Monsters of Note: the Jersey Devil

Today's Monster of Note is a real monster. People like Father Freak at least have recognizably human motives. But this thing...

The Jersey Devil

Rather than do the usual background stuff, I just want to talk about this thing, because I'm not 100% sure it's human. The traditional "Jersey Devil" was a thing for decades, but this creature has supplanted the old definition in the minds of most people.

The Jersey Devil is a Child of Lilith. The DNA it's left behind tested as human, so there you are. Not that it matters. I don't hesitate to call it a creature, instead of a man. It attacks campers and hikers in the New York and New Jersey areas with unthinking ferocity. It's shown absolutely no signs of self-preservation or any wish to communicate, and attacked park rangers who came too close. It runs from supers, and can somehow sense their presence.

Physical descriptions of the Devil are a mixed bag. Either it has the ability to change shape, or most people are too busy shitting their shorts to get an accurate picture. The most reliable reports come from flying supers who can get a good vantage on the thing. They generally agree that it has a massively exaggerated musculature, claws, fangs, and a snout like a wolf. Sometimes weird, ropy tentacles have entered the description, always coming from the creature's chest - so it might have some sort of extra limbs that aren't visible from the air at a distance.

Naturally the authorities want this thing caught and contained for study. Heroes and villains alike want it gone for their own reasons. There's a standing bounty on information leading to the capture of the beast, and a much larger one for any super (or mundane, but come on) who can actually corral it themselves.

The most successful attempts at capture have involved supers going into the woods in teams and trying to flush it out. There's been an interesting theory proposed, about using a friendly jacker (or chemical means) to de-power a super, send him in alone, and somehow regain his powers at the exact moment the creature is going to strike. Obviously this is a stupid plan, and hard to do, or someone would have pulled it off by now. If you think it sounds daring and fun, take my advice and get your head examined.