Cabal

Cabal, formerly the human known as Aaron Boone, is the protagonist of Clive Barker’s 1988 fantasy-horror novel Cabal, it’s 1990 movie adaptation Nightbreed, and the spin-off comic book series.

Description
In the novel, Aaron Boone was a regular human being who, after being inducted into the ranks of the Tribes of the Moon, developed the ability to shapeshift into a shadowy, hulking, humanoid creature with increased strength, durability and reflexes. In the movie version, the only outward signs of his transformation were sharpened teeth, the manifestation of occult glyphs upon his body, and heightened levels of strength and resistance to physical harm.

In both versions he was hailed by the god of the Tribes of the Moon, Baphomet, as the one who would save them from inevitable extinction at the hands of the Tribes of the Sun, modern day humans. Whilst this proved true, their salvation did not come in any way they could have foreseen.

History
Aaron Boone was a troubled man who had persistent nightmares and a sense that there was more to the world than he could see. Seeking help from psychologist Dr. Philip Decker, he was convinced by Decker that his nightmares were memories of the crimes committed by serial killer Button Face. The doctor supplied Boone with a heavy narcotic and told Boone that if he did not turn himself over to the authorities within twenty-four hours, then Decker would be forced to do so himself. Unable to live with the thought that he was a mass-murderer, Boone overdosed on the pills given to him by Decker, before attempting suicide by throwing himself beneath the wheels of an oncoming truck. Luckily, the truck was able to stop in time, and Boone was simply taken to the hospital.

Whilst in hospital, Boone met a man by the name of Narcisse who, in his own deranged state, tore off much of his own skin, but not before he had told Boone where to find the city of Midian. As Boone had dreamt of Midian, a place where monsters could be accepted for what they were, he ran from the hospital and ventured out in search of this haven.

Upon reaching his destination late at night, Boone found only an old cemetery. However, upon investigating the mausoleums, he encountered two of the denizens, one of which told him that his scent proclaimed him innocent of all the crimes which he had previously believed he had committed. This creature, whose name was Peloquin, bit Boone before he managed to escape from the graveyard.

However, upon leaving the cemetery, Boone found the police waiting for him, led to Midian by Dr. Decker. Decker pretended to try and talk his patient into surrendering, but then shouted to the officers that Boone was armed, causing the police to gun Boone down. The very next night, Boone’s body disappeared from the Shere Neck morgue: having been bitten by one of the Nightbreed, Boone felt the call of their blood, and made his way back to Midian, where he was formally inducted into the ranks of the Tribes of the Moon, and given the new name of Cabal.

Dr. Decker, however, did not believe that Boone’s body had been stolen, and led the Shere Neck police in search of him back to Midian. Capturing Cabal and incarcerating him, the police captain, a man by the name of Eigerman, learned of the existence of the Tribes, and subsequently gathered together a group of paramilitary xenophobes calling themselves the Sons of the Free, before embarking on an expedition to wipe out the creatures which they saw as abominations, accompanied by Dr. Decker. Whilst Narcisse, now resurrected and one of the ’Breed, and Boone’s girlfriend set out on a mission to free Cabal, the Sons attacked and virtually destroyed Midian. Luckily, Cabal arrived in time and managed to help turn the tide of the battle and saw Dr. Decker for who he truly was - the serial killer Button Face, whose crimes he had attempted to pin on Boone. Whilst Midian could no longer be a refuge for the Tribes of the Moon, Cabal led the survivors to a temporary safe haven in the aftermath.

Lori
Boone’s girlfriend Lori had never believed him to be the murderer that Decker claimed he was. After tracing him to Midian and discovering that he had been transformed into one of the ’Breed, she begged Cabal to make her like him. He initially refused, but after she stabbed herself (as a way to force his hand), he bit her, and thus Lori became one of the Nightbreed, and able to spend all eternity with her lover.

Trivia

 * Whilst most of the Tribes of the Moon had an extreme (and sometimes even fatal) aversion to sunlight, Cabal did not seem to be overly affected by it, although as a member of the Nightbreed he preferred darkness.