Vicious

Eliot “Eli” Cardale, later know as Eli Ever, is the second primary character of Vicious, and Victor’s friend-turned-nemesis. On the outside, Eli looks like the all-American college boy, but inside, there’s something “wrong” about him, “like one of those pictures full of small errors” (19). Before becoming an EO, Eli is consumed by a drive to be the best and to never be forgotten, similar to Victor. After his death, this desire morphs into a superiority complex. Eli was at the top of his class at school, and away from academia, he wants to believe he is better than everyone else, both regular humans and EOs. His unique power and apparent immortality coupled with this desire leads him to place himself above other EOs morally. Eli’s healing is reflexive, which means he can use it only on himself and not others, contradicting Eli’s self-image as the savior of humanity.

Eli’s religious beliefs contribute to his change after becoming an EO. Prior to his death, Eli had a healthy relationship with religion—wondering about God and being satisfied with belief as proof. After his death, Eli seeks answers for the power he received and its meaning. Wanting to believe God gifted him with a second chance and his ability, Eli’s superiority complex becomes a crusade. His desperation to believe God saved him fuels his drive to eliminate all other EOs. Though Eli has no proof that he is a tool of God or even doing something God would approve of, he continues killing because it makes him feel powerful and better about himself. Though Victor displays similar traits, Eli’s methodical mind and simultaneous obsession with science and religion make him an example of the Mad Scientist archetype common in superhero fiction.

Sydney is 12 years old and has “short blond hair and water blue eyes” (333), traits she shares with her older sister Serena. Before her death, Sydney idolized Serena, wanting to be like her and getting mad when her sister ignored her. Death changes Sydney in a way different from the other EOs in Vicious. Rather than missing something, Sydney seems to become more than she was. Her ability gives her confidence and control, things she lacked before her death. Instead of just wanting to be like Serena, Sydney finds the person she wants to be independent of her sister. Sydney’s gift allows her to bring people and animals back from the dead, giving them a second chance. This ability makes her feel as if she’s able to do something for others, and Sydney is the only character in the novel with altruistic motives. Through Sydney’s age, Schwab suggests a relationship between childhood and innocence. Sydney’s ability is also why Eli so badly wants her dead; Sydney’s gift counters Eli’s work. He believes EOs and the process of returning from death are unnatural. Sydney’s ability to reverse death is almost godlike, which makes her an abomination to Eli who believes no one should have God’s abilities.

Serena is Sydney’s older sister and Eli’s ally. Sydney thinks of Serena’s personality as “two images overlapping in a way that blurred both” (43). While Sydney means this in terms of Serena being loving before death and twisted after death, Sydney’s ambivalent description holds true for Serena throughout the book. Serena’s gift allows her to bend others to her will, an ability she both hates and loves. It makes life convenient and without obstacles, but it also leaves her feeling bored and restless. As a result, Serena plays games with people to see if they can defy her. She is spiteful that no one challenges her, which leads her to side with Eli. She feels broken inside and so believes Eli’s rhetoric that EOs are somehow aberrant, but she also doesn’t want to die. Eli’s cause allows her to use her power for something. It gives her purpose and a challenge, things she craves. By the end of the novel, Serena learns that she is powerful enough to defy Eli. She rejects Eli’s moralistic view of EOs out of love for her sister Sydney