Samuel Loomis

"Michael? Why now? You've waited ten years. Why come back now? I knew this day would come. Don't go to Haddonfield. If you want another victim, take me. But leave those people in peace. Please, Michael?....God damn you."

―Samuel Loomis to Michael Myers^[src]

Samuel Loomis is a character and the primary protagonist in the first Halloween timeline. He first appeared in the original Halloween, played by Donald Pleasence. In the movie Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later, a retcon was established which ignored the events from Halloween 4, 5, and 6. As a result, the biography of this Loomis is drastically different to the one who appears the H20 timeline onwards. This version of the character appears in Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Loomis spends fifteen years as the psychiatrist of Michael Myers and travels to Haddonfield, Illinois to stop him from killing people. While he initially saves Laurie Strode, he continues his hunt for Michael after the latter disappears and learns that Michael and Laurie are brother and sister. Loomis saves Laurie again at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital by blowing himself and Michael up, nearly killing both of them and leaving them with scars. Ten years later, Michael wakes from his coma and Loomis returns to Haddonfield to stop him after Michael targets his niece Jamie Lloyd. Loomis and Rachel Carruthers protect Jamie from Michael until he is seemingly killed by Ben Meeker.

After Jamie stabs her stepmother, Loomis becomes her psychiatrist and tries to get her to use her telepathic link with Michael to help capture him. Jamie complies after the death of Tina Williams and they set a trap at the Myers house. Loomis succeeds in brings Michael down for the time being, having a heart attack in the process. Jamie and Michael disappear later that night. Six years later, a retired Loomis is approached by Terence Wynn with the proposal of Loomis returning to Smith's Grove. Loomis discovers that Jamie has been killed, and joins Tommy Doyle in protecting her son Steven Lloyd from Michael. After Michael is seemingly stopped, Loomis declines fleeing with Tommy, Steven, Kara Strode and her son Danny, and is last heard screaming.

Biography

Michael's psychologist

On November 5, 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers had been admitted to Smith's Grove Sanitarium for the October 31st murder of his older sister Judith. The child (now seven) was blank, emotionless slate to Loomis, never speaking, barely even moving. Sam recognized the deep-rooted trauma in the boy's psyche and knew that special treatment would be required if he were to ever help him. Loomis petitioned his superior, Doctor Carpenter to have Michael moved to a private room, but Carpenter declined the request and insisted that Myers remained inside the open juvenile ward.

Over the following year, Loomis paid close attention to Michael, but grew concerned when certain incidents began taking place. One such incident involved an injury relating to a fellow patient named Tony O'Malley. Tony suffered many of the same derangements as Myers, but unlike Michael, was prone to violent outbursts and displays of emotion. After witnesses recounted seeing O'Malley bullying the smaller Myers, he was soon discovered with a crayon lodged inside his eye. Nobody suspected that the virtually comatose Michael Myers could be capable of such an attack, but Loomis began to suspect otherwise. Another such incident took place in November of that year when a patient named Adrian Wade ate an entire birthday cake that was intended for Michael. He was later found in the shower room with 2nd degree burns all over his body. He died in the medical wing a short time later. Another boy, Roger, bit off his own tongue and choked to death. There was no obvious evidence linking Myers to these two deaths.^[1]

Over the span of the next several years, Loomis continued to treat Michael. He never gave up hope that he might be able to pull something out of the boy's withdrawn psyche.

On May 1, 1964, Dr. Loomis meets with two superior doctors in the sanitarium's forum chamber. Loomis suggests that his patient be confined in a maximum-security ward located at Litchfield, Illinois. The two doctors brush off Loomis' request declaring that Michael was merely "a catatonic" exhibiting "comatose behavior" who does not react to any of his surroundings. Loomis insists he be taken seriously because he is convinced that his patient's blank behavior is an ingenious cover for his true nature. He also feels that the level of security at Smith's Grove is insufficient. He pleads that Michael be moved immediately to a facility where any possible escape or legalized freedom is impossible. The Smith's Grove superiors decline the doctor's requests and issue an ultimatum that Loomis keep Michael as his patient or he will be looked after by someone else. Loomis knows to his core that no one else can be trusted or even safe around Michael, so he agrees to stay with him.

At some point Loomis became close with a colleague named Doctor Jennifer Hill. Hill shared many traits with Loomis; she was politically liberal and held the same views as he concerning psychotherapy—that "insanity was possibly the reaction of a sane mind to a sick society". The two eventually fell in love and were engaged to be married.

In 1971, Doctor Carpenter suggested having a Halloween party in the juvenile ward. Doctor Loomis was vehemently opposed to this idea given the significance of this particular date in relation to Myers. Again, Carpenter dismissed Loomis' concerns and the party went underway. A faulty generator knocked out the electricity during the party and when the power resumed, the staff discovered a girl named Nancy had apparently slipped, hit her head and drowned while bobbing for apples. Loomis noted the irony of the fact that she was seen teasing Michael only shortly before hand.

That same evening, Michael killed Doctor Jennifer Hill. Sam found her body lying on the ground outside the hospital. It appeared as if she had fallen from the roof of the building and her death was written off as a suicide. This proved to be the breaking point for Doctor Loomis. After spending eight years trying to reach him, he now committed himself towards making sure that Michael Myers never saw release ever again. Acting as Michael's gatekeeper became an obsession with Loomis. He no longer regarded him as a human being, but as a monster and devil, the living epitome of pure evil.

The break-out

Michael turns twenty-one on October 19. By law, he is to be presented to court on his birthday for trial. The final verdict determines his freedom or further confinement. The trial date is pushed two weeks into the first week of November.

On the rainy night of Monday October 30, 1978, Loomis is accompanied by his friend and medical assistant Nurse Marion Chambers; they are charged with transferring Michael back to his home county for the trial. Loomis reveals to Marion that Thorazine will be used before Michael is presented to the judge.

When the pair reach the gates of the sanitarium, they discover that many patients are wandering around the grounds. Loomis goes to the main gate to telephone the hospital, but Michael appears and nearly attacks Marion while she is waiting in the car.

Myers escapes from the Illinois state hospital hijacking the car meant for his court date transfer. His plan is to return to his hometown of Haddonfield and locate his last surviving sibling. Driving the 150 miles (241 km) to his destination, he arrives in Haddonfield in time for Halloween.

Loomis is on Michael's trail for the entire date of October 31. While en route to Haddonfield, Loomis stops along a rural highway in west central Illinois to call Haddonfield authorities. He has every reason to believe Michael will return home, so he urges that the police watch out for him

When the psychiatrist finally arrives in Michael's hometown, he seeks the help of Haddonfield Memorial Cemetery's grave keeper. The pair discover that the headstone of Judith Myers had been dug up and is missing. This clue is enough to assure Loomis that his patient is physically in the city. That afternoon, Loomis enlists the help of Haddonfield's sheriff, Leigh Brackett. The pair later travels to the former Myers residence at 45 Lampkin Lane. Loomis is curious to know if Michael had returned to his childhood home. With the front door being broken into and the decaying carcass of a stray dog being indoors, these two clues reassure Loomis that Michael has indeed come home. Loomis tries to convince Sheriff Brackett that Michael is a human incarnation of pure evil, that he has returned to kill again, and that Haddonfield is not safe on this night until Michael is captured.

While Michael stalks Laurie Strode and her friends, Loomis waits and watches over the house, believing that Michael will return to his home. When he discovers the stolen car, he begins combing the streets where he finds the two children that Laurie was babysitting running frantically from a house. Loomis investigates and sees Michael attacking Laurie. When she pulls Michael's mask off, he stops to re-apply it, giving Loomis the opportunity to shoot his patient six times, knocking him to and off the balcony of the two-story house. After agreeing with Laurie that Michael was "the boogeyman", Loomis walks over to the balcony and looks down in horror to see that Michael is gone.^[2]

Haddonfield Hospital massacre

Loomis exits the Doyle house to examine the spot where Michael's body had fallen to. He comes closer to it and gets on his knees. Feeling the grass, his hand is then covered in blood. Loomis stands up and goes to his left. He looks around as a neighbor's light turns on and the home's owner questions what is going on out there. Loomis turns to him and orders him to call the police, instructing the man to tell Brackett that he shot “him”. The man asks “Who?”, and Loomis tells him to tell Brackett that “he’s still on the loose”. The man questions if this is some kind of joke, citing that he has “been trick-or-treaded to death tonight”. Loomis asserts that he does not “know what death is” and rushes away.

