Vladimir "Vlad" Masters(Vlad Plasmius)

Vladimir "Vlad" Masters(Vlad Plasmius)
Archenemy	Danny
Superpower	Ghost powers Intangibility Invisibility Flight Overshadowing Teleportation Going Ghost Ghost Ray Energy Strike Energy Constructs Ghost Shield Ghost Stinger Superhuman durability Superhuman strength
Techniques	Energy Absorption & Redirection Duplication Ghost Tornado

Vladimir "Vlad" Masters (also known as Vlad Plasmius) is a villain from the television show Danny Phantom. He serves as the main antagonist throughout the series, mostly as the main enemy to Danny. He is voiced by Martin Mull.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Vlad has all the same powers that Danny has, but his powers are far more developed. He is able to perform techniques that Danny has yet to learn (like duplication, until the episode Torrent of Terror), and for all the feats that Danny can perform, Vlad can perform them better, possibly due to the 20 year experience in which he has had more time to develop new abilities, improve his existing ones, and patch up any weaknesses he might have, although it seems Danny is slowly catching up to him. Furthermore, it's been shown that Vlad lacks Danny's Ghostly Wail ability. He also doesn't seem to have a ghost sense, and, by extension, hasn't developed ice powers like Danny did. Vlad's powers eventually grew (creating more duplicates of himself, an Ecto-Tornado, etc.)^[11]It is possible the reason Vlad increased in power a bit through the series is because he never really had any worthy opponents to train to defeat, until he became Danny's arch-nemesis.

His powers include (but possibly not limited to) the following:

