Darkman (character)
| Darkman | |
|---|---|
| Darkman character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | Darkman |
| Created by | Sam Raimi |
| Portrayed by |
Liam Neeson (Darkman) Arnold Vosloo (Darkman II: The Return of Durant and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die) |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Dr. Peyton Westlake |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Former scientist Vigilante |
| Significant other(s) | Julie Hastings |
| Abilities | Expert scientist Master of disguise and stealth Skilled hand-to-hand combatant Genius-level intelligence Enhanced strength, speed, agility, and stamina Use of synthetic skin Immunity to pain |
Darkman is a title character and the protagonist of the 1990 superhero film Darkman and its sequels, Darkman II: The Return of Durant and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die. The character originated in a short story written by the film's director, Sam Raimi, titled "The Darkman," and is based on the Universal Pictures' movie monsters while retaining traits of the DC Comics World War II disfigured hero the Unknown Soldier. He was portrayed by Liam Neeson in the original film and Arnold Vosloo in the sequels.
In the third film and the un-aired television pilot, his biography is slightly retconned, but the character's canonical history is as such: Peyton Westlake was a mild-mannered and brilliant scientist working on a synthetic "skin" capable of aiding burn victims. He had a good relationship with district attorney Julie Hastings, who indirectly caused his injuries by telling corrupt developer Louis Strack, Jr. that he could not build his "city of the future" without a permission document from Westlake's laboratory. At this, Strack hired sadistic mobster Robert G. Durant to get the document and in the process, Durant and his gang brutally disfigured Westlake, killed his assistant and destroyed his lab.
Julie believed he was dead and a funeral was held, but Westlake's hideous body was placed in a clinic that was used for various experiments to sever Westlake's pain receptors, which enhances his strength but leaves him unable to feel tactile sensations. The experiments, however, affected Westlake's mental stability and he became an impulsive, bipolar, sarcastic, and violent man. Westlake escaped the clinic and sought refuge in an abandoned building in the film's city. He hid his grotesque appearance with bandages and a trenchcoat and used his synthetic skin, which only lasts 99 minutes in light. He managed to rebuild a relationship with Julie, claiming he survived his "accident" and was constantly fleeing so that she does not see his true face. As "Darkman", he begins ruining Durant's illegal activities by framing his gang so Durant kills his own men, including his possible implied lover. After discovering the culprit is Darkman, Durant attempts to kill him from a helicopter using a grenade launcher. Darkman manages to defeat his archenemy by clinging to the helicopter and using his strength to pull it into a tunnel and explode the chopper. Darkman gratifyingly yells "Burn in Hell!".
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