| “ | You know, HorrorLand may seem like a scary, foreboding place... because it IS! For me, waking each noon to the tortured screams of terrified tots... t-t-to see children crying hysterically in fear... to hear their unbridled shrieks... what could possibly be more fun? | „ |
| ~ The Good Doctor's first lines |
Dr. Madison Storm is the main antagonist of the 1996 FMV computer game Goosebumps: Escape from HorrorLand, based on the popular Goosebumps series of horror books written by R. L. Stine. Although the game serves as a sequel to the book One Day at HorrorLand, it is the first of at least three continuities that differ in showing how HorrorLand was created, how it is run and who actually runs it. In this continuity, Storm is the arch-enemy of the Morris family and their friend Clay; he created HorrorLand due to being a lonely outcast, and now purposefully runs it to scare and harm people (especially children) as a way to get revenge for his own miserable childhood, establishing his main motivation as that of a petty child-hater.
He was portrayed by Robert Joy, who also portrayed Lizard in the 2006 horror film The Hills Have Eyes, and Dickie in the 1987 action-comedy film Big Shots.
Personality
| “ | Do whatever you like. None of it matters! It's much too late... | „ |
| ~ Storm. taunting the player over the final sadistic choice |
Dr. Madison Storm's personality fits that of a mood-swinging psychopathic manchild: in his interview video that can be found as an exhibit at the HorrorLand Plaza Museum, he alternates between being calm and collected, a giggling nutcase, a sobbing little boy throwing tantrums when he doesn't get his way, an angrily shouting maniac, and then back again. It's clear that he loves the macabre, hates children (as he shows almost exquisite ecstasy at the idea of children getting hurt and terrified at his park), and that he appears to see Lizzie, Luke, and Clay (and later the player character) as his arch-enemies. He also has a cowardly streak and prefers to stay in the background and shadows whilst allowing others to do his dirty work for him, as shown when he abducts Lizzie from behind the player character without being seen and leaves a mocking note for the player to find... indicating that he had been secretly following Lizzie and the player since their arrival at HorrorLand. He also seems to love deception and manipulation, as evidenced through his disguising himself as Stump, a dimwitted Horror who helps the main characters out at various parts in the game.
When finally confronted at the end of the game however, Storm's behavior stays very much in the comedic: he twirls around his tower/laboratory in an extremely hammy way, mocks the main characters in their attempts to escape, brandishes a ridiculously large alarm clock to count down the destruction of HorrorLand, and makes various funny gestures when the player has to decide whether to save Lizzie and Luke's parents, save Lizzie and Luke themselves, or prevent the destruction of HorrorLand.
Above all else, Storm indicates that he was lonely at HorrorLand before all the monsters turned up... which probably tells you everything you need to know about him.
Oh, and don't steal his chocolate. He, uh, freaks out when you steal his chocolate.
History
| “ | If I had to grow up miserable and alone, why shouldn't everybody be as unhappy as me? I suffered-suffered-suffered... you should TOO! ... And that, people, is why I decided to create HorrorLand. You can't really tell what's real and what isn't around here, can you? Nyaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Although I'm sure you're DYING to find out! Ha-ha-ha! | „ |
| ~ Storm revealing his motives |
Very little is revealed about Storm's life before HorrorLand, but comments made in his introductory video at the HorrorLand Museum indicate that he had an unhappy childhood, and created HorrorLand (a scary, potentially lethal amusement park) due to feelings of resentment that he had to any family that may have any shred of happiness about them. Another video reveals that, shortly after finishing HorrorLand, Storm decided that he didn't want to live in his big old amusement park alone; this led to him creating the Cosmic Monster Attractor, which could suck any being in the world (and presumably other dimensions) towards it, allowing Storm to populate his park ("Soon, every werewolf, vampire, mummy, and dis-spirited spirit came spiraling through the stratosphere to join meeeee!").
Although he is not seen or even mentioned during One Day at HorrorLand, Storm apparently took the escape of the Morris family and Clay very badly. This failure, coupled with (a) the monsters beginning to doubt his ability to run the park (a fact he reveals at the end of the game) and (b) the emergence of a power-struggle between himself and park resident Count Dracula (yes, that one), led Storm to begin planning revenge. As one of Storm's Horrors (horned-monster minions that handle the day-to-day running of the park) had given the family free park passes when they escaped, Storm uses these to transport Lizzie, Luke and Clay (as well as the player character, albeit accidentally) back to HorrorLand, which is now - according to Lizzie - ten times more scary due to it being night-time.
