Follow TV Tropes

Following

History AxCrazy / Literature

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** ''Film/{{Dread}}'' -- [[spoiler:Steve]] becomes ax crazy at the end of the short story. After [[BreakTheCutie enduring psychological torture that causes his mind to snap]], he takes a fire axe from the homeless shelter where he was dropped off, tracks down [[spoiler:Quaid]], and proceeds to [[KarmicDeath slowly hack him to death]] [[BewareTheNiceOnes over the course of the night]].

to:

** ''Film/{{Dread}}'' ''Literature/{{Dread}}'' -- [[spoiler:Steve]] becomes ax crazy at the end of the short story. After [[BreakTheCutie enduring psychological torture that causes his mind to snap]], he takes a fire axe from the homeless shelter where he was dropped off, tracks down [[spoiler:Quaid]], and proceeds to [[KarmicDeath slowly hack him to death]] [[BewareTheNiceOnes over the course of the night]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None



to:

* ''Literature/AcidRow'': Wesley Barber is easily the most deranged and aggressive of the youth mob, not helped by the fact he's often on hard drugs; he's high on acid, crystal meth and who knows what else the day of the riot. He's willing to burn down the entirety of Humbert Street to get rid of the paedophiles - even though it will endanger everyone else - eventually punches the pregnant Melanie Patterson in the stomach when she tries to stop him, and brutally murders and mutilates [[spoiler:an old man he mistakenly believes is a pervert]], telling himself he's ComicBook/{{Blade}} killing vampires.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* No man, woman or child is safe from Talus (if ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene'' hasn't defamed him). He kills everyone who looks at him the wrong way, and at one point ''cuts the hands off and drowns'' a woman who they've taken prisoner. The only thing that keeps him nominally on the side of good is that he works for Artegall, who has to curb some of his more bloodthirsty rampages.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Some of the Careers in ''Literature/TheHungerGames''. Clove would've given Katniss a GlasgowSmile if Thresh hadn't stepped in. And Cato explodes so violently when Katniss takes out his supplies that he snaps a nearby boy's neck. Enobaria ripped someone else's throat out in her Games. ''With her teeth.'' Titus tried to eat the hearts of the contestants he killed.

to:

* Some of the Careers in ''Literature/TheHungerGames''. Clove would've given Katniss a GlasgowSmile GlasgowGrin if Thresh hadn't stepped in. And Cato explodes so violently when Katniss takes out his supplies that he snaps a nearby boy's neck. Enobaria ripped someone else's throat out in her Games. ''With her teeth.'' Titus tried to eat the hearts of the contestants he killed.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Literature/{{Renegades}}'' has The Detonator, a MadBomber with the ability to create explosives with her thoughts. She's also obsessed with harming Captain Chromium, to the point of endangering her teammates. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs in that the moment this comes to light, the other Anarchists boot her out before she can harm them further.

to:

* ''Literature/{{Renegades}}'' has The Detonator, a MadBomber with the ability to create explosives with her thoughts. She's also obsessed with harming Captain Chromium, to the point of endangering her teammates. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs in that teammates Deconstructed, however, the moment this comes to light, the other Anarchists boot her out before she can harm them further.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** ''Literature/TheShining'': Jack Torrence, the alcoholic writer[=/=]caretaker who goes on a murderous rampage after CabinFever breaks his mind.

to:

** ''Literature/TheShining'': Jack Torrence, the alcoholic writer[=/=]caretaker who goes on a murderous rampage after CabinFever and the supernatural influence of the hotel breaks his mind.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** ''Literature/TheFog'': The titular biological weapon rouses numerous people to unhinged acts of mutilation, murder and suicide.
** ''Literature/TheDark'': Murderous occult ritual harnesses, in the form of concentrated patches of darkness, a sentient assertion of humanity's capacity for evil. Its [[HatePlague effects]] are similar to that of the [[Literature/TheFog fog]].

to:

** ''Literature/TheFog'': ''Literature/TheFog1975'': The titular biological weapon rouses numerous people to unhinged acts of mutilation, murder and suicide.
** ''Literature/TheDark'': Murderous occult ritual harnesses, in the form of concentrated patches of darkness, a sentient assertion of humanity's capacity for evil. Its [[HatePlague effects]] are similar to that of [[Literature/TheFog1975 the [[Literature/TheFog fog]].

Added: 4277

Removed: 4281

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:


%%* Quinton from Zane's ''Addicted''. Add Dempse as well.
* FBI Agent Pynebox in ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfFoxTayle'' does this after he breaks off from the rest of his team. He uses a gun, a knife, his fists, and a switchblade.
* The Axe-Man in the ''Literature/AhrimanTrilogy'' takes this trope rather... literally.
* Patrick Bateman, title character of ''Literature/AmericanPsycho''. And Rachel Newman, of the female-centric sequel to TheFilmOfTheBook.
* In Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', the murderer is obviously Ax Crazy material as they are more than willing to kill nine people for the sake of making sure they don't [[KarmaHoudini escape justice]] considering they killed people and all. Interestingly enough, one other character qualifies who is ''not'' the murderer: [[spoiler: Vera Claythorne]], after being [[BreakTheCutie forced to endure four straight days of pure psychological torture]] including looking back on [[spoiler:[[{{Yandere}} her murder of a little boy so her lover could inherit his estate]], [[BewareTheNiceOnes completely snaps and kills Philip Lombard]]]] minutes before committing suicide.
* Visser Three, the BigBad of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. Even in an alien empire where killing your subordinates seems to be routine, he's TheCaligula. At one point Visser One remarks that he's executed subordinates 'by the poolful', which means that his body counts runs in the high thousands. ''At least''.
%%** Taylor. And probably Rachel. No, Ax is not Ax crazy. (He may ''act'' crazy around certain foods, though.)
%%** David in ''The Solution''.
* Erroy Gere in ''Gifts'', the first book in ''Literature/AnnalsOfTheWesternShore''. His power is "twisting", which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin twists the victim's body in awful and painful ways]], and he exercises it on cruel whim. Canoc warns him off by a conspicuous display of his own power.



* Creator/JamesHerbert:
** ''Literature/TheFog'': The titular biological weapon rouses numerous people to unhinged acts of mutilation, murder and suicide.
** ''Literature/TheDark'': Murderous occult ritual harnesses, in the form of concentrated patches of darkness, a sentient assertion of humanity's capacity for evil. Its [[HatePlague effects]] are similar to that of the [[Literature/TheFog fog]].
** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] - eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of [[GodOfTheDead Goddess of the Dead]] Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.
** ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}'': Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, becomes an indiscriminate murderer.
** ''Literature/Ash2012'': Trainee assassin Eddie Nelson takes feckless delight in his work. His current station of Comraich Castle's extensive cultivation of spectral malice tends to rouse its occupants to anger and violence - crazed war criminal Zdravko Lukovic near-fatally throttles psychic investigator David Ash.
* For Creator/StephenKing:
** ''Literature/TheShining'': Jack Torrence, the alcoholic writer[=/=]caretaker who goes on a murderous rampage after CabinFever breaks his mind.
** ''Literature/PetSematary'': Every person buried in the Micmac burying ground beyond the titular Pet Sematary comes back from the dead as a sadistic and violent RevenantZombie possessed by a [[DemonicPossession Demon]] or MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil.
** ''Literature/{{Misery}}'': Novelist Paul Sheldon is injured in a car crash and rescued by Annie Wilkes, a nurse who lives in an isolated country house. Wilkes is genuinely crazy for Misery Chastain, the Victorian protagonist of Paul's bestselling series, and doesn't take it too well when she finds out that Paul plans to kill the character off.
* A number of villains in books by Creator/TomHolt display this. For instance, there's the evil genie in ''Literature/DjinnRummy'', or Jupiter in ''Literature/YeGods'', who plans to wipe out the Earth and replace it with a nearly identical one. Neither one is very rational.

