abstract:

Robert Louis Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde gives birth to a villain who fits the image of a barbaric monster. Mr. Hyde illustrates the terrifying potential for the beast within to emerge and reflects the Victorian society's fears of the possibility of human degeneration. Adaptations of Hyde's character, including Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's comic book series The Incredible Hulk (1962–), Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's neo-Victorian comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1999–2009), Steven Moffat's television miniseries Jekyll (2007), and Charlie Higson's television series Jekyll and Hyde (2015), have transformed Hyde into a monster hero. These versions of Hyde use their passion, impulse, and volatility to save society from larger threats. Thus, adaptations of Hyde demonstrate the ways in which monstrosity can be repurposed for good and how it becomes necessary to combat true evil.