Johnny Cuba

**Johnny Cuba the Vicious Steam Freighter** was one of the antagonists of the SeventyVerse's TUGS spinoff series.

## Backstory

Long ago, Johnny Cuba was a good friend to Captain Zero, that is, until something happened that ruined their friendship and Captain Zero had since forbidden his tugs from ever having anything to do with him again.

Johnny had arrived in Bigg City Port to make plans with fellow criminal friends during a period of strong and troublesome tempest weather. He threatened Zebedee and manipulated him into helping him into the port unnoticed.

Johnny sent Zebedee on an errand to steal a barge of coal for him, and threatened to sink him if he landed either of them in trouble. Due to Johnny and Captain Zero's feud that occurred in the past, Zebedee was placed in an awkward and dangerous situation, until Hercules discovered Johnny's hideout in an abandoned dock. He attempted to escape, but Zebedee stuck up the courage to ram him against the quayside, handling him to the authorities.

He later appeared in *The Missing Barge*, waiting for goods in the estuary, but Sunshine gave the crates to Cappy. While Sunshine received praise, the tanker that contained his goods was arrested.

Johnny Cuba later returned in *The Return of Johnny Cuba*, where he manipulated Little Owl in framing Zebedee, Zip, Zug and Zilly for treason. However, he was caught by Ten Cents, Top Hat, Zorran, Zob, Pisces, Puffa, Mr. Lloyd, Peeper Pipes and Snowy. He then tried to escape but the five tugboats and two engines held him back whilst Hail bought a barge over, thinking it was Green Water to sedate him. However, as the Green Water went in Johnny's system, he groaned in pain as his systems failed and he fell completely silent. Captain Lucky then discovered that the Green Water was in fact Black Water and Johnny Cuba had given a Final Firing, much to Hail's horror. While Hail went to Lucky's for counseling, Jacob Burke and Ebenezer Blair took Johnny Cuba's remains away. An investigation revealed that a worker had repainted the barge green to make it look like it was Green Water in the hopes one of the tugs would take it and give to Johnny Cuba. The worker was then arrested for murder.

## Relationships

### Captain Zero

Johnny Cuba and Captain Zero used to be friends until Captain Zero sold him out.

### Zebedee

Johnny Cuba threatened Zebedee to do his bidding until Zebedee gained the courage to stand up to him.

## Personality

Johnny Cuba was a notorious and violent criminal. He was feared by most of the tugs including the Z-Stacks. He threatened Zebedee with sinking him if he did not help with his criminal practices. He also tried to escape Hercules until Zebedee stopped him. He was trapped and then locked up.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Johnny Cuba is based on a coastal steamer.

### Livery

Johnny Cuba's livery consists of a dark blue hull, a white superstructure and a tricolor funnel of red, yellow and black with rust all over him.

## Differences Between TUGS, Salty's Lighthouse and the SeventyVerse

* In *TUGS* and the SeventyVerse, Johnny Cuba is a vicious gangster who has a score to settle with Captain Zero (although *Nothing to Declare* showed him with a good streak in him). In *Salty's Lighthouse*, he is renamed Steamer and a lonely ship instead of a vicious gangster.
	+ Because Johnny Cuba was dead by the time of Nothing to Declare, he was replaced by Nantucket.

## Trivia

* As both Mike O'Malley, Johnny Cuba's *TUGS* voice actor, and French Tickner, Johnny Cuba's *Salty's Lighthouse* voice actor, have passed away in 2005 and 2021 respectively, the preferred voice actor for Johnny Cuba is Scott McNeil, who voiced Zorran in *Salty's Lighthouse*.