Carl Robinson

 In construction 

Carl Robinson (born: Carl, the Count of Firenza) is one of the heroes debuted in LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow & Sword of Kings Crossover - The Corbin Files, whose origin story and life story were explained one by one in the crossover, as well as LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow - Death Arc and the upcoming crossover, Firenza Junior, where he was the titular main protagonist and the temporary secondary antagonist. However, in Conquest Arc, Carl had became a major antagonist by turning into the Horseman of Conquest by a revived Moloch.

By the end of LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow - Pandora Saga, after the death of the Hidden One and departure of Pandora, Carl willingly to return back to his own time to warn Maria about the Elemental Evil's plan, making Maria to return back into the time and stop Michael from altering the timeline by bringing back Moloch's reign of terror. As the time progressed, Carl started to open himself and became more affectionate, but he still held no mercy to his enemies whatsoever and is always holds sides and ideology before reason. He serves as a foil to Maria, with the latter tended to be merciful to most of her enemies if they're forgivable. Even so, Carl would give his enemies merciful death if they had a reason, but he still stated that he hated anyone who stood against him.

Believing that sparing enemies would make them escaped and commit crimes once more, Carl is not beyond killing and torturing criminals in order to gain information. His endurance is also inhumane, as he survived being run over three times by Dark Arzonia who drove a over-speed vehicle. In addition to his abnormal body, he has a nerve of steel as he closed himself after the demise of his foster parents, who he witnessed to be killed by Maria (but it later revealed that she was coerced by Arzonia Brothers, while Nio Hashiri) was the one truly responsible for such devastation. In fact, Carl is like a futuristic counterpart to Jenny Mills, who also gone rogue and regardless on law after she was victimized by the overall selfishness and apathy of Sleepy Hollow citizens.

Carl Robinson is considered as a more extreme example to people like Katarina Couteau, Azul Jissele and Maria Arzonia, who were known as three of most fearsome ladies in The Rogues as well as former anti-heroines. In contrast to those three who later all became Pure of Heart, Carl never had his anti-heroic traits abandoned and always prone on his own agenda of revenge, even after being accepted by La Nueva Familia de Arzonia, saying he would carry his vengeance to his grave so that people will not get hurt. Carl suffers from Black and White Insanity, regarding all those who never supports his actions as enemies and would prone to kill them if he wants. Therefore, Carl is the first true combination of a Rogue Protagonist and a Villain Protagonist in the entire CIS Productions Storyline.

After he realized the truth within his family, Carl's darker and more cynical side started to take him over. He became frosty and sociopathic, regarding revenge before reason when he joined into the battle. Carl is often considered as the calamity's avatar itself, being the darkest member of Team Witness ever as his rage would gone wild and attack anyone in sight with sheer blind rage as well as brute force. Even if he maintains his trace of a high-functioning sociopath, Carl became mildly softer and more compassionate when he got in touch with his best friends, Maria Arzonia and Matt Butcher, who considered him as a brother.

In front of a stranger whom Carl is hardly trust, Carl prefers to call himself a free agent. However, as for those whom he trusted, he genuinely considers them as people on his side. Overall, Carl considers himself as neither a hero nor a villain, just a warrior doing for what he feels he he should do. Deep inside his mind, Carl is considered as someone who desired to be needed, and his worst fear was being abandoned and erased from people's mind even if he was still alive, as his heart was filled with insecurity. Therefore, despite his cold and lonesome personality, Carl was in fact having a fragile mind. After all, Carl was just another victim of Moloch and suffered from all sort of ordeals ever since the beginning.

Data
 
 * 66400343_p0_master1200.jpgName: Carl Robinson
 * Nationality: British - English
 *  Gender: Male  
 * Classification: A+
 *  Age: 27 years old in LOTM: Crossover - The Corbin Files 
 *  Powers and Abilities: Half-demon power, Superhuman strength, Superhuman Endurance, Durability, Speed, Brute Force, Stamina, Blade using, martial arts, torture, guns, mutated arm, demomic energy, nerves of steel, great will power, determination, pragmatic combact, heat wave endurance, freeze endurance, fighting skills, military skills, agility 
 *  Weaknesses: Cynicism, brutality, wrathful personality, Black-and-White insanity, arrogance, wrath 
 *  Destructive Capacity: Universe level+ 
 *  Range: Planetary X+ 
 *  Speed: Massively FTL+  (can be compared to a meteorite passing beside Earth in the speed of light) 
 *  Durability: Planet Level +A, can survive all sorts of critical attack, including being run over three times by the same car in a reckless speed; even shooting him in point blank range would just put him into a brief coma instead of killing him 
 *  Strength: Class 10,000+ (full power), can be increased greatly by the deaths and brutalization he causes, making him a lot more physicially powerful than even Maria Arzonia 
 *  Stamina: Theoretically limitless and can fight for eternity, unless he was confused by enemies 
 *  Standard Equipment: Firenza Arm, Sword of Execution 
 *  Intelligence: Normal intellegence, but it would be enhanced whenever he stays calm and docile 
 *  Summary: Chaotic Neutral Vigilante; Crime Fighter 
 *  IQ: 100+ 
 *  Notable Attacks/Techniques: 
 * - Knock-Out Bomber: Carl raised his arms and slammed his enemies with two fists, slamming them several meters away into the air and hit them in the midair. 

Name
Carl is a North Germanic male name meaning "strong man" or "free man". The name originates in Scandinavia. The name equates royal status; it is the first name of many Kings of Sweden including Carl XVI Gustaf. It is popular in Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and was largely popularized in the United States by Scandinavian descendants.

Robinson is an English language patronymic surname, originating in England. It means "son of Robin (a diminutive of Robert)". There are similar surname spellings such as Robison and Robeson. Robinson is the 15th most common surname in the United Kingdom. According to the 1990 United States Census, Robinson was the twentieth most frequently encountered surname among those reported, accounting for 0.23% of the population.

Meaning of Firenza
Carl's true family name, Firenza, was a play on two words that both have Italian ancestry.
 * The first word is Firenze, which is Italian word meaning Florence, the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the Metropolitan City of Florence. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages". A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini.
 * The word was originated from Latin word Florentia, meaning "flowering".
 * The second word is influenza, which, in English, means an acute contagious disease of the upper airways and lungs, caused by a virus, which rapidly spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics. In Italian, the word inflenza means influence in English.

Development
Unlike Matt who was merely reshaped in his physical appearance when he appeared in Firenza Junior, in order to fit his heroic theme, Carl underwent several steps of developments, from a misunderstood and abused man to a mighty hero, until the author thought it was too simple since the example of Katarina Couteau was there, and the original design of Carl was too similar to Katarina. Then, the author wanted him to become a more villainous and more complex protagonist who switched his side several times due to he lost his way after being inspired by Kratos, the protagonist of God of War. While Matt's physical design out of his soldier uniform was still uncertain, Officer had already conceived an idea of Carl's appearance. The final physical design of Carl was ensured before the final design of Matt came out, being a young man with black hair and demonic arm, mutated due to his evil blood. When Carl was presented in The Corbin Files, Officer had already attempted to design Firenza Junior spinoff with Carl as the titular protagonist fighting against the evil Melancholia, who is the most loyal right-hand of Michael Langdon.

At first, the blood substance of Firenza Family Curse remained a mystery until the storyline LOTM: Sword of Kings had a hint of The Blackness, and then Officer decided to solve the mystery by pointing out the Blackness inside Carl's blood via Melancholia. The Blackness could be manipulated by Moloch since he battled against Ara Astaroth and knew how to manipulate the Blackness. Therefore, Moloch managed to curse the male line of Firenza Family bloodline with the Blackness Curse, and therefore some part of the Qliphoth demons lived inside its latest descendant, Carl, making him known as the Devil's Child. Therefore, arguably Moloch is the Evil Carl's true father.

Malice of Moloch

 * Main Article: Malice of Moloch

What was worse, the Blackness itself began to shape itself inside Carl due to Moloch's soul ability, and a demonic shadow made of nothing but pure evil, selfishness and hatred took form inside Carl and took over his soul. It was known as the Malice of Moloch, who is similar to The Fallen's Essence. It was made from Moloch's malicious soul and became the only representation of Moloch's soul after his defeat in the Old Timeline, struck by Henry Parrish with a sword.

Therefore, it could be arguably said that Moloch was still alive inside the body of Carl via the Blackness, influencing him to do evil bidding until he finally consumed his sanity and took over him. Michael Langdon and Melancholia was aware of this, and so they planned to manipulate Carl via making the Malice of Moloch take over him.

Eventually, due to Melancholia's manipulation, Carl's soul merged with the Malice of Moloch after the host gave up his humanity and sanity (representing via the crucifix given to him by Maria in order to bless him) before locking it inside his mind, allowing the Malice of Moloch taking over him fully and was ready to strike against those who had wronged him (or at least he thought).

Outside of helping Michael to achieve his goal to bring Moloch's will to a future era where he was destroyed, Melancholia had another purpose when she did this manipulation to Carl in order to feel like manipulating Moloch to do her bidding so that she could spit on the real Moloch for killing her family and friends in front of her.

During Conquest Arc, the Malice of Moloch also led Carl to see a vision from the Horseman of Conquest, and it drove Carl to accept the Horseman mantle. What was more, the Moloch's Malice would become Michael's key to reshape the original Moloch's shattered soul, right after the original Moloch was cast back to Purgatory and weakened. The original Moloch would merge with the Malice of Moloch from Carl after the host became useless. Moloch's Malice became the only thing that fully represented Moloch's influence in World War III, and that influence was delivered via Carl, the boy he had cursed so many years ago.

Introduction
At first, Carl was presented as just a normal soldier who had no special talents or power and befriended Matt Butcher, but soon it became clear of his accursed arm that was affected by one of many types of Croatoan Virus sending into him via Moloch's curse that tainted his family blood of his father's line. After knowing his true parentage, plus the feelings of despair formed due to the desertion by some of his former comrades, the inner darkness within Carl would soon consume him. By driven Carl into his own despair, Melancholia managed to make Carl's inner darkness within his blood to get stronger.

Overall, Carl Robinson's reputation among his allies was highly controversial, since he once was suppose to be a hero but later turned into a treacherous villain for several times despite because of many things inside his dark side - his thirst for power, his fear of being abandoned, his distrust upon others and even himself, his traumatic experience of being cursed and abused, his selfish intentions, the disappointment towards law itself as well as other corrupting effects of The Blackness inside his blood, which was found and stirred by Melancholia who set up the death of Mary Spencer by Carl's hand, which broke the bond and trust between Carl and Esther, changing both of their lives forever and driving Carl insane by manipulating him of abandoning his emotions.



Carl's villainy came from several reasons in his past, which Cain Nightroad later managed to dig out via traveling into Carl's mind palace. The reason that Carl killed Mary Spencer was because Spencer betrayed and deceived him in his hunt against Carissa, making him to fall into a trap set up all along. Carl was also mad about Spencer's attempt to kill his only childhood friend, Matt Butcher, and thus considered her as an evil traitor.

The reason that Carl never followed Maria Arzonia was also revealed by Cain. It was in fact Carl had met Maria when he saw her killed his adoptive parents. Unknowing that Maria was actually coerced by Arzonia Brothers, Carl regarded Maria's killing his foster parents as some sort of murder, and he was upset that Maria tended not to seek vengeance or use sheer violence on their enemies. Therefore, Carl never trusted Maria when she persuaded him to join Catholic Rebels. Under being brainwashed by Cain, Carl even berated Maria was a hypocrite who tried to build a family for herself by ripping others' family away from them.



For many years, Carl lied to himself on many turns of events on him in order to protect others from being harmed, and he believed in his own lies so much that he even cannot tell which was true or which was false. Even so, Cain used his abilities to see through Carl's lies, revealing the truth behind all of Carl's torments as well as his bitter attitude towards Maria. Even knowing that Maria never willing to kill Carl's adoptive parents, Cain manipulated Carl's inner darkness and urged him to succumb into this by persuading him to outright fight against Maria, claiming that she murdered his adoptive parents in purpose. Cain's lies and his corrupting influence eventually made Carl to become one with Langdon Orphans.

