Boris Shuster

**Boris Shuster** is a character from *Halloween Horror Nights: Reflections of Fear*. He since became a recurring character for Halloween Horror Nights and Universal's New York. He is also the founder of *Legendary Truth: The Collective*, a paranormal investigation agency which has appeared in the stories of various Halloween Horror Nights.

## History

### Background

#### Origins

Boris Shuster was once a police-officer for the New York City Police Department. Boris then retired and became a private-investigator living in New York City at 701 Delancey Street apartment B.

#### The Case of the Terrible Totems

On the October 25th of 1948, a mysterious totem was left at Shuster's doorstep. This totem belonged to the *Baccanoids*, one of the six *Legions of Horror* with members of the Baccanoids being centred around problem-solving, discipline, agility, and feelings of intellectual superiority (notably members including: Professor Moriarty, Confucius, the Invisible Man, Jack the Ripper, Empress Jia Nanfeng and Edgar Allan Poe). In this same incident, a ghoul murdered a woman from the *201 Empire Modeling Agency* in Shuster's building then attacked Shuster in his office, where Shuster shot the ghoul dead.

This totem lead to Boris Shuster investigating the world of the supernatural and becoming more of a paranormal investigator. Boris Shuster dedicated himself to locating the totems of the other five Legions of Horror.

Shuster found the Egg and Bear Trap totem for the *Maschorians* legion from a warehouse where he was attacked by killer mannequins. On the Halloween of 1948, Boris found the glowing *Cerebin* legion's Summoning Cube in the B-30 Archives of the NYC Natural History Museum where he fought a monster which had murdered at least two people. In the *NYC Public Works Delancey ST & 7th Ave* sewers he fought a pair of Moss Men and recovered the glowing *Kerezan* legion's summoning cube totem.

The vase totem for the vampiric Strengoit legion was located in New York City's *Kitty Kat Club* where it turned the female performers into, "She-Devils". During the performance of Madame Murie, the She-Devils murdered various patrons of the club. Boris fought these corrupted women and recovered the legion's totem.

The *Cerebin* legion's cage totem was found in the basement of, "Sly Tony" where Tony's head was ripped off and left in a cage while a wendigo was unleashed in the room. The *Morphans* legion doll totem brought the doll of a girl named Rosie to life where the doll murdered Rosie's parents. In 1957, Shuster found that the various totems (including the Kerezan legion's Jar Totem) had been brought together in police station no. 5 where they were forming a portal to the world of the supernatural bringing forth a zombie and tentacle monster. Shuster retrieved the totems and dismantled the portal before hiding the totems in the attic of a New Jersey building.

Shuster wrote detective novels based on his adventures and experiences. Amongst these stories were: "Terrors of the Tenement", "Murder by Mannequins", "Massacre at The Museum", "Murder by Moss Man", "The Lustful Alibi", "The Beast Unleashed", "Death by Dolly", "Evidence to the Contrary", and, "Case of the Terrible Totems". These books were released by *Legendary Tales Publishing*.

#### Reflections of Fear

In 1958, Shuster hired freelance photographer Charlie McPherson to photograph a man named Frank Bennett cheating on his wife Diane. However, the photographs which McPherson took had zombie monsters in them which Charlie saw. When Boris showed the evidence to Diane Bennett, the couple divorced and the fairy tale loving Diane developed a fear of stories ending with, "Happily Ever After".

Charlie turned to psychiatrist Dr. Mary Agana for assistance and she put him in a glass coffin with strobe lights outside imitating his flash photography as a means of exposure therapy. While it was designed for McPherson to escape, he was too afraid and and suffocated to death. Doctor Agana enjoyed the thrill of this manslaughter and it caused her to begin killing more of her patients which were framed as disappearances.

On August 8, 1958 Diane Bennett went to Doctor Agana to treat her phobia. Mary surrounded her with hypnotized patients from Shadybrook repeating fairy-tales and when Diane said the safe-word, this caused the patients to murder Diane.

Boris Shuster began investigating McPherson's death and the deaths of Mary's other patients. On August 27, 1958, Shuster made an appointment with Doctor Agana. On the night she met with Shuster, Agatha was brutally murdered. The exact events remain a mystery although Shuster was arrested for the doctor's death, before being let off when ex-con/boxer David Gronoll who was her patient and/or orderly testified and took the blame. Doctor Agatha's body disappeared after this and her spirit became the murderous ghost, "Bloody Mary".

#### Legendary Truth

In the 1960s (possibly 1963), Boris founded a paranormal-investigation agency known as *Legendary Truth: The Collective*. This group became based out of Princeton, New Jersey.

#### False Idols

**Note**: *The continuity of False Idols is unclear as it is presented as an in-universe comic-book, though could be inspired on in-universe events similar to Shuster's novels from "Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth". If it is to some degree cannon, it is also not known when in the timeline the story would be set.*

According to the comic, "False Idols", Boris Shuster and his detective partner/brother Jake Shuster used to work together. When Jake got to involved in a particular mystery connected to a series of disappearances throughout New York City, he was shot dead leaving Boris to mourn. After, this, Jake's informant Gladys O'Rourke the keys to a locker connected to Jake's investigation. The two were followed by fish people, whom there had been increased sightings of amidst the disappearances.

The locker key lead Boris and Gladys to the odd totem-like artifact depicting a tentacled monster. After this, they were confronted by Mister Barnabas and Obed Guttmann who had been following them and had a cane with the totem atop it. The fish people attacked the humans, and Boris shot at them, killing them while the monsters made claims of how the creature in the totem would reign no matter what they do. They were then confronted by a large tentacled monster, and had the revelation that the totem they held was a fake. This event's outcome (like its continuity status) is unknown and it was told in the comic-book *Tribute to Terror No. 32*.

