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During the investigation of recent hollers in the Complete Monster thread, it's become apparent to the staff that an insular, unfriendly culture has evolved in the Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard threads that is causing problems.

Specific issues include:

  • Overzealous hollers on tropers who come into the threads without being familiar with all the rules and traditions of the tropes. And when they are familiar with said rules and traditions, they get accused (with little evidence) of being ban evaders.
  • A few tropers in the thread habitually engage in snotty, impolite mini-modding. There are also regular complaints about excessive, offtopic "socializing" posts.
  • Many many thread regulars barely post/edit anywhere else, making the threads look like they are divorced from the rest of TV Tropes.
  • Following that, there are often complaints about the threads and their regulars violating wiki rules, such as on indexing, crosswicking, example context and example categorization. Some folks are working on resolving the issues, but...
  • Often moderator action against thread regulars leads to a lot of participants suddenly showing up in the moderation threads to protest and speak on their behalf, like a clique.

It is not a super high level problem, but it has been going on for years and we cannot ignore it any longer. There will be a thread in Wiki Talk to discuss the problem; in the meantime there is a moratorium on further Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard example discussion until we have gotten this sorted out.

Update: The new threads have been made and can be found here:

     Previous Post 
Complete Monster Cleanup Thread

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions and Common Requests List before suggesting any new entries for this trope.

IMPORTANT: To avoid a holler to the mods, please see here for the earliest date a work can be discussed, (usually two weeks from the US release), as well as who's reserved discussion.

When voting, you must specify the candidate(s). No blanket votes (i.e. "[tup] to everyone I missed").

No plagiarism: It's fair to source things, but an effortpost must be your own work and not lifted wholesale from another source.

We don't care what other sites think about a character being a Complete Monster. We judge this trope by our own criteria. Repeatedly attempting to bring up other sites will earn a suspension.

What is the Work

Here you briefly describe the work in question and explain any important setting details. Don't assume that everyone is familiar with the work in question.

Who is the Candidate and What have they Done?

This will be the main portion of the Effort Post. Here you list all of the crimes committed by the candidate. For candidates with longer rap sheets, keep the list to their most important and heinous crimes, we don't need to hear about every time they decide to do something minor or petty.

Do they have any Mitigating Factors or Freudian Excuse?

Here you discuss any potential redeeming or sympathetic features the character has, the character's Freudian Excuse if they have one, as well as any other potential mitigating factors like Offscreen Villainy or questions of moral agency. Try to present these as objectively as possible by presenting any evidence that may support or refute the mitigating factors.

Do they meet the Heinousness Standard?

Here you compare the actions of the Candidate to other character actions in the story in order to determine if they stand out or not. Remember that all characters, not just other villains, contribute to the Heinousness Standard

Final Verdict?

Simply state whether or not you think the character counts or not.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Aug 31st 2023 at 4:14:10 AM

ACW from Arlington, VA (near Washington, D.C.) Since: Jul, 2009
#233226: Oct 21st 2020 at 3:05:51 PM

Don't we also have that Xena dude?

DemonDuckofDoom from Some Pond in Hell Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
CloisterTheStupid from Oop North Since: Jan, 2019 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
#233228: Oct 21st 2020 at 3:58:24 PM

[tup] to Carnage, the Loa and the Blue Devil. Abstain on Laibach.

Stellarvore Since: Apr, 2016
#233229: Oct 21st 2020 at 4:01:23 PM

Been waiting to do this one for a while and HOLY FUCK IS IT DARK.

What's the work?

The Cleansing Hour is a Shudder original about a pair of friends, Max and Drew, who run a live webcast show where they perform fake exorcisms ... until one night, they happen upon the real thing.

Who is Satan? What has he done?

Obviously, Satan doesn't require any real introduction. But as for what he's done, he sent some of his demons to force a confession out of our Anti-Hero, "Father" Max. They possess a few homeless people to kill the original actor that Max had set up to be "exorcised", and another — Aamon — to possess Drew's girlfriend. Aamon kills several crew members, pushing Max to confess his sins, very nearly killing himself, and nearly killing Lane and Drew at the end until he's cast out by the combined efforts of Drew and Max. Just when it looks like all's well that ends well ...

