The Great Wambini is a renowned magician and an agent of M.A.D.. He and his dimwitted assistant, the Lesser Wambini, have been involved in scamming people for Dr. Claw as well as numerous attempts on Inspector Gadget's life. Wambini is one of the few henchmen ever to escape a foiled scheme.
Routine[]
The Great Wambini performs magic tricks and “helps” people in need. He and his trusted assistant swindle people to please Dr Claw.
The Wambini's made it known that they would make two bank vaults disappear during a performance at the Metro City Auditorium. The Lesser Wambini invited Inspector Gadget, his niece and their dog to attend during the day. Before the show, the pair of them reported to Dr. Claw to tell him everything was according to plan while they were practicing various tricks.
That night, at the Auditorium, their big performance involved making two bank vaults disappear. During the performance, The Great Wambini introduced himself and his assistant and explained that he was going to switch the contents of the two saves with each other. One vault held gold, the other held stacks of money. After the Great Wambini uttered some magic words, smoke filled the air, obscuring the fact that Agents Dick and Jarvis hoisted both saves up into the rafters. Up there, Dick cracked the safes, Jarvis emptied them and then they put fake backdrops into the empty safes before dropping them back onto the stage while Wambini produced more smoke. They attempted to drop the gold safe on Inspector Gadget, but he was pushed out of the way by Brain, who was hit by the safe himself. The Great Wambini asked the Inspector to produce the key to the safe he had entrusted him earlier, to show the audience that the contents of the safes had indeed been switched.
The Great Wambini then promised to make Inspector Gadget himself disappear. He asked the Inspector to step into a booth, then uttered the magic words "Fidget Widget, Gadget Patged". Inside the booth, a turntable hid Gadget behind a false wall, while in the Lesser Wambini stepped out of another booth, making it seem like the Inspector had been teleported from one to the other by magic. The Great Wambini announced that this was the conclusion to his show, and the booth holding Gadget was loaded onto a truck by Dick and Jarvis and taken to Wambini's mansion.
The Great Wambini released Gadget out of the booth and promised to put on a private show for him. He told the Lesser Wambini to put Gadget in a basket, after which the Lesser presented the Greater with a series of swords with which to skewer the basket. None of the swords appeared to hurt Gadget, who, upon mistaking Brain for a M.A.D. agent, used various of his telescoping limbs to chase his suspect. Next they tied Gadget up with chains and lowered him headfirst into a large tank of water. While underwater, Gadget once again spotted Brain and inflated his Gadget Coat so he could get out of the tank and go after the suspect. The two Wambini's were caught in a tidal wave caused by the exploding tank.
Dripping wet, the Greater Wambini promised Dr. Claw that their next attempt would finish Gadget off. He put Gadget in a vertical box and sawed him in half, after which both Wambini's left the room. But soon, Gadget, despite being cut in two halves, began chasing Brain (now dressed as a bunny) through the mansion again. Brain bumped into the Wambini's, who fell to the ground. The Great Wambini ordered the Lesser Wambini to go after Brain and grab him. The Lesser Wambini managed to catch up and grab onto Brain, but was then thrown against a wall and momentarily knocked out when a painting fell on his head. The Great Wambini went to help his assistant back up, but when he heard police sirens approaching, took one look out the window to see several police cars arrive on his doorstep. He decided that they should flee through the secret passage way hidden behind another painting.[1]
The Wambini's next job for Claw had them kidnapping pets owned by Metro City's rich and famous. The Great Wambini then offered his services to find them on local television, saying he could contact the missing pets during his Monday night seance. When Dr. Claw informed the Wambini's that Inspector Gadget was on his way, the Great Wambini presented a deadly snake that would like to meet the Inspector. The Wambini's drove next to the Gadgetmobile in their hearse, and the Great One threw the snake into Gadget's vehicle. Gadget grabbed the reptile and offered it back to Wambini, who sped off.
Back at his mansion, a crowd of rich pet owners gathered to take part in the seance. Wambini was dismayed to notice that Gadget arrived as well. During the seance, the Lesser Wambini used special effects to make images of the missing pets appear in front of their owners. Wambini told the rich people they needed strong thoughts, and then to trust, believe and pay. One rich lady offered a bag full of diamonds and the Lesser Wambini made her poodle Foofoo fall into her arms, by dropping the dog from a cage using a pully system. The Great Wambini then told Inspector Gadget it was his turn. A spirited wind began to blow, and Gadget was send flying into a compartment hidden in the wall behind him. The Lesser Wambini pulled a lever, which caused pointy spikes to descent from the ceiling above Gadget. The Inspector escaped, but when Wambini's table began to float, he almost fell into another trap, this time a pit with alligators in it.
