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Perry the Platypus (also known as Agent P or Perry) is a fictional
bipedal Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' 'double' ...
platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...
from the American
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
series ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...
'' and ''
Milo Murphy's Law ''Milo Murphy's Law'' is an American animated television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016 on Disney XD. It revolves around the title character, Mil ...
''. Perry was created by
Dan Povenmire Daniel Kingsley Povenmire ( ; born September 18, 1963) is an American animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. With Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Povenmire co-created the Disney animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' and '' Milo Murphy's Law' ...
and
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (; born Jeffrey Kent Dudman; December 9, 1960) is an American animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. He is known for several animated television series, most notably as an executive producer and the voice of ...
. Perry is featured as the star of the
B-plot In fiction, a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting c ...
for every episode of the series, alongside his nemesis Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. A mostly silent character, his lone vocal characteristic (a rattling of his beak) is provided by
Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of Baker's work features vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', '' Codename: Kids Next Door'', ...
. Perry is the pet of the Flynn-Fletcher family and is perceived by his owners as mindless and domesticated. In secret, however, he lives a double life as a member of an all-animal
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
organization referred to as the O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym). Many secret entrances to his underground lair exist all around the Flynn-Fletcher residence, such as the side of the house, most notably the tree that his owners sit under in the backyard, and several other everyday objects that seem to elude the family's attention. Perry has also been shown to have entrances in Hawaii, London, and South Dakota. He engages in daily battles with Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, an
evil scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or " insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly a ...
who desires to take over the tri-state area with obscure contraptions, or "-inators", that work perfectly according to his intended function but fail in his application of them every time. Perry was made a platypus because of the animal's striking appearance and the lack of public knowledge of the animal, which allowed the writers to make things up about the species. Critical reception for the character from both professionals and fans have been considerably positive. Merchandising of the character include plush toys,
t-shirts A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are generall ...
, wooden toys,
glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples ...
, and
coloring book A coloring book (British English: colouring-in book, colouring book, or colouring page) is a type of book containing line art to which people are intended to add color using crayons, colored pencils, marker pens, paint or other artistic media ...
s, along with appearances in literature and multiple video games.


Role in ''Phineas and Ferb''

