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"Launchpad's Civil War" is the twenty-seventh episode of DuckTales.

Plot[]

Launchpad is chosen to participate in an American Civil War reenactment as his great-grandfather, General Rhubarb McQuack. At first, Launchpad is so proud that he is given the opportunity to portray his ancestor. Unfortunately, little does he know that his side, the Union, lost the battle and that his grandfather was an embarrassment during that war. While trying to pep talk the other re-enactors portraying the Union soldiers, Launchpad along with Huey, Dewey, and Louie, begin to suspect that something is wrong as Launchpad is quickly laughed to scorn. It is then that they learn from the Mayor of Duckridge as well as from Colonel Beauregard du Bark, the descendant of Colonel Elijah du Bark, General Rhubarb McQuack's rival during the battle, that General McQuack completely bungled his chance to win the battle, resulting in a Confederate victory. It is also quite obvious from the get-go that Beauregard takes great pleasure in watching Launchpad's humiliation from the townsfolk.

Later, after goofing up on his horse riding lessons, which ended up in Launchpad riding the horse the wrong way, Launchpad eventually met up with the original soldiers who were with General Rhubarb McQuack as they had been hiding up in a cave for many years due to the humiliating defeat caused by their general. Unable to face the townsfolk of Duckridge. After Launchpad's horse accidentally causes the cave to collapse, Launchpad and the other soldiers decide to take revenge on Colonel Beauregard and the re-enactors in order to revive his family name. They hastily knock out the re-enactors portraying the Union soldiers and steal their uniforms. Meanwhile over on the Confederate side, at first everything seems to go according to the script. But then suddenly, Launchpad goes off key when he miraculously draws his sword and shouts to his men: "Lets kick 'em in the pants!"

Shocked by this, the Mayor attempts to stop Launchpad only to have his microphone disabled by Huey, Dewy, and Louie. Colonel Beauregard and the townsfolk watch in stunned disbelief and confusion as the Union soldiers, instead of fleeing as they did before, start charging down the hill towards them! Although Beauregard tried to rally his men to attack while Launchpad got himself stuck in the hot air balloon ropes just as his great-great-grandfather did, it quickly proved futile and Beauregard's men were completely overrun by the original Union soldiers. Colonel Beauregard, the town hero, now had to endure the same humiliation he'd put Launchpad through when he was forced to surrender. Impressed by their courage, the townsfolk quickly welcome the original Union soldiers into their community.

Notes[]

  • Since Confederate flags were featured, this episode is not available on Disney+, even though it was released on VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, and iTunes. This is also despite the fact that The Muppet Show episode featuring Johnny Cash (which included a sketch that had Confederate flags in the background) is presented uncut with a disclaimer on Disney+.

External links[]

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DuckTales episodes
Season 1 "The Treasure of the Golden Suns" • "Send in the Clones" • "Sphinx for the Memories" • "Where No Duck Has Gone Before" • "Armstrong" • "Robot Robbers" • "Magica's Shadow War" • "Master of the Djinni" • "Hotel Strangeduck" • "Lost Crown of Genghis Khan" • "Duckman of Aquatraz" • "The Money Vanishes" • "Sir Gyro de Gearloose" • "Dinosaur Ducks" • "Hero for Hire" • "Superdoo!" • "Maid of the Myth" • "Down and Out in Duckburg" • "Much Ado About Scrooge" • "Top Duck" • "Pearl of Wisdom" • "The Curse of Castle McDuck" • "Launchpad's Civil War" • "Sweet Duck of Youth" • "Earth Quack" • "Home Sweet Homer" • "Bermuda Triangle Tangle" • "Micro Ducks from Outer Space" • "Back to the Klondike" • "Horse Scents" • "Scrooge's Pet" • "Catch as Cash Can" • "Merit-Time Adventure" • "The Golden Fleecing" • "Ducks of the West" • "Time Teasers" • "Back Out in the Outback" • "Raiders of the Lost Harp" • "The Right Duck" • "Scroogerello" • "Double-O-Duck" • "Luck o' the Ducks" • "Duckworth's Revolt" • "Magica's Magic Mirror" / "Take Me Out of the Ballgame" • "Duck to the Future" • "Jungle Duck" • "Launchpad's First Crash" • "Dime Enough for Luck" • "Duck in the Iron Mask" • "The Uncrashable Hindentanic" • "The Status Seekers" • "Nothing to Fear" • "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. McDuck" • "Once Upon a Dime" • "Spies in Their Eyes" • "All Ducks on Deck" • "Ducky Horror Picture Show" • "Till Nephews Do Us Part"
Season 2 "Time is Money" • "Super DuckTales"
Season 3 "The Land of Trala La" • "Allowance Day" • "Bubbeo & Juliet" • "The Good Muddahs" • "My Mother the Psychic" • "Metal Attraction" • "Dough Ray Me" • "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" • "The Big Flub" • "A Case of Mistaken Secret Identity" • "Blue Collar Scrooge" • "Beaglemania" • "Yuppy Ducks" • "The Bride Wore Stripes" • "The Unbreakable Bin" • "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Webby" • "The Masked Mallard" • "A DuckTales Valentine"
Season 4 "Ducky Mountain High" • "Attack of the Metal Mites" • "The Duck Who Knew Too Much" • "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" • "Scrooge's Last Adventure" • "The Golden Goose"
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