Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf
Vigo the Carpathian is a male film character who features in Ghostbusters.
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Biography
Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf was the ruler of Carpathia and Moldavia. On a mountain of skulls, in a castle of pain, he sat on a throne of blood. Not exactly a man of the people, the evil tyrant gave himself such nicknames as the Scourge of Carpathia and the Sorrow of Moldavia, and was also known to his people as Vigo the Cruel, Vigo the Torturer, Vigo the Despised, and Vigo the Unholy (and, according to Peter Venkman, he was also Vigo the Butch). In 1610 his people rebelled against him, and decided that his death should equal his cruelty. Vigo was poisoned, stabbed, shot, hung, stretched, disemboweled, and finally drawn and quartered. Before he finally died, his severed head uttered his last words: "Death is a but a door, time is but a window. I'll be back!"
Per his prophecy, Vigo returned in modern day New York in the year 1989. The Vigo painting was moved from storage to the restoration room in 304 at the Manhattan Museum of Art. Vigo drew power from the river of Psychomagnotheric Slime flowing through abandoned subway tunnels of the New York Pneumatic Railroad to a location underneath the Museum. The Psychomagnotheric ectoplasm boosted Vigo's powers, and enabled him to channel people's negative emotions needed for the manifestation of an army of angry spirits that soon started terrorizing New York City. Although the slime granted Vigo power enough to manifest, he could not regain a physical form. For this reason, Vigo needed a baby to possess to facilitate his rebirth. Vigo used his power and manipulated the museum's curator Janosz Poha into doing his bidding as his pawn. One evening, Janosz was about to apply a touch up on an eyelid on the Vigo painting when Vigo fired orange hued lightning bolts at him, which caused Janosz to scream in shock and fell off the step ladder. The painting then shifted in appearance to a chamber filled with the Psychomagnotheric ectoplasm while Vigo reappeared as a giant floating head. Vigo identified himself to Janosz as "Vigo, the Scourge of Carpathia, the Sorrow of Moldavia." Janosz quickly asked Vigo to command him. Vigo talked about he sat on a throne of blood atop a mountain of kills in a castle of pain then he declared, "What was, will be. What is, will be no more! Now is the season of evil." Janosz keyed on the word "evil." He then commanded him to find a child so he could live again and the painting's image transitioned back to normal. He questioned the part about finding a child. The painting fired lighting bolts directly into Janosz's eyes. He patted his chest then his face. Janosz calmly stated "a child." Janosz immediately knew the perfect candidate: Dana Barrett's baby son, Oscar.
During Peter's visit to the museum, Janosz informed him he was preparing Vigo's portrait for the new Romantic exhibition. Peter imitated Vigo's pose, to Dana's amusement. He then remarked Vigo was a bit of a sissy and Janosz stated he was a very powerful magician and a genius in many ways. Dana noted his true evil nature and admitted that she hated the painting and felt uncomfortable ever since it came up from storage. Peter joked she was probably feeling what Vigo was: Carpathian kitten loss. Dana smiled while Peter grabbed some paint and pretended to add one by the castle causing Janosz to stand between Peter and Vigo. He was naturally put off by the suggestion of altering valuable artwork and believed it was time for him to go and declared the joyfulness was over. Dana tried to tell him Peter was just kidding around and Peter noted he was not going to get a green card with that attitude. He then walked away and turned to Dana and jested she was sweet on the hunky stud. Dana admitted every now and then, she got the feeling that painting was watching her and even smiling at her. They then noticed Janosz talking to Vigo and gesturing to them, which caused the two exchange looks of concern.
On New Year's Eve, Vigo had gathered enough strength to actually exit the painting and attempt to take over Oscar's body, but the evil spirit was weakened by the singing of crowds outside the museum who were celebrating the birth of the new year. Vigo retreated back into the painting, transforming into a hideous monster, and briefly took over the body of Ray Stantz. The other Ghostbusters then covered Ray with positively-charged slime, blasting Vigo back into the painting again. Vigo's ghost was then dispelled forever when the painting itself was doused in the slime.
Overview
Personality and attributes
Commonly, he was referred to as Vigo the Carpathian where he was also known as the Scourge of Carpathia and as the Sorrow of Moldavia. He also came to be known as Vigo the Cruel, Vigo the Torturer, Vigo the Despised, and as Vigo the Unholy.
As a ghost, one of his goals was to find a vessel through which he could be reborn into the world of the living.
Powers and abilities
Originally, Vigo was born a human who came to be a warlock skilled in black magic, enabling him with an unnaturally long-life span.
Vigo could change matter as well as utilize telekinesis, mind control, and telepathy. Through eye contact, he was able to cause others to fall under his control.
In addition to the dark arts, Vigo was also skilled in painting. This combination provided him with the means to remain within the mortal realm after death. Vigo's spirit possesses and remains within his life-size self-portrait.
Vigo drew his strength from the negatively-charged rivers of psychomagnotheric 'mood' slime. Contact with this mood slime was able to affect the minds of humans and increase negative feelings such as anger. He was able to gather enough of it into a river of slime that followed his commands. In doing so, his potency increased to the comparable levels of a Class 7 entity.
Notes
- Vigo was created by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd where he was portrayed by actor Wilhelm von Homburg and featured in the setting of the Ghostbusters universe.
- The life size portrait of Vigo used in the Ghostbusters II movie was painted by scenic artists David Rymar and Leslee Turnbull.
In other media
Television
- In The Real Ghostbusters, Vigo was mentioned in the setting of the animated television series during the sixth episode of season 5 "Partners in Slime".
Video games
Comic Books
Appearances
- Ghostbusters II:
