WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the third episode of DuckTales' third season, "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!", which aired on DisneyXD
The current version Launchpad that has been established in the new DuckTales is a lovable, strong and loyal friend. But he is also as a complete and utter idiot, even more so than his previous incarnation. That's what makes it so surprising that Launchpad just technically became the first hero to realize the truth of the conspiracy that the nefarious F.O.W.L. organization is preparing against his loved ones.
In "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice," Launchpad finds out the truth about F.O.W.L. and tries to warn the Duck family -- but the memory is lost in his subconscious along with his more competent self.
DOUBLE-O DUCK
The crux of "Double O-Duck In You Only Crash Twice!" is centered around Black Heron's newest invention: a laser that can either amplify or decrease the mental capacity of any target. The beam is incredibly effective, even granting a group of rodents a great deal of sentience and self-awareness, inadvertently creating the Rescue Rangers. But before she can try to utilize the beam in an attempt to make Scrooge McDuck "dumber than the dummies," her partner Steelbeak grows impatient with her constant jabs about his intelligence.
Steelbeak eventually uses the ray against her -- reducing her to a simpleton -- and later fires it at Launchpad. But what Steelbeak doesn't know is that in the scuffle, the laser had been switched to increase intelligence. This turns Launchpad into an incredibly competent and clever spy, the titular Double-O-Duck. The newly intelligent Launchpad races through Steelbeak's base to save a captured Dewey and stop the villain from turning the laser onto the entire town of DuckBurg -- which would kill thousands.
Along the way, Launchpad discovers the truth behind F.O.W.L. Although he tries to warn Dewey, the young duck isn't able to hear. Later, Launchpad is forced to sacrifice his intelligence by taking the laser blast directly to the chest, seemingly losing his Double-O-Duck persona in his subconscious -- along with all memory of his time being enhanced. The final moments of the episode have Double-O's voice begging Launchpad to remember what he learned and to warn Scrooge about the danger he's in -- suggesting the persona does in fact still exist inside Launchpad. But Launchpad can't remember what he needed to tell Scoorge and so the conspiracy against his family continues on undetected.
WHAT THIS COULD MEAN GOING FORWARD
Launchpad is one of the most loyal members of Scrooge's group, and will definitely fight alongside him and his family is F.O.W.L. is ever exposed and fights the family outright. If he was ever able to figure out how to restore that memory, then Launchpad could share his knowledge and help give the family the chance to bring down the conspiracy. But just because the memory has been lost inside Launchpad's mind doesn't mean it could be gone forever. DuckTales is a world full of magic, telepathy and dream-sharing, and the final scene suggests that Double-O-Duck does still exist inside Launchpad, even if he doesn't realize it.
There's always the chance that something could knock the knowledge loose, and Launchpad could get the chance to warn the others -- or potentially even become Double-O Duck again, who quickly proved how effective Launchpad really could be if utilized correctly. If Launchpad were to ever reconnect with his smarter side or even just have the other characters venture through his mind, there's a chance that Double-O-Duck could return and warn the heroes before it's too late.