Michael is able to sneak around the neighborhood. Standing behind a house, he notices Loomis standing by himself as he is approached by Brackett's police car. Loomis shouts that he shot Michael six times and he repeats this when Brackett responds “What?” Loomis adds that he shot Michael in the heart and Brackett surmises that Michael could not have gotten very far. Loomis accesses Michael as not being human before getting into Brackett's car. Brackett drives Loomis around the neighborhood to look for Michael. Loomis orders Brackett to circle the block again. Brackett questions how long and Loomis responds that it is “about thirty minutes”, shouting for Brackett to shine the flashlight he is holding by trees. Brackett says there is nothing and Loomis shouts for him to keep going. Brackett tells Loomis that he's “just about there” and Loomis, readying his revolver, replies, “What?” Brackett elaborates that he means the point where he stops taking orders from Loomis, the latter looking at him and then back at his revolver as Loomis tells Brackett that the primary concern is that they stop him. Brackett says Loomis “let him out”, which Loomis denies. Ramsey contacts Brackett by radio.

Brackett shouts for Loomis to put his gun away and tells him that he could not have shot Michael six times. Loomis asks him if he thinks he's lying and Brackett explains that he thinks he missed him, citing that “no man could take six shots.” Loomis reminds Brackett that he told him Michael is not a man. Loomis points as he calls for Brackett to look and to slow down. Brackett questions him but complies. Loomis and Brackett spot a Michael lookalike. Brackett asks Loomis if that is Michael and Loomis says he does not know as he exits the car. Loomis shouts for the children to get back as the Michael lookalike wanders from them and Brackett chases behind him, calling his name. The Michael lookalike crosses the street and Loomis goes out into the street, drawing his revolver and aiming it at the lookalike before Brackett tries to wrestle the gun out of his hands. Loomis knocks Brackett away momentarily and prepares to shoot the lookalike before the latter is struck by a police car, with Brackett holding onto Loomis as the two observe the lookalike being caught in the explosion from a collision of a nearby van and the police car that hit him in the first place. Loomis and Brackett get close to the explosion, and Brackett grabs the officer who hit the lookalike. Loomis silently stares at the corpse as Brackett asks him if it is Michael and shouts this again when Loomis is unresponsive. Loomis puts his hand over his face and lowers it to his mouth as Gary Hunt pulls up behind the three men and informs Brackett of the three bodies that have been found. Loomis turns back as Hunt explains that the corpses were found down the street from the Doyle home and says that one of them was Brackett's daughter Annie. Loomis gets into the backseat before Hunt drives off.

Reporters and newsmen are gathered in front of the Wallace house to report on the three corpses discovered there. Brackett, Hunt, and Loomis walk up to the house, with Brackett seeing Annie's corpse upfront and shutting her eyes. Jimmy then takes the body away and Brackett says that he has to tell his wife before someone else does. Hunt says he can take over for him and Brackett turns to Loomis, saying, “Damn you. What have you done?” Loomis replied that he has not done anything and Brackett angrily shouts that Loomis “let him out.” Loomis says that he gave orders for Michael to be restrained and Hunt asks Loomis if there is anything else they can do for him. Loomis says “a lot of other kids are going to be slaughtered tonight” if it was not Michael who died in the explosion. Hunt says that Michael is dead, adding that he “saw” him. Loomis says that he saw a man in a mask and Hunt says that it was him. Loomis says he wants to believe him but has to be sure, adding that he cannot stop until he is certain. Hunt says that Loomis is talking about him as if “he’s some kind of animal” and Loomis begins to answer before Hunt tells the newsmen to stay back. Loomis resumes by saying that Michael was his patient for fifteen years and that he became an obsession with him until he realized there was nothing in Michael that was remotely human. Loomis reflects that he fired six shots into Michael an hour ago and he “just got up and walked away.” Loomis shouts that he is talking about the real possibility that Michael is still out there. Loomis asks where they took the body and Hunt answers that it was the coroner's office. Loomis instructs Hunt to get a dentist to meet him there in half an hour and Loomis and Hunt leave the premises of the Wallace house.

Hunt honors the request and gets a dentist. Loomis goes to the coroner's office and meets with the two. He observes the dentist, the latter stating the difficulty of determining identity due to the amount of burning on the corpse but estimates that the charred individual is young and possibly either 17 or 18. Loomis notes that Michael is 21-years-old. The dentist mentions a positive identification through dental records and x-rays. Loomis scoffs that this will take hours and the dentist asserts that this is the only way to know for sure and apologizes to him. Loomis says they do not have hours and that they have to assume that Michael is still alive. An officer comes into the room and Hunt declares that the police will continue looking. After the officer leaves, Loomis thanks Hunt.

Protesters gather at the Myers house to throw rocks through its windows in a showing of anger toward Michael for his killings earlier that night. Hunt drives up to the home with Loomis in the passenger seat. After Hunt radios for another vehicle to come as backup, Loomis comments that they are angry because one of their own was butchered and that this is a wake. Hunt looks at Loomis and then at the latter's revolver. Loomis comments that the gun heightens his sense of security. Hunt smiles and the two exit the car. Loomis and Hunt go up to the Myers house, an officer coming out and reporting that the house is empty. Hunt orders him to check it again and comments that Haddonfield was a quiet town before the events of the night. Loomis recalls Michael murdering his sister fifteen years ago on Halloween and Hunt states that he remembers. Loomis says it is the anniversary and that Michael came back. Hunt mentions the amount of time and Loomis reflects that Michael waited with extraordinary patience. Loomis remembers there being a force in Michael that was bidding its time and that the staff of Smith's Grove grew accustomed to his silence. Loomis says that Michael was the ideal patient in many ways as he did not talk, cry, or even move. Loomis says that Michael just waited and that the staff were unprepared as they did not know what he was. Hunt asks Loomis if he knew and the latter confirms he did.

Craig and Randy come up to Hunt and state their concern for Bennett Tramer, who left a party at 10 pm but has not made it home. Hunt tells them that not much time has passed and Craig adds that Ben was really drunk. Loomis asks how old Ben is and is told that he was seventeen and was wearing a mask. As the pair are dismissed by Hunt, Loomis notes the age and mask and tells Hunt that they should check Tramer's dental records. An officer comes up to the pair and reports a break-in at an elementary school. Loomis hurriedly tells the pair to come on. Loomis and Hunt arrive at the school and an officer, holding a flashlight, shows them where Michael entered from and a drawing with a knife shoved into it. Loomis observes the illustration and says, “Sister.” Hunt asks if this is all and the officer then shows them where the word “Samhain” has been written on a chalkboard. Hunt concludes that it is gibberish but Loomis rejects this assessment. He identities it as a Celtic word and says that it means the lord of the dead and the end of summer. Loomis refers to the festival of Samhain and the date of October 31.

Marion Chambers comes into the room, calling Loomis’ name. He answers her and Marion says she has to talk to him. Loomis looks at her and admits he did not recognize her without her uniform and asks what she is doing there. Marion says the conversation needs to be private and Loomis follows her out of the room. He lights her cigarette and Marion thanks him. She reveals that he has been ordered back to Smith's Grove. Loomis is confused and says “he can’t order” him. Marion agrees but says the governor can and that the latter spoke to Doctor Rogers an hour ago. Loomis laughs as he says “The governor?”, placing his hands behind his back and smiling. Marion tells him that this is all over the state and mentions Michael escaping, killing three people, Loomis shooting him, and Michael escaping again. Loomis tells her that “someone should have” listened to him and Marion apologizes. She explains that Doctor Rogers is worried that the incident could jeopardize their entire mental health program and that he does not want anyone in the mental health department anywhere near Haddonfield. Loomis asks why Rogers sent her down there then and she explains it was in case Loomis had already found Michael alive. Loomis instructs her to tell Rogers that she could not find him and explains that he cannot leave Haddonfield now. Marion says he does not have any choice and mentions that there is a marshall waiting for him outside.

