What Happened To Whataburger's Superhero Mascot?

There's a lot to love about Whataburger. The Texas-based fast food chain is open 24 hours and serves breakfast from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., meaning you can order a Triple Meat Whataburger for breakfast or a pancake platter at midnight. And how could we forget Whataburger's famous fancy ketchup and dreamy Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit?

But even the biggest "Whatafan" might not know that much about the chain's elusive superhero mascot: Whataguy. After making his first appearance in the summer of 1999 with a stated mission of "protecting flavor, freshness, and the Whataburger way," per the Whataburger website, Whataguy has shown up in Whataburger marketing materials only occasionally and has made very sporadic appearances at Whataburger locations and sporting events.

The infrequency of Whataguy's appearances has led many Whatafans to wonder if he still exists and if he will ever return. But Whataguy hasn't gone anywhere — he has made recent appearances on Whataburger's social media and he was even featured as a non-playable character in Whataburger's branded Fortnite map and tournament in July 2024 (but that's an article for another time).

Whataguy is pretty much your standard superhero fast food mascot. He typically wears Whataburger's signature color scheme: an orange and white bodysuit with a W emblazoned across his chest, an orange and white striped cape, and a stormtrooper-style helmet. That iconic orange color is meant to make Whataburger's buildings stand out as much as possible, and we can only assume it does the same for Whataguy as he flies through the sky.

After making his first appearance on Whataburger kids meal bags in 1999, Whataguy appeared in Whatacomix, toys, and games alongside his sidekicks, Addaboy and Lil'W — together, they form the Whatateam. According to Whatacomix, Whataguy spends his days doing standard superhero stuff: helping old ladies cross the street, plucking burgers out of trees, stopping petty litterers in their tracks, that kind of thing. More recently, Whataguy has taken on a new role as the mascot of Whataburger's Feeding Student Success program, which provides scholarships and other resources to students and communities in need.

According to the Whataburger website, Whataguy's superpowers have expanded with age, and he can now appear at multiple locations simultaneously (kind of like Santa Claus). However, Whataguy seems to be rarely exercising this newfound multipresence — his public appearances are famously sparse. Whataguy does make frequent cameos on the Whataburger Museum of Art Instagram page, which collects and shares Whataburger-inspired artwork. And when he shows up in Whataburger marketing, people get excited. On a recent Instagram post promoting Whataburger's Fortnite tournament, in which Whataguy made a brief appearance, one commenter exclaimed, "Whataguy referenced?!?"

Although he enjoys a much lower profile than flashier fast food mascots such as Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders, Whataguy probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon. His reclusiveness has become part of his appeal, making his appearances all the more special. So if you are lucky enough to run into Whataguy at one of Whataburger's 1000-plus locations, you can really say "What a day!"