#### Disappearance

At some point, various monsters appeared in New York City, which Boris was called for assistance in dealing with. "Terrible noises" were heard from Shuster's apartment, after which the detective was missing. A secret society was thought to be connected to the detective's disappearance.

In 2010, Boris' staff bio was removed from the website of *Legendary Truth: The Collective*.

## Appearances

### Halloween Horror Nights

In Halloween Horror Nights 22, he was revealed to be a member of the, "Baccanoids" Legion.

#### Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth

Shuster was narrator and central character of this 2021 Haunted House.

#### Halloween Horror Nights: Reflections of Fear

Shuster originates from the story of this haunted house event.

#### Horror Nights: The Hallow'd Past

Boris did not appear though his name was on a plaque.

#### Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate

Boris did not appear, though a document with his name on it did.

#### Tribute Store

A newspaper clipping promoted his services, while another mentioned his disappearance. In the 2023 Halloween Tribute Store, a book titled, "Case of the Terrible Totems a Boris Shuster novel" appeared in the window of McPherson’s Collectibles along with other adventures such as, "The Lustful Lullaby", and, "Evidence to the Contrary".

### New York

A window for Boris Shuster's private investigations appears in this area.

### In other media

#### Jack's Scattered Past: Boris Shuster Halloween Horror Nights Mobile Game

This was a mobile game centred around Boris Shuster.

#### Legendary Truth the Collective Case Investigation: Boris Shuster

This was a limited-edition vinyl centred around Shuster's investigations.

## Trivia

* Boris Shuster is reminiscent of various classic/stereotypical detectives from film and television.
	+ He has notable influence from Humphrey Bogart's portrayal of Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon (1941).
	+ Boris being a former cop who became a PI, partnered with his brother before losing his brother could be a parallel to Eddie Valiant from Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
* Apparently Boris Shuster has a summer-home in Amity Island from *Jaws*.
* The Kitty Kat Club, Finnegan's Bar-Grill, and Delancey Apartment Hotel were both referenced in Boris Shuster's 2023 Tribute Store appearance, referencing locations in Universal's *New York* themed area.
* The events of, "False Idols" take clear inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937); namely, the wooden idols and tentacled monster resemble Cthulhu from *The Call of Cthulhu* (1928) while the fish people resemble the Deep Ones from *The Shadow over Innsmouth* (1931).
	+ This was fitting to the McPherson's facade/theming as Lovecraft originally wrote for pulp publications.
* In 2021 on a mobile game, it was said his favourite restaurant was Louie's Italian Restaurant, a service in Universal's New York area.
* Boris Shuster's clipped out advertisement says he works in cash only, with no refunds, and that if not at his office he's probably at the Kitty Kat Club. It also implies he's often mistaken for the laundromat two-doors down.
* The case for *Legendary Truth the Collective Case Investigation: Boris Shuster* featured allusions to other Halloween Horror Nights stories and characters. It contained a business card for *Shady Oaks Cemetery* and Dr. Albert Caine AKA The Caretaker from *Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear* along with a message asking where his location Cindy Caine is, a promotion for Dr. Oddfellow's Carnival of Thrills from *Halloween Horror Nights 32*, a promotion for Elizabeth Strict AKA the Storyteller from *Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror* retelling "Terra Cruentus", a tag from the *Shadybrook Rest Home and Sanitarium* of the Psycho Scareapy series along with a newspaper article on Shadybrook Asylum shutting down, an audition ad from the Director from *Halloween Horror Nights 13*, a photo of what appears to be the Jersey Devil from *Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth*, Lady Luck's skull Ace of Spades playing card from *Halloween Horror Nights 21*, and multiple allusions to the *Universal Palace Theater* from *Halloween Horror Nights: Ripped from the Silver Screen* and *Silver Screams* including a bloody *Phantom of the Opera* ticket from September 6, 1925 and a newspaper article about usher Julian Browning being hanged to death. The date on the documents was August 27, 2008, the date in which Legendary Truth investigated the late Dr. Mary Agana and when she caused the events of *Reflections of Fear*.
* Gladys O'Rourke is named after *O'Rourke's Bar & Grill* in Universal's New York. Said location is an allusion to Kelly O’Rourke from the Godfather.
* Shuster's downstairs-neighbour, Madame Basiel, has worked with Doctor Oddfellow.

## External links

* *Boris Shuster on Halloween Horror Nights Wiki*.

## References

1. ↑ https://touringplans.com/blog/saturday-six-looks-at-hhn-32-inside-this-years-tribute-store-the-amazing-details-snacks-easter-eggs-and-more/
2. ↑ https://www.hhnlegacy.com/characters-and-lore.html
3. ↑ https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2022/06/05/summer-tribute-store-at-universal-studios-florida-hides-a-legendary-halloween-horror-nights-easter-egg/
4. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2023/08/photos-comic-book-shop-halloween-tribute-store-facade-featuring-tons-of-easter-eggs-at-universal-studios-florida/
5. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2023/09/halloween-decorations-added-tribute-store/
6. ↑ https://touringplans.com/blog/the-saturday-six-looks-at-the-universal-studios-florida-windows-tributes-easter-eggs-and-more/
7. ↑ Fact is repeated on various websites and the Halloween Horror Nights wiki. Source has yet to be found by Universal Parks Wiki contributors.