The Comic Version: Though he boasts a military history, William Stryker was prominently a religious fanatic, obsessed with ridding the world of mutants. Believing them to be derived from Satan, he even killed his wife and newborn son when he discovered he was born a mutant. Spotlighted during the God Loves, Man Kills arc, he became convinced that he was on a mission from God, and became a televangelist. Privately, he started a paramilitary group called the Purifiers with the purpose of enacting mutant hate crimes. His ultimate plan involved using Professor Xs powers to kill all mutants, and subsequently tried to execute Shadowcat on live TV. The Better Movie Version: Stryker in the comics was already a well-received character, so his inclusion here speaks to how well crafted the adaptation was. You may recognize his ultimate plan was identical to the one from the comics, complete with Magneto joining the fight against him. The difference was the downplaying of the religious angle and a focus on his military side. He sees mutants as something to be fixed, a disease that can be cured, and refuses to believe otherwise lest he admit his own son is beyond saving. Hes very practical, acting out of fear for what mutants might do as opposed to believing in a divine quest. All of this serves to make him stand out as a fearsome foe, one unencumbered by a religious fervour as his comic book self was.
Connor loves movies, comics, and TV, and is trying to write for people who feel the same way. When he's not sitting on the couch with his laptop, you might find him lying in his bed with his laptop.
