Films: The Shape of Water (2017)
Alias: The Asset, The Amphibian Man
Type: Mystical
Location: Ocean/Civilized Area
Height/Weight: That of an average human.
Affiliation: Neutral, leaning on Good
Summary: Anyone who's been on this site for long enough might wonder if there could ever be a tale of romance between a beautiful woman and a great beast. While this film doesn't stray away from the human factor too much, it is nonetheless a perfect example of how deep inside, even the most unsightly of beings is ultimately no less a person than any of us. Only from del Toro, ladies and gents.
History: In the early 60s, something was brought over to a secret government lab in Baltimore. The people had managed to capture a strange fish-man that the natives of the Amazon worshipped as a God. They believe that its cadaver will put them above the Russians, but ultimately, the poor thing is poked and prodded for science. However, one of the workers, a hapless mute named Eliza Esposito, starts to form a connection with the creature, and they bond over food and music. It escalates to outright breaking him out of the place, but the being can only be outside the pure water for so long...
Notable Kills: See Final Fate.
Final Fate: Eventually, after Eliza and the humanoid have already given their bodies to each other, they are forced to part in order for him to survive. However, one of the men from the facility, desperate to make a name for himself, shoots both him and Eliza. The monster recovers easily, killing the man with a quick slash to the throat. After he and Eliza disappear into the ocean, he heals her with a kiss that also turns the scars on her neck into gills. Now, nothing will tear them apart...
Powers/Abilities: The Amphibian Man has special healing properties, which can reduce signs of ageing and even restore fatal injuries for himself and others.
Weakness: Anything conventional, though he can also not stay outside the water for long. Bathwater only barely cuts it.
Scariness Factor: 3-At first, the Specimen is rather imposing, looking like the Gillman of the 50s, only with bright blue bioluminescence, fangs, and a bit more of a violent streak. But most of the time, he is a curious creature with a fondness for human culture and a major hankering for genuine affection. In other words, he's absolutely perfect BF material. Just be sure a good body of natural water is close at hand.
Trivia: -This whole film was inspired by director Guillermo del Toro feeling rather miffed at how the titular monster from "Creature from the Black Lagoon" did not get the girl in the end while the less-interesting human protagonist did. Basically, this is his fix-fic. In fact, when a remake for the 50s movie was still in the works, his pitch was almost entirely from the creature's perspective, but executives, idiots as they were, kept rejecting it.
-As if it were a karmic response to the above, this film would go on to be nominated for almost every Academy Award there was to receive during the 2018 race. It won four of them (Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Director, and Best Writer).
