The Making of Destiny's Hand:
Sketch Pad #10 - Elias Houghton
Written by DeFilippis & Weir • Art by Buckethead
Elias Houghton is the son of Governor Houghton and has inherited his father's distaste for pirates. But that's a problem, because Elias is the one guy who will be able to lead Destiny's Hand to the Devil's Eye. Elias is a scholar, a linguist. He's the only one Blaine knows of who is fully fluent in a now-dead tongue. Every map piece, every artifact, every clue leading to the treasure is in that tongue, so if Olivia's going to lead the crew to the treasure that Blaine wants, she's going to have to get Elias' help - whether he wants to give it or not.
Elias is a romantic interest for Olivia, and is also a dramatic and comedic foil for her. He had to be her opposite number - the complete opposite of everything she is - but in a way that generates sparks as much as it generates tension.
So Elias needed to be the anti-Olivia. She wants nothing more than to be a great pirate. He wants nothing to do with piracy. She is educated and articulate but would rather be cussing and brawling. He thinks the life of piracy is the life of illiterate degenerates. She acts first, thinks later. He thinks always. Buckethead captures a sort of nebbishy cuteness with Elias that works perfectly. He looks like someone who'd look down his nose at pirates. But he's cute enough to be worthy of romantic tensions with our lead.
But Buckethead also got the last, key ingredient. He also looks like someone who has a bit of pirate buried within him, doesn't he?