----

%%* Quinton from Zane's ''Addicted''. Add Dempse as well.
* FBI Agent Pynebox in ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfFoxTayle'' does this after he breaks off from the rest of his team. He uses a gun, a knife, his fists, and a switchblade.
* The Axe-Man in the ''Literature/AhrimanTrilogy'' takes this trope rather... literally.
* Patrick Bateman, title character of ''Literature/AmericanPsycho''. And Rachel Newman, of the female-centric sequel to TheFilmOfTheBook.
* In Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', the murderer is obviously Ax Crazy material as they are more than willing to kill nine people for the sake of making sure they don't [[KarmaHoudini escape justice]] considering they killed people and all. Interestingly enough, one other character qualifies who is ''not'' the murderer: [[spoiler: Vera Claythorne]], after being [[BreakTheCutie forced to endure four straight days of pure psychological torture]] including looking back on [[spoiler:[[{{Yandere}} her murder of a little boy so her lover could inherit his estate]], [[BewareTheNiceOnes completely snaps and kills Philip Lombard]]]] minutes before committing suicide.
* Visser Three, the BigBad of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. Even in an alien empire where killing your subordinates seems to be routine, he's TheCaligula. At one point Visser One remarks that he's executed subordinates 'by the poolful', which means that his body counts runs in the high thousands. ''At least''.
%%** Taylor. And probably Rachel. No, Ax is not Ax crazy. (He may ''act'' crazy around certain foods, though.)
%%** David in ''The Solution''.
* Erroy Gere in ''Gifts'', the first book in ''Literature/AnnalsOfTheWesternShore''. His power is "twisting", which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin twists the victim's body in awful and painful ways]], and he exercises it on cruel whim. Canoc warns him off by a conspicuous display of his own power.


Added DiffLines:

* Creator/JamesHerbert:
** ''Literature/TheFog'': The titular biological weapon rouses numerous people to unhinged acts of mutilation, murder and suicide.
** ''Literature/TheDark'': Murderous occult ritual harnesses, in the form of concentrated patches of darkness, a sentient assertion of humanity's capacity for evil. Its [[HatePlague effects]] are similar to that of the [[Literature/TheFog fog]].
** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] - eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of [[GodOfTheDead Goddess of the Dead]] Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.
** ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}'': Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, becomes an indiscriminate murderer.
** ''Literature/Ash2012'': Trainee assassin Eddie Nelson takes feckless delight in his work. His current station of Comraich Castle's extensive cultivation of spectral malice tends to rouse its occupants to anger and violence - crazed war criminal Zdravko Lukovic near-fatally throttles psychic investigator David Ash.
* A number of villains in books by Creator/TomHolt display this. For instance, there's the evil genie in ''Literature/DjinnRummy'', or Jupiter in ''Literature/YeGods'', who plans to wipe out the Earth and replace it with a nearly identical one. Neither one is very rational.


Added DiffLines:

* For Creator/StephenKing:
** ''Literature/TheShining'': Jack Torrence, the alcoholic writer[=/=]caretaker who goes on a murderous rampage after CabinFever breaks his mind.
** ''Literature/PetSematary'': Every person buried in the Micmac burying ground beyond the titular Pet Sematary comes back from the dead as a sadistic and violent RevenantZombie possessed by a [[DemonicPossession Demon]] or MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil.
** ''Literature/{{Misery}}'': Novelist Paul Sheldon is injured in a car crash and rescued by Annie Wilkes, a nurse who lives in an isolated country house. Wilkes is genuinely crazy for Misery Chastain, the Victorian protagonist of Paul's bestselling series, and doesn't take it too well when she finds out that Paul plans to kill the character off.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Literature/TheRippleSystem'': Frank, the Ax of Unbridled Knowledge, turns out to be a bloodthirsty maniac. He constantly tells Ned to kill things in the bloodiest way possible, uncaring that Ned likely wouldn't survive the attempt. The fact that Frank himself is a statless item who does literally no damage beyond Ned's (low) strength does not dissuade him in the slightest.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* In ''LightNovel/GatheringTheEnchanted'' Bannor ends up going Axe Crazy... Or more, fire crazy, when his friends are shot.

