Subpages cleanup: Complete Monster

Has anyone discussed Reiko from the MKX comics? I can't find any results when I search the forums, at least not exact ones.

Leonora sounds like a case of Offscreen Villainy and the EP verges sometimes on Fridge Horror. Going with a no, especially with Elijah around.

Abstaining on Reinhardt.

I'm strongly inclined to vote to both Leonora Reinhardt and IV/Apocalypse continuity YHVH unless there's something I'm missing.

Also, I've been reading back through some of my previous posts, and I just thought I'd note a super minor thing I noticed that needs to be fixed on the Tales Series monster page: the character who is currently listed as Lord Mathia Bartlow from the Tales of Zestiria anime is actually just named Lord Bartlow. Lord Mathia is a separate character. He has like one line in the anime and scarcely any more of a role in the game, so I assume whoever did the original EP must have just assumed "Mathia" was Bartlow's first name, but AFAIK he doesn't have one.

That Last Resurrection game seems, um...interesting.

Wait, I'm confused, is it Ryu or the Entity? Also, mass slavery for the greater good? That sounds like Acacia-level weirdness.

Unsure on Batman lady.

That's a good question. The real candidate itself is "The Nameless Entity" who poses as Ryuuzouji. I refer him as Ryuuzouji because I guess that's the entity likes to be called.

Okay, i don't have high hopes for Leonora anyway, so here is my actual EP for candidate i was looking forward too. Two weeks has passed since the final issue of 3 part crossover between IDW TMNT and Batman franchise, called "Crisis in a Half Shell". TMNT wiki and other sources that claim that this crossover, while based on those franchises, is set in separate continuity from TMNT IDW series and Batman regular series, so I will treat it as its own thing.

What's the work?

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell is a (supposedly) final crossover mini-series between TMNT IDW and Batman. The plot of the very first crossover was that Turtles, Shredder and the Foot Clan were teleported to Batman world and Shredder plotted to use interdimensional portal technology to return to his world and conquer both Gotham and New York, despite the results might ending up killing many thousands people. Batman and TMNT unite and stop him and his recent ally Ra's Al Ghul from causing too much damage to Batman's Earth and then imprison Shredder, while Ra's escaped and Turtles returned to their world. The plot of the second crossover was Bane teleporting to Turtle's Earth and then conquering New York, desiring to make it his "kingdom", while killing many more people. Ra's and Shredder helped Batman and Turtles defeat Bane.

This is where we getting to current topic, the third and final crossover. Seemingly taking place in amalgam version of Batman and Turtles' world, as Batman and his "brothers" Mutant Turtles stopped Laughing Man (amalgam version of Joker and Shredder, who with his "Smile Clan" terrorized the city) from his raid on a museum and then (after Batman get a pep talk from his adopted father and butler Splinter, which revealed details of his new origin, we learn new origin of the turtles later) they confronted Mirage comics version of Raphael, who revealed to them that they live a fake lives and they kept this way with fake memories by the one, who secretly created their world.

Here comes my candidate - Krang.

Who is Krang?

An Utrom warlord, Krang is a long time enemy of the Turtles, who was the one, who teleported them and Shredder to Batman's world in the first crossover, so he could start his invasion on a New York without any competition and with less resistance. After Turtles come back at the end of the first 6 issue crossover, they supposedly defeated him offscreen.

During the events of the third crossover, Krang discovered the existence of Prime Turtles Earth (Mirage Comic version) and then killed Anti-Monitor from Batman's universe and used his body and some parts of Batman's universe to create Ultra-Technodrom, so he could capture original versions of turtles and Batman and use them to destroy the Turtle's multiverse and Batman's multiverse, so he could merge them and then rebuild them in his own image, a multiverse, where he is always the winner and in control of things. As the original (Mirage Comics version) Raphael managed to escape from Krang's prison and bring back part of the real memories of Batman and the Turtles, Krang contacts the Laughing Man and orders him to hunt them down. The Turtles, meanwhile find the actual Oroku Saki, bring his memories and has him rebuild Foot Clan, thus taking away Laughing Man's army, which makes him ask Krang's help. As Laughing Man becomes Joker gain, he summons Krang's army to where they were and they try to murder everyone (Turtles, Batman, Foot Clan, Shredder and Casey Jones) in the building.

