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"All I am is a man with my feet on the ground and a brain in my head. And yet, I can bring pain to power just by getting close. I have the only superpower that is not a fraud, because it was evolved through sheer human pain. And that is extraordinary. Because it's real."
Gregory P. Sallinger[2] was a highly intelligent serial killer who became entangled with Jessica Jones and Erik Gelden, whom both discovered what Sallinger had been doing by blackmailing his crimes for money. Sallinger declared war on Jones, toying with her and even after kidnapping Gelden, he is not arrested for it due to the lack of evidence. Although he hired Jeri Hogarth as her lawyer to defend him from Jones, Sallinger learned from Jones that she found evidence that could put him in prison forever. In retaliation and anger, Sallinger killed Dorothy Walker, causing him to get mutilated by Trish Walker, the masked vigilante. Hospitalized, Sallinger coerced Jones into destroying the evidence, but ultimately fell for Jones' trick of catching him committing crime on camera. However, despite being in police custody, Sallinger was killed by the vengeful Trish Walker while being transferred to the New York State Supreme Court Building.
"I was the artist, I even won a contest once, but dad and Donny, they had said the judges had chosen the winner at random, they laughed at how proud I was." "Donny sounds like a real asshole." "He really was, and worse he was unintelligent. I thought when Donny died, that I would become the favorite."
From his younger age, Sallinger was a talented photographer, although struggled to prove himself to his father, who still favored his brother, Donny's talents over his own. When Sallinger had won a photography contest, both his father and Donny mocked his achievement, claiming their judges chose a winner at random. Once Donny died in his tractor accident, Sallinger had hoped he would become the favorite, but this did little to change his father's opinion of him. Instead, his dad said that he wished it had been Sallinger who died, rather than his brother. He even stabbed Sallinger in the chest at the funeral luncheon.[3]
While Sallinger was a young student at Wappingers Falls High School, he became friends with Nathan Silva, whom he would go into his wrestling practice with. However, Sallinger became jealous, as it was clear that Silva had been the more talented wrestler, and then began getting offers to train professionally, resulting in Sallinger murdering his friend out of pure jealously. Following the murder of his close friend, Sallinger then buried his corpse within the back garden for the Silva Residence. As Silva was declared missing, Sallinger had then helped Silva's mother and father to build a gazebo in the garden, as this had hidden where their son's corpse had secretly been buried.
The murder of Silva went unnoticed for years, despite the still ongoing investigations conducted from the Wappingers Falls Police Department to locate him, as Sallinger was able to live his life, being highly regarded by Silva's family.[1] Sallinger had gone on to continue with wrestling, gaining several awards in high school. As he got older, Sallinger then became obsessed proving his great intelligence, as he gained a law degree from Hanover Law School, while Sallinger also studied Psychology and Chemistry at the Riverside Park College, and Engineering in the Holden Finnegan College of Engineering, before gaining his certification to become a wrestling coach at Beckett Community College.[2]
Killer Career[]
Photography and Murder[]
"It was sexy, at first. Abduction scenario, control stuff, but then he just snapped away, and the whole time he complained about that damn, medium-well steak. He said I was a fraud, that I had a Michelin Star for cooking crap. I tried to get past these mind games by kissing him, and he freaked out, like he'd never been kissed by anyone, he bolted out of there."
Having moved to New York City, Sallinger designed his entire life as a respectable member of the community, as he began volunteering to coach wrestling at the Willie Dance Community Center. However, Sallinger had secretly continued with his other life as a serial killer, targeting those whom he deemed to be a cheater or a liar. Sallinger would kidnap his targets and tie them up, before forcing them to confess all their sins for him, photographing his targets during these confessions, before cutting their throats.[2] Sallinger would then take these bodies into the Long Island City Rail Terminal, where he would hide them inside an oil tanker.[4]
While eating at one of his favorite restaurants, Sallinger once became angered about his steak not being to his standard, as he chose to murder the chief, Caspar Marx. Sallinger then requested to photograph Marx, which he accepted, believing it would be a date, only for Sallinger to put Marx into a chokehold, knocking him out and tying him up inside of his kitchen. While Sallinger demanded that Marx confess to being a fraud and his Michelin star was not deserved, as his cooking was awful, Marx misunderstood his intentions to be sexual, as he then kissed Sallinger. This horrified Sallinger, who stormed out of the room, leaving Marx alive.[3]
"Do you know who the guy was? Why he was after you?" "It's what I do." "If you find him, how are you gonna handle him?" "When I find him. Like I said, it's what I do."
At some point, Sallinger encountered Erik Gelden, who had sensed true darkness inside Sallinger and then attempted to extort him with the knowledge of all his crimes, demanding cash in exchange for not going to their New York City Police Department with what he knew of Sallinger's past actions.[2] Since he had no desire to pay Gelden and refused to allow his secret life as a serial killer to become exposed, Sallinger had then tracked down Gelden into Alias Investigations and prepared to kill him, using his butcher knife, that he had taken from his kitchen, as he knocked on the door and waited for Gelden to answer him, ready to stab and kill him.
However, when Jessica Jones, answered the door, Sallinger stabbed her directly into the stomach with the butcher knife instead, as Jones then responded by launching Sallinger backward with considerable force. While Sallinger got back on his feet, Jones had then collapsed due to blood loss before she could confront Sallinger. With the wrong person bleeding out in the hallway, Sallinger fled the scene, ensuring that Jones had not seen his face.[5] However, Jones was just able to survive that attack, as she was taken to Metro-General Hospital, only to lose her spleen as a result of Sallinger's attempt on her life.[6]
"You're doubling down on your grandiose delusion, even though you know you are a fraud. One day you'll meet your match and you'll be exposed." "You think you're my match?" "Oh, God, no. I'm so far beyond you, you look like an ant."
Wanting to prevent their digging into his life, Sallinger went to Jessica Jones' Apartment Building, and then left a bag full of blood drenched money on Jones' desk, paying off Erik Gelden's demands. Eventually, Sallinger returned into his Apartment, only to find Jones had already broken inside and was searching through all of his belongings. However, Sallinger had remained calm and greeted Jones, noting that she wanted to meet him, only for Jones to question if he really did remember her, before Jones then grabbed Sallinger by the shirt as she pinned him against the wall with force.
In response, Sallinger then feigned terror and pain, as he begged for mercy, only for Jones to insist that she had barely touched him, while Sallinger noted that his performance made for an ideal visual, noting that he had cameras hidden in his apartment that were recording her. Sallinger noted that these were there due to New York City's rate of crime, while claiming that he now had proof that a powered woman had broken into his home and assaulted him, promising that all this would result in Jones being sent straight to prison, while Jones then sarcastically complimented Sallinger on researching her history.
However, Sallinger mocked Jones' suggesting, insisting that particle physics required his research, while he had been able to understand who Jones was by that afternoon. Jones then questioned if Sallinger hurt others to make himself feel powerful, or if it took the kill itself to do that, only for Sallinger to instead simply question what Jones was attempting to achieve, to which Jones had told him that she wanted a confession from Sallinger. However, Sallinger refused to give Jones what she wanted, asking what he was supposed to confess to, while Jones said that he already knew, and liked knowing the answers.
Sallinger commented that he had his highly disciplined mind, only for Jones to tell him to ask her about the one answer that he did not yet know, how she found out it was him. While Sallinger claimed that he preferred the mystery, Jones scoffed about this, resulting in Sallinger commenting on Jones' self-importance and narcissism. He went on to claim that Jones focused on her delusion for heroism, covering up a belief that she was a fraud, promising Jones would find her match and be exposed. When Jones questioned if Sallinger believed he was her equal, Sallinger had scoffed, insisting he was vastly superior.
