Prof. Howard Erling is a nuclear physicist who builds a machine with Victor to exchange objects with the future. He initially welcomes Dr. Robert Hedges and demonstrates the device, but becomes alarmed when the experiments produce radiation damage and a human visitor. He ultimately argues for changing the present instead of entering the future.
Jack Williams is a detective and Mike Hammer’s estranged friend. He saved Mike Hammer’s life while losing his left arm in the Tet Offensive, but is later shot dead in his apartment. His widow, Myrna Williams, and the clues surrounding his clinic visits initiate Mike Hammer’s investigation, which ultimately leads to Dr. Charlotte Bennett.
Judge J.A. Hooker presides when Michael McCord pleads guilty to speeding in Clarksberg and pays his ticket. He is later present at the diner with the sheriff when Michael leaves a newspaper article about the recent sailor deaths. The plot establishes him as connected to the town's official response, but not as an accomplice.
Frederic Downs has 16 screen credits in a career dating back to 1953. Signature works include Terror from the Year 5000, The California Kid, Way Down Cellar. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