Turtles and Batman managed to make Shredder and Casey to hold off Krang's robots, while they sneak up the giant Ultra-Technodrom and free the original versions of them from their prisons there and then trying figuring out to separate their universes once again. Furious Krang orders his robots to use Ultra-Technodrome to destroy the New Gotham and then the rest of the Earth as well, planning to rebuild it again, only without anyone who can pose even slight threat against him. Batman and the turtles managed to stop him, by destroying his Ultra-Technodrome and him as well (after a long fight and Krang tried to desperately merge worlds again and attempts sadistically kill them, when they separated their universes and sended their original versions to their home, by physically merging them all), thus restoring their worlds and multiverses.

Heinousness?

The worst in all 3 Batman/TMNT crossovers. Destroyed two multiverses, by merging them in to one. Was in process to destroy the entire Earth once again, when heroes became too much of a problem, so he could then rebuild it again, only without the heroes.

Mitigating Qualities?

None.

Conclusion?

I will say Yes.

to Leonardo and Krang

krang

Krang.

to Ryuuzouji and Krang. to Leonora, and I'll change from abstain to on YHVH.
So I came across this show on Netflix a couple of months ago while looking for something to watch, and I think I've found a potential candidate. Spoilers ahoy...

What is the work?

Helix is a scifi/Medical Horror series created by Syfy, which premiered in 2014. It was cancelled after two seasons due to poor ratings (although they did manage to more-or-less wrap the story up). The first season takes place in an Arctic bioresearch base which is suffering from an outbreak of a Technically Living Zombie Plague; the second on a tropical island, St. Germain, which is ground zero for a fungal disease, Mycosis, that turns its victims violently insane, then rots them from the inside. The show centres around a group of CDC doctors who are sent in to deal with both crises.

A bit of backstory is necessary at this point: several hundred years ago, an unspecified event resulted in a group of 500 people becoming biologically immortal. They can be identified by their silver eyes, which they normally hide with contact lenses. The Big Bads of the show are the Ilaria Corporation, a global MegaCorp run by a group of immortals who are planning the extermination of much of humanity. The plague in the first season was engineered by them (although it turns out the zombie version was created in an effort to sabotage their plans, as the immortal scientist in charge of the project doesn't actually agree with the plan). In the second season, they discover a more humane (albeit no less genocidal, as is repeatedly pointed out) alternative: the St. Germain fungus can also be used to cause mass sterility, giving them control over human reproduction... until 30 years later, when someone engineers a disease specifically designed to kill immortals, and it's implied it will wipe them all out.

All that said, though, Ilaria have genuine, if somewhat self-interested^note  They are expecting to be here a long time, after all. Although, by the same token, they could just wipe out all mortals if they wanted; they clearly have the resources and technology to sustain themselves indefinitely, but actually go out of their way to avoid doing so. concerns about overpopulation and the damage it's doing to the planet. The same cannot be said, however, about the first Arc Villain of Season 2: Brother Michael.

Who is Brother Michael? What has he done?

St. Germain is home to a religious sect called the Fellowship. Reject the ways of the outside world, back to nature, strong sense of community, everyone joins together to plant and harvest crops, you know the drill. Their leader, Michael, initially appears to be friendly and willing to cooperate with the CDC when they turn up, despite his followers' reservations about outside influences.

Turns out this is an act. The disease is a potential inconvenience to him and he's only too happy to have them sort it out, but Michael isn't worried, either for himself (he's another immortal) or his followers, who are just tools to him. The truth starts to be revealed after the group's healer, an older woman named Agnes, discovers that Dr. Sarah Jordan — one of the CDC doctors — is an immortal (she's not part of Ilaria; she was changed during Season 1), which surprises her as Michael had told them he was the only one. When she asks him about this, he lulls her into a false sense of security by telling her he loves her and she was always his favourite daughter (a line he's shown to use a lot), then kills her via Neck Snap.

As we learn more about the Fellowship, it gets worse. Amy, Agnes' granddaughter, is approaching her 20th birthday, when she will be expected to undergo the "planting ritual" — being impregnated by Michael. Who is her father... and maternal grandfather... and great-grandfather... remember Craster? Imagine him as a 500-year-old cult leader. Yeah. Michael found a way to sterilise all the mortal men of the Fellowship (see above for details), and ever since it was founded, has been fathering every child born into it. Apparently he's trying — but continually failing — to produce an immortal child, although I don't think this counts as a sympathetic motive, especially given the lengths he's willing to go to achieve it.

