Flintheart Glomgold
Flintheart Glomgold is a fictional character in Disney comic books, one of Scrooge McDuck's main rivals who holds the title of The Second Richest Duck in the World. He was created by Carl Barks and first appeared in The Second Richest Duck, first published in September, 1956. In this story Scrooge, who helds the title of the Richest Duck in the World, learns that a businessman from South Africa has also claimed this title. Scrooge decides to confront this claimant to his title and travels to South Africa along with his nephews Donald, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck.
The rest of the story concentrates in comparing and contrasting the two rivals during a race in "The Heart of Africa" (a recurring phrase in the story). The race is supposed to determine which one of them deserves the title. The two characters resemble each other both in appearance and behavior though their main common point seems to be that they are extremely competitive and neither of them can accept the idea of someone else being superior or equal to them. Flintheart, like Scrooge, keeps a percentage of his fortune in his own Money Bin, identical to that of Scrooge, while the rest of his fortune is invested in a world-wide financial empire of his own that equals that of Scrooge (though Scrooge's main sources of wealth are his industries while Flintheart's his diamond mines). Their main difference seems to be their way of life. Scrooge's Money Bin is at the center of Duckburg, Calisota, USA, a constantly expanding industrial city while Flintheart's is in the center of a valley, located somewhere in the lands around Limpopo, surrounded by wild life and away from human activities. While Scrooge finds himself surrounded by an extended family (see The Clan McDuck, Duck family and Coot Kin) and a large number of allies and rivals (see Scrooge McDuck Universe), Flintheart lives a life of solitude and seems to have no family, friends or for that matter rivals except Scrooge himself. While Scrooge has his nephews helping him or advising him, Flintheart faces every situation alone. This apears to have hardened him - he is considerably more ruthless than Scrooge - but also leaves him vulnerable to being simply outnumbered by his rivals. Even at the end of the story when Scrooge has won and Flintheart passes out after finding he is only second best, he has to be carried home by Huey, Louie and Dewey since he has no one else there to help him.
The solitary South African re-appeared to challenge Scrooge to a rematch in The Money Champ, first published in September, 1959. This time the confrontation takes places in Scrooge's grounds in Duckburg with the city's population witnessing the event. This time they only count their wealth in cash and not their investments and have to liquidate much of their fortunes. Flintheart uses a number of dirty plots against Scrooge but his plans backfire when their cost in money also costs Flintheart his chance at victory. The story adds little to what was established in the previous but for the first time some panels concetrate on Flintheart's thoughts revealing that his insecurities about his own worth are the driving force behind both his efforts to best Scrooge and his dishonest tactics (since he doubts his abilitie to win in a direct confontation).
Barks would use Flintheart for a third and last time in So Far and no Safari, first published in January, 1966. This was one of the last stories Barks created before his retirement. The themes of the storie are considerably darker than the two previous ones. Flintheart intentions towards Scrooge seem are clearly depicted as murderous. The storie starts with Scrooge planning to participate in an auction for an old South African goldmine.It is considered exausted but Scrooge's mechanics believe that the main vein of gold hadn't even be reached.While Scrooge is piloting his private plane over South Africa , with Donald, Huey, Dewey and Louie as passengers, Flintheart appears piloting his own private plane. It is equiped with machineguns and he proceeds in shooting down Scrooge. While Scrooge is still trying to reach the auction Flintheart repeatedly tries to get rid of him. When Scrooge manages to reach the Kalahari Desert ,Flintheart's plane is revealed to be a bomber. Flintheart proceeds in bombarding the area where Scrooge and his nephews are but misses. When he returns for a second bombing, the Ducks have dressed some rocks with their clothing and have taken cover elsewhere. Flintheart mistakes the rocks for his targets ansd proceeds in destroying them. As he comments ,his rivals are now dinner for the jackals. His victory is short-lived. He was flying low and the bomb explosions damaged his plane's fuel tank. The rest of the storie presents Scrooge's and Flintheart's rival efforts to cross the Kalahari and reach the auction. The end of the storie finds them at the auction , tired from their hard trails but still rivaling each other. while an exausted Donald has fallen asleep. It is considered Flintheart's darkest appearance and among his strongest and most memorable ones.
He is the primary rival of Scrooge McDuck, whom he resembles in being very wealthy. He first met Scrooge in South Africa; since then they were rivals. Sometimes Flintheart has the Beagle Boys working for him. In the Carl Barks and Don Rosa stories he lives in Africa, but in stories by other artists and in Duck Tales he lives in Duckburg. It's also implied on that show that Scrooge and Flintheart are both from Scotland.