Darkwing Dad

Darkwing Dad is the family ship between Drake Mallard and Gosalyn Mallard from the Darkwing Duck and DuckTales fandoms.

Let's Get Dangerous
Drake is wallowing in self pity when Launchpad and Dewey point out Gosalyn breaking into McDuck Enterprises. He follows her inside as she reaches the ramrod and starts his superhero entrance monologue. She runs away before he can catch her, but she's stopped by Launchpad. Drake catches up and sees that she's just a little girl, and Gosalyn tells him to let her go before Bulba sees her. The lights then turn on and kicks him in the face to escape.

Drake is being interviewed by Dewey when Gosalyn appears and asks if taking out Bulba is on his schedule. Drake is confused as to how she found him and she says she found them from the traces of seawater in the smoke bombs. Also that Dewey is livestreaming. Drake tries to grab her, but she runs around the hideout to one of the cases. She see's that the arrow bolts have Drake's face on them, just like the motorcycle, and guesses that Drake has a bit of a complex. Drake demands to know what she wants, and she says she wants his help since he owe's her one. He says she kicked him in the face, and Gosalyn says that he stopped her from exposing Bulba. She explains that her grandfather built the ramrod, but discovered that it was unstable and dangerous. He told Bulba but never returned. Now Bulba is saying that he built the ramrod, but if she gets the key, she can expose him and find her grandpa. Drake asks if she has proof, but she doesn't aside from her story. Drake feels bad for her, but can't risk a good person's reputation without evidence. Gosalyn says that he just doesn't want to risk his own, and will do it herself, like always. She then runs up the stairs to the window.

After Drake agrees to help, they break into Bulba's lab and Drake is able to ask Bulba about Thaddeus Waddlemeyer. Bulba claims that the ramrod backfired on Waddlemeyer, but Gosalyn jumps him and calls him a liar. She takes the key and runs down to the ramrod. Drake takes the key from her hand before she can use it, and tells her that she needs to accept that her grandfather is gone. Gosalyn yells that he's not gone, just trapped in another dimension, much to Drake's confusion. Gosalyn explains how the ramrod works, and begs Drake to help her find her family. Bulba interupts and says that even if Waddlemeyer was alive, the ramrod isn't stable enough to search trillions of dimensions. He tries to take the key from Drake, but Drake points out that Bulba was the one who said that it was stable. So there's no harm in finding him. Gosalyn says they can ask Waddlemeyer exactly what happened when they find him, but Bulba knocks the two and Launchpad aside before they even get the chance. He plans to throw them into another dimension, when Dewey causes a distraction and Gosalyn is able to grab the key.

Gosalyn runs but is confronted by Bulba, when Darkwing drops a smoke bomb and starts to fight Bulba. Gosalyn says that was pretty cool and they share a nod, before Drake fights Bulba again. Gosalyn tries to grab the key in the process, but Bulba her knocks her off the side of the building. Drake calls for her and dives over to catch her. He then tries to use his cape to slow their fall, but it's not working. Gosalyn ties the cape to his feet and they're able to parachute down where Launchpad catches them. Gosalyn then thanks Drake for saving her, and says that they can use the key to find her grandpa. Drake says that he left it with Bulba, and Gosalyn asks why he would do that, and Drake reminds her that he was saving her life.

As the city is being torn apart by the fearsome four, Gosalyn asks what the plan is and Launchpad says that Darkwings been planning for this his whole life. Drake turns to them and says that he has come to one conclusion: that they are doomed! Gosalyn slaps him and tells him to get a hold of himself, he was the one who wanted more crime to fight. Drake points out that that was true, but the fearsome four are supervillains with superpowers! She says that Drake is the "terror that flaps in the night" and needs to start acting like it. She thinks the villains will be easy to defeat, and they can just break into the lab again like she did earlier. Drake say it isn't like last time, since the lab is fortified. They can't just beat up a villain and make them let them in the lab, but Gosalyn thinks that's a great idea. Drake thinks it's too much and that she'll get hurt, but Gosalyn thinks she can take care of herself. Drake stops her from hoping back into the ratcatcher and WANDA informs them that she found Quackerjack, and Gosalyn says that they can take on at least one supervillain. Darkwing gives in, and says that they should get dangerous, much to Launchpad and Gosalyn's excitement. He then adds they would do it in the safest way possible, disappointing Gosalyn.

