Starter Villain

Mathilda Morrison, roughly the same age as Charlie, exudes success with her sleek black Mercedes S-Class and impeccable "business couture." Having served as Jake's assistant during his lifetime, Morrison now assumes the role of executor of his estate, wielding power and influence. She serves as a foil to Charlie's demeanor: Where Charlie is often bumbling, Morrison is ruthlessly efficient; where Charlie displays kindness, Morrison employs manipulation; where Charlie tends to trust, Morrison remains skeptical and calculating. If Charlie falters as a villain, Morrison excels in the role.

Despite her formidable competence, Morrison faces the challenges of being a disenfranchised minority in the villainous profession. Despite her skill, the members of the Lombardy Convocation often underestimate her and express outrage over her involvement in their affairs, particularly during the "Pitch and Pitch." While Morrison generally maintains her composure, she occasionally reveals frustration at being interrupted by entitled men and frequently highlights the rampant sexism pervasive in the industry.

Throughout the narrative, Scalzi portrays Morrison as a complex character. While she introduces Charlie to Jake's enterprises and aids him in navigating the Convocation, her underlying motivations reveal a calculated agenda to dismantle the Lombardy Convocation. While she may harbor a fondness for Charlie, her actions are ultimately driven by her strategic objectives. Morrison emerges as a formidable and intelligent figure, albeit one lacking in compassion.

Shortly after Charlie returned to his childhood home roughly four years ago, he found a kitten in the garden hedge. He named the orange and white kitten "Hera," and she has remained an integral part of his family ever since. Early in the narrative, Charlie finds another orange and white kitten similarly and names her Persephone. During the story's early phases, Charlie treats the cats like people, talking to them regularly. Charlie treats the cats as confidants and seeks their advice on trivial and profound matters, cementing their status as his most trusted companions.

However, Charlie's unwavering faith in his feline friends is shattered when he learns of their genetically modified nature, their ability for sophisticated communication through typing, and their clandestine role as spies for Jake, for which they receive substantial compensation. Persephone is Hera's paid intern.

Hera and Persephone’s task of spying on Charlie does not impede their love for him. Hera saves Charlie's life several times and expresses genuine affection for him. As Charlie struggles to belong throughout the narrative, he overlooks that he always belonged with Hera. Hera is a clever cat who runs an extensive real estate trust and provides espionage services for Jake's enterprises. At the same time, Hera viciously attacks any threats to Charlie's welfare. Though not vocal in the story, Persephone offers solace through her consistent desire to be held. At the end of the narrative, when the villains abandon Charlie, Hera takes responsibility for him. She shares her diverse real-estate portfolio with Charlie, offering him a home and the pub he most desired. Ultimately, Hera and Persephone retire to rejoin Charlie as members of his family.

Although deceased at the beginning of the narrative, Jake Baldwin remains a formidable presence throughout the story. Described as someone who appeared wealthy and well-preserved even in death, Jake's legacy looms large over the unfolding events. Scalzi presents Jake as a complex character, blurring the lines between heroism and villainy. While he appears to engage in heroic work by thwarting the plans of other villains, Jake's methods often involve using criminal tactics to achieve other villains' goals more effectively. Motivated primarily by financial gain and occasionally driven by spite, Jake's actions reveal a morally ambiguous nature. Despite undertaking a seemingly noble mission to dismantle the malevolent Lombardy Convocation, Jake's approach involves exploiting Charlie, who is unwittingly drawn into his schemes.

Despite his noble endeavors, such as his mission to dismantle the Lombardy Convocation, Jake's actions are often marked by opportunism and exploitation, particularly evident in his dealings with Charlie. Furthermore, Jake's disdain for workers' rights, evident in his role as a "union buster," highlights his disregard for ethical considerations in pursuit of his goals. Despite his vast wealth, Jake's frugality and reluctance to invest even in essential upgrades underscore his selfish and self-serving nature.

Even in death, Jake's legacy remains tainted by his selfishness and lack of remorse. His apology to Charlie is hollow and insincere, devoid of genuine remorse or accountability for the hardships inflicted upon Charlie. Ultimately, Jake's character serves as a cautionary tale of the corrupting influence of power and wealth, leaving a lasting impact on those who come into contact with him long after his passing.

Tobias, known as "The Stabber," is a double agent who serves Morrison while feigning allegiance to various members of the Lombardy Convocation. Despite Charlie's perception of Tobias as a nemesis, Tobias ensures Charlie's survival throughout the story.

While most characters involved with the Lombardy Convocation are known by their last name, Tobias, like Charlie and Jake, is addressed by his first name; throughout the narrative, these first-name characters occupy a liminal space, occupying multiple spheres simultaneously. Just as Charlie exists between the realms of "normie" and "villain” and Jake influences the world of the living even after death, Tobias navigates both Morrison’s and the convocation’s worlds as a double agent.

Tobias emerges as a sarcastic figure, often exchanging barbs with his girlfriend, Morrison, though their relationship is concealed until the story's conclusion. The characters hint at Tobias's previous attempt to assassinate Morrison. While lethal and possessing an ambiguous moral compass, Tobias demonstrates selectivity in his actions. Despite his loyalty to Morrison, Tobias refrains from killing Gratas despite numerous threats. Likewise, although ordered to murder Charlie, he instead opts to shift blame for the murders onto Charlie. This portrayal renders Tobias a morally ambiguous character driven by his distinct motivations.

Evan Jacobs, a former CIA agent, assumes a multifaceted role within the narrative, adding complexity to the storyline. Initially perceived as a potential intruder and saboteur on the island, Jacobs prompts Charlie to confront his moral boundaries when faced with the islanders' lethal response to trespassers. However, Jacobs soon reveals another dimension of his involvement by purchasing identity manipulation services through Baldwin Consulting. His arrival on the island serves a dual purpose: orchestrating his staged demise to sever ties with the CIA, while providing crucial intelligence regarding the Convocation and Charlie's precarious situation.

Furthermore, Jacobs defies the stereotypical portrayal of an undercover government agent as he operates as a double agent embedded within the CIA on behalf of the Lombardy Convocation. Throughout the narrative, Jacobs emerges as a genuine threat to Charlie, serving as a conduit to showcase Hera's formidable skills. Initially, Hera skillfully manipulates Jacobs into a false sense of security, only to swiftly intervene when he directly threatens Charlie's safety, highlighting her resourcefulness and protective instincts.