Mordred Deschain
Encyclopedia
Mordred Deschain of Discordia is a fictional character
from Stephen King
's The Dark Tower series
of novels and comic books. He is one of the major antagonists of The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, seeking to destroy his father Roland
and his ka-tet. His name Mordred
comes from Arthurian legend
.
has sex with a succubus
in order to have a vision that would aid in his quest for the Dark Tower. The gunslinger's semen
is carried in a form of stasis
inside the succubus (in truth an androgynous elemental demon) who would later take the form of an incubus
and impregnate Susannah Dean
. Later a simple succubus (who would become Mia) possesses
Susannah and takes over the care of her "chap" (Mordred). In the process, Mia's consciousness actually becomes intertwined with Susannah's (left porous by her preexisting dissociative disorder), and remains so until they physically meet each other just before Mordred's birth.
by cell, Mordred enters the world as a healthy (if unseemly) baby boy. When taken to Mia's breast to nurse, Mordred reveals his demonic nature by turning into a giant spider
, savagely tearing off her breast and draining all of her bodily fluids. Mordred turns his hunger toward Susannah, who has managed to take a gun from one of the hospital guards. Susannah shoots off one of Mordred’s spider legs, leaving a wound that would never heal in either of his physical forms.
Mordred has a somehow immediate understanding of his purpose, which he believes is to kill Roland Deschain and to enter the Dark Tower and rule next to the Crimson King. He takes immediately to this purpose and begins hunting down Roland. His motivation for wanting to kill Roland is mentioned as jealousy (similar to Randall Flagg) of Roland, his ka-tet, and their friendship. At one time, Mordred even thinks of joining Roland, but knows he cannot accept Roland as his dinh.
, and Patrick Danville
shortly before they reach The Dark Tower. Patrick had fallen asleep on watch after hearing a lullaby telepathically sung by the Crimson King
, and Mordred approaches for the kill. Oy intercepts Mordred before he is able to strike the sleeping Roland. Roland offers Mordred a chance to live in exchange for Oy's life. Mordred refuses, and flings Oy aside after breaking his back. Roland then shoots and kills Mordred, and Mordred's remains tumble into the group's campfire.
, and his demon father, The Crimson King) and two mothers (his human mother, Susannah
, and his demon mother, Mia). This dual-birth explains his ability to transform into a spider from a human, as well as his telepathic
abilities.
The human baby Mordred was noted to have the same blue eyes as Roland, as well as a red birthmark
on the heel of one foot. When he transforms into a spider
, he is described as having a mark on one side that resembles a black widow spider
, and on the other, Mordred's human face.
Mordred spends most of his life alternatively sleeping in his human form and feeding in his spider form (starting with small animals and eventually larger ones). His metabolism
is much greater in his spider form, so he has to balance out how far he wants to travel in his spider form with how plentiful food is in the area. His growth and maturity advances more rapidly when he is properly fed and when Mordred finally catches up with Roland and the remnants of his ka-tet, in his human form he looks to be about 20 years old.
Mordred's first notable feeding occurs during his encounter with Randall Flagg
, who intends to kill him and bring his birthmarked-foot to the entrance of the Dark Tower. Mordred senses his intent, and displays his telepathic abilities by assuming control of Flagg's body and eating him alive after forcing him to pluck out his eyeballs and his tongue.
The second notable feeding occurs as Mordred is tracking Roland. Mordred comes upon The ruins of Dandelo and sups on his dead horse, Lippy. Mordred fails to discern that the corpse of the horse is poisonous, and as he continues to track Roland, is wracked by the symptoms of food poisoning knowing it will eventually kill him.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's The Dark Tower series
The Dark Tower (series)
The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
of novels and comic books. He is one of the major antagonists of The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, seeking to destroy his father Roland
Roland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
and his ka-tet. His name Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
comes from Arthurian legend
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
.
Conception
Mordred Deschain actually begins his existence when Roland DeschainRoland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
has sex with a succubus
Succubus
In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus...
in order to have a vision that would aid in his quest for the Dark Tower. The gunslinger's semen
Semen
Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
is carried in a form of stasis
Stasis
The term stasis may refer to* A state of stability, in which all forces are equal and opposing, therefore they cancel out each other....
inside the succubus (in truth an androgynous elemental demon) who would later take the form of an incubus
Incubus (demon)
An incubus is a demon in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have intercourse with them. Its female counterpart is the succubus...
and impregnate Susannah Dean
Susannah Dean
Susannah Odetta Holmes Dean is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series...