The burned corpse of one of the crew members slain earlier rises up, with a sinister glow in his eyes and speaking in a deep voice. He reveals his true identity, and tears through the corpse, showing his true form. As Max gets down on his knees and prays for forgiveness, he says it's too late for that, and turns to the camera and starts speaking in some unknown language as the horrified viewers watch. Cut broadcast. Millions tuning in from across the world, including chefs in Texas, a couple vacationing in Israel, some guys in another country I forget the name of, everyone on board an airplane in India, and the US president's son, are now possessed and going on violent killing sprees. But hey, even though the world's going to Hell really fast, Max got verified.

Mitigating qualities?

That's a laugh riot. He doesn't care one bit about trying to get Max to admit his guilt. Sending Aamon to confront Max was all just a ploy to give him some airtime so he could do what he's always been wanting to do. My only real problem is that he shows up at the last minute, but within that short timeframe, he shows enough personality to qualify.

Heinous standard?

Aamon and the other demons kill a few people, but it's under Satan's command and even then, by the end, Satan is heavily implied to be responsible for literally millions more (and counting!) deaths. That being said, Aamon might count, but I'm leaving his EP to Lighty. And Max killed his teacher for hurting Drew and in general is a really unpleasant, self-absorbed douchebag, but otherwise, is the lightest shade of black in the movie.

Verdict?

Darkest portrayal of Satan since Belzebuth? Keep.

Edited by Stellarvore on Oct 21st 2020 at 6:01:40 AM

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#233230: Oct 21st 2020 at 4:03:15 PM

[tup]satan

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
nwotyzal Since: Sep, 2019
#233231: Oct 21st 2020 at 4:08:11 PM

[tup]our 54th Satan

Edited by nwotyzal on Oct 21st 2020 at 4:11:27 AM

G-Editor The 47th President Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Critica7 Self-Declared King of Everything from Smallville Since: Jul, 2019 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Self-Declared King of Everything
#233233: Oct 21st 2020 at 4:18:34 PM

[tup] Yet another Satan.

Check out my current fanfiction project.
Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
43110 (Striking Back) Relationship Status: Reincarnated romance
Tyk5919 Your friendly neighborhood stank goblin Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Your friendly neighborhood stank goblin
#233238: Oct 21st 2020 at 4:44:12 PM

The Cleansing Hour is a Shudder original about a pair of friends, Max and Drew, who run a live webcast show where they perform fake exorcisms—

Goddamn it, it's one of those horror films.

[tup] for Satan.

I write stories and shiz. You can read them here.
Beast from Ontario, Canada Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: Browsing the selection
#233239: Oct 21st 2020 at 4:46:45 PM

[tup] Satan.

Also does anyone mind if I call dibs on "First Kill" ? I don't see it on the discussion dates.

Edited by Beast on Oct 21st 2020 at 4:58:21 AM

"It's like...a cliff, and if I do it, I'm just gonna...fall." "I think we're already falling."
MasterN Berserk Button: misusing Berserk Button from Florida- I mean Unova Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#233240: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:21:00 PM

[tup] to Inuyasha moth man, Blue Devil, and another Old Scratch.

[down] yes, I was. How embarrassing.

Edited by MasterN on Oct 21st 2020 at 6:12:56 AM

One of these days, all of you will accept me as your supreme overlord.
Michealthehero21 Since: Jan, 2019 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#233241: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:26:40 PM

[up] Were you trying to say [tup]. Cause it kinda looks like you made a small error. Just felt like you should know.

Speaking of [tup], I’ll give one for Satan as well.

Stellarvore Since: Apr, 2016
#233242: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:26:48 PM

[nja]

Edited by Stellarvore on Oct 21st 2020 at 7:27:07 AM

Scraggle Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#233243: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:27:32 PM

Ahh, Lighty was telling me about this one. Yes to Satan, even if it's hard to me to vote against a guy possessing and tormenting the equivalent of a fake ghost hunting show.

