Pete (Disney)

Pete (commonly known as Peg-Leg Pete) is a villainous, anthropomorphic cat created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. He is the arch-nemesis of Mickey Mouse, normally characterized as a cigar-smoking thug with a ruthless and tyrannical personality. Some of Pete’s most notable traits include his Herculean strength, thunderous cackle, and namesake peg-leg. Pete’s most frequent scheme involves kidnapping Minnie Mouse for lecherous purposes, but his crimes and victims have varied over the years. Pete first appeared in Alice Solves the Puzzle, on February 15, 1925. He was a bear-like animal that frequently antagonized Alice and her friend, Julius. The Alice Comedies were produced three years before the first appearance of Mickey, which makes Pete the oldest recurring Disney character and the first villain to be conceived by the studio. He would later appear as a rival to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927, before appearing alongside Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928. Depicted as the captain of the titular steamboat and Mickey's overbearing boss, Steamboat Willie permanently redefined Pete as a black cat, and established his role as Mickey's adversary. Though he typically plays the archetypical villain, Pete has appeared in a more favorable light throughout his career. In some cartoons, he served as a neutral, albeit imposing law-enforcer that carried out his duties in a brash manner. 1990’s Goof Troop redefined Pete as a suburban husband and father, with a personality that was less villainous and more mischievous. This iteration of Pete proved popular, and has reappeared again in feature films such as 1995's A Goofy Movie. Over 95 years after his debut, Pete remains one of Disney's most active characters. He regularly features as the quintessential antagonist to Mickey Mouse and his friends, with the severity of his schemes and wickedness being greatly dependent on the story—even serving as an ally on some occasions (particularly in the preschool shows).