiped out in the season five finale, anyway, in large part due to a misunderstanding caused by 21.
• Arch-Enemy: Due to a misunderstanding while teaming up in "The Devil's Grip", 21 becomes one to Hatred (though it's mostly one-sided on the latter's part). When given the opportunity to attack the Monarch in season six, Hatred opted to pistol-whip 21 instead.
• Artifact Title: Never changes his henchman designation from 21, even when he's the Monarch's #2 man. Though call himself "Henchman #1" to rile up the original Henchman #1, Scott Hall, in "Any Which Way But Zeus".
• Ascended Fanboy: 21 alternates between this and Punch-Clock Villain toward his activities with the Monarch, depending on whether the mission features cool Villain Tropes.
• Author Avatar: Listening to the creator commentary and seeing Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick at conventions makes it very obvious that 21 and 24 are the writers. When a fan asked them to settle an Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny that 21 and 24 argued about in the show, they seriously debated it with each other and were indistinguishable from the characters.
• Blade Below the Shoulder: After he Took a Level in Badass, 21 begins fighting with a retractable wrist blades on his gloves.
• Boots of Toughness: Wears a pair as a part of his new henchman outfit after he Took a Level in Badass, ones that also have pouches on them, upgrading from the little yellow "booties" that are part of the standard uniform.
• Brutal Honesty:
  • 21 has a breakdown in "Operation: P.R.O.M." in front of The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch in which he digs deep into this:
  Monarch:: 21's bailing on us.
  Dr. Mrs.: What?!
  Monarch: Ask him.
  21: It's true! I'm sick of this! I'm slightly drunk, I'm talking to the ghost of my fucking dead friend, I'm probably in love with you, and... so yeah, whatever, I'm over it!
  Monarch: You're over it?
  Dr. Mrs.: You're in love with me?
  Monarch: Whoa, wait, what?!
  21: We made out!
  Dr. Mrs.: Well... Well, that's a stretch. We got drunk. Maybe we kissed, but uh...
  Monarch: Suuuuuuuuure, you d— where was I, then, uh?
  21: Where were you— you were there! We were on top of you! We made out on you!
  • This is also part of the reason 21 gets rid of 24's skull — 24's "ghost" keeps showing up when 21 tries to masturbate, which he freely admits to those listening.
• Buffy Speak: Struggles to put some of the mind-blowing weirdness he encounters in the Venture-verse into words and usually inserts some pop culture references in his descriptions.
  21: But if I'm half monster, and like half goat and half hor... okay, that's stupid. Okay, if my bottom half is a horse, and on top I'm Sin-Eater.
• Bulletproof Vest: After taking a level in badass, he starts wearing a yellow one instead of the standard-issue jerkin as part of his new Non-Uniform Uniform. He apparently had to buy it out of pocket since The Monarch is incredibly cheap with his Henchmen's equipment.
• Catchphrase: In early seasons, he frequently asked "Why doesn't anyone tell me this stuff?" when he learned that things he thought were for show (like his uniform wings and Utility Belt) were actually functional equipment.
• Character Development: Undergoes significant development following 24's death. He becomes one of the most competent people not just in the Monarch's organization, but in the entire Guild. He actually earns praise from Brock Samson after their fight. Compare this to earlier episodes where "Death by Samson" was a regular cause of death for the Monarch's henchmen. That 21 could fight Samson to a standstill was awesome, even if Brock was pulling his punches.
• The Creon: After becoming The Dragon to the Monarch and really growing into the position, he is offered a chance to become a "Level Four Villain" in his own right by the Guild in "The Saphrax Protocol". He turns it down, stating that he doesn't want to be a villain, but wants to help his friend.
  21: I don't want to have to be a Villain without him, I don't have that kind of grudge. I just want to help my best friend with his hate.
• The Dragon: He takes over the position in the Monarch's organization after Dr. Mrs. the Monarch makes it clear that she's going to be the Monarch's partner rather than a suboridinate. He bulks up, learns how to fight, becomes a competent leader for the other henchmen, and takes on a "sidekick" role in the Monarch's schemes.