Sallinger then took out the knife he used to stab Jones, as he placed it back on its shelf. As Jones then accused Sallinger of breaking into her apartment, Sallinger noted that she had broken into his, claiming that this was at least fair. Sallinger then advised Jones to take what she had learnt and leave, before he showed her what he wanted, as Sallinger called the New York City Police Department. As Jones then questioned if Sallinger wanted his own padded cell, he insisted that he wanted respect, that he had earned. Sallinger feigned panic to the police, claiming that Jones had attacked him, as Jones then left.[2]
Since he still felt tense from his confrontation with Jessica Jones and Erik Gelden, as well as also coming closer than he wanted to getting exposed as a serial killer, Sallinger had relaxed himself by finding and murdering Bart, as he had then proceeded to brutally cut Bart's neck inside his own apartment, leaving him dead on the sofa. With his Bart dead, Sallinger had calmly used his knives to cut an apple into slices, and snacking on them, ignoring the bloody corpse behind him as he continued to relax.[2]
Sallinger studying the images of his victims
Following his most recent murder, Sallinger had continued to wear a full protective suit and gloves, to ensure he did not leave evidence at the scene. Sallinger then turned Bart's bathroom into his make shift red room, where he had hung up all of the images of Bart's death, as Sallinger had looked through these shots of Bart looking terrified and begging for mercy, while he confessed his sins. Sallinger took one of the images to the mirror, and studied his own face, as he attempted to replicate these emotions, as he then practiced begging for mercy and looking pathetic. Satisfied with his work, Sallinger then began to pack away all of his belongings, ready to begin the final clean up.
Sallinger finishes cleaning out any evidence
Sallinger carefully cleaned the bathroom and put his weapons as well as his camera equipment into his bag, before cleaning the apartment, ensuring that there was no risk of him leaving any evidence. Sallinger then packed up several essential items for a trip and had used Bart's phone to then text his employer, claiming that he had quit his job, for personal reasons, and would also be leaving New York City for a few days, giving an alibi for Bart's sudden disappearances. Sallinger then took out all the bags of equipment, personal belongings, and his own suitcase containing the corpse, commenting on his good work.
Sallinger hiding photographs of his victims
Sallinger then took these suitcases as he causally left the apartment, turning off all the lights behind him, before Sallinger then went back downstairs and walked through New York, with all the people around him completely unaware of anything suspicious about a man carrying two larger suitcases. Sallinger returned into his Apartment, where he took out some of those images from his bag, before pulling a bureau away from his wall, in order to add these images to his hidden folder, which contained his photographs of his many victims. Once Sallinger had finished hiding away the evidence, he had left his apartment.[4]
Tormenting Erik Gelden[]
Sallinger sitting down at a bench by himself
"A smart guy, would not threaten someone that can put him in prison, a smart guy would know I'll rip his nuts out through his throat if he threatens me. Are you smart, asshole?" "You can't comprehend what I am."
Walking through New York City, Sallinger eventually stopped, as he took his seat onto a bench to read the New York Bulletin. However, Sallinger had really gone there to observe the prostitutes, who were working across the street, as he observed Gor calling over Brianna Gelden to pay him, as Gor confronted Gelden for not paying him the full amount, which she eventually handed over. Sallinger had then observed Erik Gelden arriving in a taxi, intending to speak with his sister in order to protect her from Sallinger.
Sallinger then calmly stood up and politely greeted Gelden, who was completely horrified to see him there, before he then questioned how Gelden had been able to locate him, to which Gelden claimed that he slipped up, which Sallinger denied, insisting that it would be Gelden who was prone to slip ups. Sallinger told Gelden that he had followed those broken pieces that he had left behind, looking over to Gelden's sister, making a clear threat against her. However, Gelden responded by placing his hands on Sallinger's shoulders, as he then warned that a smart man would not threaten a man who could put him in prison.
Sallinger still remained relaxed, while Gelden then also threatened to murder him if he ever dared to continue threatening him or his family. Once Gelden questioned if Sallinger was really smart, Sallinger then responded by insisting that Gelden could not even comprehend what he was. With that, Sallinger then turned back towards Gelden's sister and had observed that she looked lovely, making another clear threat against her safety. Sallinger watched Gelden walk away from him and pay Gor some cash, before then taking his sister away into the motel, intending to protect her from Sallinger by swiftly leaving the city.[4]
Once Sallinger had returned into his Apartment, he then attempted to relax with a cup of tea and some research. However, just as Sallinger got settled, he witnessed a bag, containing one severed human hand being thrown through his apartment window, as Sallinger rushed over to window, to try and see who had thrown it, before then shutting the window and closing the blinds. Sallinger then got down onto the floor and studied the severed hand closely, questioning if he had actually known who the hand once belonged to.
Sallinger then crawled towards the wall and turned off all of his lights, before taking his phone and crawling back to the window, as he then looked out and caught Jessica Jones in the street. Sallinger had then called 911 to inform the New York City Police Department of what was happening, as he just complained that Jones was loitering outside of his building, hoping this caused enough of a distraction to get away. Once the police had arrived to speak with Jones, Sallinger had then put the severed hand inside of his backpack, and exited his apartment, taking the fire exit to avoid being seen by the police.
Sallinger puts the hand inside the Oil Tanker
Sallinger proceeded to go to Long Island City Rail Terminal, where he had intended to dispose of that severed hand, along with the rest of the corpses of his victims. Sallinger found the oil tanker that he used, as he left the severed hand in and sealed it. However, while Sallinger then walked away, he overheard the sound of the steel doors getting slammed shut, as Jones had followed him there to investigate, before accidentally trigging Sallinger's booby trap inside the tanker, trapping her inside with a poisonous gas. Before he could leave, Sallinger was then ambushed by Trish Walker, who knocked him to the ground.
While Sallinger got back on his feet, and had then readied himself to fight Walker, they heard the sound from Jones banging on the tanker's walls, desperately attempting to escape, as Sallinger warned Walker that Jones only had thirty seconds remaining, before she suffocated to death inside of the tanker, while Sallinger mockingly counted down to add to his threat. Knowing Walker would still prioritize rescuing her sister over stopping him, Sallinger had then run away, leaving Walker to go straight back toward the tanker, and pull Jones to safety before she suffocated from the poison gas, while Sallinger had escaped.[4]
"You've teamed with an arrogant alcoholic who embodies fortune over ability. She has not earned her powers. She's cheated." "Yeah. Cheaters suck." "And because she has cheated, you two were able to do me harm."
Enraged that Jessica Jones and Trish Walker had been able to locate and expose the location of all the people he had murdered, Sallinger decided to get revenge by capturing Erik Gelden. Sallinger had found Gelden's Apartment and burst inside, immediately getting Gelden into a headlock, which he struggled to get free from. Although Gelden briefly managed to break Sallinger's grip by elbowing him into the gut, and then removing his mask, Sallinger soon regained control of the struggle and chocked out Gelden, leaving him unconscious.[4]
Sallinger proceeded to take Gelden into the restaurant kitchen, where he had duct-taped Gelden's mouth and tied up his hands. Eventually, Sallinger saw that Gelden had woken up and collapsed onto the floor in a panic, as Sallinger knelt down to the ground and told Gelden that he was spoiling his shot, before then dragging Gelden back upright. Sallinger noted that he would usually do these shoots in his victim's private home, but he could not do that since Gelden did not have his home, as he noted that nobody would be able to distract them there, while Sallinger took a light reading, preparing to take his shot.
Gelden questioned if this was actually a photoshoot, as he noted that this seemed more like a murder situations, although Sallinger insisted that this was merely incidental, telling Gelden that what he captured on film was the point. Gelden had acknowledged that he blackmailed Sallinger, which he knew had angered him, since he did not want his secret to be exposed, although Sallinger admitted that it was too late for that, since Jones and Walker had found all his victims at the Long Island City Rail Terminal, which forced him to move, as Sallinger told Gelden that he intended to witness him realizing his true worth.
Sallinger had told Gelden that he was crippled by his good looks and charm, which gave him a pride, with his underfed mind, before noting that Gelden had now teamed up with Jones, who he described as an arrogant alcoholic who had never earned her powers, claiming Jones had cheated. Sallinger then noted that, because Jones had cheated, they were able to harm him, insisting this was unfair. Despite Gelden claiming to understand these points, Sallinger claimed that he did not see yet, as Sallinger prepared to begin. However, Sallinger first asked Gelden how exactly he had been able to find out about him.[3]
"I'm not seeing it, I need an honest assessment of your falsity, all I'm seeing now is vanity and lies." "Well, that's bad." "This photograph is to be your apology, for casting others in shadow while you soaked up sunlight you didn't deserve."
Sallinger was then informed by Erik Gelden that it was actually due to the actions of Jessica Jones that all his killings had been discovered. Following this discovery, Sallinger noticed that Jones was attempting to call Gelden, as he answered the phone instead, much to Jones' horror. While Gelden attempted to tell Jones where they were, Sallinger held his knife to Gelden's throat, as Jones had threatened to kill him if he harmed Gelden. Sallinger had then challenged Jones to find them, warning that if she failed, Gelden would then be slaughtered, before then hanging up the phone call.