Perry is the docile pet
platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...
of the blended Flynn-Fletcher family, who adopted him because his unfocused gaze made it seem as if he were looking at both Phineas and Ferb at the same time, as shown in the 2011 movie, '' Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension''. Unbeknownst to them, Perry lives a double life as a crime-fighting
spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
working for the "Organization Without a Cool Acronym"/The O.W.C.A, going by the codename "Agent P." He reports to his superior, Major Monogram, via telecast in his large, high-tech, underground hideout. Every day, he engages in battles with the
evil scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or " insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly a ...
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, who tries using inventions to take over the tri-state area. Perry is always able to foil Doofenshmirtz's plans and in doing so accidentally leads to the destruction of whatever form of contraption his owners,
Phineas Flynn Phineas Flynn is one of the two main protagonists from the animated television series ''Phineas and Ferb''. He is voiced by Vincent Martella. Phineas, along with his stepbrother Ferb Fletcher, stars in the A-Plot of every episode. The series c ...
and
Ferb Fletcher Ferbs "Ferb" Fletcher is one of the two main protagonists in the animated television series ''Phineas and Ferb''. He is voiced by British actor Thomas Sangster on ''Phineas and Ferb'' and American actor David Errigo Jr. on ''Milo Murphy's Law'' ...
, are building in order to make summer better. Phineas and Ferb are aware that something happens to get rid of their scheme for the day, but do not know that Perry is the cause behind it and are largely dismissive of it. Their sister, Candace, also does not know that Perry is behind the destruction and is driven to near insanity trying to figure it out. Perry and Doofenshmirtz at first seem to loathe each other in the beginning of the series, and have been arch-nemeses since the day they met. However, they are often cordial and friendly towards one another and it is said by Doofenshmirtz that Perry is his best friend in the episode "The Chronicles of Meap", and Perry will often act to save Doofenshmirtz's life when his plot inevitably blows up in his face. Doofenshmirtz also went out of his way in one episode to become closer to Perry after he is assigned to a new villain. Habitually, their daily brawls involve Doofenshmirtz devising a scheme, which Perry goes to stop after being briefed by Major Monogram. He is trapped by Doofenshmirtz while trying to do so and is told of the doctor's scheme, usually pertaining to some backstory or pet peeve. He then escapes and the two fight, Perry coming out victorious with Doofenshmirtz yelling "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!". The two rely on this daily structure, Doofenshmirtz even specifically mentioning it in "Journey to the Center of Candace" and in episodes such as "It's About Time!" in which Doofenshmirtz temporarily replaces Perry with secret agent Peter The
Panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes use ...
and they become depressed about not having each other to fight. When this happens, Perry realizes he misses Doofenshmirtz too. When Perry does not arrive on the scene of Doofenshmirtz's evil plan, the doctor hesitates to execute his plans and fears for where Perry has gone, though he notes that he "hopes something terrible has happened to him.". Sometimes, they decided not to fight and have fun, as shown in "Happy New Year!" and "Candace Disconnected". In '' Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension'', an alternate reality (yet more evil and ruthless) version of Perry (known as Platyborg) appears. Platyborg would later return in the episode sequel, ''Tales from the Resistance: Back to the 2nd Dimension''. Perry's secret would be revealed to Phineas, Ferb, their friends, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz and got their memories erased in order for Phineas and Ferb to keep Perry as a pet. In ''
Milo Murphy's Law ''Milo Murphy's Law'' is an American animated television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016 on Disney XD. It revolves around the title character, Mil ...
'', Perry becomes a recurring character. Over the course of the second season, he is tasked with watching over Dr. Doofenshmirtz as he attempts (and fails) to do good around Danville. Doofenshmirtz is at first oblivious to this mission and assumes Perry is being his friend, and so pushes him away upon finding out. They eventually reconcile and Perry reveals his intentions to donate his earnings towards Doofenshmirtz's cause. He also appears in '' Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe''.


In other media

In addition to the main television series, Perry has appeared in several pieces of ''Phineas and Ferb'' merchandise. To date, he has appeared in all ''Phineas and Ferb'' novelizations, published by
Disney Press Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW), formerly known as The Disney Publishing Group and Buena Vista Publishing Group, is the publishing subsidiary of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Its imprints inclu ...
. The character has been adapted into a 20-inch
plush toy A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be ...
, released by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
. The plush has a button on its hand that allows it to emit Perry's signature chattering noise. Certain
t-shirts A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are generall ...
based on the series released by both Disney and the online retail website ''
Zazzle Zazzle is an American online marketplace that allows designers and customers to create their own products with independent manufacturers (clothing, posters, etc.), as well as use images from participating companies. Zazzle has partnered with ma ...
'' also display Perry and the phrase "Hey, where's Perry?" which most characters like Phineas, Isabella, Stacy, Irving, Ferb, and Lawrence utter when Perry goes to Major Monogram in his secret lair in almost every episode. There also is a T-shirt with Perry's face. Perry appears in the Nintendo DS video game based on the series, simply titled ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...
,'' where a
mini-game A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...
involves Perry stopping Doofenshmirtz's latest evil scheme. As of June 28, 2012, Perry appeared in the video game ''
Where's My Perry? ''Where's My Perry?'' was a puzzle video game spin-off of ''Where's My Water?'' themed after ''Phineas and Ferb'' and featuring Perry the Platypus. It was developed by Creature Feep and published by Disney Mobile, a subsidiary of Disney Interact ...
''. On April 1, 2014, Perry is also a playable character in the video game ''
Disney Infinity ''Disney Infinity'' is an action-adventure sandbox toys-to-life video game series developed by Avalanche Software. The setting of the series is a giant customizable universe of imagination, known as the Toy Box, populated with toy versions of i ...
''.


