10 Weird Inspirations Behind Famous Wrestling Attires

8. Mankind (Hannibal Lecter)

The original idea for Mick Foley's 'Mankind' character was that he would be called 'Mason The Mutilator'. Eventually, when Foley was allowed to make the character his own, it became one of the most beloved in the entire company. There had always been physical comparisons between Foley and Charles Manson, but it was an entirely fictional persona that Mankind would take on. 'Hannibal Lecter', a cannibal and serial killer, was most famously portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. His portrayal of Lecter for the 1991 movie, 'The Silence Of The Lambs' earned rave reviews. Obviously, Mankind wasn't introduced as a cannibal, but he did share some of the same elements as Lecter. Most notably, the striking mask that Foley would wear during matches. According to Mick, he disliked wearing the face gear at first, but he would become used to it later. It's not only the mask that both characters share, both also had a genius quality to their personalities. Hannibal Lecter was a forensic psychiatrist, and Mankind was a child genius, at least according to the story.