Mad Science Is The Best Science: Our 14 Favorite Crackpot Geniuses

Break out the death rays and clone armies!

By David Wharton | Updated 9 months ago

The Brain (Animaniacs, Pinky & The Brain)
If you’re pondering what I’m pondering, you know that not all mad scientists are created equal; in fact, some of them are pretty short, with a big head and a crooked tail, but don’t tell him I said that. The Brain, created by Stephen Spielberg and Warner Bros. for The Animaniacs, was far too cunning and genius to be held to just recurring segments with his dim-witted underling Pinky. The duo received their own series in 1995, and spent over 60 episodes planning and scheming ways to make the world a better place, usually by figuring out a way to make The Brain a target of global admiration and respect.

Voiced with Orson Welles cheekiness by Maurice LaMarche, The Brain is constantly seeking an easy route to world domination, though his tactics are often rife with witty humor, pop culture references, and maybe even a little heart. His plans are often over the top, and involve such troublesome tasks as creating fake islands to bilk the U.S. for money, abstract art, cloning, and tornado control. And as you might imagine, something (or many things) always ends up thwarting his ideals, and the duo are left to take on another day. At one point, Pinky actually becomes President, but they even find a way to screw that up. Unless they’re actually running the world right now and we’re just unaware of it…