Shere Khan

By Gidget

  

Species: Tiger (male)

Age: 40-45 

Appearance: Impeccably groomed.  Handsome in a cold, Bond-villain sort of way.

Eyes: Depending on his mood, either cold and implacable or fiercely yellow 

Hair:  Used to be brown when he was a young man.  Has a fringe of white around his ears, none on top, so I think he might be bald.
Cody:  If he’s bald, then Baloo certainly is! ;) 
Gidget:  Or else Baloo is one of those bald guys with a hairy back.  >_<
Cody:  Ew.
 
Body Type:  Tall and muscular, without an ounce of fat. 
Cody:  Body-wise, he beats Karnage.  J  
Gidget: That he does.  Yum!  ;)    

Clothing: Crisp white shirts and perfectly tailored suits.  Nothing costs less than a thousand dollars.  Has been seen in a burgundy robe while getting a book to read in bed (Louie's Last Stand). 

Personality:   Arrogant, unapologetic and about as warm as a Thembrian icebox.  Coldly polite, he never openly confronts anyone, but watch out.  Behind the cordiality is a ferocity you don't want to mess with.  

Voice: Tony Jay

Comments by Others:

"Geez, it's three in the morning!  Doesn't Mister Khan ever sleep?"
"Ever heard of vampires?"
-- whispered conversation between two bored CEO's during a late-night business meeting
(A Bad Reflection on You, part 1)
Cody:  I love that line.  
Gidget:  Me too.  It’s the perfect description.

"My friends would call me Shere, but I don't have any friends." (Wildcat impersonating Khan, Citizen Khan)

"I guess now that you met the real Shere Khan, you don't like me anymore."
"Actually, Wildcat, since I met the real Shere Khan, I like you even better!"
(Wildcat and Clementine, Citizen Khan)

"Never thought ol' Khan'd be dumb enough ta give a guy anything he wants!  Sometime I don't think he's playin' with a full deck of marbles!" (Baloo in Save the Tiger) 

"What would Khan want my club?”
”Hey, the guy's just ruthless." (Louie and Baloo in Louie's Last Stand)


Best Episodes:
A Bad Reflection on You
Baloo Thunder
Citizen Khan
From Here to Machinery
A Fuel Dollars More
Louie's Last Stand
Plunder and Lightning
Save the Tiger
Whistlestop Jackson, Legend

Worst Episode:
Bullethead Baloo

Cody: Although he was kinda funny with the deadpan “Tie costs $4,000” bit and when he maintained that he was not amused when he was being kidnapped. 
Gidget: Yeah… but I just hate the way he crossed his arms and allowed himself to be carried off, like he was too important to break a sweat saving himself.  He could have taken MEL.  He looked ridiculous.
Cody:  I guess if you can spend $3,000 on a paperweight, you think you don’t have to save yourself.  What if *gasp* you got grease on your tie? ;)
Gidget:  There goes the ransom money!  ;)



Best Lines:

The only woman in his life is Mrs. Snarly, his receptionist/secretary.   No, they are not an item --- a frightening picture to say the least: 
Mrs. Snarly (seductively):  “I’ve brought the giant pincushion, Mr. Khan.”
Khan:  “Excellent, Mrs. Snarly.  Mind the plants.”
(Tiger Yes-Man lays out a spotless satin sheet on the floor and discreetly leaves them alone.)
Cody:  Eww, ewww, ewww!! Nasty mental picture!

And there's also the time Shere Khan's 'fiancee' stopped by his office to see 'Poopsy' (Baloo Thunder).  Could it be the offspring of B&B?  I mean, she's got Becky's hair and is on the chunky side... (giggle)

As ruthless as he is, there's a kind of understanding between them.  She guards his door using any means necessary (for which Baloo can attest) and seems to instinctively know what he wants her to do.   However, there are a couple of fan fics out there that do give Shere Khan a love interest.  He treats them very well, taking them out to dinner, spoiling them, that sort of thing.