Sallinger had to acknowledged that Jones was after him, which he chuckled at, claiming that it would be flattering if it was not for the hubris from Jones. Sallinger had set up his camera directly in front of Gelden, telling him that it was now time for them to capture his truth, starting with Gelden telling him who was, as Sallinger had begun taking his photographs. Sallinger kept watching and photographing Gelden, as he then confessed to having taken advantage of multiple people, which Gelden claimed to regret, although Sallinger doubted that Gelden was telling him the truth, while Gelden had also claimed to have missed chances to help others, due to him being selfish.
However, Sallinger had remained unconvinced that he got the honest truth from Gelden, as he responded by picking up a knife and cutting Gelden's shoulder, demanding honesty from him, since he was only seeing vanity and lies from Gelden. Sallinger went on to explain that his photograph would serve as Gelden's apology, as he claimed that he had been soaking up sunlights he did not deserve, while leaving others in shadow. Seeing Gelden's pained reactions, Sallinger asked if it was his sorry face, to which Gelden claimed to be in a lot of pain, although Sallinger simply claimed that pained helped him focus.
As Sallinger noted how his father and brother taught him about pain, Gelden questioned if there was more of him, while Sallinger insisted that was only one of him. As Gelden asked what his brother's name had been, Sallinger chuckled at these attempts to keep him talking in order to distract him and buy extra time, only to compare Gelden to his brother, whom he named. Sallinger explained that Donny had also wanted to be a photographer, with their father praising Donny's skills, as Sallinger insisted he was the true artist, commenting on winning a contest, only for Donny and his father to dismiss the achievement.
Sallinger shows hatred towards his family
Sallinger and Gelden agreed that Donny had been an asshole, while Sallinger noted that he had also been unintelligent, commenting on his hopes that once Donny died, he would be the favorite child, only for his father to express his desire that Sallinger died rather than his Donny. As Gelden suggested that this had not been literal, Sallinger then noted that his father stabbed him at Donny's funeral luncheon. Sallinger had then told Gelden that he would soon die, commenting on how he had been given advantages in life, only to make mistakes, while also never working hard or making any efforts to improve.
Sallinger took another photograph of Gelden, becoming annoyed, as he insisted that the photographs were not good enough, noting that Gelden still believed he could lie directly to him, commenting on the dishonesty of what he had been saying. However, once Sallinger had then stepped closer to Gelden, he then noticed that he appeared to have considerably more agony the closer he got to him, questioning what was wrong with him, which Gelden dismissed as only having a headache, mockingly claiming that headaches happened serial killers holding him hostage did not give him lunch, which Sallinger denied.
Sallinger had then grabbed hold of Gelden's head, causing Gelden to scream in agony from his touch, causing a nosebleed, which stopped once Sallinger had let him go. Sallinger had then deduced that it was his presence that was causing Gelden so much pain, suggesting that Gelden had somehow become deathly allergic to him, which Gelden attempted to dismiss, as he claimed the concept was crazy. Sallinger then tested the theories once again, placing both hands on Gelden's head, which causing him so much pain that Gelden's eyeballs began bleeding, as Sallinger questioned why he was doing this to him.
Despite the agony that he was in, Gelden then explained to Sallinger that this reaction was because he could feel the complete empty void of Sallinger's soul, which he described as sick and evil, and calling it a hole of blackness, much to the complete disgust of Sallinger. While Gelden told Sallinger that he was barely even human, Sallinger took his hands away from his head and stepped back, as he realized that Gelden actually had powers. Sallinger lifted his knife, as he claimed that Gelden was a cheater, much like Jones, only for Gelden to smile at him, as he questioned if Sallinger had been surprised by this.[3]
Captured by Jessica Jones[]
Sallinger explains his motive of his murders
"Those are the things you're sensing, not evil. You cheaters, you all think you're so superior, but it's just an unfair advantage, like lifts in your shoes."
Taking a break from his torture, Sallinger asked Erik Gelden about his power, noting that he was able to make him cry blood, questioning if it happened to him a lot, which Gelden denied. Sallinger questioned if this had actually happened because of his lack of empathy and due to him being evil, only for Sallinger to insist that evil was the wrong word to use, telling Gelden that he had been asserting fairness into an unfair world, as he acknowledged that he was without pity and appropriately cruel.
Sallinger declares his belief on superiority
Sallinger insisted that this was what Gelden sensed inside him, while claiming that this was not evil. Sallinger then picked up a knife, as he complained that all those with powers had believed themselves to be superior, claiming that it was actually just an unfair advantage, which he compared to having lifts inside of shoes. Sallinger insisted that he was just a man with his feet onto the ground, and a brain in his head, but he had the ability to bring pain to power simply by getting closer to Gelden, claiming that he had the only power which was not fraud, as it was evolved through his human pain, calling it extraordinary.
Sallinger began to demand that Gelden confess that this power was the only one that was real, while he tormented him by threatening to touch him again. However, just as Sallinger got close to him, Gelden managed to break free of his ties and punched Sallinger in the head, knocking him onto the ground, before Gelden attempted to escape. However, Sallinger was able to catch up to Gelden, as he proceeded to throw him against the counter, before knocking him down the floor, as he held his knife up to Gelden's throat, as he once again furiously demanded that Gelden confess that his power was actually real.
However, before Sallinger could cut Gelden's throat, he then saw the lights in the kitchen being shut down, before Jessica Jones and Trish Walker burst inside, with Jones launching Sallinger off Gelden, before going to Gelden's aid. Sallinger then attempted to hide himself in the darkness, while Walker searched for him, before he charged towards Jones and Gelden, attempting to stab him. However, Jones was able to knock Sallinger to the floor, before he got back up and attempted to attack Walker, who simply blocked and disarmed him, while Jones hit Sallinger's head into the counter, knocking him unconscious.[3]
Seeking Revenge[]
Released from Custody[]
Sallinger being called for a public interview
"I've worked hard for every advantage that I have gotten. These powered people, they feel entitled and they feel superior. They refer to themselves as heroes. But Jessica Jones did not save me, and she certainly didn't save the victims at that train yard."
Following the kidnapping of Erik Gelden, Sallinger had been arrested by the New York City Police Department. However, due to everything Sallinger had done to protect himself over the years, the police were unable to find any physical evidence in his Apartment, or anything to tie him with those bodies found in the Long Island City Rail Terminal, as he ended up being held only on the trespassing charges, as Gelden was unwilling to be a witness, as he would be arrested for blackmail, and with only Jessica Jones giving evidence, her testimony was not considered trustworthy, as Sallinger argued that Jones was harassing him and he had hidden from her.
Sallinger makes his claims about his assault
With Blake Tower refusing to touch the case, eventually Sallinger had managed to obtain representation from Jeri Hogarth, at Hogarth & Associates.[3] As Hogarth was representing him, Sallinger had gotten released from police custody, as he stepped out of the 15th Precinct Police Station to find multiple reporters waiting for them, questioning his connection with all those bodies found at the train yard. However, Hogarth then spoke to the press on Sallinger's behalf, insisting that the police had been misinformed about Sallinger's connection to the bodies that had been found, denying he was seen at the train yard.
Despite Hogarth attempting to control their situation, Sallinger spoke up and had then told the press that the police had simply been doing their jobs, before telling them that the misinformation had been given to the police by Jones, while calling her a vigilante. Sallinger went on to claim that Jones had broken into his apartment and assaulted him, claiming to not know why she was trying to tie him to these murders, suggesting that Jones thought of him as an easy target, since he was a single, white male, calling Jones a feminist vindicator, with Hogarth still attempting to regain her control, as she spoke over Sallinger.
However, Sallinger told the presses that Jones had not been working alone, telling them about Trish Walker, whom he could not name, but suggested that they had been attempting to take control over these nights. As the press questioned what that other vigilante looked like, Sallinger then confessed that she wore her mask to hide her identity, pointing to all the bruises on his face and explaining that Jones and Walker did it to him. Sallinger had expressed his view that powered people felt entitled and superior, while referring to themselves as the heroes. Sallinger then spotted Jones in the crowd, as he pointed her out and made the press chase her down, forcing Jones to leave.
While Sallinger claimed that Jones failed to save him or the victims in the train yard, Hogarth ended the press conference, claiming that the police had arrested an innocent man, who they had kept in overnight to intimidate him into confessing to the accusations. Once they were alone, Sallinger was confronted by Hogarth about him not telling her about the second vigilante, to which Sallinger claimed that the police would not have believed him, while Hogarth then noted that she may have. Sallinger noted that he had made headlines by telling all that to the press, as Hogarth had wanted his case to be in the public eye.
