Western Animation / Stupor Duck

Don't be fooled. Despite how awesome he looks, he's just as daffy as ever.

"Up there in the sky!"
"It's a birrrd!"
"It's a plane!"
"No! It's Stupor Duck!"
"Yes, it's Stupor Duck. Possessing extraordinary powers, this strange being from another planet is... faster than a bullet... more powerful than a speeding locomotive... able to leap the tallest buildings!"

"Stupor Duck" is a 1956 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson starring Daffy Duck.

In a parody of Superman, Daffy plays "Stupor Duck", a being faster than a bullet (shown as a popgun), more powerful than a speeding (rickety) locomotive, and gets his cape snagged on a flagpole while leaping over a building. When the idiotic hero thinks he hears the threats of a diabolical villain named Aardvark Ratnik (actually a character on a soap opera his Editor boss was watching), Stupor Duck sets off to stop his campaign of destruction, only to inadvertently blunder into Amusing Injuries every step of the way.

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"Stupor Duck" provides examples of:

• Bowdlerization:
  • When this cartoon aired on ABC, the part after Daffy/Stupor Duck saves the skyscraper from falling where the construction worker punches Daffy/Stupor Duck in the face was cut.
  • When this cartoon aired on the syndicated Merrie Melodies Show, the part where a submarine cannon shoots Daffy/Stupor Duck in the face was cut, but not the part where Daffy/Stupor Duck gets chased and blown up by the torpedo.
• Butt-Monkey: Second only to Robin Hood Daffy in the amount of comedic abuse the little black duck takes.
• Cape Snag: While trying to leap a building in a single bound, Stupor Duck gets his cape caught on the flagpole on top the building.
• Character Catchphrase: "This looks like a job for... Ahh STUPOR DUCK!"
  • Subverted Catchphrase: Near the end, it get reduced to "This looks like a job for... you know who!"
• Clothing Damage: Stupor Duck suffers this three times, the first instance being when he pulled a submarine back above the water’s surface, upon which the crew shoot him with a cannon, then a torpedo, each hit ripping up his outfit, his emblem (alongside various items he was carrying) being seen floating to the surface after he goes under while dazed. Secondly while trying to move some dynamite, only for it to be detonated while he was still carrying it, leaving only his emblem. The final time is at the climax, when a rocket launches while he’s on it, the force causing his outfit to be left behind and leaving him naked as he’s taken to space.
• Company Cameo: When Stupor Duck mistakes a movie shoot for an actual terrorist attack, one of the film crew is seen handling a camera marked as “Warner Bros. Pictures”
• Eat the Camera: Played straight as Stupor Duck is hanging onto the outside of the rocket for dear life, screaming. Inverted out the backside as the rocket goes straight for the moon.
• Failed Attempt at Drama: While trying to make a dramatic exit from the Editor's office, Stupor Duck opens up the window and attempts to jump out it, only for the window to fall back shut, resulting in him going through the glass,followed by him smacking into the next building outside.
• Fake Muscles: Stupor Duck's costume has shoulder pads, which he has to adjust before walking out.
• Instantly Defeathered Bird: The exploding dynamite from the movie set causes Stupor Duck to lose his feathers, save for a few on his tail and bottom.
• I Want My Mommy!: Upon being hit with a torpedo, a dazed Stupor Duck mutters out a meek "Mother!" before sinking underwater.
• Large Ham: Daffy, of course. Right down to the ridiculously overblown way he delivers his catchphrase (see above).
• Lord Error-Prone: The "crimes" that Stupor Duck tries to stop are not crimes at all. The falling building was being demolished, the sinking ship was actually a submarine, the bridge exploding was part of a movie shoot, and the missile was an experimental rocketship test.
• Mad Bomber: What Aardvark Ratnik seems to be, considering that his only appearance in the short is a snippet of the In-Universe TV show in which he's an antagonist that has him threatening to cause lots of Monumental Damage.
• Negated Moment of Awesome: Stupor Duck prevents a building from falling over...except that it was slated to be demolished to make room for a new City Hall.
• No Antagonist: Daffy thinks there is a criminal mastermind afoot, but all of the mishaps he suffers are a result of his own hubris and the so-called "villain" is just a hammy actor his editor is watching on a corny soap opera.
• Non Sequitur, *Thud*: At one point, Stupor Duck is punched directly in the face by an angry contractor.
  Stupor Duck: Then the lights went out all over the world!
• Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: Daffy overhears Aardvark Ratnik's threats from inside the editor's office and quickly changes into Stupor Duck, not realizing that Ratnik is actually a character on the TV show the editor was watching.
• Superman Substitute: Stupor Duck. Played for Laughs because of his inefficiency.
• Tempting Fate: After getting blasted by the submarine's cannon, Stupor Duck dares "Ratnik" to 'try that again'. He then gets hit by a torpedo.
• Unplanned Crossdressing: When Cluck Trent goes into the broom closet to change into Stupor Duck, he comes out on a broom, dressed as a witch. Upon noticing, he realizes "Whoop, wrong costume!" before going back in and to change into the right one.
• Wardrobe Malfunction:
  • As mentioned above, the shoulder pads of Stupor Duck's outfit are lopsided when he originally dons it.
  • Just before Stupor Duck stops the collapsing building, the back of his suit comes unbuttoned, revealing his tail. He refastens it just before diving downward.
• Watch Out for That Tree!: When Stupor Duck tries to make a dramatic exit out a window (only for the window to fall shut, resulting in him going through the glass), he ends up smacking right into the wall of the building next to it.
  Stupor Duck: (Annoyed) Sakes! I mean, wouldn't ya think they'd find some other place to put a building?
• You Just Ruined the Shot: Stupor Duck sees outlaws putting dynamite on a rail bridge, so he flies in to take the dynamite away. Unbeknown to him, the explosion was for a film shoot; the crewman in charge of the dynamite doesn't notice Stupor Duck carrying it away and detonates it, causing black feathers to fall to the ground.
  Stupor Duck: (while angrily snatching his emblem back from the befuddled movie crew) I’ll just relieve you of that! If you don’t mind.

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Up there in the sky!
It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's SSStttuuupppor Duck!