Is Magica a villain?

[Hector]

Glomgold is definitely one. Canon Beagle Boys are villains as well, since
they have often threatened the ducks' lives. But what about Magica?
How far can she go to obtain what she wants? Is she really bad?
Would she threaten Scrooge's life, like Glomgold and Beagle Boys have,
if that was what it takes to get the dime?

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Jul 14, 2017 18:57:32 GMT Hector said:

Glomgold is definitely one. Canon Beagle Boys are villains as well, since
they have often threatened the ducks' lives. But what about Magica?
How far can she go to obtain what she wants? Is she really bad?
Would she threaten Scrooge's life, like Glomgold and Beagle Boys have,
if that was what it takes to get the dime?

You're not asking the right quesiton. "Villain" is a story mechanic, a synonym for "antagonist". I believe what you mean is "Is Magica evil?", and… I guess not. She's mean, occasionally, and I wouldn't put murder entirely past her, but if she ever did slip and kill someone (which I don't believe she has yet) she'd probably feel terrible about it afterwards. 

[stuftmcduck]

In stories where they team up, it's interesting to note, you can actually see a sort of hierarchy of evil in the Duckburg rogues gallery, which goes something like:

Rockerduck < Magica < Beagle Boys < Flintheart < Blackheart Beagle

[Matilda]

I agree with Scrooge MacDuck and stuftmcduck that Magica isn't very high on the "evil" scale.

Also, unlike the billionaire antagonists, she has become a sympathetic character and the main character of many stories. I can think offhand of three factors that might have contributed to this: (1) Barks himself made her a somewhat sympathetic character in her amusing expressions of extreme frustration, which it is easy for the reader to identify with--analogous to the way the reader identifies with Donald's tribulations. (2) Italians in particular loved her as an Italian, and gave her friends and family and a world of her own. (Yes, I know some family members were created by non-Italians.) (3) She's an attractive female character, in a world where the female characters were/are few and far between, and many of those were not so attractive. Captain Ramrod or even Grandma Duck is not someone your average girl reader would identify with. Even today, Italian women can buy shirts or tote bags with Magica on them.

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Never seen any evil at all in Amelia (the Italian name of Magica). Not even when, as a grown man, I have started reading Barks's and D-coded stories, where she is indeed a bit more dangerous. I think that even when she is burned by her fever for the dime she has her moments of lucidity that make her behave in a reasonably moral way. This is well-portrayed in Erickson-Jippes's story Obsession.

[RobbK1]

Magica is a villainess, but not terribly dangerous.

[Minotaur]

Jul 15, 2017 12:56:12 GMT Monkey_Feyerabend said:

Never seen any evil at all in Amelia (the Italian name of Magica). Not even when, as a grown man, I have started reading Barks's and D-coded stories, where she is indeed a bit more dangerous. I think that even when she is burned by her fever for the dime she has her moments of lucidity that make her behave in a reasonably moral way. This is well-portrayed in Erickson-Jippes's story Obsession.

Eh, that story... Magica being obsessed with Scrooge is too much for me to take. Thanks, but no thanks.

I won't describe her as a sociopath, but not as likable as Beagle Boys.

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Jul 16, 2017 1:09:47 GMT Minotaur said:

Jul 15, 2017 12:56:12 GMT Monkey_Feyerabend said:

Never seen any evil at all in Amelia (the Italian name of Magica). Not even when, as a grown man, I have started reading Barks's and D-coded stories, where she is indeed a bit more dangerous. I think that even when she is burned by her fever for the dime she has her moments of lucidity that make her behave in a reasonably moral way. This is well-portrayed in Erickson-Jippes's story Obsession.

Eh, that story... Magica being obsessed with Scrooge is too much for me to take. Thanks, but no thanks.

I won't describe her as a sociopath, but not as likable as Beagle Boys.

Odd. After all, there are quite a few examples of the Beagle Boys being downright murderous, whereas I can't think of any for Magica.

[Pan Maciej]

I recall many Italian stories that did put Magica in much more likebale light. There where some stories that center on her life when she is not after the dime, like going shoping or on vacation, trying to hire new minions or geting part in some witch contest and while shad a grumpy moments for most part she was pretty sympathethic and had no malace agianst non-Scrooge related people. 

That's interesing as when Beagle Boys aren't after Scrooge money they are still stealing from other people and when Glomgold isn't fighting with Scrooge he is trying to cheat other people with some rotten deals. They are still bad guys in every step of their lives. But Magica? Her only goal is to steal Scrooges dime and while she's desprete (if not obssesive) to acomplish this... that's it. When she's not trying to steal the dime she's not spending her free time turninig people into newts or something. She's not doing evil things for the sake of being evil. 


And yhe, true there are two Barks stories when she had some other goals then the dime and other exampels ("The Golden Throne" by Romano Scarpa, Rosa's "Quest of Kalevala" or Duck Tales "Riders of the lost Harp") but to be fair there aren't that many examples of such stories. 


