Rudy Wade is a fictional character in the television series, Misfits. He is portrayed by Joseph Gilgun.
Character History
Early life
Not much is known about Rudy's life. At the age of 13, Rudy caught his Mum in a cheerleader costume while she was having sex with his Dad. He claimed that this event had scarred him for life and that he's got a phobia of cheerleaders ever since. He went to the same college as Alisha and fancied her for 2 years. One night, they were both at a party and had sex, with Rudy losing his virginity to her. The next day, she didn't even look at him. Alisha's cold behavior to the lovestruck Rudy made him attempt suicide. Some time afterwards, he was struck by the Storm and gained the power to split into three people, with the other person being holding his negative emotions and third one being an sociopath version of him. Rudy and his other self tricked psycho Rudy to get candy from the shop and police arrested him from violentic behaviour. He was later forced to do his community service after his other self trashed a girl's car, and Rudy took the blame.
Series 3
Tanya breaks a bottle on Rudy's head.
He started doing his community service along with two other girls, Charlie and Tanya. He fancied Charlie, but his other self preferred Tanya and hit on her. Tanya liked him, but when she found the true Rudy making out with Charlie, she used her power to stop all the people in the pub, hit Rudy with a bottle and frame Curtis. Rudy and Charlie entered a serious relationship, with Tanya forced to watch them. Rudy, unaware of Tanya's feelings for him, teased her about him and Charlie, so she used her power to stop him and push him down the stairs. Kelly, Simon and Curtis saw this happening, so Tanya used her power again to make it look like they've trashed a car. they ran from the cops to Simon's flat, where Rudy met Alisha for the first time since she broke his heart, and ran away quickly. A day later, he got his revenge on Tanya by framing her for stealing a charity box. A few hours later, he was at a pub with Charlie, with Simon, Kelly and Curtis there as well. When Alisha came round, the other Rudy bursted out of Rudy and confronted Alisha about what she's done to him. A day later, Rudy and Charlie came to do their community service, only
to find Tanya, who has escaped from the police. She used her power to kill Charlie and made it look like Rudy did it. Just before she killed him as well, Alisha came and found the whole thing out, so Tanya used her power to hang them both. Just before dying, Alisha apologized to Rudy for what she's done to him, telling him that she's different now. Rudy managed to kill Tanya by kicking her, and the other Rudy rescued Alisha and Rudy. They got the rest of the gang to help them bury Tanya and Charlie in the woods. After burying them, he gave the gang a lift in his stolen car. They got cought by the police, and since they are all on probation they got back to do community service, with Rudy. Some time afterwards, he met Melissa, Curtis' female identity and fancied her, without knowing she's Curtis.
Rudy finds a drugged Melissa in the locker room.
Mark spiked Melissa, and Rudy preformed oral sex on her while she was under the drug's influence and thought he was Emma. He later found out that she's Curtis and complimented him on his "lovely pussy". About the same time, Rudy's other self met Clare and fell in love with her, but Rudy broke up with her because he didn't like her. One night, Rudy attended a party at a girl named Jo's house. He got drunk and tried to get it on with three girls - Jo, Amy and Leah, with Leah
Leah confronts Rudy.
being the one agreeing to have sex with him. Before they had sex, Leah asked Rudy if he isn't a guy interested only in one-night stands, which he sweared. After sex, however, he intended to leave without changing numbers, or even names. Leah touched his groin, giving him a sort of a superpower-STD. A day later, Rudy saw that his cock's getting blacker and Simon, who saw the future, told him that his cock is going to fall off and that the girl he had sex with gave him this STD. Trouble is, Rudy couldn't remember who was that girl. Rudy and Simon went on a quest after Leah. At first, they thought she was Jo, but it turned out its not her. They later went to see Amy, who was actually a lesbian. Just before giving up, Rudy finally found Leah it a nightclub, who didn't want to make him better. He stopped everyone at the party and gave a speach about his insecurity. Leah was really touched and cured Rudy.
Series 4
With the departures of Simon, Alisha and Kelly, Rudy and Curtis are together alone at Community Centre. As Seth comes to get some of Kellys belongings, Michael appears and his power of Violent Obsession is infected to Rudy and other two. They tie up and gag Michael into utility room and tries to get the briefcase that is cuffed to his hand. Effected by power, Rudy becomes suspicious of Seth and Curtis, so he saws Michael's hand off to retrieve the briefcase, though is lured outside by an unknown noise. When he returns he finds the briefcase is missing. Rudy then convinces Seth to help him turn against Curtis and lock him in the freezer. With the arrival of Finn and Jess who are on community service, Rudy convinces them he's their probation worker. After they discover Curtis and release him, Rudy explains to them what happened untill confessing that he put sleeping pills into their drinks. He locks them in the freezer alongside Michael and tries to drug Seth only for him see through Rudy's scheme and knock him out. Rudy's counterpart then frees Finn and Jess revealing it was him who drew the other Rudy out and where Michael hid the briefcase. Finn and Jess are then effected by the power and Finn tries to run with the briefcase in hand while being chased to the Community Centre roof by Curtis, Seth. Jess and Rudy brandishing a chainsaw. Michael manages to climb up to roof and take the briefcase from Finn, only to fall down to his death. Rudy and others are released from his power and no longer remember exactly how they got on the roof. Rudy then goes down with other four and meets his new probation worker, Greg.
