#wolf-man

Invincible #94 (August 22, 2012)

The other day I was told a headcanon that the Frankenstein monster in Epic Universe's Dark Universe ride, Frankenstein Experiment: Monsters unchained, is actually "the 10th attempt" and "The one playing the piano is a previous version."

If you are a Gothic horror lover you already know why this "headcanon" hurts my brain.

Okay, first... There are fourteen animatronics in the ride, not fourteen Frankenstein monsters.

Second, despite the ride's name, there's only one Frankenstein-created monster walking around.

Yes, he is not the first Frankenstein monster. The first one is in the cue of the ride, apparently dead (but not necessarily unrevivable). This is the "second version" made by Victoria Frankenstein. The original was by Henry Frankenstein. (Victor's name was changed to Henry in the 1931 movie).

The premise of the ride is that Victoria has captured all the classic monsters and is trying to enslave them to her will. Only one of them was actually made by her. They aren't all her creations.

The ride is set in Frankenstein manor in the village of Darkmoor in an unspecified central to Eastern European Country. Think of it as a Gothic fairy tale setting. It's present day but there are aesthetics of the Victorian era and even some medieval, a bit like a Castlevania game or Hammer Horror movie or more recently Asylum's Monster Mash movie from last year.

The "Experiment" in the ride's title isn't the creation of monsters despite that being what we associate with "Frankenstein Experiment." It's Victoria's attempt to capture and control the monsters, making herself Queen of the Monsters.

In reality Dracula is the deFacto King of the Monsters. Though he was never actually the first vampire in Universal's lore (or the novel), he did self-title himself King of the vampires by the time you got to the Frank Langella Dracula movie of 1979. And by other depictions he became king of the monsters. Now before you say "I thought King Kong was king of the Monsters." or "I thought Godzilla was king of the Monsters." That's Kaiju (Really big monsters). Dracula is king of the humanoid monsters. This is why Victoria is obsessed with enslaving him because once she has him, the other monsters are completely ensnared and she can claim her crown as Queen of the Monsters (despite being human).

The characters that appear in the Frankenstein Experiment: Monsters unchained ride are as follows:

Igor / Ygor (Henchman to Victoria Frankenstein)

Frankenstein Monster version 2

Victoria Frankenstein (descendant of Henry Frankenstein) Quasimodo AKA The Hunchback of NotreDame. (Classified as monster even though he was just physically deformed in his story. There is still the question of how is he alive in present day when his story is set in the fifteenth century. Is he a ghost?)

Erik AKA Phantom of the Opera. (Classified as monster despite just being physically disfigured Frenchman. There's no explanation as to how he's alive in present day. Possibly an immortal sorcerer. He practiced magick in the original silent film and was a gifted hypnotist. Also that wasn't a piano, it was an organ.

Dracula - Vlad Dracula, historic figure turned vampire. Victoria Frankenstein is obsessed with breaking his will and he ends up escaping and leading a monster rebellion, proclaiming that she's the real monster.

Dracula's brides - Women he turned into his vampire minion over the centuries. (Note: When Dracula das musical is performed in Germany they add grooms to the brides. I kind of wish they did that here. Most depictions of Dracula are bisexual now, playing on some hints from the novel).

Gillman AKA The Creature from the Black Lagoon - Ancient, re-generative aquatic merman creature from South America.

The Wolfman - An immortal werewolf, Lawrence (Larry) Talbot. (He was confirmed as being immortal in the original black and white movies. The only thing that can really kill him is silver and even that is negotiable). Larry attended school in America (to account for his American accent) but his father was a country Lord, probably in England.

Olsen squad—attack!

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