<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Dr. Frank-N-Furter is a fictional character in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

While the character is clearly based on Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a mad scientist who brings a creature to life, there are many more facets to this gem.

His appearance is more reminiscent of Count Dracula, although with a twist. As he states in the film, he is a transvestite (someone who enjoys wearing the clothes of the other gender).

However, and perhaps more interesting to Sci Fi fans, there are indications that he is also a time traveler. Even though there are flat statements that Frankie and his team (his servants Riff-Raff and Magenta) are aliens from the planet Transsexual, these may actually be part of a cover story.

Although Transsexual could be a parallel world, it may also be a future fandomized society. The people of the future could be living their lives in imitation of the horror movies of the past. This would explain their ability to live in our environment, interact (intimately) with the "locals", and why their "vehicle" resembles a castle.

What are the clues? Dr. Scott, an "Earthling" scientist, suggests that the sonic transducer, a "physiomolecular transport device", may be capable of projecting things through "time itself". Riff-Raff and Magenta specifically sing about doing The Time Warp. More subtly, there is a pulp magazine displayed by the criminologist as he goes over the case. That particular issue has a story about people from a doomed future traveling through time to the present...on a failed mission.

While Frankie is probably a human of that time, Riff-Raff and Magenta may be artificial life forms. This is suggested by two primary details. Frankie has a 4711 tatoo. That is the mark of genuine cologne, differentiating it from fake cologne produced outside of the original town. The title song refers to many actual movies, except for this particular line: "See androids fighting Brad and Janet." That line mentions androids and specifically refers to RHPS. Although Rocky (the monster) is arguably an android, he doesn't fight Brad and Janet. Quite the opposite, in Janet's case at least.

The mission may have to do with a sterile society finding partners in a fertile past. In the party in progress when Brad and Janet first arrive at the castle, the guests are notably diverse. This may be to provide a wide gene pool. It is clear that at least one of the guests doesn't actually know "Dr. Furter", and we can assume that they are not team members.

Apparently, the mission also involves blending in with the society. However, Frankie fails in this part of his mandate. As Riff-Raff puts it, his "lifestyle's too extreme." A major blunder appears to be that he kills the nephew of a "rival scientist" who happens to be involved with a government agency investigating UFOs. The nephew is able to get a note out to his uncle before he becomes an unwilling organ donor (well, half an organ) in an attempt to create artificial life.

As portrayed by Tim Curry, Frankie is both clearly intelligent and capable of scientific breakthroughs, and troubled. He is a murderer and a cannibal. His mistreatment of his team perhaps leads to his ultimate defeat. He is, simply, a mad scientist...and a sweet transvestite.