Randall Flagg - discussion of the character and his many guises

[Letti]

Why do you think that Rhea or the Crimson King were born evil? I don't think it at all. What made you think that? I am interested in it.
Moreover - I might be insane - I don't think Mordred was born evil, either.

1. Regarding Rhea and the Crimson King...did you ever read the comics? I'm hesitant to say anymore unless you have.

2. As for Mordred...the first thing he did was murder and eat his own mother unprovoked. I don't think someone born of the White would do such a thing.

1. Yes, I read them - but to tell you the truth I don't count with the comics when I tell my opinion about something. But let me know why you think they were born evil.

2. Yeah, but I don't think things are black or white. Good or bad. He was hungry and that was the only thing he felt.
And we mustn't forget that he wasn't a human being. He was a spider, too and in the animal world many bugs and insects eat each other - even if they belong to each other because of this or that.

[CyberGhostface]

1. Yes, I read them - but to tell you the truth I don't count with the comics when I tell my opinion about something. But let me know why you think they were born evil.

Then I guess it matters if you count the comics as canon or not. I do.

The Crimson King was born of a demon and Eld in what was essentially a rape, and thus he was born to bring down the Tower. Unless you choose to ignore what the comics present, there's no other way to say the Crimson King wasn't evil.

Rhea, once again according to the comics, was born a 'bad seed'. She enjoyed committing various acts of cruelty and malice. She got worse later on but she was never 'good' to begin with.

2. Yeah, but I don't think things are black or white. Good or bad. He was hungry and that was the only thing he felt.

Not a legit excuse in my mind. There's no 'moral ambiguity' in eating your mother. And if he wasn't evil, he would have shown revulsion or remorse at what he did. But he didn't. You can't go "Well...yeah, he ate his mother but its not as black and white as you may think..."

And we mustn't forget that he wasn't a human being. He was a spider, too and in the animal world many bugs and insects eat each other - even if they belong to each other because of this or that.

So by what standards are judging Mordred on? Are we judging him on the standards of a mindless creature, or of a sentient being with alleged thoughts and feelings? People have no problem saying "Lets feel sorry for Mordred because he cries" or whatever and now we're excusing his actions because he's part animal?

[Letti]

1. Yes, I read them - but to tell you the truth I don't count with the comics when I tell my opinion nabout something. But let me know why you think they were born evil.

Then I guess it matters if you count the comics as canon or not. I do.

The Crimson King was born of a demon and Eld in what was essentially a rape, and thus he was born to bring down the Tower. Unless you choose to ignore what the comics present, there's no other way to say the Crimson King wasn't evil.

Rhea, once again according to the comics, was born a 'bad seed'. She enjoyed committing various acts of cruelty and malice. She got worse later on but she was never 'good' to begin with.

2. Yeah, but I don't think things are black or white. Good or bad. He was hungry and that was the only thing he felt.

Not a legit excuse in my mind. There's no 'moral ambiguity' in eating your mother. And if he wasn't evil, he would have shown revulsion or remorse at what he did. But he didn't. You can't go "Well...yeah, he ate his mother but its not as black and white as you may think..."

And we mustn't forget that he wasn't a human being. He was a spider, too and in the animal world many bugs and insects eat each other - even if they belong to each other because of this or that.

So by what standards are judging Mordred on? Are we judging him on the standards of a mindless creature, or of a sentient being with alleged thoughts and feelings? People have no problem saying "Lets feel sorry for Mordred because he cries" or whatever and now we're excusing his actions because he's part animal?

Okay, I see your point about CK and Rhea. Of course you think they were born evil.
For me the comics are comics. They are much more like a tale but the books are absolutely real for me. To tell you the truth altought I like the comics they are very very far from me.
As you have just written I don't count the comics as canon so it's natural we will not agree about CK and Rhea.


So by what standards are judging Mordred on?
That's a very good question indeed. A hard one.
For my part I think he didn't look at Mia as his mother it was just a body he came from. We all have two parents and in his mind he had two as well. He had two fathers. Mai was noone to him... and I don't say it's natural or good but it's understandable - in a way.
And I don't say Mordred was a good guy, oh not at all but I say he wasn't born absolutely and totally evil, he wasn't just "black". He should have hated Rolad with all his cells but he still loved him - and of course hated him at the same time.
That's one of the reasons that gives me the idea that there was some good in him even if it wasn't more than a crumb.

[CyberGhostface]

There was very little good in Mordred. Only one half of his parentage was evil, and if you were to count Susannah and Mia, then only 1/4th. If everyone's saying that its Walter's fault that he turned out the way he did and his choices, then why can't we say the same for Mordred? He could've fought his urges but he didn't.

Mia would have loved and cherished Mordred, and Mordred only saw her as a snack. Nothing says 'evil' like that.

[Letti]

1. There was very little good in Mordred. Only one half of his parentage was evil, and if you were to count Susannah and Mia, then only 1/4th. If everyone's saying that its Walter's fault that he turned out the way he did and his choices, then why can't we say the same for Mordred? He could've fought his urges but he didn't.

Mia would have loved and cherished Mordred, and Mordred only saw her as a snack. Nothing says 'evil' like that.

1. Oh, I say the same. At the beginning he wasn't born totally evil but loneliness and many other things made he make the decision to hate people. Any day by day or hour by hour he became more and more evil. It was his fault as well. It was his decision. He could have tried to talk to Roland (even if it was dangerous) but he decided to hide and kill.
At the end he was evil. Just like Flagg.

2. Eating Mia was instinct. Every child starts to eat (drink) when they get born and I think human babies see their mothers as snacks at the first time. - instincts - A human child needs milk - he needed flesh and blood.

But I really don't say that he wasn't evil... he was! But he wasn't evil 100% when he was born.
Of course it's just my two cents.