Examples of Ruthlessness
-Tired of losing his own fleet of planes, Khan sends Baloo on a fool's mission (giving him phony cargo to deliver) in order to investigate the missing planes. (A Bad Reflection on You)

-makes his employees work 16-hour days and only treats them well to encourage loyalty and hard work, not out of concern for their well being.  And keeps them up at business meetings at three in the morning!

-pumps up Baloo's ego by giving him a huge, honkin' trophy, proclaiming him 'Best Pilot in the World', just to make him want to prove it by accepting a dangerous mission.  Then the dangerous cargo turns out to be a lousy painting. (Bad Reflection on You)

-cornered the market in nutmeg and then raised the prices.  (Bad Reflection on You)

-created a gas shortage in order to jack up the prices (On a Wing and a Bear)

-sent an exploding singing telegram to Karnage (On a Wing and a Bear)

-monopolized the cargo delivery industry, putting all pilots out of work, including shutting down Higher for Hire (From Here to Machinery)

-dangled Professor Torque outside a plane to ‘convince’ him to give him a refund.  (From Here to Machinery)

-ridiculed Douglas Benton for his investment proposal, making him the laughing stock of the CEO set.
"I've decided to invest in glow-in-the-dark sunglasses.  They're easy to find during a power failure."
Khan is not impressed.  "And after you find them... you wear them in the dark?... Think harder, Benson!"
(Louie's Last Stand)

-had Baloo kidnapped and held for ransom (granted, he was protecting himself from extortion, but still… (Save the Tiger)



Comments:

He's Cape Suzette's resident Bill Gates.  He's got the coolest digs --- and lives in the Khan Industries tower, above his opulent office (so he won't be late for work, I guess).   A stickler for schedules, he’s constantly got his eye on his pocket watch.   He’s got presence --- I love how he stands at the window with his hands behind his back, surveying his ‘kingdom’.   When sitting in that big office chair, he dismisses his lackeys  by swiveling dramatically, the chair’s high back seems to flap like a vampire’s cape, completely hiding him from view.   When he’s pissed off, he doesn’t throw a tantrum… all he does is pull a Freddie Krueger, raking the desk top with his claws! 

Khan is utterly ruthless in getting what he wants, especially in the business world.   Although he’s an extremely intimidating boss, he treats valued employees well and generously rewards loyalty and good work.  He  will even overlook their idiosyncrasies --- as long as they deliver.   For example, his in-house inventor Buzz (Baloo Thunder) is eccentric and somewhat preoccupied, but Khan appreciates his genius.  In fact, he probably respects him more than the rabbit scientist, Dr. DeBolt in Plunder and Lightning.   While Buzz is an absentminded professor-type, Dr. DeBolt is a little too desperate for approval to earn his employer’s respect. Shere Khan does not suffer fools gladly, no tolerate disloyalty.  But if he likes you (or rather, your work), you're golden.  If anyone tries to take advantage of him, they live to regret it.  Douglas Benton (Louie's Last Stand) and Mr. Percy (Baloo Thunder).  Come to think of it, ever notice that neither was ever seen again?  ;)

 

Shere Khan is an enigma.  He's cordial --- a perfect gentleman, but never oozing with charm.   He seems humorless, but can be quite droll ("I'd very much enjoy meeting myself.  Can you arrange it?")

It is hinted that he dabbles in organized crime (Save the Tiger), but rarely gets his hands dirty, not even when feeding his Venus flytraps --- he wears gardener’s gloves.   He has probably had people killed if they got in his way, but never does so unnecessarily.   Baloo has done more than his share of irritating him.  But I think that Khan likes him, in spite of himself.  He's probably one of the few people to tell him off (Plunder and Lightning), take advantage of a promise (Save the Tiger) and calls him 'Shere baby' and 'Khanny' --- and lived to tell the tale.  When Baloo holds him ‘hostage’ in his own office, rattling off that wish list, I actually felt sorry for the guy.


January 2003
   

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