Sportacus

Real Name: Alex Busybody

Identity/Class: Normal Human

Occupation: Professional Role Model, “Super-Hero”

Affiliations: Mayor Meanswell, Stephanie (a.k.a. Sporta Stephanie)

Enemies: Robby Rotten

Known Relatives: Ms Busybody (mother)

Aliases: Sportacus 10

Base of Operations: (currently) Lazytown (location unknown)

First Appearance: Lazytown (2004)

Powers/Abilities: Sportacus has no superhuman powers, but he is in excellent physical shape and he never tires out despite his very active physical activities. He is an Olympic-Class athlete, gymnast, acrobat and marathon runner. Always positive thinking, he uses a lot of jumps, spins and acrobatic flips and somersaults to race to the rescue. A powerful clairvoyant crystal in his chest device warns him within seconds when anybody is or is about to be in danger. It’s not sure how he reads or discerns the nature of the events it perceives. He travels by means of a pedal powered dirigible, which serves as his home and carries every sort of sports paraphernalia possible. It seems to float at a level where he can jump down to earth with ease or climb up to it on a rope for which he whistles. Eating candy can weaken Sportacus; the sugar in candy wears him down to the point he can’t move, but fresh fruits can restore him back to his physical prime.

History: Alex grew up in Lazytown, bullied by Robby Rotten,  a local ne’er-do-well and malcontent When Alex eventually left Lazytown he met Number 9, who gave him a box filled with things like apples and the uniform he later took to wearing, then told Alex that if he practiced hard enough, he could be a hero too. Sure enough, after following Number 9's advice, Alex became the heroic Sportacus, interested in doing as much good and helping as many people as possible. Wherever he goes, he spreads good will, good habits and respect to others.

When young pink-haired Stephanie moved to Lazytown, she discovered the other kids in town weren’t interested in playing outside or in sports. Her uncle, Mayor Meanswell, called upon Sportacus to come back to Lazytown to show to all the kids that sports could be fun. Along the way, he taught good manners, good health and life lessons to Stephanie and her friends Ziggy, Pixel, Trixie and Stingy. He also met Miss Busybody (later revealed to be his mother) who assisted Mayor Meanswell.

Sportacus was often being sabotaged or mocked for his good habits by the grown up Robby Rotten, who lived in an underground bunker at the end of tunnels with an above ground entrance hidden behind a billboard. Out of shape and undeserving, he often spied on Sportacus and the kids with a periscope that popped up out of the ground. Using his vast collection of costumes and inventions, he tried to wear down Sportacus by teaching the kids bad habits, by working against the good Sportacus did, by committing acts of malicious mischief or by just thinking up stunts to drive Sportacus out of town. No matter what he tried, Sportacus always won, and ever optimistic and affable Stephanie and the others learned another lesson to make them the best people they could be.

Comments: Magnús Scheving, the creator, writer, producer and director of Lazytown, plays Sportacus. Julianna Rose Mauriello plays Stephanie and Stefan Karl plays Robby Rotten. The rest of the characters are puppets animated before a green screen by puppeteers obscured by the surreal cartoon-like Lazytown. Each of the puppet children is emblematic of the challenges that kids face to having a healthy life. Ziggy likes Candy too much; Pixel rarely leaves his computer, Trixie refuses to follow rules and Stingy won’t share. The series is created in Iceland. The show's website is here.

Profile by Thor2000. Additional information provided by Sara Pecora.

David Fulham adds "Sportacus' full name is Sportacus 10 (note the "10" on his chest emblem). In the show's first episode. Mayor Meanswell tells Stephanie of a hero who came from the North, a man who had a #9 on his chest. Our Sportacus is his successor. When he arrives in Lazytown, Stephanie asks if he is #9, to which Sportacus replies, "No, I'm 10. But you can call me Sportacus." So 9 individuals have taken the mantle before. It's not clear if it is a hereditary position, passed down to family members, or if a Sportacus chooses a successor.

Tomorrow night, here in the States, we will see a one hour episode in which Sportacus takes a vacation and Stephanie steps up to fill in. She takes the name of "Sporta Stephanie." It might mean that when she grows up, Stephanie will be #11.

In the episode called "Rotten Beard," a book about Lazytown's history shows what appears to be an earlier Sportacus battling an evil Pirate.

Lazytown has existed for 14 years or more now, getting it's start in Iceland as a series of books, stage productions and CDs. Perhaps these earlier projects tell more about how the Sportacus title is passed on."

CLARIFICATIONS: None.

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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