Character


Creation and conception

While working on the animated television series ''
Rocko's Modern Life ''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric stee ...
,'' ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...
'' co-creators
Dan Povenmire Daniel Kingsley Povenmire ( ; born September 18, 1963) is an American animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. With Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Povenmire co-created the Disney animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' and '' Milo Murphy's Law' ...
and
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (; born Jeffrey Kent Dudman; December 9, 1960) is an American animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. He is known for several animated television series, most notably as an executive producer and the voice of ...
utilized several recurring elements in the episodes that they wrote. Among these were actions sequences and chase scenes. Povenmire and Marsh wanted to reuse these elements in their series and chose Perry to execute it. The pair gave him a consistent and continuous nemesis in the form of Doofenshmirtz as a means of allowing viewers to get to know him. While choosing a species for Perry, Povenmire and Marsh wanted to keep in mind selecting one that was uncommon, an animal that kids could not "pick out at a pet store and beg heir parentsfor." They chose a platypus because of the animal's obscure and striking appearance. The animal was scarcely used in American animated programs, so the pair opined that Perry "would not have to compete with preconceived notions that viewers might bring to a more conventional critter." The blank storyboard they were given allowed them to "make stuff up" since "no one knows very much about
hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the g ...
" Perry has a
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
tentatively entitled "Perry," performed by Randy Crenshaw and Laura Dickinson, and written by Povenmire and Marsh, who write the majority of songs in the series. The song, along with the number "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" from the episode "
Flop Starz "Flop Starz" is the third broadcast episode of the American animated television series ''Phineas and Ferb''. The episode was originally broadcast on Disney Channel on February 1, 2008 (as the official series premiere). In the episode, Phineas and ...
," was the first musical composition Povenmire and Marsh pitched to
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
. They were nervous doing so, because, as Povenmire explained, "Disney has a big history of music -- what if they hate it?" Their reaction, however, was considerably positive and the pair was asked to write a song for each episode, which they vehemently agreed to. The opening lyrics for the song describe Perry as a standard textbook definition of a platypus: "He's a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action!"


Design

Like the other characters of the series, Perry was structured in a simple style to allow young viewers to easily draw him. In keeping with the show's general design scheme, Perry is constructed of geometric shapes in a style reminiscent of
Tex Avery Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His mo ...
's. Povenmire uses different design styles for drawing Perry depending on how he is portrayed. When Perry is portrayed as a domesticated and mindless pet, Povenmire begins with a square shaped like a loaf of bread. He then draws his front legs and feet before drawing his bill, which is set at a certain angle. Povenmire then draws his eyeballs, which are never focused and look in opposing directions in a daze. He concludes the figure by adding his hind legs, tail, hair, and finally color. When designing Perry, Povenmire stated that he chose to color Perry teal because he thought "it looked cool", though it was discovered in 2020 that platypuses coincidentally glow a very similar color when under ultraviolet light. When portrayed as a secret agent, Povenmire starts with a similar bread loaf square design but draws it standing up vertically and places a fedora on the top of his head, which is combined with the square torso. In contrast to his mindless and wild-eyed expression as a pet, the secret agent version of Perry is detailed with eyes "full of steely blue resolve." Povenmire proceeds by drawing his arms, with bare hands that are open and prepared for fighting or any danger. His legs are bent, as well prepared for an act of danger or action needed. Povenmire finishes the design by adding his beaver tail and color.