Carl was also craved to the Grand Grimoire so that he could go back to the past and seek vengeance on Pandora, without even caring that his true enemy, just as Maria pointed out, was none other than Eckidina KnightWalker. All he cared about after the incident would soon turned solely revenge upon Pandora, whom he (falsely) blamed his accursed blood upon her, ignoring Maria's pledge that the time traveling would be dangerous and Carl's reckless actions would hardly change everything. That's how and why Melancholia used this personality flaw in Carl, and she made Cain to manipulate Carl so that he would give in to his inner darkness, brainwashing him and tried to make him a monster like her.

When Matt confronted Carl about this after the latter had committed a manslaughter of great scale upon the Black Army only trying to find the Grand Grimoire, Carl tried to dissuade Matt from trying to confront Eckidina KnightWalker, since now Carl saw no justice in this war, and he would create his own justice and rewrite his fate.

Even so, due to the sacrifice of Noelle Bor who confessed the Arzonia Family's love to Carl, Carl snapped out of Melancholia's brainwashing and refused to stay on Melancholia's good side. He also knew about Maria was forced to kill his parents and realized she was very guilt-ridden about it. In the end, Carl forgave Maria and managed to mend his relationships with Esther and others.

Carl later became a more caring person during the Operation Grand Grimoire, as he willingly to fight for protecting Abel and later the entire world in his battles against Melancholia and FOLIE. He also ended up sacrificing himself to protect Maria from Michael's Traveler's Spell, before encouraging Maria to defeat Eckidina and make every crimes ends on his behalf, showing more selfless side inside him.

Horseman of Conquest
The transformation into the Horseman of Conquests was the first terrible turn of event happened on Carl ever since he arrived in Sleepy Hollow. Due to sensing the Malice of Moloch inside Carl, the original Moloch in Purgatory made Walter Watermelon and Gladius Grapefruit, two of his own agent hiding within the Order of Flourish, to send Dark Arzonia from Planet Sorensen-444 to Earth, trying to capture Carl for his next project. Dark Arzonia was an evil counterpart to Maria Arzonia who was affiliated to Moloch, and she used her sheer resemblance to Carl in order to capture him. Even so, Carl saw through Dark Arzonia's lies and fought with her in order to capture Carl, and Carl was defeated after a deadly battle against her.

Carl was later made into the Horseman of Conquest / Pestilence after being taken over by the Conquest's spirit, who tried to convince him that Carl would show his true value via turning into the Horseman. Carl rebuffed the Conquest, but he was pressed by Moloch's immense power combining the brainwashing magic cast upon him by drow witches, including the likes of Jasmine Porcelain and Malice Do'Urden.

In the end, Carl was forced to become a host to the Horseman of Conquest, but Moloch only tried to use him as a tool to bring the Coratoan Virus of Roanoke back into Sleepy Hollow for his further plan. What was more, Christine Van Bilj planned to kill more of townspeople in order to feed their soul to the Malice of Moloch in case Moloch was defeated, so that she could bring Moloch back to life, just as Michael Langdon originally planned.

Fortunately, Carl then cast both the Malice of Moloch and the spirit of Conquest from his body, redeeming himself once and for all, but the Horseman of Conquest's mantle was taken by Dark Arzonia, who was revealed to use Carl as a pawn from the beginning, while the Malice of Moloch was used by Dark Arzonia in bringing back Moloch's full power and release him fully from Purgatory. Despite this, upon Carl being relieved from his Horseman mantle, the final stage of his redemption had completed.

New Personality
After he was saved from Cain Knightlord's control by Maria after the Battle in Star of Bethlehem, Carl started to show some of his side with more empathy, after Maria tearfully confessed her sins to him as he was pretending to fall sleep (as he was unable to do so due to Noelle Bor's demise), as she revealed that Carl's parents died with a smile on their face and wished their son to move on, before giving Carl a vision inside her own memory of Mind Palace. With shock, Carl saw Maria's painful experience on killing Mr. and Mrs. Robinson. He also heard Maria's remorse upon pulling the trigger that killed Carl's foster parents, before she plunged her head on knees and drunk on a box of fresh milk (as a replacement of alcohol) to calm herself down.

As he was unable to fall asleep due to his inner guilt for what he did, Carl heard Maria's words full of remorse, sympathy and atonement, realizing that Maria tried to do something right to atone her sins, and she really cared about him as a sibling. Therefore, the next day, Carl woke up and called Maria her first name with affections, much to Maria's surprise and relief. That is the very same moment that Carl let go his hatred towards Maria and forgave her. As Arzonia Brothers and Nio Hashiri were dead, Carl knew his foster parents were avenged, and then he trusted Maria as his sister instead of some kind of rival he distrusted.

The two later bonded together, and Carl had a more optimistic view on life, forming a Sugar and Ice Personality inside him. In spite of this, due to his issue concerning his biological father and the Malice of Moloch was unresolved, Carl still showed melancholy on his life, but with more empathy. When Maria looked at the starry sky of night in Madrid, feeling sad for the old days passed, Carl lamented that he also wished to see things went back to normal, but he stopped in the middle of the sentence, knowing there was no way back for himself, Maria and others. Only fighting for future will save the world.

Carl's reformation then progressed after being released from the Horseman of Conquest's mantle and the Malice of Moloch's possession, and he finally snapped out of his cynical side once and for all after he destroyed the Hidden One, who attempted to kill him when he was a child. He smiled more than before. Like his monstrous arm with returned back to its normal shape after the Hidden One's death, Carl's nature, too, was slowly progressed back to his original personality prior to his capture, when he was still a cheerful and honorable young man, who is more helpful. He also shows more concern on his new friends in Team Witness and became warmer as a result of his dark past being let go.

However, due to his traumatizing experiences that scarred him fatefully, Carl still retained dark traits and still believed in Social Darwinist ideas of Langdon Orphans even after the demise of the Hidden One, shown when he quote Michael's infamous motto, "Weaklings can't even choose the way they die!", to Marlos Urnayle, all the while holding a sadistic smile.

Another dark trait which remains inside him is his contempt towards failure, shown as an infamous trait of Moloch, and he combined it with Maria's traits of apologizing a lot with it and brings them Up to Eleven. Instead of punishing others, Carl will unleash his intolerance on failure by putting severe punishment on himself, preventing himself from becoming someone like Moloch. In another words, Carl will even severely punish himself when someone failed him and his plan, even to the point saying there's no place for failure on Earth, so he himself is to be blamed first.

While saying these, Carl's expression always showed a streak of darkness, and it brought some feelings of terror that struck fear in the soul of Abbie Mills. According to Abble, she believed that she saw some kind of shadow of Michael Langdon (even Moloch) coming from Carl when he spoke this, which really worried Maria and Matt as they were afraid of Carl losing himself again.

Even so, much to Maria and Matt's relief, Carl never actually lost himself ever again. In spite of maintaining his dark traits of an Anti-Villain, Carl later became more and more opened and talkative as the story progressed. His new personality is a combination of his old personality and his darker personality, which was formed due to being utterly betrayed by his closed one and twisted by Fiamma of the Right's manipulation. That dark personality always walked alongside him like his own shadows, but he started to have an outlook towards the lighter side.

Tarot Motif - XII. Hanged Man & Reversed Hanged Man


"The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figure—from the position of the legs—forms a fylfot cross. There is a nimbus about the head of the seeming martyr. It should be noted (1) that the tree of sacrifice is living wood, with leaves thereon; (2) that the face expresses deep entrancement, not suffering; (3) that the figure, as a whole, suggests life in suspension, but life and not death. [...] It has been called falsely a card of martyrdom, a card of prudence, a card of the Great Work, a card of duty [...] I will say very simply on my own part that it expresses the relation, in one of its aspects, between the Divine and the Universe."

- The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, A. E. Waite, the designer of the Rider-Waite tarot deck

The Hanged Man (XII) is the twelfth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.

It depicts a 'pittura infamante' (pronounced [pitˈtuːra iɱfaˈmante]), an image of a man being hanged upside-down by one ankle. This method of hanging was a common punishment at the time for traitors in Italy.

However, the solemn expression on his face traditionally suggests that he is there by his own accord, and the card is meant to represent self-sacrifice more so than it does corporal punishment or criminality.

In other interpretations, The Hanged Man is a depiction of the Norse god Odin, who suspended himself from a tree in order to gain knowledge. There is also a Christian interpretation that portrays Judas, and include the bags of silver in his hands.

A 1393 decree for Milan and Lombardy of the punishment for traitors: “Let him be drug [dragged] on a [wooden] plank at a horse’s tail to the place of execution, and there be suspended by one foot to the gallows, and be left there until he is dead. As long as he lives let him be given food and drink.”

Modern versions of the tarot deck depict a man hanging upside-down by one foot. The figure is most often suspended from a wooden beam (as in a cross or gallows) or a tree. Ambiguity results from the fact that the card itself may be viewed inverted. There is a halo burning brightly around the hanged man's head, signifying a higher learning or an enlightenment.

The Hanged Man Arcana can represent ultimate altruism and the self-sacrifice one must make in order to save or redeem another, all in the name of greater good. The reverse Hanged Man means that one cannot make any decision and go forward in life. preferring to remain egotistical and selfish.

In Tarot readings, the upright Hanged Man can refer to a deep reflection over one's upcoming actions, to not rush towards them and thus to succeed in these actions.

Personal Information
All information of Carl Robinson, such as his hobbies, his favourite things, etc


 * Reckless.Fist.(Raven).full.1520666.jpgFavorite Color:
 * Black and orange
 * Favorite Foods:
 * English afternoon tea
 * Favorite clothes:
 * Armors
 * Favorite hobbies:
 * Staying alone, wandering, training, beating enemies, keeping silent
 * Favorite allies:
 * ​Matt Butcher, Acqua of the Back, Katarina Couteau, Maria Arzonia, Jellal Fernandes, Chinatsu, Sister Mary Eunice, Daniel Reynolds, Ichabod Crane, Abbie Mills, Kathrine Sforza, Vento of the Front, Plaisir, Katrina Crane, La Folia Rihavein, Imperia Deamonne, Noelle Bor, Joe Corbin, Jenny Mills, Nick Hawley, Sophie Foster, Diana Thomas, Villian, Molly Thomas, Lara Thomas, Esther Blanchett, Aerisi Kalinoth, Eve Fullbuster
 * Favorite enemies:
 * None
 * Likes:
 * Being trusted, family, fighting with Matt Butcher in a duel, fighting enemies, participating into actions, being appreciated and acknowledged, freedom, revenge
 * Religion:
 * ​Neutral on all religion
 * Hates:
 * Fanatics, fire, war, satanism, human experiments, assassins, mercenaries, Nazis, fascists, Dark Empires, liars, serial killers, perverts, Yoga, rapists, jeans, destroyers of worlds, slavers, corrupt politicians, greedy people, weak-minded people, warmongers, corrupt priests, dictators, evil demons, evil angels, Triggers Hell, coffee beans, lover stealers, Leohart's Cult, DEM Empire, Sith Empire, Balam Alliance, troublemakers, bully, bullying, juvenile delinquents, genocidal tyrants, aristocrats, serial killers, people who tried to harm her family, people who had no regards of traditions, people who had no regards of history, skepticism, being called as Firenza Junior, being captured, being locked up, being ordered, being oppressed
 * Favorite music:
 * Rock
 * Age:
 * 27 years old
 * Hated allies:
 * Sumireko Hanabusa, Mahiru "Shinya" Banba, Mary Spencer
 * Hated enemies:
 * All of his enemies

Carl
In his normal appearance, Carl had no strange feature other than mutated arm which he had to hide it beneath bandages unless he used it to kill his enemies. Carl is also unusually tall and strong, having strength and endurance in a scale of superhuman which helped him to endure all kinds of ordeal, at least physically.

Carl was born with black and white hair as well as a pair of orange eyes and light tan skin. The white hair was resembling the white skin color of Moloch's base form, hinting that the Malice of Moloch was living inside him. He usually had little to no emotions on his face other than wrath as well as seriousness, hinting his nature of being the only one of the four Catholic Rebels top executives who is void from having any sense of humor. He hardly ever smiles, and his face looked utterly horrible when he became angry, whether in a form of a burst of rage or a cold, intimidating stare.

