History Monster / LiteratureHToM

* ''Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau'': [[ForScience Dr. Moreau himself]] is an unfettered vivisector determined to [[UpliftedAnimal create humans using animals]]. After fleeing Britain as a pariah for flaying a dog which escaped his lab, Moreau took up residence on a [[IslandOfMystery remote island]], taking more creatures to continue his experiments with. Spending the years [[PlayingWithSyringes torturously crafting]] over 120 animals into pain-stricken sapient beings, Moreau has them taught the "Law" to keep them under control and to worship him as a god. With his House of Pain, he tortures any who disobey his Law to the point where protagonist Edward Prendick shoots a leopard man Moreau meant to punish dead to [[MercyKill save him from the agony]]. Dying when a puma he had been horribly working on for weeks breaks free, the memory of Moreau's cruelty nevertheless causes revolt amongst the surviving beast folk.

** ''Literature/MrMonkAndTheTwoAssistants'': [[MadArtist Ian Ludlow]] is a {{narcissist}}ic crime novelist who gets "inspiration" for his books by befriending his fans, murdering them, then participating in the ensuing investigations so as to [[FrameUp frame]] "the least likely suspect" for the crimes. Ludlow has killed at least five people over the years, always pinning the murders on total innocents and getting them locked away, and continues his spree in the present as he kills another fan by bashing her skull in. After murdering another man by ripping him apart while drowning him, Ludlow tries to frame [[Characters/MonkAdrianMonk Monk]]'s closest friends and assistants, Sharona Fleming and [[Characters/MonkNatalieTeeger Natalie Teeger]], as the killers just to torment Monk and make a more interesting "twist" for the book he plans to write.

* ''Literature/LesMiserables'': [[AbusiveParents Monsieur Thénardier]] is a greedy innkeeper who accepts guardianship of little Cosette from her mother, Fantine, while [[WouldHurtAChild beating the poor girl]] and [[FosteringForProfit using her to extort money from Fantine]], resulting in Fantine prostituting herself and eventually falling sick and dying. After losing his inn, Thénardier prostitutes his own daughters and even has one, Azelma, mutilate her hand to make her a more effective and sympathetic beggar. Not above murder, Thénardier happily tries to kill both Jean Valjean and Javert at different points, even threatening to torture the former with a hot poker. Even when driven from France by Marius Pontmercy, Thénardier simply sets up shop in America as a slave trader to further profit from human misery. Be he a con artist, [[RobbingTheDead grave robber]], or attempted murderer, there is no low Thénardier will not sink to for [[{{Greed}} the sake of profit]].

* ''Literature/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'': [[DigitalAbomination AM]], the evil MasterComputer, has [[AIIsACrapshoot already killed]] all but 5 members of humanity by the time the story opens. AM keeps the survivors mutated and twisted so he may torture them helplessly as he desires. AM forces them to wander, changing the environment so they can never get used to it and subjects them to hideously twisted torments. When one of them finally rescues the others by killing them, AM transforms him into a [[FateWorseThanDeath sapient blob]], not [[AndIMustScream even leaving him a mouth to scream with]].