• Transformation: Vlad's rings are black, as opposed to Danny's, which are white. Vlad's ghost form is similar to a vampire, unlike Danny who just has a "negative image" of himself. The reason for this is that Vlad Dracula from Romania was thought to be a "vampire" for his blood lust, therefore, when they're names crossed the makers decided him to be a vampire. While in his ghost form he can use all his powers such as:
• Intangibility and Invisibility: Able to phase through solid objects and not be seen. He has used this often to steal money before the start of the series.
• Flight: Able to fly, float, and hover, presumably with the same speed as Danny's. In Reign Storm, Vlad’s lower half became a wispy tail as he quickly tries to escape Pariah Dark. This is never noticeably seen before or again as Vlad does not use flying as an advantage as much as Danny does. He can even fly in his human form shown in Phantom Planet.
• Superhuman Reflexes and Agility: Vlad has built on these skills during the 20 years of practice he has had to hone his ghost powers. Vlad's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. His reflexes are heightened in a similar manner and are, likewise, are superior to those of the finest human athlete.
• Superhuman Durability: He is highly resistant to all forms of external physical damage. He is able to withstand higher amounts of damage than Danny. In his ghost form, Vlad's body is incredibly resistant to damage, and he also has demonstrated a high threshold for pain. His ghost tissues and bones are considerably harder and more resistant to physical injury than those of an ordinary human. A noticeable example of this is in Kindred Spirits where he was hit by a Ghostly wail, only being knocked back and KOed momentarily without showing signs of the attack hurting him
• Superhuman Strength: He is stronger than Danny. In The Million Dollar Ghost he punched away a giant dragon-like ghost with ease, though he didn't hurt him and he used an Energy Strike. However, we can assume that his strength is about 40 to 50 tons. Even after been weakened by having duplicated himself in hundreds of duplicates, he was still strong enough to punch Danny hard enough to pierce through a brick wall.
• Superhuman Stamina: In his ghost form, Vlad's musculature produces almost no fatigue toxins during physical activity. He can physically exert himself at peak capacity for hours before fatigue begins to impair him.
• Power Augmentation: He can increase his physical strength, becoming strong enough to destroy the Fenton Ghost Fisher. He used this ability in the episode The Million Dollar Ghost .
• Possession: Able to overshadow any human. He has used this ability to get rich tycoons to give their companies to him.
• Ghost Ray: His blast consists of pink ectoplasm; however he is seen using green, turquoise, violet and blue, with each color presumably being at a different power level. He can also fire ghost rays from his eyes in human or ghost form. His full powered ghost ray is enough powerful to dig a crate of 4 meters. This power has other variants like:
  • Energy Disks: He can also fire his ghost rays in the form of explosive disks.
  • Energy Strike: Vlad can concentrate his ecto-energy within his fist, in order to enhance the strength of his physical attacks. He does this when he was fighting Behemoth in the episode The Million Dollar Ghost. His Energy Strikes can break solid concrete of the street.
• Ghost Shield: His shield consists of pink or green ectoplasm. He has been shown to shape his shield in the form of a wall, a barrier, or a mirror shield.
  • Mirror Shield: Also known as reflecting shield. He can create a pink ghost shield that can reflect any attack, including physical attacks.
  • Force Field: He can create a ghost shield shaped like a dome to protect himself from explosions.
• Form Duplication: Vlad can effortlessly split into 4 duplicates. It is one of his most commonly used and advantageous techniques. In Eye for an Eye, Vlad manages to create well over a hundred shadows of him that possessed many people to make them vote for him in the city mayor elections. Creating that many duplicates still weakened Vlad to the point where Danny could easily defeat him in combat. Creating that many copies of himself seems to indicate that there might not be a limit to the number of duplicates that he or possibly Danny would be able to create. It's been shown that when Vlad creates a Duplicate, He can make them invisible in the process. He can also transform back to his Human form while forming a Ghost duplicate of himself, which explains how he's been able to get away with some events that may link directly to his footsteps.
• Ecto-Energy Absorption and Redirection: Vlad can absorb energy attacks from his enemies and use them as his own. This is considered one of the rarest Ghost Powers for any Ghost or Half-Ghost. Though he's the only Ghost/Half-Ghost in the series to be known having this power, this is very similar to Technus's power to absorb and control electric energy; at the beginning of the episode Fright Night, we can see a ghost eel that seems to have that same power. For unknown reasons he only used this power once.
• Ecto-Energy Constructs: Vlad can create solid objects with ectoplasmic energy; from shields to nooses, ropes, even a racket and a cage in "The Million Dollar Ghost" or a sword sword capable of great damage, in Infinite Realms. He can also trap people in ectoplasmic bubbles.
• Teleportation: Vlad can disappear from one location and reappear elsewhere by wrapping his cape around him and vanishing in a cloud of green or pink mist. This has been shown in "Million Dollar Ghost".
• Ghost Stinger: An attack that utilizes electricity, it has been used against Danny to drain his energy to the point he almost change into his human form. Somehow he could stop Danny from turning into human again when he used it.
• Ghost Tornado: Vlad spins like a tornado, deflecting any ectoplasmic energy and causing huge wind gusts almost like a real one.
• Spectral Body Manipulation: Vlad can be able to shape-shift his body at any position he desires. He usually doesn't use this power as much as Danny does.
• Immunity: As Half-Ghost, Vlad is immune or resistant to several effects that can hurt a ghost or a human. Like Danny, he is immune to some Fenton Ghost Weaponry like the ghost shield when he is in his human form and it's possible that he is immune to some powers meant to affect humans like Ember's music.
• Healing Factor: Vlad can be able to regenerate quickly like Danny. An example is when Pariah Dark effortlessly knocked out both Vlad and Danny, who both healed very quickly in a small period of time.
• ​Vacuum Resistance: Like Danny, Vlad has been shown to survive the vacuum of outer space without any form of protection beyond his normal clothing and a helmet connected to an oxygen tank. This is only shown in "Planet Phantom", while trying to stop the Disasteroid.
• Self-Sustenance: Despite first entering the voids of space with a helmet and oxygen tank, Vlad can be seen at the end of "Phantom Planet" sitting on the Disasteroid without said equipment. This indicates that Vlad either: doesn't require oxygen to survive while in his ghost form, or that he can utilize a form of self-sustenance while in his ghost form; either way, Vlad has shown to be capable of surviving in low-pressure, low-temperature environments.

