Since most of Bon’s life has already been discussed through various other chapters of this omnibus, especially Kern’s, I want to use this chapter to talk a little more about Bon as a person rather than lay out his life events.

From the moment Daring Derek breathed life into Bon, there was something off with him. It wasn’t that he was necessarily born evil or anything like that, but he definitely had a knack for doing wrong things. Kern caught him many times stepping on bugs in the sewers and poisoning rats. See, Bon had, and still has, a thing for control. He doesn’t like anyone being above him, and can’t stand the idea of others making decisions for him.

But, worse of all, when he is in control, he likes to abuse his power to remind everyone of their status. To him, there’s nothing better than having someone fear you because it means you have the utmost control over them. You rule their mind, body, and soul. Fortunately for him, he was born with a silver tongue, able to talk his way into and out of any situation he needed to, able to manipulate anyone into trusting him, helping him, even killing for him.

And that’s what he built the entire Panty Mafia off of—manipulation. He got anyone and everyone on his side, starting with his own brother, Kern. When he convinced him and the other stuffed animals to turn on Derek, it wasn’t on a whim, and it wasn’t about him fearing Derek or anything like that. No, he just didn’t like the power Derek had and wanted it all for himself!

He built the ideas for the Panty Mafia entirely himself. The core values, the structure of it, and assigned all of the roles. Most importantly, he planned out which gangs they were going to target first and how they were going to seize Danger’s Cove. Back then, he was smart. Cunning, even. He’d spend hours sitting in front of a board, looking at notes and planning their next move. He had others carry everything out, yeah. But at that point in time every single command was issued by him.

It wasn’t until he had taken the island for himself that he grew complacent. Having a stranglehold on everything and not having to worry about things ever going wrong caused him to dip into excess. Drugs. Liquor. Partying. These days he doesn’t spare a thought towards the gang’s operations unless it’s to yell at somebody, which is why Lucia excites him. She’s a challenge, and that’s something he’s not had in a long time.

But it’s also why Kern leaving pisses him off so much. There’s never been a person who’s defied him so openly and lived, and he’s had his brother under his thumb since the day he was goddamn born. To think that he not only left, but now opposes him? Well, it keeps Bon up at night. The last time he encountered this, he came up with the plan to turn Griswold into a robot, something he could control and bend to his will.

But with Kern, his own brother?

He wants him dead.

TRIVIA

-Bon is, strangely, deeply religious. He believes in an afterlife and is hoping he’ll make enough money to be able to bribe God into accepting him. He’s pretty sure it’s a good plan.

-Speaking of his religious nature, Bon’s never technically killed somebody, and that’s because, despite everything bad he’s ever done, he believes that would be the final nail in the coffin that would doom him to Hell forever. He’s been involved in killings, he’s ordered killings, and he’s accidentally caused people to die--but he’s never directly and intently killed someone.

-Also, though he’s never admitted it, not even to himself, some part of him loved Griswold. Maybe it was because he was the one person who, no matter what he did, Bon couldn’t ever take control of without, well, literally turning him into a robot.

PRODUCTION TRIVIA

-Bon was named after the candy, bonbons!