After losing his apartment, Rudy forces his residence into Finn's apartment who is currently trying to hide the fact he has his girlfriend Sadie trapped as a prisoner. Rudy quickly becomes suspicious and has his counterpart break into Finn's room where Sadie is found and then released. At the Community Centre, Rudy takes the truth out of Finn who reveals Sadie has a power over him and he is keeping her prison to wear its effect. As Sadie returns to the apartment, she drives Rudy away. After Finn and Sadie's break-up, Rudy then occupies the Community Centre alongside Finn, similar to Nathan Young years ago.
At the community centre, Rudy's counterpart gains his own sense of pride and adopts the name "Rudy Too". Just as Rudy sticks Rudy Too's toothbrush in his anus, Rudy's psychotic third counterpart arrives, having been released from prison. Luring him with a sweet, Psycho Rudy force-fuses with the other Rudy and takes primary control of his body. Psycho Rudy then mingles with the rest of the gang, taunting them and taking an unhealthy interest in Jess. Psycho Rudy gets Jess to reveal her past and she quickly discovers his nature. As Psycho Rudy forces her to dance with him, telling her he's always wanted to kill her since he saw her, she stabs him with a pair of scissors. Dying in her arms, Psycho Rudy releases the other Rudys after she kisses him. After Psycho Rudy is dead, Rudy states that he will get the shovels to bury him.
Living as Finn's roommate, Rudy starts to annoy him by openly having casual sex with girls. He finally pushes too far when he inserts his penis into Finn's marmalade which he shared with Jess. Though only after a short time away from Finn, the two make up when Rudy's new home becomes infested with slugs.
When the deception and manipulation of Curtis' new girlfriend Lola causes him kill her ex-boyfriend Jake, Curtis resurrects him for imformation despite Rudy reminding him of what happened the last time. As they try to decide who must kill a now-zombiefied Jake, Rudy suggests Finn so he can prove himself to Jess. However Curtis gets bitten before the zombie is killed. Rudy then finds him at the Community Centre locker room eating a guinea pig and immediatly realises that he is a zombie. Upset, Rudy nevertheless knows that Curtis must be killed. He tries to call for Curtis so they can talk about his options but Curtis tells him that he has only one option and tells Rudy to take care of himself before hanging up and shooting himself to head.
Rudy is questioned by Greg about Curtis' suicide, which Rudy pretends to know nothing about. When Finn reveals to have a sister, Rudy tries to flirt with her, but Finn tells him thatGrace is of limits. After Finn draws a moustache and glasses on Rudy's face while he's asleep, Rudy gets angry and roughly tries to a draw Hitler mustache on Finn, only to then learn that Finn's father just passed away.
Despite being noticeably effected by Curtis' death, Rudy goes back to his old ways when he attends the drug-addled Richard Saunders' party alongside Jess, Finn and barman Alex. As result of Craig's power, the numbers of each of the gang's respective sexual partners were tattooed on their forehead with Rudy revealing a proud 99. Rudy then makes it his mission to make it to 100 at the party. Also discovering that Finn has had only one sexual partner, Rudy lets him tag on along on his journey for sex, While gatecrashing at a wake on the floor below the party. Rudy meets one of the attendants Nadine and cheers her up. The two hit it off at the encounter and Rudy lies about being the caretaker at the Community Centre, though she then abruptly leaves. Rudy then joins Finn, Alex and Abbey to rescue Jess who is kidnapped by a murderous rabbit brought on by Richard's power. After Abbey kills the rabbit and joins the gang, Rudy wonders about Nadine.
Rudy still cannot shake off his thoughts about Nadine who visits him at the Community Centre. Seeing her as a genuine person, Rudy tells Nadine the truth and that he's on community service though she tells him it isn't her place to judge him and they kiss. However, like before she rushes out, leaving her bag behind. Rudy follows her and discovers that she is actually a nun, much to his shock and disappointment.
After seeing Jess look up post-op genitalia on her phone, he starts to question her but she leads him to believe she is looking to have a penis. Rudy eventually finds out Alex, her lover, actually has a vagina after involuntarily swapping his penis with a transgender man. Rudy causes trouble for Jess when he makes fun of the situation by humorously tucking his genitals in between his legs and pretending to have a vagina in front of Finn. Alex walks into this and is anger at Jess for telling him, Jess in response punches Rudy's bare genitals. Still, Rudy accompanies Jess, Finn and Abbey in a karaoke bar to stop Alex from doing anything dangerous when he discovers the location of the person who stole his penis. While Alex gets his penis back, Rudy is bewildered by the singing voice of Greg. Rudy then sings about Nadine in an off-key tune.
