With the recent release of Halloween Kills, everyone has Michael Myers on the brain. And with so many different timelines and continuities in the Halloween franchise, it’s hard not to overthink the character. Especially considering the vast amount of lore one timeline – the Cult of Thorn trilogy – introduced. While Halloween 4 was especially light on lore, Halloween 5 began introducing elements which would later be fleshed out in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. These elements included the Cult of Thorn tattoo that was mysteriously discovered on Michael’s arm. Now it appears that the novelization for Halloween Kills pays tribute to this same Cult of Thorn tattoo.
As noted via Bloody-Disgusting, Halloween Kills author Tim Waggoner intentionally included several Easter eggs from the franchise in the book. But the Cult of Thorn reference appears on page 85. Instead of Michael Myers, however, this time the tattoo belongs to Tommy Doyle. The character apparently dealt with some major anger issues following his run-in with Michael in the original 1978 film. And getting the tattoo was one of the coping mechanisms he acquired as an adult.
As taken from the book:
“Tommy… in some ways he was the worst of them, including Laurie. Ever since the night that Laurie saved him and Lindsey from Michael, he’d had difficulty controlling his anger. He had a hair-trigger temper, was quick to take offense at any perceived slight, no matter how mild, and he could be irritable, impatient, and impulsive. He’d gotten into a lot of fights in high school, and even more after he’d graduated. He drifted from job to job, unable to hold on to one for any length of time without blowing his top off at someone – usually his boss – or taking a swing at them. He’d gone through a series of relationships, but they never lasted long either. No one wanted to be the partner of someone with such a volatile emotional state.
“… Tommy had been in therapy on and off since his late twenties, and while he’d picked up a lot of psychological tools to help him deal with his anger, it was by no means fully under control. He was so obsessed with Michael and all things Halloween that he’d gotten a tattoo of a Thorn rune on his left arm, and when he was anxious, he rubbed his hand over it subconsciously.”
The references to Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers end here. But seeing as how divisive that film is, along with the rest of the Thorn trilogy, it’s rather interesting to see such a reference made within the Halloween Kills novelization. And it obviously doesn’t carry over into the film version. Nevertheless, it’s a fun reference and another reason to keep fans talking.