Regis Blackgaard

Regis Blackgaard, often referenced with his proper title as Dr. Regis Blackgaard or less formally Blackgaard, is the perennial villain of Adventures in Odyssey and synonymous with evil in Odyssey. Voiced by Earl Boen (who also voices his identical twin brother Edwin Blackgaard), Dr. Blackgaard is a villain who has repeatedly attempted to steal computer programs or other valuable resources from the town of Odyssey for monetary gain. The name Blackgaard is clearly intended to convey the same meaning as the word blackguard. In his first episode, Blackgaard insisted that he be referred to as "Dr." Philip Glossman elaborated that Blackgaard holds a PhD in child psychology, which Glossman claimed qualified Blackgaard to establish Blackgaard's Castle, an "amusement house for kids" that competed with Whit's End.

Blackgaard was involved with the international terrorist organization Red Scorpion, though he later betrayed it, describing its revolutionary goals as "petty" and indicating he never really believed in it. He also ran for mayor of Odyssey against Tom Riley in a recall election, but only as a cover for his ultimate plan to acquire the mineral in the Underground Railroad tunnels beneath Whit's End. Behind the scenes he was always involved in some evil plot or other to destroy Whit's End and was even an accomplice to murder on some occasions.

His goals are somewhat difficult to ascertain. Jason Whittaker guessed in The Final Conflict that, "He's a megalomaniac. He just wants power and lots of money."

Famous for masterminding the tangled web of schemes surrounding the legacy of the fan-named Blackgaard saga, Dr. Blackgaard, one of the most recognizable characters in the series, has appeared in a mere 19 Adventures in Odyssey episodes, while the series has produced almost 900 to date.

Dr. Regis Blackgaard was last seen in Odyssey when he killed himself by purposely succumbing to a tunnel explosion of his own doing, which he considered preferable to letting himself be claimed by the Ruku virus. Afterwards, Professor Bovril claimed that he could have saved Regis with an antidote to the virus created from the mineral found in the tunnel under Whit's End. His death occurred in the episode #334: “The Final Conflict” and his will was carried out in #342: “Welcome Home, Mr. Blackgaard”.

The Blackgaard saga had an encore in the episodes #424: “Blackgaard's Revenge, Part 1” and #425: “Blackgaard's Revenge, Part 2”. Blackgaard was revealed to have planted a virus in the Imagination Station, which would cause a character with Blackgaard's memory and personality to appear in the Station's programs. The Blackgaard virus attempted to implant Blackgaard's personality onto the brain of young Aubrey Shepard, effectively giving Blackgaard a "new life". However, the virus was destroyed by Mr. Whittaker.

Extended Backstory

Dr. Blackgaard's past was further elaborated in the respective canon novel and comic series, the Blackgaard Chronicles, and Elsewhere in Odyssey.

Quotes

See Blackgaard quotes

Family

Main article: Blackgaard family

Regis has a twin brother Edwin Blackgaard and his mother, Yvette is still living. He mentioned a younger sister and granddaughter in #290: “A Name, Not a Number, Part 1” but this could have simply been a part of his cover. It is revealed in canon "the Acolyte" comic arc that Nicholas Adamsworth became a surrogate son to him, but it seems as if this was a one sided relationship and was merely a form of manipulation on Blackgaard's part.

Notes

It was mentioned in #155: “Waylaid in the Windy City, Part 1” that he has a cat named Sasha. This was also mentioned in #77: “The Nemesis, Part 1”.
When he died, the Electric Palace was willed to Edwin Blackgaard.
Oddly, he paid for his mother's hip operation, though he said she "owed" him for it.
It was revealed in the The Blackgaard Chronicles (book series) that he owned the Webster Development Firm.
Regis Blackgaard's dialogue with Jack Allen indicates that Dr. Blackgaard might've gone so far as to create some kind of pact with a demon to sell his soul.