• The Dreaded: After taking a level in badass, he becomes this to the other Monarch henchmen who refer to him as "Two-Ton Twenty-One". They literally cower in fear after upsetting him by mentioning 24's death.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Following 24's death, as the defacto leader of the "Fluttering Horde". He has no issue doling out chore duty to henchmen who upset him and he's only talked about in hushed tones among their ranks. After he accepts responsibility for 24's death and basically becomes the Monarch's #2/best friend, he softens up considerably.
• Fat and Skinny: Had this ensemble with 24, but after 24's death and 21 taking a level in badass, he soon becomes this with the Monarch, going from being a loyal henchman to #2/best friend.
• Formerly Fat: Downplayed after taking a level in badass. He bulks up to achieve Stout Strength and trains to become Acrofatic, though still has a noticeable gut.
• Genre Savvy: He and 24 catch on to a lot of details regarding the workings of the Venture universe and exploit them to become Mauve Shirt Action Survivors. They pay for their hubris eventually.
• Hallucinations: Suffers from them after 24's death. 24 appears as a ghost only 21 can see and gives him advice in combat situations. At one point, he (the ghost) implies that he may be only a product of imagination, giving 21 confidence in his own abilities. Which is met with a frantic "NO! You are real!" In the season four finale, it is strongly implied that 24 is a hallucination, not a ghost.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door: Though how "evil" he is never really changes, he does switch allegiances a few times, bordering on Hazy-Feel Turn. He leaves the Monarch and joins SPHINX at the end of season four after getting fed up with the Monarch's callousness toward his villainy and his wife. However, SPHINX immediately folds and the other members return to the O.S.I., leaving 21 on his own. He returns to the Monarch at the end of season five, questions again in season six when the Monarch starts ordering him to kill other villains, but ultimately remains to help his best friend with his hatred.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With 24 in the first three seasons. 21 even lampshades this in a third-season episode, when The Monarch doesn't know who 24 is. By the final seasons, he becomes this with the Monarch instead, with the Monarch even calling him his "best friend".
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: After taking a level in badass and with Dr. Mrs. the Monarch's promotion to the Guild's Council of 13, 21 steps into this role for the Monarch in the final seasons. He's a competent fighter who can keep the Monarch's impulsiveness in check with sensible planning while doing most of the actual work during their Blue Morpho phase.
• I Always Wanted to Say That: Instead of taking their mission seriously with #1, 21 and 24 hide in plain sight from Brock by pretending to be mannequins in a "villain diorama". 24 comments on how little chance there is to actually do it.
• Important Haircut: Sported a ponytail underneath his henchman outfit. He has it removed in "The Terminus Mandate" after he decides to embrace change.
• Intergenerational Friendship: 24 was already a grown adult when the henchmen kidnapped 21, who was a teenager at the time. Despite being quite a few years older, the two were inseparable. Afterward, this becomes the case between him and the Monarch, who was around the same age, or maybe even older than 24.
• Lampshade Hanging: He and 24 love to hang them, such as commenting on their Plot Armor in the third season. He also likes to call it out when he get to perform cool Villain Tropes
• Manly Facial Hair: After 24's death, he becomes a more competent henchman and develops a muscular build. To reflect his character arc, he grows a pair of mutton chop sideburns with Perma-Stubble.
• Mauve Shirt: Originally, he and 24 were recurring Monarch henchmen with unique builds and voices. The Monarch even lampshades it by providing the trope's page quote. After 24's death, 21 gets a full promotion to main character.
  Dr. Girlfriend: I gotta ask this, is there a reason you always use 21 and 24?
  The Monarch: I know it sounds crazy, but they both have that rare blend of "expendable" and "invulnerable" that makes for a perfect henchman.
• Meaningful Name: His screename, primary choice for code name, and later pretend villain name is "The Viceroy", which is meaningful in comparison to the Monarch in several ways:
