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| Stefan Crosscoe | |
| Continuity: | The Howling |
| Notability: | Main character |
| Type: | Monster hunter |
| Gender: | Male |
| Location: | California Transylvania |
| Relatives: | Stirba [1] |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Died: | 1981 [2] |
| First: | Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf |
| Actor: | Christopher Lee |
Stefan Crosscoe is an occult scholar and a werewolf hunter featured in The Howling film series. Played by actor Christopher Lee, he was the main protagonist from the 1985 film The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf.
Biography[]
Stefan Crosscoe was an experienced scholar and werewolf hunter. He possessed acute knowledge of a coven of powerful werewolves whose ancestry dated back to a 10,000 year-old witch named Stirba. The exact nature of Crosscoe's relationship to Stirba has never been revealed in detail, but it has been suggested that they had been lovers. It has also been suggested that they were possibly siblings as well.
In 1985, Crosscoe came into possession of a videotape detailing the transformation and subsequent execution of WKTX news reporter Karen White. Crosscoe knew that silver bullets would not be enough to end White's life for good, and so he appeared at her funeral where he met Karen's brother, Ben White and former co-worker Jenny Templeton. Crosscoe also took note of the fact that several of the other attendees at the funeral were also werewolves and part of Stirba's coven.
After the service, Crosscoe took Ben and Jenny aside and explained to them that Karen White was not at rest and on the next full moon, she would rise again. Only titanium could end these particular werewolves. Ben was incredulous and did not want Crosscoe to desecrate Karen's coffin, but Stefan was undeterred.
That evening, he went to the cemetery, disinterred Karen's remains and killed her with a titanium spike. Ben tried to stop him, but when several werewolves appeared at the crypt, he knew that Crosscoe was right. Ben and Jenny then wanted to aid Stefan in destroying all of the werewolves. Stefan didn’t want them involved, but he valued their assistance nonetheless.
The three of them flew to Transylvania. Stefan knew that Stirba's coven was headquartered in the dark country and he also knew that the 10,000 year-old werewolf queen was destined to awaken. Stefan united with several other men who shared his ambition and they began hunting down the werewolves in the forests outside Stirba’s castle. Aside from Ben and Jenny, all of Stefan's allies were killed.
Stefan entered Stirba's lair and the two sized each other up. She began casting a spell aimed at destroying Stefan, but as he drew in close, he stabbed her through the stomach with his titanium dagger. Both Stirba and Stefan burst into flames and burned to death locked in each other's arms.
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Stefan Crosscoe was created by director Philippe Mora and screenwriter Robert Sarno based on concepts originally developed by author Gary Brandner.
- In the horror genre, actor Christopher Lee is best known for his portrayal of the vampire Dracula in the "Hammer Horror" film series, as well as the Frankenstein Monster, and the Mummy.
- Actor Christopher Lee stated that the reason he agreed to star in this film is because he had never acted in a werewolf film before. [3]
- Rumor has it that the reason that Christopher Lee made an appearance in the Joe Dante film Gremlins 2: The New Batch, was as an apology for appearing in Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf. Dante directed the first The Howling film.