However, Hogarth had then confronted Sallinger about calling Jones a feminist vindicator who terrorized him, as Sallinger claimed that he thought it would play to their base. While Hogarth accused of slander against Jones, Sallinger insisted that this was only slander, if untrue, noting that he had his law degree from Hanover Law School. Despite his claims, Hogarth reminded Sallinger that she had multiple murder charges thrown out of court, noting that she only lost cases when her clients had undermined her, although Sallinger noted that he disliked unfounded arrogance, telling Hogarth to prove her worth to him.[1]
"You admire her, don't you? You carry on like a true fan." "I have found her extremely effective, formidable and unwavering. Underestimating her would be a mistake." "As would overestimating her. She doesn't understand the value of hard work, not like we do. We have earned our respect."
Sallinger had later been called into his client meeting at the Hogarth & Associates Law Office in order to discuss his case, where he sat down with Jeri Hogarth and Zaya Okonjo, as he claimed that Jessica Jones and all her ongoing actions were the actual threat that they should be dealing with, suggesting he was being blamed for her crimes. Sallinger claimed that people worshiped superheroes as gods, and claimed that they were causalities of biochemical mishaps.
Hogarth had noted that Jones would not stop pursuing Sallinger, but had noted that Jones still hated being in the public eye, which would become something they could exploit. Sallinger was then informed that this second vigilante had been confirmed to have attacked Reid Pearson, as well as Sallinger, which would also prove to be another advantage for them. Hogarth then noted that if Sallinger had anything damaging in his history, it would be uncovered by Jones, suggesting it was time for Sallinger to disclose anything that could soon be used against him, only for Sallinger to ask if Hogarth admired Jones.
Sallinger noting on everyone's hard work
Sallinger noted that Hogarth spoke about Jones as if she was a true fan of hers, to which Hogarth admitted that she had found Jones to be extremely effective, suggesting that underestimating Jones would be a mistake. However, Sallinger claimed that it would be a mistake to overestimate Jones, as he insisted that Jones did not understand the value of hard work. Sallinger noted that they had all earned their respect, as Hogarth went from a trailer park to then running Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz, and Hogarth & Associates, before noting that Okonjo graduated from Harvard University as Magna Cum Laude.
However, before Sallinger could continue, he was interrupted by the arrival of Malcolm Ducasse, who first apologized for being late, as he introduced himself to Sallinger and shook his hand, as Hogarth then explained that Ducasse was their in-house investigator and security expert, while Sallinger then complained that he was not informed that Ducasse would be part of their team, as he preferred to be prepared. However, Hogarth noted that Ducasse had been trained up by Jones, causing Sallinger to then question who he actually remained loyal to, to which Ducasse simply insisted that he was loyal to himself.
Having closely looked at Ducasse, Sallinger had then noted the black eye on his face, asking if it was normal in his line of work, while using the correct medical descriptions of that injury. In response, Ducasse noted that it was not usual, but that he was not afraid to fight for the right causes, while Sallinger had considered that answer, noting that they would see. Their meeting was then ended by Hogarth, who had noted that now that Sallinger was officially the client for Hogarth & Associates, it would be time for them all to get to work on the strong defense for him, before she led Sallinger out from the building.[1]
"You'll beat me to a pulp? Replying on an unfair advantage, again? Or maybe you actually think that you can fight a fair fight? Rules are simple." "You don't want to do that." "You cannot control yourself, you have no discipline, just brute force."
Sallinger returned to Willie Dance Community Center, where he had continued coaching a group of young people in wrestling, while also inviting Sophia to demonstrate the moves, as he walked around the class, and demonstrated the correct moves for the students. As he had continued the training of these students, Sallinger looked towards the door and then spotted Jessica Jones spying on him, as he remained calm and instead simply invited Jones to join him at their class, which she reluctantly accepted.
Sallinger discusses having his own integrity
As she joined their class, Jones had questioned if Sallinger had been honing his skills on these younger children, to which Sallinger noted that they worked hard and had integrity, while he had claimed Jones would not understand this. Jones suggested that these children had enough lessons from him and had ordered Sallinger to end the class, which he refused to do, noting that he would be cheating them all of their training. They were then interrupted by one of the students, who complained that he had lost his partner, to which Sallinger suggested that he practice his stances alone, which Jones scoffed at.
Sallinger questioned if Jones planned on assaulting him once again, noting that they were in public this time, but Jones insisted that she would not if he got far away from those children, although Sallinger simply continued to question if she would beat him up if he refused, noting that Jones was relying on an unfair advantage. Sallinger then questioned if Jones believed that she could win the fair fight against him, as he invited Jones to go onto the matt and wrestle against him, although Jones had insisted that Sallinger did not want to do that, to which Sallinger suggested that she could not control herself.
Sallinger went on to claimed that Jones had no discipline, and relied on her brute force, as Jones simply noted that Sallinger wanted her to assault him, as he believed she would lose her temper while being filmed, which would help Sallinger's case against her, which Sallinger claimed was in her nature. Sallinger had noted that people wanted to know the truth about her, to which Jones then suggested that people actually liked to see somebody fighting back against the psychopath who destroyed lives, which clearly angered Sallinger. However, Jones then stepped onto the matt, and invited Sallinger to school her.
Sallinger proceeded to blew the whistle, as he ordered the students to step off the matt, before explaining the rules to Jones, noting what would get her disqualified, explaining what it would take for them to win the match, as Sallinger noted that he would not ask Jones to go easy on him, as he knew she would not. Sallinger then assumed his stance, as he prepared to tackle Jones, who merely scoffed at him, only for Sallinger to note that she could get disqualified if she failed to do anything, although Jones insisted that she was just waiting for Sallinger to show her some moves, as he got into position.
Sallinger then managed to grab ahold of Jones' leg, throwing her off balance and knocking her onto her back, as he had attempted to pin her down, with Sallinger looking down at Jones, also noting that she would not be able to hold herself back for long, telling his student to count them down. However, Jones asked Sallinger if he had used his same technique to murder Nathan Silva, which had caused Sallinger to loosen his grip over her, before Jones threw him across their matt with considerable force, causing their students to applaud her, much to Sallinger's considerable annoyance while Jones mocked him.
Once the enraged Sallinger had then attempted to tackle Jones, she simply moved aside and then threw him across the matt once again, causing more cheers from the students. Sallinger once again charged at Jones, only to then realize that he was unable to knock her down, as she remained unmovable to him, as she proceeded to lift Sallinger into the air and slammed him down onto the matt. Once Jones pulled him back onto his feet, Sallinger claimed that the students only saw a cheater when they looked at her, to which Jones accused Sallinger of lying to himself, before throwing him back down to the ground.
With his class of students cheering for Jones, Sallinger attempted to get back on his feet, only for Jones to causally walk around him, as she placed her foot on Sallinger's chest to hold him down, admitting that because she did not body slam him, she had technically lost the match. While lying on the ground, Sallinger insisted that they would see what Jones was, as would the rest of the world, only for Jones to say that she welcomed it. Jones had then walked out of the building, telling the students that their class was over, leaving Sallinger on the ground, while several people had filmed him on their phones.[1]
"By seven p.m. tonight, a life will end because of you. You think super means superior. It doesn't, and you're not. I'm going to prove it. Your hero charade will end where it began."
Knowing that his Apartment was being kept under close surveillance by the New York City Police Department, Sallinger then decided that he would sneak out, as he had secretly hired Joby to come and stay inside the apartment, wearing his clothes, to fool the police. Sallinger recorded his InstaYap video of a random woman inside a cafe, which he sent to Jessica Jones, as he threatened to kill someone by that evening, promising that Jones would not be able to stop him. Sallinger then walked through New York City, avoiding the police, awaiting Jones' response.
However, once Sallinger got the response video from Jones, he saw that she was inside his apartment, as she began smashing all of the certificates that Sallinger had earned from Holden Finnegan College of Engineering, and Hanover Law School, among others, which had horrified Sallinger, as Jones mocked his accomplishments. As Jones destroyed his wrestling trophies from Wappingers Falls High School, Sallinger cursed out loud. Jones then told Sallinger through the video that his accomplishments were lies, which he was also full of, before then ending the video, which had left Sallinger utterly enraged.
