Mason Verger

"When the fox hears the rabbit scream he comes a-runnin'... but not to help."

- Mason Verger

Mason Verger is the main antagonist in the book and the 2001 film Hannibal, the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs.

He is portrayed by Gary Oldman in the 2002 film and by Michael Pitt in the NBC televsion series.

Biography
Verger is the only surviving victim of Hannibal Lecter, who was high on drugs when Hannibal convinced him to simultaneously hang himself and cut off most of his own face with a knife ("It seemed like a good idea at the time") leaving him crippled and horrifically deformed. He is also a sickening, sadistic pedophile who enjoys watching children suffer, and even after being crippled by Lecter he continues to torment children emotionally. Verger also drinks martinis with children's tears in them.

Verger is obsessed with getting revenge on Hannibal Lecter, and during the story he tries to lure him into a trap by kidnapping Clarice Starling, working with Clarice's personal enemy Paul Krendler. In the book, he is killed at the end by his long-suffering and disturbed sister Margot (who doesn't appear in the movie). In the film, Hannibal convinces Verger's assistant Cordell to turn on his abusive and ungrateful master and push him into a pit of vicious boars he bred to kill, promising Cordell that he himself will take the blame. Convinced, Cordell pushes Verger into the pen before leaving, and Verger is last seen being torn apart and eaten by the ferocious boars.

Pre-Mutilation
As a child, Mason's father enlisted him in a summer camp. Mason continues his father's work by hosting the camp, but often 'takes advantage' of the children. He describes them as "unfortunates, who will do anything for a candy bar." After being caught up in legal matters, Mason was able to have the charges dropped and, instead, be placed doing community service, mostly at a dog pound. Therapy was another punishment, but he involved the doctor in unethical behavior.

Following his sister's footsteps, Mason joined in therapy with Dr. Lecter. Hannibal instantly disliked Mason because of his rudeness. Hannibal made him take a combination of drugs, which changed his perception of the world. In this state, Mason was encouraged by Dr. Lecter to cut off his face and feed it to dogs. He complied, and ended up horrifically disfigured. Hannibal broke his spinal chord, leaving him paraplegic.