The Phantom of the Opera isn’t the most popular Universal Monster but he would make a great fighting game character – EventHubs

Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and other popular Horror movie tropes have found their way into fighting games over the years in one way, shape, or form. They're strong choices due to their high recognition, and if you're not going straight for the most famous slashers like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, or Leatherface, a good option for a fighting game is to create a new character based on a Universal classic monster.

Making my way back through the Universal Monster films in time for Halloween brought me to a trope I don't think I've ever seen represented in a fighting game. Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, is a trickster, a fighter, a maniac, and has supernatural powers at his disposal, and though he typically isn't the most popular of the Universal bunch, I think he would make a great fighting game character if he were the basis for a fighting game combatant.

The Phantom of the Opera we're talking about here is the 1925 film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel Le Fantme de l'Opra. It stars Lon Chaney as Erik, the phantom, who is later revealed to be a deranged, escaped criminal at large who used to act as the main torturer in the same chambers beneath the opera house where he now resides.

Like most of the Universal Classic Monsters, Erik longs for love and will do whatever it takes to get it. He sets his sights on a young opera singer named Christine, who he instills with the "Spirit of Music" and commands her to do his bidding.

When someone uninitiated typically thinks of the phantom, what comes to mind likely begins and ends with the half-mask and haunting folks in a spooky opera theater. There's a lot more to ol' Erik, though, that would make for a pretty gnarly fighting game character if someone were to make such a venture.

The Phantom and Christine.

Killer Instinct's Sabrewulf is your snarling, vicious werewolf trope that obviously sees his draw from being a fast, lunging beast who claws his enemies to KO. Demitri from Darkstalkers turns into a swarm of bats and sucks your blood, nailing some of the major inspirations you'd find from a Dracula-based fighter.

So what the hell would you do for Phantom?

Mind control

For starters, Phantom has a commanding power over Christine. His voice, his presence, and his desires are deeply embedded in her mind so much so that she refuses to marry her love interest in order to follow the musical inspiration the Phantom provides her.

She is compelled to follow his orders, and mind control could manifest in several different ways when it comes to fighting games. Two main moves come to mind when I think of how this power could translate over, and they are Master Roshi's Lullaby Fist in Dragon Ball FighterZ and MODOK's Jamming Bomb in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Lullaby Fist sees Roshi wave his arms around and emit a strange aura that leaves the opponent in a dazed state and open to a full combo. It's a command throw, and this would be an interesting way to create a mind control sort of effect for the phantom.

A more extreme way to handle this, though, would be to make this special move reverse the opponent's controls like MODOK's Jamming Bomb. While it's not quite mind control, this mechanic could encapsulate the feeling of one not quite feeling like themselves, as if compelled to do things they don't necessarily want to do.

MODOK's Jamming Bomb reverses the opponent's controls.

Traps for days

While most people know that Phantom sneaks around the opera house, you might not know that he is actually incredibly crafty and has traps set up damn near everywhere. Trap doors, hidden passages, and torture rooms are where this freakish being thrives, and that could easily dictate the design for him in a fighting game.

Just this morning (at the time of writing this), NetherRealm Studios unveiled gameplay for Rambo in Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. While fans expected the character to primarily be a zoner, Rambo actually has a ton of traps at his disposal, such as claymore mines and swinging logs.

Whether it be his room of mirrors that heats up to unbearable temperatures or trap doors that drop unsuspecting victims into cold, dark dungeons, the Phantom has traps in droves.

Seeing him lay trap doors down on the stage and having opponents get caught up in them could make for an interesting and familiar playstyle. Rocket Raccoon in UMvC3 plops his spring trap down on the floor and pummels the opponent with it when they trigger it. Similar concept here, but with much darker tools better suited for the opera house dweller like his trademark noose.

Drop the chandelier on 'em!

One thing that struck me as surprising while watching the film is the scene where spoiler alert the Phantom drops a giant chandelier onto a crowd of opera goers. It's a shocking moment to witness, especially in a film from 1925, and though it's not exactly a graphic scene you know quite a few opera fans definitely got crushed.

It's probably the biggest stunt in the film, and what better way to create a cinematic super move for the phantom than to have him drop the chandelier on the opponent! You will do as he commands, or face the wrath of the massive light fixture...

Phantom is about to light the opponent up when this chandelier drops...

The Phantom of the Opera might not have as high a level of appeal as monsters like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, and the like, and considering his movie is the only one of the group that's a silent film, I can see how it might be tougher for people to get into it. However, Erik is a very interesting character and a Horror trope that doesn't see much representation in fighting games.

I could be here for days writing about the possibilities like a stance change into the Red-Death or a removal of his mask to shock opponents into a staggered state but instead the rest shall remain but a dream in the mind of a Dream King.

Originally posted here:
The Phantom of the Opera isn't the most popular Universal Monster but he would make a great fighting game character - EventHubs

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero