Dr. Theodore Erswick

"Save your breath. I do apologize for the inconvenience. But I'm afraid you're in a no-call zone and will be for the remainder of your visit. We're currently housed hundreds of feet below the surface. So deep, in fact, that not a soul on the outside can hear the screams. (laughs) In short, you're not going anywhere."

- Erswick upon capturing the rebels.

"No, no, no, no. I'm afraid it doesn't quite work like that. There is no remedy for the choices you've made. You chose to play the traitor, you chose to walk right into our little mousetrap, and now it's time top pay the piper. So go on. Watch as your precious sister, the only family you have left, becomes nothing but one big pile... of ash! (Xander: No!) Now let's start this party off right... with a bang!"

- Erswick betraying Xander and killing Lani.

"Oh, I'm not crazy. No no, I was blind, you see! So blind in fact that I couldn't see the gift staring me in the face! My aggressive drug all but destroyed the other subjects; however, he has no trace of the venom inside him!"

- Erswick

Dr. Theodore Erswick is a major antagonist of the animated webseries The Last Lamia. He is a sadistic mad scientist working for Avatech and the head of Project Ascension, which involved genetically modifying human DNA with harvested Lamia DNA.

Past
Little is known about Erswick's past, other than he was recruited by Avatech and made the head of Project Ascension, with him contributing to the Lamia genocide to harvest their DNA. At one point, he was tasked by Avatech to rebuild the body of the assassin known as the Advocate, and provided hm with an electrically powered suit that he could use in his missions.

Erswick helped Avatech expand their grip and control on the city of Brookhaven, operating from his lab in Avalon Tower. Citizens that attempted to flee the city were captured by Avatech and given to Erswick as test subjects. He would inject them with formulas made from Lamia DNA to genetically moify them, but most died and the ones that did not mutated into mindless monsters in constant agony.

The Last Lamia
Erswick cared little for the various rebel groups of Brookhaven until the leader of one, Xander, came to him with an offer. He would allow Avatech to bug their hideout and later turn over fellow rebels Jason and Brec to Erswick in exchange for Erswick helping to cure his sister Lani, who was fatally ill and quickly dying. Erswick seemingly agreed, and bugged their hideout and waited. When Jason suggested that the team attack Avalon Tower, Xander allowed it so that the trade could go through.

However, upon arriving, all four rebels were defeated and knocked unconscious. While they were out, Erswick personally injected each of them with his new experimental formula, the Type-V drug. As the rebels woke up, they were escorted into a large chamber where Erswick sat in a observation booth behind bulletproof glass. He monitors them, watching as Lani is suddenly affected by the formula and begins reacting violently to it. Her insides begin incinerating and dissolving, causing extreme pain and rendering her unable to move. When the others try to help her, Xander suddenly pulls a gun on them as Erswick reveals Xander's betrayal.

However, Erswick then tells Xander that he has betrayed him, too, and manipulated his trust to capture all four of them. He explains that he had no intentions of curing Lani, and was just going to use them all as test subjects anyway. Xander demands Erswick save Lani, but Erswick simply laughs and forces them to watch as Lani explodes into a fiery pile of ash and blood.

Xander, enraged, attempts to shoot Erswick, but he is protected behind the bulletproof glass. Brec collapses, also succumbing to the formula. Erswick explains that sometimes an electrical jumpstart is needed to trigger mutation, so he uses a giant Tesla coil to electrocute Xander. However, instead of simply shocking him, he electrocutes him until he dies and disintegrates.

As Brec begins to mutate, Erswick shows off his past subjects, calling them failures as they became stronger and faster, but lost their wills and minds. Brec mutates, and transforms into a monstrous serpentine creature. Erswick tries to communicate with him to see if he has retained his intelligence, but finds that he is a failed experiment like the others. Angered, Erswick simply tells the monster Brec to kill Jason.

However, as Jason combats the monster Brec, Erswick notices that Jason's vitals show no sign of the formula, as if his body has adapted to it. He notes that Jason, still human, is keeping pace with the monster and showing superhuman speed and reflexes. The Advocate comes in to check on Erswick's progress, and Erswick gloats about his creation to him. He tells monster Brec to capture Jason for further study, but Jason lures Brec into breaking a vent cover for him to escape into. Brec grabs his ankle, but then begins speaking, showing some of his intelligence again. However, noticing this, the Advocate kills Brec, allowing Jason to escape.

Erswick sounds an alarm and sends the Advocate after Jason, but Jason escapes, much to Erswick's rage.

Much later, the Advocate is tasked by Avatech's board of directors to commence Project Ashbound, which involves the complete destruction of Project Ascension and all associated with it. Erswick hears the news as he is in Cairo studying Lamias, and uses his hired hand as protection. When the Advocate arrives, he kills Erwick's assistant and aims for the doctor next, breaking his arm and demanding information. Erswick, however, attacks the Advocate with an EMP-charged glove that shuts down the Advocate's suit. As Erwick mocks the Advocate, the Advocate uses his hypnotic powers to distract Erswick long enough for his suit to come back online. He proceeds to stab Erswick through the chest, killing him.

Personality
Dr. Erswick is sadistic and psychopathic. While he desires for his experiments to yield the results he wants, he does not mind when they fail, as they provide him with the opportunity to cause more suffering and death. He is devoted to his goals to an extreme, and will not cease work until his goals are completed or until everyone around him is dead.