David Powers is a fictional character from the 1987 filmThe Lost Boys portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland. In the film David is initially believed to be the main antagonist of the film, being the head of a gang of vampires in the fictional town of Santa Carla, but he is later revealed to have simply been an underling of Max. The character and Sutherland's performance were well received upon the films release, and David has gone on to become regarded as an iconic villain in popular culture, having inspired the depiction vampires both in style as well as characterization since. Analysis of his personality and psychology range from focus on his status as an eternal youth, gang leader, murderer and implied homoerotic tendencies.
Appearances
Film
David is initially portrayed as the main antagonist of the film and is the head of a gang of vampires in the fictional town of Santa Carla. He is later revealed to have simply been an underling of Max, who was the real head vampire.
Literature
David appears in the same role in the 1980s novelization of the film.
Comics
David appears in the comic and in 2016s The Lost Boys.
Television
A television series based on the character and the rest of the vampire gang is in production at The CW focussing on the gang of vampires throughout different points in history. Dakota Shapiro was cast in the role for the first pilot, but was replaced with Lincoln Younes and the character renamed "Benjamin" for the second pilot.
Fictional character biography
Not much is known about David's life before becoming a vampire. At some point he was sired by Max and went on to create his own gang of subordinates. The audience is introduced to David through the eyes of Michael Emerson, and Michael's fascination with a girl named Star, whom David appears to be in a relationship with. The next day Michael meets with Star again, and is provoked by David in participating in a dangerous motorcycle race. Michael is then lured back to David's lair where he undergoes an unsettling initiation before unknowingly drinking blood and becoming a vampire. The gang each hang off the underside of an elevated train and dive off individually. Michael then loses his grip and falls off, waking up in his bed. Michael attempts to confront David about his newly discovered vampirism, who in turn takes David to attack a group of Surf Nazis at a bonfire, hoping to prompt him into killing. Michael however grows uncomfortable and horrified and returns home to his brother, Sam, who has become friends with a group of self-proclaimed vampire hunters Edgar and Alan Frog. Star appears to Michael and reveals that she is a half-vampire as well, and David had intended for Michael to be her first kill, turning her into a full vampire. Michael leads Sam, Edgar and Alan to the vampire lair during the day time while they are hibernating, which results in the death of one of David's underlings - Marko. The group only barely escape as David's hand comes into brief contact with sunlight, while the group escape with Star and Laddie, another half-vampire child. That evening, Michael and Sam's mother, Lucy goes on a date with Max, and her father is out of the house. Leading for the perfect opportunity for Michael, Sam, Edgar and Alan to arm themselves to face the vampires. The vampires attack leading to the deaths of Paul and Dwayne. David and Michael face off, which ends with David being impaled on deer antlers, leaving his final fate unknown.
Reception
Kiefer Sutherland's suave and mysterious portrayal of David was widely acclaimed as a scene stealer throughout the film. David has been recognized as one of the most iconic film villains from the 1980s and one of the most recognizable vampires in film history. Film critic Colin Houlson stated that Sutherland "is moody and seductively scary as David".
Analysis
Jeffrey Weinstock expressed in his book The Vampire Film: Undead Cinema that David is a gender stereotype of a male, always performing and trying to "pass" as a human, and in David's case almost to the point of parody.
Homoerotic interpretation
David, and particularly his interactions with the character Michael, has been read as homoerotic, even Sutherland has nodded to these themes, remarking that the "whole scene where I catch in the fog coming off the bridge... I mean, it’s a very sensual moment!" Harry Benshoff in his book Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film states that with his bleach-blond hair, stuble, earings and leather atire David appears as a gay pin-up model. He interprets the story of the film being that of the "normal" teen Michael being seduced by David's lifestyle. Psychoanalyst Trevor C. Pederson describes David's attempts at recruiting Michael as "obsessive", noting that David even requests that Michael join him even after Michael and his friends have killed all of David's fellow vampires.
Legacy
The image of David showing his fangs for the first time has been picked as the cover for several books, such as John Kenneth Muir's Horror Films of the 1980s and The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead by J Gordon Melton. Joss Whedon has expressed that the character Spikeon the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer was inspired by David. Both David and Spike took visual inspiration from British punk rock icon Billy Idol. Sutherland has stated that Billy Idol was a main source of inspiration for the look of David, while Spike was directly referenced the episode Sleeper where the characters state that Idol took the ideas for his look from Spike. The character became the eponymous vampire to people of the generation the film came out. This can be observed in a meme where in he is seen killing the character Edward Cullen from the Twilight series, reflecting the resentment from vampire fans who feels characters like Edward have "ruined" what was once cool about vampires to audiences, which David stood for.
