| Indestructible Man | |
|---|---|
 Indestructible Man image from movie poster | |
|
Real Name |
Charles "Butcher" Benton |
|
First Appearance |
Indestructible Man (1956 film) |
|
Production Company |
Allied Artist Pictures |
|
Created by |
Vy Russell (writer) and Sue Dwiggins (writer) |
Origin[]
Charles "Butcher" Benton is executed for his involvement in an armored car robbery, netting $600,000. Before he is put to death, he vows revenge on his lawyer and his two accomplices in the robbery, blaming the lawyer, Paul Lowe, for his receiving the death penalty. Lowe was involved in planning the robbery, and convinced the Butcher's accomplices, Joe Marcelli and Squeamy Ellis, to turn state's evidence against him.
When talking to the Lowe from his jail cell, Butcher says, "Remember what I said. I'll kill you. All three of you."
Lowe smugly retorts, "So long, dead man!"
Police Lieutenant Dick Chasen, (who does a noirish narrative throughout), says in a voice-over, "They figured once a dead man. Always a dead man. But this is one time when everybody was in for a big surprise. Including the police department."
After the execution in the gas chamber, Butcher's corpse is retrieved surreptitiously by one Doctor Bradshaw. Bradshaw is attempting to create a cure for cancer, and needs a human body for his experiment. He subjects Butcher's dead body with chemical injections and 287,000 volts of electricity. The unintended result of the treatment returns Butcher to life. Butcher's mind and memories are intact, although his vocal cords were destroyed by the electrical shock. After slaying Doctor Bradshaw and his assistant, Butcher begins to execute his revenge.
Butcher first encounters a self-identified "carny" and his female companion, whose car has a flat tire. Realizing the automobile would get him to Los Angeles quickly, Butcher lifts the front of the car off the ground and holds it while the carny changes the tire. Once accomplished, Butcher kills the carny and takes the car, leaving the girl by the side of the road.
The girl reports the murder and surrounding incidents. The police set up a road-block against the killer, not realizing who he is or the extent of his abilities. In an altercation at the roadblock, Butcher is shot by the officers. The bullets from a police handgun and a shotgun shell have no effect on him, and he subsequently kills the officers with his hands.
Once back in Las Angeles, Butcher goes to the burlesque club where Eva Martin worked as a stripper. Butcher pursued Eva as a love interest before the crime, although she had no idea he was involved in the robbery. Eva doesn't believe he is really Charles Benton until he shows her a small tattoo on his left forearm with the letters CB. Police Lieutenant Dick Chasen, who has been searching for the stolen money, becomes aware of Butcher's return through Eva through a phone message she left for Chasen. It takes some time to convince Chassen it is really Butcher getting revenge as he kills his accomplices one by one. Eventually, Chasen realizes it is truly Butcher, returned to life with remarkable physical abilities. Butcher is tracked to the sewer system, where he is shot with a bazooka. He survives the blast, but is killed when he climbs on a moving hoist which gets too close to a powerline, electrocuting Butcher.
Powers and abilities[]
After being revived, Butcher displays incredible strength and is immune to bullets and other projectile weapons. At one point, he is shot in the chest with a bazooka. He is harmed by the bazooka but survives the shot.
Notes[]
- Lon Chaney Jr. had recently had cancer surgery, which affected his ability to speak and is the reason his character of Charles "Butcher" Benton doesn't speak after the first jail-house scene.
- The film was somewhat of a remake of Chaney's Man Made Monster from 1941.