Tortured Souls, also known as Clive Barker's Tortured Souls, is a series of six action figures and a starring the characters of the series. Distributed by McFarlane Toys in July 2001, the series included six monsters designed by horror author Clive Barker.
Background
The toy line was officially announced at the International Toy Fair in New York in February 2001. Barker said the following about creating his first toy line: Each of the figures included a chapter of the 32-page novelette, written by Barker.
Tortured Souls 2
Due to the success of the idea, a second series titled Tortured Souls 2: The Fallen was released the following year. The appearance of the new figures was more visceral than the first toy line, with less reliance on the bondage-like clothing styles of the first series and more reliance on surgical alteration and mutilation or, as Clive Barker described it, "the use of flesh as canvas." Additionally, characters of Tortured Souls 2: The Fallen neither appeared in the original novella nor came with any additional story writing.
Characters
''Tortured Souls''
Agonistes - A demon created by God on the seventh day of creation after Adam and Eve. Agonistes is an artist who uses flesh as his canvas to transform Supplicants into monstrous beings. He frequently occupies "burning places" such as deserts or desolate cities where citizens may pray to him. From what little was revealed of Agonistes' background, he once performed his artistry on Judas Iscariot after his betrayal of Christ. However, the tortured man begged and cried so that Agonistes hung him from a tree. This was the only time the demon showed mercy to a Supplicant.
Lucidique - The daughter of a Primordium Senator who had openly criticized the city's degenerate ruling class and was promptly assassinated by Zarles Kreiger. After luring Kreiger to the desert to be converted by Agonistes, Lucidique was kidnapped and murdered by mob boss Duraf Cascarellian. Resurrected and transformed by Agonistes, Lucidique killed Cascarellian and his sons and soon became lover to the Scythe-Meister. Sometime later, she and Kreiger were confronted by Talisac's Venal Anatomica. The creature brutally killed Kreiger but Lucidique managed to blind him.
The Scythe-Meister - An assassin working under Don Cascarellian with an affinity for scythes, Zarles Kreiger grew up the son of a prostitute on the streets of Primordium. He was ordered to kill a troublesome Senator and was caught in the act by the man's daughter, Lucidique, who led him to Agonistes. Remade as the Scythe-Meister, Zarles slaughtered Primordium's emperor, Perfetto XI, and later became lovers with a similarly-transformed Lucidique. Zarles would ultimately meet his violent fate at the hands of Venal Anatomica while defending Lucidique from the creature's rampage.
Venal Anatomica - A Frankenstein-esque creature assembled and given life by Doctor Talisac on commission from Primordium's three Generals - Montefalco, Urbano and Bogoto - in hopes of creating a super soldier to defeat the Scythe-Meister following the latter's assassination of Emperor Perfetto XI.
''Tortured Souls 2''
Szaltax - A six-limbed creature featuring grasping mechanical prosthetics.
Zain - He is strapped onto a pole and features several mechanical appendages.
Suffering Bob - A mutation involving the combination of several humans into one grotesque creature.
Feverish - A grotesquely large creature on a slab giving birth to worms.
Tortured Souls: The Legend of Primordium is a single volume of the six separate pieces of the Tortured Souls novellas originally available with the toys. It was published by Subterranean Press in February 2015.
''Tortured Souls: Animae Damnatae''
Tortured Souls: Animae Damnatae is a planned film adaption of Clive Barker’s original line of Tortured Souls toys.
Background
The film project was officially announced in December 2003, with Barker signing a deal to direct the picture for Universal Studios. The film has been discussed since the release of the first toy series, but as of 2009 there is very little confirmed although Barker still lists it as a project in pre-production. News of the plotline is that it revolves around the city of Primordium, a corrupt monarch-governed city. You follow the 6 characters of Agonistes, a transformer of flesh, an ancient entity that was possibly created by God; The Scythe-Meister, an assassin that was transformed by Agonistes, built to bring the corrupt empire to its knees; Lucidique, the daughter of a Senator killed by the Scythe-Meister, who brings her to Agonistes for transformation, and who falls strangely in love with him; Dr. Talisac, a twisted doctor, addicted to many of his own medications, who creates a womb in himself for his creation to grow, and attaches himself to a machine; Venal Anatomica, a hulking assassin created by Dr. Talisac, he feels no fear or loyalty to his creator, only to the General that commands him; The Mongroid, the creature that grew in Talisac’s womb, more bestial than human, he possesses a well-formed head, and a gaping maw coming from his stomach. The proposed tagline for the film is Six Destinies – One Legacy.
