Ethan 'Bubblegum' Tate (voiced by Phil LaMarr) is a renowned physicist and the leader of the Globetrotters, who once randomly challenged Earth to defend its honor by playing a game of basketball for no reason (which was a parody of the film Space Jam, and also a reference to the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series). Tate is one of "the finest scientific minds in the universe", according to Professor Farnsworth. He is also a senior lecturer in physics at Globetrotter University. He has appeared in many episodes with the rest of the team, but also made a solo appearance in several episodes.