The character of Darkwing Duck was inspired by several non-powered vigilantes, ranging from The Shadow to The Sandman. His most obvious influence, however, is Batman. This is made readily apparent in a preview of his latest comic series from Dynamite Entertainment, which pits Drake Mallard against an apparent parody of the Court of Owls.
Written by Daniel Kibblesmith with art by Ro Stein and Ted Brandt, Darkwing Duck #1 reveals the true, untold origins of the Terror That Flaps in the Night. Well, as true as anything Drake Mallard claims about his superheroic alter ego can be. The opening story arc will see Drake telling his life story to his ever-impatient adopted daughter, Gosalyn. This first chapter will also detail his first battle with the electric villain Megavolt.
The first five pages of Darkwing Duck #1 may be viewed below.
Darkwing Duck #1 also parodies Batman: Year One
The original Darkwing Duck series gave three conflicting origin stories for the Terror That Flaps in the Night. One showed Drake Mallard as a teen superhero, who saved his school from a teenage Megavolt. Another showed him inspired to heroism as a child by his time-traveling future self. A third, unlikely story, which was a mish-mash of other superhero origins, claimed he was one of the last survivors of the planet Zipton and gained the power to create dramatic smoke clouds from a genie.
The origin presented in the new Darkwing Duck preview leans heavily on the influence of the Dark Knight. Beyond the rich villains modeled on the Court of Owls, this opening scene clearly parodies one of the most famous scenes of Batman: Year One. This promises a comparatively more grounded history for the Terror That Flaps in the Night, albeit equally hilarious and braggadocious.
Darkwing Duck #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on March 5, 2025.
