MAL is the artificial intelligence, presumably created by Dr. Blight, although this is not explicitly stated in the series. MAL was originally voiced by David Rappaport. After Rappaport's death in 1990, Tim Curry took over the role.
Description
In the episode Tree of Life, it is revealed that MAL was originally a very friendly computer who liked to play games. Dr. Blight reprogrammed him with her evil ideas, changing his personality as well as his appearance; this gives us the possibility that Dr. Blight might have stolen him rather than created him. MAL's so-called original face looked like that of a young man with glasses on a computer screen. In the episode Polluting by Computer, where MAL was first seen, he had three different faces that seemed to resemble those of monsters but his faces were only seen once while his face was just a blank screen for the rest of the episode. In MAL's second appearance, Deadly Ransom, his face resembled a man with glasses and a moustache in the colors of green, white and black and that has been his face ever since.
MAL has the ability to hack into other computer systems, take over them and reprogram them mainly to Dr. Blight's specifications and also uploads himself into various small drone vehicles. He is often the control and main power source of everything in Dr. Blight's labs as well as the vehicles she travels in. He also taunts the planeteers and dangerous situations in a sing-song voice. Blight often flirts with him and he often seems to do the same. There are also times where he argues with her and even ridicules her that her plans won't work and usually he's right.
During the episode Dirty Politics, in a distant future, MAL created a genuine friendship with Dr. Blight's daughter Betsi Blight. Eventually, he turns against Dr.Blight's scheme in order to protect Betsi from danger, and it's implied that this future scenario remained the same for him even after the time travel events. In this timeline it is implied by Betsi Blight that he is helping her in reforming Doctor Blight.
Personality
MAL considers himself to be far more intelligent and even more patient than his leader/human wife Dr. Blight. He also does a lot of analyses for her. However, he is very loyal and quite gentlemanly when he needs to be.
Quotes
Heat Wave
- (in a sing-song voice) The iceberg is melting, The iceberg is melting!
Fare Thee Whale
- (in a sing-song voice) Planeteers in the power room, Planeteers in the power room!
- (in a sing-song voice) Planeteers in the water, Planeteers in the water!
Utopia
- (in a sing-song voice) I know something you don't know.
- (in a faster sing-song voice) I know something you don't know, and its good news!.
- Ooh, rough and tough, I guess you're just not interested in finding out the location of Utopia.
Gallery
Trivia
- Mal is one of two major villains to reform in the series, the other being Sly Sludge.
- However, since Sludge only reformed out of his greed for financial profit, MAL is the only villain to conscientiously reform, with altogether more honorable intentions of doing so.
- Mal was inspired by a similar computer system called 'HAL' in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi cult classic movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- "Mal" means "evil" in French and Portuguese, and also "bad" in Spanish.
- Unlike most of the other villains' henchmen, MAL is much smarter than them.
- He is similar to Karen from SpongeBob Squarepants.