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Gaetan Moliére
Mole
Background Information
Birthdate 1875 (Age 39)
Birthplace Paris, France
Gender Male
Family Christof Moliére (Father); Gabrielle Moliére (Mother); Three Older Brothers
Occupation Mineralogist and Excavations
Status Alive
Character Information
Voiced By Corey Burton
Supervising Animator Anthony DeRosa


And the little digging animal called Mole... he is your pet?

Gaetan "Mole" Moliére is a character in Atlantis: The Lost Empire who serves as mineralogist and excavations expert of the expedition to find the lost continent of Atlantis. He would reappear in the direct-to-video sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return.

Appearance[]

Mole is an obese man with a shaven face. He is briefly mustachioed and buck-toothed. He wears a unique headgear and eyewear that he invented, complete with a flexible "hands-free" headlamp and eyewear adjusters. He also wears a thick, waterproof coat with a warm, furry collar and large pockets for tools, leather gloves and hard wearing mining boots. Compared to other characters, he is short.

Dossier File[]

Expertise[]

Extensive knowledge of geology and pioneer in the new science of tectonics. Adviser to Mining National de France, Ottoman Mining, Australian Opal Inc., New South Wales Coal, Slate and Granite, Italy, and American Coal and Lumber. Has developed or invented 62 independent mining and excavation vehicles, tools, or related equipment. Holds patents on 59 of said inventions.

Acute senses, particularly taste and smell, enable Moliére to correctly identify any type of mineral or soil without benefit or aid of any scientific apparatus 98.75% of the time.

Background[]

Gaetan Moliére was born to a middle-class working family, the youngest of 4 brothers. Both his parents were teachers; Christof Moliére teaches University courses at the Sorbonne, and Gabrielle Moliére is a retired music teacher.

Gaetan displayed an early interest in subterranean pursuits at the age of 7 when he began exploring the vast sewer networks that lie underneath old Paris. By the age of 13, Moliére had developed a specialized type of goggles and headgear to wear while exploring caves in the surrounding countryside, as the sewers and catacombs held no further challenge or mysteries for him. He entered the Sorbonne at age 17 but left soon after when given the opportunity to act as a special technical adviser to a local mining company.

Soon thereafter, Moliére developed what could be termed his "specialty" of the ability to "taste" and identify various soils. He is sensitive to the light and generally distrustful of those he does not know well. He eats only roots and burrowing animals, and if rumor is to be believed, insects. He is also terrified of soap.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire[]

Mole01

Mole panics when Milo disrupts his dirt collection in Milo's bed.

You have disturbed the dirt! Dirt from around the globe spanning the centuries! What have you done? England must never merge with France!

Mole participates in the expedition that locates the Shepherd's Journal in Iceland. He is later talked into agreeing to locate a giant crystal pictured in the book and sell it on the black market for a hefty price.

Milo James Thatch is warned on numerous occasions by Dr. Joshua Sweet regarding Mole's unusual behavior. This includes Mole's outrage when Milo discovers his bed being used to display the various lands Mole's dirt collection comes from and later telling Milo that it would be in his best interest not to know Mole's back-story. When Mole first meets Milo, he is able to learn his exact occupation and field of expertise from a speck of dirt on the latter's finger.

When the submarine Ulysses is attacked by a Leviathan, he and Vincenzo Santorini used one of the Sub Pods to battle the mechanical beast until they were ordered to retreat with the Aqua-Evacs following the destruction of the Ulysses. Mole and Vinny's Sub Pod is the only one to escape the Leviathan and surface into an air-pocket that leads to Atlantis.

Mole operates The Digger through their journey, used only when running into obstacles too great for or when Vinny runs low on explosives. Throughout the journey, he and Vinny would participate in pulling pranks on the young inexperienced Milo before he is taken in during a rest stop.

Mole02

Mole flirts with Kida, only to get punched in the face afterward.

When the expedition gets dropped into a cavern as a result of escaping hostile fireflies, Mole is able to determine that they are at the base of a dormant volcano and that it could be reawakened by an extreme explosive force. Upon their discovery of the Atlanteans, Mole becomes enamored with Princess Kidagakash when she displays her ability to speak French, but his attempt at flirtation is met with a punch to the face.

After the Heart of Atlantis is recovered, Milo makes a plea to the others regarding what their actions will do. Mole is among those who side with Milo and participates in the battle to stop Rourke. He recognizes that the volcano has awakened when the Gyro-Evac crashes and helps bring the Heart of Atlantis is returned to save the city from destruction.

Mole is honored for his bravery in saving Atlantis. Upon returning to the surface, he would outfit his crystal to fit over the center of his bow-tie. However, he displays a sense of discomfort being dressed up and immediately disrobes and buries himself in one of the potted plants Preston Whitmore has in his study.

Atlantis: Milo's Return[]

Mole would join the others in returning to Atlantis briefly in informing Milo and Kida of what is happening on the surface.

In their first mission, he is seen in the cargo ship having a meal with Obby eyeing on his cheese. When the Krakken suddenly attacks their ship, Mole drops his cheese, causing him and Obby to try and catch it but was too late as it fell into the water. As Mole mourns for his lost cheese, the Krakken's tentacles appear, causing Mole to tell it that he can have it. After escaping the damaged ship, Mole joins the group in exploring the town, later settling into the inn at the suggestion of Edgar Volgud, the town's magistrate.

Later at night, he is helping the group look for Volgud, with Mole realizing that his light has disappeared. As the group headed back to what they assume is the village, Mole then notices that the ground is starting to turn into decomposed granite. Before Mole can finish, the group falls over the cliff, with Mole slowing his descent by using his pickaxes. He later rescues Audrey as she falls down the cliff, telling her that she can't live without him. The next day, as the group was looking for a secret entrance, Mole finds it immediately thanks to his knowledge of rocks. As the group discusses how they're gonna apprehend Volgud, Mole notices that Audrey has been hypnotized.

After defeating Volgud, Mole charges into a group of villagers to make an opening for the team to head outside to their Sub pods. As they are fighting the Krakken, Mole notices his co-pilot, Vinnie, is under the monster's control, causing Mole to whack him over the head with a wrench. Despite some failed attempts, Mole and the team successfully defeat Volgud and the Krakken.

Development[]

Roughmole01

Mole designs by Mike Mignola.

Mole was envisioned to be a comedic character from the start, but the filmmakers and designers had trouble figuring how he should look visually. Many early designs saw a more serious looking Mole before they saw the way story artist Chris Ure drew the character making him appear more rodent like. They took that design as the basis for the way Mole would look, adding that he was similar to Peanuts character "Pig-Pen."

Supervising animator Anthony DeRosa had further challenges, due in large part to the character's specialized headgear. Because there were numerous gadgets connected to the headgear, this resulted in more detail and design needed. De Rosa also had trouble looking for a look to the character that made him appear French before finding a profile of Charles de Gaulle and based further facial designs off of that.

The voice of Mole was performed by Corey Burton. Burton noted that performing Mole required him to let the character leap out of him by making funny voices. At the same time, he had to throw himself into the same and believe that he was immersed into the film's world as though it were real.

Gallery[]

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