When Carl was going berserk and taken over by his inner darkness and madness, his hair would turn completely white as if it was bleached. His eyes will turn golden and his face will become menacing and his body would shone in orange aura as if he caught fire. He would widened his eyes like crazy and ranting while foaming, like some kind of rabid dog.

New Personality
Judging to his newly-formed white hair and cold blue eyes, which were once orange to begin with, Carl's new personality seemed less violent and brutal than the original, but in fact it's just a subtle disguise to hide his violent and merciless tendency deep inside his calculated facade. Instead of making Carl seemed more gentle, it only made Carl even more menacing and terrifying to whoever that met him.

Carl can also control his inner power. With his own free will, Carl now can make his mutated arm back into a lot more human-like arm, and vice versa. Carl now wore a long brown trenchcoat instead of armor he used to wear, and it managed to make him seemed much more modest and composed.

Psychopathy
Psychopaths are people who exhibit a constellation of antisocial personality disorder traits which include antisocial, sadistic, narcissistic, and borderline behaviour, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships and extreme egocentricity. They also do not learn from failure and take it out on others. Psychopathy is sometimes used synonymously with sociopathy, is traditionally defined as a personality disorder characterized by persistent impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, dis-inhibited, egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been used throughout history. These conceptions are only partly overlapping and may sometimes be contradictory.

Sadism
Sadism involves gaining pleasure from seeing others undergo discomfort or pain. The opponent-process theory explains the way in which individuals not only display, but also take enjoyment in committing sadistic acts.[clarification needed] Individuals possessing sadistic personalities tend to display recurrent aggression and cruel behavior. Sadism can also include the use of emotional cruelty, purposefully manipulating others through the use of fear, and a preoccupation with violence.

There were four sub-types of sadism, which he termed Enforcing sadism, Explosive sadism, Spineless sadism, and Tyrannical sadism.

Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder (MPD), is a mental disorder characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring identities or dissociated personality states that alternately show in a person's behavior, accompanied by memory impairment for important information not explained by ordinary forgetfulness. These symptoms are not accounted for by substance abuse, seizures, other medical conditions, nor by imaginative play in children. Diagnosis is often difficult as there is considerable co-morbidity with other mental disorders. Malingering should be considered if there is possible financial or forensic gain, as well as factitious disorder if help-seeking behavior is prominent.

DID is one of the most controversial psychiatric disorders, with no clear consensus on diagnostic criteria or treatment. Research on treatment efficacy has been concerned primarily with clinical approaches and case studies. Dissociative symptoms range from common lapses in attention, becoming distracted by something else, and daydreaming, to pathological dissociative disorders. No systematic, empirically supported definition of "dissociation" exists.

Bipolarity Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental disorder with periods of depression and periods of elevated mood. The elevated mood is significant and is known as mania or hypo-mania, depending on its severity, or whether symptoms of psychosis are present. During mania, an individual behaves or feels abnormally energetic, happy, or irritable.

Individuals often make poorly thought out decisions with little regard to the consequences. The need for sleep is usually reduced during manic phases. During periods of depression, there may be crying, a negative outlook on life, and poor eye contact with others.

The risk of suicide among those with the illness is high at greater than 6 percent over 20 years, while self-harm occurs in 30–40 percent. Other mental health issues such as anxiety disorders and substance use disorder are commonly associated.

Childhood Amnesia
Childhood amnesia, also called infantile amnesia, is the inability of adults to retrieve episodic memories which are memories of specific events (times, places, associated emotions, and other contextual who, what, when, and where) before the age of 2–4 years, as well as the period before age 10 of which adults retain fewer memories than might otherwise be expected given the passage of time. The development of a cognitive self is also thought by some to have an effect on encoding and storing early memories.

Some research has demonstrated that children can remember events from the age of 1, but that these memories may decline as children get older. Most psychologists differ in defining the offset of childhood amnesia. Some define it as the age from which a first memory can be retrieved. This is usually at the age of 3 or 4, but it can range from 2 to 8 years. Changes in encoding, storage and retrieval of memories during early childhood are all important when considering childhood amnesia. Some other research shows differences between gender and culture, which is implicated in the development of language. Childhood amnesia is particularly important to consider in regard to false memories and the development of the brain in early years. Proposed explanations of childhood amnesia are Freud's trauma theory (which is not supported by evidence and is generally discredited), neurological development, development of the cognitive self, emotion and language.

Post-Traumatic Amnesia
Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a state of confusion that occurs immediately following a traumatic brain injury in which the injured person is disoriented and unable to remember events that occur after the injury. The person may be unable to state his or her name, where he or she is, and what time it is. When continuous memory returns, PTA is considered to have resolved. While PTA lasts, new events cannot be stored in the memory. About a third of patients with mild head injury are reported to have "islands of memory", in which the patient can recall only some events. During PTA, the patient's consciousness is "clouded". Because PTA involves confusion in addition to the memory loss typical of amnesia, the term "post-traumatic confusional state" has been proposed as an alternative.

There are two types of amnesia: retrograde amnesia (loss of memories that were formed shortly before the injury) and anterograde amnesia (problems with creating new memories after the injury has taken place). Both retrograde and anterograde forms may be referred to as PTA, or the term may be used to refer only to anterograde amnesia.

Explosive Sadism
People having this form of sadistic personality are known to be unpredictably violent as they are disappointed or frustrated with their general lives. They lose control when they feel humiliated and/or hopeless and seek retribution for the deprecation and mistreatment to which they sense they have been subjected to. These violent behaviors get expressed through fearsome attacks and tantrums on others, especially on family members, and through uncontrollable rage. Normally, the explosive sadists feel suddenly threatened in some given situation and then shock others by the abruptly changing behavior. These sadists do not generally move about in grumpy or surly manner and as a result it is difficult to know what might set them off. Although the violence that gets released is nearly always directed at a particular individual, it primarily serves as a form of emotional release for the pent up feelings that the sadist had been holding inside himself or herself.

Delusional Disorder
Delusional disorder is a mental illness in which the patient presents with delusions, but with no accompanying prominent hallucinations, thought disorder, mood disorder, or significant flattening of affect. Delusions are a specific symptom of psychosis. Delusions can be "bizarre" or "non-bizarre" in content; non-bizarre delusions are fixed false beliefs that involve situations that could potentially occur in real life, such as being followed or poisoned. Apart from their delusions, people with delusional disorder may continue to socialize and function in a normal manner and their behavior does not generally seem odd. However, the preoccupation with delusional ideas can be disruptive to their overall lives. For the diagnosis to be made, auditory and visual hallucinations cannot be prominent, though olfactory or tactile hallucinations related to the content of the delusion may be present.

Paranoia
Paranoia is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself (e.g. "Everyone is out to get me"). Paranoia is distinct from phobias, which also involve irrational fear, but usually no blame. Making false accusations and the general distrust of others also frequently accompany paranoia. For example, an incident most people would view as an accident or coincidence, a paranoid person might believe was intentional. It is characterized by an unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. Paranoid individuals constantly suspect the motives of those around them, and believe that certain individuals, or people in general, are out to get them.

Early life
Carl is the son of Duke Firenza, a corrupt British Royal Members involved in many scandals. Even though the Duke was corrupt, however, he still cared for his son very much. Due to an expose to the Dark Mirror by accident, Duke Firenza's blood type was changed and became very special. Carl became the heir to this special blood type and had potential ability to become a new and powerful warlock, but due to his mother being a mortal, his magic power was concealed for many years and could not even to be detect by special device.

When Carl was 4, the Second Tribulation, Pandora, came to London under the Hidden One's order searching for an heir to a special blood type. She managed to drive Duke Firenza insane before sacrificed his soul to the Hidden One. Then, Pandora managed to plant some powerful magic inside his arms and tried to brainwash him so that he could become the Hidden One's loyal puppet. However, her plan failed when Matthew Robinson, a close friend of Katrina Crane and Reverend Knapp, who had escaped to London in order to avoid Lady Van Tassel's remaining minions, arrived with a young Laura Stuart to save him from Pandora and drove her back to Sleepy Hollow. Then, unknowing who the child's parents is, Matthew managed to adopt the child Carl and they lived for many years until he was killed in actions, and Laura Stuart altered the child's memory.

Anti-Heroes Proposal
Unlike Ichabod Crane, Katarina Couteau or Drizzt Do'Urden, Carl Robinson, despite a de facto heroic protagonist, is the only main hero in a story connected with LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow who was some sort of morally ambiguous personality, since he was relentless to kill someone with his power even if there was no need. He even scolded Matt Butcher that the latter "had no guts" to kill anyone who deserves to die. Soon, this shall slowly drove him into blood thirst of revenge. He was somehow turning selfish and extreme after knowing his true parentage. His heart filled with nothing but revenge, and he deemed anyone who was not on his side or refuse to be on his side (even including other heroes) shall be deemed as his enemies, no matter what the reason was. Carl was a person who was very hard to please and he could hardly ever trust anyone that was not on his side. He did not care if his hand was drench his blood as long as he could get his revenge upon Pandora who he thought it was the cause of his corrupt father's death, despite with heroic intentions. However, Carl failed to notice that the Hidden One was the true person responsible for his father's demise. He also could not realize that Moloch was the cause of the curse on his right arm which haunted him throughout his life. He was also stubborn since he only believe what he saw instead of the true words of the Witnesses. His reckless personality had put many people beside him in danger, and his poor judgement of character made him fall for the lies of false allies like Jasmine Porcelain, even Moloch, who was ironically the source of his greatest sorrow. However, despite all he had done, Carl was not villainous. In fact, he was merely some sort of hero who lost his way.

As Carl

 * 26890606_p0.jpg"Once, I blamed you for my father's death... but then I realized that you tried to avoid the death of my father and never wanted to kill me. We should stand on the same side. It will be such a waste for you to be on the side of that megalomaniac... and I believe you can bring miracles as long as you join my side, join our side... to fight for humanity."
 * "I want no mercy. I want my revenge for my father, against the Hidden One, Moloch as well as Michael Langdon. I don't need your help, because I don't want to make you involved into this cesspool of my life. This is my war. I once wanted the conquest upon you, Witnesses who stands in front of my way, but now I will spare you all as long as you stay on my good side. You are all fighting against them, are you not?"
 * "I tell you this - I don't care who you are, but you are either with me or you are against me. If you are against me, even God can't have mercy on your soul. Do you know what it means? I will never ever serve Moloch or Michael Langdon again. From this day on, I will follow my free will. None of you shall tell me what to do. I am always alone and I like to be! I am my own superior."
 * "You're like a crystal, Maria. You show the humanity's heart within you... gently showering it in radiance. However, you can't help caring for other people. Not all humans are good people, Maria. If you ever get an evil patient... who tramples on your feelings... then it's possible your crystal will lose its brilliance, smashed beyond recognition."

As Conquest/Pestilence

 * Join me, Carl. Be my new vessel. Standing in front of you is the famous Horseman of Conquest, he who shall smite the wicked and plunge them into a fiery pit!
 * I am fighting plague with plague, and I will end the misery with the virus combined with my blood even if this means I need to kill... and yes, I know I would.
 * I want no mercy. I want my revenge! This is my war, not yours! I want the conquest upon you, foul Witnesses who stands in front of my way. You are siding with that hag, are you not?
 * I tell you this - I don't care who you are, but you are either with me or you are against me. If you are against me, even God can't have mercy on your soul.
 * Cure? This virus isn't the disease, it's the antidote! It's the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't need a cure. The murderers, thieves, traitors... Ichabod Crane is one of them. When I get out of here - and trust me, I will - he'll be the first that I judge. He, and all the other human garbage that plague this city. All will be tried, convicted and executed! I will purge Sleepy Hollow, and the innocents will thank me! Their savior! Their executioner!
 * You are two pretenders of Witnesses. When I was in danger, I bet you only stood by and watched me as I weep tears in front of you with agony!
 * You know that feeling, Crane, when you've won the battle, but you know you're going to lose the war?

