Vladimir Wakeman (formerly known as Mr. Scruffles) was Nora Wakeman's former lab-rat, and leader of a gang of mutated lab rats.
He is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
Background[]
Vladimir, Dr. Wakeman's super-intelligent mutated lab rat with a distinct Russian accent, debuted in Pest Control (2002).
Tired of being treated like a "pet" and being used as an experimental test subject, he exacted revenge on Nora by stealing Jenny's body. He was defeated when Brad, Tuck, Dr. Wakeman, and Jenny knocked the rat-controlled robot body into a pool, to which his fellow rat minions "abandoned ship" to avoid the water and electrocution. Vladimir returned again in a later episode as the leader of The Legion of Evil.
Appearances[]
Season 1 (2002)[]
| # | Title | Year | Role |
| N/A | Theme Song | 2002 | Makes an appearance in the crowd during the series intro. |
| 1b | Pest Control | 2002 | Vladimir plans to destroy Mrs. Wakeman by taking control of Jenny's body. |
Season 3 (2005 - 2006)[]
| Episode no. | Title | Year | Role |
| 32a | The Legion of Evil | 2005 | Vladimir is one of the members of the titular Legion of Evil. |
Trivia[]
- Vladimir is the first antagonist of the series.
- Vladimir's design is reminiscent of the early incarnations of Disney’s mascot character Mickey Mouse, as well as Mickey's nemesis, Mortimer Mouse.
- He appeared in the crowd during the opening theme (2002), before his proper debut in Pest Control (2002).
- The name and personality of Vladimir, and the plot of the episode Pest Control (2002) are seemingly a reference to the Russian Revolution in 1917. Vladimir Lenin (who Mr. Scruffles the rat shares his name with) was the famous revolutionary leader. Vladimir the rat calls his fellow lab rats "Comrades" (a commonly known Russian communist term for "friends"), and proclaims "we have suffered much under the cruelty of Dr. Wakeman" (a similar scenario the Russians faced under the leadership of Nicholas II). Vladimir's personality is commanding, and the rats (Russians) seized hold of XJ-9's body (weaponry). The rats were intercepted by Brad, Tuck, Jenny, and Dr. Wakeman (Americans), and because of the rats' instincts (cowardice in the face of fear), Vladimir failed, and the rat minions were caught and taken away by the Pest Control service (possibly a reference to the collapse of the U.S.S.R).
Gallery[]
