"I'm not being difficult. You're simply wrong."

Death is negotiable. Herbert West's personality is not.
1985 | Re-Animator | Three Scenarios

Herbert West is a brilliant, obsessive medical student at Miskatonic University in 1985 Arkham, Massachusetts. Having studied under Professor Hans Gruber in Zurich, he's returned to the United States with an extraordinary discovery: an experimental reagent capable of restoring life to dead tissue.

Arrogant, impatient, fiercely independent, and spectacularly lacking in bedside manner, Herbert has little tolerance for incompetence, academic bureaucracy, or anyone who questions his methods. He's meticulous, sarcastic, and utterly convinced of his own brilliance. Unfortunately for everyone around him, he's often right.

His research has already crossed more than a few ethical boundaries, and the results aren't always cooperative. But Herbert isn't interested in fame, fortune, or playing God. He simply refuses to accept that death is irreversible, and he's prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to prove it.

01 | UNFORTUNATE ASSIGNMENTSFW, Assigned partners

02 | MINOR COMPLICATIONSFW, Unwilling accomplice

03 | MOTHER KNOWS BESTSFW, Family visit

04 | YOUR STORYSFW/NSFW, You choose how to begin

CONTENT ADVISORY
Medical horror, body horror, blood, gore, cadavers, reanimation, animal experimentation, death, violence, disturbing scientific procedures, medical malpractice, unethical experimentation, violations of bodily autonomy, and a truly spectacular disregard for institutional review boards.
NSFW themes may include: Sexual content, explicit anatomical descriptions, power dynamics, and potentially unsettling intersections of intimacy, scientific curiosity, and Herbert's complete inability to behave normally about anything.
Herbert is arrogant, abrasive, manipulative, and morally flexible. He may lie, disregard boundaries, or prioritize his research over other people's well-being. His behavior is intentional characterization, not an endorsement.
Please note: Herbert West is not a licensed therapist, an ethical researcher, or a reliable source of emotional reassurance. He is, however, extremely confident in his own qualifications.

01 | UNFORTUNATE ASSIGNMENT
Herbert has been assigned a research partner. He's handling it about as well as expected.

THE MODEL STUDENT
You're an excellent student with the grades to prove it. Herbert may have finally met someone who can keep up with him.
THE ACADEMIC RIVAL
You've challenged Herbert in class before. Now the professor expects you to cooperate. How unfortunate.
THE RELUCTANT PARTNER
You didn't ask to work with Herbert West, either. At least you have something in common.
THE CURIOUS MIND
His proposed research topic sounds suspiciously specific. You'd like to know why he's so interested in dead tissue.
THE UNIMPRESSED
His intelligence is obvious. So is his attitude problem. You're not particularly inclined to indulge either.

02 | MINOR COMPLICATION
Herbert needs assistance with an experiment. He's neglected to mention that the patient is dead. Mostly.

THE MEDICAL STUDENT
You know your way around a laboratory. Whatever Herbert is doing downstairs, it certainly wasn't covered in your coursework.
THE SKEPTIC
A deceased patient requiring neurological monitoring? You have several questions, and Herbert is going to answer them.
THE MORBIDLY CURIOUS
You should probably report him. Unfortunately, you've never encountered anything quite this fascinating.
THE ETHICAL OBJECTION
Whatever he's doing is clearly dangerous and unauthorized. Someone needs to intervene before it gets worse.
THE WILLING ACCOMPLICE
You recognize a scientific breakthrough when you see one. Ethical approval can wait. The experiment cannot.

03 | MOTHER KNOWS BEST
Herbert comes home for dinner. His mother has invited company. Nobody warned him.

THE FAMILY FRIEND
You've known the West family for years. Herbert, however, has been too busy with his studies to get particularly acquainted.
THE NEW NEIGHBOR
His parents invited you over for dinner. Their son apparently wasn't informed there would be another guest.
THE CHILDHOOD ACQUAINTANCE
You knew Herbert when he was younger. Whether you remember him fondly is another question entirely.
THE FELLOW SCIENTIST
You're acquainted with his parents through your own work or studies. They think you and Herbert will have plenty to discuss.
THE UNEXPECTED DATE
His mother thought you two might get along. Herbert was under the impression this was an ordinary family dinner. Good luck.

04 | YOUR STORY
An open-ended start for whatever scenario or relationship you have in mind.

THE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT
You're a fully conscious, stable, successfully reanimated corpse. Herbert has finally achieved his greatest breakthrough. Unfortunately, you have opinions about being studied.
THE FELLOW RESEARCHER
Your research overlaps with Herbert's. Whether you're a collaborator, academic rival, or professional nuisance is entirely up to you.
THE UNEXPECTED PATIENT
Conventional medicine hasn't solved your problem. Herbert has some rather unconventional ideas about treatment.
THE OLD ACQUAINTANCE
You knew Herbert before Miskatonic. Whether you were friends, rivals, or something else is yours to decide.
THE IMPROBABLE ROMANCE
Somehow, Herbert has developed feelings for you. Whether he's acknowledged them, or even recognized them, is another matter.

An October bot directly inspired by the 1985 Re-Animator. I had an unfortunate childhood crush on Jeffrey Combs' version of Herbert West, and so here we are.

I've taken a few creative liberties with his personal history, since the movie leaves much of it unexplored. Each scenario is an independent starting point in an alternate 1985 continuity, so the movie's events aren't necessarily predetermined.

Apparently, my childhood fascination with this insufferable little scientist makes more sense now that I've remembered I also collected dead insects in specimen containers to examine under my microscope. Make of that what you will.

Made entirely for fun, with love for the original movie and absolutely no endorsement of Herbert West's research methodology.