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List of mad scientists
The following is a list of fictional mad scientists in cultural sources (literature, movies, comics, etc.). They are split into pre- and post-1945, as the images of mad scientists changed and proliferated in the years following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the increased role of scientists following World War II.
For a list of real people who have inspired the "mad scientist" trope, see "Mad scientist: Real-life prototypes".
Before 1945
Novels
- Dr. Faust, figure of novels and plays (e.g. by Christopher Marlowe and J.W. von Goethe), based on a real figure from the 16th century.
- Dr. Frankenstein, creator of Frankenstein's monster, in the novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818).
- Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his short story "The Birthmark" (1843), shows a scientist who, while perhaps not mad, is certainly overconfident, and whose meddling with nature brings about tragedy.
- Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) portrays the essentially humane experimenter driven to madness and suicide by the nature of his science.
- Jules Verne's Carpathian Castle (1892) has a mad scientist named "Orfanik".
- H. G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) carried Frankensteinian experimentation a step further with its mad scientist Dr. Moreau, contrasting it with an idyllic 'natural' South Sea island setting. Several film versions were made (such as The Island of Lost Souls (1933)).
- Phor Tak, the discoverer of invisibility in Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1930 science-fiction novel, A Fighting Man of Mars.
Movies
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) is a silent film featuring the mad hypnotic doctor and his sleepwalking assistant.
- Dr. Mabuse, most famous from the films made about him by Fritz Lang
- Dr. Herbert West, a Frankenstein-like doctor obsessed with bringing the dead back to life, in H. P. Lovecraft's novella "Herbert West, Reanimator" (1922).
- C.A. Rotwang in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927).
- Dr. Frankenstein in several movie versions.
- Dr. Jack Griffin, in the film The Invisible Man (1933). Dr. Griffin makes a discovery on how to become invisible but in the process is sent into murderous insanity.
- Dr. Janos Rukh, in the film The Invisible Ray (1936). Dr. Rukh discovers a radioactive ray that cures blindness but causes him to develop a murderous paranoid rage against other scientists, whom he accuses of stealing his discovery.
- Dr. Throkel, in the film Dr. Cyclops (1940). Dr. Throkel shrinks opponents of his unorthodox experimentation with radium.
After 1945
Novels
- Dr. Jacob (Jake) Jeremiah Burroughs, Colonel, A.U.S. from Robert A. Heinlein's The Number of the Beast (1980) (Although Heinlein used the term "Mad Scientist" to describe him, he doesn't exhibit many of the characteristics.)
- The Mad Scientists' Club: a book series that portrayed seven oddball teens who are actually good scientists and brave adventurers rather than wacky science freaks
- Dr. Lazlo Zand, from the Robotech novels by Jack Mckinney
- Vergil Ulam, in the Greg Bear novel Blood Music
- Dr. Chaotica from the "Bride of Chaotica" episode in Star Trek: Voyager
- Davros and The Rani, from Doctor Who
- Degra, from Star Trek: Enterprise
- Dr. Clayton Forrester, from Mystery Science Theater 3000, ironically named after the hero scientist in the 1953 film The War of the Worlds
- Xavier Mace, a recurring adversary in a 1990s series of Tom Swift, Jr. books
- Domontor the Demented, in the Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson gamebook Temple of Flame
- The Horrible Math Teacher in the Grail Quest gamebooks
- Dr. Hugo Grief from the Alex Rider book Point Blanc
- various parodies in Terry Pratchett stories, including Igor the manservant
Movies
- Dr. Victor Frankenstein (in the film versions, at least)
- Dr. Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future film trilogy
- The protagonists of Ghostbusters
- Ernst Stavro Blofeld from James Bond, head of SPECTRE.
- Dr. Seth Brundle in David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly
- David Banner, in Hulk
- Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (rather psychopatic genius)
- Dr. Tolian Soran from the Star Trek film Star Trek: Generations
- Dr. Arik Soong from Star Trek: Enterprise
- Dr. Noonien Soong from Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Dr. Eric Vornoff (Bela Lugosi) in Bride of the Monster
- Dr. Edward Morbius, in the film Forbidden Planet (1956)
- Dr. Charles Girard, in the film Terror Is a Man (1959)
- Dr. Otto Frank, in the film Monstrosity (1964)
- Dr. Durand Durand, in the film Barbarella (1968)
- Michael Sharrington, in the film Graveyard of Horror (1971)
- Dr. Kurt Leopold, in the film Zaat (1972)
- Dr. Carl Stoner, in the film Ssssss (1973)
- Dr. Sy N. Tist, from the Mad Scientist series
- Professor Nolter, in the film The Mutations (1973)
- Dr. Susan Harris, in the film Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973)
- Dr. Paul Holliston, in the film Embryo (1976)
- Dr. Gulk, in the film Supersonic Man (1979)
- Dr. Hans Reinhardt, in the film The Black Hole (1979)
- Dr. Kobras, in the film Puma Man (1980)
- Edward Nigma, aka The Riddler, in Batman Forever
- The title character, born Mr. Merkwürdigliebe, in the film Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Dr. Lorca, in the film Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968)
