Literary Mosaic Villains, Ranked
May 19, 2018 0:48:34 GMT -5
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Post by frankthetriviaman on May 19, 2018 0:48:34 GMT -5
Hello everyone; today we are looking back at the villains of LM and seeing how they stack against each other. For this list, we are looking at individuals and organizations that have gone up against our detectives, and ranking them based on three key factors:
1) How memorable they are
2) How much of a threat they are to the hero
3) the impact left on our hero
Let's get started
#15- The Man, Literary Mosaic 8
Starting this list, we begin with the villain that wants more than anything to kill Hartley... "The Man." Though the story seems to indicate he has a desire to punish those the police cannot capture, he was overall a very underdeveloped and underwhelming villain. With almost no character development, and his confrontation with Hartley ending rather anticlimactically, with The Man being shot four times and stumbling out of Gunnarson's apartment, he left no impact on our hero and compared to the main rogue's gallery, his role in the story was vastly overshadowed. The fact that he retreated after he was shot calls to question how committed he is to his goals.
Though his return has been declared for LM 20, his abrupt departure and arrival between the volumes, with no build up, makes his return not one to be anticipated. Although it has been stated The Man will get a big reveal, the lack of a build up does not "make it work" in the big picture.
Memorable - 1/5
Threat - 0/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 2/15
#14- The Black Scorpion, Literary Mosaic 6 and Literary Mosaic 8
Introduced as one of "the largest criminal organizations in London" The Black Scorpion was hinted at as having many plans that would have rocked London to the core. Lead by a mysterious "big boss" they were set to be a rather large threat to Gunnarson. But they were rather anticlimactically defeated in a massive arrest of their leaders at a hotel.
They got a little vindication in Literary Mosaic 8 though, when they were the ones who broke Dr. Drugg out of prison, catapulting the events of the whole novel into place. But even then, they contributed little to the story; by the end the leadership is murdered by the Blade Syndicate and Irish Mob, as are the lower ranked individuals who rescued Drugg.
While they could have been memorable and a substantial threat to Gunnarson, ultimately they were overshadowed by the usual rogues gallery.
Memorable- 2/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact-1/5
Score: 4/15
#13- Gunnarson Impostor, Literary Mosaic 10
In a twist no one saw coming, the Gunnarson we were following throughout most of the novel was in fact an impostor. Though his motives seemed to be a bit muddled and he never directly confronted Gunnarson, the memorability of the twist alone makes him stand out, even if he unfortunately killed himself before a motive could be determined.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 5/15
#12- James Hartley, literary Mosaic 1
Next on the countdown, we go to the beginning. Though the ending of this novel was somewhat confusing... given the three separate endings and ambiguous motives, the twist that the writer of the story turned out to be the prime suspect for Gunnarson was actually rather unexpected, and for a first novel, quite memorable. The only reason Hartley isn't higher on this list is because he isn't truly a villain and the impact left on Gunnarson wasn't as great compared to other villains
Memorable- 2/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 2/5
Score: 5/15
#11- The Ellis Siblings, Literary Mosaic 7
The Butler and Housekeeper to Dr. James Walker, in a simple murder mystery that took inspiration from Clue, it was revealed that they killed their employer out of resentment for being paid poverty wages for the amount of work they do. Although they were memorable as villains they are not higher on this list because they were not a threat to Gunnarson, and compared to other villains they left little to no impact on the Swede himself.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 5/15
#10- The Assassins, Literary Mosaic 13
Getting into our number 10 spot, the assassins were introduced as the last holdouts of an ever shrinking "business." As we find out in conversations from Gunnarson and Elvira, assassination in London has hit an all time low by the late 1940s. There are only two contractors who act as middlemen between the assassins and clients, Raleigh and Hughes. There are two bosses who employ and manage the assassins, Bennett and Carnegie. Finally there are five assassins, with Shakes, Lion and Ironside work Bennett and Rawhide and Juno working for Carnegie. At first introduced in passing by Gunnarson, they first appear in a meeting; Lord Bury having declared war on the Blade Syndicate and the assassins were his "insurance policy" in his fight against them. But in a twist that's almost too hard to believe, it is Elvira herself who is responsible for the attack that results in the capture of all nine, eventually leading to the climax.
