Duck "Bill" Platypus

Duck "Bill" Platypus was perhaps the feistiest member of the Downunda Freedom Fighters. At one point he was under the mind control of the villainous Crocbot and turned against his former team. However, when Crocbot's plot was discovered he returned to normal and rejoined the Downunda Freedom Fighters. He later participated in the battle against the Bunyip and against the Xorda during their attack. Some time later, Bill was pressured by the local platypus population to join the Eggman Empire and rule them as Grandmaster of the Platypus Downunda Dark Egg Legion, which he reluctantly did realizing he could lead them to defeat. Eventually he informed his former team of this and he rejoined them in their fight against the Eggman Empire.

Battles Against Crocbot
Bill was the third Mobian to join the Downunda Freedom Fighters, joining forces with Walt Wallabee and Guru Emu while investigating the mass capture of numerous Downunda Mobians. After the prisoners were freed and the team was joined by fellow investigator Wombat Stu and mercenary Barby Koala, Bill teamed up with the others in doing battle with Crocbot, even managing to destroy one of his fortresses. (StH: #103)

Their war with Crocbot raged with little variation for some time, until Miles "Tails" Prower arrived in Downunda. With his help, the Downunda Freedom Fighters were able to destroy Crocbot's main base, and seemingly destroyed their old nemesis by knocking him into the Great Crater of Dowunda with an explosive. (TMS: #2, #3)

Crocbot later returned with even more power, capturing Bill and his teammates with an army of Combots. While Bill was his prisoner, Crocbot fitted a microchip behind the Platypus' ear that would activate a post-hypnotic suggestion, rendering Bill his obedient servant. With the aid of Knothole Freedom Fighters Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine D'Coolette, however, Bill and the others were freed and managed to overthrow Crocbot once again, destroying his Combot army and prison camp in the Great Crater. (SSS: #4)

Under Mind Control
During the Dowunda Freedom Fighters' clean up efforts following their battle in the Great Crater, Bill came across Crocbot's remains, which triggered his hypnotic implant. He began expressing random fits of anger, and eventually went renegade. He recruited a horde of other platypuses to do his master's bidding, attacking the clean up site to scavenge parts while the severed torso of Crocbot remained hidden and waiting to be rebuilt. After luring them into an ambush under the pretense of a truce, Bill captured Guru Emu and Wombat Stu, prompting the Downunda Freedom Fighters to send for help. Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails traveled to the crater where Crocbot had been destroyed prior, and found a slave labor camp where the duckbill army using as a site for Crocbot's new base. The Freedom Fighters managed to unearth Crocbot's remains and take him offline, removing any hypnosis from Bill and the others. (StH: #61)

Fighting the Bunyip
Bill and his teammates were soon faced with the tedious task of selecting a new teammate after Wombat Stu left the group to join Geoffrey St. John's new Royal Secret Service. However, a warning given by the defeated Crocbot before he was shut down came true as they were forced to confront the Bunyip, a massive and ancient creature thought to be a myth. Seeking vengeance on Crocbot for imprisoning it with a dam constructed as one of his bases, the Bunyip ended up lashing out against innocent bystanders instead. Bill and the others fought it, but proved unable to defeat the creature through force. However, they were able to reason with it thanks to Barby Koala's knowledge of its language, and in destroying the dam they allowed it to go free. Pleased with their success, the team decided not to take on a new member after all. (StH: #103, #104, #105)

Post Crocbot
The Downunda Freedom Fighters, Bill and the returned Wombat Stu included, were among the many Mobians who gathered at Mobius's Southern Tundra in order to destroy the Quantum Dial weapon set there by the Xorda. Bill was among the many receivers of the aliens' broadcast of impending destruction, and thus charged valiantly into battle alongside a vast myriad of other Mobians. Following the dial's destruction and Sonic's apparent sacrifice, Bill and the DFF returned home. (StH: #124, #125)



He later betrayed the rest of his team and became the Grandmaster of the Platypus Dark Egg Legion and Downunda's newest Sub-Boss. He also teamed up with Dr. Finitevus, who helped to capture the Downunda Freedom Fighters and Chaotix as the two of them set out to seize Angel Island. After Finitevus left to secure Angel Island, Bill dismissed his men, and then surprised his captives by freeing them. When interrogated by his old comrades-particularly Barby Koala-he revealed that his people had pressured him into swearing allegiance to Eggman, and he had agreed while secretly planning to hamper Eggman's attempts to seize power, leading to his ineffective leadership of the Legion. (SU: #11, #12)

Personality
Bill, like his fellow Freedom Fighters, has a strong hatred for Dr. Robotnik and his regime. He is also a loyal companion to the other Downunda Freedom Fighters, particularly Barby Koala, with whom he seems to share some history, possibly along with Vector the Crocodile given that both he and Barby seem to dislike Vector. Though he acted tyranical in keeping with his role as Dr. Eggman's Sub-Boss, he genuinely regretted his part in the conquest of Downunda and apologized profusely to his comrades after revealing the truth to them.

Background Information

 * During the Mobius: 30 Years Later story arc, a character somehow related to the seperatists of Mazuri named "Bill" was mentioned by Knuckles the Echidna in SU #5. Whether or not this Bill is the same as Duck "Bill" Platypus has yet to be confirmed.

Appearance
Bill is a teal platypus with a darker bill, tail and front. His tuft of hair ends in orange tips. Originally, he wore shoes similar to those of Sonic, featuring a yellow stripe, in purple or red (though he was sometimes drawn with generic red/brown gloves and boots), as well as a simple headband featuring a buckle. In most of his original depictions, his body was stout, largely lacking distinction between his head and torso. In later appearances, he wears an Eggman-styled uniform, though in purple rather than Eggman's red, as well as goggles. His hair has become spikier and more distinct and the proportions and shape of his body have been redefined to better fit in theme.