  • The Viceroy butterfly is so called because its appearance mimics that of the Monarch butterfly◊. It has been long believed that the Viceroy butterfly employs mimicry to resemble the Monarch butterfly, which is foul-tasting and poisonous to predatory birds. It turns out both of them share the unpalatable defense system and their similar wing patterns are a form of mimicry that's an evolutionary coincidence rather than selective pressure on non-mimic ancestors. Even this fits as 21 takes a level in badass, becoming a Hypercompetent Sidekick to the Monarch and even surpassing in some ways, turning down a chance to become a full-fledged villain in his own right to remain the Monarch's #2.
  • A viceroy is historically the representative of a monarch exercising authority over a territory, which is also fitting with 21 as the Monarch's #2.
• Mook Promotion: Originally appearing as a recurring Monarch henchman and comic relief, he levels up to become the Monarch's #2, Hypercompetent Sidekick, and best friend.
• Nerd Hoard: Just about any time his room/personal space is shown, it is full of items from nerdy hobbies. In "Hate Floats", claims to have a "weapons stash" in his room, which turns out to be his "Nerd Hoard". It includes a pair of Hulk hands, a Captain America shield, a Magneto helmet, a "mint in box" Lord of the Rings replica sword (which 21 refuses to remove from the box despite being the only actual weapon), and a deck of Magic: The Gathering cards.
• Noble Top Enforcer: Post-taking a level in badass, 21 becomes this is season four for the Monarch. This eventually leads to him quitting in the season finale. In the season five finale, he goes back to being this for the Monarch after the OSI rejects his efforts to join, and he fails in his attempts at being a hero as the only member of SPHINX.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Out of costume, 21 looks like Kevin Smith without a beard. 24 even lampshades in the season two premiere.
• Nominal Importance: He's one of the few named henchmen, and he goes from Mauve Shirt to the Monarch's top enforcer to the Monarch's sole henchman after the cocoon is destroyed.
• Non-Action Guy: In the first three seasons, he and 24 breeze through their assignments by slacking off and using their Genre Savviness to avoid deadly cliches. After 24's death, he takes a level in badass and becomes much more action-oriented.
• Non-Uniform Uniform: After taking a level in badass, he upgrades his uniform to include a Bulletproof Vest (that he had to pay for out of pocket because the Monarch is cheap with henchmen attire), gauntlets sporting a Blade Below the Shoulder, torn sleeves on his black undershirt, and Boots of Toughness.
• Plot Armor: He and 24 start bragging about it in season three. Not a good idea, as it costs 24 his life. 21 takes a level in badass as a result and no longer counts on this after.
• Pop-Cultured Badass: He was always Proud to Be a Geek and making references from all over the pop culture Geek Reference Pool, but was more of a Genre Savvy Action Survivor who relied on his Plot Armor. After 24 dies, he realizes he can't keep going like that and takes a level in badass... while continuing to drop pop culture references in every other line.
• Punch-Clock Villain: He was kidnapped into the "hench life" and mostly remained there because he didn't really have anywhere else to go, plus his only friend was there. At no point, even after taking a level in badass, does he really ever act "evil" and his worst acts come following the orders of the Monarch. In the later seasons, he becomes best friends with the Monarch and helps him in his villainous schemes out of friendship rather than any malice of his own, even turning down the chance to become a solo villain when offered by the Guild because he doesn't "have that kind of grudge".
• Realistic Diction Is Unrealistic: One of the more notable aversions in the show, as his dialogue includes a realistic amount of "ums", "ahs", pauses, and Buffy Speak. He also says "like" a lot.
  21: You're like, what, like... like a Wandering Spider, or something?
• Red Baron: 21 eventually picks up the epithet "Two-Ton 21" from the Monarch's other henchmen following his taking a level in badass.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to 24's Blue. Neither are the most enthusiastic of henchmen (at least at first, for 21), but 21 emotes more and displays more hamminess, passion, and loyalty than 24. This may be due in part to being indoctrinated from a young age in the ways of henching, and his background as a fanatical nerd.
