Dante the Great (real name John McMullen) is the main antagonist of the V/H/S: Viral segment of the same name.
He was played by Justin Welborn, who also played Carter Daniels in The Final Desination.
Biography[]
Back when he was still John McMullen, Dante was an unemployed trailer park resident living on dimes in Atlanta, whom, despite his love of magic, was never able to perform any impressive tricks for his friends. This all changed, however, after Dante managed to get his hands on a cloak that, according to rumours, was once owned by none other than Harry Houdini, who discarded the cloak after he became scared of its powers. Using some chants, Dante discovers that the cloak allowed him to perform real magic, and is ecstatic.
Using the cloak, and now working under his stagename, Dante instantly becomes a world-famous overnight sensation for his ability to perform tricks that people had never seen before nor could explain. He began performing shows in front of huge audiences in Las Vegas. However, the cloak's powers begin to have negative effects on Dante, as he is shown using his powers to kill and skin a rabbit whilst alone in a warehouse in Power Springs, Georgia. Dante then accidentally burns the warehouse to the ground whilst trying to shoot a fireball. As well as this, after he finds that the cloak's powers have stopped mere hours before he is set to perform, Dante finds out that the cloak needs human sacrifices in order to work. He is thus driven to becoming a secret serial killer, having his cloak devour at least sixteen people over the span of two years, including at least two of his assistants and the abusive boyfriend of his latest assistant, Scarlett Kay, whom he develops romantic feelings for. Dante records each of his murders and hides the video tapes in a secret compartment. However, Scarlett eventually discovers Dante's murderous secret and reports it to the police, whom send a SWAT team to arrest Dante whilst he is getting interviewed by a documentary crew on his stage. The SWAT team arrest Dante, but when they put him into a police car, he teleports away and handcuffs the officer driving the car to his steering wheel.
Death[]
Dante's death
As Scarlett is being interviewed in a police station, Dante uses his powers to teleport her onto his stage, where SWAT officers surround them. Dante uses his magic powers to dispatch each of the officers in various ways, killing the last two by swapping places with an officer who then gets inadvertedly shot by the other officer, who is then shot by Dante. Unfortunately for Dante, this gives Scarlett the opportunity to grab the cloak, causing an intense battle to break out between them as they both fight for control of the cloak. Right as it appears that Scarlett has been defeated, however, she uses a trick that Dante had taught to her earlier to tie his legs together with ropes that pull him into the cloak, which devours him.
James, Chelsea and Zoran gave his death the Dull Machete because it looked dumb.