Sallinger had then recorded a second video, in which he claimed that destroying his property was stupid and crude, noting that this was all that Jones was capable of. As Sallinger continued filming that same dark haired woman, he once again promised that by seven p.m., the world would understand that Jones was the fraud, before ending the video. However, this was all a distraction, as Sallinger instead went to the Apartment of Dorothy Walker, where he then put on a ski mask to captured her, torturing and photographing her, as she had begged for mercy, before cutting her throat and leaving her dead body behind.
Sallinger advises the officers to let him pass
Following the murder of Walker, Sallinger calmly returned to his apartment with a cup of coffee, where he was stopped by two police officers, who then demanded to know where he had been. However, Sallinger had questioned if they would arrest him for getting a cup of coffee, suggesting that he could call up Hogarth & Associates and have Jeri Hogarth arrange a press conference, where he would then accuse them of harassing him. Sallinger then told the officers that he would return into his apartment, threatening that if they attempted to stop him, he would ensure that they lost their jobs from the force.
Sallinger cleans up his broken possessions
As Sallinger stepped back into his Apartment, he then discovered all of his certificates and trophies had been smashed and torn by Jones, leaving broken glass over his floor, much to his dismay. Sallinger then got to work tidying up all his broken belongings, as he found that the case containing his worms had not been destroyed, which he placed down upon his counter. However, Sallinger still lifted up the lid of the container and then took out a handful of the dirt, to closely examine, before he continued with his cleaning up of all that broken glass, and all of the torn certificates, which had been left behind by Jones.[7]
Sallinger had believed that the murder of Dorothy Walker would result in Jessica Jones seeking her revenge, as he had proceeded to rip out of the lights for his Apartment, and then awaited her arrival. However, Sallinger was instead ambushed by the second vigilante, who kicked down the door, as Sallinger had attempted to use the darkness to his advantage, as he charged at her with a knife, only for the vigilante to avoid the attack throw him aside, before repeatedly kicking him in the head, knocking Sallinger back.
Turning on a single light, Sallinger questioned where Jones was, only for the vigilante to reveal herself as Trish Walker, much to Sallinger's surprise. Sallinger then realized that Walker did not need the light to see, before she had charged forward and threw a trophy at Sallinger, which he avoided, before attempted to attack her with his knife, only for Walker to trap his arm and disarm him. Walker then proceeded to strike Sallinger multiple times in the head, knocking him down to the ground, as he gasped from pain, with Walker questioning if that was what her mother sounded like when he brutally murdered her.
Sallinger was able to use Walker's emotions against her, as he threw her off him and attempted to trap her in a headlock, only for Walker to launch them both backwards, freeing herself before she punched Sallinger into the head again. While on the floor, Sallinger was able to reclaim his knife, as he attempted to slash at Walker with it, only for Walker to take the blade from him and cut his arm, before knocking him down and got him into a chokehold. While she was holding onto Sallinger, Walker had proceeded to drag her fingernails down across his face, cutting into his skin and causing permanent scarring.
With Walker tearing deep into his skin, Sallinger had then screamed out in complete agony, before Walker then dropped him on the floor, which left Sallinger beaten down, and in too much agony to continue defending himself. Walker then proceeded to take Sallinger's blade, as she grabbed ahold of his hair and held him up, prepared to cut his throat and kill him.[8] However, before Walker could murder Sallinger, she was interrupted by the arrival of Jones, who had ordered Walker to stop. When Walker still attempted to murder Sallinger, Jones then managed to knock Walker to the ground, saving Sallinger's life.[7]
Sallinger collapsed from the pain, bleeding heavily from the wounds that Walker had inflicted upon him, as Jones desperately attempted to convince Walker to leave and not murder Sallinger, claiming that if she killed him, then she would become the bad guy. With Walker still determined to murder a man who had tortured and killed her mother, Jones had been forced to punch Walker into the head, knocking her out, before they escaped. The New York City Police Department then entered the apartment and found Sallinger, who they took straight to the Metro-General Hospital to get treatment for his wounds.[9]
"You want me to be afraid, but it's you that's scared out of your mind." "Of you? Try again, asshole." "No, you're scared of losing her. You've failed so many people that she's all you have left. So, you're going to destroy any evidence of Nathan Silva's body that can be traced back to me."
Following the assault, Sallinger was then taken to the Metro-General Hospital for his surgery, before he spoke to the New York City Police Department, telling them that he had been attacked by the masked vigilante, but had also chosen not to reveal that it had been Trish Walker. Sallinger then also told the police that he was fearful of his life and demanded police protection during his stay in their hospital. Sallinger then sent Jessica Jones his photograph of Walker attacking him, showing that he could expose her.
Inside the hospital, Sallinger was taken downstairs inside the elevator to go into his room, only for them to be stopped by Jones, disguised in scrubs and tricked the nurse into believing that Sallinger had to go back upstairs for his plastic surgery. Once they were alone, Sallinger had commented that his portrait of Walker had captured her rage, as he noted that he had wanted it to be Jones, so that he could expose her true nature. When Jones told him that he did not want to see her true nature, Sallinger had mockingly noted that he had already had a peak at it, before Jones then demanded to know what he wanted.
Sallinger had told Jones that he wanted to stay out of prison, and for Jones to help him with that, only for Jones to threaten to finish what Walker had started. Sallinger noted that Jones clearly wanted him to be afraid, but suggested that it was really Jones who was scared out of her mind, which she denied. Sallinger suggested that Jones was scared of losing Walker, since she had already failed so many people in her life, and Walker was the only person she had left. Sallinger then ordered Jones to destroy all the evidence left on Nathan Silva's body that could be traced back to him, which Jones had refused to do.
Sallinger had then promised that he would release his photograph of Walker attacking him if he was arrested, before he suggested Jones knew where Walker would end up if she was exposed and captured. Sallinger reminded Jones that nobody actually knew what happened to the prisoners sent to the Raft, since nobody would ever hear from them again. Jones asked how she would know that Sallinger would hold up his end of their bargain, to which Sallinger simply told Jones that she had no choice. Once their elevator opened, Jones promised to kill Sallinger if anything happened to Walker, before she left.
While Sallinger was inside his hospital room, getting all his bandages changed by one of the nurses, he got a phone call from Jones, as he then asked the nurse to leave him. Answering the call, Sallinger was simply told by Jones that her task was done, as she had managed to destroy all the evidence that was left on Silva's body, resulting with it being impossible for Eddy Costa to link Sallinger to the death of Silva or Dorothy Walker. Sallinger had told Jones that this meant that their conflict was also done, before hanging up the call, before inviting the nurse back into the room to continue treating all of his scarring.[9]
"It tortured your sister to do what she did to save you. In vain, obviously, if you murder me anyways." "It's not murder, it's justice." "You're a liar. You kill because it makes you feel powerful." "No, that's your MO." "No, it's a byproduct of my work."
In the wake of Dorothy Walker's murder, Hogarth & Associates had decided to end their legal arrangement with Sallinger, resulting in Jeri Hogarth no longer being his lawyer.[10] As he was sat in his hospital bed, Sallinger had noticed Gorman refusing to allow Trish Walker to visit him, although Sallinger told her that it would be okay. Once they were alone, Sallinger had told Walker that he had made a deal with Jessica Jones, as she noted that he did not make the same deal with her, as she clearly threatened him.
Remaining calm, Sallinger then noted that if Walker had attempted to kill him, she would then become arrested by the New York City Police Department, to which Walker insisted that she was not scared of jail. However, Sallinger questioned if she would be scared of the bullet in her head, reminding Walker that she had already assaulted two other police officers. Despite all these warnings, Walker stepped closer to Sallinger, making him nervous, as Walker warned him that the police could not protect him forever. Changing tactics, Sallinger told Walker that Jones had been tortured by what she did to protect Walker.
Sallinger had then suggested that if Walker murdered him, everything that Jones did for her would be in vain, to which Walker insisted that this would not be a murder, but a justice. However, Sallinger had then accused Walker of being a liar and telling her that she killed because it made her feel powerful, despite Walker also claiming that this was Sallinger's motive. Sallinger claimed that his feelings of power were a byproduct of his work, which had angered Walker, who questioned if he was referring to all these torture porn photographs as his work, to which Sallinger noted that she had not found his latest piece.