• Running Gag: Whenever he has the opportunity to assume any kind of alias or codename, he always calls himself "The Viceroy". Initially, it was to signify that he was planning to carry on after the Monarch is jailed, but he uses the name even when there's no link whatsoever between the Monarch and whatever he's doing (for instance, in his stint as SPHINX Commander).
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After getting to briefly team up with SPHINX and becoming disillusioned with the Monarch, he quits with a Brutal Honesty laced tirade in the season four finale "Operation P.R.O.M.". Unfortunately, SPHINX folds back into the O.S.I. without him and his stint as a solo hero goes spectacularly bad, leaving him to return to the Monarch at the end of season five.
• Seriously Scruffy: Thanks to 24's death and his subsequent character development, he sports Perma-Stubble and torn sleeves in season four.
• Sixth Ranger: Becomes an on-and-off version for Team Venture in season five after he quits the Monarch crew and starts living on the Venture compound, particularly in the episodes "What Color is Your Cleansuit" and "Momma's Boys".
• Sole Survivor: 21 is the only henchmen that survives Sgt. Hatred's attack on the cocoon in the season five finale. Ironically, he was the one specific henchmen that Hatred was trying to murder. On another level of irony, his taking a level in badass was in part to prevent future unnecessary henchman deaths after 24's and now his actions have led to all of them dying.
• Stout Strength: Along with Acrofatic, once he Took a Level in Badass. He's even larger now, with a still-massive gut, but a clear increase in strength.
• Survivor's Guilt: He appears to be suffering from some form of PTSD with regards to both 24 and the villains he's killed as the new Kano in the season seven premiere trilogy. It's the main reason he starts hallucinating 24's ghost after his death.
• Talking to the Dead: In season four, 21 starts talking to 24 via the latter's skull. For a while, it's unclear if he's actually talking to 24's ghost or if it's some kind of grief-induced hallucination. In "Operation P.R.O.M.", when Dr. Orpheus helps 21 realizes that one of 24's ghost friends isn't actually dead yet, 24 vanishes and Gary breaks down in tears. This indicates that 24 was a figment of 21's imagination the entire time. When incessantly asked about it, Jackson Publick confirmed that they intended for 24 to not really be a ghost, but ultimately, it's open to interpretation (although the "24 really was a ghost" theory only works under very specific and unlikely circumstances).
• These Hands Have Killed: In season six, after he kills an enemy as the new Kano, he's notably upset about it and resists the Monarch's orders to kill again. He ends up getting his targets killed anyway, despite trying to keep them alive as prisoners.
• Took a Level in Badass: The greatest example in the series. Following the events of the season three finale, Non-Action Guy 21 becomes "Two Ton 21," the badass Drill Sergeant Nasty of the Monarch's henchman - he turns his tubbiness into Stout Strength, impresses Brock Samson with his fighting skills/sheer balls, and shows competence enough for the Guild to offer him a solo villain opportunity. Most impressively, at one point, "ghost" 24 warns 21 about the weaponry and intent of a mob of Monstroso's henchmen surrounding him, allowing 21 to counter them flawlessly. Given that 24 is later strongly imlied to be a hallucination, it means 21 successfully guessed, entirely unaided, what each henchman around him was armed with, what they would do, and instinctively knew how to perfectly counter them. Now THAT is Brock Samson-levels of badass!
• Villainous Friendship: With 24, and later with the Monarch. He ends up turning down a chance at becoming a "Level Four" villain and remaining a henchman because he doesn't have the kind of hate the Monarch has, he just wants to help his friend.
• You Are in Command Now: As the sole remaining member of SPHINX at the start of season five, Gary dubs himself "SPHINX Commander" and uses that as his codename. He's just competent enough as a "hero" to ruin the O.S.I.'s sting operation, leading to SPHINX's final destruction.
• You Are Number 6: As one of the Monarch's henchmen, he was assigned the number 21. He decides to keep it even after he's promoted to the Monarch's #2.