As Lizzie, Luke, Clay, and the player make their way through the park - from Werewolf Village, through to the Terror Tombs, and then right down to Vampire Village - little glimpses of Storm are revealed: he is mentioned by Hannah Black (the park guide), videos of him can be found at the museum, and his mocking laughter can be heard at the Deadly Doom Slide. After Lizzie and the player manage to defeat the Werewolf, Storm makes his first move by grabbing Lizzie from behind the player's back (the player only hearing Lizzie's stifled scream).
| “ | I have grabbed the sniffling, sniveling Morris girl. A veritable vortex of vampire bats couldn't stop me, and neither can YOU! | „ |
| ~ Storm's note to the players upon kidnapping Lizzie |
Later, in Vampire Village, Luke and the player discover a laboratory where Lizzie is being kept prisoner... although Storm has used some of his magic chemicals to transform her into a strange little monster-thing. After some goofing around by Luke, Lizzie is finally transformed back to normal (after transforming into some other things first).
Storm isn't mentioned again until the gang arrive at Dracula's Castle in Vampire Village to rescue Clay. Here, Dracula reveals that he actually runs HorrorLand, not Storm (although this just may be an attempt to impress Lizzie, whom Dracula is trying to bend to his control). After escaping Dracula and making their way through Monster Zoo, the gang finally find Mr. and Mrs. Morris - both of whom are being kept in a cage - before the two are whisked away by a pair of Horrors. The quartet follow them into a large arena, where all of the park monsters (including Dracula) sit, jeer and stamp their feet, eating their popcorn. The kids then see that Mr. and Mrs. Morris are tied back-to-back and standing on a conveyor-belt that is taking them closer to a closer to a large pot of bubbling purple goo.
| “ | At long last, friends and gentle-mutants, please join me in giving a warm, rousing welcome... to the kids I will now gleefully destroy! And i think I owe it my public to put on a truly spectacular show! A show that starts off with something you don't see every day; you know, like, perhaps, doing away with dear old Mom and Dad? It's been fun having you with us, folks... too bad it's time for you to go! From the moment you bothersome brats ESCAPED during your last visit, the residents here began to wonder if I was losing my ability to run this show! So let me assure them... I've never been more on top of my game! | „ |
| ~ Storm's grand announcement |
However, Clay (who at this point had been the most cowardly of the gang) revealed that he had sneaked into Storm's tower, and had sabotaged the Cosmic Monster Attractor in order to blast every last monster in HorrorLand back into the stratosphere. However, the victory is short-lived: Storm then announces that what will actually happen is that the machine will explode, eradicating every last inch of HorrorLand. As the monsters all run for their lives out of the arena and off into the distance, Lizzie and Luke run to the tower in order to help Clay, followed by the player.
The player then takes a lift all the way to the top of the tower, to discover Lizzie, Luke and Clay tied-up back-to-back. Stump - a dimwitted Horror that had been helping out throughout the game - suddenly appears, mentioning that he was so glad the player was joining them as he was hoping they could meet face-to-face. Stump then removes his head, revealing himself to be none other than Dr. Madison Storm, who had been wearing a Haunted Mask all the time.
| “ | Get it? I'm STUMP! STUMP is ME! One and the same! One... in-sane! It's been that way all along, ha-ha-ha-ha! | „ |
| ~ Storm unmasks himself |
At this point, the player then has three options: deactivate the Cosmic Monster Attractor whilst preventing Mr. and Mrs. Morris from falling into the goo, save them from the goo but allow the machine to explode, or deactivate the machine but allow Mr. and Mrs. Morris to perish ("Awww... allow me to other my congrat-I mean, my condolences"). Depending on what happens, Storm will either escape ("As much as I'd like to die with you kids, uh, this is where I make my exit!") or get sucked by the player into the Attractor himself, defeating him.
| “ | Now, now, not that... What are you doing with that?! Put that down! | „ |
| ~ Storm's final defeat |
Lizzie, Luke, Clay and the player then escape HorrorLand just as it explodes (either through the countdown or through Clay pushing the button on a pad he'd stolen), ending its evil for good. In the bad ending, they return home, only to find that Mr. and Mrs. Morris are still alive... albeit transformed into Horrors by the goo.
However, in the good ending, Lizzie and Luke say goodbye to Clay and return home to find their parents are home and normal. After a tearful reunion, the kids then ask how their parents got home. Mr. Morris then reveals that they hitched a ride from their new neighbour Maddy. As realization hits Lizzie and Luke, a man in shorts and a shirt walks out the door.
| “ | Hi, kids! Have we met? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! | „ |
| ~ "Maddy" reveals himself |
Trivia
- Dr. Madison Storm's character and personality can be considered quite similar to the Joker: both are goofy and comedic villains with knowledge of science and chemicals, both have their base of operations inside a giant amusement park, and both hide genuine darkness and madness underneath their comical exteriors.
- Dr. Madison Storm is unique in that, unlike some video-game villains, he wins in some way regardless of how the game turns out. Either he escapes and the kids lose their parents, or he escapes and worms his way into his enemy's lives, presumably to torment them even more. Granted, he loses his beloved HorrorLand and in one ending appears to die for good, but he still gains some measure of victory.