Character Relationship Map: The Damned

Characters

• Simon Wells (played by Macdonald Carey) — protagonist

  A middle-aged divorced American tourist and former insurance executive. After being mugged by Joan's brother King, he reconnects with Joan on his boat. He attempts to rescue the kidnapped radioactive...

• Joan (played by Shirley Anne Field) — protagonist

  A 20-year-old local woman who initially lures Simon into a gang mugging. She defies her brother King to spend time with Simon on his boat and at a cliff house. Later, she agrees to help Simon rescue t...

• Bernard (played by Alexander Knox) — supporting

  The overseer of the nine cave-dwelling children. He educates them via CCTV, maintains surveillance, and deploys men in radiation suits. He reveals the children were born radioactive after a nuclear ac...

• King (played by Oliver Reed) — supporting

  Joan's aggressive, overprotective brother who leads a violent motorbike gang. He initially assaults Simon but later reluctantly aids the rescue plan. He attempts to flee with a child but succumbs to r...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Simon Wells → Joan (Romantic Interest) — Simon and Joan develop a dangerous romantic connection after their violent first encounter.

  Joan joins Simon on his boat, meets him at a cliff-top house, and has sex with him.

• Joan → King (Family Siblings) — Joan and King are siblings whose relationship is dominated by his aggression and possessiveness.

  The plot identifies King as Joan's brother, and he attempts to control her movements.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Bernard → King (Conflict Security Adversary) — King directly clashes with Bernard's security operation during the cave escape.

  King and Simon overpower Bernard's men in radiation suits, while further suited men recapture most of the children.

• Bernard → Joan (Conflict Captive Opponent) — Joan becomes an enemy of Bernard's system after helping the children escape.

  Bernard's forces pursue Joan after she enters the caves and joins Simon's plan to rescue the children.

• Bernard → Simon Wells (Conflict Opposing Custodian) — Bernard opposes Simon's rescue attempt and protects the children's confinement.

  Bernard sends men in radiation suits after Simon enters the children's caves and attempts to free them.

• Simon Wells → King (Conflict Victim And Attacker) — King begins as Simon's direct physical aggressor.

  King and his gang brutally mug Simon after Joan lures him into the attack.

Story Analysis

A violent coastal encounter exposes a secret program imprisoning radioactive children for an imagined nuclear future.

Plot Progression

1. A Holiday Turns Violent — Simon arrives in Weymouth after divorce and encounters Joan. Her deception leads to a brutal assault by King and his gang, but she later joins Simon on his boat.
2. The Boat And The Caves — Simon and Joan develop a romantic connection while King continues to threaten them. Their escape from the cliff house leads them into caves connected to a military bunker.
3. Prisoners Beneath The Coast — The adults meet the isolated children and learn that their lives are controlled through surveillance. Simon and Joan decide to rescue them, drawing King into the plan.
4. The Failed Breakout — Bernard exposes the children's hidden chamber and sends suited men into the caves. The cameras are destroyed, but the attempted escape is met by an ambush.
5. Radiation And Silence — King dies while fleeing with one child, and Simon and Joan become sick during their escape by boat. Bernard explains the children's origin, while the outside world remains unaware of their imprisonmen...