Eddie Gluskin

All that is known about Eddie Gluskin's early life is that he was sexually abused by his father and uncle, who took photos of the incident. The event was a matter of medical and public record, and Gluskin wasn't even old enough to know it was wrong, just that it hurt. His father and uncle were eventually incarcerated. As a coping mechanism for his traumatically violent upbringing, Gluskin would claim that he was raised in a "Leave it to Beaver" home. Prior to being admitted at Mount Massive Asylum, Eddie was a misogynist and a serial killer who mutilated women. There are implications that his insanity stems from being sexually abused as a child.

APPEARANCE

Gluskin is seen as a very tall and muscular man, middle-aged, with a black slicked-back disconnected undercut hairstyle that is neatly combed down and light blue eyes. Due to an exposure to the Morphogenic Engine, Eddie's face is covered with red scabs, skin peelings and he has a severe case of subconjunctival hemorrhage in both eyes, the right more so than left. He dons old-timey gentleman clothing crudely sewn together into a stained white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up slightly, a dark blue bow tie and matching waistcoat, as well as black fingerless gloves, matching work boots, belt, cargo pants and armbands. Whilst being strapped into one of the Morphogenic Engine's pods, Eddie had his clothes stripped off, leaving him with only a pair of white underwear. Whilst being exposed to the Engine, a number of tubes can be seen entering every orifice in his body.

PERSONALITY

Gluskin has a deceptively kind personality; he is, by and large, very charming, though upon being rejected he can become violent, misogynistic, and insulting. He is obsessed with the idea of his "perfect bride," to the point where he mutilates people he deems mentally acceptable to make them physically acceptable as well. He appears to be only interested in taking men and removing and adding parts to create a woman by removing the penis, testicles, and excess body hair, as well as stuffing the body to create "breasts." His charming personality often slips when he is rejected, and he teeters dangerously between complimenting his "bride's" appearance and personality and insulting them, often using violent and misogynistic slurs. He also refuses to accept the difference between what he believes and the actual reality, insisting that his traumatic childhood was actually Leave It to Beaver sprang to life, and he completely denies the well-documented sexual abuse he suffered. When confronted with photographic evidence of the abuse, 'he responded with a mixture of laughter and anger, and restraints were issued'. He also refuses to admit he killed his victims, and he would not admit that they were dead or mutilated. After being exposed to the Morphogenic Engine, Eddie develops a slight lisp, possibly from some external injuries to his voice box and lips. He also enjoys listening to and singing romantic melodies such as "I Want a Girl".

He is also notably a family-oriented man, stating to Waylon that he wishes for a family, a legacy, and to be the father that he never had for his children. Due to his childhood, he also mentions that he refuses to let their 'children' get hurt, and while he trails off in his sentence it is clear that he is thinking of his own abuse in that moment. He is also noted to be desirous of the consummation of his and Waylon's 'marriage', stating that Waylon must be just as eager as he is but he should enjoy the anticipation.

OTHER

• Gluskin's role in the story is similar to that of Richard Trager from Outlast; Both antagonists are misogynists and sadists who mutilate their victims while speaking in a polite manner. They inevitably capture and torture the game's respective protagonist and address them with a self-imposed nickname before the latter makes their escape. The aforementioned antagonists give chase in an attempt to murder the protagonists, but are inadvertently killed during their struggle against the latter in an environmental hazard that was caused by said antagonists.
• The song Eddie sings is "I Want a Girl" and is the same song that plays in the trailer for Outlast: Whistleblower. It can be heard playing on a radio in the background when Waylon climbs down the attic's stairs. While singing the first half of the song, Gluskin replaces the word "boy" with "son".
• During the intermediate section, while transitioning between two scripted chase sequences near the makeshift wedding altar, the game may fail to despawn Gluskin's first AI, resulting in there being two enemy Gluskins chasing the player.
• According to a diagnostics notation in Gluskin's Status Report Document, his facial rashes had appeared long before Waylon witnesses him being forced into his sphere. Significantly, it is noted that these rashes disappeared after the tubing was switched from ones made from latex to a set made from different material that did not elicit an allergic reaction. This not only suggests that Gluskin is allergic to latex and that this is what his rashes stem from specifically, but furthermore shows that Murkoff would be willing to go through the trouble of reinstalling tubing that patients show a negative reaction to, just to get even the most minuscule reaction of discomfort from the Variants.
• In Outlast's Underground Lab chapter, the sphere Gluskin was forced into during Outlast: Whistleblower's intro appears damaged. With Gluskin being very much alive after the Walrider's outbreak, this could mean that he broke out of it by himself, possibly stopping his therapy mid-session. This could further explain his less than lucid and confused mental state at the time Waylon encounters him, though this is very much up to speculation.
• In one of his notes, Waylon compares Gluskin's actions to those of Bluebeard, a character from the namesake French folktale who murdered his previous six wives and had them hanged on hooks from the walls of his palace's underground chamber.
• When asked about the inspiration behind the character's design, series designer Philippe Morin stated that Eddie was not inspired by any specific character, but rather retroactively designed to fit into preexisting in-game sequences that centered around the protagonist's torture. Said sequences were inspired by similar torture scenes from Wes Craven's 1988 film The Serpent and the Rainbow. Morin also responded to a question regarding Eddie's ethnicity, stating that the character is not French.
• When answering a fan-submitted question in regards to "which two Variants in Mount Massive are most likely to be best friends", series writer J. T. Petty commented that the likeliest duo would be Frank Manera and Eddie Gluskin.
• In the same video, someone asked if Eddie was an ass man or a titty man. After giving the question some serious thought, David Chateauneuf answered that he thought Eddie was probably into butts while Philippe Morin gleefully joked that Eddie was a "dick man" referencing Eddie's obsession with male genitals and removing them.
• He only calls the player "darling".

HEADCANONS

• He likes to both read and write poems.
• He's a fan of Phantom of the Opera.
• Eddie learned how to sew and likes doing it (Because the bride stuff).
• Eddie likes the song "Bernadette" by IAMX.

LYRICS FOR "I WANT A GIRL" ------------------‐------------------------------------- When I was a boy my mother often said to me, get married, son and see how happy you will be. I have looked all over, but no girlie can I find, who seems to be just like the little girl I have in mind. I will have to look around until the right one I have found. I want a girl, just like the girl that married dear old Dad. She was a pearl. And the only girl that daddy ever had. A good ol' fashioned girl with a heart so true. One who loves nobody else but you. I want a girl, just like the girl that married Dear old Dad.

LYRICS FOR "BERNADETTE" ------------------‐------------------------------------- You and me in our playhouse. Living in a veil, we never need to go without. Memories bring no joy or peace. We are alone and all we need. Tuning out of the poison. Every waking day intolerance to overcome. Fortunes won by the boys with the guns. We are alone, nowhere to run. Bernadette, you are my liberty. I celebrate the day that you changed my history. Life and death will always lead you into love and regret. But you have answers, and I have the key for the door to Bernadette. Winding down our emotions. Family and friends becoming ghosts to dream of. And pass on, time will erase every face, every name. We are alone, no one to blame. Bernadette, you are my liberty. I celebrate the day that you changed my history. Life and death will always lead you into love and regret. But you have answers, and I have the key to Bernadette.