Though definitely memorable, they are not higher on this list because despite being a substantial threat to Gunnarson, Stein and Marlena, by the time our heroes confronted them they were in bad shape, having lost an arm each and spending weeks slaving away in a mine. Their lack of characterization (I swear, that's on me, sorry guys) and minimal impact on the heroes due to them all being arrested or dead by the end of Nemesis lands them in this spot.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 2/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 6/15
#9- Darcy Mclaughlin and Kate, Literary Mosaic 9
The villain of Stein's second novel and his sidekick, they made themselves infamous as the Dullahan and Banshee; demons of Irish mythology that preyed on English nationals. Stein's quick thinking saved him from death, but Darcy was not finished even after his arrest. Proclaiming that he was taking revenge against the British for what they did to Ireland, his final act of defiance is singing "A Nation Once Again" as he is hauled away to face trial in Ireland.
Though memorable and he did leave a little bit of a mark on Finn, his impact on Stein was minimal, and the threat was also not as high compared to the usual rogues' gallery. While he did kill several men before confronting Stein, the fact that ultimately he was defeated when Stein spooked his horse, throwing Darcy to the ground and making Kate break character, the lack of character development (again, on me) and minimal impact on Stein brings their score down.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 2/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 6/15
#8- Nigel Wolff, Literary Mosaic 4
The first Stein Novel villain, tug brilliantly introduced a criminal no one could have anticipated. Building off of the "Curse of the Wolff Family" that floated in the background of the story, Nigel Wolff was the estranged brother of Wilbur Wolff; a man who lived in solitude following the death of his wife and children in the Spanish Flue epidemic. He trained dogs to kill people and made for a very interesting villain. While memorable and definitely a threat to Stein and crew, ultimately he falls short on impact; unlike the Gunnarson Rogues' gallery he appeared only once and after his arrest left no impact of note on Stein. Tug mentions a desire to bring him back though, so be on the lookout for Nigel Wolff in a future volume
Memorable- 3/5
Threat 3/5
Impact 1/5
Score: 7/15
#7- Franz Gelb, Literary Mosaic 2, Literary Mosaic 5
The man who killed Walter Farley, or did he? Though the evidence was strong against him, Gunnarson insisted that the murderer was Elvira Revinev, the infamous assassin. Gelb was grateful to Gunnarson and became a free man... or did he?
Enter Crown Prosecutor Henry Taylor; he didn't buy Gunnarson's story for a second, and ultimately decided that Gelb would be the one prosecuted for the murder.
Despite getting little character development, Gelb ultimately becomes quite the memorable character, for being the first "real" villain Gunnarson faces in the Literary Mosaic Universe and for his personal twist... that he killed Farley out of what he sees as self-defense, and that ultimately he was getting a harsh prison sentence not for his murder, but for being a German-born Englishman in World War II England. He is memorable and left a small impact on Gunnarson, but ultimately he wasn't that much of a threat, bringing him only to number seven on this list.
Memorable- 4/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 2/5
Score: 7/15
#6- Terry Mason, Literary Mosaic 10
The defense attorney Gunnarson hires turns out to have quite the conflict of interest. Revealed to be in league with the Gunnarson impostor, Mason's true goals were... confusing, to say the least. Did he want to exonerate "Gunnarson" and make a name for himself, despite showing obvious incompetence during the trial? Or did he want to have Gunnarson convicted for unspecified reasons? Ultimately, we never learned the motives involved, but his memorable "betrayal" and the impact he had on Gunnarson is all too present.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 2/5
Impact- 3/5
Score: 8/15
#5- Ripper Underground, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
There's no denying it- the beginning of Literary Mosaic 8 was a mess with no defined direction. So when tug took the reins and introduced Lord Bury and the Ripper Underground in the last third of the story, he hinted that something big was going to happen down the line. The Rippers, while not as established as the main rogue's gallery, proved that they were no joke- killing four members' of the Blade Syndicate and revealing that Lord Bury intended to unite all crime under his umbrella. Though memorable and quite the threat, they ultimately only get to number five for the simple reason that to date, they have not confronted our heroes directly and thus fall short.
