Rose Michaels

"...You are going to die..."

- Rose threatening Charlie

Rose is the hidden main antagonist of the 1993 film So I Married An Axe Murderer.

Plot
After breaking up with another girlfriend, the film's protagonist, Charlie Mackenzie, encounters a butcher named Harriet Michaels. He is almost instantly enchanted by her, and the two begin dating. Meanwhile Charlie's mother May tells her the story of a black widow-like serial killer who murders her husbands, including a Ralph Elliot, a martial-artist and a longer singer. Her whereabouts are also unknown.

Charlie discovers that Harriet used to live in Atlantic City, had been involved with a trainer in Russian martial arts, and screams at someone named Ralph in her sleep. After staying at her place one night, Charlie meets Harriet's sister, Rose, who warns Charlie to be careful, and offers to make him breakfast. As Charlie and Harriet continue to see each other, they fall in love. He arranges a dinner with her to meet Stuart and May (his parents). While there, Charlie spots May's newspaper that describes the story about a Mrs. X, and realizes that Harriet displays knowledge that Mrs. X could have (i.e. knowing someone named Ralph, engaging in martial arts, and being able to sing "Only You" in several languages.

Charlie becomes paranoid and asks Tony to investigate Harriet and the Mrs. X story. Tony reveals that the husbands of Mrs. X were all reported missing alongside their wives, assuring that Harriet is unlikely to be Mrs. X. However, Charlie remains on edge, and after a few more troubled dates, decides to break up with her. Tony later reports that a killer in the Mrs. X story has confessed to the murder of Ralph Elliot. Relieved, Charlie apologizes to Harriet by reciting one of his poems to her from his rooftop. They make up, and Harriet explains away some of the confusion Charlie had from her history, such as Ralph being the name of a woman she knew.

Some time later, Charlie proposes to Harriet, to which she accepts after some hesitation and they arrange for a honeymoon in a secluded mountain hotel. After they depart, Tony learns that the person who confessed to the murder had recanted their confession, and the evidence points to an unidentified killer. He sends a photo of Harriet to the known associates of the missing husbands, and all report back that she was their friends' wife. With phone lines to the hotel down, Tony charters a plane. Once he lands, he is able to call Charlie locally and warn him that Harriet is really Mrs. X, but the hotel phone line is knocked out and power is lost.

Charlie is panicked and tries to stay away from Harriet without letting her that he believes she is a serial killer, but the hotel staff force him into the honeymoon suite for their first night together. Charlie finds himself alone and discovers a break-up letter, with his name on it, except he didn't write it. Suddenly, Rose, who had followed them, appears wielding an ax. Rose tells Charlie he was not supposed to find the letter, and reveals herself as the Mrs. X killer, and she killed the three people because she feels that Harriet's husbands are taking her sister from her. Then forged break-up letters to lead Harriet to believe that each husband left her. Charlie battles Rose with a coat rack to defend himself. Rose chases him to the roof and continues attacking Charlie.

After a cat-and-mouse game, Rose loses her balance and is thrown off the building, with only Charlie holding her up from falling to her death. Tony comes to catch her fall, where she is arrested and taken to jail. Charlie sings another poem as Rose is driven away.