Subpages cleanup: Complete Monster

Fish and Doom.

Mir: Got it.

to Albert Fish and Doctor Doom.

Okay I have another candidate from a European series, this time hailing from Norway.

Whisting is an utterly excellent Norwegian police procedural, adapted from the William Whisting novel series by Jørn Lier Horst.

It stars Sven Nordin as William Whisting, talented but distant senior police detective who struggles with constantly burying himself in his work, especially since his wife’s death, from Larvik, Vestfold. Now the first season adapts two different books, with each given focus for half the season.

It’s the first half I want to talk about today, adapted from the book "Caveman".

With Christmas rapidly approaching and his children returning home for the Holidays, Whisting’s festive cheer is interrupted by the discovery of a dead American tourist beneath a Christmas tree. However, this proves to be merely the tip of the iceberg, with events revealing something truly evil has been lurking in Larvik’s shadows for the last twenty years.

The main antagonist of Season 1A, I give you Robert Godwin.

Who Is he:

Originally from America, Robert Godwin was a Minnesota college lecturer, an unremarkable man save for his fascination with his Norwegian heritage, Godwin submerged himself within its culture and language even giving talks on the subject. However, Godwin had another much darker side, in secret he was the Highway Killer, a vicious and sadistic predator who targeted attractive petite, mostly blonde young women.

Godwin’s MO was to abduct his victims from close to main roads within a five hour stretch from his home town, knocking them out with chloroform. Taking them back to his base, Godwin would imprison them for up to 72 hours, sometimes raping them multiple times, before finally killing them and dumping their bodies in abandoned wells all over the North West of the state.

What Does He Do:

Back in the late 1997, confirmed to have already killed six women and suspected of being responsible for at least eleven more deaths, the FBI was hot on the Highway Killers tail.

Due to a lead on his car and as he had known the first victim, Robert Godwin was brought in as suspect and interviewed by Agent Maggie Griffin (played by Carrie-Anne Moss). Griffin realised that Godwin was the killer, however, she couldn’t get him to confess and as they didn’t have any real evidence so she had to let him go. Two days later the FBI found another victim, this one covered in Godwin’s DNA confirming he was the Highway Killer, but by then it was already too late.

Knowing he’d be caught Godwin fled America for his beloved Norway, becoming one of the ten most wanted FBI fugitives. Needing a new identity, he searched until he found the perfect candidate Ole Linge, an anti-social man who’s only close acquaintances where three boyhood friends. Stalking Linge until he knew enough about him, Godwin murdered him and stole his identity.

To ensure he wasn’t discovered, Godwin got to work on Linge's friends. As Viggo Hansen had been traumatised years previously, Godwin managed to convince everyone that Viggo had suffered a mental breakdown when he claimed his closet friend had been replaced and got him institutionalised. Godwin then started a fire at the shrimp factor where Linge’s other friend, Cato Tangen, worked killing him. The third friend had already left to live in Denmark and thus wasn’t a problem.

Godwin hid Linge’s body in an abandoned well near the farmhouse his family used to own.

As Linge also owned a cabin across the border in Sweden, Godwin turned this into his second base. Then over the next twenty years he led an unassuming and quiet life as Linge, all the while carrying on his vicious killing spree murdering at least one woman roughly every year and a half in his signature manner across the two countries, hiding the bodies of his victims in an abandoned well near a Pine Tree farm.

A year before the events of the series, upon watching a documentary about uncaught American Serial killers Hansen realised he’d been right all along and that Godwin had replaced his friend. Unfortunately Godwin found out before he could warn anyone and murdered him as well, abandoning his body in his home. As Hansen was recluse, no one found his remains until months later. By which point his body had already decayed so much that it was ruled a natural death.

A few months later, during the Summer Peter Crabb, a former colleague of Godwin’s who following Godwin murdering the student Crabb was having an affair with had developed an obsession with him and spent years hunting him down, arrived in Larvik.

As such Godwin murdered Crabb but when he attempted to hide his bodies in the well with the rest, he discovered the Farm’s owners had sealed it up. Not wanting to drag the body back up the hill to his car, Godwin simply hid it beneath a Christmas tree.

Godwin began searching for his next victim. However, as it was nearly Christmas, the Farm owners discovering Crabb’s body whilst digging up the trees.

Finding Godwin’s fingerprints on a brochure in Crabb’s pocket, alerted the Larvik police that he was operating in Norway. Assisted by agents Griffin and Batham, who were flown into the country upon receiving the news, they began a covert investigation.

