| Sonia Cronenberg | |
|---|---|
| One off character | |
| First appearance | Whatever Possessed You? |
| Created by | Charlie Higson |
| Portrayed by | Nina Young |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Faceless Lady |
| Aliases | |
| Species | Human (Ghost) |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | |
| Title | |
| Family | |
| Spouse(s) | Charles Cronenberg |
| Significant other(s) | Charles Cronenberg (husband) Captain James Romero (lover) |
| Relatives | Charles Cronenberg (husband) |
| Religion | |
| Nationality | English |
| Born | |
- "Perhaps we need some sad corner like this to help us realise the good things we have in our lives."
- ―Sonia Cronenberg[src]
Sonia Cronenberg was a member of high society who murdered her husband and later became the ghost known as the Faceless Lady.
Biography
A wealthy woman who, in 1951, murdered her husband Charles along with her lover Captain James Romero and planned to flee the country, stopping along the way at the Traveler's Halt. However, that evening, whilst demonstrating a trick to James involving lighting sambuca, Sonia accidentally started a fire, killing them both and burning down half the hotel in the process.
Sonia and James both manage to cling to life not quite as ghosts or mortals, attaching themselves to the hotel and trying to claim human bodies, resulting in a number of deaths, she as the Faceless Lady and James as the Burning Man. However, they eventually realize that they need to find to find two people who are in love, and Sonia possesses Jeannie Hurst whilst she is at the hotel trying to solve the murders, along with Jeff Randall.
Sonia (in Jeannie's body) seduces Jeff and convinces him that they need to reenact the night of the deaths. However, as James is about to possess Jeff, Marty and reporter Roger Whale interfere, and Roger is killed. Jeff and Jeannie leave, seemingly both possessed, but Marty (in Jeff's body) reveals that he has defeated James, and that by leaving the hotel, Sonia has no home. Screaming in anguish, Sonia tries to return to the hotel, but is stopped by Marty's shoe shrinking powers and finally goes to her rest.
Personality and traits
Willing to commit murder to get what she wanted even whilst alive, Sonia had her lover James kill her husband. Despite this cruelty, she was deeply in love with James, recognising him as one of the few things she had in her life, and after death, supporting his weakened spirit for over fifty years. She only became briefly frustrated when James failed in his task to defeat Marty Hopkirk.
After Marty was able to eliminate James, Sonia spitefully responded that she had still been able to destroy Jeannie. After Marty informed her that this was not the case and his luring her out of the hotel had left her without a home, Sonia descended into anguish, but was unable to escape her fate.
Behind the scenes
- Sonia is based loosely on Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.
- Sonia's surname comes from horror director David Cronenberg.
Gallery