Memorable- 4/5
Threat- 4/5
Impact- 1/5
Score- 9/15
#4- Elvira Revinev, Literary Mosaic 2, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
The first, and to date only major female villain in Literary Mosaic's story universe, Elvira Revinev had a bit of a rocky start- showing little character development and her arrest at the end was rather confusing; how was she convinced to come to Gunnarson's apartment and why didn't she just kill everyone and escape again? Later explained that she was mentally traumatized by extreme survivor's guilt following the sinking of the SS Caledonia when she failed to board it, she was committed to Broadmoor Hospital in Literary Mosaic Five. Despite a brief escape, she ultimately proved to be nothing more than a puppet for Dr. Drugg and was defeated when Blade hit her over the head with a pipe. She was subsequently recaptured and brought back to Broadmoor.
By Literary Mosaic 8 she is still in Broadmoor; and despite a murder attempt by the surviving members of The Black Scorpion, she was rescued by Blade and teamed up with the Irish Mob and Blade Syndicate to fight the Ripper Underground. Dr. Drugg nearly killed her, failing only because he mixed up a powerful poison cocktail with a mild sedative.
It is not until Literary Mosaic 13 where we finally see her develop as a character; her internal conflict of being an assassin trained to see human life as a commodity and her new role in the now no-kill Blade Syndicate creating tension and an internal struggle for her. Eventually, she does escape capture from the Authorities; and along with Ruocco starts a new life in Egypt, leaving her criminal past behind and living the rest of her days in peace.
A substantial threat and quite a memorable character, compared to the rest of the Rogue's gallery she had the least impact on Gunnarson, because despite all her appearances, she only directly interacted with him in Literary Mosaic 2, and even then their interaction was limited and lacked character development.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 4/5
Impact- 2/5
Score: 11/15
#3- Irish Mob, Literary Mosaic 3, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
We're getting into the big hitters now. Elvira may have been just as big a member of the main rogues' gallery, but the other three had a substantially larger impact by comparison. When we first met the mob in Literary Mosaic 3, no one could have expected what was to follow. In a chaotic shootout with the Home Guard, they managed to make off with much of the weapons stored under the Gadfrey home and leave a trail of destruction close behind. When they confronted Gunnarson in Literary Mosaic 5, they actually almost succeeded in killing the Swede; throwing him off the deck of a ship with the intent to drown him. Though Gunnarson survived, it would be wrong to say he got away unscathed. Despite not directly confronting Gunnarson in Literary Mosaic 8 or 13, they still made their impact, delivering a hard blow against the Ripper Underground and Blade Syndicate, respectively, before being forced to pull out.
They were memorable, a threat to Gunnarson and they left an impact on the Swede. Why aren't they higher, you ask? Despite numerous members being named or mentioned, only a handful have received significant development, like Finn and O'Connor, and although they are no joke, the "mobster" type villain is one that is quite frequently visited in this genre. Though Finn's reveal to be a mole in the organization is a unique twist and the mob's final bow in Literary Mosaic 14 is sure to be their most memorable appearance yet.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 4/5
Impact- 3/5
Score: 12/15
#2- Dr. Gunther Drugg, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8
Arguably Gunnarson's greatest enemy to date, Dr. Gunther Drugg is a villain that is almost unstoppable by traditional means. To call him a "genius" is an understatement; he is a prodigy with complete mastery of chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and other related fields. His total understanding of the human body and how it interacts with certain compounds allows him to create numerous "cocktails;" mixtures of drugs and other chemicals that can make a person do anything from fall into a coma for a predetermined period of time, to entering a state where they are extremely vulnerable to suggestion, i.e. a more practical form of hypnosis. He successfully drugs Elvira to do his bidding, and almost kills Gent and Gunnarson. But he was stopped and arrested. By the time of his reappearance in Literary Mosaic 8, it was clear how coveted a man he was, given that it was Lord Bury who directed the surviving Black Scorpion Members to break Drugg out of prison. Drugg's death at the hands of Gent and the subsequent destruction of his notes brought an end to his reign of terror... the last legacy of Drugg being a coded, incomplete copy of his notes which will also soon be destroyed.