Henchman 24

Henchman 24

Voiced by: Christopher McCulloch

"Oh! Don’t knock or anything. It’s not like I live with 80 guys and no women, so there’s no chance I’m masturbating!"

A career henchman who came into the service of the Monarch early on in his villain career, 24 is best friends with 21 and the two appeared early on as recurring characters. Taller and thinner than 21, he has a nasally voice with a slight rasp. He worked in a factory that closed down and joined the henchman life soon after, initially with Phantom Limb (where he first met the Monarch) and later with the Monarch.

At the end of season three, he dies in an explosion. He continues to appear as a hallucination/ghost to 21 throughout season four.

---

• Action Survivor: As henchmen, he and 21 are essentially meant to be Mook Cannon Fodder, especially in the deadly world of the series. And yet, they survive three whole seasons, even after every other Monarch henchman quit or was killed in some gruesome fashion. Unfortunately, in a case of Death by Genre Savviness and Tempting Fate by bragging about his Plot Armor, he dies in the season three finale.
• Author Avatar: Listening to the creator commentary and seeing Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick at conventions makes it very obvious that 21 and 24 are the writers. When a fan asked them to settle an Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny that 21 and 24 argued about in the show, they seriously debated it with each other and were indistinguishable from the characters.
• Big Applesauce: Voiced in an imitation of Ray Romano, New York City accent included.
• Death by Genre Savviness: Being the Action Survivors they are, 21 and 24 hide out in the backseat of the Monarchmobile while the big climactic battle of the season three finale plays out. However, H.E.L.P.eR., who was being held prisoner, escapes using the Monarchmobile. 21 was able to jump out, but 24 absent-mindedly buckled in and is killed when the car explodes at the end of the battle. His Tempting Fate by bragging about his Plot Armor throughout season three didn't help his situation.
• Forgotten First Meeting: He and the Monarch worked together for Phantom Limb while the Monarch was waiting for his "trust fund money to slide out of escrow". The Monarch apparently doesn't remember that, or anything about 24, much to 21's dismay is "Home Is Where the Hate Is".
• Genre Savvy: He and 21 catch on to a lot of details regarding the workings of the Venture universe and exploit them to become Mauve Shirt Action Survivors. They pay for their hubris eventually.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With 21, who even lampshades it in season three's "Home Is Where the Hate Is" when the Monarch doesn't know who 24 is.
• I Always Wanted to Say That: Instead of taking their mission seriously in the "The Lepidopterists" with Henchman 1, 21 and 24 pretend to be mannequins in a "villain diorama". 24 comments on how little chance there is to actually do it.
• Intergenerational Friendship: 24 was already a grown adult when the henchmen kidnapped 21, who was a teenager at the time. Despite being quite a few years older, the two become inseparable Heterosexual Life-Partners.
• Killed Off for Real: In a car explosion in the season three finale. While there is some drama over his appearing to 21 throughout season four as either a ghostly Spirit Advisor or guilt-induced hallucination, he is definitely dead either way.
• Lampshade Hanging: He and 21 love to hang them, such as commenting on their Plot Armor in season three. In that case, it turns out to be Tempting Fate for 24, who suffers a Death by Genre Savviness in the season finale.
