Susan Hiller

Dr. Susan Hiller was a civilian psychiatrist who came aboard the Seaview along with Vice Admiral Crawford and Congressman Parker, for the purposes of studying the crew's performance under stress. Following the appearance of the Van Allen Belt and Admiral Nelson's plan to destroy it using a missile, Hiller, who believed Dr. Zucco's theory that Nelson's plan would destroy the world, sabotaged the mission on numerous occasions. She had been in love with Zucco since she was a student and had once worked under him.

So committed was she to stopping Nelson that she sacrificed herself, entering the dangerous reactor room to shut off the sub's power, receiving a fatal dose of radiation, so as to prevent Nelson firing the missile. Upon exiting she encountered Captain Crane, who had come down to check on the power loss. Crane confronted Hiller who confessed to being the saboteur. An explosion caused by an attacking UN sub resulted in Hiller falling into the shark tank where she was eaten by Bessie the shark.

Comments

• Theodore Sturgeon's novelization of the film has Hiller die differently. After shutting off the reactor, she encounters not Crane but Dr. Jamieson to whom she confesses. Then, not wanting to die a slow death from radiation poisoning, she jumps into the shark tank.