So for such an important villain, why only two appearances before his death? As brilliant as he was, he was a one-note villain with a single shtick: drugs. He was killed and his notes destroyed for a simple reason- to prevent the same story and plot element from being used over and over again, and encourage more original villains in future volumes. To be honest, the third epilogue in Literary Mosaic 8 is unnecessary; there is no need to continue Drugg's story in any form; his story is complete and there is no need to force it along any further now that he is dead.
So what prevents him from being he number one villain? Two key factors. Although very memorable and a large threat, the impact left on the story was mitigated by two key factors: with our hero (Gunnarson) crippled in the hospital, he was killed by Gent, who at best is a supporting character. Furthermore, his impact on Gunnarson perhaps was not brought to its full potential. While it is true that Gunnarson nearly committed suicide because of Drugg, and Drugg very nearly had Gunnarson shot by a police officer, his lack of interaction with Gunnarson in LM 8 lowers his impact score. Finally, throughout Literary Mosaic his actions only affected a few individuals. The #1 villain left a far larger impact by comparison
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 5/5
Impact- 3/5
Score: 13/15
Before we get to the number one spot, here's an...
Honorable Mention- Cricket, Literary Mosaic 11
It's no secret that Cricket is the least popular character among the collective writers; a dimensionless character who has contributed nothing meaningful to the story, she is the archetypal "forced love interest" character. So it was really refreshing in Literary Mosaic 11 when tug pulled off one of the most brilliant twists in Literary Mosaic to date- the major's murderer was in fact Cricket, and she only killed him because she was trying to kill Gunnarson. It was almost too perfect; Cricket revealed in detail that she had been trying to kill Gunnarson from the beginning and that she only was in a relationship with Hartley to use as a stepping stone to get to Gunnarson. She even reveals that several things that didn't quite add up in Literary Mosaic 8 were because she was an assassin. ("Seriously, did you honestly believe an angry father would forgive THAT easily and take away a restraining order that quickly? He was a hired thug pretending to be my father!"). This super memorable twist of a villain that was a major threat to Gunnarson left a great impact on both our hero and Hartley... it's only unfortunate that it was rendered non-canon.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 5/5
Impact- 4/5
Score: 14/15
And now...
#1- Blade Syndicate, Literary Mosaic 3, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
It doesn't get much better than the Blade Syndicate. Introduced in Literary Mosaic 3, Lionel Kenneth, AKA Blade, leads a 15 member syndicate with one goal in mind: to obtain the Gadfrey Emeralds and become the top of the food chain in the London criminal underground. They get their emeralds, but at a great cost when most of the syndicate is arrested. The surviving members appear in Literary Mosaic 5 working with Drugg, and though most are taken down by a brainwashed Elvira, Blade shows he is no pushover when he is the one who knocks her out. Forced into hiding again by the end of the story, they reappear in Literary Mosaic 8, breaking out the rest of the syndicate and working with the Irish Mob to get revenge on Dr. Drugg. Clearly more skilled than average mobsters, though not quite as skilled as Elvira the assassin, Blade's syndicate infiltrates a prison and overnight slaughters The Black Scorpion leadership and major members before going after Drugg and the Ripper Underground. They then turn on the mob and have several of their members arrested and turn them over to Gunnarson, on the condition that he let Blade and his men go free. Blade shows a complex character here; by the time Literary Mosaic 13 rolls around, the Syndicate reaches its peak; taking over an abandoned mine in Scotland, Blade's main crew recruits Elvira to their cause, captures all nine members of the assassination "business" in London, and now having an army of "grunts" under their command. Dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of criminals, from petty thugs to major arms dealers, each lose an arm and are forced to labor in Blade's mine, a fate worse than death.
Literary Mosaic 13 was also the end of the golden age for Blade; by the end of the story his mine is compromised and his syndicate wiped out. The only men left under him are Mueller and Byrne. Despite this heavy loss, Blade is not done yet, and his last bow in Literary Mosaic 18 will be an adventure not to be forgotten.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 5/5
Impact- 5/5
Score: 15/15
1) How memorable they are
2) How much of a threat they are to the hero
3) the impact left on our hero
Let's get started
#15- The Man, Literary Mosaic 8
Starting this list, we begin with the villain that wants more than anything to kill Hartley... "The Man." Though the story seems to indicate he has a desire to punish those the police cannot capture, he was overall a very underdeveloped and underwhelming villain. With almost no character development, and his confrontation with Hartley ending rather anticlimactically, with The Man being shot four times and stumbling out of Gunnarson's apartment, he left no impact on our hero and compared to the main rogue's gallery, his role in the story was vastly overshadowed. The fact that he retreated after he was shot calls to question how committed he is to his goals.
Though his return has been declared for LM 20, his abrupt departure and arrival between the volumes, with no build up, makes his return not one to be anticipated. Although it has been stated The Man will get a big reveal, the lack of a build up does not "make it work" in the big picture.
Memorable - 1/5
Threat - 0/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 2/15
#14- The Black Scorpion, Literary Mosaic 6 and Literary Mosaic 8
Introduced as one of "the largest criminal organizations in London" The Black Scorpion was hinted at as having many plans that would have rocked London to the core. Lead by a mysterious "big boss" they were set to be a rather large threat to Gunnarson. But they were rather anticlimactically defeated in a massive arrest of their leaders at a hotel.
They got a little vindication in Literary Mosaic 8 though, when they were the ones who broke Dr. Drugg out of prison, catapulting the events of the whole novel into place. But even then, they contributed little to the story; by the end the leadership is murdered by the Blade Syndicate and Irish Mob, as are the lower ranked individuals who rescued Drugg.
While they could have been memorable and a substantial threat to Gunnarson, ultimately they were overshadowed by the usual rogues gallery.
Memorable- 2/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact-1/5
Score: 4/15
#13- Gunnarson Impostor, Literary Mosaic 10
In a twist no one saw coming, the Gunnarson we were following throughout most of the novel was in fact an impostor. Though his motives seemed to be a bit muddled and he never directly confronted Gunnarson, the memorability of the twist alone makes him stand out, even if he unfortunately killed himself before a motive could be determined.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 5/15
#12- James Hartley, literary Mosaic 1
Next on the countdown, we go to the beginning. Though the ending of this novel was somewhat confusing... given the three separate endings and ambiguous motives, the twist that the writer of the story turned out to be the prime suspect for Gunnarson was actually rather unexpected, and for a first novel, quite memorable. The only reason Hartley isn't higher on this list is because he isn't truly a villain and the impact left on Gunnarson wasn't as great compared to other villains
Memorable- 2/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 2/5
Score: 5/15
#11- The Ellis Siblings, Literary Mosaic 7
The Butler and Housekeeper to Dr. James Walker, in a simple murder mystery that took inspiration from Clue, it was revealed that they killed their employer out of resentment for being paid poverty wages for the amount of work they do. Although they were memorable as villains they are not higher on this list because they were not a threat to Gunnarson, and compared to other villains they left little to no impact on the Swede himself.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 5/15
#10- The Assassins, Literary Mosaic 13
Getting into our number 10 spot, the assassins were introduced as the last holdouts of an ever shrinking "business." As we find out in conversations from Gunnarson and Elvira, assassination in London has hit an all time low by the late 1940s. There are only two contractors who act as middlemen between the assassins and clients, Raleigh and Hughes. There are two bosses who employ and manage the assassins, Bennett and Carnegie. Finally there are five assassins, with Shakes, Lion and Ironside work Bennett and Rawhide and Juno working for Carnegie. At first introduced in passing by Gunnarson, they first appear in a meeting; Lord Bury having declared war on the Blade Syndicate and the assassins were his "insurance policy" in his fight against them. But in a twist that's almost too hard to believe, it is Elvira herself who is responsible for the attack that results in the capture of all nine, eventually leading to the climax.
Though definitely memorable, they are not higher on this list because despite being a substantial threat to Gunnarson, Stein and Marlena, by the time our heroes confronted them they were in bad shape, having lost an arm each and spending weeks slaving away in a mine. Their lack of characterization (I swear, that's on me, sorry guys) and minimal impact on the heroes due to them all being arrested or dead by the end of Nemesis lands them in this spot.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 2/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 6/15
#9- Darcy Mclaughlin and Kate, Literary Mosaic 9
The villain of Stein's second novel and his sidekick, they made themselves infamous as the Dullahan and Banshee; demons of Irish mythology that preyed on English nationals. Stein's quick thinking saved him from death, but Darcy was not finished even after his arrest. Proclaiming that he was taking revenge against the British for what they did to Ireland, his final act of defiance is singing "A Nation Once Again" as he is hauled away to face trial in Ireland.
Though memorable and he did leave a little bit of a mark on Finn, his impact on Stein was minimal, and the threat was also not as high compared to the usual rogues' gallery. While he did kill several men before confronting Stein, the fact that ultimately he was defeated when Stein spooked his horse, throwing Darcy to the ground and making Kate break character, the lack of character development (again, on me) and minimal impact on Stein brings their score down.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 2/5
Impact- 1/5
Score: 6/15
#8- Nigel Wolff, Literary Mosaic 4
The first Stein Novel villain, tug brilliantly introduced a criminal no one could have anticipated. Building off of the "Curse of the Wolff Family" that floated in the background of the story, Nigel Wolff was the estranged brother of Wilbur Wolff; a man who lived in solitude following the death of his wife and children in the Spanish Flue epidemic. He trained dogs to kill people and made for a very interesting villain. While memorable and definitely a threat to Stein and crew, ultimately he falls short on impact; unlike the Gunnarson Rogues' gallery he appeared only once and after his arrest left no impact of note on Stein. Tug mentions a desire to bring him back though, so be on the lookout for Nigel Wolff in a future volume
Memorable- 3/5
Threat 3/5
Impact 1/5
Score: 7/15
#7- Franz Gelb, Literary Mosaic 2, Literary Mosaic 5
The man who killed Walter Farley, or did he? Though the evidence was strong against him, Gunnarson insisted that the murderer was Elvira Revinev, the infamous assassin. Gelb was grateful to Gunnarson and became a free man... or did he?
Enter Crown Prosecutor Henry Taylor; he didn't buy Gunnarson's story for a second, and ultimately decided that Gelb would be the one prosecuted for the murder.
Despite getting little character development, Gelb ultimately becomes quite the memorable character, for being the first "real" villain Gunnarson faces in the Literary Mosaic Universe and for his personal twist... that he killed Farley out of what he sees as self-defense, and that ultimately he was getting a harsh prison sentence not for his murder, but for being a German-born Englishman in World War II England. He is memorable and left a small impact on Gunnarson, but ultimately he wasn't that much of a threat, bringing him only to number seven on this list.
Memorable- 4/5
Threat- 1/5
Impact- 2/5
Score: 7/15
#6- Terry Mason, Literary Mosaic 10
The defense attorney Gunnarson hires turns out to have quite the conflict of interest. Revealed to be in league with the Gunnarson impostor, Mason's true goals were... confusing, to say the least. Did he want to exonerate "Gunnarson" and make a name for himself, despite showing obvious incompetence during the trial? Or did he want to have Gunnarson convicted for unspecified reasons? Ultimately, we never learned the motives involved, but his memorable "betrayal" and the impact he had on Gunnarson is all too present.
Memorable- 3/5
Threat- 2/5
Impact- 3/5
Score: 8/15
#5- Ripper Underground, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
There's no denying it- the beginning of Literary Mosaic 8 was a mess with no defined direction. So when tug took the reins and introduced Lord Bury and the Ripper Underground in the last third of the story, he hinted that something big was going to happen down the line. The Rippers, while not as established as the main rogue's gallery, proved that they were no joke- killing four members' of the Blade Syndicate and revealing that Lord Bury intended to unite all crime under his umbrella. Though memorable and quite the threat, they ultimately only get to number five for the simple reason that to date, they have not confronted our heroes directly and thus fall short.