to:

* In ''LightNovel/GatheringTheEnchanted'' ''Literature/GatheringTheEnchanted'' Bannor ends up going Axe Crazy... Or more, fire crazy, when his friends are shot.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] - eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.

to:

** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] - eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess [[GodOfTheDead Goddess of the Dead]] Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.

to:

** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] - eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.

to:

* ** ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Literature/Moon1985'': Through involuntary psychic insights, Jonathan Childes sees... ''someone'' - eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: psychiatric hospital nurse Heckatty]] eviscerate a prostitute; desecrate a small boy's corpse, and saw off the top of an elderly man's head - all in service of MoonGoddess Hecate. To further torment Childes, [[spoiler: Heckatty]] invades his vicinity on an indiscriminately murderous rampage.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}'': Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, becomes an indiscriminate murderer.

to:

* ** ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}'': Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, becomes an indiscriminate murderer.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}: Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, learns to avenge himself with murderous cruelty.

to:

* ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}: ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}'': Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, learns to avenge himself with murderous cruelty.becomes an indiscriminate murderer.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''Literature/{{Sepulchre}}: Theodore Monk, domineered by his mother, molested by his uncle and relentlessly bullied, learns to avenge himself with murderous cruelty.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** ''Literature/Ash2012'': Trainee assassin Eddie Nelson takes feckless delight in his work. His current station, Comraich Castle's extensive cultivation of spectral malice tends to rouse its occupants to anger and violence - crazed war criminal Zdravko Lukovic near-fatally throttles psychic investigator David Ash.

to:

** ''Literature/Ash2012'': Trainee assassin Eddie Nelson takes feckless delight in his work. His current station, station of Comraich Castle's extensive cultivation of spectral malice tends to rouse its occupants to anger and violence - crazed war criminal Zdravko Lukovic near-fatally throttles psychic investigator David Ash.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* Creator/JamesHerbert:
** ''Literature/TheFog'': The titular biological weapon rouses numerous people to unhinged acts of mutilation, murder and suicide.
** ''Literature/TheDark'': Murderous occult ritual harnesses, in the form of concentrated patches of darkness, a sentient assertion of humanity's capacity for evil. Its [[HatePlague effects]] are similar to that of the [[Literature/TheFog fog]].
** ''Literature/Ash2012'': Trainee assassin Eddie Nelson takes feckless delight in his work. His current station, Comraich Castle's extensive cultivation of spectral malice tends to rouse its occupants to anger and violence - crazed war criminal Zdravko Lukovic near-fatally throttles psychic investigator David Ash.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Taur Urgas, King of Cthol Murgos. This is a man who beats his wives, {{Bad Boss}}es his underlings, tortures his enemies slowly, encourages his children to murder one another in order to become his heir, froths at the mouth in battle, chews the furniture during fits of madness, and dies screaming for his opponent to "[[BloodKnight come back and fight]]!"

to:

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Taur Urgas, King of Cthol Murgos. This is a man who beats his wives, {{Bad Boss}}es his underlings, tortures his enemies slowly, encourages his children to murder one another in order to become his heir, froths at the mouth in battle, chews the furniture during fits of madness, and dies screaming for his opponent to "[[BloodKnight come back and fight]]!"fight]]!" ''The Mallorean'' plays this for sad sympathy, as Eriond notes that Taur Urgas was so insane that [[TheMentallyDisturbed he couldn't actually be blamed for most of what he did]], giving the rest of the heroes a moment of stunned realization.

Changed: 41

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


%%* [[spoiler:Gaithim in ''Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned'', [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity as a side effect of becoming a hoshek]].]]

to:

%%* ''Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned'': [[spoiler:Gaithim in ''Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned'', [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity as a side effect of becoming a hoshek]].]]

Top