Dr. C. James Hatch

Dr. Hatch as depicted in the book trailer

Dr. C. James Hatch is the primary antagonist of the Michael Vey book series. He is currently the CEO of the Elgen Corporation.

Personality

He is shown to be very manipulative. He buys a Glow's loyalty by bribing them with expensive gifts. He then guilt trips them into giving in to his demands, regardless of how ethical they are or not. This is demonstrated in the first book when he forced Taylor to use her powers disorient a motocross rider while he's doing a dangerous stunt.

When manipulation doesn't work, he threatens a Glow's loved ones. One of his Glows, Tanner, was forced into using his powers to take down airborne planes after Hatch held his brother captive. He then forced Michael to electrocute his friend Wade to death in exchange for seeing his mother again.

He also has an intolerance of failure and insubordination that reaches violent levels. When threats and bribery don't work, he either tortures Glows or kill them. His favorite method of execution is sending them to the Bowl, which involves getting devoured by electric lab rats.

History

Little is known about Hatch's early life. He was once friends and colleagues with Carl Vey, Michael's father. He was the CEO of the Elgen Corporation until the MEI experiment malfunctioned and killed several newborn babies, causing him to be demoted. When he was ordered to gather the children that survived, he learned that they developed electricity-based powers. He saw their potential for world domination.

In Prisoner of Cell 25, he learned that the last two Glows, Michael and Taylor, live in Meridian, Idaho. He had Nichelle and Zeus kidnap Taylor and Michael's mother, but failed to get Michael. Despite kidnapping Taylor, he almost convinces her that he's a good person by reuniting her with her long lost twin sister and bribing her with expensive gifts. When she refused to use her powers to harm an innocent civilian, he imprisons her with Ian, McKenna, and Abigail, whom have also rebelled against Hatch.

When Michael, Ostin, Jack, and Wade arrive at Elgen Academy to rescue Taylor and Mrs. Vey, they quickly get captured. Hatch gives Michael a few days for him to decide if he should serve him, with the promise that he would free his mother and his friends. With no other choice, Michael feigns loyalty. As a test of his loyalty, Hatch forces him to kill Wade or else he'll electrocute his mother. When Michael refuses, he is held in Cell 25 and is tortured for almost a month. When he is finally let out, he sends Zeus to execute him, Taylor, and Ostin. After escaping and reducing Elgen Academy to a wasteland, Hatch flees to Peru.

In Rise of the Elgen, he goes against Chairman Schema's orders to release Michael's mother so he could fulfill his personal agenda. After Tanner attempts to commit suicide, he has him detained in the prison of the Peruvian Starxource Plant. On their way there, Tanner's sedatives wear off and he attempts to take down the plane he and the rest of the Glows are on. In a fit of rage, he orders the guard watching Tanner to be sent to the Bowl to be devoured by electric rats.

Later on, Michael lets himself get captured by the Elgen in order for his friends and mother to escape the Starxource Plant. He attempts to get Michael eaten by the electric rats, but the Electroclan manages to shut down the plant, allowing him to escape.

In Battle of the Ampere, Chairman Schema learns that Hatch disobeyed his orders and decides to fire him (and possibly kill him too). However, Hatch not only had his loyal followers stow away on the Ampere, but also managed to manipulate some of the board members to help him usurp Schema, regaining his position of the CEO of the Elgen. After imprisoning him, he has Schema hung upside down. One of his board members and possible girlfriend offers to be hung upside down in Schema's place, much to Hatch's sadistic delight. She eventually died from having blood rush to her head.

Later on, the Electroclan manages to sneak aboard the Ampere in an attempt to blow it up. However, Hatch caught on immediately and trapped them in the engine room of the ship. He gave them the sadistic choice to either turn themselves to the Elgen guard or let themselves die in the explosion. When reinforcements come to save the Electroclan, Hatch manages to escape before the Ampere blows up. At the end of the book, the Voice tells them that Hatch kidnapped a Chinese prodigy named Yu Long (or Jade Dragon) after she posted a theory on her blog about the formula needed to create more Glows.

In Hunt for Jade Dragon, his plan to get the formula hits a snag when he learns that Jade is a deaf and mute Autistic Savant. In order to get the formula, he kidnaps Taylor and has Tara impersonate her so she could use her mind-reading powers on Jade. He once again captures the rest of the Electroclan with the help of a seemingly reformed Nichell (who actually was just deceiving Hatch because she became aware of Tara impersonating Taylor). After Tara's powers have developed enough for her to cause hallucinations, he uses it to trick Michael into giving him the location of the resistance's hideout. At the end of the book, it is revealed that he attacked the hideout and possibly killed Michael's mother, Taylor's mother, Ostin's parents, Grace, and Tanner.