Quotes about Carl

 * "He is such an uncontrollable time bomb unless he controls him with all his might... but I think we could help him with it. He shall be a wonderful ally." - Katherine Sforza
 * "The only thing different between Firenza Junior and Eckidina KnightWalker was Eckidina had no sense of honor." - Francesco di Medici
 * "He sounds so much like myself... if I was a doofus." - Maria Arzonia
 * "Carl is a jerk as much as he is a tormented figure. He wants to be accepted, but many people abandoned him. He wants happiness, but God cannot borrow. He wants honesty. He wants to be happy. Yet this world showed him its ugliness! Why would he love this world!?" - Eva Frankenstein
 * "I wonder if that child will blame me. If I meet him in the future, I would rather say sorry to him than denying the pure misery I caused... upon him. He will kill me... and I have no regrets to allow him kill me." - Pandora

Maria Arzonia
Even working as friends and partners, Carl and Maria's relationships is a lot more frosty compared to that between Maria and Matt. Intending to get closer to Carl as his friend, Maria did everything for Carl and tried to tell Carl the most vital thing was not revenge, but nothing worked since Carl only focused on his own revenge.

Despite she herself wanted to seek vengence upon Michael Langdon, Maria knew the true Public Enemy was Eckidina KnightWalker, and Maria wanted to save others so that she fought against the enemies. Carl, on the other hand, was focusing on his own revenge against Pandora and would not care if take a life or not, and Maria was angry that Carl later treated his friends as tools during his falling into depths towards villainy, especially after Carl killed Mary Spencer even after he made a promise not to kill her.

Remorseless of his actions, Carl tried to justify his actions by telling Maria that Lady Spencer had killed so many people and deserved to be sentenced for her guilt, ignoring the fact that Lady Spencer was brainwashed. Hearing this and seeing Carl's rude commenting on Esther's leaving, Maria was so infuriated that she almost cut all her tie between her and Carl, claiming he did not deserve to be a rightful Pica.

However, after knowing that Carl become such a person due to being tricked and betrayed before he met her, Maria eventually decided to return for Carl in order to save him, believing he still had one gilmpse of redemption. This kind of feelings grows stonger than ever when Seth Nightroad, who was once the one with Langdon Orphans, revealed that the couple shot down by Maria (though being coerced) was in fact Carl's foster parents. Maria then decided to save Carl from his corruption no matter what the cause, since she wanted to save herself as well. Believing she was responsible for Carl's start of darkness, Maria decided to rescue Carl so that she can atone her sins as well.

Their relationships became closer once Carl was relieved from Cain Knightlord's brainwashing, especially after she lamented Carl's tragedy, as she too knew what it is like to lose a family. She tearfully confessed her crimes in front of Carl and expressed her geniue guilt on how much pain Carl endured in that fatal night which stripped him of anything, feeling so tormented that even the injuries on her body didn't seem pain at all. Carl, having overheard this as he was unable to fall asleep, began to weep, finally having found someone who understands him. Following their relationships began to defrost, Carl and Maria regarded each others as siblings.

For the first time in his life, Carl felt true kindness from someone he once hated, someone who wanted to atone her crimes that casted a shadow on him. Later, Carl became more affectionate to Maria and no longer had grudge against her. Maria also admits that Carl is a mirror to herself, and saving Carl means saving herself, as she considered herself to be the one who caused Carl's start of darkness because of her former cowardice.

Melancholia / Plaisir
Melancholia / Plaisir (no matter which the personality actually is) and Carl remains a constant rivalry relationship that is very hard to fix, since Carl still remember Melancholia / Plaisir as the one who chained him inside a hole to rot and tormented him with his worst fear of being abandoned. Even after Plaisir joined the side of Team Witness in order to stop Michael and Moloch by herself, Carl never believes in her and warns Katarina that Plaisir should never be trusted, since she is the lover of Michael and still has affection towards him.

In fact, Carl shows sympathy towards Plaisir when he realized she lost all of her family and had to rely on the only person who had ever accepted her (of whom, is Michael) in order to reclaim her love. However, Carl's constant hatred towards the Langdon Orphans prevents him from seeing Melancholia / Plaisir as a potential ally, since she's the ringleader of them. Carl despises Melancholia / Plaisir even more when she shows protective attitude towards Michael during the battle against the Horseman of Famine (shown in the final battle in Famine Arc).

In spite of this, Carl still show some reluctant protection towards Plaisir when he discovered she, just like himself, was also under possession of a Malice of Moloch fragment, which is restrained by the inner power of Melancholia. The power of Melancholia expired when she was casted out by Plaisir using Dr. Jekyll's serum.

On the other hand, Plaisir / Melancholia never looks down on Carl, regarding him as a worthy opponent that should either be destroyed or be used as a strong ally, but Carl - after he defected from Langdon Orphans and cut off his hatred towards Maria - stated that he no longer try to be tool of anyone else. After the final battle against Michael, Plaisir helped her allies to defeat Michael so that she would free him from misery, even if she still remains affectionate towards him. Carl no longer mind Plaisir crying for Michael after the death of Anti-Christ, starting to treat Plaisir much better as he saw herself to be himself in the mirror, just like how Maria once saw him. The two was later seperated and no longer meet for a long time, but they both let the hatred towards each other go.

Carl Robinson


























Horseman of Conquest




















Trivia

 * Carl is Officer Candy Apple's favorite character in LOTM: WoSH due to his realistic and complicated personality.
 * Carl is considered to be the future equaivlant of Jenny Mills when comparing the New Arzonia Family to the Team Witness.
 * Carl is the most controversial main character so far in CIS Productions, with some people hating him while some having doubts if he really has a chance of redemption. The author of the story, Officer Candy Apple, is satisfied with the result, since he wanted to create a Base-Breaking Character intentionally in order to make a morally grayish main character with more complicated and realistic atmosphere. In the old draft, Carl was not a jerk. However, the author considered his old character too shallow to be the main center of a spotlight, so he made Carl harsh and serious intentionally.
 * Carl's jerk personality prsented at first is intentional, as he is meant to be a morally grayish characters when he was compared to Katarina Couteau and Azul Jissele. Many of his ruthless traits and seldom-appearing smile are inspied by Stannis Baratheon from the original novels of A Song of Ice and Fire story.
 * Unfortunately, many of Carl's cynical view on the world as well as his so-called reasons are proved to be much more realistic than Maria's idealistic view. Even Maria realized that the reason of Carl's view was somehow explained during Firenza Junior going on towards its climax.
 * Carl never trust former enemies who surrendered, believing they'll switch back to their original side once they had the chance, much to Maria's confusion. This eventually proved to be right when Aureolus Izzard, due to his opportunist nature, turned against Arzonia Family during the Battle on Star of Bethlehem. After Noelle's demise, Carl almost fed Aureolus to a school of piranhas to spite Aureolus and his treachery, but Maria stopped him as she wanted no more deaths.
 * Due to the betrayl he suffered, as well as Langdon Orphans' influence, Carl started to believe that Humans are Bastards and humanity will be evil's puppet once they were tempted with greed or strained by cowardice. Under Cain's brainwashing, Carl questioned Maria if her efforts of protecting the world and forgiving humanity's flaws are correct.
 * Then, immediately afterwards, the Dome was enactivated, and the citizens turned against Catholic Rebels and the Church of England due to the bounties put on their heads by Melancholia. They joined Melancholia's hunting game either for being afraid of their own life or trying to satisfy their greed due to the large amount of bounty. Maria almost broke her trust on humanity when she saw people infected by Firenza Junior blood started killing each other in Melancholia's sick game.
 * When Mina Harker and STAR LABS of United States of America announced the Black Demons' nature and started the Downfall of the 0th Multi-Universe timeline, people started to kill each other and treated each other as demons. This made Carl's point about humanity and real society more accurate.
 * are also a case in Carl's point. As Carl thought about human's apathetic nature and cowardice, never even cared about the supernatural events happened in the town, and they only cared for their own goods and desire, which caused the tragedy happened on Lori Mills, as no one actually cared about demons and thought Lori was insane - but in fact, she isn't. This made the Order of Flourish's movement of erasing their desires and emotions explained. Therefore, Carl decided to break the law against the Hessians hiding amonst the crowd, since he knew that the town's people won't outright fight against them. He has Jenny Mills' support, as she understands how Carl feels better than anyone else.
 * Unlike many other characters in LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow, Carl's tragedy was not caused by Moloch or his minions. Hidden One and Pandora had caused his tragedy. However, Pandora was always torn by what she brought to Carl.
 * Carl's Family Codename, Pica, is the Spanish, Galician and Russian word for "spade", matching the New Family of Arzonia's playing card theme. Pica also means "pike" and "lance" in Spanish, fitting Carl's aggresive nature as a "living weapon" himself.
 * Chronically, Carl Robinson is fifteenth of the characters who had traveled between the story of Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow and Sword of Kings.
 * Michael Langdon
 * Poison Ivy
 * Eckidina KnightWalker
 * Misogi Kugawama
 * Katarina Couteau
 * La Folia Rihavein
 * Mana Takamiya
 * Asuha Chigusa
 * Dr. Victor Frankenstein
 * Adam Frankenstein
 * Eva Frankenstein
 * Rentaro Satomi
 * Kyouko Kirigiri
 * Sonia Nevermind
 * Carl Robinson
 * Matt Butcher
 * Maria Arzonia
 * Abel Nightroad
 * Seth Nightroad
 * In some ways, Carl Robinson could be compared to Azul Jissele and Katarina Couteau since all of them were born with supernatural powers and suffered in their childhood. Carl became matured while he went confronting Carissa and used his power to protect others selflessly. However, this eventually pushed him off the limits once he was betrayed by the very people he trusted.
 * There were a lot of events that forshadowed the true nature behind Carl's personality change, which is due to him becoming a vessel of the Malice of Moloch.
 * Carl listened to a voice speaking inside him when he thought he was betrayed by his friends. The voice was speaking in Greek, and Carl had knew its meaning despite never learned how to speak Greek.
 * Melancholia claimed she had found a kind of darkness inside Carl, and spoke in a much more calmer tone, forshadowing that she knew it was Moloch's remaining essence inside Carl's Blackness Blood all along.
 * Michael never express an intention of killing Carl despite what he had done to him for multiple times, saying he will use his blood first before he used his flesh for the return of a haunting former life.
 * Carl could understand the words of Demonic Redcoats when they were not speaking in English, but Greek.
 * Michael claimed he had another purpose in store after sending Carl to Sleepy Hollow.
 * Carl serves as the Heavy in the second half of Horsemen Saga for sharing an important part within Conquest's return, within the production of the Enhanced Croatoan Virus, within the modern day breakout of Croatoan Virus and most importantly, the return of Moloch. However, his role of the Horseman was dethroned by Dark Arzonia once he regained his free will and got rid of the Horseman's spirit by himself.
 * There were also foreshadowing of the Blackness inside Carl, when Melancholia had deduced that Carl's blood was stained with the Blackness. Given to her prior partnership with Ara Astaroth and the Revelation of Qliphoth, Melancholia is no stranger to the Blackness.
 * In the old script, Carl had no intentions to destroy Moloch, since he ONLY want to kill Pandora for revenge, and he even antagonized Team Witness under the manipulation of Jasmine Porcelain. Later, however, he realized that Moloch was a greater threat and thus joined Team Witness, especially after knowing he became a vessel to Moloch's remaining will.
 * However, in the new script, he is more than willing to assist Team Witness once he arrived in Sleepy Hollow in the 2nd half of Death Arc, as he recognized them as his allies since they fight the same enemy, showing more tolerance to differences. This shows his personality change under Maria Arzonia's own influence, as he was once self-centered and believes everyone who has odds with his ideas are against him. He becomes more tolerating as a result of realizing the faulty of his behavior.
 * Ironically enough, Carl is the first heroic protagonist of the story to become one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, followed by Ichabod Crane who ironically became the new Horseman of War after saving Diana Thomas from becoming the War. Also, he is the first villain protagonist in the story.

Lin Biao
Lin Biao (Chinese: 林彪; December 5, 1907 – September 13, 1971) was a Marshal of the People's Republic of China who was pivotal in the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeast China. Lin was the general who commanded the decisive Liaoshen and Pingjin Campaigns, in which he co-led the Manchurian Field Army to victory and led the People's Liberation Army into Beijing. He crossed the Yangtze River in 1949, decisively defeated the Kuomintang and took control of the coastal provinces in Southeast China. He ranked third among the Ten Marshals. Zhu De and Peng Dehuai were considered senior to Lin, and Lin ranked directly ahead of He Long and Liu Bocheng.