Seeing that Walker clearly did not understand what he was referring to, Sallinger claimed that he had left this in the most obvious place, promising that Walker would find the piece to be very honest, which he had done. Sallinger then witnessed Walker storming out of Metro-General Hospital, as he knew that she would now be going straight back to her mother's Apartment, where Sallinger had left the portraits of her mother inside of an album dedicated to It's Patsy, which had been kept by Dorothy. Sallinger had hoped that this discovery would drive Walker to the point of insanity, turning her into a monster.[8]
Since the evidence that had been left on Nathan Silva's corpse had been destroyed, Sallinger was no longer being held by the New York City Police Department, which had also resulted in the police leaving his room, as they were no longer obliged to protect him. Despite his pain, Sallinger decided to leave Metro-General Hospital, despite the objections of a nurse, who insisted he would be safe, although Sallinger insisted that he could protect himself.
However, Sallinger was barely able to walk down the corridor, before he had to then stop due to the pain he was in. Before he could make his way out, Sallinger had then witnessed Jessica Jones stepping out from the elevator and heading towards him, as she told him that she would be getting him out of there, although Sallinger insisted that he could do this himself. However, as they were making their way to the elevator, Sallinger and Jones were ambushed by Trish Walker, as she immediately punched Sallinger in the face, only for Jones to stand in between them in order to protect Sallinger, to Walker's shock.
Sallinger witnessed Jones and Walker arguing about their situation, with Jones insisting that she was not trying to protect Sallinger, but protect Walker from going too far. Once Walker attempted to assault Sallinger again, Jones grabbed her and threw her down the corridor, before grabbing Sallinger and dragging him into the elevator, which barely closed, before Walker could catch up to them. Sallinger then questioned why Jones was running, insisting that she could defeat Walker in a fight, promising that the fight between Jones and Walker was inevitable, which Jones had simply attempted to ignore.
As another couple stepped inside of the elevator with them, a woman then expressed her sympathies to Sallinger upon seeing all his heavy facial scarring, although Jones insisted that she should not waste her sympathies on Sallinger. As the elevator opened once again to allow a doctor inside, Sallinger then witnessed Walker landing onto the roof of the elevator, as Jones then dragged him away before Walker could get inside. Sallinger was then forced to follow Jones, as she dragged him up their stairs in order to evade Walker, although Sallinger simply questioned why they were not going downstairs towards the exit.
Sallinger questioned if Jones was planning on throwing him from the roof of the hospital, to which Jones explained that Walker could not jump as far as she could. Sallinger had then continued to insist that the fight between Jones and Walker would be inevitable, promising that Walker would not give up her quest to kill him. However, Jones responded by grabbing Sallinger by the throat and pinning him to the wall, while demanding that Sallinger not say Walker's name out loud. Sallinger had noted that Jones was taking the easy way out, to which Jones noted that it would be easier to rip off the rest of his face.
However, they were then cornered by Walker, who noted that Jones was finally beginning to make sense with that comment, before then ordering Jones to step aside, as she murdered Sallinger. Despite this, Jones stood in front of Sallinger, insisting that Walker was not being herself, while telling her that this was the grief and rage from Dorothy Walker's death that was driving her to commit murder. While Walker questioned how Jones did not understand her desire to get revenge, Jones insisted that they would put Sallinger behind bars for life, while Walker also noted that Jones had destroyed all of the evidence.
However, Jones simply insisted that she had not destroyed all of the evidence, which made Sallinger nervous, as he promised that if she handed over any further evidences, then he would release the photo of Walker attacking him inside of his Apartment. Despite this, Walker insisted that she did not care, as long as Sallinger had been killed, as Jones insisted that she also wanted Sallinger dead, although Walker told her that she was the only one who was willing to actually kill him. When Walker then reminded Jones that she killed Kilgrave when that was required, Jones claimed that this had almost destroyed her.
Sallinger witnessed Walker insisting that murders had not destroyed her, as she claimed that this was her real power, as she would carry that burden. However, Jones then grabbed Sallinger and ran for the roof, pushing him through a doorway, before leaving him unguarded. Sallinger then found himself all alone with Walker, who attempted to murder him, only for Jones to get in behind her in time, as she threw Walker over the roof, causing her to land across the street, unable to get back. As they starred each other down, Sallinger then offered his differential diagnosis, which Jones rejected and walked away.[11]
"What are you gonna do, when you find me beaten to death? This is what she does! To protect her, you have to protect me. I'm going to walk home now, I'm going to wait for her to arrive, and then I'm going to put up a fight, so it'll be her or me, and I really don't know which is worse for you."
Once they escaped from Metro-General Hospital, Sallinger was then taken to the Hogarth & Associates Law Office by Jessica Jones, as they had waited for Jeri Hogarth to arrive into the office there for several hours. Upon seeing Sallinger and Jones waiting for her, Hogarth questioned what they were doing there, as Jones explained that she had been waiting to leave Sallinger with Hogarth, with Sallinger questioning if this was all Jones had actually planned for protection.
Jones told Hogarth that her client needed protect, although Sallinger insisted that Jones had to help him, although Jones had ignored that as she demanded that Hogarth arrange for Sallinger to stay inside a safe house. While Sallinger continued to question why he would hide while he had Jones by his side, Jones had insisted that she was not on his side, while Sallinger then questioned why Jones protected him from Trish Walker. While Hogarth had noted that she understood that Jones that Walker were partners, Jones instead asked if Hogarth & Associates would take Sallinger from her, which Hogarth refused.
Sallinger asking for his safety and protection
As Hogarth explained that the firm did not offer protections, Sallinger sarcastically commented that they clearly could not afford it, while he observed their luxury offices. Sallinger watched as Jones demanded that he be kept in the offices, as she would not continue to help him, only for Sallinger to questioned what Jones would do once she found him beaten to death, pointing to all his facial scarring as evidence of Walker's brutalities. Sallinger insisted that if Jones wanted to protect Walker, she would have to protect him. Sallinger then told Jones and Hogarth that he would walk to his Apartment and wait for Walker.
Sallinger promised Jones that he would put up a fight against Walker, despite knowing that Walker would undoubtedly win due to the unfair advantage that Walker held over him, suggesting that the fight would come down to his death or Walker's death, and noting that he did not know which result would be harder on Jones. Sallinger then made his way out of the office, before he noted that he would be walking there slowly, which would allow Jones to catch up with him, since he knew that Jones would have to agree with his logic and would be forced to protect him from Walker, to Jones' considerable annoyance.[11]
"You know, I could end all this right now, a few keystrokes, reveal her identity, let the police take it from there. Of course, then I'd be risking imprisonment myself, because of this so-call evidence you saved against me. But you'd also have to believe it was enough to convict me, and I'm not sure you do." "If only you had me strapped to a chair with a lens in my face."
As he had predicted, Sallinger was joined by Jessica Jones, as they went back to his Apartment, where Jones had agreed to protect him from any further attempts on his life. While they waited in the darkness, Sallinger had watched Jones looking through his window, while noted that he could end their conflict right now, by just revealing Trish Walker's identity online, resulting in their New York City Police Department taking Walker into custody, although he acknowledged that this could risk his own imprisonment.
Sallinger commented on all the evidence that Jones had claimed to have against him, as he noted that Jones would have to believe that she had enough evidences to convict him, which Sallinger doubted she had. In response, Jones then noted that Sallinger likely wished that he had her strapped down to a chair, with a camera in her face to capture her truth. As he witnessed Jones stepping away from the window, Sallinger realized that Walker was outside and searching for him, as Sallinger then stepped towards the window, allowing Walker to see that he was inside, baiting her to attempt to attack him.
While Jones had stepped away from the window, Sallinger noted that Walker was likely on the roof across the street, which Jones did not respond to. As Sallinger questioned what Jones intended to do, she responded by grabbing his shirt, and launching Sallinger across the room, ensuring that this was witnessed by Walker. Sallinger had then witnessed Jones grabbing his box of worms and smashing it beside his head, making it appear that she had struck him across the head with the box. Jones then spotted the small camera inside the broken box, which Sallinger had claimed uploaded footage to a server.
However, Jones questioned if Sallinger trusted footage being put on the cloud, as she proceeded to crush the camera under her boot. As Sallinger then stood back up, Jones pushed him down onto the sofa, only to stop once she got her text from Malcolm Ducasse, confirming that he and Erik Gelden had subdued Walker while she was watching Jones assaulting Sallinger. With that done, Jones left the apartment, as Sallinger questioned what she was doing, to which Jones claimed that she was saving his life, as she intended to have him locked away in jail for life, although Sallinger had accused her of lying to him.[11]
"I want you to accept what you fear the most, that your family died for nothing. You believed they were sacrificed in exchange for your gifts, that they died so that you could save the world, one person at a time, and now you pretend like you never wanted it? You're terrified you've already failed them, and you have, because you are not, and you never will be, a hero."
