Viktor Frankenstein

"Not magic... science!"

Dr. Victor Frankenstein is a supporting character on Once Upon a Time. Dr. Frankenstein was brought to the fairytale land by Jefferson to meet with Queen Regina and assist her with a difficult task: bringing back the deceased. Victor ventured into this mission after the loss of his brother, and was ultimately able to bring him back to life with the use of an enchanted heart. Following the Dark Curse, the sophisticated Frankenstein became trapped in Storybrooke, Maine as Dr. Whale, a less-than-reputable physician with an eye for the ladies.

Before the Curse
"I know the man who can do what you want... bring back the dead."

- Jefferson

Victor Frankenstein is visited by Queen Regina and Jefferson who request something from him, that he bring Daniel, Regina's love, back to life. Frankenstein explains his procedure, saying that it's merely experimental, this worries Regina but she still obliges to let him do it. The doctor requests a heart, a strong heart, in order for the procedure to work properly, Regina offers him a magic heart that is ripped from the body, one so magic that it glows. Frankenstein and Jefferson are taken by Regina down to Cora's vault where Regina takes one of the hearts from her many victims from a drawer. Victor is given the heart as well as Daniel's preserved body and plans to perform the procedure in his medical tent, however, he tells Regina that it must be done alone and so her and Jefferson stand afar and watch. Later, Frankenstein emerges and he tells Regina that, sadly, the procedure failed, she is deeply upset. It is soon revealed that the failure was orchestrated by Rumplestiltskin so that Regina may become a better student, Victor abided by Rumple during this so that he may lay his hands upon a amgical heart, which Rumple gives him. Frankenstein returns to his world via Jefferson's hat. In his lab, Victor is greeted by his assisstant and continues work on his brother, he places the heart into the beast and brings him to life with electricity. Victor is thrilled at his monster's existence. His assisstant says it's like magic but Victor assures him that it was something stronger than magic... science.

Season 1
"Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone when you don't give a crap what they think."

Dr. Whale is on a date with Mary Margaret Blanchard but, as she is talking about herself, he is too busy staring at Ruby, who's cleaning tables, Mary Margaret notices this and hastily asks for the check, cutting the date short. Mary Margaret is volunteering at the hospital reading to John Doe, while this is happening, David grabs Mary Margaret's hand and she immediately alerts Dr. Whale to this. Whale looks at the monitor but assures her that nothing happened, telling her that it must have been in her head, she refuses to believe this. Soon, Dr. Whale calls Regina on his cell phone and tells her that John Doe was responsive to Miss Blanchard, revealing he was lying and that Regina doesn't want those two together. Later, David goesw missing from the hospital, however, he is returned by Mary Margaret, Emma, Henry and Sheriff Graham. Dr. Whale is there when David's (John Doe's) wife, Kathryn, is revealed.

Dr. Whale runs into Mary Margaret by a chance encounter in Granny's Diner, he sits with her and she asks him if he's ever been in a situation where he knows how it's going to turn out but ended up doing it anyway because he's that kind of person and then, when it all blows up in his face, he's kicking himself for letting him do it in the first place. Dr. Whale becomes confused and denies it, she is expectant of that and Dr. Whale buys her a drink and begins to take advantage of her broken heart. Mary Margaret is sent flowers the next day, Emma sees them and wonders who they're from, Mary Margaret says that they're from Dr. Whale, whom she had a one night stand with.

Mary Margaret and Emma run into Ruby who is leaving town, at the time, Ruby is chatting to Dr. Whale who is trying to hit on her, Ruby tries to brush him off and get a ride out of town, but he does not seem to be getting the message. However, once the two other girls arrive, Whale leaves and Ruby gets and offer to live with Mary Margaret and Emma. When David is returned to the hospital after an episode of intense memory loss, Dr. Whale's diagnosis is that he had a similar episode to the one that he had when he went missing during his coma. This is what causes David to believe that he killed Kathryn.

Emma goes to see Kathryn who is in the hospital. Kathryn says she doesn't really remember anything but a few events such as being in the car crash, being surrounded by darkness in a basement, food and drink appearing for her, and she assumes she was drugged. Dr. Whale confirms they are trying to detoxify her of the drugs. Emma tells Kathryn that everyone believed she was dead because the heart in Mary Margaret's jewelry box matched Kathryn's.

Dr. Whale treats Henry when he is brought into the hospital after taking a bite out of Regina's poisoned apple turnover. Emma keeps trying to convince Whale that he was poisoned and that the turnover did it, Whale refuses to believe this as he's shown no sign of being poisoned. Later, when Mary Margaret is reading to Henry, he flatlines and dies, however, he is saved when Emma gives him a true love's kiss, and Dr. Whale is one to witness it. everyone remembers who they really are.

Season 2
"I need magic..."

Dr. Whale ralleys the town up into a frenzy mob who goes after Regina to kill her for putting them under the curse, Whale leads the mob. However, Snow, Emma, Charming and others are warned by Jiminy that the mob will kill her, and Henry doesn't want this to happen. Dr. Whale knocks on Regina's door and forces her out, telling her she will suffer, she tells him that listening to him has been suffering enough. She then attempts to use magic against the mob but she is powerless. Just as all hope is lost for Regina, the others show up and stop the mob, Charming tells Whale to back off and asks him who he is, Dr. Whale makes it explicit that that's his business, Charming makes the guy back off.

Dr. Whale is part of the complaining crowd that come to yell at Prince Charming, after they learn what happens when you leave Storybrooke (that you lose all memories of your fairytale self), they begin to gather around him, however, Charming puts them in their place. Whale is later at the town meeting which Regina crashes, scaring the townspeople with her new found magic. Dr. Whale is then seen with those who decide to flee town, scared of their queen, however, they are stopped by Charming who tries to assure them that their two selves is a blessing, not a curse. They stay.

Dr. Whale visits Prince Charming who punches him in the face, Whale asks what that was for an Charming says it's fr sleeping with Snow whilst in curse. Whale asks the prince if it's true that he's trying to find a way back to the Enchanted Forest and Charming says that it is true, Whale wonders if this means all of the worlds still exist, Charming is unsure. Whale bursts in to Archie's office during Regina's session to ask for a way back to the former land, saying that it only transported living things and he needs something dead, Regina refuses, saying it's out of her depth and Whale is asked to leave ny Archie who finds this all highly unethical. Whale then steals Daniel's body from his tomb as well as one of Regina's hearts, when Regina disocvers this, she goes to find Dr. Whale only to find that he has had one of his arms ripped off, she asks him if he brought Daniel back and he says he did, but that he isn't alive - "He's a monster.". Whale is placed in the hospital's care as he recovers and Charming wonders how it happened, Regina explains the situation with Daniel and the two of the go and find him and stop the beast (Regina is forced to kill him with magic). Dr. Whale, or rather, Victor Frankenstein, visits Mr. Gold with his arm, he asks the man if he can restore it and he says he can, however, he won't. Rumple says that he will under one condition, that Victor says what he wants to hear. Victor admits that he needs magic and Rumple magics the arm back onto Victor's body in less than a second, happy that he admitted that magic is better than science. Victor plans to retrieve his brother and continue his work.

Trivia

 * The name "Whale", given to Frankenstein's alter-ego, derives from the name of the director of two major Frankenstein films, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.