Godwin is briefly seen in the second episode, when he’s interviewed by Whisting’s daughter Line who was writing an expose on Hansen’s death. Though briefly talking, Godwin plays along but intentionally keeps his answers vague, before Line quickly rushes off having a realisation. It’s possible Godwin began stalking a Larvik native called Linnea intending to make her his next victim. However, she realising she was being followed and managed to evade him.

Having discovered the FBI were in Larvik, Line broke the story. This coupled with the media drawing the connection over Crabb’s death and the police managing to discover the well where Godwin had been dumping his victim's body's, caused a media storm that alerted Godwin that they were onto him.

Quite by chance as he was running for it, Godwin saw Line had broken down by the side of the road. As she matched his victim type, Godwin kidnapped her and stashed her in the back of his car. Abandoning Norway to hide out at his cabin he planned to make Line his next victim.

However, his car got caught in the snow forcing him to the last stretch of the journey. During which time Line woke up and managed to escape. Returning, Godwin managed to track her to an abandoned barn where she had taken shelter. Locking her inside, he got to work unsealing the farm’s well.

In her attempt to evade him, Line partially set the barn on fire, but undeterred Godwin kept chasing her even as she climbed onto the roof. Using a hammer, he managed to knock her off (breaking her leg).

Having discovered the existence of his cabin, Whisting, Griffin and a few other officers took a police helicopter across the border after him. Spotting the fire in the radius of the cabin, the closed in. Not having time to wait until they found somewhere to land, Whisting jumped out as soon as they close enough.

Rushing across the snow to save his daughter, Whisting confronted Godwin. But still armed with the hammer, Godwin managed to overpower Whisting and almost strangled him with it, when Agent Griffin managed to shoot him. Still not dead, Godwin tried on last time to bludgeon Whisting to death from behind, but warned in time Whisting spun and punched Godwin.

Stumbling backwards and losing his balance, Godwin fell headfirst into the well, dying from a broken neck.

Any Freudian Excuse or Redeeming Traits:

Nothing given. Godwin has no close relationships, even in his Linge persona he's an outcast who rarely interacts with anyone. No explanation is ever even suggested for why Godwin became a serial killer other than him seemingly simply enjoying murdering people. Agent Griffin flat out calls him a “monster”.

Now being fair we don’t get too much of a personality due to his limited appearances (he likewise doesn't talk even once when he's trying to kill Line, showing pure single minded determination to making her his next victim). However, we see enough to establish him as an extremely dedicated, single minded and sadistic man. Godwin is capable of seeming friendly, but even then he still comes across as unsettled and somewhat creepy.

Godwin does love Norwegian culture (well enough to pass for a native for twenty years) and seems to be proud of his heritage, he was even disappointed to discover the farm his ancestors came from no longer belonged to his family. However, this is presented as merely a fascination rather than a sign of anything deeper or redeeming.

Heinous Standard:

Not a problem. The antagonist of the second half of the season, only succeeds in killing five people. Now his MO is slightly different (being more interested in kidnapping over killing) and he has far less time than Godwin. But Godwin is still easily the worse.

It’s never confirmed exactly how many people he’s killed in total (its estimated at one point before they find the bodies he’s likely responsible for the disappearance of twelve women in Norway, and three to five in Sweden). The police excavation of the well manages to find fourteen victims, with them still working through it when they make that count and we see them removing at least one more skeleton after that.

All together Godwin's responsible for the deaths of between twenty-four and forty-six victims, with the possibility of more.

Conclusion:

Whilst not possessing the deepest personality, Godwin is easily one of the most prolific killers I've ever proposed and an easy keeper by any standard.

Still what do you think?

Edited by MGD107 on Jan 25th 2020 at 3:51:57 AM

to Godwin.

Godwin

You know having done a full reread. I actually have a new Modern Faerie Tales villain who I'll ep soon.

Yes to Godwin.

Godwin.

to Godwin's Law

Godwin's Law.

Finally get to use this

Edited by MasterN on Jan 25th 2020 at 3:59:00 AM

Woah you thought of the same joke.

Sure to Godwin.

Albert Fish, Doom, and Godwin.

to Godwin

Yes to Godwin, Doom, and to Albert Fish (that band hung out with John Gacy when he was in prison).

Godwin

Vile, you probably should propose those piecemeal, that's a lot to go through and vote on.

