Peter H. Cropes, better known by his ironic nickname Nice Pete, is a recurring character and villain in the webcomic Achewood. He is a murderous cat who takes a bizarre pride in his "work" and was Pat's roommate after the two broke out of prison.
Aspects
Despite his nature, Nice Pete can be quite civil at times until someone crosses him. However, he maintains an unnerving serenity when describing his murders, such as calmly informing that murdering someone is like playing a game of basketball that ends with one's opponent dead in a van. However, Nice Pete is also an individual with a vicious temper. When criticized or even confronted, Nice Pete threatens the other with graphic violence, usually while grabbing them. However, it is shown that he also seemingly has an admiration for Pat's temper and confrontational nature. Nice Pete also demonstrates a level of misogyny, such as during the "High School" arc where he sees a woman as a repulsive sucked-in monstrosity and has stated he thinks of them as useless.
His dissonant serenity is also a notable factor. In addition to his calm explanations of his murders, Nice Pete also dabbles in disturbing Biblical fan-fiction and once suggested making a murder website based on the concept of a victim being connected to a voting system. This also ties into his intelligence when it comes to weaponry and associated techniques, such as quickly identifying the style Todd the squirrel used to shank Pat in the ankle.
Actions in the Webcomic
Nice Pete is first encountered in Achewood when he is the cellmate of Pat while he is incarcerated for accidentally shooting Roast Beef. He informs Pat that he ended up in prison for posting pictures of costumed children with speech bubbles containing photos of his murders. When Pat escapes jail, Nice Pete accompanies him and becomes his roommate. Not long afterwards on Halloween, Nice Pete essentially abducts the otter child Philippe in his van after informing him that he'd take the child to an ice cream parlor. While the dilapidated building in the middle of nowhere resembles an old fashioned ice cream parlor, it contains only a suspicious-looking older feline who seems to be plotting something for the child. Thankfully, Philippe escapes using Nice Pete's van.
One of Nice Pete's more villainous acts shown within the series happens when he tries to start a band with Lyle as his bassist. After threatening bodily harm to the tiger, Lyle tricks Teodor into becoming Nice Pete's bassist. Teodor decides to skip out on the practice session and joins Ray in open criticism of Nice Pete's singing style and lyrics. Unfortunately for them, Nice Pete overhears and has the two trapped with the intent of killing them using his newly-developed computer add-on that would stab the user. Fortunately for them, something goes wrong with the device until it triggers when Nice Pete is inspecting it. Despite being repeatedly stabbed in the temple, Nice Pete survives thanks to Ray getting him help-as he didn't want to finish off Nice Pete despite Roast Beef's insistence. As a token of "gratitude", Nice Pete includes Ray in place of Jesus in his Biblical fan-fiction.
Another villainous act occurred when Nice Pete attempts to recreate the high school experience he did not receive in his youth. This led to him abducting Teodor and an old man he solicited sexually and forcing them to engage in acts such as standing up while the van shakes (which leaves them both horribly beaten up). However, Nice Pete also shows a kind of naivete as he genuinely believes his abductions are like a high school experience until Roast Beef tells him otherwise. This leaves him immediately disenchanted with the idea and forcing everyone out of the van.