Marshall Terrence Gummell begins driving Loomis and Marion out of Haddonfield. Loomis reminds Marion that she did not believe him and she apologizes again. Loomis tells her not to feel sorry for him but instead the town of Haddonfield and estimates that it will be years before they forget this. Marion says that she thinks there is something else he should know and Loomis asks her if she saw the blackboard at the elementary school, Marion confirming that she did. Loomis explains that in order to appease the gods, Druid priests held rituals where they burned animals and criminals alive in baskets. He adds that Druids believed they could see elements of the future by observing the way they died and observes that they have come no further two hundred thousand years later. Loomis concludes that Samhain is not a spirit, goblin, ghost, or witch but rather the unconscious mind and that they are all afraid of the dark inside themselves. Marion pleads for him to listen to her and says that there is a file on Michael no one knew about. Loomis says that he has seen every file and Marion explains that the file was opened by Doctor Rogers after the governor authorized it unsealed in the wake of the killings. Loomis questions what file and Marion tells him that it is not fair and they should have allowed him to examine everything. Marion then reveals that Laurie is Michael's sister who was born two years before Michael was committed and later adopted by the Strodes after her biological parents died. Loomis says that Michael killed one sister and is back to kill the other. He then asks Marion where Laurie was taken after he shot Michael. Marion responds that it was the clinic. Loomis then asks Gummell if he knows this area well and Gummell replies, “a little bit.” Loomis asks where the hospital is located and Gummell says it is back around 17 and roughly three miles away. Loomis demands that he turn the car around now and Gummell says he cannot since he has orders. Loomis tells him that those orders just changed, and pulls out his revolver. He points it at Gummell's neck and the latter remarks that Loomis is getting himself into a lot of trouble. Loomis questions if officers usually fire a warning shot and blasts the car window. This compels Gummell to change course and drive to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Laurie is outside hiding in Jimmy's car. He comes to the vehicle but passes out. An injured Laurie is outside on the ground as Loomis, Marion, and Gummell arrive at the hospital. Loomis tells Gummell that he has a feeling he is going to need him in there. He asks if he can trust him. Gummell rhetorically questions what he has to lose besides his job, and the three exit the car. Laurie notices them and after Loomis closes the door behind them, she screams for help. Loomis orders Gummell to check the rooms in one direction and Marion calls Loomis’ name. He orders her to stay with him and shut up. Laurie regains the strength to stand and staggers. Michael reveals himself as he walks to her and she rushes to the door, banging on it as she begs for help. Loomis rushes to the door and orders her to get in as Laurie runs inside and he shuts the door.

Loomis prepares his gun as Marion embraces Laurie. Michael smashes through the glass door and starts to walk toward the three. Loomis shoots him five times and Michael collapses to the ground. Gummell comes close to the body and Loomis tells him to stop. Gummell says that Michael is dead and Loomis replies that he is not, telling Gummell to look at Michael, who he declares is still breathing. Gummell seems to be persuaded and Loomis turns to Marion. Loomis tells her that there is a two-way radio in Gummell's car and that he wants her to get on it and contact Hunt. Marion walks past the seemingly comatose Michael and Gummell, the latter objecting to Loomis’ plan as he is the only one authorized to use the radio. Loomis shouts at Marion to move and she runs out of the hospital. Taking Laurie by the shoulder, Loomis apologizes for leaving her and asks if she is alright. He notices that she is staring forward and turns around. Loomis tells Gummell to get away from Michael as Gummell hovers over him and attempts to remove his mask. Gummell asserts that Michael stopped breathing and Michael grabs Gummell, Loomis letting out a shout. Michael then slits Gummell's throat in front of Laurie and Loomis, Laurie grabbing Loomis by the shoulder.

Michael stands back up and Laurie leads Loomis away. Loomis and Laurie look around quickly and run into another room, Laurie pressing against the wall while Loomis shuts the door behind them. The pair quickly make their way out of the darkened room and stop in place, Loomis going over to the door's window as he watches Michael continuing to pursue them. Michael shuts the door as he walks closer to them and Loomis grabs Laurie's hand as they look around for shelter. Laurie leads them into a nearby operating room, and Loomis closes the door. Laurie sinks to the floor in fear and Loomis spots Michael outside. Loomis comes over to Laurie with a revolver in his hand and instructs her to take it, in order to defend herself. Laurie refuses and as Michael begins banging on the door, Loomis places the gun beside Laurie. Loomis runs over to the door and stands on the side of it as Michael shatters the window and breaks through.

Loomis attempts to destroy Michael with a gun shot to the head. Not realizing his gun is empty, Loomis fires an empty chamber, and Michael angrily stabs him in his stomach, causing Loomis to collapse. Michael proceeds to Laurie, who calls his name and commands him to stop before shooting him in both of his eyes with the revolver Loomis left her. Blinded, Michael begins swinging his scalpel around hoping that it will connect with Laurie. A recovering Loomis notices the new impairment and looks around. Loomis gets up from the floor and moves over to an ether, loosening the valve on its canister. The sound from the ether causes Michael to begin swinging in Loomis' direction. As Michael comes close to connecting with Loomis, Laurie begins loosening the valve of the canister by her. Michael moves to swing in her direction and Loomis moves away from the ether. Loomis rips the oxygen and ether cords out of the wall and this causes Michael to begin swinging in Loomis' direction again. Loomis signals for Laurie to leave the room by whispering and disguising his voice. As Strode runs away, Loomis stays behind. He tells Michael that "it's time" and proceeds to blow himself up with Michael. Michael is able to walk out of the room and down the hallway before collapsing from his injuries.^[3]

Interim

The explosion leaves Michael in a coma. Surprisingly, Loomis survives, but is horribly burned, walking with a pronounced limp (possibly due to either the burns in his leg or his stab wound to the stomach) and wearing gloves to hide the burn scars on his hands. The physical scars give Loomis a constant reminder of Halloween 1978. In 1980, Laurie Strode had a daughter named Jamie Lloyd. Shortly afterwards, it was thought the couple died in a car crash. Loomis never returns to Haddonfield and continues to serve as Michael's doctor, becoming acquainted with E. W. Hoffman, who he repeatedly voices his concern to about the threat Michael poses to innocent people. Underestimating Michael, Hoffman grows to dislike Loomis, telling others that he believes Loomis needs mental help and notices that Loomis does not read his memos about the status of his patient.

10 years later

On October 30, 1988, Myers is being transferred from Smith's Grove to Ridgemont Federal Sanitarium. Hoffman signs off on Michael being transferred and he is loaded onto an ambulance. Michael awakens when he hears that he has a niece and proceeds to kill everyone present. Loomis comes into Hoffman's office and inquires as to why he was not notified. Hoffman asks Loomis what he is talking about and Loomis retorts that he knows, charging Hoffman with letting them take Michael out of there. Hoffman states his disinterest in hearing a speech from Loomis and asserts that Michael was a federal patient and prisoner which makes him subject to federal law. Loomis says they are not talking about any ordinary prisoner and refers to Michael as "evil on two legs". Hoffman says he can see their conversation is useless and Loomis asks Hoffman if he knows the date. Loomis tells Hoffman that everyday he looks at himself in the mirror and he remembers. Loomis then asks Hoffman to look at his scars from the explosion at Haddonfield Hospital and tells him that he does not want anyone else to have to live through that night again. Hoffman insults Loomis by stating that he has said before that he believes the latter is the one that needs mental help and his phone begins to ring. Hoffman answers and after a short conversation, he hangs up. Hoffman tells Loomis that apparently there was a crash, which compels Loomis to quickly leave Hoffman's office as the latter calls his name twice.

