In The Gryphon, Dr. Peters, a Man-Ith, is Mark’s therapist, but it is soon revealed that his job is not to treat Mark but to prepare him for the confrontation with the Gryphon. Thorsten Merten plays the role of Dr. Peters.
Witnessing his father’s death as a child traumatized Mark. He still needs therapy to deal with the past trauma. Initially, his therapist, Dr. Peters, seems concerned about him, but that turns out to be an act.
Dr. Peters is not just Mark’s therapist, he is also the father of the girl Mark likes, Becky. Through her, he is able to control Mark’s emotions and make him act in a certain way.
The powers of Man-Iths
Man-Iths are spies employed by the Gryphon not just to gather intel in the Black Tower but also in the human world. Dr. Peters is one of them.
Usually, Man-Iths do not have names, but since this Man-Ith has been living as a human, he takes the identity of Dr. Peters. Man-Iths can take the form of any human being. They can even take an invisible form.
They can possibly change the form of other beings as well, considering that Dr. Peters was able to turn the monster that came out of the night terror into a bear.
Dr. Peters could also determine Becky’s whereabouts by tasting the dust in her room, as Man-Iths can taste thoughts. Man-Iths can see the past, the present, and even the dreams of humans. However, using tar mud can clog Man-Iths’ minds and prevent them from using their abilities.
The Man-Ith in human skin
Dr. Peters is tasked with making Mark feel negative emotions so as to prepare him for the confrontation with the Gryphon that feeds on Mark’s hatred. To do that, he becomes Mark’s therapist.
When Mark talks to him about teleporting to the Black Tower, Dr. Peters makes him believe that he was hallucinating, and Mark does not question this, as he trusts his therapist.
He deliberately brings Becky into Mark’s life and then takes her away from him. He keeps telling Becky that she validates Mark and that might make him give into his fantasies. Becky then has doubts about supporting Mark blindly, and Dr. Peters succeeds in separating them.
He also tells Mark’s mother that his condition is more serious than he thought. Due to this, she decides to get him admitted to the psychiatric ward. He then kills the psychiatrists who try to stop Mark from going to the Black Tower, and he does this while posing as Mark to put the blame on him.
Another Man-Ith, Koteas, is responsible for handling Dr. Peters in the human world. He warns Dr. Peters to be careful, as the Gryphon does not want any complications, but Dr. Peters is confident that he can keep things under control.
Dr. Peters fails in the mission given to him and is not given a second chance. Koteas pukes an egg, and another Man-Ith is born. This Man-Ith kills Dr. Peters and takes his place to play the part of Dr. Peters, Becky’s father and Mark’s therapist.
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