DC Universe’s Creature Commandos has delivered a haunting new take on Frankenstein’s tragic tale, transforming Mary Shelley’s meditation on creation and responsibility into a centuries-spanning story of obsession. Episode 2 explores the chilling origins of Eric Frankenstein (voiced by David Harbour) and The Bride (voiced by Indira Varma), deepening the psychological horror of the original novel while charting its own disturbing path.
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The Creature Commandos’ origin for Eric Frankenstein follows the main story beats of Shelley’s groundbreaking novel: While studying the boundaries of life and death, Dr. Frankenstein stitched together different corpse parts to give life to a creature of his own. After a while, his son demands a wife as he thinks it’s only fair for him to have someone to share his life* with. In Shelley’s novel, the Doctor refuses to repeat the same mistakes, which ultimately leads Frankenstein’s monster to murder his father’s wife in a twisted act of justice. In Creature Commandos, though, Dr. Frankenstein fulfills his son’s wishes, building “The Bride.”
Unlike previous adaptations where the Bride appears fully formed, Creature Commandos presents her development as a gradual process. In the series, she is a new person, without memories or knowledge – a blank slate that must be carefully catered to before being considered a fully grown woman. It’s up to Dr. Frankenstein to share the gift of language with The Bride, teaching her to find meaning in the world around her. That leads to an intimate dynamic between creator and creation, as he patiently guides the newborn Bride through her development, helping her form her identity. Meanwhile, Eric grows restless, as he feels that the doctor is not fulfilling his part of their agreement. In Eric’s eyes, The Bride belongs to him, and the sooner she accepts her fate, the better.
The growing connection between the Doctor and the Bride, fostered through the intimate process of education and development, leads to a tragic romance. Once Eric finds out about The Bride and the Doctor’s carnal encounters, he angrily kills his father. Eric thinks he’s entitled to The Bride’s affection, so he removes the only obstacle in his way to happiness. After that, the Bride escapes, leading to a centuries-long chase where Eric pursues her, believing their bond to be true. In reality, he’s feeding a dangerous obsession that harms the person he claims to love.
The series transforms Eric from Shelley’s eloquent, philosophically tortured creature into something far more terrifying: a monster whose horror stems not from his appearance but from his actions. This interpretation feels particularly relevant in contemporary times, where discussions about consent and autonomy have become increasingly prominent. As such, Eric’s endless pursuit of the Bride across centuries serves as a dark metaphor for how patterns of possessive behavior can persist and evolve over time. It also echoes James Gunn’s choice to revamp the Sons of Themyscheras as violent sexists.
Creature Commandos Remix DC Comics for Frankenstein & The Bride
In DC Comics continuity, Frankenstein’s story begins in 1818 when Doctor Victor Frankenstein creates his monster using the blood of an immortal being called Melmoth and the death of fifty souls. By 1820, following the events similar to Shelley’s novel, the monster confronts his creator and demands a bride to ease his loneliness. In 1822, Dr. Frankenstein creates the Bride but attempts to destroy her before completion. She survives and, rather than reveal herself to Frankenstein’s monster, flees to Paris, where she establishes herself as a courtesan in the catacombs.Â
Over the decades, Frankenstein and The Bride have met on many different occasions. She often rejects the idea that she is destined to be Frankenstein’s partner and nothing more, but they are not antagonistic to each other. In fact, they eventually get together and have a child.
In most of their stories, Frankenstein and his Bride were portrayed as complex but ultimately heroic figures while working for S.H.A.D.E. (Super Human Advanced Defense Executive), a secret government organization that handles supernatural threats. Their relationship fell apart when they discovered S.H.A.D.E. had secretly taken their unborn child, gestated it in their laboratories, and transformed it into an undead biological weapon. This betrayal by the organization they served led to their separation, with the Bride abandoning S.H.A.D.E. and returning to her sanctuary in the Parisian catacombs.
Things are pretty different in Creature Commandos, as the series establishes that Franskentein is an obsessive stalker with delusions of romance, destroying The Bride’s life every time she tries to rebuild it. After decades of repeating the same mistakes, it’s hard to imagine the DCU version of Eric Frankenstein could become a hero as his comic book counterpart – or even win The Bride’s affection. However, if Creature Commandos doubles down on Frankesntein’s villainous role, he could become a formidable foe for the DCU’s heroes.
New episodes of Creature Commandos hit MAX every Thursday until January 9, 2025.