Lin abstained from taking an active role in politics after the civil war ceased in 1949. He led a section of the government's civil bureaucracy as one of the co-serving Deputy Vice Premiers of the People's Republic of China from 1954 onwards, becoming First-ranked Vice Premier from 1964. Lin became more active in politics when named one of the co-serving Vice Chairmen of the Communist Party of China in 1958. He held the three responsibilities of Vice Premier, Vice Chairman and Minister of National Defense from 1959 onwards. Lin became instrumental in creating the foundations for Mao Zedong's cult of personality in the early 1960s, and was rewarded for his service in the Cultural Revolution by being named Mao's designated successor as the sole Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China, from 1969 until his death.

Lin died on September 13, 1971 when a Hawker Siddeley Trident he was aboard crashed in Öndörkhaan in Mongolia. The exact events of this "Lin Biao incident" have been a source of speculation ever since. The Chinese government's official explanation is that Lin and his family attempted to flee following a botched coup against Mao. Others have argued that they fled out of fear they would be purged, as Lin's relationship with other Communist Party leaders had soured in the final few years of his life. Following Lin's death, he was officially condemned as a traitor by the Communist Party. Since the late 1970s Lin, and Mao's wife Jiang Qing (with her Gang of Four) have been labeled the two major "counter-revolutionary forces" of the Cultural Revolution, receiving official blame from the Chinese government.

Wang Jingwei


Wang Jingwei (Wang Ching-wei; 4 May 1883 – 10 November 1944); born as Wang Zhaoming (Wang Chao-ming), but widely known by his pen name "Jingwei", was a Chinese politician. He was initially a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang (KMT), but later became increasingly anti-communist after his efforts to collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ended in political failure. His political orientation veered sharply to the right later in his career after he joined the Japanese.

Wang was a close associate of Sun Yat-sen for the last twenty years of Sun's life. After Sun's death Wang engaged in a political struggle with Chiang Kai-shek for control over the Kuomintang, but lost. Wang remained inside the Kuomintang, but continued to have disagreements with Chiang until the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, after which he accepted an invitation from the Japanese Empire to form a Japanese-supported collaborationist government in Nanjing. Wang served as the head of state for this Japanese puppet government until he died, shortly before the end of World War II. Although he is still regarded as an important contributor in the Xinhai Revolution, his collaboration with the Imperial Japanese is a subject of academic debate, and the typical narratives often regard him as a traitor in the War of Resistance.

Emperor Justinian II
Justinian II (Greek: Ἰουστινιανός Β΄, Ioustinianos II, Latin: Flavius Iustinianus Augustus) (668 – 11 December 711), surnamed the Rhinotmetos or Rhinotmetus (ὁ Ῥινότμητος, "the slit-nosed"), was the last Eastern Roman Emperor of the Heraclian Dynasty, reigning from 685 to 695 and again from 705 to 711. Justinian II was an ambitious and passionate ruler who was keen to restore the Roman Empire to its former glories, but he responded poorly to any opposition to his will and lacked the finesse of his father, Constantine IV. Consequently, he generated enormous opposition to his reign, resulting in his deposition in 695 in a popular uprising, and he only returned to the throne in 705 with the help of a Bulgar and Slav army. His second reign was even more despotic than the first, and it too saw his eventual overthrow in 711, abandoned by his army who turned on him before killing him.

Lu Bu
Lü Bu (died February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed and murdered Ding and defected to Dong Zhuo, the warlord who controlled the Han central government in the early 190s. In 192, he turned against Dong Zhuo and killed him after being instigated by Wang Yun and Shisun Rui, but was later defeated and driven away by Dong Zhuo's followers. From 192 to mid 195, Lü Bu wandered around central and northern China, consecutively seeking shelter under warlords such as Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and Zhang Yang. In 194, he managed to take control of Yan Province from the warlord Cao Cao with help from defectors from Cao's side, but Cao took back his territories within two years. In 196, Lü Bu turned against Liu Bei, who had offered him refuge in Xu Province, and seized control of the province from his host. Although he had agreed to an alliance with Yuan Shu earlier, he severed ties with him after Yuan declared himself emperor – an act deemed treasonous against the Han emperor – and joined Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretender. However, in 198, he sided with Yuan Shu again and came under attack by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his defeat at the Battle of Xiapi in 199. He was captured and executed on Cao Cao's order.

Although Lü Bu is described in historical and fictional sources as an exceptionally mighty warrior, he was also notorious for his temperamental behaviour. He switched allegiances erratically and freely betrayed his allies, and was noted for his poor planning and management skills. He was always suspicious of others and could not control his subordinates. All these factors ultimately led to his downfall. In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the details of his life are dramatised and some fictitious elements – including his romance with the fictional maiden Diaochan – are added to portray him as a nearly unchallenged warrior who was also a ruthless and impulsive brute bereft of morals.

Charles-Henri Sanson
Charles-Henri Sanson, full title Chevalier Charles-Henri Sanson de Longval (15 February 1739 – 4 July 1806), was the royal executioner of France during the reign of King Louis XVI, and High Executioner of the First French Republic. He administered capital punishment in the city of Paris for over forty years, and by his own hand executed nearly 3,000 people, including the King himself.

In 1757 Sanson assisted his uncle Nicolas-Charles-Gabriel Sanson (1721–1795, executioner of Reims) with the extremely gruesome execution of the King's attempted assassin Robert-François Damiens. His uncle quit his position as executioner after this event. In 1778 Charles-Henri officially received the blood-red coat, the sign of the master executioner, from his father Charles-Jean-Baptiste and held this position for 38 years, until his son Henri in 1795 succeeded him after he showed serious signs of illness. The majority of the executions were performed by Sanson and up to six assistants. He was the first executioner to use the guillotine, executing Nicolas Jacques Pelletier, for robbery and assault, on April 25, 1792. The use of the guillotine transformed Sanson's status under the revolutionary ideology from outcast to citizen, equal in rights and civil duties.

Charles-Henri Sanson performed 2,918 executions, including Louis XVI. Even though he was not a supporter of the monarchy, he was initially reluctant to execute the king but in the end performed the execution. As David Jordan notes, “No Monsieur de Paris had ever had the honor of executing a king, and Sanson wanted precise instructions.” Sanson experienced the political and psychological pressures of revolutionary Paris. He had the duty to execute Louis XVI under the power of the sitting Provisional Government. Being the heir to a line of executioners, to refuse this duty would have brought shame to the family name and danger to himself and to his family members. He experienced the stress of having to execute not only the king, but successive waves of officials as those in power shifted rapidly in a time of revolutionary change. But the execution of Louis XVI was of particular import. Fearing rescue efforts, the streets of Paris were lined with troops as Louis’s carriage took its somber two hours to travel to the scaffold arriving at 10 am on January 21, 1793. After Sanson efficiently cut his hair, Louis attempted to address the crowd but was silenced with a drum roll and Louis was executed, Sanson pulling his head from the basket to show to the crowd. But the execution may not have gone as smoothly as possible: “One of two accounts of Louis’ death suggest the blade did not sever his whole neck in one go, and had to be borne down on by the executioner to get a clean cut.”Quite possibly, then, the execution went from being quick and fast to being more difficult and painful. As David Adress notes, however, “With his spine severed already, it is nevertheless unlikely that Louis could have uttered the ‘terrible cry’ that one account claims.”

The Queen, Marie Antoinette, was executed by his son Henri, who succeeded his father in 1795 and Charles-Henri only attended. Later, using the guillotine, Sanson and his men executed successive waves of well-known revolutionaries, including Danton, Robespierre, Saint-Just, Hébert and Desmoulins.

Maximilien Robespierre


Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (French: [mak.si.mi.ljɛ̃ fʁɑ̃.swa ma.ʁi i.zi.dɔʁ də ʁɔ.bɛs.pjɛʁ]; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and politician, one of the best known and most influential figures associated with the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

As a member of the Estates-General, the Constituent Assembly and the Jacobin Club, Robespierre was an outspoken advocate for the poor and for democratic institutions. He campaigned for universal male suffrage in France, price controls on basic food commodities and the abolition of slavery in the French colonies. He was an ardent opponent of the death penalty, but played an important role in arranging the execution of King Louis XVI, which led to the establishment of a French Republic.

He is perhaps best known for his role in the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. He was named as a member of the powerful Committee of Public Safety launched by his political ally Georges Danton and exerted his influence to suppress the left-wing Hébertists. As part of his attempts to use extreme measures to control political activity in France, Robespierre later moved against the more moderate Danton, who was accused of corruption and executed in April 1794. The Terror ended a few months later with Robespierre's arrest and execution in July, events that initiated a period in French history known as the Thermidorian Reaction. Robespierre's personal responsibility for the excesses of the Terror remains the subject of intense debate among historians of the French Revolution.

Influenced by 18th-century Enlightenment philosophes such as Rousseau and Montesquieu, Robespierre was a capable articulator of the beliefs of the left-wing bourgeoisie. His steadfast adherence and defence of the views he expressed earned him the nickname l'Incorruptible (The Incorruptible).

Robespierre's reputation has gone through several cycles of re-appraisal. During the Soviet era, Robespierre was used as an example of a Revolutionary figure. His reputation peaked in the 1920s with the influence of French historian Albert Mathiez. In more recent times, his reputation has suffered as historians have associated him with an attempt at a radical purification of politics through the killing of enemies.

Stannis Baratheon
Stannis Baratheon is the head of House Baratheon of Dragonstone, Lord of Dragonstone, Master of Ships on Robert's Small Council, younger brother of King Robert I Baratheon, older brother to Lord Renly Baratheon, and a major character in A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as in Game of Thrones. His parents were Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont. Stannis is married to Lady Selyse Florent and has one daughter, Shireen. Although all the other kings refer themselves only as "King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms", phrasing utilized by Targaryen kings since the reign of Aegon I Targaryen, Stannis, from the third novel, abandons these titles and styles himself as "King of Westeros", meaning he sees himself as king of all the continent, including all of the lands beyond the Wall, not just the realm.

He is one of the main antagonists in the conflict known as the War of the Five Kings, as he is the first main trigger who causes the chain of events leading to the war, being the very first person to suspect about the true parentage of Cersei Lannister's children. Stannis never meant to cause harm and death (besides those who wronged him, though it also includes killing Cersei's children and harsh punishments) and fights for justice, yet he always tragically ends up being a villain and one of the main causes of events such as the death of Jon Arryn and the Lannister-Tyrell alliance, and deaths of his potential allies. As things get worse, Stannis finds himself resorting to more drastic, desperate, ruthless, and villainous methods.

He is the main antagonist of the Lannister POV storyline in book 2 and season 2, followed by Robb Stark and the overall secondary antagonist of the book/season. He serves as a main antagonist/supporting protagonist of every book and season, from season 2 up until his climactic death in season 5. He is currently still alive in the novels.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Stannis is a very different man to his two brothers. While they are handsome, jovial, charismatic, and bold, Stannis is colder, more logical, and reserved. He acts only after much forethought and planning. Stannis lacks passion and, while not engaging in wanton cruelty, is merciless to those he considers his enemies. Stannis has an absolute belief in law and duty, and joined his brother's rebellion against the Targaryens only after much soul-searching.

During the rebellion Stannis held the ancestral Baratheon castle of Storm's End against a siege by House Tyrell for over a year, which included the whole power of the Reach and the Redwyne fleet. By the end of the siege, the castle defenders were living on rats and boot leathers and facing starvation, when they were saved by the smuggler Davos, who snuck in his cargo of onions and salted fish past the Redwyne blockade. It was meager food, but enough to sustain the defenders till Eddard Stark broke the siege. While the siege lacked a major battle to enshrine it in song and legend, it was essential to tie down the armies of House Tyrell and prevent them marching to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's aid at the Trident.

