| ||||||||||
| [Source] | ||||||||||
Sanford Lowell was the city's Police Commissioner and the Chairman of the Metropolitan Club. Lowell also hides a dark secret as he would perform ritualistic serial killings on the homeless as his alter ego, The Witchfinder.
History[]
Background[]
One of the city's most controversial figures, Lowell served as the head of the prestigious Metropolitan Club, where the city's most privileged and powerful men gather together to manage the city's cash flow. Lowell also employed powerful mobsters, such as Eddie Black to do his dirty work for him.
Unknown to his fellow club members, Lowell had been visiting Hermetic Ideas, a small shop ran by Tad Whitelocke who offered Lowell his service by hypnotizing him as a form of stress therapy. Lowell was hypnotized into thinking that he was channeling one of his past lives, the ruthless witch hunter, Matthew Hopkins. Feeling rejuvenated by the hypnosis, Lowell continued to frequently visit Whitelocke's shop and through the hypnosis would gradually develop an alter ego, The Witchfinder, who would stalk the city in the night and murder the homeless by subjecting them to witch burnings as his past life once did. Using his position as police commissioner, Lowell would halt any investigation related to the killings committed by the Witchfinder and thus would remain undetected.
Odds with Bellasarious[]
Lowell had been in odds with zoning commission member, Claude Bellasarious, who was strongly against the club backing Eddie Black though the results proved otherwise. After Darkman attacked several criminal rackets, Lowell contacted Eddie Black to offer police protection against the rampaging vigilante. Though Eddie declined the commissioner's offer as the mobster was confident he could take on Darkman on his own. After ending the call, Lowell continued his conversation Claude, who himself was nervous about Darkman due to his link with the late Strack and Durant. Despite his fears Claude resumed to press Lowell, accusing the commissioner of abusing his position as the Metropolitan Club's leader to use it as his own "private playground".
Their odds eventually reached a boiling point when Claude confronted Lowell during his meal, protesting that he could not sell his own property due to the commissioner's authority. Unbeknownst to Claude that the area around his property was in fact the Witchfinder's hunting ground, making up excuses that the area was filled the homeless and ousting them would cause unrest. Unconvinced by Lowell's lies, Claude accused Lowell of being negligent on the recent killings of the homeless. Angered by Claude's accusation, the furious commissioner stormed out of his home.
Facing Darkman[]
The Witchfinder's recent killing has caught the attention of Darkman, who managed to rescue his latest victim, Grey Bess, though he was too late to save her life due to her severe injuries. After exiting his home, Lowell returned to Hermetic Ideals to acquire Whitelocke's service, much to the shopkeeper's reluctance. Having once again donned the Witchfinder persona, Lowell returned to the deserted church near the spot where he had staked Grey Bess and came across a disguised Darkman. Accusing him as a witch, Lowell used his whip to restrain him, however upon revealing himself as the one responsible for the burning, Darkman's adrenaline rushed through his body and attacked the Witchfinder. After a brief skirmish, the Witchfinder managed to wound Darkman using his sword, laced with powerful anesthetic drug that sedated the vigilante.
The Witchfinder brought Darkman to his secret torture chamber, located within Leroux Park. Having Darkman bound in chains, the Witchfinder proceeded to torture him in order to gain his confession as a witch. Darkman continued to resist the Witchfinder's torture and his face eventually began to dissolve, revealing his gruesome face. Tired by the vigilante's resilience, the Witchfinder departed from his hideout, promising that he would break Darkman upon his return. The Witchfinder eventually returned to Whitelocke's shop, reverting back as Commissioner Lowell. Feeling reinvigorated by his recent outing, Lowell paid Whitelocke for his services and resumed his daily duties.
Downfall[]
Unknown to Lowell, Darkman eventually managed to escape from the Witchfinder's torture chamber and through his own research, was able to link the Metropolitan Club intervening in police investigation on the Witchfinder murders. During the night when Darkman spied on the club's private banquet, Lowell was in attendance and was annoyed by Claude's attempt to gather investors among the guests for his latest project. Their argument ended abruptly when Darkman bursts through the window, having identified Lowell as the Witchfinder. Upon seeing the vigilante, Lowell immediately reverted back to the Witchfinder persona and engaged Darkman in a duel.
As the two were preoccupied dueling each other, Claude took the opportunity to contact the police and request for reinforcement. The Witchfinder proved to be the superior swordsman, as he managed to swipe away Darkman's rapier and stabbed him right through the body. However, the fatal strike had little effect on Darkman, who proceeded to break the Witchfinder's arm and escape into the night once the police arrived. Still in the Witchfinder persona, Lowell was arrested by the police and his secret became exposed to the public. Having reverted back to normal, Lowell sat alone in his cell in disgrace. The commissioner is then visited by Claude, who presented him with a solution; a handgun loaded with a single bullet. Unable to face his tarnished reputation, Lowell chose to commit suicide, therefore allowing Claude to become the new leader of the Metropolitan Club.