Hoffman and Loomis arrive at the scene of the crash, where Loomis is doubtful the crash was an "accident" and asks how many people were inside. Loomis then steps into the water, with Hoffman telling him that it is over and to leave it alone. Loomis looks inside the ambulance and concludes that Michael had been there but departed before they arrived. Loomis tells the troopers and Hoffman that Michael had escaped and would not be found, which Hoffman rebuffs by insisting that Michael's muscles would be useless even if he was conscious. Loomis states that Hoffman was speaking about him as though he was a human being when that part of him died long ago. As Loomis begins to leave, Hoffman asks him where he is going, to which Loomis answers, "Haddonfield" and that it is a four-hour drive. Loomis tells Hoffman that he can reach him through the local police and that he is sure he will find Michael in four hours if they do not.

Arriving at a filling station, Loomis gets out of his car and closes the door. Raising his cane, he calls out for assistance from someone before turning back as he grabs a gas container and pours gasoline into the car. Loomis walks into the station's garage and calls out for someone. He walks further into the garage and asks if anyone is there. Loomis calls for someone two more times before he hits his shoulder against a pile of tires and the corpse of a man, hung up by chains, descends from the ceiling. Loomis runs out of the garage and into another part of the station, slamming the door to enter. Loomis calls out for someone and pulls out his revolver. Loomis moves over to see a broken phone and then looks down when he notices a second corpse. He looks back at the broken phone and then goes to a phone tied to the wall, realizing it is broken as well and slamming the receiver to the ground. He turns his back and calls out Michael by his name as he notices the latter quietly standing in place. Loomis asks him, "Why now?' Loomis drops his cane and steps closer, noting that Michael has waited ten years and states that he knew the day of his return would come, pleading with him to not go to Haddonfield and offering himself as a victim before telling Michael to leave "those people in peace." As Michael remains silent and with no visual response to the pleas of Loomis, Loomis shoots at Michael several times and comes forward to check, discovering that he has missed and that Michael escaped the building. Loomis looks outside and then comes out, looking around and calling for Michael. The latter emerges from the garage in a truck, Loomis shooting at the truck to no avail. Michael drives past Loomis and blows up the filling station, Loomis ducking for cover and observing as the phone lines are caught in the explosion and severed before turning his attention back to the escaping Michael.

Now without a car, Loomis walks down a highway and extends his arm as he notices an incoming car. The car passes Loomis, who briefly shows dissatisfaction before noticing a car with cheerleaders and extending his hand again. The car stops and one of the boys inside, calling Loomis an "old man", encourages him to get inside. Loomis comes up to back of the car to get in, just for them to drive off, blowing smoke in his face. Jackson P. Sayer pulls up behind Loomis and calls for him to get in, Loomis thanking him as he enters the car. Sayer identifies himself and reaches out to give Loomis a handshake, the latter asking how far he is going. Sayer answers and asks Loomis where he is going before stopping short of addressing him by a name. Loomis tells Sayer his name and that he is going to Haddonfield. Sayer asks him if he is having car trouble, and in reference to the filling station encounter with Michael, Loomis replies, "Sort of." Sayer looks at Loomis and figures that he is "hunting it" like him, to which Loomis asks him what he is hunting. Sayer replies and says that you can't kill damnation since it doesn't die like a man does. Loomis answering that he knows that and Sayer identifies him as a pilgrim, offering Loomis a drink. Loomis takes it and drinks while Sayer begins singing, Loomis smiling afterward.

Sayer drops Loomis off at the Haddonfield police station. He announces that he is looking for Sheriff Brackett and is told that Brackett retired. Loomis asks who the new sheriff is, and is answered by Ben Meeker, who identifies himself as sheriff. Loomis begins to say who he is, but Meeker says his name first and remarks that folks from around there, especially officers, are unlikely to forget his name before asking why he is back after ten years. Loomis explains that Michael is in Haddonfield again after escaping from Ridgemont and repeats this when Meeker states his disbelief. Meeker asks Loomis why Michael has returned and Loomis reflects that Michael tried to kill Laurie ten years ago and now has targeted her daughter. Meeker identifies the girl as Jamie Lloyd and Loomis insists she is danger wherever she is. Meeker dismisses this by citing the fact that Michael has been locked up since Jamie was born and has never even seen her, beginning to walk away as Loomis screams that he has seen six bodies between Haddonfield and Ridgemont and mentions the filling station that Michael blew up. Loomis continues that Michael has arrived to kill Jamie and anyone that gets in his way. Meeker tells another officer to check out the validity of Loomis' claims and Loomis interrupts him to say it is true, Meeker throwing his hands up and conceding it is true before asking what they can do to avoid a repeat of ten years ago.

Loomis answers that they can find Jamie, get her "someplace safe", and call the local TV station so they can replay a message to get people off the streets and behind locked doors. The other officer says they cannot get long distance and that the operator has told him the lines are down, causing Meeker to look at Loomis and decide to go with him to check on Jamie. Loomis and Meeker enter the Carruthers house armed and go into Jamie's bedroom, where Loomis picks up a picture from a box of photographs. Meeker comes over to Loomis and asks if he found something, Loomis replying that Michael has been there and Meeker asks him how he knows. The two then notice the corpse of family pet Sundae and after Meeker admits he is starting to get spooked, Loomis tells him that at least he is not alone. The two then descend down the house's staircase and go outside to get into Meeker's police car, driving around until they locate Jamie and Rachel Carruthers. Loomis and Meeker get out of the vehicle and Loomis instructs for them to get into the car. Loomis shuts the door on Jamie's side and notices what appears to be Michael standing still in a corner. Meeker asks Loomis if that is Michael, and asks him again after Loomis does not respond, Loomis answering that it is as he reaches for his revolver.

Meeker calls out Loomis' name as he spots another person with the same mask and attire of Michael, and Loomis looks over. A third Michael lookalike appears next to the car, and Loomis, convinced that Michael has developed an ability to make copies of himself, points his gun at one of the doppelgängers before the three reveal themselves as playing a prank on Meeker and run off. Loomis and Meeker leave Rachel and Jamie in Meeker's police car to enter the Haddonfield Police Station, where they discover the corpses of officers slaughtered by Michael. Meeker says the officers would not have given up without a fight and Loomis retorts that they did not know what they were fighting. As Meeker discovers another corpse, he asks Loomis how can a man do this and Loomis responds that it is not a man, being grabbed by Meeker as the latter demands that Loomis tell him what they are dealing with. Loomis responds, "evil" and walks out of the station followed by Meeker.

As the two men exit, they are confronted by Earl Ford and a group from Ford's bar, who demand answers on the curfew. Meeker refuses to tell them and Loomis reveals that it was Michael Myers and furthers that he has come home to kill. After Ford states his intent to kill Michael as revenge for the 1978 murder spree, Meeker grabs Loomis, accusing him of having created a lynch mob. Loomis reminds Meeker that he no longer has a police force and removes Meeker's grip on him, stating that these men may be the only defense Meeker has. Meeker takes Loomis, Jamie, and Rachel back to his home, where Loomis asks Meeker for the location of the radio. Loomis stands over Meeker as he radios for aid from state troopers, and spots Rachel walking around, asking her if Jamie is alright. Loomis informs Deputy Logan of Meeker radioing for aid and estimates that they will be there soon.

Loomis says that it is not over yet and after being asked where he is going by Logan, Loomis states his intent to go to the Carruthers house since that is where Jamie lives and where Michael would go to find her. Logan tells Loomis to leave Michael to the state police and Loomis rebukes this by saying that they would not know how to stop him. Logan asks if knows and Loomis admits that possibly no one knows how to stop him and adds that he has to try before leaving. Meeker leaves the house to pursue the lynch mob and Michael kills everyone there except for Rachel and Jamie, the latter of whom left to run on her own after Rachel was rendered unconscious from falling. Loomis sees Jamie by herself and grabs her as he questions what she is doing outside by herself, Jamie saying that everyone is dead and that she just wants to go home.