To Stannis' fury, despite the deprivations he suffered in holding the castle, Robert appointed their child brother Renly as Lord of Storm's End while Stannis was given the ancient Targaryen holdfast of Dragonstone (which Stannis captured near the end of the rebellion) to rule instead. Dragonstone is storied and legendary, but also poor, often isolated by bad weather and cold. Robert also blamed Stannis for allowing Aerys's last heirs, Viserys and Daenerys to slip through his fingers when he took Dragonstone (unfairly, as the two children had been spirited to safety by Targaryen loyalists long before Stannis even set sail) and because of this, Stannis took being stripped of Storm's End as an intentional slight. Stannis was also appointed Master of Ships on Robert's Small Council at King's Landing. While he was busy at court, Ser Axell Florent ruled Dragonstone as its castellan. Every year Stannis payed a few visits to Dragonstone. He also led the royal fleet at sea to suppress smuggling and piracy.

On the night of Stannis's wedding, Robert violated his wedding bed by sleeping there with Delena Florent (Selyse's cousin). Although Robert swore that he had been drunk and had not realized to which bedchamber he entered and never meant to shame Stannis, Stannis never forgave him. For that reason he resents Edric Storm, whom Delena gave birth to, though he allows him to spend time with Shireen.

He is described as having broad shoulders and sinewy limbs, bald but for a thin fringe of black hair circling his ears like the shadow of a crown. He has a short and neatly trimmed black beard.

At the time the books begin, Lord Stannis has taken an indefinite leave of absence to visit his wife and daughter on Dragonstone. He is married to Lady Selyse of House Florent and has a single daughter, Shireen (they have no sons, alive or stillborn). Ser Davos Seaworth, knighted by Stannis for his role in the siege, is arguably Stannis's most loyal and steadfast vassal.

Stannis respects Eddard Stark, but strongly resents him for being Robert's best friend and for his appointment to the King's Hand - an office Stannis believed that he should have been granted. Stannis' grudge did not decrease even after Eddard's death. Although Catelyn Stark reminded Stannis that it was Eddard who broke the siege of Storm's End, and assured him that Eddard never wanted to be Robert's Hand, it did not appease Stannis at all. Stannis replied that Eddard did so on Robert's orders, and privately, Stannis was angry that Robert was more grateful to Eddard for breaking the siege than to him for actually holding Storm's End. Nevertheless, Stannis told Catelyn that he was sorry for Eddard's death, and promised her justice for his murder. Stannis respected Eddard as an honorable man, and privately understood that it was beyond Ned's control that Robert liked him more than his own brother.

Many characters fear that due to Stannis's rigid and legalistic personality, he would make a terrible king. One major source of criticism are Stannis's frequent statements that had the decision been his, he wouldn't have pardoned many former Targaryen loyalists as Robert did when he was crowned. Now that Stannis is trying to take the capital, he openly tells his advisors such as Davos that if he succeeds, he will clean house by purging all of the disloyal court officials, instead of pardoning them or outright letting them continue in their positions as Robert did. The irony is that while several characters feel this sentiment is shockingly brutal, it becomes increasingly apparent that there was some sense to it: most of Robert's Small Council members were disloyal conspirators who actively aided the Lannisters in killing him, putting Joffrey on the throne, and the coup against Ned Stark. Varys was always a Targaryen loyalist, Pycelle had already betrayed the previous king for the Lannisters, and Littlefinger was most loyal to himself - while keeping half the City Watch including Commander Janos Slynt bought and paid for. Stannis was actually not amiss for suspecting that they did not have Robert's best interests at heart.

One of Stannis's main flaws is the lack of charisma, which his brothers had plenty of. In the beginning of the second novel, a very few houses answer his summoning, while Renly gathers rather easily a very large host in relatiely short time. Stannis is decent enough to admit his flaw "My brother made them love him, but it would seem that I inspire only betrayal". His tactless attitude alienates people who could have been allies, as he did with Robb Stark: he told Catelyn "I am the rightful king, and your son no less a traitor than my brother here. His day will come as well" - thus ruining any chance of alliance between him and the Starks.

Trafalgar Law
Trafalgar D. Water Law, more commonly known as just Trafalgar Law (トラファルガー・ロー Torafarugā Rō?) and by his epithet as the "Surgeon of Death", is a major character in One Piece. He is a pirate from North Blue and the captain and doctor of the Heart Pirates. He is one of twelve pirates who are referred to as the "Worst Generation" (formerly known as the "Eleven Supernovas"). He became one of the Shichibukai during the timeskip, but his position was revoked for allying with the Straw Hat Pirates and bringing down Donquixote Doflamingo. Law, like many other pirates, dreams of finding the One Piece. During the timeskip, his bounty increased from 200,000,000 to 440,000,000 Berries, before it was frozen. After he was expelled from the Shichibukai, Law's bounty was raised to 500,000,000 Berries. While still a young boy attending a doctor's academy in Flevance, Law was a very kind and devoted child, refusing to leave his family behind despite falsely promised evacuations at hand, and aspiring to become a great doctor like his father while happily going to festivals with his beloved family. Upon the destruction of his homeland, the annihilation of his classmates and family, and diagnosed with no more than thirty-eight months to live, Law suffered a mental breakdown and, according to Doflamingo, came to be known for being very cruel and cunning, having wanted to join Doflamingo's crew so he could destroy everything around him. Only after having been cured of his illness by Corazon did Law have a change of heart.

Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Davy Jones is a recurring antagonist in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. He is a monster pirate who is loosely based on the old seaman's legend of Davy Jones's Locker. He is the main antagonist of the second film Dead Man's Chest and the third film At World's End, and a cameo antagonist in the fifth film Dead Men Tell No Tales.

He was played by the legendary actor Bill Nighy, who also played Viktor in the Underworld film series, and Rattlesnake Jake in Rango (which also starred Johnny Depp), Leonard Saber in G-Force, Sir Bernard Pellegrin in The Constant Gardener, Prince Naberius in I, Frankenstein, Whitey in Flushed Away and General Fallon in Jack the Giant Slayer.

Nero (Devil May Cry)
Nero is one of the two protagonists of Devil May Cry 4, alongside Dante. An orphan adopted by the Sparda-worshipping Order of the Sword, Nero grew up to become a Holy Knight of the Order. He does not get along well with others and prefers to work alone, so he is usually given the Order's "special assignments." During the first half of Devil May Cry 4 Nero thinks Dante is his enemy, but as the story progresses he realizes that the Order is his real adversary. Nero becomes a renegade, looking for answers and trying to save Kyrie (his childhood friend and love interest). Nero and Dante join forces to defeat the Savior, a flying statue possessed by a demon. They part on good terms when Dante entrusts him with the Yamato (which belonged to Dante's brother, Vergil).

Nero wields a large, mechanical sword named Red Queen, a double-barrel revolver called Blue Rose and the Devil Bringer, his demonic right arm. By defeating demons, Nero increases the Devil Bringer's reach. When he obtains Yamato, a Devil Trigger summons a devil-samurai avatar to fight with him. Like Dante, Nero has Sparda's blood and powers; however, his relationship with Dante is explored only in the novelization when Dante notes that Nero resembles Vergil. The character is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in English, and by Kaito Ishikawa in the Japanese version of Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition.

Kratos
Kratos, the "Ghost of Sparta", is the protagonist from Sony Santa Monica's God of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the 2005 video game God of War, which led to the development of six additional games featuring the character as the protagonist. Another installment is in development, which will take the character to Norse mythology. Kratos also appears as the protagonist of the God of War comic series and novels. The character was voiced by Terrence C. Carson from 2005 to 2013, with Christopher Judge taking over the role in the upcoming God of War. Antony Del Rio voiced the character as a child in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

In the series, Kratos embarks on a series of adventures in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate. He is usually portrayed as being oblivious to all else, often engaging in morally ambiguous activities and performing acts of extreme violence. He is a Spartan warrior who becomes the "Ghost of Sparta" after accidentally killing his family on behalf of Ares' trickery. He becomes the God of War after killing Ares, and is eventually revealed to be a demigod and the son of Zeus, who betrays Kratos. Each adventure forms part of a saga with vengeance as a central theme, providing additional information about Kratos' origins and his relationships with his family and the gods.

The God of War franchise is a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The character has been well received by critics and has become a video game icon, a relative newcomer among more established franchise characters, such as Mario, Link, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Lara Croft. The character is now associated with other products and has had various cameos in PlayStation games outside of the God of War series.

Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Francis Castiglione) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru, with publisher Stan Lee green-lighting the name. The Punisher made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (cover-dated Feb. 1974).

The character is a vigilante who employs murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture in his campaign against crime. Driven by the deaths of his wife and two children who were killed by the mob for witnessing a killing in New York City's Central Park, the Punisher wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals and employs the use of various firearms. His family's killers were the first to be slain by the Punisher. A war veteran and a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper, Frank Castle (born Francis Castiglione) is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, guerrilla warfare, and marksmanship.

The Punisher's brutal nature and willingness to kill made him a novel character in mainstream American comic books when he debuted in 1974. By the late 1980s, the Punisher was part of a wave of psychologically-troubled antiheroes. At the height of his popularity, the character was featured in four monthly publications, including The Punisher, The Punisher War Journal, The Punisher War Zone, and The Punisher Armory. Despite his violent actions and dark nature, the Punisher has enjoyed some mainstream success on television, making guest appearances on Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and The Super Hero Squad Show, where the depiction of his violent behavior was toned down for family viewers. In feature films, Dolph Lundgren portrayed the Punisher in 1989, as did Thomas Jane in 2004, and Ray Stevenson in 2008. Jon Bernthal portrays the character in the second season of Marvel's Daredevil as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bernthal reprised the role in The Punisher, his own self-titled series.

Red Hulk (Thunderbolt Ross)
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross (also known as Red Hulk) is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ross, a recurring enemy of the Hulk, is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father-in-law of Glenn Talbot, father-in-law of Dr. Bruce Banner, and was head of the Gamma Bomb Project that turned Banner into the Hulk. After the creation of the Hulk, Ross pursues the creature with a growing obsession, and after learning that Banner and the Hulk are one and the same, Ross hunts Banner as well. Thunderbolt Ross turned himself into Red Hulk with the help of A.I.M. and Intelligencia in order to be in an equal fight with Hulk.

He was portrayed by Sam Elliott in the film Hulk and by William Hurt in the films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Red Hood (Jason Todd)
The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple fictional characters and a criminal organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Jason Todd is the most widely known version of the incarnation, and he assumes the Red Hood identity in the main DC Comics continuity.

Jason Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character first appeared in Batman #357 (March 1983)[3] and became the second character to assume the role of Batman's vigilante partner, Robin. Though initially popular, the character as written by Jim Starlin was not well received by fans following a revamping of his origin by Max Allan Collins (Batman #408-409). For 1988's Batman: A Death in the Family storyline (Batman #426-429), DC Comics held a telephone poll to determine whether or not the character would die at the hands of the Joker, Batman's archnemesis. Jason Todd was killed off by a margin of 72 votes (5,343 for, 5,271 against). Subsequent Batman stories dealt with Batman's guilt over not having been able to save him.

Later, in Under the Hood, Jason was resurrected by Ra's al Ghul in the Lazarus Pit, but the pit changes him and his emotions and he becomes the new Red Hood. His debut culminates in a fateful confrontation with those he feels have wronged him. He beats the Joker with a crowbar (mirroring the way the Joker had tortured him before killing him with a bomb) and later kidnaps him. The new Red Hood assumes control over various gangs in Gotham City and starts a one-man war against Black Mask's criminal empire. He actively tries to cleanse the city of corruption, such as the illegal drug trade and gang violence, but in a violent, antiheroic way. He eventually comes to blows against Batman and other heroes' allies, including Nightwing, the new Robin (Tim Drake), Onyx, and Green Arrow.

In the second story arc of Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison and Philip Tan, Jason retakes the Red Hood mantle. With the goal of making the very concept of Batman obsolete, he puts a lot of effort into public relations: he drastically alters his Red Hood costume to look more like a traditional superhero outfit, recruits his own sidekick known as Scarlet. In their war on crime Red Hood and Scarlet freely kill criminals, villains and anyone who gets in his way, even the police. After all his killings he leaves behind a calling card which states "let the punishment fit the crime". He describes his vendetta against Dick Grayson as "the revenge of one crazy man in a mask on another crazy man in a mask". After Barry Allen's involuntary tampering with the continuum, Red Hood is shown, along with Arsenal and Starfire, as one of the Outlaws, a close knit group of anti-heroes. Still not above killing, and still angry at the world, Jason has now reverted to the street clothes costume, forgoing his feud with Batman for stealthier, more cloak and dagger missions. Eventually, Jason and Batman reconcile and call a truce between them.

