Part of a series on Underworld |
| William Corvinus | |
|---|---|
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| Background | |
| Played by | Brian Steele |
| Films | Underworld: Evolution |
William Corvinus is an antagonist in Underworld: Evolution, and the ancestor of all Underworld werewolves
He easily kills multiple Death Dealer Vampires at the time of his capture and is only restrained after several others overwhelm him. It is implied he killed many more with equal ease during the many centuries it took to capture him.
History
Early life
William was born sometime in the 5th century, the son of Alexander Corvinus, the First True Immortal, and his mortal wife, Helena, and is the twin brother of Marcus Corvinus. William, along with Marcus, inherited the Corvinus Strain in its active state from their father, meaning that they were born Immortal.
It was William who was bitten first, when a large rabid black mountain wolf lunged out of the shadows and attacked the brothers. The wolf made for Marcus, and it would have killed him, but William jumped in front of it and was able to kill it with his sword, but not before it bit him. Like his father before him, the Corvinus Strain allowed William to mold the wolf's rabies strain, but it also assimilated the wolf's DNA in its bite, and began changing his entire physical composition. Marcus took him to a nearby inn to have his wounds seen to, but as the night wore on, William became seriously ill. He developed a high fever, and convulsions racked his body. He began to sprout hair all over his body, and his face changed to reveal a more wolf-like appearance. Before the night was through, William had become the first Werewolf.
Unlike the later Lycans, William is incapable of transforming back to human form. Before being bitten, Marcus and William shared a bond that their father never truly saw, one so strong that even after his transformation, Marcus was the only one that William would not harm. Despite Marcus's and Alexander's efforts, William's rage could not be controlled and he roamed the countryside, killing everything in sight. His lycanthropy virus spread across the land, turning hundreds of humans into powerful Werewolves.
After being bitten by a bat, Marcus transformed into the first Vampire, but even then, he still could not stop William's killing spree. Desperate to control his twin, Marcus sought out a dying warlord, Viktor, and agreed to make him Immortal in exchange for Viktor's help in finding and capturing William. Viktor proceeded to infect his personal army, making them into the first Death Dealers, Vampire warriors trained to kill Werewolves. A third prominent figure, Amelia, was made a Vampire, also to help with the capture of William. Together, the Vampires scoured the countryside, searching for any sign of William, and destroying any of his kind that could be found. Marcus brokered a deal with Viktor and Amelia, the terms of which stipulated that when William was found and subdued, he would not be killed or harmed in any way.
For 600 years, William evaded capture, and the Werewolf hordes continued to grow, as the Vampires' movements were restricted to the night.
In 1202, William was finally captured by Death Dealers after he attacked a village and infected its residents, but had lingered in the surrounding area. Against Marcus's wishes, William was severely wounded while being taken into custody. This sparked an intense argument between Marcus and Viktor, at which point Viktor showed that the Death Dealers were loyal only to himself, not Marcus.
Fearing for the life of his brother, Marcus reluctantly conceded to allow William to be imprisoned in a fortress, far from his own reach. Marcus swore vengeance against Viktor and those loyal to him, intending to find and release William someday, regardless of the consequences. Despite his resentment of Marcus's authority, Viktor was nevertheless reluctant to kill William, due to Marcus having led him to believe that William's demise would bring the death of all Werewolves, including the Vampires' Lycan slaves, with the same rule allegedly applying to the Vampires if Marcus was killed. This was in fact a clever lie told by Marcus to protect his brother's life, as well as his own, but with the supernatural inclinations of the time, Viktor was naturally reluctant to put such a theory to the test.
William remained imprisoned for several centuries afterward, and Marcus was later imprisoned, too.
Freed
On the eve on Marcus's Awakening for his century of rule, a Lycan plot to combine the Vampire and Werewolf bloodlines becomes evident. A captured Lycan scientist named Singe explains the plans of a powerful Lycan named Lucian under duress - and is killed by a death blow from Viktor. His blood seeps into Marcus's tomb and revives the slumbering Vampire, making him a Vampire-Lycan Hybrid.
Journeying to the old fortress, Marcus proceeds to release William from his dungeon. Their bond is so strong that even the crazed William recognizes Marcus, and refuses to harm him. He intends to make William a hybrid as well once they escape the dungeon. However, a Death Dealer named Selene, accompanied by a group of soldiers loyal to Alexander Corvinus, follows Marcus to the dungeon, intending to stop William's release.
William proves to be a powerful opponent, despite his centuries of confinement with no blood to feed on, and he effortlessly kills and infects the Cleaners. Selene battles William herself, but her guns and shurikens prove ineffective against him due to his sheer speed and strength. Even when weakened from a centuries-long confinement without human flesh to feed on, he is still able to break stone apart with his bare hands. Despite his century-long confinement without feeding, William is able to withstand multiple injuries while remaining mostly unfazed.
Death
A descendent of the third Corvinus son, a Lycan/Vampire Hybrid named Michael Corvin, attempts to help her, but is initially overwhelmed. As the conflict rages on, however, Michael gains the upper hand and succeeds in slaying William, tearing the powerful Werewolf's head apart with his bare hands.
Marcus combats Selene, and is enraged when a resurrected Michael fights and kills William. Marcus drives a wing talon through Selene, who survives due to her having previously drank of Corvinus's blood. However, Marcus is also distracted by the death of his twin at the hands of Michael, and is wracked by shock and grief. These emotions cause him to be temporarily stunned and off guard, and gives Selene her opportunity. She breaks off the tip of one of Marcus's talons and impales his head with it, before shoving him backwards into the still whirling blades of a crashed helicopter, cutting him to pieces and killing him.