Ravok Son of Liberty from Big Shell Since: Jun, 2015 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Son of Liberty
#233244: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:37:59 PM

Handy 'Yes' to Satan, there!

Alrighty, next Monk villain, here he comes...

Who is he?

Ian Ludlow—from the novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants (no relation to the episode named the same)—is a narcissistic, smug crime novel writer known for inserting himself into interesting police investigations with his connections to various departments, where Ludlow would mount his own "deductions" and actually point the police in the direction of suspects. Once the crimes were solved, Ludlow would be "inspired" by them and write fictional novels based around cases similar to real life, and his strategy has lead to him becoming one of the world's premiere crime writers.

Unfortunately, Ludlow's hand in the investigations is soon enough revealed to extend far beyond just assisting police...Ludlow is the reason the investigations happen at all.

What has he done?

Desperate to meet his deadline of pumping out 4 books a year, Ludlow realized that he was running out of ideas, and concocted a brand new scheme: create his own crimes in real life, so he could then follow the investigations and gain "inspiration" from them.

Ludlow would find a mega fan of his, chat them up, seemingly befriend them...then murder them, take part in the investigations, and successfully frame "the least likely suspect" to serve as a surprising and unexpected ending to the "story."

Having been at this for quite some time, Ludlow kicks off the present story of the novel by murdering a young woman named Ellen Cole by bashing her skull in with a lamp, and framing Sharona Fleming's husband Trevor for it. Ludlow, seeking to bring even more infamy to himself and his stories, knows Sharona is Adrian Monk's former personal assistant and nurse, and knows it will draw the crime solver in.

Next, Ludlow kills another fan of his, Ronald Webster, in a particularly gruesome fashion by knocking him out, throwing him in a bathtub, and attaching an engine-powered variation on the "Jaws of Life" to his torso, which rips and tears the man's stomach open while simultaneously drowning him. Ludlow perfectly designs the killing to look like an alligator attack, so as to further confound and confuse police and Monk.

Ludlow ultimately accuses Sharona and Natalie both of being the murderers of Ellen and Webster, downright cheerful at the prospect of getting the two most important people in Monk's life locked in prison for life. Luckily, due to Ludlow's own egotistical "personality quirk" of signing and dating one of his books at every bookstore he comes across, Monk catches Ludlow in a lie, and further baits the author into exposing himself as the real killer, to which Ludlow just smirks and says "This is going to make a much better ending to my new book. No one will suspect the author."

As is revealed afterwards? Ludlow had done his "commit a murder and frame an innocent party" schtick five times before Ellen Cole, and as the heinous writer is sentenced to prison, five people are simultaneously released from custody, their innocence proven by Monk.

Freudian Excuse or other redeeming features?

None, Ludlow acts congenial with a tone of arrogance to everyone around him, but right from the start it's framed as Faux Affably Evil, and he never once shows any form of remorse for his crimes—nor any sort of redeeming or tragic features.

Heinousness?

Ludlow easily is in the top 5 highest victim counts in the entire franchise... he's killed at least 5 people in the past and framed innocents for it to go to prison for life, and he murders 2 more people in the present story—for which he tries to frame Sharona and Natalie, just to spite and torment Monk. 7 confirmed murders, 7 counts of framing, Ludlow's a bad cookie.

Final Verdict?

Easy Keep

No! That is NOT Solid Snake! Stop impersonating him!
43110 (Striking Back) Relationship Status: Reincarnated romance
miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#233247: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:41:39 PM

[tup]Ludlow

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Scraggle Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
TiMBer1566 kittykat from Virginia Since: Nov, 2018 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
kittykat
#233249: Oct 21st 2020 at 5:42:56 PM

Yes to Satan and Ludlow.

Do you think the Devil will ever get a 100 CM incarnation?

ImperialMajestyXO Since: Nov, 2015

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