There where also some Italian stories where they show her having pretry loving relationship with her pet Raven. There was an Italian stories where while trying to get the dime she transport Scrooges dime and her raven into another dimention and had to team up with Scrooge to ge them back and shown to not care about the dime anymore as long her raven is save.


I do recall some examples of her turning boys into stone and telling Scrooge she won't turn them back unless she get's the dime or creating some dangerus monster... but agian, there aren't that many examples of her being actually life-treatining.

[Pan Maciej]

Jul 14, 2017 21:41:46 GMT stuftmcduck said:

In stories where they team up, it's interesting to note, you can actually see a sort of hierarchy of evil in the Duckburg rogues gallery, which goes something like:

Rockerduck < Magica < Beagle Boys < Flintheart < Blackheart Beagle

Well to be fair Blackheart Beagle being more evil then Glomgold is only Rosa-specyfic. In most Italian stories Grandpa Beagle is shown as only slightly
more mean then his Grandsons (and that's only cose he's not as stupid as they are) 


But yhe, true for Rockerduck. While I recall some stories where he would trick Scrooge, sabotage or humilate him he never treaten his life in any shape or form and I do recall few stories where he would team-up with Scrooge to stop Beagles or Magica when they where comon treat to them. In many Italian stroy Rockerduck became what Glomgold was in very first Barks stories which is Scrooge's moral equal.

I recall at least one story where Rockerduck would HIRE Magica to do dirty work for him (he was trying to stop Scrooge during some space mission) but it felt very of-character that Magica would WORK FOR SOMEBODY! She do have to much dignity to be be some goon for hire (unlike The Beagle Boys)

EDIT :

And speak of the devil just like that I went through some recent books and I found this story :
coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=I+TL+2850-5

While I'm not biggest fan of the art (with all the respect to Maurizio Amendola) it has interesting take on Magica.

In the story Scrooge starts to get some bad luck in the business and Magica comes along and explains that there is some change in the planet lineup (some "Astrological" stuff) some lucky amulets on the planet stoped working including Scrooges dime (!) In order for the dime to restore it's power Magica tells Scrooge that he has to bring the dime to some magical water in well in a mistical cave before morning or the dimes "lucky charm" would be lost forever and the two team up to get to the well time for "dime's sake" and Magica makes a deal with Scrooge she won't backstab him in any way. Rockerduck discover what's going and tires to stop Scrooge and Magica before reaching the well on time and even hire some other wizards to fight Magica.

Now it's not the best writen story but there are some interesting stuff in it. Like the fact that Magica keep her word to the very end, work with Scrooge or that when at one point Scrooge falls to the well she authentically acts sorry for him. She's pretty nice in this story all things consider and is treaten more like heroine... Plus the magic duel between Magica and three wizards was pretty cool. 

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Jul 14, 2017 21:41:46 GMT stuftmcduck said:

In stories where they team up, it's interesting to note, you can actually see a sort of hierarchy of evil in the Duckburg rogues gallery, which goes something like:

Rockerduck < Magica < Beagle Boys < Flintheart < Blackheart Beagle

This is the 'Something special' hierarchy. But the situation can be a bit more complex, for instance as in Artibani-Perina's 'Last Adventure', a story that I dislike for different aspects, but not for the clever way the psycologies of Scrooge and his ennemies are displayed. Magica in particular becomes something more than just a villain.

[RobbK1]

Jul 14, 2017 21:41:46 GMT stuftmcduck said:

In stories where they team up, it's interesting to note, you can actually see a sort of hierarchy of evil in the Duckburg rogues gallery, which goes something like:

Rockerduck < Magica < Beagle Boys < Flintheart < Blackheart Beagle

Jan Gulbransson and I are planning to use Rockerduck, regularly, as a more dangerous villain, - more in the Glomgold vein. 

[Pan Maciej]

Isn't that a bit of-character? While he he would be happy to see Scrooge humiliated or fail but he would never hurt Scrooge or treaten his life in any way.

That's one thing I think they neild in the "Last Adventure" story. Rockerduck is closer to what Gladstone or naighbor Jones are to Donald then to be actually evil...

[tuliovilela]

Years ago, I read a Brazilian Disney comic book where was a "Sanson and Delilah" spoof: Fethry (Peninha) was Sanson and Magica (Maga Patalógica) was Delilah.

[sirtao]

. In most Italian stories Grandpa Beagle is shown as only slightly more mean then his Grandsons (and that's only cose he's not as stupid as they are)

Grandpa Beagle got softer with age. (It is my headcanon his current Italian grandchildren are actually his GREAT-grandchildren)
Glomgold got worse.

The difference? Having a loving family, most likely.

Likewise, Rockerduck is a BUSINESSMAN. Cheating, stealing, employ the Beagle Boys, etc he sees, to some degree, as part of the game.
Italian Scrooge has very few problems doing the same, with the nephews(especially HLD) acting as his conscience.
But unlike Glomgold, Rockerduck isn't going to actively harm people or even let them being harmed- no matter if he's going to lose some money.