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| “ | Now, hold on to yourselves. There's one more thing: a terrible presence is in there with her. So much rage, so much betrayal - I've never sensed anything like it. I don't know what hovers over this house, but it was strong enough to punch a hole into this world and take your daughter away from you. It keeps Carol Anne very close to it, and away from the spectral light. It lies to her - it says things only a child can understand. It has been using her to restrain the others. To her, it simply is another child. To us, it is the Beast. | „ |
| ~ Tangina Barrons about the Beast (Reverend Henry Kane). |
| “ | Let me in! | „ |
| ~ Reverend Henry Kane |
Reverend Henry Kane is the main antagonist of the Poltergeist film series. In life, this angry ghost he was a leader and priest of a Satanic, 19th century Utopian cult who held an apocalyptic view on the world, sealing himself and his followers inside a cave system in area to die: this location would eventually be built over to make the home the Freeling family would reside in within Cuesta Verde in California and his dark soul wishes to abduct the youngest child of the Freeling family named Carol Anne, to use her innocence and her untainted life essence to capture souls trying to enter the afterlife. This origin story contradicts the original movie's plot but seems to be the official story of the sequels.
He was portrayed by the late Julian Beck in the second film, and the late Nathan Davis in the final sequel. His voice was provided by Corey Burton who also did the vocal effects for the Critters in the first Critters film.
Life and Death[]
Kane was a reverend, possibly from the American South, who started a utopian cult in the early 19th century. However, Kane simply wanted to harvest the energy of his followers' spirits in the afterlife to gain supernatural power; despite this, Kane is shown throughout the films to be a zealot, as he does believe in certain religious values. He led his "flock" into an underground cavern under the premise that the world was about to end, but in truth, Kane simply wanted to kill his disciples and himself and then harvest their souls in death. It is implied in Poltergeist II: The Other Side that Kane became enemies with an immortal Red Indian shaman called the "Medicine Man" who is also known as Taylor. The novelization for Poltergeist II: The Other Side states that Taylor is the reincarnation of an Indian named Ben Lagou; Lagou was a member of Kane's cult, but when he witnessed Kane's growing evil, he turned against him. Ben Lagou was briefly possessed when he drank tequila, just as Steve Freeling later would be. Ben was able to free himself from the possession, while Kane told his followers that had witnessed this event that Ben Lagou was evil. Kane's cult headed for the cavern and sealed themselves in. Ben tried to find Kane to stop him, but could not find him. He used his shaman abilities to reincarnate himself through lifetime after lifetime until he was reborn as Taylor, who helped the Freeling family defeat Kane.
Original Ending[]
When Pat Gardner jumps through the glass pane into the apartment, she finds Carol Anne, Donna, Scott, Bruce and Tangina frozen and dying. She then also becomes imprisoned in ice and gets attacked by Kane and her evil mirror reflection who want the necklace. Patricia tries to repel them and declares unconditional love for her family, but trips over frozen Tangina and falls to the floor. Tangina frees her arm from the ice and grabs the necklace. She convinces Kane that she is the one who can take him to the light, not Carol Anne. Kane puts his hand on the necklace, but instead of ascending, his face cracks and he explodes. Kane and Tangina then proceeded to the light, ending the latter's reign of terror as the Beast for good. The blast frees everyone, but annihilates Tangina and causes a violent thunderstorm. Patricia, Carol Anne, Donna, Scott and Bruce leave the other side, ending Kane's reign of terror on Carol Anne for good.