Next, Wambini reunited a rich man with his pet parrot, Battlin' Bob, for a stack of dollar bills. The parrot repeated "Wambini did it", but his owner misunderstood and answered "Yes he did" and expressed his gratitude. Dr. Claw contacted Wambini again to urge him to get rid of Gadget. The Lesser Wambini made several attempts using various rigged effects, but missed each time thanks to Brain's intervention. Then Penny took control of the mechanics using her computer book and gave the Lesser a taste of his own medicine by scaring him with holographs that looked like ghosts.
When Dr. Claw's voice suddenly sounded across the room, saying he would be right there and to get ready, Wambini pretended it was the voice of a mighty spirit for the sake of his remaining guests. Then the Lesser Wambini jumped through the one way window through which he had been observing the seance from above. The Lesser jumped into the arms of his master, and told him he had seen a ghost. His master reminded him that the presense of ghosts was required during a seance and told him to perform some tricks to entertain the guests. The Lesser began to do some shadow animals on the wall, but when the Greater Wambini heard the sound of police sirens coming near, he grabbed his assistant, told the guests the seance was concluded, and the pair of them hurredly left the mansion in their hearse. When the police arrived, Penny had managed to free all the stolen pets, including a young rich lad's lost kitty. Inspector Gadget was still safekeeping Wambini's snake in his hat, however.[2]
Some time later, the Great Wambini travelled to Alpakistan to win the King's diamond-spitting llama for Dr. Claw by making three accurate predictions. His first predition was that the King would be going on a long trip. The moment he had said this, the Lesser Wambine ran into the throne room disguised as a Alpakstaini peasant, saying that the King had won a trip to Hawaii in the Alpakistani sweepstakes. Next, Great Wambini predicted an accident unforseen except by himself. The Lesser set up a catapult outside and informed the Greater that all was set by walkie talkie. The Great Wambini urged the King to move to another position to avoid danger, and got hit with an anvil on his head himself. The King was convinced the Great Wambini had just saved his life.
Dr. Claw contacted the Great Wambini, telling him that Gadget was on the way and to get rid of him. The Great one replied that he foresaw great darkness in the Inspector's future. He then contacted his lesser assistant by walkie talkie with instructions to bring Gadget to him. The Lesser invited Gadget to be a guest of the Great Wambini, who welcomed him inside the King's palace, then got hit on the head (denting his hat) by Gadget's new Floobieball racket attachment. Gadget asked to be sawed in half, but Wambini told him it was time for his third prediction: that the plaid team would win the Floobieball contest, meaning the King would win a bet against his wife, who favored the Polka Dot team. If this prediction came true, Lily the Llama would be given to Wambini, despite the King finding it difficult to part with her.
Later that night, the Great Wambini snuck into Inspector Gadget's bedroom as he was fast asleep. Using magic, he made the Inspector float up in the air and out of an open window. Wambini then left the room, laughing. But Gadget simply floated back into the room, landing safely on his bed. Enraged, Dr. Claw told Wambini off and decided to fly to Alpakistan to finish Gadget himself. During the game, the Lesser Wambini controlled a team of Robot Floobieball players, which had replaced the actual Plaid team, from a booth during the game. But Penny took over the controls using her computer book. When Inspector Gadget decided to help out the Plaid team, Penny had one of the robots trip him and Brain, playing for the Polka Dot team, managed to score the winning point. The King was happy to be able to keep his llama while both Wambini's cursed their bad fortune.[3]
Personality[]
The Great Wambini is a flamboyant and eccentric magician with a flair for the dramatic. He is known for his flashy outfits, quick wit, and confidence in his magical abilities. Despite his showmanship, he is also skilled at sleight of hand tricks and illusions. The Great Wambini is charming yet cunning, always keeping his audience (and adversaries) on their toes with his unpredictable antics.
Appearances[]
Inspector Gadget (1983 TV Series)[]
Season 2[]
Quotes[]
“There is no magic that can compare with that of the Great Wambini!”
“Trust, Believe.… Pay!”
Trivia[]
- The Great Wambini is Inspector Gadget's favorite magician.
- In “Inspector Gadget’s Last Case”, Chief Quimby mentions him making half of Metro City vanish. Although it is not illustrated, The Great Wambini gets away due to gadget mobile having a flat tire.