• Large Ham: Jackson Publick's delivery while voicing 24 frequently moves into Mundane Made Awesome territory. The hamminess really fits once he becomes a Spirit Advisor to 21 in season four.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: Doc Hammer spoils 24's death during every episode commentary tract on the season three DVD.
  Doc Hammer: No one watches the commentary before they watch the actual show! ...I dunno; there's no platitude for a guy who watches the commentary before he finishes the season.
• Mauve Shirt:
  • Originally, he and 21 were recurring Monarch henchmen with unique builds and voices. The Monarch even lampshades it by providing the trope's page quote.
    Dr. Girlfriend: I gotta ask this, is there a reason you always use 21 and 24?
    The Monarch: I know it sounds crazy, but they both have that rare blend of "expendable" and "invulnerable" that makes for a perfect henchman.
  • Ultimately subverted in the season three finale, where despite having this status for three seasons, 24 is Killed Off for Real.
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Deliberately waffles back and forth on whether he is a Spirit Advisor or Dead All Along. 21 is absolutely convinced he's the former (and refuses to consider otherwise), but 24 himself repeatedly suggests the latter. It's eventually revealed that it really IS the latter; 21 was hallucinating him out of survivor's guilt.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: 24 is voiced as an imitation of Ray Romano. Out of costume, he looks like Jerry Seinfeld with a unibrow.
• No Name Given: Only known as his henchman designation, 24. In contrast to 21, whose name we learn to be Gary fairly early on, 24 dies while 21 lives on.
• Non-Action Guy: In the first three seasons, he and 24 breeze through their assignments by slacking off and using their Genre Savviness to avoid deadly cliches. In the season three finale, he suffers Death by Genre Savviness, as trying to avoid the big climatic battle is what ultimately leads to his death.
• Plot Armor: Starts bragging about it in season three. Not a good idea, as it costs 24 his life.
• Punch-Clock Villain: He works for a supervillain and is just trying not to get killed. In "Powerless in the Face of Death", he is overheard complaining that working for the Monarch was the only job he could get after the factory he worked at closed.
  24: It was either this or the Army.
• Shoo Out the Clowns: Downplayed in that his death in the season three finale marks a turning point in the series, where some of the funnier aspects of the Dark Parody and Genre Deconstruction elements are toned down in favor of darker examinations and even some Reconstruction, though the humor never goes completely away.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to 21's Blue. Neither are the most enthusiastic of henchmen, but 24 is the least motivated of the two as 21 can get excited for their work if it features cool Villain Tropes. 24 often seems bored or indifferent regardless of what they're doing, and will openly object to tasks of significant danger or difficulty.
• Spirit Advisor: Appears in ghost form as one to 21 throughout season four. However, he is eventually revealed to be 21's guilt-induced hallucination while all of his "advice" was really things 21 already knew, but didn't have enough confidence in himself to believe.
• Tempting Fate: Spends a lot of time during season three bragging about his Plot Armor with 21, but ends up dying in the season finale.
• Those Two Guys: With 21 among The Monarch's henchmen. They're Heterosexual Life-Partners almost never seen apart.
• You Are Number 6: As with all of the Monarch's minions, he goes by his henchman designation number. Interestingly he was also numbered #24 as a henchman when working for Phantom Limb.