Lelouch Vi Britannia
Lelouch vi Britannia (ルルーシュ・ヴィ・ブリタニア, Rurūshu vui Buritania) was the protagonist of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, 17 years old (18 at R2). After he was exiled he used the alias, Lelouch Lamperouge (ルルーシュ・ランペルージ, Rurūshu Ranperūji). He was the Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the son of the 98th Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia. He was also the leader of the Black Knights and the real identity of Zero. He is voiced by Jun Fukuyama, while his child self is voiced by Sayaka Ohara. His English dub voice is provided by Johnny Yong Bosch with Michelle Ruff doing Lelouch's child voice.

He was chosen the most popular male character of 2006, 2007 and 2008 at Animage magazine's annual Anime Grand Prix. His Seiyū Jun Fukuyama also won the "Best Actor in a Leading Role" award for his portrayal of the character at the first Seiyū Awards in 2007.

Illidan Stormrage
Illidan Stormrage is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. Born a night elf and sorcerer, his pursuit of power led him to commit several horrific acts against his own people, which earned him the nickname "the Betrayer" and to become the first Demon Hunter. Self-proclaimed the Lord of Outland, he also defected to the Burning Legion and became a partial demon himself. The character is one of the most notable and popular in the Warcraft franchise and has received positive critical reception from video game players. Illidan was voiced by Matthew Yang King in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion The Frozen Throne, and by Liam O'Brien since World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

He is the supporting character in Warcraft III: Reign Of Chaos, a leading anti-hero and villain in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, one of the two main antagonists of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and a leading anti-hero in World of Warcraft: Legion.

Marv
Marv is one of the main protagonists of Frank Millers' Sin City and its film adaptations, being the protagonist of The Hard Goodbye. He is a hulking 7' 9" tall ex-convict who frequents Kadie's. He is violent and unstable, with a mental condition that causes hallucinations and paranoia, and he bears the scars of endless fighting. His dangerous tendencies are held in check only by medication and a strong sense of chivalry.

Marv was born in The Projects and had a rough childhood. He was very protective of his doting mother, who eventually got sick forcing them to move to a better part of town. The Projects had already toughened him up, and left with it's residents as useful allies. In school his only friend was Chuck, a retarded kid who thought Marv was genius. He also got a .45 Springfield Armory M1911A1 pistol from a dead kid, and he named it Gladys after one of the sisters in school. Once he went to camp, but since then he hated nature and trees. Trees and the creepy sounds of nature were the only things that scared him.

Some time after that Marv joined the army and went to an unnamed war (heavily implied to be Vietnam) where he probably developed his scars. He also would later suffer from a 'condition' (that might have been Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He took pills for it, which he got from Claire, Lucille's therapist girlfriend. He always had a respectful fear of his 'condition' fearing he would turn into 'what they always said I'd turn into: a psycho killer'. However he always trusted his instinctual "cold thing", a feeling like a snowball in his stomach, something above his perception that told him that something was wrong (for example, he felt it when he approached the Roark Farm).

Marv later made a name for himself on the streets by just doing what he did best: killing. A good guy at heart, he never had a problem beating in a few faces if they needed it. He made friends in low places this way and more than a couple enemies. Kadie of Kadie's Saloon gave him free beers whenever he needed them after he beat up some men who threatened her. He was also known to Kadie's patrons as Nancy Callahan's guardian angel after some guy tried to get fresh with her and he took care of him; allowing the petite dancer complete and utter safety when she danced. She also helped him out when he needed it showing they had an understanding between them. Once he got himself rounded up and Lucille helped him as his parole officer.

Having no form of employment Marv still managed to get around. He went most places on foot, and stole the rest from other thugs. He also had a keen appreciation of trenchcoats, which he would take off his victims usually commenting 'That's one damn fine coat your wearing!'. He even asked one hitman, Stan, to remove the coat so he wouldn't bleed on it before interrogating him. (Similar to the way Dwight McCarthy complained about blood getting on the upholstery of a car he was stealing from some hitmen in).

Edmond Dantes
Edmond Dantès (pronounced [ɛd.mɔ̃ dɑ̃.tɛs]) is a title character and the protagonist of Alexandre Dumas, père's 1844 adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Within the story's narrative, Dantès is an intelligent, honest, and loving man who turns bitter and vengeful after he is framed for a crime he did not commit. When Dantès finds himself free and enormously wealthy, he takes it upon himself to reward those who have helped him in his plight and punish those responsible for his years of suffering. He is known by the aliases The Count of Monte Cristo (French: le Comte de Monte-Cristo), Sinbad the Sailor (Sinbad le Marin), Abbé Busoni, and Lord Wilmore.

When the reader is first introduced to Edmond Dantès, he arrives in Marseille as first mate aboard the merchant ship Le Pharaon (The Pharaoh). At only 19 years old, the young Dantès seems destined for success. Although the trip was successful, the former Captain, Leclère, has fallen ill and died. Dantès relays these events to his patron, M. Morrel, who tells Dantès that he will try to have him named captain. Dantès rushes off to see his father and then his beloved, the young Catalan woman Mercédès, and the two agree to be married immediately.

The marriage never occurs, however. On the very night of their nuptial feast, Dantès is arrested as a suspected Bonapartist, a helper to Napoléon, and taken to see the public prosecutor, Gérard de Villefort. Edmond had been anonymously and falsely denounced by Danglars, Edmond's shipmate over whom he was promoted, and Fernand Mondego, a rival suitor for Mercédès' hand. Prosecutor De Villefort concludes that Edmond is innocent, and assures him that he will be released. He then asks for a piece of evidence cited in a letter denouncing Edmond to the authorities. The letter claims that on Edmond's last voyage, he made a stopover at the island of Elba, and received a letter from the deposed Emperor Napoléon. Edmond hands over the letter, which he received in the name of Captain Leclère, and of which the contents are unknown to Edmond. De Villefort throws the letter on the fire for the letter is addressed to his father. Once again he promises Edmond's speedy release. De Villefort has renounced his father, a staunch Bonapartist, and destroyed the letter to protect himself, not Edmond; to further protect his name, de Villefort sentences Edmond to imprisonment in the dreaded Chateau d'If, an island fortress from which no prisoner had ever escaped, and to which the most dangerous political prisoners are sent.

After six long years in solitary confinement in the dungeons of the Chateau, Edmond decides to commit suicide by starving himself. Fearing he will be forced to eat, he throws out his food in secrecy. After nearly six months, he hears scratching against the wall of his cell. Curiosity about the source of the noise inspires him to begin eating again. He taps on his wall several times, and when the scratching stops, he concludes that it is a prisoner trying to escape. He then uses the saucepan on which his food is served to begin digging where he heard the scratching before in hopes that it was another prisoner digging his way to freedom. Dantès eventually breaks through enough of the wall that he is able to exchange a brief greeting with an old Italian abbé named Faria, sometimes called the "Mad Priest", who had indeed been attempting to dig to freedom.

The two prisoners become very close, with the learned priest teaching Dantès all he knows about reading, mathematics, science, languages, philosophy, history, sword fighting, and economics. Together, they determine who betrayed Edmond, and although Faria disapproves, Edmond plans vengeance against his betrayers. The two spend years digging a tunnel to freedom, but Faria dies before they can escape. With his dying words, he bequeaths to Edmond a secret treasure, hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. That night, Edmond exchanges himself for his mentor in the priest's bodybag, and escapes from the prison. The jailers, rather than burying prisoners, toss them over the fortress' wall into the sea, weighted with an iron ball chained around the legs. Using a knife made from a sharpened crucifix, Edmond frees himself and reaches the surface. Edmond swims to a small island nearby to seek refuge from the storm for the night. The next day, he swims out to sea as a smuggling ship passes by and is rescued under the pretense of being a shipwreck victim. Edmond soon suggests a stopover and trading of goods at the small island of Monte Cristo, during which he confirms that Faria's treasure exists. On this and subsequent visits, Edmond becomes wealthy.

Upon returning to Marseille, Edmond learns that his father had died of poverty and that Mercédès had married Fernand 18 months after he was supposedly executed for treason. His old neighbour Gaspard Caderousse is still alive, and—under the guise of the Abbé Busoni—Edmond visits him to learn more. Caderousse tells him that Morrel had tried to obtain a fair trial for Edmond, and how Mercédès pleaded for his release. He also learns that those who had remained loyal to him had suffered greatly, while those who had betrayed him had prospered. Edmond thanks Caderousse for the information, paying him with a large diamond that he said had come into Edmond's possession while in prison. Realizing that only Morrel had remained loyal, Edmond creates three disguises — an Englishman named Lord Wilmore, a clerk from the banking firm Thomson and French, and Sinbad the Sailor — and uses them to save Morrel from bankruptcy and suicide. Edmond then goes into hiding, spending nine years reforming himself as the Count of Monte Cristo.

Chase
Chase (チェイス Cheisu) is one of the main characters in Kamen Rider Drive. He was the original Kamen Rider Drive, dubbed Kamen Rider Protodrive (仮面ライダープロトドライブ Kamen Raidā Puroto Doraibu). However, he had his memories wiped and became the Grim Reaper to combat rogue Roidmudes and the second Drive, becoming Mashin Chaser (魔進チェイサー Mashin Cheisā, lit. "Advance Demon Chaser"). After breaking free of his brainwashing with the help of the Mad Doctor Shift Car and Kiriko, he aligns himself once more to protect humanity from the Roidmudes, becoming Kamen Rider Chaser (仮面ライダーチェイサー Kamen Raidā Cheisā).

Sometime after the Global Freeze, Chase synchronized with Koichi Kano, choosing not to gain human emotions as it interfered with his base programming of having an infallible sense of justice. Chase, initially in his limited days as Protodrive portrayed himself as a servant and an ally to Krim Steinbelt. Stoic and almost emotionless, he disliked answering his enemy's questions. Chase was also confident and was completely serious and risked his life along with his partner Krim Steinbelt to prevent the Roidmude from subjugating humanity.

Upon being reset and modified into the Roidmude's guardian as Mashin Chaser, like his time with Protodrive, he portrayed himself as a servant, blaming himself and not fighting back against Brain who calls him a "reject" when the former started to receive spasms about his past memories as Protodrive. During his rampage when Medic was modified to go berserk, he was forcefully reset through combat against the second Drive and was revived and healed by the Mad Doctor Shift Car and Kiriko. This act of selflessness and her constant attempts to realign Chase to humanity is the ultimate factor to make him restart and become Kamen Rider Chaser.

As a result, Chase prioritizes Kiriko's happiness and well being, developing feelings for her. Along the way of reintegrating back with humans, his sense of heroism snapped Shinnosuke back to his senses to not prioritize vengeance over protecting humans. Chase, initially confused about the idea of love, family, and friendships, learns that they're something to be protected. As Chase slowly learns more about humans, he takes the first step of accepting Shinnosuke's friendship by calling him by his first name and confronted him later if he had feelings for Kiriko. Upon learning that Kiriko and Shinnosuke both have feelings for each other, Chase considers his heartbreak as a sign of becoming more human. When given a golden feather by Angel, Chase becomes a full human, which affected his core and became unable to use the Mach Driver. His humanity worried his friends and he eventually discarded his humanity once more to become a Kamen Rider. Despite not accepting his human counterpart's emotions when he first synchronized with him. Chase turned out to be like Koichi Kano in regards to taking his role seriously.

Chase, despite not being able to obtain human emotions, considered his teammates as friends, cherishing his driver's license and Signal Chaser as mementos that his friends gave him based on the concept of friendship rather than feeling it. He also considered, Go Shijima, as his friend due to the two working together. It isn't until Chase's death does Go acknowledge him as a friend, keeping his driver's license and Signal Chaser Bike in memory of Chase.