Desperate to avoid this fate, and being more than a little unstable herself (which, given her situation, is kind of understandable), Amy attempts to disrupt Michael's control over the Fellowship, manipulating her simple-minded brother (and lover) Landry into infecting a large number of cult members with Mycosis, killing 83 of them. Michael finds out she's responsible and imprisons her... not to punish her for her actions, but because he's realised he's losing control, and he's going to kill all but a handful and start again ("This crop is rotten. It needs to be ploughed under. And tonight, we shall finish what you and your lover started.") Oh yes, and it's subsequently confirmed he's done this before, apparently several times. He tells her, "My dear, your life is about to be filled with glorious purpose. My sweet girl, you're going to be the mother to a whole new generation... with or without your teeth."

Turns out, women who won't play ball with Michael's plans are subjected to a horrific fate: they are strapped to gurneys, have their teeth and vocal cords removed, and are raped by Michael and then tube-fed for nine months until their babies are born, after which they are killed. A boneyard we saw earlier, filled with hundreds, possibly thousands of toothless skulls, testifies to him having done this for a long, long time. And, in case anyone's forgotten, he's the only fertile man on the island — all the women Michael did this to were his own daughters.

Michael then heads off to carry out the "thinning", as he calls it, poisoning most of the Fellowship under the guise of a cure he claims the CDC has developed for Mycosis. We see one child drop his cup before drinking it, and look around in puzzlement as to why the other people in the room are all falling down... then Michael, with a you-can-trust-me smile, hands him another one, which he drinks.

Michael goes back to inform Amy of what he's done, and for a moment, it looks like he might actually regret his actions. "The children are always the most difficult. Tiny hands..." ...aaand then he immediately shrugs it off. "A pity they couldn't be spared." She pretends to have accepted her place, but then, once he's released her, Landry and a couple of others arrive and take Michael prisoner. He gloats about how he will live forever and they can't do anything to him, but they throw him into the cult's punishment pit, then start building a floor over him. And we get this:

So, yeah, Michael doesn't regret a damn thing. His boasts fail to intimidate them, though, and he gets walled up.

30 years later, he's freed by another immortal, Julia Walker, who is searching for Sarah Jordan's immortal foetus (look, just go with it), which she believes could be the source of a cure for the immortal plague. Michael appears to have been broken down by his imprisonment, and seems to regret what he has done; he leads her to where he claims the foetus was stored... on a cliffside overlooking the sea. Surprise! Michael was faking, and brought her here to kill her^note  apparently drowning is one of the ways to kill an immortal permanently, although that raises questions about how he could survive in that pit for 30 years with no oxygen... so Ilaria can't learn that he's still alive. He pushes her off; she grabs a handhold, but before he can finish her, a young man named Caleb whom she'd met earlier arrives with a sword and gives Michael the Highlander treatment. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Freudian Excuse? Mitigating factors?

A flashback at the beginning of Michael's final episode shows us his Start of Darkness. As a 17th century French aristocrat, he fell in love with and married a peasant girl, but she was secretly cheating on him with a friend of his. After people started to notice that Michael's supposed son had blond hair, like said friend, they started to mock him for being a cuckold, and when he caught her in bed with her lover, he finally snapped and burned down the house with the three of them inside it, vowing never to allow himself to be hurt like that again.

Thing is, though, even if you see this as sympathetic or whatever, while it may have started Michael down the path of evil, the rest of the steps he took were all his own. In the present day, we don't get any sense that he's carrying any residual pain or anything like that, or that he ever even thinks about what happened (he's not the one who recounts this story; Julia hears it from another immortal). He's just a ruthless, brutal, utterly selfish and disgustingly evil egomaniac who abandoned any sympathetic traits he may have once had a long time ago. So no, I don't think this in any way serves to mitigate what he became.

Heinous standard?

Okay, I'm not going to beat about the bush. Helix is dark.

There are very few characters who can really be called "good"; the show runs on Black-and-Grey Morality for the most part. People who start out with the best of intentions often end up as Knight Templars with numerous murders to their name. However, they're all shown to have sympathetic motives and/or people they genuinely care about.

Outside of Ilaria (whose resources obviously far outstrip Michael's — they're a global corporation with fingers in just about every pie and access to state-of-the-art technology; he's a cult leader with a few hundred followers at most at any one time, decades-outdated equipment and major skills in botany), the worst is probably Amy. Aside from the 87 mentioned earlier, she goes increasingly Ax-Crazy after imprisoning him, developing an obsession with gaining immortality herself, and kills several more people in her (ultimately fruitless) quest. However, she's seriously messed-up in a lot of ways, pretty much all of which can be traced back to Michael, and she doesn't have anything like the blood on her hands that he has. Michael is quite probably his world's greatest mass murderer — not to mention rapist — besides actual war criminals, and he's the only character whose motives are solely driven by his own selfish desires.

