Marcus Vanston[1] is Night Vale's wealthiest resident and "our town's greatest citizen," according to Cecil. Some have said he is worth over five billion dollars.[2] And have you seen how many cars that guy owns? Wow.[3]
Vanston's wealth has granted him certain privileges. He is exempt from taxation. As Cecil explains, "When you're worth as much as Marcus Vanston, you have proved your value to society through hard work and determination, and are no longer required to show anyone any further proof that you care about anything or anybody else."[2]
Also, a private branch of the library has been opened specifically for him, where he is safe from the dangerous librarians who work at the public branch. It has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the public library. Marcus intends to stroll through his library nude, staring at ordinary citizens through the glass and not reading any of the books.[3]
Marcus attempted to recruit the toddlers of Night Vale to enroll in the Preschool Chimney Sweep Academy and become chimney sweeps for all the chimneys that he owns (which is to say, all the chimneys in Night Vale).[4] When human, Marcus owned a coffee table made from human bones. He said he needed it.[5] He also owned a cat called Peanut. Being very rich, he taught the cat French. Peanut died of sorrow after Marcus disappeared [6].
Marcus was transformed into an angel during the mayoral debate. His fortune was used by the angels to buy StrexCorp.[5]
Mayoral candidacy[]
Marcus ran for mayor of Night Vale during the Mayoral Election of 2014. He announced his candidacy by remotely launching a literal gold-plated hat into a literal ring that he had constructed in the middle of town. He also had a forty-piece children's choir sing a song composed for his campaign, titled "Hi, I’m Running Too, I Guess. Oh, I’m Marcus Vanston. Whatever. Anyway, I’m Going to be Mayor. Thanks." Onlookers shed tears, possibly because of the gas Marcus added to the air supply.[4]
Marcus participated in a mayoral debate alongside Hiram McDaniels and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home. His statement was delayed because he was busy emailing his assistant, Jake, with what seemed to be a snippet of his autobiography. He then announced that he had invested millions of dollars finding and excavating Hidden Gorge and would be developing a special voting machine to help "streamline" elections. He summed up his attitude about the election as follows: "Everything should work out fine. We'll all be ... just fine. Some of us will be more just fine than others, but again that's also ... that's also just fine."[5]
Marcus was transformed into an angel during the mayoral debate. Since angels do not, of course, exist and cannot legally be thought about, Marcus is presumably no longer in the running.[5]
Ascension and angelic form[]
Midway through the mayoral debate, a caller claiming to be an angel asked Marcus, "If called upon by angels to serve a great good, to serve a great calling, to serve a great war, would you serve?" Marcus, who had been crying, was then transformed into an angel.[5]
Later, there was a sighting of an angel wearing a hand-tailored suit coat and nothing else, looking "both wealthy and mostly nude." Erika was saved from attacking StrexCorp drones by the combined efforts of Leann Hart and Sarah Sultan, president of Night Vale Community College.[7] An angel matching this same description later writes a check to purchase StrexCorp, or at least their property in Night Vale, effectively driving StrexCorp management away permanently.[8]
Some time later, an angel announces that it has donated a coffee table made of human bones to charity and will be using the tax break to invest in the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.[9]
Mentions[]
- Episode 11 "Wheat & Wheat By-Products"
- Episode 27 "First Date"
- Episode 37 "The Auction"
- Live show "The Debate" (vocal appearance)
- Episode 97 "Josefina"
- Episode 100 "Toast" (vocal appearance)
- Episode 119 "EGemony, Part 3: "Love, Among Other Things, Is All You Need""
- Episode 190 "Listeners"
Trivia[]
- The character's name is somewhat similar to another celebrity worth five billion dollars: Richard Branson.
- Definition of "Angel Investor" here is particularly appropriate for Marcus Vanston: "a person who provides financial backing for some undertaking, as a play, political campaign, or business venture".
References[]
- ↑ Spelling of Marcus Vanston
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Episode 11 "Wheat & Wheat By-Products"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Episode 27 "First Date"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Episode 37 "The Auction"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Live show "The Debate"
- ↑ Live show "Ghost Stories"
- ↑ Episode 49A "Old Oak Doors Part A"
- ↑ Episode 49B "Old Oak Doors Part B"
- ↑ Episode 52 "The Retirement of Pamela Winchell"