* ''Literature/TheLAQuartet'' & ''The Second L.A. Quartet'':
** ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'': Sergeant Friedrich Charles "Fritz(ie)" Vogel is a DirtyCop whose malice and vileness stand out even in the dark, corrupt halls of the LAPD. A brutal sadist who enjoys "[[ColdBloodedTorture interrogating]]" suspects, Fritz frequently tortures confessions out of people with no care for if they are truly guilty, simply wanting to accomplish arrests. Going so far as to try to pin the [[StockUnsolvedMysteries Black Dahlia murder]] on an innocent party by torturing a group of men into confession, Fritz's nastiest act is revealed to be the time he [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped an entire brothel of women]] out of spite because he contracted syphilis while sleeping with hookers. Fritz spread the STD to all of the women he raped, and even blinded two of his victims by rubbing his infected genitalia on their eyes.
** ''Literature/LAConfidential'' & ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' prequel: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Pierce Morehouse Patchett]] uses [[VillainWithGoodPublicity his public persona]] as an eccentric, successful businessman to mask his crimes, covering up a series of murders of children by the insane son of a media mogul. Patchett later allows for Japanese attacks during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, including Pearl Harbor, and even engineers more, so the festering prejudice will allow him to purchase Japanese-American owned properties cheap. With his Fleur-de-Lis prostitution ring, Patchett pimps to wealthy associates, even having [[WouldHurtAChild young boys and girls]] pose in sexual photos for his depraved clients. Patchett also uses his background in chemistry to modify heroin and create more potent batches to flood the streets and even modifies some doses to have his partner overcome police truth serum. Batches of his new concoctions are tested on one of his runners, and when the man [[YouHaveFailedMe fails]] to kill an investigating police officer, Patchett tortures him by injecting him with a series of bad strains.
** ''Literature/ThisStorm'': [[OnlyInItForTheMoney Salvador "Salvy" Abascal]], head of the Mexican ''Sinarquista'' party, poses as a fascist to profit from the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII world conflict]]. Once having participated in a gold heist, Salvy comes to his current office with the proceeds and radicalizes hopeful operatives by demanding they each commit three murders. With thousands enslaved in his plants, Salvy allies with Dudley Smith in a plot to run Mexican and Japanese [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaves]] to America, along with heroin, to continue lining his pockets. Betraying Dudley, Salvy uses the opportunity to run saboteurs along with their slaves, plotting to eradicate rival fascist factions and violently rob Americans [[{{Greed}} to line his own pockets]].

* ''Literature/TheLAQuartet'':

** ''Literature/LAConfidential'' & ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' prequel: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Pierce Morehouse Patchett]] uses [[VillainWithGoodPublicity his public persona]] as an eccentric, successful businessman to mask his crimes, covering up a series of murders of children by the insane son of a media mogul. Patchett later allows for Japanese attacks during World War II, including Pearl Harbor, and even engineers more, so the festering prejudice will allow him to purchase Japanese-American owned properties cheap. With his Fleur-de-Lis prostitution ring, Patchett pimps to wealthy associates, even having [[WouldHurtAChild young boys and girls]] pose in sexual photos for his depraved clients. Patchett also uses his background in chemistry to modify heroin and create more potent batches to flood the streets and even modifies some doses to have his partner overcome police truth serum. Batches of his new concoctions are tested on one of his runners, and when the man [[YouHaveFailedMe fails]] to kill an investigating police officer, Patchett tortures him by injecting him with a series of bad strains.

* ''Literature/TheHateUGive'': [[FauxAffablyEvil King]] is the leader of the King Lords, the criminal gang responsible for the majority of drug distribution, murders, and other criminal activity occurring in the poverty-ridden neighborhood of Garden Heights. King would coerce gang member Maverick into serving three years in prison for his crimes by ordering his goons to shoot Maverick's daughter Starr, killing Starr's friend. He would also force his wife and daughters to prostitute themselves to his clients and gang members, where a scuffle between them results in a shootout at his party; Starr and Khalil would leave said party, leading to the latter getting killed by a cop. Only concerned with how much unwanted attention Khalil's death would bring to his territory, King tries to [[HeKnowsTooMuch keep Starr quiet about the incident]], by attempting to kill Starr and her family, setting a store on fire with Starr and her friends inside.

* ''Literature/IBoy'': [[TheHeavy Cutz]] works for [[BigBad Howard Ellman]], [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections using his position as Ellman's right-hand man]] to commit crimes and oppress the people in Tom Harvey's neighborhood. Cutz would have his men [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil gang-rape]] Lucy Walker when her brother refused to join Cutz's gang while also having Lucy's rape recorded. When Lucy's friend, Tom, uses his powers to get revenge for her, Cutz steals all the electronic devices in Tom's neighborhood, attacking anyone who gets in his way and subjecting Tom to a brutal beatdown that nearly kills him. When Cutz learns that one of his men sold him out, Cutz kills him before [[DeadGuyOnDisplay hanging his corpse in front of Tom's building for everyone to see]]. Cutz then has his men hold Lucy hostage for Ellman, before attempting to kill her and Tom once they served their purpose.

