History Literature / TheRegulators

%%* AnyoneCanDie
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler: Marielle Soderson gets her arm almost completely blown off by the Regulators]].

* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Inverted, as [[spoiler: the neighborhood's only black couple are among the few survivors.]]
* BodyHorror: Less so than ''Desperation'' in which Tak's possession of the body would cause the host to expand and eventually fall apart; here, his possession of Seth is more of the psychic variety. That being said, Tak is unable to possess anyone else but Seth because their minds are too weak. When he tries, [[spoiler: their heads explode]].

* MauveShirt: Mary Jackson is introduced and given a rather full backstory, such as the fact that she's on her way back from cheating on her husband, and how she realizes she's not wearing any underwear, ''while she's in the act of dying.'' This is done to the point that she even believes that her husband and the neighbors, who are gathered after the death of the paper boy have figured out she is cheating are there to confront her moments before she is killed. This is especially jarring given in Desperation [[spoiler: she is a much more prominent character who manages to survive, against all odds, to the end of the book.]] This makes sense, considering The Regulators is in many ways an inversion of Desperation.

* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Well, sudden twinner-death syndrome actually. In ''Desperation'' [[spoiler: Mary Jackson and David Carver are two of the only four survivors who make it all the way to the end of the story. In this book however, they are among the first three (four if you include Hannibal the dog) victims to fall to Tak's creations before the end of the fourth chapter]]
* ThoseTwoGuys: Between this novel, and ''Literature/{{Desperation}}'' Steven Ames and Cynthia Smith are not only among the few characters who remain virtually unchanged in appearance and manner in both books. [[spoiler: They're also the only two major characters to SURVIVE both books, and in both books, it's hinted they may end up romantically involved.]]

* YourHeadAsplode: [[spoiler: The result of Tak's failed attempt to possess Cammie.]]

* ThoseTwoGuys: Between this novel, and ''Literature/Desperation'' Steven Ames and Cynthia Smith are not only among the few characters who remain virtually unchanged in appearance and manner in both books. [[spoiler: They're also the only two major characters to SURVIVE both books, and in both books, it's hinted they may end up romantically involved.]]

* AnyoneCanDie

* BangBangBANG: Gunshots are incredibly loud; a sound of a shotgun is described as the sound of "a detonating backpack missile". Justified, because the shooters are actually figments of Seth's imagination, made real by Tak.

* TheBaroness: Countess Lili Marsh, the sidekick of the main villain in the ''[=MotoKops=]'' universe is a stereotypical example of this character. She has dark hair, pale skin and "cruel, beautiful features". Peter Jackson describes her as "some pubescent boy’s first hesitant try at a sex-fantasy".

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Audrey confesses to her journal that Tak gives off waves of hate and emotional energy which make her feel crazy; the only relief she has found is locking herself in the bathroom and masturbating. (This seems similar to the effect of the ''can tahs'' in the alternate universe of ''Literature/{{Desperation}}'', which drive people to give in to their basest urges.)

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Audrey confesses to her journal that Tak sometimes gives off waves of hate and emotional energy which make her feel crazy; the only relief she has found is locking herself in the bathroom ad masturbating. (This seems similar to the effect of the ''can tahs'' in the alternate universe of ''Literature/{{Desperation}}'', which drive people to give in to their basest urges.)

* HypotheticalCasting: After Johnny Marinville and his black neighbor, Brad Josephson have a hard time climbing a fence to escape from monsters, Johnny jokingly suggests that they should make a movie called ''[[Film/WhiteMenCantJump Black Men Can't Climb Fences]]'', where Brad would be played by Creator/LaurenceFishburne.

* {{Gorn}}: It's definitely of King's goriest works.

* TheRainman: Seth.

* OrphanedPunchline: When Mary Jackson is shot to death and falls down, Johnny sees that she's not wearing underwear, and thinks of a punchline of an old joke: "I don't know about the other two, but the guy in the middle looks like Music/WillieNelson". (The joke itself is never told in the book; [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/2d6qc4/a_woman_wants_to_get_her_two_favorite_actors/ it's about a woman]] who has the faces of celebrities tattooed to her thighs.)

* OrphanedPunchline: When Mary Jackson is shot to death and falls down, Johnny sees that she's not wearing underwear, and thinks of a punchline of an old joke: "I don't know about the other two, but the guy in the middle looks like Music/WillieNelson". (The joke itself is never told in the book; [[https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-256451.html it's about a woman]] who has the faces of celebrities tattooed to her thighs.)

* TheAlcoholic: Gary Soderson.

* YourCheatingHeart: Mary Jackson is having an affair with a man named Gene Martin (who, just like her, is already married).

* CaptainErsatz: The characters of Seth's favorite cartoon ''[=MotoKops 2200=]'' are a cross between Franchise/GIJoe and the PowerRangers.

* CaptainErsatz: The characters of Seth's favorite cartoon ''[=MotoKops 2200=]'' are a cross between GIJoe and the PowerRangers.

* YourHeadAsplode: [[spoiler: The result of Tak's failed attempt to possess Cammie.]]

* BodyHorror: Less so than ''Desperation'' in which Tak's possession of the body would cause the host to expand and eventually fall apart; here, his possession of Seth is more of the psychic variety. That being said, Tak is unable to possess anyone else but Seth because their minds are too strong. When he tries, [[spoiler: their heads explode]].

* OrphanedPunchline: When Mary Jackson is shot to death and falls down, Johnny sees that she's not wearing underwear, and thinks of a punchline of an old joke: "I don't know about the other two, but the guy in the middle looks like Music/WillieNelson". (The joke itself is never told in the book; [[http://jokes.cc.com/funny-sports/pdautx/the-middle-man it's about a woman]] who has the faces of celebrities tattooed to her thighs.)