- NOTE: This article is about the version of Richard Straker from the mainstream continuity. You may be looking for information on his Tobe Hooper counterpart.
Richard Throckett Straker, named Richard Thomas Straker in the 2004 TV adaptation, is the secondary antagonist of the horror novel Salem's Lot and one of the two secondary antagonists, (alongside Father Callahan) of the 2004 adaptation of the same name. He is master vampire Kurt Barlow`s mortal servant, who tries to help his master infect the town of Jerusalem's Lot into vampires.
In the 2004 miniseries adaptation, he was portrayed by the late Donald Sutherland, who also played Donald McClintock in Outbreak and President Stone in Astro Boy.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
In general exclusive[]
- Sacrificed young Ralphie Glick in a satanic ritual and later presenting him as a sacrifice to Barlow.
- Helped Barlow infect the entire town of Jerusalem's Lot.
- Presented Susan Norton as a sacrifice for Barlow.
- Rather than caring for his master, Straker fanatically worships Barlow for the evil he does instead of caring for him. Technically speaking, he is obsessed with him rather than care for him.
Novel exclusive[]
- Despite of the high heinous standards in the Stephen King Dark Tower mythos, Straker stands out due to his low resources.
- Sacrificed young Ralphie Glick to Barlow.
- Captured Susan Norton and Mark Petrie, giving the former to his master while the latter escapes.
- Because of his actions, Barlow was able to come to Salem's Lot, turning its natives into vampires, while Straker was fully aware that it happened.
- It is heavily implied Straker sacrificed children to Satan and Barlow many times.
- Though he was hung upside down and drained of his blood by Barlow, it is more than deserved due to how horrible he is.
2004 exclusive[]
- It is implied Straker had sacrificed children in brutal ways many times.
- Drowned young Ralphie Glick in a satanic ritual, before cutting his head off, storing it in a van, and had Ralphie turn into a vampire by Barlow.
- Mocked Eva Prunier about her childhood.
- Captured Susan Norton and Mark Petrie, intending to sacrifice them both to Barlow, however, Mark beats up Straker an escapes.
Trivia[]
- There is nowhere to assume that Barlow forced Straker into servitude, but, if it is confirmed that Straker is a brainwashed servant of Barlow, that will strip him of his Pure Evil status.
- This is implied even more in the 2004 TV miniseries, as Barlow forcefully corrupted Father Callahan by drinking his blood into becoming his new familiar after Straker's death. However, there is also no concrete proof that Straker entered Barlow's servitude like Callahan did, thus still qualifying him as Pure Evil.
- It is unknown if he will be Pure Evil or not in the new Gary Dauberman 2024 film adaptation, though it is likely.
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Pure Evils | ||
Novels Adaptations The Resurrection of Rose |