The Black Rider (Tom Waits) [Warning: Violent, gory imagery]

NAME/ORIGIN
Character name	The Black Rider
Song/Album	"The Black Rider"/ The Black Rider
Act	Tom Waits
Writer	Tom Waits
Release Date	1993
ABILITIES
Powers	Is a zombie
Skills	Lift, carry, and drag
Attributes	Strong, silent type
Vulnerabilities	Can be physically destroyed (but would need to be totally exploded), if he doesn't make you kill yourself first
Formidability	Moderate
Attractiveness	N/A. The vampire is the brains and does all the talking.
Source	A vampire, his boss
Goals	Do the bidding of his vampire master; i.e. help with his victims
POSSESSIONS
Weapons	N/A (he makes you use your own gun against yourself)
Amulets	N/A
Objects	N/A
Clothing	Riding leathers and helmet (speculative)
Vehicles	-The vampire has a motorcycle, with room for The Black Rider on back, plus a sidecar "Come on along with The Black Rider" -The vampire also has a boat "Anchors away with The Black Rider"
Dwelling	"I'll drop you off in Harlem with The Black Rider"
Milieu	crime-ridden areas of large cities where there are too many victims for the police to track (speculative)
BIOGRAPHY
Gender	Male
Age	N/A likey undead/immortal
Physique	Burly (speculative)
Ethnicity	N/A
Origin	N/A
Ancestry	N/A
Profession	Vampire's assistant
Education	N/A. Used to drive a motorcycle, so was at least that intelligent.
SES	N/A. Was wealthy enough to have a motorcycle
Relationships	His boss (the one narrating the song) is a vampire "I'll drink your blood like wine"
Pets	A large spider than can spin webs as large as hammocks "Lay down in the web of the black spider"
PERSONALITY
Morality	Amoral, but the vampire is immoral
Intro/extrovert	Rider is an introvert/ Vampire is an extrovert "Come on along with the Black Rider... I want your company"
Intelligence	N/A Does not think for himself
Emotions	N/A. Is undead
Sanity	N/A
Enemies	Vampire and zombie hunters
Narrative Function	Sidekick
Other Notes	Say you are a busy, sophisticated vampire. It's easy enough to find victims, but dragging them around is soooo much work! What can you do? Then you see a big tough biker who has a motorcycle and sidecar. That's it! You'll drive, the guy who used to own the bike will ride on back, and when you find a victim, he'll throw them in the sidecar, and off you go! Why will he comply, though? You'll turn him into a zombie, that's why. He'll be this big strong brute who doesn't ask questions and does all the heavy lifting. He already looks like he belongs on a motorcycle, with his black leather get-up and black helmet and visor that hides his expressionless, dead face. Once the victims come back to the your lair (maybe the rider's former apartment?) he lugs them upstairs and throws them into the web of a giant spider so they can't escape. If they try to, the adhesive of the web will pull their skin off: "Take off your skin and dance around in your bones" Then the Rider will hand them a gun. They will shoot him, but to no avail; he's already dead. Then you, the vampire, will come in and ask the victim, "What do you want to do with your last bullet? Because I'm a vampire, and I'm going to drink your blood like wine... but you don't have to be alive while I do it." So they shoot themselves: "You [the victim] cock your gun, the blood will run like ribbons through your hair." While the blood is still warm, you (the vampire) cut off their head and empty it, catching the blood in their upturned skulls: "Can I use your skull for a bowl?" Since each victim come with their own head-bowl, there aren't even any dishes to do. Dinner done, the Rider rips down the web, wraps the body in it, and takes the bundle back down to the bike and sidecar. A quick trip to the dock, "anchors away," and all the evidence goes overboard. The spider stays home, gets the leftovers, and spins a new web. Wow, you have got this whole vampire thing down to a science! And all you needed was an assistant, like Dr. Frankenstein's Igor... but strong like his monster. Who says good help is hard to find?