Edited by papyru30 on Jan 25th 2020 at 6:30:48 AM

Yes to Godwin

• Skyward Sword: Demon Lord Ghirahim is the sadistic soul of Lord Demise's weapon. Seeking to free his master, Ghirahim kidnaps Zelda, willing to agonizingly feed her soul to unleash Demise. Attempting to awaken multiple monsters to kill Link and eventually desiring to torture Link to death himself, Ghirahim summons an army of monsters to buy time, saying they can die by Link's blade or his own, even giving his own life to awaken Demise and see the entire world ravaged with all living beings annihilated by Demise's monstrosity.
• Myths and Legends: The Wolf is a sadistic assassin sent to murder Britney Waters. Murdering the guards of the facility she works at, he begins taking several new forms to steal into it whereupon he begins murdering patient and doctor alike, basking in their fear as sadistically as possible. The Wolf gleefully hunts down Britney, eating those in the way and savors drawing out their pain and fear before attempting to leave absolutely no survivors.
• Interworld: Lord Dogknife is a wicked goblin and pirate who tries to capture Walkers for his ship. Melting them down while alive, he then uses their souls to power the ship, holding them alive and in agony forever to power his domain. Trying to add Nick to his power source, Dogknife escapes and later returns to help the tech and magic side bring about FrostNight to exterminate existence and rebuild it as he wants
• Nightside: Varney the Vampire is the king of vampires. Before Dracula arrived on English shores, Varney swept through England, slaughtering people en masse. Faking his death to return later, Varney intends a bloody invasion of the Nightside, preying on and killing so many to create an ocean of blood that extends for miles, luring in hundreds of innocents to feed his army and having them slaughtered in agony and terror to fuel his sadism.
• Achtung Cthulhu
  • SS-Sturmbanfuhrer Matilda Griess is a high-ranking member of the Black Sun occultist grou who intends on triggering a 'psychic scream' apocalyptic event. Upon discovering the Elder City, Griess has her own men executed to keep its secrets and helps to feed souls to trap them in agony, intending on harnessing the pain to trigger an apocalypse and slaughter everyone in the world save only those left to serve her and the Black Sun.
  • Ludwig von Obertorff is a Black Sun member and Thule Society occultist who uncovers, in Trollborg, the cult of the Hanged God. Making himself part Drottnar, von Obertorff sacrifices all his slave laborers and enacts a theocracy where he begins having many innocents sacrificed and hanged to slowly break down a soul wall to the weapon Gugnir. Willing to depopulate the entire countryside, von Obertorff intends on using Gugnir to slaughter everyone and everything until he is left alone as the ruler of a new and eternal Reich.

Edited by Lightysnake on Jan 25th 2020 at 5:39:42 AM

That's...disturbing.

EDIT: Varney at the end of the Nightside tree; Dogknife first? Also, you said Scraggle has an example pf his own for Achtung!?

Also, is the split correct for Grimm Fairy Tales; and should the Wolf go with the second group?

Edited by ACW on Jan 25th 2020 at 8:44:14 AM

Godwin.

I have one question before I do a write-up. Does love genuinely count as a redeeming quality if the object of it is a remorseless, child-murdering Nazi-expy? It would help to determine whether I should write up a character or not.

Edit: For clarification: the character I'm thinking of loves her husband BECAUSE he's a remorseless, child-murdering Nazi-expy, not in spite of it.

Edited by Critica7 on Jan 25th 2020 at 6:00:20 AM

Critica: As long as their love is genuine, and not some twisted form of obsession, self gratification or fantasy, then yeah. Loving anyone is an automatic disqualifier, even if the person in question is a monster.

Edit: In that case it sounds like it could just be a twisted form of Psycho Supporter, but it depends on exactly how genuinely their love is. Do they care about their husband as a person, or just as a psycho?

Edited by MGD107 on Jan 25th 2020 at 6:02:42 AM

Yes, that's redeeming. It doesn't matter if the character is terrible or undeserving of it.

ACW: Dogknife first, Varney last, Scraggle will get to Engel whenever he does, The Wolf in the 'other series' under Myths and Legends, that works for me.

Cool.

As for the question above, depends on whether it's love or whether it's like Bellatrix and Voldy.

I'm Baaaaaaccccccck!!!! (just wanted to get something off my mind for a while)

Fish & Godwin

Doom, I honestly don't remember him having any catalyst for becoming a villain, he kinda just becomes evil (Generic Doomsday Villain if you will)

Anyways I won't post very often now (every once in a while should work), but I still will contribute.

Edited by nwotyzal on Jan 25th 2020 at 6:07:13 AM

Deleted the post and put in a vote for Fish instead.

Moved the vote here: Based on the (possibly shortest haha) writeup ever, to Fish.

to the Shockwave images Vile.

Edited by futuremoviewriter on Jan 25th 2020 at 6:15:09 AM