Seeking to finally kill Jessica Jones, while he also exposed her actual nature, Sallinger broke into the Alias Investigations Office, where he found her bottles of Darwington's, and then poisoned with a tranquilizer that had been mixed with his paralyzing agents, with Jones not noticing it. Sallinger waited for Jones to return into her office to continue working, before he casually broke inside, just as Jones had begun to feel weak from the tranquilizer that had been hidden inside of her drinks, as she collapsed upon seeing Sallinger, while he had then noted how predictable she had been, while he watched her collapse to the floor.
Sallinger setting up all of his own equipment
Sallinger had then proceeded to tie up Jones, while he had set up all his camera equipment to capture her confession of guilt. Once Jones woke up, Sallinger greeted her, as she mocked these efforts to tie her down using duct tape, only for Sallinger to reveal that his tranquilizer had been modified to cause her partial paralysis, meaning that Jones was now unable to free herself. Sallinger then began taking his light readings, while noting that the New York City Police Department had taken possession of his good camera gear, as Jones threatened that Sallinger would soon be locked away, along with his equipment.
Sallinger questioned if Jones had been referring to the evidence that she had threatened to expose of him, while Sallinger had commented that they would find the truth of all that later, before taking some test photographs. Jones had then asked if Sallinger actually wanted her to confess that she was a cheater and a fraud, to which she willingly admitted that she was both, and more. However, Sallinger told Jones that he was interested in the deeper lies that she told herself, of why she wanted to be a hero, although Jones insisted that she had never actually wanted to be a hero, which Sallinger insisted was a lie.
Sallinger claimed that Jones had desperately wanted to be a hero, as he claimed that she had fooled Trish Walker with all the lies, while he claimed that if she had been honest with her, Walker would not have felt so obliged to take Jones' place as the hero. However, Jones then insisted that Sallinger had never known either her or Walker, to which Sallinger had claimed that he did not have to, as understanding them was clear to him. Sallinger used the example of Jones' outfit choices, suggesting that these clothes were her capes, masks and armor, as she longed for distinction, while Sallinger took more photographs.
Sallinger then pointed to Jones' profession, as a private investigator, as he scoffed at the lazy clichés for the individualist heroes, although Jones dismissed this by simply noting that the job paid the bills, as she had instead commented on the fact that Sallinger's money came from his dead brother's settlement. However, Sallinger did not react to this comment, suggesting that they discuss the dead, noting that they had played a large role in Jones' life, only for Jones to question if Sallinger was hoping that she would cry and beg for the photo, just like Dorothy Walker had done, insisting that this was not truthful.
Angered by this, Sallinger leant down and told Jones to accept what she feared most, noting that Jones' family had died for nothing, as she had once believed that they had been sacrificed for her to gain her powers, so that she could save the world, one person at a time. As Sallinger noted that Jones' was now pretending to have not ever wanted her powers, he then claimed that this was because she was terrified that she had already failed her family, which he told her that she had, promising that she was not, nor would she ever be, a hero, as Sallinger took her photo once she reacted to his comments.[11]
While he still had Jessica Jones tied up, Sallinger began printing out all the portraits he had taken of her, satisfied that he had managed to capture her truth. As Jones questioned if Sallinger had ever taken his self portraits, Sallinger insisted that there would be no need, since he claimed that he lived in truth. However, Jones noted that Dorothy Walker also lived in truth, as she explained that she had been ambitious, broken and occasionally cruel, but was always truthful, before Sallinger killed her.
However, Sallinger was unaffected by these comments, noting that they were done there, as he prepared to kill Jones, only for Jones to claim that he needed that logic, as if they were worthy kills, then he was more than just a murderer. However, Jones went on to accuse Sallinger of being the real fraud, since he always loved all the killing, questioning if that was the actual reason why Sallinger had tortured and murdered Dorothy and the others, as this brought him pleasure, which Sallinger simply denied. Despite his denials, Jones went on to suggest that Sallinger was sexually excited by killing Dorothy.
Sallinger confesses to killing all his victims
As Jones continued to suggest that Sallinger took a sexual pleasure from his killings, Sallinger lost his temper and held his knife to Jones' throat, telling her that he had murdered Dorothy to punish Jones and everybody else. However, just as Sallinger said this, he noticed that Jones was smiling, as he questioned why, only for Jones to explain that Sallinger was not the only person with the camera. To his horror, Sallinger then looked up inside the corner of the Alias Investigations Office, and noticed a hidden camera, which had recorded their entire interaction, including his entire confession to murdering Walker.
Jones had then revealed that she was not actually suffering from the paralysis, as she proceeded to rip apart her restraints and knocked Sallinger on his back, before then picking him up and launching him across the room with considerable force. As Jones tied up Sallinger's arms and legs, Erik Gelden joined them and confirmed that the entire kidnapping had been recorded, including Sallinger's confessions. As Sallinger awoke, Gelden said that he looked like an asshole in what Gelden described as a ninja outfit, as Sallinger questioned if Gelden saw himself as a hero, only for Gelden to punch him in the face.
Jones and Gelden then tied up Sallinger and left him behind, in their Office, with the recording of his confessions playing on a loop, while they went to his Apartment to collect all of his cameras and servers, freeing Sallinger of the footage of Trish Walker's attempts on his life, as well as collecting the knife that had been used in the attack. While Sallinger was in the office, Eddy Costa led his team of New York City Police Department officers and discovered him, as they watched the footage and then immediately arrested Sallinger, under the charge of the murder of Dorothy, kidnapping and the attempting murder.[11]
"She is a true believer, Jessica. That kind of faith never goes away." "Screw you." "You will have to face the test eventually, can you make the sacrifice? Will you? I'm eager to find out."
Following his arrest, Sallinger was held with the New York City Police Department before his trial. During this time, Sallinger used his single phone call to call Jessica Jones, as he noted that he had already heard that she and Erik Gelden had just looted his apartment to locate their footage of him getting attacked by Trish Walker, while Sallinger had then noted that he would have never actually exposed Walker, since he claimed that this would have been too easy for Jones.
Sallinger had then told Jones that Walker was a true believer, whose faith would never go away, since he knew that this statement would greatly unnerve Jones. While Jones cursed him, Sallinger noted that she would have to face up to their test eventually, questioning if she would be strong enough to make the sacrifice, and asking if she ever would, while he chuckled to himself, since Jones failed to answer his statements. Sallinger then told Jones that he was eager to find out, before Jones hung up the call, leaving Sallinger satisfied that he had been able to get under her skin by talking about Walker's rage.[11]
"The fourth time you stabbed her, the fifth, the slit to her throat! Those pictures, what did you need to see?" "Her truth, and now I see yours, and so will Jessica."
As his trial was ready to begin, Sallinger was walked to the New York State Supreme Court Building, as he was led by guards through the underground tunnels for his own protection, with Sallinger remaining nervous, as he flinched at the sounds of the pipes overhead, fearing he would be assassinated. Sallinger was mocked by one of his guards, who commented that Sallinger was not used to being the one who was bound up, until they arrived at the elevator that led towards their court rooms.
However, while they waited for the elevator to arrive, Sallinger heard a thud coming through behind the doors, as Sallinger backed away and begged his armed guards to not open the doors, believing that it was Trish Walker, having witnessed her jumping onto the door of an elevator at Metro-General Hospital. While Sallinger then begged the guards to take off his handcuffs, he had witnessed the elevator doors open, as Walker had then appeared and immediately kicked Sallinger onto the floor, before assaulting the guards protecting him. As Walker subdued his guards, Sallinger desperately tried to crawl away.
Sallinger was able to find one of the guns, that had been dropped by his guards during the ambush, as he managed to grab the gun, as he attempted to shoot at Walker, who was able to avoid these shots and threw Sallinger onto his back, disarming him. Sallinger had witnessed Walker taking the gun apart, before grabbing him with his chains, and dragging Sallinger back towards their elevator, as he had desperately attempted to free himself. Once they were inside the elevator, Walker slammed Sallinger's face onto the wall, while he reminded her that he was in chains and could not defend himself, which Walker ignored.
While Walker attempted to close the elevator doors, Sallinger told her that she was no hero, before Sallinger had noticed Walker becoming distracted once the doors had failed to close, due to an unconscious guard blocking it with his body. Sallinger had then used this moment to his advantage, knocking Walker's legs out from under her, before he wrapped his chains around her throat and attempting to strangle her. However, Walker had then been able to run up the walls, freeing herself from Sallinger's grip, before then elbowing him in the gut and moving the unconscious guard and closing the elevator doors.