Loomis tells her that she cannot, as he had just been to the Carruthers house and believes this to be the first place Michael would look for her. Loomis then asks her where the schoolhouse and she points to it, Loomis taking her hand and telling her that they would be safe there. Arriving in front of the building, Loomis covers Jamie as he shoots the lock off of the front door and they walk inside. The shot sets off the alarm and Loomis tells Jamie that they will hear sirens soon, confirming that they would be safe. Jamie asks him if he does not really believe that and Loomis admits that he does not, hugging her briefly before Michael appears behind the pair and grabs Loomis, throwing him through the glass door of an adjacent classroom. This allows Michael to briefly stalk Jamie without intervention until Rachel sprays him and removes Jamie from the building.

Loomis is later seen to have recovered as he witnesses Meeker, a few of the mob, and state police shoot Michael, sending him down an abandoned well, which they ignite and blow up, seeming to finally kill him. Loomis arrives at the Carruthers house and agrees with Meeker that it is over, Loomis adding that Michael is in hell where he belongs. Meeker says that Jamie and Rachel are not likely to forget and Loomis responds that the pair survived the ordeal and will also survive its memory. A short time later, Loomis hears a scream from upstairs and sees the horrific sight of Jamie after having just stabbed her stepmother, dressed in a clown costume similar to what Michael wore when he killed his sister as a child. Meeker stops Loomis just as he raises his gun to Jamie, and Loomis seems to go mad by the thought that the evil that drove her uncle has now possessed his niece.^[4]

Saving Jamie

One year later, Loomis is assigned to Jamie at the Haddonfield Children's Clinic. During that time, Loomis discovers that Michael is still alive and that Jamie is telepathically linked to him. On October 30, 1989, Jamie sees Michael as he is murdering the hermit who took care of him for a year and enters a convulsion. She is moved from her room and doctor Max Hart says that Jamie needs oxygen. Hart moves to open Jamie's windpipe before Loomis interjects, telling them to leave her. Hart responds that Jamie is dying and that he has to open her trachea. Loomis furthers that she will stabilize and Hart reiterates that she is dying, Loomis rejecting this. Jamie's pulse returns to normal, which proves that Loomis was correct. Loomis asks Hart if he sees and the latter scoffs that Loomis still wants Jamie dead. Loomis tells Hart that Jamie has something to tell them. Jamie is returned to her room. Rachel visits Jamie later that morning and Loomis comes in the room, closing the door after seeing that the pair are asleep.

After Tina Williams and Max arrived, Loomis reentered the room, asking what was going on in there. Tina then begins to leave with Max, with Rachel intending to follow suit before an assailant throws a rock at the window and drives off. Loomis grabs the paper attached to the rock and opens it to reveal the message, “THE EVIL CHILD MUST DIE!” Still holding the paper in his hand, Loomis goes outside with Rachel, who expresses her frustrations at Jamie being blamed. Loomis explains that they are afraid of Jamie due to her relation to Michael and her stabbing of her stepmother, concluding that these feelings are furthered due to the close proximity of Halloween. Rachel says she never should have let her parents talk her into leaving and that she did not know what she was thinking, Loomis answering that she is afraid. Rachel denies this and Loomis furthers that she is afraid the events of last Halloween would see a repeat during the upcoming Halloween. Loomis tells her that there is nothing wrong with being afraid and told Rachel that she could telephone Jamie from her cabin, assuring her that Jamie would be properly looked after. Rachel asks Loomis why she still felt guilty and leaves with Tina.

Loomis observes Jamie among other children at the clinic and comes into the room as she begins speaking to Billy in sign language. Loomis understands Jamie to be worried about Rachel and telephones the Carruthers house. Rachel answers and Loomis asks her if she is alright, the latter confirming that she was. Loomis then inquires about Max, who Rachel says is having fun after barking at a cat all morning. Loomis tells her to go check on him and says it again when Rachel asks why, turning to Jamie. Rachel looks for Max and notices the door open, making a noise before Loomis calls her name. Rachel tells him that Max is gone, Loomis instructing her to drop the phone, go to the nearest store, and get out of the house quickly. Rachel abides by his order and contacts the police, the house being combed by deputies Tom Farrah and Nick Ross and Max being recovered. Loomis watches as Rachel talks to Jamie over the phone and takes it from her after Rachel hangs up. Loomis tells Jamie that Rachel is perfectly alright and takes Billy's hand as he tries to get him to leave the room so Jamie can rest. Billy pushes his hand away and asks Jamie if she is okay, the latter pushing Billy away before Loomis takes Billy's hand again and leads him out of the room. Loomis shuts the door and takes a pen and paper as he comes over to a tearful Jamie, surmising that she senses something and asks her to tell him what she knows. He instructs her to write what she knows before pleading.

Jamie enters another convulsion after Rachel is murdered by Michael and Loomis sees this. Loomis goes to the police station to speak with Meeker. He tells Meeker of Jamie's movements, saying that the latter's whole body was shaking. Meeker scoffs, sarcastically saying that he is supposed to call the National Guard every time a little girl twitches. Loomis asks Meeker how many people Michael killed last year, the latter turned away from Loomis as he listens to him. Loomis questions if Meeker has forgotten his own daughter. Meeker grabs Loomis and the latter pushes him off, asserting that he knew Meeker did not forget. Loomis tells Meeker that the former never saw Michael's face or looked into his eyes. Loomis reflects that his memory goes back twelve years to the night he offered his life and, wanting to show Meeker “something”, removes his glove to show his burned hand. Loomis says that he prayed that Michael would burn in hell, but in his heart, he knew that hell would not have him. A deputy tells Meeker that they want him down at the cemetery and Loomis and Meeker look at each other before going there, where they discover the coffin of a nine-year-old girl was removed.

Loomis returns to the clinic and tells Jamie that she needs to help him, surmising that they both know Michael is alive but that only she knows where he is. Loomis questions why she is protecting Michael and knocks over a stand in the room as he mentions Jamie's stepmother, asking Jamie if she loves her and reminding her that Michael made her stab her. Loomis tells Jamie that she cannot hide from Michael and that he will always get to her, proceeding to note the coffin that was stolen from the cemetery earlier and asking Jamie what she thought Michael was going to do with that. Loomis asks Jamie if she is nine-years-old before nurse Patsey West calls for him to leave Jamie alone. Loomis complies and tells Jamie that her tears will not save her. Loomis asks Jamie to help him find Michael and tells her that there is a reason why Michael has this power over her. Loomis asks her if she ever wondered what it is. Loomis travels to the Myers house, calling for Michael as he hears a noise. Loomis asks Michael if he has come home and says that he knows what he wants from Jamie. Loomis enters another part of the house, unaware the Man in Black is behind him. Loomis touched a light switch with his revolver, only to discover it does not work. He notices a laundry shoot and opens it, a dead rat falling out and Loomis being taken by surprise before laughing.

Loomis attends the clinic's annual Halloween costume pageant and notices as Jamie has another convulsion. Loomis surrounds her along with Billy, clinic staff, and an officer, and instructs the officer to get Meeker on the line. Billy translates Jamie to be saying “store” and Loomis asks what kind of store and what they sell. Billy translates “big woman” and Loomis asks if a big woman works at the store. Jamie shakes her head and says “cookie woman”, to Loomis’ confusion as the officer realizes the gas station where Tina is located. Loomis happily exclaims Tina's name when she comes to the clinic. Jamie regains her ability to speak before she embraces Tina and unsuccessfully pleads with her to stay. As Tina is leaving, Loomis goes up to her and asks if she can stay the night. Tina calls Loomis creepy for filling Jamie's head with “all of that boogeyman crap” and Loomis asserts that he believes she is in danger and adds that Jamie believes it too. Loomis requests for Tina to be sensible and as she walks past Tom and Nick, Loomis commands for them to stop her. Nick objects on the grounds that Tina has not done anything wrong. Loomis tells them to follow her and they comply.