Memorable- 4/5
Threat- 4/5
Impact- 1/5
Score- 9/15
#4- Elvira Revinev, Literary Mosaic 2, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
The first, and to date only major female villain in Literary Mosaic's story universe, Elvira Revinev had a bit of a rocky start- showing little character development and her arrest at the end was rather confusing; how was she convinced to come to Gunnarson's apartment and why didn't she just kill everyone and escape again? Later explained that she was mentally traumatized by extreme survivor's guilt following the sinking of the SS Caledonia when she failed to board it, she was committed to Broadmoor Hospital in Literary Mosaic Five. Despite a brief escape, she ultimately proved to be nothing more than a puppet for Dr. Drugg and was defeated when Blade hit her over the head with a pipe. She was subsequently recaptured and brought back to Broadmoor.
By Literary Mosaic 8 she is still in Broadmoor; and despite a murder attempt by the surviving members of The Black Scorpion, she was rescued by Blade and teamed up with the Irish Mob and Blade Syndicate to fight the Ripper Underground. Dr. Drugg nearly killed her, failing only because he mixed up a powerful poison cocktail with a mild sedative.
It is not until Literary Mosaic 13 where we finally see her develop as a character; her internal conflict of being an assassin trained to see human life as a commodity and her new role in the now no-kill Blade Syndicate creating tension and an internal struggle for her. Eventually, she does escape capture from the Authorities; and along with Ruocco starts a new life in Egypt, leaving her criminal past behind and living the rest of her days in peace.
A substantial threat and quite a memorable character, compared to the rest of the Rogue's gallery she had the least impact on Gunnarson, because despite all her appearances, she only directly interacted with him in Literary Mosaic 2, and even then their interaction was limited and lacked character development.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 4/5
Impact- 2/5
Score: 11/15
#3- Irish Mob, Literary Mosaic 3, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
We're getting into the big hitters now. Elvira may have been just as big a member of the main rogues' gallery, but the other three had a substantially larger impact by comparison. When we first met the mob in Literary Mosaic 3, no one could have expected what was to follow. In a chaotic shootout with the Home Guard, they managed to make off with much of the weapons stored under the Gadfrey home and leave a trail of destruction close behind. When they confronted Gunnarson in Literary Mosaic 5, they actually almost succeeded in killing the Swede; throwing him off the deck of a ship with the intent to drown him. Though Gunnarson survived, it would be wrong to say he got away unscathed. Despite not directly confronting Gunnarson in Literary Mosaic 8 or 13, they still made their impact, delivering a hard blow against the Ripper Underground and Blade Syndicate, respectively, before being forced to pull out.
They were memorable, a threat to Gunnarson and they left an impact on the Swede. Why aren't they higher, you ask? Despite numerous members being named or mentioned, only a handful have received significant development, like Finn and O'Connor, and although they are no joke, the "mobster" type villain is one that is quite frequently visited in this genre. Though Finn's reveal to be a mole in the organization is a unique twist and the mob's final bow in Literary Mosaic 14 is sure to be their most memorable appearance yet.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 4/5
Impact- 3/5
Score: 12/15
#2- Dr. Gunther Drugg, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8
Arguably Gunnarson's greatest enemy to date, Dr. Gunther Drugg is a villain that is almost unstoppable by traditional means. To call him a "genius" is an understatement; he is a prodigy with complete mastery of chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and other related fields. His total understanding of the human body and how it interacts with certain compounds allows him to create numerous "cocktails;" mixtures of drugs and other chemicals that can make a person do anything from fall into a coma for a predetermined period of time, to entering a state where they are extremely vulnerable to suggestion, i.e. a more practical form of hypnosis. He successfully drugs Elvira to do his bidding, and almost kills Gent and Gunnarson. But he was stopped and arrested. By the time of his reappearance in Literary Mosaic 8, it was clear how coveted a man he was, given that it was Lord Bury who directed the surviving Black Scorpion Members to break Drugg out of prison. Drugg's death at the hands of Gent and the subsequent destruction of his notes brought an end to his reign of terror... the last legacy of Drugg being a coded, incomplete copy of his notes which will also soon be destroyed.