Abilities

• Insanely Rich: One of Vlad's greatest gifts is his wealth. According to his words he "overshadowed enough millionaires to become the richest man on the planet".
• Genius Level Intellect: Vlad is one of the most intelligent characters in the series. He has created hundred of devices and various equipment to hunt ghosts, all of them being of high standard technology. He even created a secret lab better than the Fenton's own lab and improved the Ecto-Skeleton so the suit wouldn't drain or kill the wearer.
• Skilled Combatant: He is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, although he has had no formal training. In Infinite Realms he fought Danny using an ectoplasmic sword with ease.
• Gifted Businessman: Vlad is one of the most shrewd businessmen in the world, a trait that has earned him an immense fortune. Vlad is not above using cutthroat tactics, unethical practices and illegal operations to maintain the success of his business empire; he has admitted to overshadowing other businessmen.

• Swordsmanship: He demonstrates some ability with the sword in the episode "Infinite Realms," when fighting Danny.
• Master Strategist: Vlad has cunning mind and over the series he has developed complicated plans in order to get what he wants such as power or vengeance. However most of them are spoiled by Danny's interference and for underestimating his abilities and intelligence.

Equipment

Finally, my new mansion is complete! (?) [He phases into the house and into the Master Bedroom.] Bigger and better than what it was before! [He then phases into a stunningly immaculate Kitchen.] Everything is absolute state of the art! [He then phases into his new, underground laboratory, previously seen in the episode "The Ultimate Enemy" when Danny visits 'old' Vlad.] Including my new subterranean Ghost Lab. Completely undetectable to prying eyes. [Finally, he phases into his study and reverts back to Vlad Masters. He walks around the study, clearly feeling proud of himself and his renewed home.] This showplace is the pure embodiment of me; Larger than life, reeking of money and power and totally impenetrable.

Episodes

• 107. "Bitter Reunions"
• 110. "Shades of Gray" ^{(no lines)}
• 117. "Maternal Instinct"
• 119. "The Million Dollar Ghost"

• 204. "Reign Storm"
• 208. "The Ultimate Enemy"
• 211. "Secret Weapons"
• 212. "Flirting With Disaster" ^(pictured)
• 216. "Masters of All Time"
• 217. "Kindred Spirits"

• 301. "Eye for an Eye"
• 302. "Infinite Realms"
• 303. "Girls' Night Out" ^(pictured)
• 304. "Torrent of Terror"
• 307. "Livin' Large"
• 309. "Frightmare" ^{(no lines)}
• 311. "D-Stabilized"
• 312. "Phantom Planet"