With Sallinger and Walker now alone in the elevator, Walker turned it off midway up, ensuring that it would be impossible for anybody to come to Sallinger's aid. Walker then proceeded to punch Sallinger across the face, as she reminded him of the number of times he had stabbed Dorothy Walker, punching him for each one of the stabbings, leaving Sallinger dazed and unable to defend himself, while she also reminded him of how he had slit her mother's throat while taking his photographs of her looking terrified, while she begged him for mercy, questioning what Sallinger had needed to see from her mother.
Sallinger told Walker that he really needed to see her mother's truth, and that he could now see hers, as well, noting that if she murdered him, Jessica Jones would also see her for what she truly was. In her response, Walker proceeded to knee Sallinger into the face, knocking him to the floor, before she began repeatedly stamping her boot onto his skull, causing massive injuries, as Walker did not stop hitting him until she had completely crushed Sallinger's skull, and killed him, as she had left his bloody corpse behind to be seen by Jeri Hogarth and Jones once the elevator went up to their floor for Sallinger's trial.[11]
"And you say it's because I lack empathy because I'm evil." "Basically." "Evil is the wrong word. I am asserting fairness in an unfair world. I'm vengeful. Without pity, appropriately cruel."
Years of physical and psychological abuse have molded Sallinger into a sadistic and vengeful psychopath. Sallinger is obsessed with self-improvement and takes great pride in his achievements, which include diplomas from various fields. Despite his diplomas, Sallinger does not use any of them to find employment, choosing instead to live off the settlement money he received for his brother's death while volunteering as a wrestling coach at the local community college. This is due to the fact that Sallinger considers his serial killing activities his real work. Sallinger targets people whom he deems have not earned their achievements. He typically kidnaps them, before torturing them to reveal "their truth." Once he has what he needs, he takes a picture of them as a memento, before murdering them and deposing of their bodies. With the exception of Dorothy Walker, all of his victims have been male. Because of his obsession, he has a low opinion of super-powered people, such as Jessica Jones and Erik Gelden, labeling them "cheaters." Sallinger is also described by Jones as a shutterbug.
Sallinger invents fiction for each of his targets, to make them confess to his warped idea of what he thinks is the truth of their life. This didn't work on Jessica, whom had been through considerable psychological trauma from Kilgrave and her own mother within the last few years, making his technique useless due to building up a resistance; in fact, she just scoffed at him. Due to his hatred of powered people, he was convinced Jessica saw her family dying as a noble sacrifice for getting her powers, when she actually hates having powers and the attention.
Sallinger's biggest weakness is his ego, as despite clearly being extremely intelligent, he frequently underestimated Jessica, ultimately leading to his downfall. He was also a hypocrite, trying to dissuade Trish Walker from attacking him when he was chained up and defenseless, despite killing individuals while they were chair bound and unable to defend themselves from him. Sallinger is also extremely uncomfortable with any form of intimacy, as being kissed by Caspar Marx was enough to completely unnerve him and make him retreat, with this being the only time Sallinger failed to kill one of his marks prior to meeting Jessica Jones. Despite his activities, Sallinger does not consider himself evil, and it unclear if he even believes in the concept.
Abilities[]
"All he does is collect diplomas and expertise in everything. He's smarter than both of us combined."
Genius-Level Intellect: Sallinger was a highly intelligent psychopath. He is well-read in non-fiction and holds numerous degrees in law, psychology, chemistry, engineering, particle physics, and biology. Described as "an overachiever" by Jessica Jones, Sallinger is indeed a polymath capable of extensive research on his targets and preparing against them; stabbing Jones with an untraceable chef's knife, for instance. Sallinger also makes an effort to stay off the grid by avoiding social media and taking photographs of himself in general. Sallinger's achievements in science and psychology allowed him to figure out Jones' mind in an afternoon and he was able to diagnose Malcolm Ducasse's injuries he received from Gor. Sallinger is also a convincing actor, as he caught Jones on camera molesting his person, when in reality, she barely touched him, along with feigning distress when he called the New York City Police Department on her for breaking into his apartment. Furthermore, Sallinger claims to have a very disciplined mind that cannot be comprehended by people like Erik Gelden and that even the highly intelligent private investigator Jones is no match for him, leading him to compare her to an ant which he is so far beyond. Sallinger is also a gifted photographer, having once won a contest in his youth.
"It's only slander if it's untrue. Don't forget, you're not the only one here with a law degree."
As an athlete who had coached wrestling, Sallinger was an expert hand-to-hand combatant. This was seen when he had initially held the upper hand in his public wrestling match with Jones before she taunted him about knowing of his murder of Nathan Silva, causing him to act recklessly and allow Jones to defeat him. It was also demonstrated when he managed to get Trish Walker in a chokehold, despite the fact that his hands and feet were in chains at the time, although she was able to escape before he killed her due to her enhanced agility.
"He tried to kill me. That knife in his kitchen proves it. And the way he handled it, it was not his first time."
Knife Mastery: Sallinger was extremely precise with knives, as he managed to stab Jessica Jones with a chef's knife before she could react, effectively hospitalizing her by causing her to require a splenectomy. He was able to use it in combat, as seen during his first fight with Walker.
Master Assassin: Sallinger was a prolific serial killer before his capture by Jessica Jones. He killed numerous people and managed to stay off the police's radar. Sallinger managed to kill several people and not leave any incriminating evidence. The only reason he was discovered was when Erik Gelden detected him by chance, started blackmailing him, and Jones' investigation.
Master Tactician: In order to not be caught, Sallinger had many plans. With his first kill of Nathan Silva, Sallinger helped build a gazebo over the place where he buried the body in order to never be found. The only reason the body was found was because of Jessica Jones' super strength. He also hid many bodies at a train yard, using a trip wire to trap anyone who found his victims. When Sallinger's DNA was found, Sallinger threatened to release incriminating info about Trish Walker, forcing Jones to destroy the evidence.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
Kitchen knife: Sallinger had used a knife during his attempted murder of Erik Gelden but ended up nearly killing Jessica Jones with it. He later used this knife to fight Trish Walker.
Glock 19: Sallinger tried to grab one of the guns from the officers New York City Department of Correction tasked with taking him to the New York State Supreme Court Building when he was attacked by Trish Walker, who were disarmed and knocked out by her. Sallinger and managed to grab it and tried to shoot, but Walker avoided the bullets, disarmed Sallinger and dismantled the gun before killing him.
Other Equipment[]
Portable Photo Lab: In order to capture images for his work, Sallinger would let up his camera and photograph his victims as they were being threatened with their own deaths. Sallinger would then have a photo lab set up nearby, so that he could check the images while he was torturing his victims, using Bart's own bathroom for one set up. Sallinger's attempts to photograph Erik Gelden led to him becoming frustrated that the images were not up to his standard, as he continued pushing Gelden to get the results he desired. Once his photographs had been captured, Sallinger would keep them in a hidden cabinet within his apartment, as his private trophies for his killings.
Camera: Sallinger used this camera to take photos of his victims before he kills them, setting up a ring light to get with his camera, so that the images he captured were clearly visible. Sallinger would sit beside his camera and take the images, while speaking to his victims, terrifying them about their fate, before walking over to them and torturing them with knives, and then capturing the fear and pain in their eyes.
Ski Mask: Sallinger wore a ski mask during his ambushes on Gelden and Dorothy Walker, ensuring that, in the unlikely situation that something went wrong and his victim escaped, they would not be able to identify him. Due to Sallinger wearing this mask, Jessica Jones had been unable to identify him, after he had stabbed her in the stomach.
Hazmat Suit: Not wishing to get his DNA over his crime scenes, Sallinger would wear a full hazmat suit, ensuring that no fingerprints or loose hairs could be discovered by the New York City Police Department. Sallinger would also wear the plastic gloves while handling his knives, which he did while attempting to murder Trish Walker, who had come to confront him after Sallinger had murdered her mother.
In the comics, Gregory Salinger is a deranged vigilante and the second person to hold the mantle of Foolkiller. Salinger's main targets are people who are considered deprived of morality and "poetry" in their souls.
Behind the Scenes[]
Before Jeremy Bobb joined the cast, the character had not been fleshed out. Bobb created most of the personality for this character, although the base of Sallinger could have been inspired by Melissa Rosenberg's time on Dexter.