Verdict?

Easy yes to Michael.

Archangel Michael and Krong

Michael

to Micheal (is he the only keeper in Helix?)

to Second Lieutenant Osamu Ida, Krang and Brother Michael.

Probably — the Ilaria immortals all seem to care about one another to some extent, even if they don't set much store by mortals' lives, and some actively oppose the plan. Dr. Alan Farragut, who's the main character in the first season, becomes a ruthless Knight Templar intent on killing all immortals (and in the final episode, ironically, becomes one himself), but he's trying to prevent global genocide, as is Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, the Ilaria scientist who created the Narvik plague (he's clearly shown to be working to sabotage the plan). His brother, Peter, is revealed late in Season 1 to be secretly working for Ilaria for self-serving reasons, and in Season 2 he lets himself be seduced by Amy's mother Anne into taking over the Fellowship, murdering an innocent woman in the process, but he's a pretty minor villain all things considered, as is she. Though if anyone else can think of someone suitably heinous I've missed, fair enough.

Edited by CloisterTheStupid on Oct 16th 2019 at 12:44:56 PM

Yes to Michael, Ryuuzouji, and Krang. No to Leonora.

Brother Michael.

to Michael, Ryuu and Krang

Okay here's my second EP after my return. I don't have any faith in it given my past three or four failures and I am going to lower my expectations. But I need to make an EP and feel like I have contributed somehow, but here it goes.

What's The Work?

Mortal Kombat X Comic Series published by DC Comics as a tie-in to the game of the same name and set in between MK(2011) and MKX. The comics detail the events behind the Reiko Accords which serve as a non-aggression pact between Earthrealm and Outworld.

Its Big Bad is the titular Reiko with Havik serving as The Man Behind the Man.

Who Is He? What Has He Done?

Reiko was an Outworld warlord and soldier who was a representative of Outworld in the Mortal Kombat Tournament.

Years ago, he led his army across Outworld in Shao Kahn's name and conquer the kingdom of the Kreeyans (Female warriors akin to the Amazons) and per his victory customs, Reiko desecrated the holy temple of his defeated foes as a means of dominating their spirits as well as their cities. But Reiko noticed that one goddess statue would not crack or fall, and instead she sang a prophecy to him, a single phrase over and over again: "Reiko's blood reigns"

Reiko returned to Shao Kahn who was impressed by his ruthlessness and adopted him, no doubt as a possible heir to the throne which made Reiko believe that he was destined to rule over others. Reiko also alongside Shao Kahn and Goro conquered the Arnyek Islands, home of the Kytinns, D'vorah's race.

When Shao Kahn formed an alliance with Quan Chi and the Netherrealm, Reiko saw through the sorcerer's manipulation of his emperor and witness Shao Kahn's death at the hands of the Elder Gods. Reiko then overheard Quan Chi speaking to the fallen Elder God Shinnok and discovering that Shinnok was using Shao Kahn and his forces as nothing but pawns.

Reiko felt betrayed by the prophecy that the goddess spoke of and decided he would rather die than serve another. Before he could commit suicide, he was stopped by Havik, a cleric from the Chaosrealm who knew of Reiko's prophecy and urged him to live on and lose everything so he could then gain everything.

Havik told Reiko about Blook Magik, and how its power could help him reach godhood. Reiko teamed up with Havik and began his plan to fulfill the prophecy and become a god.

Reiko after Kotal Kahn's ascension to the throne of Outworld allied with Mileena, the former empress and Shao Kahn's daughter under the facade of wanting to help reclaim the throne but only wished to use her and her allies to accomplish his own goals. He even went as far as seducing the half Tarkatan. Reiko also formed a pact with the Red Dragon with Mileena to use as an army.

Reiko is responsible for the death of Kotal Kahn's father Kotal K'etz. Years ago when working with Kotal Kahn, Reiko learn that Osh-Tekks draw power from sunlight and by blocking out the sun it weakens them greatly. Under the lie that Mileena kidnapped Goro who is actually on her side, Reiko would use him as bait for Kotal K'etz to lead him into a trap where by having Rain block out the sun, Goro could kill him to enrage Kotal Kahn.

They successfully kill Kotal K'etz and as Reiko predicted, this angers Kotal Kahn enough that he envokes Blood Magik and brutally defeats Goro while he and Mileena escaped the battle, though Reiko also manipulates Mileena into believing Goro will betray her too.