Henchman 1

See his entry on the Others page.

The Fluttering Horde

The Fluttering Horde

24: With a show of hands, how many of you are suicidal?

(The majority of the henchmen raise their hands)

24: Wow... that's a lot.

The Monarch's seemingly endless army of inept henchmen.

---

• Affably Evil: While they work for a villain, most are downright nice. They care enough about the Monarch to throw him a birthday party and bachelor party, always treat the Ventures well when captured, and socialize with one another in the cocoon's Den of Iniquity.
• Ape Shall Never Kill Ape: They kill the Moppets for killing 24 because 'Hench must never kill Hench'.
• Art Evolution: In the pilot (and in flashbacks taking place before the pilot), the have less sleek uniforms with more awkward wings and visors than they later sport.
• Butt-Monkey: They are slaughtered, repeatedly and hilariously, usually by Brock, throughout the series.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Downplayed. While they're still a token Mook army of Cannon Fodder, they've been able to perform a few impressive feats.
  • In the season two-ending "Showdown at Cremation Creek" two-parter, they manage to jump Brock and capture the Ventures (while mind-blastingly drunk), then take down Phantom Limb's Elite Mook army by sheer numbers.
  • In the season three-ending "The Family that Slays Together, Stays Together" two-parter, they put up a surprisingly strong fight against the power-armored O.S.I. soldiers, despite their weaker equipment and armor.
• Death Seeker: Aside from 21 and 24, the majority of the army all raise their hands when the latter asks how many of them are suicidal.
• Earned Stripes: According to 21, Monarch henchmen have to "earn their wings" by taking a life in the line of duty. 21 earned his because the "protagonist" they were arching, one "Professor Vibrations", just happened to die while he was nearby. 21 took the credit for it.
• Easily Forgiven: Despite being seen as a Mook Horror Show, none of the henchmen hold any personal ill will towards Brock. Some of them even apologize to Brock for being in his way and that they "deserve it".
• Elite Mooks: Subverted in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" by Dr. Killinger's "Black Guards". They look much more intimidating, but are soon revealed to just be the Monarch's regular henchmen in fancier uniforms.
• Ethnic Menial Labor: After being wiped out in the season five finale, the Monarch, while trying to impress Guild leadership to raise his "EMA" rating in season seven, hires a bunch of migrant workers to replace them before an inspection by Dr. Z. He sees right through it.
• Gangbangers: After all of them except 21 and 24 quit when the Monarch goes to prison at the end of season one, he orders them to recruit new members. In season two's "Hate Floats", they hire a bunch of inner-city gangster types who use their own weapons and perform a coup. Brock and Phantom Limb wipe them out.
• Highly-Conspicuous Uniform: They wear bright yellow clothing with goggles and big orange wings. 21 and 24 lampshade it in several instances.
  21: Pay the bill, I gotta use the can.
  24: I'm not going to sit here alone, I'll look like an idiot!
  21: Dude, you just ate a dinner with a guy dressed exactly like you!
  24: At least I look like a popular idiot!
• Killed Off for Real: In the season five finale "The Devil's Grip", Sgt. Hatred accidentally destroys the Cocoon, in which only the Monarch, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, and 21 survive. The Monarch eventually starts to recruit replacements, but doesn't manage much.
• Mooks: For the Monarch. These guys die a lot. The show's first episode alone showcases dozens of their deaths at the hands of Brock, and this is far from the last time.
• Night-Vision Goggles: Their standard-issue goggles have this mode, much to 21's surprise when he finds out.
• Offscreen Villain Dark Matter: They tend to die in droves and, while a few episodes show them being recruited/replaced, it isn't enough to explain where they all come from.
• Punch-Clock Villain: They seem like normal (if suicidal) people in their "off time". They have hobbies and interests outside of villainy, and usually do not "hate" the Monarch's arches, treating their "villainous" activities like most people treat their normal jobs.
• Symbolic Wings: Subverted as they believe their uniform wings are only for show, but learn in the season two finale that they're actually functional for flight.
• Took a Level in Badass: Zig-zagged. At first, it seems like the standard henchmen uniform is extremely ill-equipped in dealing with foes. However as the show goes on, they (slowly) find out that their wings are functional for flight, their visors can activate night vision, and their Utility Belt contains useful gadgets. None of them were ever aware of these abilities at first. (Dr. Girlfriend/Mrs. The Monarch is implied to be responsible for these advances.)
• Tranquillizer Dart: Their standard issues rifles fire them. The Guild's rules on "Equally Matched Aggression" prevent them from using anything more deadly.
• Undying Loyalty: To the Monarch. No matter how much he abuses them, they stay loyal to him. In "The Diving Bell vs. The Butter-Glider" when it seems like they finally had enough of the Monarch and try to do an unsanctioned attack on the Venture Compound, the Monarch quickly storms in on them and they immediately fall in line.
• Utility Belt: One comes stardard issue with their uniform. 21 thinks it's just for show, but learns from Henchman #1 that it's actually full of useful gadgets.
• You Are Number 6: They're only known by their henchmen numbers, which also apparently serve as ranks.
• Zerg Rush: The near-endless supply of henchmen that the Monarch has at his disposal to throw at his enemies is what makes them useful in his eyes. It actually works, at least against anything other than Brock Samson, as shown in "Showdown at Cremation Creek" and "The Family that Slays Together, Stays Together" climax battles.

