Thunder McQueen
Thunder McQueen (サンダー・マックイイーン, Sandā Makkuiīn) is a tertiary antagonist featured in the sixth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Stone Ocean, specifically the "Ermes's Sticker" story arc.
McQueen is a suicidal inmate working as a janitor in Green Dolphin Street Prison, who was given the Stand Highway to Hell by Whitesnake via a Stand Disc. He soon links his death with Ermes Costello's and tries to kill himself repeatedly.
Appearance
McQueen is a man of average to above-average height and medium build. He has the letter "M" shaved on the right side of his forehead.[1] He has a unique feature that his pupils are vertical lines almost akin to the eyes of a cat.
He wears a short-sleeved jean shirt with a tag saying "EDWN" ("EOWN" in the anime) on the front of the collar, and fuzzy pants with a spotted crotch-piece. McQueen also sports numerous belts around his waist and legs, one of which he uses in an attempt to hang himself.
Personality
McQueen is an exceptionally depressed and suicidal inmate at Green Dolphin Street Prison.
Thunder McQueen's greatest personality trait is his crippling depression and suicidal tendencies. For starters, he is easily upset and cries, with any conversation veering towards him reminding himself of a bad memory and claiming how pathetic he is. For instance, he can't remember where he's stashed his money (because Ermes unwittingly stole some of his memories) and berates himself for it.[2] On another occasion, he reminds himself of the time a girl said to him that she wouldn't mind being his friend, but yet moved away, saying again how pathetic he is.[3] Some of his depression can be explained by his incredible bad luck if he is to be believed, as he claims he was condemned for murder while he accidentally shot someone who was jumping out of the building he lived in.[4] In fact, he calls himself "worse than trash".[5]
McQueen seems to have some fixation on his relationship with women, although it could be influenced by his interactions with Ermes. He often laments the fact that he has no woman who cares about him like with the girl who almost became his friend,[3] is ecstatic when Ermes Costello asks him if he's OK because he interprets it as her caring about him, and says that he's not used to being followed by a woman, specifically.[6] As such, McQueen develops a distorted, simple, and one-sided relationship with Ermes Costello during their confrontation, loving how she "cares" about him and appreciating her presence even if she shouts at him, because it seems like she cares about him.
As a result of his depression, McQueen often attempts to kill himself. When Ermes Costello asks him if he's well, McQueen is happy to have a woman care in some way about him, but that since he won't experience this bliss anymore, he might as well die.[7] He immediately hangs himself, which triggers his Stand power and hurts Ermes as well. Ermes actually discovers from scars on his wrists that he's attempted suicide on multiple occasions.[8] According to Whitesnake, McQueen bears a unique form of "evil" within him. While McQueen has no animosity nor malice within him, he also truly thinks he's a victim and wants someone to save him while doing nothing in return.[9] As such, he's he type of person who drags people down with him.[10] Whitesnake's appraisal is not confirmed, but as McQueen can sometimes feign being hopeful and reasonable before trying to kill himself again[11] and also wants Ermes to die with him so that he can alleviate his loneliness,[12] the appraisal seems quite accurate.
McQueen has a language tic and often elongates the words he pronounces. Despite his suicidal tendencies, he keeps a stash of money hidden in the prison and also steals from other, notably Ermes.[13]
Despite having his Memory DISC taken away, he's still able to remember the details of his arrest, unlike Weather Report, who could not remember anything from before being in the prison.
Abilities
McQueen's Stand is Highway to Hell, lent to him via a Stand DISC. It will share all the damage that he receives to a designated victim.
History
Background
At one point, a girl promised McQueen that she would be his friend but then moved away, depressing him.
McQueen was sentenced to 8 years in prison for having shot a woman, which he claims was a freak accident when he picked up a gun to clean it and it went off at the same moment the woman fell past his window while attempting suicide by jumping from the 11th floor of his building.
At one point near his stash of money, McQueen encounters Whitesnake, who expresses appreciation for his uniquely twisted mind and gives him the ability Highway to Hell.
Stone Ocean
McQueen first appears as a janitor reaching up Ermes Costello's skirt to steal her money. Ermes later uses her power to make a trap and duplicates a mop to trap the janitor's face in between the mops when he passes by, knocking him out. Ermes notices that DISCS are sticking out of his head and instinctively takes one of them. McQueen learns that Ermes has inquired about him and confronts her in the toilets.
Ermes angrily accuses him of being a creep for having discs sticking out of his face and McQueen bursts into tears as he cannot remember what he's recently done and where he used to hide his money, blaming himself. Ermes asks him if he's okay and McQueen is moved to have a woman caring about his well-being. Figuring that he'll never meet a woman who'd truly care for him, McQueen decides to end his life and hangs himself on a pipe with his belt. Highway to Hell activates and begins to choke Ermes as well. Ermes uses her power to make the belt snap, saving the two of them for the moment. McQueen is seemingly grateful and explains that he's depressed and hung himself on a whim. But, when Ermes asks how he obtained his ability, McQueen doesn't understand what she's talking about. McQueen says he is indebted to her and promises to live a proper life, but as soon as she turns her head, McQueen attempts to drown himself in a faucet.