Jamie realizes that Michael is following Tina and leaves the clinic. Her absence is noticed by nurse Patsey and she comes downstairs to tell Loomis that Jamie is missing. Loomis then grabs a girl that he mistakes for Jamie, Meeker confronting him and Loomis expressing frustration with Jamie's absence. Jamie follows Tina to the Tower Farm, where the latter is chased by Michael in a car until he turns his attention to Jamie. After Tina sacrifices herself to prevent Michael from attacking Jamie, Loomis comes behind Jamie and Billy as they are fleeing Michael and grabs the pair. He takes them to the waiting Meeker, other officers, and an ambulance, ordering the officers not to shoot. Loomis notices Tina's corpse as it is carried by stretcher and comes up to Jamie, asking her if she is now willing to help him. Jamie asks Loomis if he can kill Michael and Loomis answers that he thinks so. Meeker tries to interject but Loomis says they do not have the time and smiles after he is asked by Jamie what he wants her to do. Loomis waves his hand for the officers and ambulance to leave and goes to stand by the forest. Addressing Michael, Loomis says this rage that drives him and asks if he thinks the rage will go away if he kills them all. Loomis answers that it will not and that Michael has to fight his rage in the place where it started, where it all began. Loomis furthers for Michael to go home if he wants to get rid of his rage and says that he will be there waiting for him, adding that Jamie will be there as well.

The police and Loomis set a trap for Myers at his house, involving the young niece to sit at the dressing table in Judith Myers's old bedroom. Jamie begins getting a convulsion of Michael trying to get to Billy and deputy Charlie Bloch calls Loomis into the room, the latter radioing Meeker to tell him that Michael is at the clinic. Another distress call is placed from the clinic and Meeker orders the officers to go there, telling Loomis to move Jamie to the police station since she will be safer there. Loomis says that he understands and throws the walkie talkie into a bush before walking back into the house. As he stands by the door, Loomis observes that Michael will now come. In Judith's room, Bloch lauds Jamie for having done her night's work and tells her that he and Eddy Grey will give her a ride to the police station. Loomis then walks into the room as Jamie and Bloch are getting ready to leave and is acknowledged by Bloch. Loomis locks the door and puts the key inside of his coat's pocket, Bloch asking what Loomis is doing. The latter responds that they are not taking her anywhere. Bloch threatens Loomis, telling him he has five seconds to give him the key before he takes it by force. Grey then contacts Bloch by walkie talkie and informs him of an approaching car. Loomis listens as Grey is struck by the car from behind and makes noises of pain while being unresponsive to Bloch.

Disturbed by the sounds Grey makes, Bloch states his intention to call Meeker. Loomis grabs the walkie talkie and slams it against the door until it breaks. Bloch angrily comes over to Loomis, who points a gun to his face as he tells Bloch that Michael is outside and requests that he stay with Jamie. Bloch complies and Loomis walks out. Gun in hand, Loomis descends downstairs, Michael standing behind him. Loomis says that Michael has come back to them and walks away, saying that he knows why Michael has come back. Loomis elaborates that he came to see Jamie, who he asserts can stop the rage inside and that she knows how to do it. Loomis comes closer to Michael, who stands calmly in place, and tells him that Jamie is not upstairs but instead in the middle of the house. Loomis empathizes that this is Michael's house and asks him if he remembers how much better he used to be. Loomis requests for Michael to let him take him to Jamie, who he says can take his rage away.

Looking at Michael's knife and beginning to reach for it, Loomis tells Michael that he does not need it. Michael then slashes him across the abdomen, Loomis then falling against a window and Michael pushing him into the glass. Michael then throws Loomis through the banister in a frenzy, Loomis' screams alerting Bloch and Jamie of Michael's presence. With Judith's room door still locked, Bloch and Jamie attempt to escape by going down a window, the noise of the smash revealing their location to Michael who begins walking upstairs as Loomis recovers from his assault with blood on his head. Before the pair can escape, Michael comes into the room and attacks Bloch. Jamie rushes out of the room and, subsequently, through the house to avoid Michael, running into Loomis after going downstairs, who takes her as he asks Michael if he wants Jamie and holds her in place as Michael comes down the staircase. Loomis moves away while keeping Jamie in his grip and continues goading Michael. Loomis pulls a switch, a metal link dropping on Michael. Loomis releases Jamie and grabs a tranquilizer gun, shooting Michael multiple times before the latter grabs it out of his hand and throws it. Loomis rips a wooden plank off of the wall and violently beats Michael with it as he shouts for him to die. Michael is rendered unconscious by the beating and Loomis suffers a stroke, falling on top of Michael before officers arrive at the Myers house. After that, he retires and moves to a quiet hut on the outskirts of Haddonfield. There he lives a solitary, almost hermit lifestyle, choosing not to interact with other people.^[5]

The Cult of Thorn

In 1995, the nightmare starts all over again. It is a cold and stormy night when someone knocks on Sam's door. It is Dr. Terence Wynn, his old colleague, who had come to persuade Loomis to return to Smith's Grove. Sam declines. While the two are arguing about that, they hear the voice of Jamie Lloyd on the radio. She is begging Dr. Loomis to help her.

It turns out that Jamie was impregnated by the same cult that kidnapped her in 1989; however, she succeeds in escaping after giving birth to a baby boy. She takes the child with her, and stops at a bus station to call Dr. Loomis. However, Michael tracks her down and kills her, but cannot find the baby.

Jamie has left her son in the bus stop bathroom. There, he is found by Tommy Doyle, the boy whom Laurie Strode was baby-sitting in 1978 who has become a deranged adult bent on destroying Michael Myers. He names the child Steven.

The following morning, Jamie's body is discovered, and Loomis is devastated. He had thought that the last of Michael's bloodline was killed that night, but after being approached by Tommy Doyle, who tells him about his discovery of the baby, Loomis knows he has to fight his nemesis one last time in order to protect the infant. Tommy tells him to meet him at the campus rally that night to discuss what to do next.

That night, Loomis meets with Tommy, but their meeting is cut short as they discover the body of Barry Simms falling from a tree. They both knew that Michael is now in Haddonfield.

They return to Tommy's home to discover that the baby is missing as well as Kara Strode and her son, Danny. The Strodes eventually bang on the door, begging to be let in, as Michael is chasing them. Tommy questions Loomis on who knew about the baby, who tells him that only they and Wynn knew about it. This is when they all hear a voice call out to Danny.

They walk into the living room where it is revealed that Dr. Terence Wynn, Sam's old colleague is actually the "Man in Black". Wynn, along with an old neighbor of the Myers family, placed the Thorn Curse on Michael years ago on the night he killed his sister, Judith. Loomis and Tommy are then drugged while Wynn takes Kara, Danny and Steven with him to Smith's Grove.

As soon as they recover, the duo travel to Smith's Grove where Loomis intends to deal with Wynn. He tells Tommy to stay put while he takes care of things. He finds Wynn in his office where Wynn reveals how he wants to experiment on Jamie's baby to re-create Michael. Loomis is about to shoot Wynn, but he is knocked out by Wynn's henchmen. They leave Loomis while they go to Steven and Danny.