It's revealed part of Reiko and Havik's plan involves them obtaining the Kamidogu, six mystical daggers that contain the essence of the realms with each representing the six respective realms of the universe and together could grant the wielder the power to unmake and remake all of reality itself.

Reiko and Havik go to Shang Tsung's island where they have taken Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs hostage. Havik informed Reiko that the Kamidogu were either stolen or entrusted to Earthrealm's warriors by Raiden. Reiko at first tries to obtain the Kamidogu in Jax's possession by bargaining his daughter's life for it but Jax refuses.

The two fight one another but Reiko easily outclassed Jax in terms of strength and experience. Reiko, growing impatient, angrily threatens to not only kill Jacqui but also Jax's wife Vera, who he snatches by the neck, if he refuses to hand over the Kamidogu. Jax finally hands it over and Reiko returns to Shang Tsung's island and gave Havik the dagger for him to use in order to transform Reiko into the "Blood God".

Havik says that they have enough, confusing Reiko as they have only two of the Kamidogu. Havik states that Raiden has already collected the other daggers and by using Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, they were leading the Earthrealmers and Raiden into a trap to obtain the other Kamidogu.

Reiko allies himself with the assassin Skarlet who he has uses the two Kamidogu on himself to obtain more power and shares some of it with Skarlet. With the newfound power, Reiko vows to conquer Earthrealm and Outworld and then wage war on the Elder Gods.

When the Earthrealmers and Kotal Kahn's forces arrive, a battle breaks out. Reiko also uses Blood Magik to enslave Cassie and Jacqui with the Blood Code and attempts to make them kill Johnny and Sonya. Reiko then alongside Skarlet tries to murder Kotal Kahn, mocking him for not having the ambition to truly use Blood Magik and achieve godhood.

Reiko offers to spare Kotal if he agrees to be his slave, but Kotal refuses and attacks. Reiko when trying to kill Kotal is temporarily killed by Mileena using the Wrath Hammer but the Blood Code revives him later and overpowers and defeats Ermac, one of Shao Kahn's most powerful warriors and creations, and then both Mileena and Kotal Kahn and instead of using the Blood Code to enslave them, arrogantly wants to make them watch his ascension to which they break free and almost maul him to death until he is saved by Havik who returned with Raiden under the Blood Code's control.

Reiko's half dead body is taken to the Flesh Pits where using the Kamidogu and the blood of the "champions" including Kotal Kahn, Mileena, Ermac, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade will complete his ascension into becoming the Blood God.

Reiko drinks their blood and Havik has the Blood Code enslaved Raiden, Cassie Cage, and Jacqui Briggs stab him with the Kamidogu and fully transforms into the Blood God. Reiko revels in his newfound power and contemplates attacking both Outworld and Earthrealm as revenge for not seeing his greatness.

Havik discourages him from doing so much to Reiko's annoyance who appears to be getting sick of the cleric. When Havik brings all of Kotal Kahn and Mileena's troops, hundreds of them to be exact, Reiko viciously devours them in one blast.

However Reiko is hungers for more to feast on and attacks Havik when there is no more to feed on. Reiko tears at his own body and flesh as he feels agonizing pain as his body starts to wither and die. Havik then reveals that he was using Reiko all along as a vessel for a real god and then gouges out Reiko's eyes and tears out Shinnok's Amulet from his skull. Reiko dies being nothing but a pawn with delusions of godhood.

It's revealed later that Havik made a deal with Quan Chi to retrieve Shinnok's Amulet in exchange for Blood Magik. Havik however planned to betray Quan Chi and use the amulet's power for himself and was the one who fabricated the prophecy about Reiko to manipulate him.

Freudian Excuse? Redeeming Qualities?

Not really. His ambitions and ruthless nature has led to him manipulating and using countless people around him to achieve his goals. Even though he is partners with Havik, Reiko shows clear signs of betraying him and even attacks him when he becomes a Blood God.

His partnership with Skarlet would be no different from Mileena and is no doubt he would killed or betrayed her had he succeeded in his goals.

To the end, Reiko would have killed, betrayed and manipulated everyone around him to obtain power, becoming more arrogant and delusional than Shao Kahn himself. Even his admiration has limits as while he respects both Shao Kahn and Kotal Kahn as warriors, he sees them as fools didn't have enough ambitions to achieve godhood and sees them as failures and weak emperors.