They find Quackerjack and Gosalyn wants to run to beat him up to get get information. Drake grabs onto her coat, and says that she can't just run in there. He asks for Launchpad's opinion, and as they get distracted, she slips out of her coat to escape. She searches the place and kicks the Mr. Banana Brain toy around when Drake finds her. She jokes that he wouldn't want to slip on it, and he hands her back her coat. He says he's trying to be heroic by keeping her safe, but Gosalyn doesn't even know what he's keeping her safe from. She can take care of herself. Launchpad then joins them as a giant robot emerges out of the boxes.

As the three ride away on the Ratcatcher, Gosalyn says that they're going the wrong way, and Drake says that away from the giant robot is the right way. Drake drives through the city, and is able to hide under a bridge to lost it. Gosalyn says that they lost their chance at Bulba, and Drake asks what fantasy she's living in where she thinks she can fight the robot. Liquidator then shows up and Gosalyn runs after him before Drake can stop her. He follows on the cycle and Launchpad throws her into the sidecar as they continue.

After the fight with Liquidator, they return to the hideout, soaking wet. Gosalyn asks what's next, and Drake tells Launchpad and Gosalyn to get some rest while he takes care of some things. Gosalyn assumes he means they should just change their clothes before going out again, and says that they need to hurry since her grandpa is still missing. Drake says he's doing everything he can, and she says it's not enough. She asks WANDA to find them another supervillain, and Drake tells WANDA not to do that. She tries to take a smoke bomb, but he takes it away and she tells him to hero up. He tells her that if he's gonna play hero with him, he's gonna have to do it under his rules. And if she doesn't, she can stay in the hideout till it's all over. Gosalyn says that he can't make her since he's not her family and runs to the window to sulk.

Launchpad follows her and tells her that Drake has been talking with Fenton trying to find a way to save her grandfather. She then goes to watch the conversation and hears how Drake won't accept not saving her grandfather and can't let her down. He falls asleep at the panel before forcing himself awake and saying he's forever vigilant. Gosalyn says she knows and says that she was just going to get some rest and thought he could use some too. She leads him to the couch where he immediately falls asleep and she tucks him in before going to sleep in the chair across from him.

After rescueing Drake, Drake tells Gosalyn to get to the ramrod key while he and Launchpad hold off the Fearsome Four. Gosalyn asks how they're going to hold off four supervillain when they can do that when they're just an actor and a Launchpad. Launchpad and Drake simultaneously say that Bushroot isn't a villain per se, and Gosalyn remembers that they're nerds. She says to get going as they all get dangerous.

Drake asks Gosalyn if she's found her grandpa, but she hasn't. The rift has been open for too long and it's going to destroy reality unless it gets destroyed first. Bulba then grabs Drake but Drake tells Gosalyn to keep looking as the room tears apart. Gosalyn then destroys the ramrod, sucking all the villains back inside. Gosalyn drops to the ground crying and Drake comes over to hug and comfort her.

Gosalyn packs her stuff and looks at the picture of herself, her grandfather and Bulba. Drake then walks up to her in his civilian outfit, and Gosalyn says that she's stuck with the realities she's got. Drake says that she shouldn't give up, and what matters is that even after getting knocked down, she gets back up. He promises that he will help find her family, but has an idea in the meantime. Gosalyn asks if it involves more vehicles that look like Drake's face, and Drake wonders if she'll be his crime fighting partner. Gosalyn is excited but then plays it cool. Launchpad then runs over, hugs them, and says that he's staying as well. WANDA then informs them of a crime in progress and the three share a look before hoping into the ratcathcer to stop it.

Let's Get Dangerous

 * Drake looks to Gosalyn after Launchpad says that she needs him.
 * Gosalyn and Drake share a look on the motorcycle.
 * Gosalyn lands on Drake and says sorry.
 * Drake finds the picture of Gosalyn and her grandfather.
 * Drake calls Gosalyn's name when she jumps down from her hiding place.
 * Gosalyn tells Drake and Launchpad to get a hole of themselves.
 * Drake calls Gosalyn "young lady" much to her confusion.
 * Drake looks to Gosalyn before deciding to go fight the villains alone.
 * Gosalyn gets mad at Drake for leaving herself and Launchpad.
 * Gosalyn shoots vine headed right for Drake.
 * Drake protects Gosalyn from the banana bombs.

Fanon
Darkwing Duck is a well loved ship in the Darkwing and DuckTales fandoms. When Darkwing was revealed to be appearing in the DuckTales reboot, fans immediately started expecting Gosalyn to show up. Fan fiction started exploring how Gosalyn would fit into the DT17 universe, and her relationship with Drake.

On AO3, Darkwing Dad is the second most written ship for Drake and the most written for Gosalyn. It is also the second most written in Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991) tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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Variations

 * Mallard McQuack Family refers to the ship between Drake, Gosalyn and Launchpad McQuack