Candyman

* Biography
* Threat Assessment
* Trivia and Notes
* Gallery

## Biography

(*Submitted by Dexter Morgan*)

The story of Daniel Robitaille serves as a haunting testament to both the power of law and the depravity of hate. The city of St. Roch serves as the stage set for the start of this tragic tale. Raised in a post-Civil War America, Daniel had an upbringing that leaned more towards the sophisticated. Though he was the child of former slaves, Daniel was greatly elevated from the aftermath of slavery by his father's innovative machine during the Civil War, which allowed for an accelerated mass-production of shoes and other footwear.

The Robitaille's newfound affluence offered Daniel opportunities few others of his ethnicity could dream of at the time. Instead of conventional schooling, Daniel was apprenticed to a renowned artist of the era, Lucius Devereaux, a man who saw in Daniel a rare talent and an insatiable thirst to capture the essence of life onto canvas. Under Lucius' training, Daniel became a rather gifted artist, renowned for his portraits that could capture the very essence of a person on canvas.

With such talent came riches, fame, and new opportunity. Daniel was able to travel the country and even spent some time abroad in Europe where he found particular success. However, Daniel's fame would see him brought back to the United States as his art had brought him to the attention of Heyward Sullivan, the wealthy landowner that had previously owned Daniel's parents. Mr. Sullivan contacted Daniel and requested that he return to the American South to paint a portrait of his daughter, Caroline. The payment for this portrait was substantial and Daniel could not resist, though he had little interest in returning to St. Roch.

The portrait took some time to complete. While Caroline Sullivan was sitting for her portrait, she and Daniel would converse to great lengths. As Daniel continued to paint Caroline, he suspected he was in the process of making his greatest work yet. The quality of Caroline's portrait was enhanced through Daniel's inspired decision to incorporate some of Caroline's personality into the portrait.

The complexity of human emotions is a matter I've not always found... relatable. I supposed Daniel found Caroline to be something of a muse. Likewise, Caroline had become smitten by Daniel, overlooking his skin color and her family's deep-rooted racist history. But as lovers rarely do, Daniel and Caroline gave in to their baser instincts in the name of love and passion.

With the secret love affair causing Caroline to become pregnant, Daniel became the target of an enraged mob. Fueled by hate and prejudice, and being led by Heyman Sullivan, the mob took Daniel out into the wilderness where they slowly sawed off Daniel's right hand, ending any future for him to continue his career as an artist.

Not yet done, the mob shoved an iron meat hook into his bleeding stump and nailed it to his forearms' bones. They then smeared his body with honey taken from a nearby beehive before hanging by his hook and some quickly rigged up rope. The mob then left Daniel there, bleeding out and screaming in pain, as he hung from the branch like some crudely built puppet. The ruckus roused the hive's bees, who attacked and stung Daniel.

This cruel death was designed to humiliate and dehumanize Daniel, and it was rather successful in that regard. As Daniel kicked and screamed, one of Caroline's younger brothers shouted at Daniel to dance for their amusement, adding insult to the number of Daniel's grievous injuries by also calling him "Candyman". From the mouth of the babes, the horrifying legend of the Candyman had begun.

With his final breath, Daniel called out to his murderer, cursing them and promising his lover, Caroline, that this would not be the end.

True to his promise, Daniel's death was not the end, but rather the perverse birth of an urban legend. According to the common legend of the Candyman, saying his name five times in quick succession will summon him. When the ghost of Robitaille arrives, he comes back armed with a hook in place of his severed hand and surrounded by a swarm of bees, the once-talented and gentle artist has now found a new art to pursue: the brutal murder of anyone who denies his power.

From man to myth, from victim to killer, the Candyman was born. Daniel Robitaille chose to embrace the darkness, to become the very embodiment of terror. But perhaps it was not a choice. Perhaps, this was simply Robitaille's destiny he could never escape as a victim of love; just as some of us can't escape our own... urges?

## Threat Assessment

### Methodology

#### Legend Born of Love and Hate

Behind every legend lies a kernel of truth. For Daniel Robitaille, the genesis of his tragic tale can be traced back to societal divisions and the forbidden love that defied them. But it wasn't just a society that turned him into the entity known as Candyman; it was also a haunting amalgamation of bitterness, longing, and vengeance that transformed a skilled painter into an urban myth, a specter of horror.

#### Personality

Candyman's persona is a just juxtaposition of tragedy and terror. He embodies the anguish of lost love and the thirst for vengeance against those who wronged him. This dichotomy manifests in his actions: sometimes seductive, sometimes vindictive. The love he once had for Caroline Sullivan still lingers, giving him brief moments of tenderness. However, the overwhelming rage from his gruesome murder often overshadows this, making him an unpredictable and malevolent force. Candyman seeks recognition, wanting his story to be remembered, feared, and respected, thus ensuring his immortality.