Loomis awakens and searches for Tommy and the others. He finds them running away from Michael and opens the gate for them. After they get into their car, Tommy asks Loomis to come with them, but he tells them he still has some things to finish up in the sanitarium. Once he goes inside, he finds Michael's mask but apparently no body and screams. The fate of both Loomis and Michael remains unclear.^[6]

Personality

Resigned to trying to reach Michael, Loomis has dedicated himself to stopping his evil. His extensive history with Michael makes him one of the few people always aware of and prepared for him. This often puts him at odds with the law enforcement and denizens of Haddonfield who doubt his claims. His obsession with putting an end to Michael's murder sprees can lead him to act in an aggressive manner toward others, such as threatening Terrence Gummell with a gun to get him to drive him to Haddonfield Hospital,^[3] or when he put a gun to Charlie Bloch's face to prevent the latter from leaving the Myers house with Jamie after he became convinced that Michael was there.^[5] While these actions could have had legal ramifications on Loomis, as pointed out by Gummell when the latter was threatened by Loomis, it can be surmised that Loomis cares more about stopping Michael than anything that may happen to him in the aftermath.

Loomis, at some point, developed a pessimism to the effectiveness of hurting or successfully killing Michael. After shooting Michael during Halloween 1978, and seeing that the latter had gotten up shortly thereafter, Loomis had an unsurprised expression. After shooting Michael multiple times at Haddonfield Hospital, he warned Terrence Gummell to stay away from Michael's seemingly comatose body and refused to believe that Michael was dead. Because Michael has survived in these instances, Loomis's pessimism is validated in being an informed skepticism that has come from his awareness of Michael's durability.

Although Loomis asserted that he had given up on Michael, he made multiple attempts to persuade him, such as when he offered his own life in exchange for Michael leaving Jamie and other Haddonfield residents alone and when he spoke to Michael about Jamie's ability to stop his rage upon Michael arriving at the Myers home. During this conversation, he calmly spoke to Michael about the latter's past and current emotions and reached for Michael's knife. Although this proved fruitless, as evidenced by his lack of drawing a weapon and having his own guard lowered while maintaining very little distance between them, Loomis genuinely believed there was a chance to reach Michael through talking. This contradiction only adds to the complexity of Loomis' view on the chances for a true rehabilitation of his former patient.

Despite their many differences, Loomis and Michael share a distinct high level of determination that causes them to push toward their polar opposite goals with a similar resistance to physical abuse. Just as Michael has survived being shot at repeatedly, burned alive, and beaten repeatedly, Loomis has survived being stabbed, burned alive, and being thrown through glass. Both men were shown to, in some cases, receive these injuries and return to their regular operations within a manner of hours, as Loomis recovered enough from being thrown through glass to where he was able to walk in less than a night and Michael recovered enough from being beaten repeatedly by Loomis to where he could walk in less than a night. They are both also willing to employ lethal methods to accomplish their mission, although Loomis would only do this to Michael while the latter regularly kills random people.

"I don't want anyone to have to live through that night again."

―Loomis to Hoffman^[src]

A key quality of Loomis' is his selflessness. His involvement in trying to put an end to Michael's various murder sprees is entirely out of concern for the welfare of others, as Michael has never targeted Loomis outside of whenever Loomis intervenes. When he tried to kill Michael at Haddonfield Hospital, he signaled for Laurie to leave the room and was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant killing Michael.^[3] When Michael was transported without Loomis being notified and the latter confronted Hoffman, Loomis expressed his desire to never see anyone experience the events of Halloween 1978 again. When encountering Michael for the first time in a decade, as the latter was in pursuit of Laurie's daughter, Jamie, Loomis tried to offer himself as a victim in the place of the residents of Haddonfield.^[4] After being knocked out by Terence Wynn's henchmen, Loomis was given the opportunity to flee, but instead came to the aid of Kara, Tommy, Danny and Steven. Loomis viewed his own life as lesser than the purpose of stopping Michael from hurting innocent people.

Loomis became acquainted with Sheriff Leigh Brackett while following Michael to Haddonfield during Halloween 1978. Brackett was doubtful of Loomis's claims on Michael and dismissed his warnings as fancy talk, even doubting that Loomis shot Michael six times out of a misguided belief that Michael was a normal man who would have died from being hit by so many bullets. Loomis pointedly told Brackett that he was wrong for not taking his warnings seriously. Later that night, after Brackett found his daughter murdered, he blamed Loomis for her death. Loomis, knowing that there was nothing he could say to appease the anger of a father who had lost their child, meekly responded that he did everything he could.^[3] Although the two never spoke again, Loomis remembered and respected Brackett's help, as evidenced when he asked for his aid again during Michael's next spree before learning that he had retired.^[4]

When Loomis came back to Haddonfield after ten years, he first met Ben Meeker, the current sheriff. Meeker knew who Loomis was before meeting him and implied that he was not well-liked for his association with Michael. While Meeker took Loomis's warnings more seriously than Brackett did, he was still not as steadfast as Loomis in his belief in Michael's evil until seeing the police force's corpses after Michael attacked them. The relationship between the two could be antagonistic, with Meeker grabbing Loomis forcefully when he was angry at him for revealing Michael had returned to an inquiring mob and doing the same the following year when Loomis invoked the death of Meeker's daughter as he made his point regarding taking the threat of Michael serious. Despite these incidents, Loomis did view Meeker with respect, as he ordered him to be contacted when Jamie was having a convulsion regarding Tina and only disobeyed his order to have Jamie taken to the police station when it became clear to him that Michael was coming to the Myers house to see her. Loomis also trusted enough in Meeker's ability to bring Michael down that he remained convinced on the night of Halloween 1988 that they had succeeded in killing Michael.

Although Loomis did not spend much time with Rachel during Halloween 1988, the pair became closer over the following year, with Rachel even specifically confiding to him the guilt she felt for leaving Jamie. Loomis, knowing that she valued her stepsister's safety, tried to assure her that Jamie would be okay in her absence and that there was nothing wrong with being afraid that they would see a repeat of Michael's previous spree. A concerned Loomis, adhering to warnings from Jamie, called Rachel to see if she was okay and was visibly panicked when it appeared Michael was there with her, Rachel obeying his orders to leave the home. When Rachel confirmed that she had found her dog and incorrectly asserted that Michael was not in the house, Loomis trusted her judgement and the pair would ultimately never speak again as Rachel was murdered a short time later. Loomis and Rachel shared a concern for Jamie, a desire to protect her at any cost from her uncle, and an understanding that she was not herself when stabbing her stepmother.

While Jamie was admitted to Haddonfield Children's Clinic, and after Loomis became aware of her telepathic bond with Michael, he tried to pressure Jamie to reveal what she knew about Michael. This earned him repudiation from Nurse Patsey, but his serious treatment of her telepathic bond with Michael made him the only person who took Jamie's visions as more than just nightmares. This also caused him to be attentive to Jamie in ways that others were not, as he called Rachel upon Jamie's request and demanded Deputies Nick Ross and Tom Farrah prevent Tina Williams from leaving the clinic after Jamie begged for her to stay. This demonstrated Loomis wanted to both ease Jamie's concerns while having her use her telepathic link to prevent Michael from killing more people and Loomis's obsession with stopping Michael made him believe fully in the supernatural.

Despite the extreme lengths he would go to in order to confront Michael, Loomis seldom operated alone, acquiring the aid of law enforcement both during the 1978 murder sprees and when Michael became active again ten years later. Loomis evidently believed in the strength of numbers as he knew Michael was most successful when cornering individuals rather than fighting groups. While Loomis was willing to confront Michael alone, and would do so when either making pleas to him or when put in a particular circumstance where Michael had dispatched of officers, his constant push for the assistance of others highlights his particular knowledge on Michael's modus operandi.

Loomis usually has a firearm on hand during his encounters with Michael, which shows his preparedness. This contrasts him with most of the people Michael meets, who are oftentimes unarmed and caught off-guard in being confronted by Michael, and gives him a similarity with law enforcement.

Loomis also values the feelings of others. When he spoke to Laurie after shooting Michael at Haddonfield Hospital, he apologized for leaving her side and asked if she was alright. After encountering Jamie while the latter was running from Michael, he confirmed that they would be safe after hearing police sirens, not because he actually believed this, but due to wanting Jamie to be less afraid of Michael. Loomis also embraced Jamie before and after this exchange. Whether he was calling Rachel to ensure her safety after Jamie sensed she was in danger or trying to prevent Tina from leaving Jamie's clinic after a similar premonition, even pleading with Tina to spend the night with Jamie, many of Loomis' activities during the period Jamie stayed at Haddonfield Children's Clinic were done out of concern for Jamie's feelings. At the root of Loomis' obsession with stopping Michael is the concern for others, whether they are well or injured, and in the event they encounter Michael, whether they live or die.