Trivia

• He lived in Madison, Wisconsin for the first two season and moved to Amity Park once he was "elected" Mayor.
• If you look at the picture Jack holds in Phantom Planet, Vlad was a member of the Skunk Punks.
• In the episode Maternal Instincts there is a part of his shelf with books about knitting.
• Originally devised as a vampire before the developers declared it "too occult", Vlad's current resemblance shares much in common with vampiric traits. His ghost surname, "Plasmius" is devised from "plasma" which doubly can be a reference to "blood" or ectoplasm - underlining both the former vampire element and the current 'ghost' connection. Regardless of its influence, it is a surname that stayed in the final production.^[20] However, writer Steve Marmel declared the name "Vlad Plasmius" was from a brick he bought in Lambeau Field.
• In a comic, Danny and Vlad swap bodies after Vlad steals an amulet from a dark knight. 
• Vlad is tied with Youngblood and Johnny 13 as the character with the shortest span between two episodes as the main villain: "Masters of All Time" and "Kindred Spirits" are only 4 episodes apart from each other.
• He was "Man of the Year" in 1997.
• He has several ghost and paranormal science books in his cabin.
• Vlad was created to be the "Lex Luthor" of the Danny Phantom franchise series. He serves as a contrast to Danny where he is older, more experienced, and richer; purposely meant to give Danny a formidable opponent.^[21]
• Vlad has a tendency to grab Danny by the neck every time they fight.
• Vlad's love for the Green Bay Packers is attributed and added due to series writer Steve Marmel's fondness for them. Their team color is a reverse gold and green to avoid copyright infringement with the actual team.
• An original running gag would be that Vlad would lose his manor due to unfortunate luck every other episode.^[21]
• Vlad seems to be a likeness of the comic book villains Doctor Doom, Lex Luthor, The Green Goblin,Magneto, and The Red Skull. His past, involving his former friend ruining his face with a scientific accident, harkens back to Doctor Doom. In his human form, he alludes to Lex Luthor, being a rich and powerful man who won't settle for not getting what he wants (also his running for Mayor is a parody of when Lex Luthor ran for President). Much like the Green Goblin he knew his adversary's identity before his adversary knew his identity, and the split personality. His personality appears to be based off the Red Skull.
• He is one of the characters who calls Danny "Daniel" quite a lot. The only other characters who called Danny "Daniel" was Jack Fenton in "Eye For An Eye" and Mr. Lancer in "The Ultimate Enemy".
• Vlad made his fortune by overshadowing millionaires and manipulating them for his own means.
• Danny insulted Vlad once, suggesting that he get a cat if he was so lonely. Later in "Infinite Realms", he is shown to have taken his advice, owning a cat named Maddie, which he talks to as though it could understand him, he also says that "If anyone asks, you're my sister's cat".
• In "Infinite Realms", it is revealed Vlad likes to spy on the Fenton family.
• Vlad may take his name from Vlad III, the man that was the inspiration for Count Dracula. His ghost form resembles that of a Dracula-esque vampire, in both skin tone and costume.
• A popular fan theory is that Danny and Vlad are "half dead". This would reinforce Vlad's hatred for Jack, considering that Vlad would have "half-died" slowly due to the accident.
  • Vlad being a vampire was the original idea that was almost utilized during production before it was nixed, Nickelodeon considering it too "occult". ^[22]
• Because his name is "Vladimir" it is possible that he could be part Russian.
• Even though Vlad never made an appearance in Grim Tales, but his facial appearance and his personality does appear in the second arc of Grim Tales, Dark Danny's face has begun to look just like his Vlad's human face, his hair is in a ponytail style, and he's using the some of the same lines like "little badger".
• Vlad is similar to Agent Smith from The Matrix film trilogy, Thrax from Osmosis Jones, Kent Mansley fromThe Iron Giant, Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget, Megatron from Transformers, Lord Voldemort from theHarry Potter film series, the Dark Dragon from American Dragon: Jake Long and David Xanatos from Gargoyles.
• Vlad is especially similar to David Xanatos from Gargoyles. Both are billionaires, with ponytails, who hunt (Vlad-ghost and David-gargoyles) and send in teams to fight for them (Vlad - Master's Blasters and David - the Pack), and they team up with a respective ghost and gargoyle (Vlad-Skulker and David-Demona).
• Everything Danny is and has, Vlad is and has the opposite:
  • Danny is good, Vlad is evil.
  • Danny has friends and family, Vlad has wealth and power.
  • Danny has potential, Vlad has experience.
  • Danny has black hair in his human form, Vlad has gray hair.
  • Danny has white rings, Vlad has black rings.
  • Danny has white hair in his ghost form, Vlad has black hair in his ghost form.
  • Danny's ectoblasts are green, Vlad's are mostly pink.
  • Same with the inverted ectoblasts, if you invert Danny's tan skin you will get a shade of blue; Vlad's skin tone in his ghost form.
  • Danny has a white t-shirt, Vlad has a black tuxedo.
  • Danny has green eyes in his ghost form, Vlad has red eyes.
• Vlad's Ultimate fate is still greatly unknown. There's speculation he was indeed killed when the Disasteroid hit him, But given the still cartoonish nature of the show and the fact he's survived major beatings and explosions in the past, He may have indeed survived.
• Interestingly Vlad shared the same fate as another Nicktoon Villain, in the untitled season two finally Invader Zim would have gotten struck by an asteroid after failing on the Battle on Planet Meekrob.