Kit Walker
Kit Walker is a Briarcliff inmate falsely accused of the Bloody Face killings. He is the male protagonist of American Horror Story: Asylum and is portrayed by Evan Peters.

Kit Walker is an attractive young man with short, naturally slight curled golden-brown hair and intense dark brown eyes. Kit is generally kind, loving, and mild-mannered, avoiding confrontation with his acquaintance Billy, who subtly taunted him about his interracial marriage. He is the type of person that is stubborn when confronted about his side of the story. He sticks to his side even though all others say he is wrong.

Kit Walker (portrayed by Evan Peters) is an inmate at Briarcliff who is believed to be the serial killer, "Bloody Face", accused of killing several women, including his wife Alma. Kit and Alma keep their interracial marriage a secret, in fear that someone might hurt their families. In the first episode, "Welcome to Briarcliff", Kit hears noises from outside and goes to investigate. When he enters the house, he is pinned against the ceiling by grey humanoids. When Alma goes missing, Kit is accused of her murder as well as the murder of several other women, committed by the serial killer "Bloody Face". At the asylum, Kit is subjected to sadistic experiments from Dr. Arden, including one that leads Arden to discover a microchip implanted in his neck. He develops a relationship with fellow inmate Grace, and the two have sex.

In the episode "I Am Anne Frank (Part 2)", he is tricked by Dr. Thredson into a taped confession of the murders, after which it is revealed that Thredson himself is the killer. Kit is arrested after Thredson hands the tape to the police. Kit escapes custody and returns to the asylum to save Grace, who is accidentally shot by Frank after she jumps in front of a bullet to save him. Grace dies from the shot, but unbeknownst to Kit, her body is abducted by the aliens. Kit keeps Thredson alive in order to clear his name. Grace is returned by the aliens, almost in labor with Kit's baby.

Arden revives Kit, and it is later shown that Grace has had his baby. Grace claims to have seen his presumed-dead wife Alma, telling him that she believes Alma has died while with the aliens. Kit proposes to Grace, who accepts. He, Grace and the baby are separated, and when he is released, he convinces the Monsignor to let Grace and his baby come with him as Grace is thought to have been killed. Kit threatens to tell of the asylum's mistreatments if Grace and the baby are not allowed to come with him, after which the Monsignor lets her go. He and his new family return home, only to find Alma there with her own baby, of which Kit is the father.

By 1967, Kit, Grace and Alma are living in a polyamorous relationship, with their two children, Thomas (Grace's child) and Julia (Alma's child). Though its short lived due to Alma not entirely comfortable sharing her husband and Grace's obsession with the aliens that abducted them. Whereas Alma is clearly traumatized from the events, neither one helps as both believe the other is right. Still clearly traumatized and frightened by Grace encouraging their abductors return, Alma kills Grace with an axe in an insane rage and is sent to the asylum, before dying there shortly after.

During Kit's visits to the asylum to see Alma, he connects with Jude. Kit tells Lana that she needs to help Jude get out, to which she declines. Jude is later released from the asylum and into the care of Kit, who sees her through her detox of pain medication. Jude relapses back into insanity, but Thomas and Julia take her into the woods, after which she comes back inexplicably healed. Jude bonds with Kit and the children, before dying six months later, leaving the family devastated.

In "Madness Ends", Lana reveals in the interview that she is the godmother to Thomas and Julia, who both grew up to be successful, and that Kit married a woman named Allison. At age 40, Kit developed pancreatic cancer and seemingly disappeared without a trace. In reality, Kit was re-abducted by the aliens, leaving his fate unknown.

For his performance, Peters was nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film

Winter Soldier (MCU)
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, later known as the Winter Soldier and White Wolf, is a major character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He serves as the tritagonist of Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: Civil War, and the titular secondary antagonist of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He later returned in a cameo in Black Panther and as a major character in Avengers: Infinity War.

Bucky Barnes was extremely loyal, devoted, trustworthy, headstrong, and patriotic, so he had a strong moral center. He was a good and close friend to Steve Rogers during their youth; he helped him when he got into fights and tried to cheer him up and look after him when Rogers' mother died. Best friends since childhood, they went through many trials and tribulations together. He was also protective of Rogers, as when he planned to enlist in the United States Army. Barnes tried to talk him out of it, as he knew he would die because of his physical condition and poor health.

Due to his advanced physiology, however, Barnes survived his apparent death, but was found by HYDRA instead. Trained as a living weapon, Barnes became a new man so to speak as his memories and identity were constantly being wiped until he was augmented into the perfect assassin, the Winter Soldier. As the Solider, he was brutal and ruthless with an utter lack of conscience, and followed remorselessly on HYDRA's any order. Even so, he still saved Steve Rogers from drowning after the Insight Helicarrier blew up. Although he states he did not know why he did such, it was due to Rogers reminding him of who he was, which he initially reacted with violence before finally accepting.

While he still holds a mostly serious demeanor, he is still shown to retain a sense of humor, as shown when he and Falcon both smiled with approval at Rogers' kiss with Sharon Carter and later as the two reminisced over earlier times in their friendship. His sense of humor can also be dry at times, as shown when he asked Wilson why he couldn't use his gadget on Spider-Man earlier to take him down.

Even though Barnes has regained his identity and former values, he has also developed a guilt-ridden conscience, and became deeply ashamed over his actions as the Winter Soldier. He previously stated that he has an absolute memory of every person he has killed, and knows that the fact he was brainwashed does not change the fact that he killed them. Fearing for his mental state and anyone around him (as Helmut Zemo was able to manipulate him with the Winter Soldier Program), Barnes ultimately decided that placing himself in cryogenic stasis until he can be cured of HYDRA's mental programming completely would be the best course of action.

He was portrayed by Sebastian Stan.

Alec Trevelyan
Alec Trevelyan, formerly known as 006 and now known as Janus, is the main antagonist of the 1995 live action film, GoldenEye. He was an ex-MI6 agent turned cyber-terrorist and was formally James Bond's best friend, thus being practically unique amongst Bond's adversaries.

Trevelyan is a calculating, manipulative, and surreptitious mastermind. He seems to have always been something of a vengeful sociopath, so much that even when he was six years old and recruited to MI6 his only desire was to destroy it as Trevelyan was the son of Lienz Cossack parents who sided against the Soviets during World War II. After the war, the Cossacks attempted to surrender to the British, who then sent them back to Russia where Joseph Stalin had many of them executed. Trevelyan's parents survived the execution squads, but the survivor's guilt proved too much, causing his father to kill his wife and himself. Alec blamed the British for his parents' deaths, and even in his adult years he still held to his grudge. Despite this, Alec does seem to have a sort of friendship with James Bond, as the two had been on numerous missions together, shared everything and Trevelyan once considered inviting Bond on his plans. However after he disrupted Trevelyan's plans to stage his death by setting the explosive timers to three minutes instead of six, it left the right side of his face burned and disfigured, thus further fueling his vendetta.

He is intensively bitter, resentful, opprobrious, uncomplimentary, and vituperative; despite it being nine years since he received his scar, Trevelyan's anger did not settle. He is callous, sadistic, loathsome, and unpleasant, after capturing Natalya Simonova on-board his train Alec mocked Bond to choose between "the girl or the mission". And when leaving them to die in a train rigged with explosives Alec gives the two, "the same six minutes [Bond] gave [Alec]" (meaning they had three minutes. This resentment is further displayed by his alias Janus [the two-faced God of war]. Trevelyan then quipped that "it was the least he could do for a friend," before laughing sarcastically.

Trevelyan was a master of psychological warfare, he delivers several cutting remarks to Bond during their brawl on top of the satellite dish and mocks him on how many men he has killed and how many women are deceased because of him, an uncomplimentary and opprobrious remark regarding Bond's wife Teresa who died in the previous movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It was particularly effective because very few people have such knowledge of Bond's personal life, and coming from a man Bond once considered a close friend, it allowed it to cut deep. Alec was also a capable marksman and a bloody brawler, able to hold his own against 007 and came close to actually killing him. Alec is a mastermind who was able to orchestrate the GoldenEye project, blackmail Boris Grishenko into serving him, and convincing a high ranking general in the Russian Military (General Ourumov) into betraying his country, displaying his skill in manipulation.

Despite his unscrupulous and egotistical psychopathy, Trevelyan was a sophisticated and intelligent man in his dress sense and lifestyle. Alec spoke with a broad vocabulary, and even when he was completely enraged and obstreperous, he remained calm, otherwise apathetic or cruel. However, he only truly lost his sensitive and enthusiastic nature at the climax of the film, where he finally pitted himself against James Bond.

As a former MI6 agent, Trevelyan was master in weaponry and hand to hand combat and had his own trademark weapon of a Davis Mp.4 k-9d Mk.9 automatic pistol in contrast to Bond's Walther PPK and was able to estimate and factor in his former friend's moves, as when he realized that Bond had rigged the control room with explosives and then deactivated them with Bond's watch which was actually a detonator. Even when he was at the mercy of an enraged Bond, Alec still didn't beg for his life and smugly repeated his line "for England, James?" Only for 007 to reply "No, for me" and simply let him fall to his death only for Trevelyan to survive by the skin of his teeth but when the satellite dish falls on Alec, it finally crushed the former MI6 agent to death.

He was portrayed by Sean Bean who also played Sean Miller in Patriot Games, Patrick Koster in Don't Say a Word, Dr. Merrick in The Island, and John Ryder in The Hitcher.

Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis (/ˈnɛməsɪs/; Greek: Νέμεσις), also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ("the goddess of Rhamnous"), was the goddess who enacted retribution against those who succumb to hubris (arrogance before the gods). Another name was Adrasteia or Adrestia, meaning "the inescapable".

Divine retribution is a major theme in the Hellenic world view, providing the unifying theme of the tragedies of Sophocles and many other literary works. Hesiod states: "Also deadly Nyx bore Nemesis an affliction to mortals subject to death" (Theogony, 223, though perhaps an interpolated line). Nemesis appears in a still more concrete form in a fragment of the epic Cypria.

She is implacable justice: that of Zeus in the Olympian scheme of things, although it is clear she existed prior to him, as her images look similar to several other goddesses, such as Cybele, Rhea, Demeter, and Artemis.

As the "Goddess of Rhamnous", Nemesis was honored and placated in an archaic sanctuary in the isolated district of Rhamnous, in northeastern Attica. There she was a daughter of Oceanus, the primeval river-ocean that encircles the world. Pausanias noted her iconic statue there. It included a crown of stags and little Nikes and was made by Pheidias after the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), crafted from a block of Parian marble brought by the overconfident Persians, who had intended to make a memorial stele after their expected victory. Her cult may have originated at Smyrna.

Although a respected goddess, Nemesis brought much sorrow to mortals such as Echo and Narcissus. Narcissus was a very beautiful and arrogant hunter from the territory of Thespiae and Boeotia, who disdained the ones who loved him. Nemesis lured him to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was only an image. He was unable to leave the beauty of his reflection and he eventually died. Nemesis believed that no one should ever have too much goodness in their lives, and she had always cursed those who were blessed with countless gifts.

Venom (Eddie Brock)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, and his earliest appearance was a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 (September 1986), before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988) as the original and most well-known incarnation of Venom. The character has since appeared in many Marvel Comics publications, including his own series Venom. Introduced as a villain of Spider-Man, the character becomes an anti-hero, working with and against superheroes.

In the original version of the story, Eddie Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a serial killer only for the real killer to be caught by Spider-Man, thus he accused the wrong man. Disgraced and suicidal, he comes into contact with an alien Symbiote, rejected by Peter Parker. The Symbiote bonds with him and they become Venom, together seeking out revenge against their mutual enemy. Though he repeatedly comes into conflict with Spider-Man, he also attempts to operate as a hero, albeit a violent one, seeking to save those he deems "innocent".

In 2008, after being separated from the Venom Symbiote, he gains a new Symbiote and becomes the anti-hero Anti-Venom. However, that symbiote is sacrificed to help cure the "Spider-Island" epidemic during the 2011 storyline. In 2012, he was bonded to the Toxin symbiote. Though he is a human with no powers, the Venom Symbiote suit bestows upon him a range of abilities including many of the powers belonging to Spider-Man, the Symbiote's original host.