#### Killcraft

* With a mere utterance of his name five times before a mirror, Candyman can be summoned. Though he under no obligation to respond to such summons, he seems most likely to allow himself to be summoned when the summoner seems to lack belief in the Tale of the Candyman or denies his power.
* His right hand was replaced to a meat hook, which acts as both a symbol of his gruesome end and his primary tool of torment. With it, he can inflict the pain and humiliation that he himself suffered.
* Swarms of bees accompany Candyman, an eerie reminder of the agonizing way he met his end. These bees act as both his shield and weapon, responding to his will. When threatened, the Candyman can dissolve into a swarm of bees and vanish.
* Candyman's voice carries an alluring, hypnotic quality, allowing him to manipulate and induce fear in those he encounters. This is a particularly true for persons who might find the Candyman's charisma and sex appeal undeniable.
* The more his story is shared within a particular locale, the stronger he appears to become. His power is linked to the collective belief in his myth in the area. The places his legend is most prolific include St. Roch, Louisiana; Brick City, Michigan; Central City, Missouri; and the Suicide Slums neighborhood of Metropolis, Delaware.
* The more fascinated Candyman is with a subject, the more creative he can become. He seems to have a thing for framing his entitle Caucasian victims for heinous crimes, reveling in their downfall as some surrogate form of justice for his own death.
* As his story grows, he seems able to create new "Candymen" (and at least one "Candywoman"). These victims are usually African-American men who suffered great tortures and met an untimely, and usually gruesome, end. However, the existence of Helen Lyle (a white woman with a striking resemblance to Caroline Sullivan) proves that race is not a requirement in the transformation. Whatever the circumstances of how they came to join Candyman, once they have joined the Candyman Hive, they appear to serve as anchors for the Candyman. Should Candyman be destroyed, he might be able to return through dissolving one of his other Candymen's identity.

### Drawbacks

* For all his supernatural prowess, Candyman's power wanes when belief in his legend diminishes. Forgetting him is, perhaps, the most effective way to weaken him. Of course, I suspect that is easier said than done.
* Personal relics from his mortal can affect and influence him, reminding him of his human past and the love of and the love he lost. This includes his surviving works, some who might remind him of Caroline Sullivan, or a particularly fascinating piece of art. I would not suggest reminding him of his brutal murder, though. It may upset him.
* Candyman's obsession with ensuring his legend is remembered can sometimes be his downfall. He is drawn to those who doubt or deny him, making him predictable to some extent. Should you be someone who believes in his power, and you are in a position to help spread his legend, the Candyman may just let you live.

### Visage Score

* **Vitality:** 5
* **Intensity:** 7
* **Strategy:** 6
* **Agility:** 4
* **Genius:** 5
* **Entity:** 6
	+ **TOTAL:** 140
	+ **RANKING:** High Threat

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* Members of the Candyman hive include: Anthony Crawford, George Stinney, Sherman Fields, James Byrd Jr. and Helen Lyle.

#### Helen Lyle

* During her postgraduate research, Helen Lyle began looking into the story of Candyman. With her best friend Bernadette "Bernie" Walsh she ventured into the Cabrini Green housing project to interview the African American residents about their knowledge of the legend. The more she learned about Candyman, the more Helen felt an eerie connection, as if the story was calling out to her. One evening, while at home reviewing her research, Helen decided to test the simple incantation said to summon the Candyman.
* From that night, Helen’s life began to spiral out of control, starting with vivid, terrifying dreams where Candyman haunted her. Candyman killed several people, including Bernie. She was arrested for the killings and abduction of a baby. Desperate to prove her innocence (and sanity), Helen made the questionable decision to summon the Candyman once more, this time in the presence of her psychiatrist. Candyman did answer the call, but shocked Helen when he brutally killed the psychiatrist before giving Helen the means to escape the secure hospital.
* Escaping from custody, Helen returned home to seek out aid from her husband Trevor. However, Helen found Trevor in the midst of entertaining one of his female students in their bedroom. Enraged by this flagrant betrayal, Helen fled. Feeling she had little left to live for, Helen returned to Cabrini Green to confront the Candyman, hoping to end the nightmare that her life had become.
* In a showdown at Cabrini Green, Helen managed to rescue the child Candyman had previously abducted. However, the price was high. In the confrontation, a fire had broken out. Severely injured and disoriented, Helen found herself trapped inside a raging bonfire with a screaming baby in her arms. As flame consumed her, Helen's thoughts were betrayal, pain, and an intense desire for vindication. Using this mindset to fuel her efforts, Helen managed to escape the fire with enough strength to return the unharmed child to their mother. However, Helen soon succumbed to her wounds.
* Helen became part of the Candyman hive. When her husband summoned her, she killed him.
* Many years later Sam Loomis learned of her and summoned her to aid his team. Helen is now something of a secret weapon employed by FINAL.

### Notes

* Candyman is a character from the *Candyman* horror franchise.
* His appearance is based on the actor Tony Todd, who portrayed him in the films.
* The hive is a nod to 2021 *Candyman* movie. Sherman Fields is a character from the movie, while Anthony Crawford, George Stinney, and James Byrd Jr. are actual victims of racial violence in United States.
* Octavia, Ethan and Annie Tarrant are nods to *Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh*.
* Caroline McKeever is a nod to *Candyman 3: Day of the Dead*.

## Appears In

SlashtoberSlashtober CalendarEarth-27 Halloween 2023

## Links and References

* Appearances of Candyman

1. ↑ Codex of Blood: Candyman
2. ↑ Network Files: Helen Lyle