Personality

Perry's undercover identity as a pet leads to characters throughout the series to deem him as a "mindless domestic pet" that "doesn't do much". This definition of the character led to Phineas and Ferb spearheading production of a new
toyline A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...
based on Perry called "Perry the Inaction Figure," whose tagline revolved around it not doing anything but allowing the customer to make it whatever they desire it to be. In all actuality, Perry is a skilled fighter who is able to perform several implausible
judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
fighting moves and escapes. He has access to several different types of technology and inventions provided to him by The O.W.C.A., including a hover craft dubbed the "Platypusmobile," a
jet ski Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...
, and a whistle set that allows him to summon different types of animals. His favorite color is perry-winkle. Although his appearance as a domestic pet is mostly a cover, Perry has nonetheless expressed care and devotion for the Flynn-Fletcher family. In the episode "The Ballad of Bad Beard", Perry managed to drag Candace out of the Dark Cave before it caved in because of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's "self-destruction button" which Candace had accidentally pressed while under the orange moss hallucination, thinking it was a vending machine. He did this even though he knew that Candace saw that Perry was a secret agent talking to Agent E (Eagle) and to Major Monogram in a cracked egg. Candace thought she was just hallucinating because of the orange moss she accidentally touched earlier in the episode. Also, when an invention of Doofenshmirtz's in the episode "Journey to the Center of Candace" might cause severe harm to Phineas and Ferb, Perry thoroughly beats up Doofenshmirtz and quickly handcuffs him. He then ties him to a pipe and, instead of just leaving him like he usually does in the series, calls for special forces from the O.W.C.A. to come and arrest the doctor, though they never show up. In "Oh, There You Are, Perry," Doofenshmirtz is downgraded to a low threat level and Perry is reassigned to a new nemesis. This causes him to have to leave his home with the Flynn-Fletchers, which makes him sad and he does not enjoy his new villain. Phineas and Ferb are fearful about where Perry could have gone to and put up several flyers around town for people to find him. They decide to throw a concert on the roof of a building, singing a song about how much they love Perry and want him to come home. Concurrently, Perry is reassigned to Doofenshmirtz again and returns to the brothers once more. Though Perry is anthropomorphic, he cannot speak; only communicating through an "aggravated purr" type of noise made by flapping his bill. This noise is provided by actor
Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of Baker's work features vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', '' Codename: Kids Next Door'', ...
; to this day, Povenmire and Marsh do not understand how Baker produces the noise.
Thomas Sangster Thomas Brodie-Sangster (born 16 May 1990), also credited as Thomas Sangster, is an English actor. He is known for playing Sam in ''Love Actually'' (2003), Simon in ''Nanny McPhee'' (2005), Ferb in ''Phineas and Ferb'' (2007–2015), Jojen Reed i ...
, who voices Ferb, is good at making the noise and is considered second only to Baker himself. When in his "Agent P" persona, Perry is almost completely silent and communicates only by
body language Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. Th ...
, facial expressions, hand gestures and occasionally
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
. Povenmire also revealed that he did not actually know what a platypus sounded like when choosing the noise Baker would make, and that its resemblance to an actual platypus's noises were coincidental.


Reception

As a character, Perry has been well received by both fans and critics. As Cynthia Littleton of ''Variety'' magazine wrote, "Perry the platypus is a breakout star from the Disney Channel toon '''Phineas and Ferb.'''" ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' writer Susan Stewart called him "intrepid." Jean Yoo, a press member for Disney Channel, said that Perry is "suave" and "makes
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
look like a rank amateur." Aaron H. Bynum of ''Animator Insider'' opined that he is "indubitably confident." Carly H. of Scholastic, Inc. declared Perry "pretty darn awesome." Josh Jackson, editor of ''Paste'', described Perry and Doofenshmirtz's relationship as "pitch-perfect." '' The Daily Star'' claimed that Perry was an "amazing mammal" and stated that everyone can be like him. Certain reviewers have also commented negatively about Perry and his subplot, which Sherry Robinson of the ''
St. Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'' considers "pretty trippy." Kevin McDonough of ''Sun Coast Today'' described it as "complicated" and "loosely connected" to the rest of the series, writing that he is "not sure what this accomplishes except to add the noise of explosions to the already constant din of singing and screaming." Ed Liu of ''Toon Zone'' feels it is "truly puzzling what Perry the secret agent is doing in this show in the first place." Liu considers his subplot to be a type of "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" element and writes that "many of the earlier episodes of the show don't manage to do a very good job of balancing the subplot and the main one." Perry was nominated for a
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
in 2014 under the category of Favorite Animated Animal Sidekick.


References


External links


Perry the Platypus
on
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry The Platypus Animal superheroes Fictional monotremes Fictional secret agents and spies Fictional vigilantes Television characters introduced in 2007 Animated characters introduced in 2007 Male characters in animated series Phineas and Ferb characters Milo Murphy's Law Anthropomorphic animal characters Fictional asexuals