R.B. Harker is the main antagonist of the 1989 horror film The Howling VI: The Freaks. He is a psychopathic vampire serial killer who runs a carnival freakshow.
He was played by British actor Bruce Payne.
Biography[]
A young drifter named Ian Richards passes through a small town called Canton Bluff. He falls in love with the preacher's daughter, Elizabeth, while he does some repairs on the local church. However, Ian is a werewolf, so he needs to leave before the next full moon. However, Ian is kidnapped by Harker, who is running the local freakshow and seeks to exploit him for profit. Harker informs Elizabeth of Ian's true nature by forcing him to transform again by using a crystal he wears around his neck and reciting an ancient spell.
The next day, Harker tells Ian that he had killed Elizabeth the night before in his werewolf state, leaving Ian distraught. Harker really lied about this, so he believes he is too dangerous to be on his own so he won't try to escape. The sheriff tells Ian that Elizabeth is still alive, but Ian still does not trust himself enough to leave with the sheriff. Harker again forces Ian to transform at the next show, but Ian refuses to kill a captive cat, angering Harker.
The sheriff attempts to arrest Harker for his crimes, but Harker reveals his true nature as a vampire and kills the sheriff, pinning the murder on Ian, who has escaped with Elizabeth. Ian reveals to Elizabeth that it was actually Harker who killed his family when he was a young boy and placed the werewolf curse on him. Ian then leaves Elizabeth behind so he can confront Harker once and for all. However, Harker surrounds Ian with an angry mob of townspeople intent on killing him. Harker tells the mob to kill Ian, but they came to shoot a dangerous werewolf, not a defenseless man. Harker transforms into his vampire form and the mob turns on him instead, however Harker is unharmed by their firearms. Ian flees Harker, who chases him through the circus.
Ian and Harker fight, but Harker easily overpowers him. One of the freaks, Winston, is able to grab Harker's crystal during the struggle and use it to force Ian to transform and gain the upper hand. Enraged, Harker mortally wounds Winston by biting him in the neck. Ian rushes to assist Winston but, in the scuffle, also ends up biting Winston in the neck. Ian eventually is able to stab Harker in the heart with a stake. Ian then rips the tent to allow the dawn sun through to shine on Harker, which finally kills him by turning him to dust. Ian returns to his human form and lifts the injured Winston and walks out of the circus towards the countryside while Elizabeth stays behind.
Victims[]
- Ian's entire family
- Unnamed girl
- Anna Eddington
- Numerous animals
- Sheriff Fuller
- Mayor Pruitt
- Bellamey (presumed)
- Winston Salem III (attempted)
- Innumerable other people in different locations
Trivia[]
- Harker was named after Jonathan Flynn Harker, the protagonist of the famous Bram Stoker vampire novel "Dracula".
- Due to Harker's crimes of slavery, blood drinking, incrimination, murder, ability to force werewolf transformations at will and cursing someone to be a werewolf, Harker is usually regarded as one of the most evil villains in the Howling franchise, along with Stirba and Eddie Quist.
- In a Howling film, it is unusual that not a single kill goes to the werewolf, as Harker killed everyone in the film and Ian did not kill anyone (except for Harker himself). The film states that everywhere his carnival goes, people end up dead, so it is unclear how many people he killed prior to the events of the film.
 Villains
| ||
|
The Howling Your Sister Is a Werewolf The Marsupials The Original Nightmare The Rebirth The Freaks New Moon Rising The Howling Reborn | ||