Ermes manages to knock McQueen out of the faucet. Again, McQueen expresses depression because there is no way he could repay her and even talk to her again. Furious, Ermes tells McQueen not to approach her again and threatens to kill him but McQueen agrees to the idea. Freaked out, Ermes flees. Having seen her pull out a DISC from the toilets, McQueen instinctively feels that it belongs to him. He feels like dying again.
McQueen tries to electrocute himself but fails because he doesn't have saline water to conduct electricity through his body. He thus heads to the medical room to take saline water. Ermes finds in the medical room tied with a denuded power cable and ready to electrocute himself to death. He douses himself in saline water and a panicking Ermes tries to dissuade him from killing himself. She explains that he risks killing her alongside himself and tries to make him see the bright side of life. McQueen explains the extremely unlucky circumstances in which he was condemned for murder. Seeing him ready to end his life, Ermes tries to promise him to give him her panties but McQueen retorts that she's only being nice to save herself and calls himself trash again. Ermes loses her composure and speaks her mind, calling him a selfish scum who only thinks of himself. This pushes McQueen over the edge, who decides to kill himself and Ermes so that they can die together. Ermes runs towards McQueen who flips the switch to electrocute himself. Thankfully, she manages to put a sticker on McQueen's face. The sticker duplicates McQueen's head and burns out due to the electricity, making the two heads fuse together. The shock knocks Highway to Hell's Stand DISC out of McQueen, making him harmless.[14]
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Stone Ocean Chapter 21: Ermes's Sticker, Part 1
- Stone Ocean Chapter 22: Ermes's Sticker, Part 2
- Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3
- Stone Ocean Chapter 24: Ermes's Sticker, Part 4
- Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5 (Temporary death)
- Stone Ocean Chapter 26: There's Six of Us!, Part 1 (Revived) (Flashback)
- Stone Ocean Chapter 33: Foo Fighters, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
- Stone Ocean Chapter 37: Debt Collector Marilyn Manson, Part 4 (Mentioned only)
Anime Appearances- Stone Ocean Episode 6: Ermes's Sticker
- Stone Ocean Episode 7: There's Six of Us! (Flashback)
Quotes
Quotes- “Did you ask me if I'm OK? Me? You're so niiice... How many years has it been since I've spoken with a woman? No... It's my first time. I've never in my entire life had a heart-to-heart talk with a female. "Are you OK?" What a wonderful phraaase. Filled with care... Right now... I'm... so happy... Someday, I want to meet someone like you... and live with her for the rest of my liiife... But that'll never happen. I'm just so pathetic... I feel like dying.”—Thunder McQueen, Stone Ocean Chapter 22: Ermes's Sticker, Part 2
- “I said I'd pay you back, but there's no way a guy like me cooould. I wanna diiiie... Because I'm traaash!”—Thunder McQueen, Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3
- “There are people who win biiillions of dollars in the lottery. But the opposite kind of people exist too... that's what I am.”—Thunder McQueen, Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5
- “It alleviates my loneliness... to know that such a wonderful person will be ending her life along with me! Thank you, thank youuuu... If you stay with me forever... then I'm truly happyyyyy!!”—Thunder McQueen, Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5
Gallery
Privilege Card
- Mcqueen whitesnake disc.png
Whitesnake gives him a DISC with the Stand, Highway to Hell
McQueen is caught between two merging mops due to Kiss's sticker
- Ermes discovers disc.png
Ermes knocks out McQueen
McQueen breaks into tears
Thanking Ermes's kindness
McQueen attempts to hang himself...
...thus activating his Stand to inflict the same damage upon Ermes
McQueen attemptes to drown himself
- McQueen that was my disc.png
Noticing the DISC in Ermes's hand
McQueen preparing for his last attempt on death by electrocution
Expressing how he is truly happy knowing someone like Ermes will die alongside him
Electrocuting himself and Ermes
His head being duplicated and fused back together by Kiss's sticker
The shock knocks him out and ejects his Stand DISC, rendering him harmless
SO Chapter 23 Cover A
SO Chapter 23 Cover B
SO Chapter 24 Cover
SO Chapter 23 Tailpiece
Is attacked by Ermes after he stole her money
Tries to kill himself for the first time
Tries to kill himself via drowning
- McQueen prepares to be shocked.png
McQueen preparing for his last attempt on death by electrocution
- Thunderdefeated.png
Is defeated by Ermes Costello
Thunder McQueen (Adventure Battle Card)
Trivia
- McQueen's backstory of accidentally shooting a woman, who was committing suicide, is based on the story of Ronald Opus, an anecdote made up by Don Harper Mills to show how many legal consequences can happen because of one event.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 22: Ermes's Sticker, Part 2, p.15
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3, p.18
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5, p.7
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5, p.10
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 22: Ermes's Sticker, Part 2, p.12-13
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 22: Ermes's Sticker, Part 2, p.16-17
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3, p.13
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3, p.1
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 22: Ermes's Sticker, Part 2, p.10
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 23: Ermes's Sticker, Part 3, p.10-12
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5, p.12
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 21: Ermes's Sticker, Part 1, p.4
- ↑ Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5
