Verona Dempsey (What's New, Scooby Doo?)

Verona Dempsey (Grey DeLisle) is the hidden main villainess from "Fright House of a Lighthouse," the third and final season opener of What's New, Scooby Doo? (airdate January 29, 2005). She is an amateur sleuth and an importer who ran a shop in Wisconsin, where she makes clothing. However, Verona used villainous means to make sure her business thrived.
Verona used the story of a crooked lighthouse keeper to disguise herself as the Creepy Keeper, and used the lighthouse to send her shipments, and only her shipments, to the port; which would improve her business while crippling her competition. She had a co-hort in the form of ferry shop owner Crusty McPeet, who operated robot skeletons looking to find treasure. The gang met Verona while they were investigating the Creepy Keeper, with Velma being rubbed the wrong way due to Verona's similarities to her, as well as her arrogant attitude towards her. She also looked down on Fred's choice of traps, which upset Fred.
Verona trapped Crusty later in the episode, who revealed his role, but--as Velma pointed out--did not confess to being the Creepy Keeper. Seeing Daphne fawn over the long underwear that Verona gave her reminded Velma that the mystery wasn't over, and they set out to trap the Keeper. After Fred's trap fails, Verona (in her disguise) chased the group into the lighthouse, where Fred lassoed her while the villainess was clutching Scooby by his tail. Her defeat came when Shaggy accidentally turned on the main light, which caused Verona to fall over and hang by her waist, where she was unmasked by Velma. Following the reveal, the evil Verona snarled that she didn't count on Velma actually defeating her, and desperately attempted to convince the gang that she, along with Velma, knew about the van of storm chasers driving around the area. Verona was later arrested (off-screen).
==Personality==
*Verona Dempsey was portrayed in the episode as a villainous rival for Velma Dinkley, having shared a lot of Velma's traits: wearing glasses, intellect, short hair, and uttering "Jinkers" opposite Velma's "Jinkies." However, Verona is quite condescending and arrogant, often believing she's smarter than those around her, especially Velma.
==Trivia==
*Verona's villainous alter-ego, the Creepy Keeper, was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
*Ironically, Grey DeLisle also voices Daphne Blake, and has since 2001. She previously voiced another ​What's New, Scooby Doo? villainess in Season Two, portraying the evil Mademoiselle Chantal, and she voiced Galina Korzhakov later in Season Three. She also voiced the evil Mama Mione in the 2014 film, Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy and greedy villainess Mrs. Malvo from 2019's Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost.
*Grey voiced another Scooby-Doo villainess when she lent her voice to the evil Holly Graham in the video game, Scooby Doo! Night of 1000 Frights and appeared in Be Cool, Scooby Doo! as Nate's villainous mother, evil assistant Carli, the villainous Mrs. Clune, the scheming Lori Logan, maniacal villainess Bubby, scheming mastermind Lori Walsh, greedy villainesses Ms. Anja, Mrs. Baker, and Karen, and recurring villainess Rose.
*Grey DeLisle is perhaps best known for voicing evil babysitter Vicky on The Fairly OddParents, and she has also voiced Azula on Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Mitzy on Johnny Bravo.
==Gallery==
Verona Disguise.jpg|Verona as the Creepy Keeper
Verona Reveal.jpg|Verona's villainous reveal
Category:2000s
Category:Blonde
Category:Bondage Used On Villainess
Category:Business Villainess
Category:Conspirator
Category:Deceiver
Category:Glasses
Category:Greedy
Category:Master of Disguise
Category:Villainous Reveal
Category:Western Animation Villainess
Category:Fate: Arrested