While he is manipulated and used by Havik, everything Reiko does is of his own free will and ambitions. He already was a ruthless arrogant general before the prophecy so it would have been a matter of time given his original timeline counterpart's thirst for power. Havik just gave him a headstart and some encouragement.

Heinousness

Reiko has done many heinous and horrible things to try and become the Blood God. Manipulating Mileena and her allies to serve his needs and try and eliminate his enemies, killing Kotal's father to spite him and make him use Blood Magik to weaken him and make him succumb to the Blood Code, using Cassie and Jacqui who are minors during the comics as hostage and enslaving them and making them try and kill their loved ones, threatens to kill Jax's family for defying him and devouring hundreds of defenseless warriors to satisfy his hunger for power and blood.

Reiko doesn't have as many resources and mooks as other villains, and more or less is a duo with Havik. He does have the Red Dragon but they're for hire and it's clear he would most likely turn on them once he becomes the Blood God.

He's by many means not as powerful as certain villains, not having Shao Kahn's might, Shinnok's dark arts or Kronika's time control, but he does pose a threat in his own right alone or with Havik.

Given that this guy and what he did started a non-aggression pact, he was enough of a bastard to get two realms that have been in war for 500 years to finally make peace.

Reiko is clearly a very heinous and monstrous psychopath obsessed with godhood and power.

Final Verdict

I've honestly lost all confidence in my Effort Posts actually convincing anyone, because someone can say one thing and ultimately turn everyone against it. He counts in my opinion but that doesn't anything.

I have no faith in this EP really, but I wrote to at least see what would happen.

Edited by UltimateDemonBeast65 on Oct 17th 2019 at 2:12:45 AM

On second thought, I just realized that the heinousness section did not compare his actions to those of other villains of the franchise, so I'm gonna abstain.

Edited by SkyCat32 on Oct 16th 2019 at 9:31:11 AM

Yes to Krang and Michael but no to Leonora.

"Ryuuzouji", Krang, Michael, Reiko
Leonara

Alright, to start off now..

What's the work?

The Butchering is a horror film from our friends down under....Braxton is a pleasant small town, with the local university being a place for parties....and then a student named Tommy Miller snaps and butchers a number of teens in an infamous event before disappearing. Ten years later, and tensions still flare with people not over it...and then the killings start anew. It's become something of a legend, kids not taking it seriously. One of the few survivors, Ryan, is now a cop with a younger partner named Will Gilbert. The heroine is Ryan's niece Julie, who is plagued by disturbing stalkers...now, let's talk the killers: local journalist Kaitlin and Will himself.

Who are Kaitlin and Will?

Planning for fame and fortune by covering the story they create, Kaitlin and Will are lovers and sadistic thrill killers. Tommy Miller himself? Turns out he vanished because a group of enraged parents tracked him down in the woods, but found he was only a mentally ill boy rather than the embodiment of evil. One of them executed him anyways, and they buried his corpse with a promise to never reveal what happened. Kaitlin and Will? Want to write about it, turn the legend to their ends and have fun. They begin murdering teens in the usual, but also terrorize and murder the only other survivor of Miller's massacre, along with her sister, just to drive home the terror even more.

Throughout the film, they begin murdering in ways to crreate a new legend while Will is able to keep ahead of the investigation and Kaitlin writes about it...with the two targeting Julie, given she's Ryan's niece, so they can have the perfect cover. After a surprising body count and Kaitlin faking an attack on herself while murdering a supposed friend of hers, they capture Julie, where they end up tying her down, stabbing her, and introducing their partner, and another friend of Julie's, who they murder between them, after a round of gloating....then murder their partner to ensure nobody talks besides them. Julie however, manages to slip off despite being wounded while Kaitlin goes after her, as Ryan arrives, leaving to Will trying to act as the devoted cop. Ryan, Spotting the Thread notices something is wrong, leading to a confrontation as Julie and another survivor handle Kaitlin, killing her while Ryan ends up executing Will after a fight.

Mitigating Qualities?

That's a negative. Their atatchment to one another is just "sex and murder are fun together" and their motives are fame and fortune, plus thrills...now, if it exceeds slasher heinousness? I'd give a yes, if only for the film trying to be a bit more subversive than normal, the sizable count and the general vileness of their deeds and how the film treats it. The whole 'Tommy Miller was actually mentally ill and they're using the legend to terrorize and slaughter his old victims" is a particularly nasty touch. Its also treated as more real than the more....cartoonish aspects of the genre.

Conclusion?

I'd give them a solid yes.