Scary Monsters (スケアリー モンスターズ, Sukearī Monsutāzu) is the Stand of Dr. Ferdinand and Diego Brando, featured in the seventh part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Steel Ball Run. It is an ability that allows its user to turn others or themselves into dinosaurs.
The Stand originally belongs to Dr. Ferdinand, but Diego consequently develops his own version of the Stand by stealing the Saint's Corpse's left eye.[1][2]
Appearance
It has no form of its own as it is an integrated Stand, but it can transform the bodies of others. Scary Monsters transforms Diego into a large dromaeosaur, with a design inspired by the Velociraptor from the Jurassic Park series.[2] He gains stripes spelling out "DIO" all over his body and his hair turns into spikes that end in round, ball-shaped tips on the back of his head. Traces of his checkered shirt are still visible on his chest.
After being under the influence of the Stand for a while, Diego is able to morph into a hybrid humanoid form while still retaining sharp teeth, claws, dinosaur legs, and a tail, with a deranged expression on his face.
Color Schemes
Abilities
Scary Monsters deploys the might and agility of the ancient dinosaurs in various ways, and can also take control of people through simple contact, making facing it a dangerous endeavor.
Dinosaur Infection
Scary Monsters's main ability is to infect other living beings with a virus that transforms them into theropod dinosaurs[3] of varying sizes depending on the size of the original being, and also allows the user to control them.[1]
The user needs only to touch a victim to begin the transformation, for instance, Diego grazing the horsehair of his Silver Bullet to transform the fleas into small dinosaurs.[4] Likewise, the dinosaurs may infect others with the virus by biting or scratching them.[5] However, should the user be severely injured, their power will disappear and all dinosaurs will revert to their original forms.[1]
The transformation is portrayed inconsistently, Diego's first transformation being gradual[3] while subsequent ones are instantaneous.[6] Scary Monsters seems to have no limits in terms of range or number of individuals infected, as it is able to transform a whole village of humans into a group of dinosaurs.[5] It is also free to create any type of dinosaur, from raptors,[7] to T-Rex,[7] to much smaller dinosaurs.[5]
The original user, Dr. Ferdinand, would exploit his power to transform others, using them to either travel (by riding or hiding inside them[1]) or fight for him. Diego typically uses this ability to create armies of miniature carnivorous hybrids out of birds, rats or fleas[4] or turn his own horse into a dinosaur[8] for support while he personally fights the enemy.
Dinosaur Morph
Unlike Ferdinand, Diego is capable of changing his own body into a dinosaur, either completely or as a hybrid of the two.[6] Being bound to Diego's body, Scary Monsters allows him to fight against other Stands and physically damage them with his bare hands.
By partially transforming, Diego can use the enhanced senses and strengths of a dinosaur. He possesses increased stamina, strength, and speed, enough to compete with the sufficiently capable Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.[9] Moreover, transforming into a dinosaur grants him vision based on movement: the faster something moves, the better Diego can perceive it, and thus the better he can avoid it. But as a result, he becomes vulnerable to slow attacks.[7]
During the race, Diego uses his sense to gauge his surroundings and deduce the optimal route for his horse.[10]
Fossilization
Introduced later in the story, Diego demonstrates the ability to alter beings transformed by his Stand into a hardened dormant state much like a fossil. The ability can be used in a variety of ways, from fusing a being into a structure like a rock or a tree as a camouflage[11] to shaping the fossilized being into something more creative like candle holders.[8]
Chapters
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 28: Scary Monsters, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 29: Scary Monsters, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 30: Scary Monsters, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 31: Scary Monsters, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 32: 3rd Stage Goal: Cañon City
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 38: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 41: Silent Way, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 42: Silent Way, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 43: Silent Way, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 44: Silent Way, Part 5
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 45: The Promised Land: Sugar Mountain, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 62: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 64: Chocolate Disco, Part 1 (Cover only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 67: D4C, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 68: D4C, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 69: D4C, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 70: D4C, Part 5
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 73: D4C, Part 6
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 74: D4C, Part 7
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 75: D4C, Part 8
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 76: D4C, Part 9 (Death)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 84: Ball Breaker, Part 2 (Flashback)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 91: High Voltage, Part 2 (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 95: The World of Stars and Stripes - Outro (Flashback)
Creation and Development
The concept of Scary Monsters was inspired by the 1993 film Jurassic Park, which revolves around dinosaurs. Hirohiko Araki states that in the film "you have tricky dinosaurs hunting in packs and all that". Araki also thought that the Stand would fit Diego Brando's image as it becomes his Stand.[2]
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Steel Ball Run Chapter 31: Scary Monsters, Part 4
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 JOJOVELLER: Araki's Stand Commentaries - Scary Monsters
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 28: Scary Monsters, Part 1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Steel Ball Run Chapter 30: Scary Monsters, Part 3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 38: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Steel Ball Run Chapter 29: Scary Monsters, Part 2
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 68: D4C, Part 3
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 75: D4C, Part 8
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 32: 3rd Stage Goal: Cañon City
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 67: D4C, Part 2