Rudy visits Nadine's convent to return his bag where learns that with her life as a nun, they can never be together. Rudy then starts to pray in hopes of convincing God to stop Nadine from being a nun though Nadine escapes her convent to be with Rudy. She however is forcefully taken by the nuns at her convent and Rudy smashes Finn's television in anger. When Rudy returns to the convent, he is locked outside. With encouragement from Greg and assistants from Jess, Finn and Abbey, Rudy breaks into the convert and rescues Nadine. Together, Nadine and Rudy make love at the Community Centre. However, after Jess catches Alex with another woman, prompting a fight between Alex and Finn, the sight of violence, swearing and Finn's semen spilling from under Abbey's legs triggers Nadine's power and the real reason the nuns were so keen on keeping her from Rudy. Nadine inadvertently summoned the Four Horsemen of the Apocalyspe. Realising Nadine may have to be killed to vanquish the Horsemen, Rudy refuses to let her die. Unfortuantely for him, Nadine is so touched by everyones' willingness to stand up for her she decides to sacrifice herself to the Horsemen, allowing them to kill her and making them disappear. Rudy buries her outside the Community Centre with a makeshift cross by her grave.
After hearing that Alex will have a lung transplant after being injured from their encounter with the Horsemen, Rudy's recalls when Curtis told him about his girlfriend Nikki who received the power of teleportation after having a heart transplant, making it possible for Alex to gain a power.
Special Power
Emotional Duplication
Rudy's power is the ability to split into three people, with the other person being your withheld/buried emotions and third one having no emotions at all, this at first seems to happen whenever he is emotionally trouble but is also seen to be actively used for his own benefit. Psycho Rudy also used their connection to sense where other Rudys lived. He could also take over Rudys body when Rudy was partly distracted.
Alternative Timelines
- In an alternative timeline where the Nazis won WWII, Rudy was scared for his power and was running from the Nazis. He joined forces with Curtis and Kelly in order to fight the Nazis and helped them to get Seth out of prison. When the Nazis came looking for him, he pretended to be Curtis' gay lover, forgetting that homosexuality was illegal, and then trying to play it off as a joke when he was reminded by Shaun.
Reception
After Rudy's first scene in Vegas Baby! entertainment site Digital Spy said they were "really quite excited about seeing what Joe brings to the show". MSN News felt Rudy was a "perfect replacement for gobby, irritating Nathan in the group dynamic". Neela Debnath of The Independent commented saying Rudy is "every bit as immature and funny as Nathan". She felt that Rudy "fulfills the role of the childish, sex-obsessed member of the group and has an endless stream of filth which he shares with the others much to their chagrin and disgust". Debnath added that Rudy is not just a "cheeky chap" replacing another but with his power he can be the "super-cocky bad boy" Rudy and the "timid, insecure Rudy who tried to kill himself after Alisha rejected him when they were at college". Debnath felt that "there is more to him than meets the eye and this promises to make him an interesting character". Rudy being an acquaintance of Alisha meant that Rudy was "neatly brought into the fold. He fits in well with the others and is not a complete outsider, making him less of a replacement and more an addition to the ‘Misfits’ family". The Guardian commented that Rudy has "provided some brilliant Misfits moments". They added that Rudy's superpower "is the ability to split into two sides of himself – and instead of staying with the traditional atte "trying to make sure that both of them aren't seen at the same time by the public" narrative, both sides of Rudy are played as completely different characters. On the one hand, we have a boisterous and 'have it' player; on the other hand a shy and caring man moping around the community centre. The result has been some inspired banter between Rudy's selves, including one time when he was forced into counselling".
Trivia
- Out of all of the Misfits before series 4, Rudy was the only one who still has his original power given to him in the Storm. However, he did try to sell it in the opening scene of Episode 1 (Series 3). It is unknown if he was going to purchase a new one afterwards.
- Rudy's power comes from his general supression of his emotions.
- Rudy's hair is very flat and down in Vegas Baby! and Episode 1 (Series 3), but it is gelled up and parted for the rest of the Series.
- Nathan and Rudy are similar in personality and things they say and that have happened to them. Both have suggested using two condoms. Both have gotten STD's at one point, with Rudy's being a superpower STD. As well as this, both are considered the "funny ones" or the "funny guy." As well as this, Nathan used the Community Centre as his home, and now Rudy lives there as well.
- Despite having to suffer an super powered STD dealt by Leah , Rudy still and admittedly sleeps around in Series 4.
- Rudy is the only character that was seen on previous series that is still to this date on the show.