Gene the Genie is a major character from Disney's 1990 animated film DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.
Background[]
Gene, while appearing as a wacky turban wearing duck was actually a powerful genie bound to a magic lamp located in a temple in the Middle East. He is able to grant three wishes to the person who possesses his lamp. Gene loves to have fun and eventually becomes close friends with Huey, Dewey, Louie, as well as Webby.
Gene was initially nameless, with his name originally being coined as an alter ego to hide his true nature. After he reveals himself as a genie to Scrooge, the name "Gene" is not used again for the rest of the movie. However, he is still called Gene on this wiki for the sake of clarity (e.g. not to confuse him with a more famous Disney genie).
Appearances[]
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp[]
Gene's lamp was found by Scrooge McDuck during a trip to the middle east to seek the treasure of Collie Baba. Believing the lamp to be a worthless oil lamp, he allow Webby to keep it for herself. Upon returning to Duckburg, she and Scrooge's nephews discover that the lamp actually contains a genie. He offers the four three wishes each, which they use on things like a giant ice cream sundae and a baby elephant. However, they use one wish to undo Webby's wish after it goes out of control. When Scrooge meets the genie by accident, they manage to pass the genie off as a boy named Gene, fearful that he would take Gene for himself.
After watching Gene become fearful of an owl, Gene reveals part of his history. Thousands of years before, Gene had been forced under the servitude of Merlock the Magician, an evil man who possessed a magic talisman that enabled him to change form. When the talisman was combined with Gene's lamp, Merlock received unlimited wishes, the first of which was immortality. The lamp would eventually be stolen from Merlock, who has been on a quest to recover it ever since.
Gene's identity is eventually revealed to Scrooge after an ill-fated wish by Webby was undone. Scrooge takes control of the lamp, using his first wish to regain the treasure of Collie Baba, which he had lost. Soon after this, Dijon, who had guided Scrooge through the desert, takes Gene for himself and wishes that Scrooge's fortune was his. Gene grants the wish, with Scrooge being arrested for trespassing.
Scrooge's family and friends attempt to infiltrate Scrooge's money bin in an attempt to regain Gene and reverse the problems. However, Gene's former master, Merlock, arrives and claims Gene for himself, forcing Gene to carry out his bidding, transforming the money bin into Merlock's former palace, and raising it into the sky. When Scrooge confronts Merlock, Gene is forced to obey Merlock's wish to send Scrooge away. However, thanks to Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby's intervention, Scrooge manages to regain the lamp, and is pursued by Merlock. Scrooge is able to take away Merlock's talisman, and Gene grants his second wish which reverses the damage.
Faced with the decision of what to do with Gene, Scrooge threatens to wish the lamp to the center of the earth. However, he decides to use his final wish to free Gene and transform him into a mortal boy. Happily, Gene then initiates a game of Cops and Robbers with Huey, Dewey, and Louie, whilst the lamp itself falls apart, due to now having no inhabitant.
Darkwing Duck comic[]
Gene's only appearance since the DuckTales movie was a one-panel cameo in the last chapter of the DuckTales/Darkwing Duck crossover comic "Dangerous Currency". Midway through the concluding chapter, Donald Duck rallies the citizens of Duckburg to fight off against the slime, and Gene is one of the citizens seen in the montage. However, since the story was never approved by Disney, this cameo is considered non-canon.
DuckTales (2017)[]
Gene on the DuckTales reboot talking about a potential DuckTales reboot.
Gene appears in the Season 3 episode "Quack Pack!". He is brown-feathered and has gold eyes in this version.
Gene first appears in his photographer outfit, disguised as "Knox Quackington" where Webby introduces herself to him. He is also seen in the commercial for Pep, a fruit-flavored soda. "Knox" later appears being accused by Webby to know who he if really is a spy, but he claims himself to be a photographer while telling Launchpad to keep an eye on "Knox" to know who his true identity is.
Later, during a flashback where the McDuck family is surrounded by a pack of angry scorpions where Donald makes a wish to only have to deal with regular family problems, Gene magically turns the lives of the McDuck family into a 90s sitcom. Afterwards, Webby realizes that the family's encounter with the genie is identical to the imposter Webby tied up and she calls him a genie as "Knox Quackington" is revealed to be Gene the Genie in disguise the whole time as Huey realizes that Gene is the same actor who appeared in the Pep commercial. Scrooge offers him to save the McDuck family from being laughed at by the sitcom audience, but Gene denies at first as he explains that he is a humble genie carrying out Donald's wish for him.
When Louie explains to him of how long has he been in the lamp, Gene explains that he was in the lamp since 1990 (referring to Gene's first appearance). Della and Scrooge demand him to send them out of the sitcom, but Gene refuses as he warns that only the lamp's master, which is Donald, can wish them back home with only two wishes left. Mrs. Beakley explains to Gene about how long will Donald stay being recorded on camera for a sitcom, to which Gene explains that the McDuck family will be in the sitcom forever. When Huey tells the McDuck family to find Gene's lamp for him to wish the family out of the show, the sitcom audience becomes enraged to reveal that the McDucks haven't finished their show yet as they form an angry mob. Just as the angry mob chases the McDucks, Gene warns them that the wish to escape the show will be hard. Trying to escape the show, Gene warns Scrooge that Donald did make the wish to be in a sitcom as attempting to escape would only make it worse. Huey tells the gang to find the lamp for Gene. Just as Goofy and Donald arrive towards the McDuck family fighting against the audience, Donald sees Gene's lamp on a nearby chandelier. Just as the lamp falls, Donald retrieves it and asks Gene to undo his last wish to which Gene agrees to help the McDucks get out of the show.
When Donald's wish comes true, the two ended up in the same spot where Donald's flashback took place where Donald made his first wish to be in a family sitcom. After Gene explains that the show he was in is the best episode ever and it is revealed that Goofy is with the McDucks the whole time, Gene explains to the McDucks that magic has nothing over the power of Goofy's guest appearance. Gene the Genie then tells Donald that he has one more wish to which Donald can wish for everything he wants. Back at Duckburg, it is revealed that Donald used up his last wish for Gene to get a souvenir for the family, which is a photo of the McDuck family at the sitcom show much to Louie's disgust.
At the end of "Escape from the ImpossiBin!", F.O.W.L. kidnaps Gene by sending their expert on magic, the Phantom Blot.
In "The Last Adventure!", at the Lost Library of Isabella Finch, the Phantom Blot wants "the greatest magical threat known to the world." as Gene found Manny the Headless Man-Horse as the "Headless Manhorse of the Apocalypse", until he free as the Phantom Blot was interrupted by Lena.
