Mozenrath

Mozenrath is a fictional character, voiced by the late Jonathan Brandis, in the Disney animated television series Aladdin. He is always accompanied by his flying eel, Xerxes.

Mozenrath is a young evil sorcerer and necromancer, often compared to the villain of the movie, Jafar. His exact age is unknown, but it is around the same age as Aladdin.

Background

Mozenrath is a power-hungry young sorcerer and is quite open and accepting about his own cruelty; in his first appearance, he talked about his sadistic and ruthless master Destane, who Mozenrath sarcastically referred to as being "like a father" to him (Even Jafar feared Destane). Mozenrath boasted betraying Destane and seizing his power, single-handedly conquering the Land of the Black Sands. He bragged that he turned Destane into one of the undead Mamluks that serve him. His floating eel familiar Xerxes (voiced by Frank Welker) and his "shambling half-dead" Mamluks are loyal to him and will follow any of his orders.

Eventually, Mozenrath's lust for power led him to Agrabah where he tried to compel Aladdin into helping him capture a creature he had brought from another world, a beast that devoured magic. Once Aladdin subdued it and placed Mozenrath's magical collar upon it, Mozenrath intended to use it to defeat the magical defenses of every other kingdom of the Seven Deserts (and quite possibly beyond) in order to conquer them (including Agrabah, even though he acknowledged that it was "not a particularly magical kingdom"; he wanted it "because it's there!"). Mozenrath seemed rather surprised that Aladdin would risk his life for "people, but not gold." Aladdin, however, bested Mozenrath by freeing the beast, which turned immediately upon Mozenrath, seeking both to devour his magic for food and revenge for Mozenrath's attempt to enslave it forcing Mozenrath to send it back to its own world. From that day on, Mozenrath vowed he would destroy his new nemesis, Aladdin, and his loved ones. Through the course of the series he tried to kill Aladdin and his friends, nearly succeeding on several occasions, only to be defeated in the end. He also attempted several times to capture Genie so that he could tap his magical energies and use them for his own purposes. In Mozenrath's debut episode (Episode 37 - "The Citadel"), Iago referred to the sorcerer as "Jafar Jr." It was an apt comparison, as Mozenrath demonstrated Jafar's power-hunger and cruelty. It was not proven whether or not Mozenrath was related to Jafar. In one episode, Mozenrath was in Jafar's old room doing research, and in the same episode, Iago asked him if he knew Jafar, to which Mozenrath did not answer.

Powers and abilities

File:Mozenrath-skeletalhand.jpg

Mozenrath's skeletal hand, a result of his quest for power.

He is very powerful, unscrupulous and deceptive. Mozenrath possesses a fairly extensive array of magical artifacts (most were probably acquired from Destane), which is shown when he offers many of them to Amin Damoolah in exchange for his services in capturing Agrabah's sultan. His most powerful and treasured artifact is a magical gauntlet that gives him tremendous magical power, which he always wears upon his right hand. However, this power comes at a price, as the flesh beneath the gauntlet has rotted away, leaving only bones (he can still manipulate the motions of his skeletal hand and fingers, though). While he possesses an extensive knowledge of magic (spells, potions, etc.,) he is powerless without the gauntlet or his other artifacts. With the artifacts, he possesses numerous magical abilities, which include, but are not limited to, telekinesis, energy projection, teleportation, and flight. Despite Mozenrath's young age, his body is physically weak and he was not going to live much longer. His physical was a side effect of his gauntlet; despite his poor physical condition, he proved on a few occasions to be spry enough to hold his own against Aladdin in a physical fight. In one episode, Mozenrath attempted to switch bodies with Aladdin to survive in his strong body while Aladdin would end up dying in the villain's weak body. However, things didn't work as planned and both souls ended up struggling in Aladdin's body, leading to a spiritual fight between the two in Aladdin's mind. In the end, Aladdin's spirit proved to be more powerful than Mozenrath's magic, and Mozenrath was forced back into his own body. However, the Elixir of Life that Aladdin had to drink to begin this fight had the unexpected side effect of restoring Mozenrath's body to health (though his hand remained skeletal). Therefore, he now will live much longer than he would have originally.

Mozenrath's knowledge of magic has also led him to create numerous magical items, such as "anti-magic" chains and a security system that warns him whenever magical beings arrive in his kingdom uninvited.

Personality

Mozenrath is a psychopathic villain whose primary concerns are the accumulation of power and conquering the world. He is calm and calculating, and will step on anyone to achieve his goals. Mozenrath is refined and sophisticated as well as possessed of a dry, cynical sense of humor. He is also extremely arrogant, as he considers other people below him, not to mention frequently underestimating his opponents.

Mozenrath's appearance is practically the inverse of Aladdin. He dresses richly and is very pale, as opposed to the tanned and poorly outfitted Aladdin. Another opposite is in method, with the physically weak though highly intelligent Mozenrath employing magic and extensive arcane knowledge as opposed to Aladdin's physical prowess and ability to cleverly adapt. These factors all suggest that Mozenrath is likely meant to be a foil for Aladdin: both are young, clever, resourceful and determined but are also very different in personality; it is also interesting to note that Mozenrath is sadistic and cruel, whilst Aladdin is compassionate and genuinely cares about people or those he considers his friends.

Miscellanea

• The first idea for the Aladdin and the King of Thieves story line involved Mozenrath being Aladdin's brother, but the management thought they should steer away from the TV show.
• Disney studied Jonathan Brandis's appearance and movements, and incorporated them into Mozenrath's character.
• Mozenrath's name comes from the writers Bill Motz and Bob Roth. They also wrote the first Mozenrath episode, "The Citadel".
• Mozenrath is the second most recurring villain (next to Abis Mal) in the Aladdin TV Series, appearing in nine episodes.
• Mozenrath's mamluks are named for the slave soldiers who served the Muslim rulers during the Middle Ages.
• Mozenrath was designed by Paul Felix, art director at Disney features.

External links

• Mozenrath: Agrabah's enemies
• Gommorah Minute: The Mozenrath Fanlisting