- Professor Wendland, in the film Superargo (1968)
- Dr. Emilio Lizardo, in the film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
- Dr. Herbert West, in the film Re-Animator (1985)
- Buddy Love, from the film The Nutty Professor (PArt 1: 1996, Part 2: 2000)
- Dr. Evil, from the Austin Powers film series
- Krank, and the doctor who made him, in the film The City of Lost Children (1995)
- Sir August DeWynter, in the film The Avengers (1998)
- Dr. Richard Benjamin Vannacutt from the film House on Haunted Hill (1999)
- Dr. Arliss Loveless, in the film Wild Wild West (1999)
- Sebastian Caine, in the film Hollow Man (2000)
- Dr. Totenkopf, in the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
- Elizabeth, from Wicked Science
TV series
Cartoon/anime
- The Professor, from the cartoon series Felix the Cat
- Professor Squarkencluck, from the cartoon Dangermouse
- Dr. Blight, a female mad scientist specialising in genetic engineering and air pollution, from Captain Planet and the Planeteers
- Dr. Nora Wakeman, from the TV series My Life as a Teenage Robot
- Prof. John Frink from The Simpsons
- Professor Hubert Farnsworth from the cartoon series Futurama
- Dexter and Mandark, of Dexter's Laboratory
- Simon Bar Sinister, from the Underdog cartoon (1964)
- Dr. Jumba Jookiba, from the Lilo & Stitch cartoons and movies
- Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen from the cartoon series Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1994)
- Dr. Mephesto from South Park
- Dr. Slump from Dr. Slump
- Dr. Gero from Dragonball Z
- Dr. Wheelo from Dragonball Z
- Hugo A Go Go, from the cartoon series Batfink
- rotcoD daM, from the cartoon series Sinbad the Sailor
- Mojo Jojo and Professor Utonium from The Powerpuff Girls
- The Brain, from Pinky and the Brain
- Dr. X, from Action Man
- Mr. Paulson, from Teamo Supremo. However, the real mad scientist of the series was an occasional villain named Dr. Droid, who constructed robot look-alikes of everyone because he believed robots to be superior.
- Dr. Zin, from the Jonny Quest cartoon series
- Baxter Stockman and occasionally Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Newton Gimmick in The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
- Carl Foutley (aspiring), on As Told By Ginger
- Dr. Weird from Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- Professor Grotalent from the French comics/cartoon Spiff and Hercules .
- Dr. Umataro Tenma in the manga/anime Astro Boy
- "Icchan" Miehara from Angelic Layer
- Dr. Hell from anime Go Nagai's Mazinger Z
- Dr. Agasa from manga/anime Detective Conan
- Professor Tomoe from manga/anime Sailor Moon
- Washu Hakubi in the anime series Tenchi Muyo!
- Dr. Desty Nova from the anime/manga series Battle Angel Alita, who used Nanotechnology to try to overcome the human Karma.
- Professor Samuel Oak from the Pokémon franchise. A leading figure in Pokémon research and specialist in Pokémon behavioural science.
Comics
- Lex Luthor, arch-enemy of Superman
- Sivana from DC Comics
- Doctor Doom and Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four
- Both Doctor Octopus, Norman Osborn (The Green Goblin) and Kurt Connors (The Lizard) in Spider-Man, who went mad and became evil after an experiment mutated or altered them
- Egghead and Dr. Henry Pym from Marvel comics
- The Mandarin from Marvel comics
- Dr. August Hopper a.k.a. The Locust, from the X-Men comics
- Dr. Cedric Rawlings from the Captain America comics
- Dr. Light, enemy of the Teen Titans
- Baron Karza from the Micronauts comic book
- Dr. Saruta from the Tezuka manga Phoenix: Future
- Professor Cuthbert Calculus (Professeur Tryphon Tournesol) from The Adventures of Tintin.
- Prof. Septimus in Blake and Mortimer's "The Yellow Mark"
- Professor Miloch Georgevitch in Blake and Mortimer's "The Diabolical Trap"
- Champignac and Zorglub in Spirou (occasionally Fantasio)
- Baron Klaus von Wulfenbach, Agatha Heterodyne (one of the rare females), and other sparks, from Phil Foglio's Girl Genius comics
- Helen Narbon, Helen Beta Narbon, Wolf Madblood, and others in the webcomic Narbonic
- Casey and Andy from the webcomic Casey and Andy
Video games
- Dr. Albert W. Wily, from the video game series Mega Man
- Dr. Hans Ubermann, from the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis adventure game (1992)
- Dr. Fred Edison, from adventure games Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle
- Dr. Eggman, aka Dr. Ivo Robotnik, from the Sonic the Hedgehog series
- Dr. Gerald Robotnik , Dr. Eggman's grandfather
- Dr. Brain, from the educative video games Island of Dr. Brain, Castle of Dr. Brain and The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain
- Dr. Proton, from Duke Nukem 1
- Dr. Malcolm Betrüger, from Doom 3
- Dr. Hojo, from Final Fantasy 7
- Professor William Birkin, from Resident Evil 2
- Dr. Baldhead, from the Guilty Gear series
- Dr. Bomb, from platform game Bravoman
- Dr. Neo Cortex, from game Crash Bandicoot
- Dr. Ironstein, from the Flight of the Amazon Queen adventure game (1995)
- Dr. Ignatio Mobius , from the Command & Conquer series. It is worth noting that Dr. Mobius is a very strange, almost Archimedes Plutonium-like character in his first incarnation as portrayed by Richard Smith, becoming considerably more staid and less mad scientist when later portrayed by Rene Auberjonois.
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