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"Mature Content Warning!" |
| “ | Kill a few people, they call you a murderer. Kill a million, and you're a conqueror. Go figure. | „ |
| ~ Eric Qualen's most famous quote. |
| “ | Sue me. | „ |
| ~ Qualen taunting Hal Tucker after having 2 teenagers killed. |
Eric Qualen is the main antagonist in the 1993 action thriller film Cliffhanger.
He is a former British military intelligence officer who became a ruthless and crazy terrorist who attempts to rob a U.S Treasury Jet of $100 million. He becomes the arch-nemesis of Gabe Walker.
He was portrayed by John Lithgow, who also played Burke in Blow Out, Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen, Lord Farquaad from Shrek and Earl Talbot Blake in Ricochet.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
- Before the film's events, Qualen was a British military intelligence officer who decided to become a thief instead, hijacking diamonds in South Africa, and commiting industrial espionage.
- He and his thieves attempt to rob $100 million off a U.S Treasury Jet, getting 5 people killed in the process, including 3 agents, a pilot, and one of his henchmen.
- When the plan fails, he originally threatens to kill Travers for his failure.
- Even after he decides not to, he continues to pettily hold it over Travers' head.
- He has Kristel send a fake distress call to the Rocky Mountain Rescue Center and forces Gabe Walker & Hal Tucker at gunpoint to help him and his thieves find the cases of money.
- He sends Walker to find the first case with none of his gear, or even his jacket, which almost freezes him to death.
- He then decides to have Walker killed when he comes down.
- When Hal warns Walker, Qualen attempts to kill Walker by having his men forcibly pull him down and shoot him down, causing an avalanche that kills one of his men.
- He forces Hal to radio to Jessie that the distress call was a fake, in order to draw no suspicion.
- When Qualen discovers the Gabe is still alive, he sends Delmar & Ryan to go find him, with the latter being killed soon after in a fight with Gabe.
- While he stops a fight between Delmar & Kynette, it is a matter of pragmatism than principles, as they are more of an annoyance to him.
- When he and his crew come across 2 teenagers who recognize Hal, Qualen has them shot and killed, mocking Hal over their deaths.
- He constantly argues with Travers, resulting in the latter having a full-blown villainous breakdown.
- He orders Kynette to get the money from Gabe and kill him and Jessie, which proves unsuccessful.
- He attempts to kill Gabe & Jessie with multiple explosions and trip wires that he and Kristel set up.
- When Frank, the elderly member of the Rocky Mountain Rescue team, arrives in a helicopter, Qualen has Kristel hold him hostage so they can use his helicopter.
- While Delmar ruthlessly shoots and kills Frank against orders, which angers Kristel, Qualen has nothing say against this, even mocking Hal for his anger at Delmar over Frank's death.
- When Qualen is questioned/challenged by Travers, he kills Kristel to assure himself useful as the only pilot left, subverting any care he previously had for her, while also shocking Travers.
- Using the helicopter, Qualen takes Jessie hostage, and uses her as blackmail to get the remaining $33 million that Gabe has.
- While he releases Jessie first he only does it out of pragmatism because Walker has the money and he would have drop it if Qualen wouldn't have let her go.
- When Gabe throws the money into the helicopter blades and Hal shoots it, sending the helicopter into the cliff and finally thwarting Qualen's plans, Qualen physically beats Walker and attempts to kill him.
- He does not care for his henchmen, throwing one of them out of his plane, and showing no reaction to each of their deaths.
- While action film villains often having higher kill counts, the stakes are lower in this film, with Qualen still acting as worse as he can for the sake of greed.
External Links[]
- Eric Qualen on the Villains Wiki
- Eric Qualen on the Die Hard Scenario Wiki
- Eric Qualen on the Hate Sink Wiki
[]
 Pure Evils
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