Notes and trivia

• This is the only version of Loomis to not have been confirmed dead, although his fate is left ambiguous at the end of The Curse of Michael Myers.
• Between Halloween II and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Loomis is assaulted by Michael in every film they appear in.
• Loomis and Michael are the only characters to appear in every film in this timeline.
• Loomis and Michael are the only characters to interact with Marion Chambers in Halloween.
• Nancy Stephens called working with Pleasence on the 1978 Halloween film the thrill for her in being involved with the movie.
• After Loomis first meets Brackett and the latter walks away, Michael can be seen driving behind Loomis, who has his back turned.
• Along with Laurie, Loomis is one of two characters to discover the corpses of Michael's victims during Halloween. Loomis stumbles across the body of Christopher Hastings while Laurie finds the corpses of Lynda, Annie, and Bob.
• After Halloween, Loomis lays on the ground in every film he appears in. Loomis collapses to the floor after being stabbed by Michael in Halloween 2, he jumps to the ground to avoid the explosion at the filling station in Halloween 4, he falls on top of Michael after having a stroke in Halloween 5, and he falls when struck behind by Wynn's men in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
• Halloween II begins with reused footage from the original film. The shot of Loomis surprised at Michael's disappearance is a replacement of the character's last appearance onscreen in the previous film.
• The man that Loomis orders to call the police at the start of Halloween II is portrayed by Tommy Lee Wallace, who would later direct Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
• Dick Warlock portrays Michael in Halloween II. He also worked with Pleasence on the 1981 film Escape from New York.
• The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films nominated Pleasence for Best Actor in 1982, as a result of his performance in Halloween II. Pleasence lost to Harrison Ford for the latter's role in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• Annie Brackett is the only one of Michael's teenage victims in the first film to have their corpse seen by Loomis, the latter being with Leigh Brackett when he has to identify his daughter after her body is removed from the Wallace house.
• When Michael kills Terrence Gummell, it is the only time in the film series that Loomis witnesses Michael kill someone.
• The lighter that Loomis uses to put a flame on Marion Chambers’ cigarette is the same one he uses to cause the explosion at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital.
• The ending of Halloween II, in which Loomis blows up Michael and himself, was meant to conclude the story of Michael Myers with the intent of subsequent Halloween movies to be unrelated, new stories.
• Loomis jump scares Jamie twice. In the fourth film, Loomis does so when he comes on the side of her after she flees Sheriff Meeker's home to get away from Michael. In the fifth film, Loomis jump scares Jamie and Billy Hill when he comes behind the two after they flee from Michael, following Tina sacrificing herself to protect Jamie.
• Halloween 4 is the only film where Loomis is mentioned before he appears.
• Halloween 4 is the only installment where Loomis' bare hands are never shown.
• Loomis is the only character to interact with Jackson P. Sayer in Halloween 4.
• Along with Brady, Loomis is one of two characters to fire at Michael and miss in Halloween 4.
• In the scene at the schoolhouse where Michael grabs Loomis from behind and throws him through a glass door in Halloween 4, Michael's mask is a copy of the one he wore in the original film, but pink with blonde hair. Director Dwight Little said this was likely due to someone grabbing the wrong mask from the prop truck at 4 am and everyone involved being too tired to notice. Little said they should have gone back and reshot the scene if they had more time and money and admitted it was a mistake.
• Wendy Kaplan, who portrayed Tina in Halloween 5, said being asked what it was like to work with Pleasence was one of the most frequent questions she received during interviews. In a 2019 interview, Kaplan described Pleasence as professional and “really kind. It never felt like he was behaving like the sort of icon that he was. He was very present with us, in the sense that it didn’t feel like he put himself above us, but I didn’t have a lot of direct interaction with him outside of when we were shooting. I think I was a little intimidated by him, frankly. Like I didn’t feel particularly comfortable going, ‘Hey! Whatcha’ been doing here in Salt Lake City for the last few days in your down time?’ It’s not to say that he was unapproachable. It’s just that I was young and new and he was this big deal. He was this icon of film and theatre.”
• Loomis's stroke in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers was written with the intent of killing off the character as Donald Pleasance wanted to retire from the franchise. Had this happened, Loomis would have been the only character to die in the film from natural causes as opposed to being murdered.
• Loomis is shown to be equipped with a firearm in each of his appearances.
• Of the four films featuring Loomis wearing his trademark trench coat, Halloween 5 is the only one where he does not also wear a brown suit.
• Along with Laurie and Jamie, Loomis is one of three people in this timeline confirmed to have seen Michael's face after he escaped Smith's Grove and started his killing spree.
• Along with Tommy Doyle, Loomis is one of two characters to beat Michael repeatedly with a blunt object in this timeline.
  • Loomis beat Michael with a piece of wood, Tommy beat him with a metal pipe.
• The Curse of Michael Myers is the only film in which Loomis does not wear his trademark trench coat.
• Loomis has the last spoken line in Halloween, Halloween 4, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
• When Loomis raises his gun to shoot Jamie at the end of Halloween 4, it is the only time in all five films that Loomis tried to shoot someone that was not Michael or that he thought was Michael.
• Along with Michael, and Laurie Strode from the H20 Timeline, Loomis is one of three characters to retain physical scars from Halloween 1978 that are carried over to subsequent films: both he and Michael have burn injuries, while said incarnation of Laurie has a scar on her shoulder from being attacked by Michael after discovering her friends' bodies.
• Of the three films that Loomis and Jamie both appear in, Halloween 4 is the only one where he does not refer to her by name.
• Phil Rosenberg wrote a script for the sixth film titled Halloween 666: The Origin following a news reporter from Chicago who has dreams about Michael. The script only features Loomis in a single scene, residing "within the mental ward of a hospital, possibly by choice considering the phrasing — the good doctor who spent years treating Michael is now back where he started, albeit in a different position".^[7]
• Daniel Farrands wanted Loomis to have a character arc in the sixth film that entailed him returning to hunting down Michael after retiring: "Start him as a different guy. It starts with him in seclusion, and he's retired and he's kind of put the insanity behind him but not really. Secretly he's been writing a book about Michael and is basically pulled out of retirement to hunt down his patient one last time. I thought that was a great way to start with him. Start him in a place of relative peace and end up right back in hell." Farrands saw Wynn as Loomis' evil counterpart and said that his "idea was always to end the movie with this incredible battle for Michael Myers' soul between the good doctor and the evil doctor and that was really what it was building to in the script."
• Farrands wanted Christopher Lee to play Wynn in The Curse of Michael Myers. Had this happened, Pleasence would have been reunited with Lee for the first time since they starred in the 1972 film Death Line.
• John Strode and Tim Strode are the only members of the Strode family to move into the Myers house that Loomis does not interact with during the sixth film.
• During the production of The Curse of Michael Myers, revealing that Michael was Loomis' son was considered.
• Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the only film in which Loomis does not partner with law enforcement to end Michael's killing spree.
• The Curse of Michael Myers is the only film to depict Loomis at his place of residence.
• Terence Wynn is the only character to refer to Loomis by his first name, calling him "Sam" during their interactions in the first and sixth films.
• In the original Producer's Cut of The Curse of Michael Myers, the ending has Dr. Loomis becoming the Cult of Thorn's new leader by force of having the mark passed on to him, and the film ended with the same scream presented as originally shot, instead of as a background noise. This asserts Loomis' fate as alive, but better off dead, while Michael's fate remains unaccounted for. It is possible that the treatment written by Daniel Farrands for the proposed Michael Myers: Lord of the Dead was cancelled due to Pleasence's death.

References