The Plucker: Difference between revisions

This book and its accompanying artwork is creepy, evocative of lost innocence, and at times quite disturbing.

* [[A Fate Worse Than Death]]: For toys, being consigned to the attic, where no one remembers you and rats nibble your fingers. It's even worse than the Underbed. {{spoiler|The Plucker's plan for Thomas Braxton is also [[A Fate Worse Than Death]]; he wants to possess Thomas' body and send Thomas' soul into a filthy rag-doll.}}

* [[Bond Creatures]]: The Foulthings. The Plucker can also [[Animal Eye Spy|see through their eyes]] and [[Synchronization|feels pain when they are killed]]. (Killing them doesn't kill the Plucker, unfortunately. It only pisses him off.)

* [[Big Creepy Crawlies]]: the Plucker is an amalgam between [[Giant Spider|spider]], worm and pure evil. It's only "big" compared to the dolls, though (but that does make him definitely larger than your average bug). Also, the [[Giant Spider]] mook somewhere in the Plucker's caves.

''"I'm going to know the pleasures of walking in sunlight again, the smell of morning dew, the sight of a rainbow, the softness of a baby's hair and the simple joy of [[I'm a Humanitarian|eating human flesh]] [[Complete Monster|while it's still warm]]."''

* [[Came Back Strong]]: Jack is soundly beaten and presumed killed by a pack of Foulthings. Mabelle fixes him up with a few... upgrades.

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Jack has a few of these during the course of the story.

* [[Hollywood Voodoo]]: or hoodoo, if Mabelle is to be believed. The Plucker, or Abiku, is inspired by a spirit of the same name in African folklore, his Stickmen definitely resemble ritual effigies, and Mabelle is able to practice hoodoo rituals.

* [[Jerkass]]: The Red Knight.

* [[Just Between You and Me]]: The Plucker reveals his plan to the captive Snow Angel.

* [[Mooks]]: The Foulthings and the [[Elite Mooks|Stickmen]]. As they are comprised of sharp twigs and needles, the Stickmen also bristle with the [[Spikes of Villainy]].

* [[Mother Nature]]: the Plucker and his kin are sons of Mother Earth. Thus he can shape and command constructs out of earth - his Foulthings.

* [[Musical Trigger]]: As a jack-in-the-box, ''Pop Goes The Weasel'' has special meaning for Jack. The Snow Angel uses it to distract the Plucker and his Foulthings {{spoiler|so Jack can save Thomas' soul, which the Plucker had trapped in Jack's box.}} Later, Jack uses it to {{spoiler|make a connection with Thomas' soul and free him -- in spectacular fashion -- from the box.}}

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Foulthings, the Plucker.

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: The book is set in the 40s. Thomas Braxton's mother is [[Missing Mom|always busy with scrap drives and the USO]], and his [[Disappeared Dad|father is in the US Navy]]. Mabelle is his [[Parental Substitute]].

* [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent]]: Played with and inverted somewhat. A snake's heart is what gives Jack the courage to take on the Plucker. {{spoiler|Later on, when she thinks Jack has failed, Mabelle brews a magic potion to [[Scaled Up|assume the form of a king snake]] to battle the Plucker herself.}}

** Mabelle: "A copperhead ain't gonna let nobody tread on it, 'cause it's ''down and mean, down and mean'' as they come."

* {{spoiler|[[Sealed Good in A Can]]: the Plucker's plan for Thomas.}}

* [[The Speechless]]: Monkey.

* [[Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe]]: The Red Knight