* ''Literature/KazeNoStigma'':
** [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Michael Harley]] is a member of the Stars of Sagacity who was sent to kill [[AntiHero Kazuma Yagami]]. Upon meeting Misao Oogami, he [[ManipulativeBastard exploits her desire to avenge her fallen brother]] by having her kill hundreds of innocent people slowly draining their [[LifeEnergy Yoki]]; among those victims are Misao's own family members. When they gather more than enough Yoki, Michael reveals his true motives to Misao of using the Yoki to turn her into a medium, saying that he did not care about avenging her brother; this drives Misao mad with remorse. Michael then proceeds to forcibly transform Misao into a dragon and send her to kill Kazuma, while threatening him that if he kills the dragon, [[SadisticChoice he would also be killing Misao]].
** [[BigBad Bernhardt Rhodes]] is Kazuma's ArchEnemy and the leader of Armagest, the organization responsible for sacrificing Kazuma's FirstLove, Tsui Ling, to the demon king Belial. He then proceeds to use the remains of Tsui Ling to create a clone called Lapis using her to psychologically torment Kazuma, and later has Lapis destroy an entire building of innocents while escaping Kazuma. He also created "Pandemonium", where he would send demons to inhabit numerous teenagers, empowering them and having them fight each other to the death. He would then forcibly turn the survivors into demons, before sacrificing them to Belial in hopes of releasing him. While seemingly wanting to avenge the death of master, [[PredecessorVillain Erwin Leszaa]], it is soon revealed that Bernhardt doesn't really care about Erwin and is tormenting Kazuma [[ForTheEvulz for his own amusement]] and plans to use Belial to destroy him, his city, and everyone he holds dear.

** ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'': Sergeant Friedrich Charles "Fritz(ie)" Vogel is a DirtyCop whose malice and vileness stand out even in the dark, corrupt halls of the LAPD. A brutal sadist who enjoys "[[ColdBloodedTorture interrogating]]" suspects, Fritzie frequently tortures confessions out of people with no care for if they are truly guilty, simply wanting to accomplish arrests. Going so far as to try to pin the [[StockUnsolvedMysteries Black Dahlia murder]] on an innocent party by torturing a group of men into confession, Fritzie's nastiest act is revealed to be the time he [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped an entire brothel of women]] out of spite because he contracted syphilis while sleeping with hookers. Fritzie spread the STD to all of the women he raped, and even blinded two of his victims by rubbing his infected genitalia on their eyes.
** ''Literature/LAConfidential'' & ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' prequel: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Pierce Morehouse Patchett]] uses [[VillainWithGoodPublicity his public persona]] as an eccentric, successful businessman to mask his crimes. Covering up a series of murders of children by the insane son of a media mogul, Patchett also withholds knowledge of Japanese attacks during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, including Pearl Harbor, so the festering prejudice will allow him to purchase Japanese-American owned properties cheap. With his Fleur-de-Lis prostitution ring, Patchett pimps to wealthy associates, even having [[WouldHurtAChild young boys and girls]] pose in sexual photos for his depraved clients. Patchett also uses his background in chemistry to modify heroin stolen from Mickey Cohen and create more potent batches to flood the streets and even modifies some doses to have his partner overcome police truth serum. Batches of his new concoctions are tested on one of his runners, and when the man [[YouHaveFailedMe fails]] to kill an investigating police officer, Patchett tortures him by injecting him with a series of bad strains.

* ''Literature/LAConfidential'' & ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' prequel: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Pierce Morehouse Patchett]] uses [[VillainWithGoodPublicity his public persona]] as an eccentric, successful businessman to mask his crimes. Covering up a series of murders of children by the insane son of a media mogul, Patchett also withholds knowledge of Japanese attacks during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, including Pearl Harbor, so the festering prejudice will allow him to purchase Japanese-American owned properties cheap. With his Fleur-de-Lis prostitution ring, Patchett pimps to wealthy associates, even having [[WouldHurtAChild young boys and girls]] pose in sexual photos for his depraved clients. Patchett also uses his background in chemistry to modify heroin stolen from Mickey Cohen and create more potent batches to flood the streets and even modifies some doses to have his partner overcome police truth serum. Batches of his new concoctions are tested on one of his runners, and when the man [[YouHaveFailedMe fails]] to kill an investigating police officer, Patchett tortures him by injecting him with a series of bad strains.