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“ | No, Dee Dee, no! | „ |
~ Dexter |
Dexter McPherson is a boy genius who has a secret laboratory and is the titular protagonist of Dexter's Laboratory, an animated series that aired on Cartoon Network from 1996-2003. However, he is the main antagonist in some of the episodes.
He was initially voiced by the late Christine Cavanaugh, (who also voiced Gosalyn Mallard, Oblina, and Chuckie Finster). He was later voiced by Candi Milo, who also voiced Nick Dean, Coco, Madame Foster, Ms. Nora Wakeman, Lonette, Irma Lair, The Flea, Pulgita, and Snap. In Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, he is voiced by Tara Strong, who also voiced Bubbles, Dil Pickles, Twilight Sparkle, Timmy Turner, Omi, Raven, Ben Tennyson, Upgrade, Daizy, Poof, and UniKitty. In the MADtv show, he is voiced by Grey DeLisle, who also voiced Mandy, Kitty Katswell, Kimiko Tohomiko, Sam Manson, Puppycorn, Wubbzy, Yumi Yoshimura, and Vicky).
History
Birth and Early Childhood

Dexter's mom pregnant with him
Dexter was born as a true genius. He grew up to a normal family and at very young age created his very own laboratory in which he kept hidden from his parents behind a secret bookcase. The only person who knows that he has a lab is Dee Dee.
Meeting Mandark
Personality
Though highly intelligent, Dexter often fails at what he has set out to do when he becomes overexcited and makes careless choices. He manages to keep the lab a secret from his clueless, cheerful parents, who amusingly never notice any evidence of the laboratory, even when it was right before their eyes. Despite coming from a typical all-American family, Dexter speaks with a Russian-sounding accent, a reference to Tartakovsky's own accent that he spoke with during childhood. Dexter's favorite superhero is Major Glory. Despite his arrogance in book smarts and has little tolerance for any criticism of his work, Dexter is undeniably a good person. Case in point: when he thinks he's dying, his to-do list includes doing nice things for his family, finishing his chores, and ending war and hunger.
Appearance
Dexter is a diminutive, nine-year-old boy who has curly red hair that was passed down to him from his mother. Likewise, he wears a pair of glasses that appear semi-circular at normal times, but when he widens his eyes, the tops of them round out. He wears a little white lab coat with black buttons on it. He also wears purple gloves, and a pair of black rubber zipper boots.
Miscellaneous Details
He is in the fourth grade. The cartoon "Picture Day" definitively confirms this when showing a montage of Dexter's school pictures up to his photo from third grade, indicating that his fourth-grade photo is the next one to come. Despite creator Genndy Tartakovsky's intention of Dexter being somewhere between ages six and eight, this is what helped fans speculate his age as either nine or ten (with nine the more likely), as American children in the fourth grade are typically of that age.
Relationships
Dee Dee

With his elder sister Dee Dee
Dee Dee always mysteriously gains access to his lab no matter what he does to try to keep her out. She eludes all manner of security and, once inside, delights in playing in the lab, often destroying all of his creations and often by pushing the wrong buttons on an invention (it is even hinted in one episode segment, "LABretto", that she does this on purpose). This is often preceded by Dee Dee asking "Oooooh, what does this button do?", without waiting for an answer. Despite her hyperactive personality, Dee Dee sometimes makes more logical decisions than Dexter, or even gives him helpful advice. Despite being constantly annoyed with DeeDee's interference and stupidity, Dexter still loves her and cares about her well being.
Gallery
Images
Trivia
- In PowerPuff Girls Doujinshi, Dexter's last name is "McPherson."
- In an episode, Dexter says his favorite color is orange, but in the previous episode "Picture Day," he stated his favorite color was blue.
- His favorite candy is Pixy Stix.
- Though he is a protagonist, he can sometimes have antagonistic roles. Examples include:
- Taking down Santa Clause and ruining Christmas
- Building robots and sending them back in time to destroy Dee Dee
- Almost destroying an island
- Making fun of his best friend's potato battery
- Destroying Dee Dee's room
- Trapping Dee Dee in a board game
- Dexter's Grandfather also has a secret laboratory.
- Dexter's arch-nemesis is Mandark.
- Dexter's astrological sign was first shown to be Capricorn, but since he was born around in the end of March, he is actually Aries.
- Dexter also appears as one of the main protagonists in Bleedman's webcomic, PowerPuff Girls Doujinshi. During this webcomic, he is portrayed less arrogant and more mature than his original TV counterpart, reasonably because he has been grieving over the death of his beloved sister, Dee Dee. He also develops a romantic relationship with Blossom, another main protagonist, as the webcomic progresses.
- Dexter resembles Dr. N. Gin from the Crash Bandicoot series, despite the missile in N. Gin's head.
- In the episode "Dexter's Lab: A Story", Dexter is seen grabbing a box of Scooby Snacks for the dog that appears in the episode. Scooby's face is also shown on the box of Scooby Snacks. The snacks and Scooby's picture on the box are cameos.
- In the episode "Beard to be Feared", as Dexter walks down the sidewalk he can be seen walking past a modern day Fred Flintstone and a past version of George Jetson. Both of them are cameos.
- Dexter makes a cameo in Crossover Nexus as one of the cartoon network Ben uses in a mashup to defeat strike.
- Dexter is one of the nine main characters of the IDW comic Super Secret Crisis War.