So for such an important villain, why only two appearances before his death? As brilliant as he was, he was a one-note villain with a single shtick: drugs. He was killed and his notes destroyed for a simple reason- to prevent the same story and plot element from being used over and over again, and encourage more original villains in future volumes. To be honest, the third epilogue in Literary Mosaic 8 is unnecessary; there is no need to continue Drugg's story in any form; his story is complete and there is no need to force it along any further now that he is dead.
So what prevents him from being he number one villain? Two key factors. Although very memorable and a large threat, the impact left on the story was mitigated by two key factors: with our hero (Gunnarson) crippled in the hospital, he was killed by Gent, who at best is a supporting character. Furthermore, his impact on Gunnarson perhaps was not brought to its full potential. While it is true that Gunnarson nearly committed suicide because of Drugg, and Drugg very nearly had Gunnarson shot by a police officer, his lack of interaction with Gunnarson in LM 8 lowers his impact score. Finally, throughout Literary Mosaic his actions only affected a few individuals. The #1 villain left a far larger impact by comparison
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 5/5
Impact- 3/5
Score: 13/15
Before we get to the number one spot, here's an...
Honorable Mention- Cricket, Literary Mosaic 11
It's no secret that Cricket is the least popular character among the collective writers; a dimensionless character who has contributed nothing meaningful to the story, she is the archetypal "forced love interest" character. So it was really refreshing in Literary Mosaic 11 when tug pulled off one of the most brilliant twists in Literary Mosaic to date- the major's murderer was in fact Cricket, and she only killed him because she was trying to kill Gunnarson. It was almost too perfect; Cricket revealed in detail that she had been trying to kill Gunnarson from the beginning and that she only was in a relationship with Hartley to use as a stepping stone to get to Gunnarson. She even reveals that several things that didn't quite add up in Literary Mosaic 8 were because she was an assassin. ("Seriously, did you honestly believe an angry father would forgive THAT easily and take away a restraining order that quickly? He was a hired thug pretending to be my father!"). This super memorable twist of a villain that was a major threat to Gunnarson left a great impact on both our hero and Hartley... it's only unfortunate that it was rendered non-canon.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 5/5
Impact- 4/5
Score: 14/15
And now...
#1- Blade Syndicate, Literary Mosaic 3, Literary Mosaic 5, Literary Mosaic 8, Literary Mosaic 13
It doesn't get much better than the Blade Syndicate. Introduced in Literary Mosaic 3, Lionel Kenneth, AKA Blade, leads a 15 member syndicate with one goal in mind: to obtain the Gadfrey Emeralds and become the top of the food chain in the London criminal underground. They get their emeralds, but at a great cost when most of the syndicate is arrested. The surviving members appear in Literary Mosaic 5 working with Drugg, and though most are taken down by a brainwashed Elvira, Blade shows he is no pushover when he is the one who knocks her out. Forced into hiding again by the end of the story, they reappear in Literary Mosaic 8, breaking out the rest of the syndicate and working with the Irish Mob to get revenge on Dr. Drugg. Clearly more skilled than average mobsters, though not quite as skilled as Elvira the assassin, Blade's syndicate infiltrates a prison and overnight slaughters The Black Scorpion leadership and major members before going after Drugg and the Ripper Underground. They then turn on the mob and have several of their members arrested and turn them over to Gunnarson, on the condition that he let Blade and his men go free. Blade shows a complex character here; by the time Literary Mosaic 13 rolls around, the Syndicate reaches its peak; taking over an abandoned mine in Scotland, Blade's main crew recruits Elvira to their cause, captures all nine members of the assassination "business" in London, and now having an army of "grunts" under their command. Dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of criminals, from petty thugs to major arms dealers, each lose an arm and are forced to labor in Blade's mine, a fate worse than death.
Literary Mosaic 13 was also the end of the golden age for Blade; by the end of the story his mine is compromised and his syndicate wiped out. The only men left under him are Mueller and Byrne. Despite this heavy loss, Blade is not done yet, and his last bow in Literary Mosaic 18 will be an adventure not to be forgotten.
Memorable- 5/5
Threat- 5/5
Impact- 5/5
Score: 15/15