. Later a simple succubus (who would become Mia) possesses
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
Susannah and takes over the care of her "chap" (Mordred). In the process, Mia's consciousness actually becomes intertwined with Susannah's (left porous by her preexisting dissociative disorder), and remains so until they physically meet each other just before Mordred's birth.
Life
After being transferred from the body of Susannah into that of Mia, cellCell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
by cell, Mordred enters the world as a healthy (if unseemly) baby boy. When taken to Mia's breast to nurse, Mordred reveals his demonic nature by turning into a giant spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, savagely tearing off her breast and draining all of her bodily fluids. Mordred turns his hunger toward Susannah, who has managed to take a gun from one of the hospital guards. Susannah shoots off one of Mordred’s spider legs, leaving a wound that would never heal in either of his physical forms.
Mordred has a somehow immediate understanding of his purpose, which he believes is to kill Roland Deschain and to enter the Dark Tower and rule next to the Crimson King. He takes immediately to this purpose and begins hunting down Roland. His motivation for wanting to kill Roland is mentioned as jealousy (similar to Randall Flagg) of Roland, his ka-tet, and their friendship. At one time, Mordred even thinks of joining Roland, but knows he cannot accept Roland as his dinh.
Death
Mordred is eventually killed while attempting to ambush a sleeping Roland, OyOy (Dark Tower)
Oy of Mid-World is a primary character in Stephen King's The Dark Tower. He was introduced in the third book, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, and became a member of the ka-tet for the rest of the series....
, and Patrick Danville
Patrick Danville
Patrick Danville is a fictional character created by Stephen King, featured in the novels Insomnia and The Dark Tower.-Insomnia:Patrick was introduced as a child in Insomnia, a budding artist who was destined to die saving the lives of two men, one of whom must not die...
shortly before they reach The Dark Tower. Patrick had fallen asleep on watch after hearing a lullaby telepathically sung by the Crimson King
Crimson King
The Crimson King, also commonly known as Los', is a fictional character created by Stephen King. He is the antagonist in the novel Insomnia the main villain due to a plot twist in Black House and one of the main villains in the latter half of Stephen King's Dark Tower series.-Fictional...
, and Mordred approaches for the kill. Oy intercepts Mordred before he is able to strike the sleeping Roland. Roland offers Mordred a chance to live in exchange for Oy's life. Mordred refuses, and flings Oy aside after breaking his back. Roland then shoots and kills Mordred, and Mordred's remains tumble into the group's campfire.
Characteristics
Mordred is the son of two fathers (his human father, RolandRoland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
, and his demon father, The Crimson King) and two mothers (his human mother, Susannah
Susannah Dean
Susannah Odetta Holmes Dean is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series...
, and his demon mother, Mia). This dual-birth explains his ability to transform into a spider from a human, as well as his telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
abilities.
The human baby Mordred was noted to have the same blue eyes as Roland, as well as a red birthmark
Birthmark
A birthmark is a benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth, usually in the first month. They can occur anywhere on the skin. Birthmarks are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or...
on the heel of one foot. When he transforms into a spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, he is described as having a mark on one side that resembles a black widow spider
Latrodectus hesperus
Latrodectus hesperus, the Western black widow spider or Western widow, is a venomous spider species found in western regions of North America. The female's body is 14–16 millimeters in length and is black, often with an hourglass shaped red mark on the lower abdomen. This "hourglass" mark can be...
, and on the other, Mordred's human face.
Mordred spends most of his life alternatively sleeping in his human form and feeding in his spider form (starting with small animals and eventually larger ones). His metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
is much greater in his spider form, so he has to balance out how far he wants to travel in his spider form with how plentiful food is in the area. His growth and maturity advances more rapidly when he is properly fed and when Mordred finally catches up with Roland and the remnants of his ka-tet, in his human form he looks to be about 20 years old.
Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by Stephen King. Flagg has appeared in seven novels by King, sometimes as the main antagonist and others in a brief cameo. He often appears under different names; most are abbreviated by the initials R.F. There are exceptions to this rule; in The Dark...
, who intends to kill him and bring his birthmarked-foot to the entrance of the Dark Tower. Mordred senses his intent, and displays his telepathic abilities by assuming control of Flagg's body and eating him alive after forcing him to pluck out his eyeballs and his tongue.
The second notable feeding occurs as Mordred is tracking Roland. Mordred comes upon The ruins of Dandelo and sups on his dead horse, Lippy. Mordred fails to discern that the corpse of the horse is poisonous, and as he continues to track Roland, is wracked by the symptoms of food poisoning knowing it will eventually kill him.