What I don’t like in Kim Possible is how the characters treat the villains. Let’s take Dr. Drakken as example against Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
Dr Doofenshmirtz is a joke villain in the regard that we shouldn’t take him too seriously and the plot treats him this way as well. Giving him embarrassing moments and no stake feeling. But all characters treat him with some respect. Perry never laughts as him or treats him as disappointment. Even helps and encourage him occasionally. Owca treats him as a danger they have to follow (Perry is their best agent). Major monogram calls Doofenshmirtz his Arch Nemesis (Main Bad guy) on several occasions. Even the villains follow his lead (exception Rodger’s). They will not praise him out loud or do his bidding (that would raise hainz in danger and the plot doesnt want this). But they will go along with him and let him be center stage without complain. This all makes Hainz not feel dangerous like an actual super villain, but feel relevant (not just a joke). For plot reasons he is harmless, but in between we get acknowledged for his actions.
This is opposite how Drakken gets treated in later seasons. The plot has to show he is dangerous (otherwise the episode wouldnt work). But in between the character don’t treat him like it. With the exception were some respect has to be put in to move a plot along (frugal worships him since we want a mentor episode, aliens mistake him as the big blue, …). But outside of the plot characters will call him out or make fun of him. Maybe Shego and Team Possible would be okay with treating him this way. But everything and everybody else is too much. He can capture whoever he wants and they will just belittle him, showing no fear. When he flees or get captured, nobody cares as if he is was some nobody. When he is with other villains (hench co, dementor) they laugh at him and do their own thing. When old plans (even the diavolo plot) get mentioned, they just call it a big failure. Not acknowledging how dangerous that was. This makes him the joke of the punchline while he is still used as the danger of the plot. This leads to him feeling washed out or losing his touch after time, while doof could keep ging.
I really don’t like this since it makes the plot less interesting while also making no sense. Yes Drakken keeps failing to take over. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous. He has the looks, skills and ambition to succeed if he isn’t stopped. If the show remembered that and focused on it (maybe even as plot point) than he could be used in multible interesting ideas. Keep Building him up and his legacy, Instead of feeling less.
For example if we get a Mama Lipsky episode where Drakken has to disguise himself to take his mother out shopping (considering she wants to spent time with him while he can’t be seen otherwise the police would recognize and capture him). That would be funny. The joke would not come from him being made fun off. But by his actions he has to take to keep the disguise going and his mother obvious. (More extreme like the mother day episode since they are outside). It builds on him being recognized as super villain and what that means.
We could have things like team go meeting him and how they would judge him as evil while trying to get Shego to quit. Maybe have advarius (bird villain) attack team go and recognize Drakken as a more dangerous villain (he kind of did this in the original already) and try to team up. Can you imagen the drama hego would cause no matter what Drakken says then? This doesnt work if nobody takes Drakken seriously (team go or the villain).
Even if we have a normal Drakken plot. If we add in the beginning that they fled from a special security cell or end with the army looking for them / getting locked up by forces who swarm them once Kim defeated them (happened in the early seasons as well). Or just hear in other episodes things like „I have to be better than Drakken“ or „I would love to meet him“. (Doofenplotz tried to get into Lovemuffin but was rejected by doof). Than his legacy lives on.
Kim (and the audience) can see him as funny and never being able to succeed. But we know this is a show and Kim is just this good. Everybody else should treat this with the same sense as if an actual super villain who hurt people and came close to take over the world, should be treated. (Not too much, so no death penalty). But like marvel or dc does his villains. Afterall this is the kind of show Kim possibly is supposed to be. A hero who fights villains. This doesnt work if you build your main enemy down. How would Joker look if everybody in Gotham would just stop caring who he is and make fun of him when he captures them, just because he didn’t win yet?
But what do you guys think. Were you okay with how the show later treated Drakken or do you also think he got treated too much as a joke by characters (not the plot). What Drakken episodes would have been fun to watch if they kept his reputation in mind?