The Pupa Twins

Kevin and Tim-Tom (The Murderous Moppets, The Pupa Twins)

Tim-Tom voiced by: Christopher McCulloch
Kevin voiced by: Doc Hammer

Tim-Tom Moppet: We can take out his tongue...
Kevin Moppet: (With relish) With a knife!
Tim-Tom Moppet: Or remove 'is 'eart...
Kevin Moppet: (With great relish) Yeah, with a knife!
Tim-Tom Moppet: A bigger knife!
Kevin Moppet: (With greater relish) Fucking knife!

A pair of Achondroplastic dwarfs, the "Murderous Moppets" Tim-Tom and Kevin originally served as the muscle for Dr. Girlfriend during her solo-villain career as the nanny-themed "Lady Au Pair". She brought them back when getting married to the Monarch and had them join his organization as the "Pupa Twins", after which they began to terrorize his other henchmen.

---

• Added Alliterative Appeal: As the "Murderous Moppets" under Lady Au Pair.
• Aerith and Bob: One is named Tim-Tom, the other Kevin.
  Doc Hammer: You want one to be named like a Moppet - like Tim-Tom - and the other one to just walk in with like, 'What's your name?' 'Kevin.' 'Good enough!'
• And There Was Much Rejoicing: Only Dr. Mrs. the Monarch is upset about their deaths. The Monarch and 21 are thrilled.
• Ax-Crazy: They're more than a little murderously psychopathic, quickly resorting to violence and really like knives.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: The only person they act remotely civil around is Dr. Girlfriend, and even then they mostly act like major pervs toward her rather than their usual psychopathy.
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: They are more than a little delusional. One episode has Kevin want to test if he has "secret mind powers".
• Creepy Child: What they are meant to invoke as the Murderous Moppets. A "moppet" is an archaic term for a young child, they served under the nanny-themed Lady Au Pair, and they're dwarfs who dress in old-fashioned children's clothing.
• Depraved Dwarf: They're Ax-Crazy Achondroplastic dwarfs who serve villains with sadistic glee.
• The Dragon: They were the "number twos" to Dr. Mrs. the Monarch during her solo-villain career as Lady Au Pair.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Despite their Ax-Crazy tendencies, one of the very few lines they won't cross is attacking Catholic Hospitals as they're "hallowed ground".
• Evil Brit: Tim-Tom has the accent and is an Ax-Crazy Psycho Knife Nut.
• Hated by All: Everyone they work with has tried to get to know them, generally for Dr. Girlfriend's sake. They all hate them. Even Dr. Mrs. the Monarch has started feeling uncomfortable around them, which was evidently so satisfying to the Monarch that he got an erection. The Monarch has intended to kill them, and 21 succeeded getting them killed by the rest of the Monarch's henchmen after accusing them of killing 24.
• Jerkasses: In a series where even some of the worst villains have redeeming traits, Tim-Tom and Kevin have none. They are Hated by All And There Was Much Rejoicing about their deaths.
• Killed Off for Real: 21 figures out they were the ones who offed 24 and calls for a "hench has killed hench" rule on them. The rest of the Monarch henchmen gang up and kill them off-screen. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch confirms their deaths in "All This And Gargantua 2".
• The Mole: According to Phantom Limb, they're "well-placed sleeper agents". We don't know for sure if this is correct, but the recent revelation that they were likely the ones who killed 24 (and are messing with 21's mind by crossing names off his list of suspects, which would contribute towards Limb's plan from "Bright Lights, Dean City") provides some proof. They worked for Dr. Mrs. the Monarch before she became Limb's #2, so he could've gotten to them at some point while she was Queen Etheria.
• Perma-Stubble: Both of them have it and it adds to their overall creepiness.
• Psycho for Hire: It's pretty clear their reason for being minions is because they get off on killing.
• Psycho Knife Nut: They are complete Ax-Crazy sadists who prefer knives a their main form of torture. Their entry quote provides a great example discussion to this effect.
• Quirky Miniboss Squad: To The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend, though as time passes they become less compliant.
• Slasher Smile: They each tend to get one, especially when about to use knives.
• Would Hurt a Child: Their quote is from a conversation describing how they'd torment the teenaged Dermott. They've also attempted to claim the lives of Dean and Hank.