Scrooge McDuck: Tougher than the Toughies

Ma Beagle reflects on how Scrooge McDuck cracked down on her family, fought Duckburg City Hall, and made St. Canard a safe place to live.

The Prosecution (and Persecution) of Scrooge McDuck

Ma Beagle had once been a proud woman. And why not? She was the matriarch of her family, the dishonest and delinquent Beagles. The Beagles were the terrors of Duckburg. Always in and out of jail, always kings of the criminal element, always plotting and scheming to steal all the dough in Scrooge McDuck's money bin.

The family's fame and bad name was in large part Ma Beagle's doing. But it seemed those days were now over. The Beagles, who had always been discussed with fear and dreading, the inexpugnable Beagles, were all, save her, imprisoned. What's more, Ma Beagle had no way to break them out. The city's government, even that of the state, had just about waged all out war on her clan. To make matters worse, they had won.

"It's all Scrooge's fault," brooded Ma Beagle.

It was all Scrooge's fault. Scrooge was never one to pass up a bargain, as long as it was an honest one. Given McDuck's profound dislike of lawyers and politicians, Ma Beagle was still stunned he would use his hard won influence to turn Duckburg's city administration upside down. But then again, Scrooge had always advertized himself as "tougher than the toughies," and why wouldn't he use his power to twist arms? Scrooge was pushed too far by the city and state governments. So why wouldn't he use his power to push them back?

When Scrooge had been framed for grand theft by Flintheart Glomgold, rather than launch what would have been an extremely lucrative lawsuit, he settled for his complete exoneration and a bit of humiliation for his rival. (1)

But then, Scrooge was arrested again as a "lookalike imposter" . . . and broke out again, with the help of that caveduck Bubba.

"I spend hours upon hours baking my boys out of jail, while all that scatterbrained prehistoric does is ride a lizard through the walls!" Ma Beagle fumed.

This second jailing of Scrooge McDuck was again Glomgold's doing. Big Time had told her as much. (2)

Scrooge was exonerated. However, only a few weeks went by before the old miser's next entanglement with Duckburg City Hall. In an effort to steal Scrooge's money, Big Time, Burger, Baggy and Bouncer had redrawn the plans for the city's new freeway. The route went right through Scrooge's money bin. Scrooge spent millions moving his bin, only to have Ma Beagle steal it with the help of her son MegaByte and Scrooge's new robot employee "Gizmoduck".

Then Scrooge was wrongfully imprisoned for the third time . . . by Ma Beagle herself, using her newly won influence with the Chief of Police. However, Scrooge was soon freed by Gizmoduck, who had escaped Ma Beagle's influence. After an entanglement with some space aliens, McDuck destroyed the freeway, retrieved his money bin, and replaced it in it's original position.

Still nothing. What came next must have been the last and final straw; complete humiliation by some loudmouth journalist named Loudmouth. Scrooge was again left a wanted man by a mixup over the secret identity of a "hero" named the "Masked Mallard." (4) Upon McDuck's name being cleared, yet again, Scrooge was able to push through a mall project. However, there were rumours that Scrooge was tired of his fights with the law. It seemed that Scrooge Mcduck was now going to be "tougher than the toughies" when it came to dealing with the city government.

(1) Duckman of Aquatraz. Glomgold is forced to keep a picture of Scrooge McDuck above his fireplace for 20 years.

(2) Time is Money - Part 4, Ducks on the Lam. The Beagle Boys were working for Glomgold throughout the five-part serial.

(3) Super Ducktales

(4) The Masked Mallard

Given Scrooge's repeated scrapes with the law, I don't think it would be out of line if he were to use his influence to try and improve city governance. That is, so long as he does nothing illegal or dishonest. Scrooge is actually shown to lobby the government in Ducktales. In Spies in their Eyes Scrooge competes for a secret submarine contract. In Catch as Cash Can Part 2 - A Whale of a Bad Time, Scrooge threatens Admiral Grimitz by intimating he'll take up the matter with the President.

Nonetheless, Scrooge is also shown to hold politicians in contempt. When awaken by the Junior Woodchuck alarm, Scrooge cries out "Robbers, thieves, politicians" (Wronguay in Ronguay, Treasure of the Golden Suns Part 2)