Do you have any headcanons for what Hoffman's life was like before his sister died? I'm really curious what you think as you are the number one Mark fan lol
ok first of all that is the biggest compliment literally ever... when i die i want my tombstone to say "mark hoffman's #1 fan" . and second ... i turned this into an entire writing piece YAY!!!!
wc: 2,914
contains mentions of death and abuse
Mark was born in the late 60s to Alice and Russell Hoffman. He was their first and only child. His father passed away when he was 6 due to a heart condition. Mark didn’t really understand what death was at that point; he just knew his father was gone and he was never going to see him again. His mother did her best to raise him as a single parent, and she had succeeded as he grew into a sharp young boy. He was polite but quiet, usually preferring to keep to himself. He helped tidy up around the house. He was often home alone while his mother worked. He was smart and selfless, offering help to anyone who needed it. He was a little lonely, though. Since his mother was often working, he didn’t see much of her.
When Mark was 9, his mother met a man named Carl Acomb. He was a former navy sailor in his 40s. He was married a few years back but his wife had passed away, leaving him widowed. The two bonded over having lost their partners and eventually decided to give a relationship a shot. Carl treated Mark like his own son. He’d take him hunting, which Mark wasn’t very fond of, but he appreciated having a father figure to spend time with. Carl and Alice got married when Mark was 11 and not a year later, she was pregnant with a baby girl.
To say the least, Mark was very excited. He’d always wanted a little sibling. It would make him less lonely at home when his parents were working. He’d have a little friend to play with and take care of. He promised his mom he’d do whatever he could around the house to make everything easier for her. Over the years, he’d learned how to cook basic meals, and when she wasn’t feeling great, Mark and his step-father would make dinner and clean around the house. Angelina was born in the mid-late 70s and Mark fell in love with her. She was a wonderful baby. She never fussed, constantly smiling and giggling. Her eyes sparkled with youth and innocence and Mark was always quick to offer to take care of her. He was happiest when he was holding her. He was there when she took her first steps and said her first word. He fed her, changed her diapers, played with her – all of the big brother stuff.
Angelina was 4 when Mark started high school. His grades were usually really good, and he ended up joining not only the wrestling team, but the soccer team as well. He loved playing sports and became close to the other guys on his team. He was still quiet and reserved but his parents were happy to see that he was getting out there and making friends. He started spending more time away from home, especially when he turned 16. He wasn’t defiant or rude but he was distant. Hangouts became parties and he started drinking heavily. He didn’t realize he had a problem brewing but when his coaches threatened to kick him off of their team, he tried to cut back on the alcohol. It was hard for him but he managed as best he could. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint the people around him.
Mark’s parents and sister attended his high school graduation and he was on track to becoming a police officer. It had been a secret dream of his since he was a child. Once you took into account his strong sense of justice and wanting to help those in need, it was obvious why he chose that career path. Using the money he saved up, he moved into an apartment a half an hour away. He wanted to stay close for Angelina’s sake. She was inconsolable when she found out her brother was moving – she was only 8 years old. He promised her that he’d visit her every single week, and that he did.
He’d been living alone for 2 years with an associates degree in his pocket and his police training had just begun. Unfortunately, he’d received a call that would change his life. His parents were on their way to Angelina’s school for her science fair when somebody blew through a red light. They were hit with such force that they both died on impact. Angelina didn’t know yet – she was waiting for them both to show up. Mark had to go pick her up. With tears in his eyes, he broke the news to her. As expected, she was crushed. She was only 10 years old. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t understand what this entailed at all. Mark was terrified. He was 22 and his career had just begun. He didn’t feel ready to raise a child, let alone his own sister, with no guidance. Still, he became her legal guardian and did what he could to make life easier for her.
Angelina left her childhood home soon after that and moved in with Mark. He cleaned up his spare room to make it comfortable for her. All the stuff she’d packed was carefully placed on the shelves and the bed was made with her favorite bedspread. They’d both chosen things from their parents to hang onto – that stuff went on the mantle above the fireplace. Since he hadn’t moved too far away, Angie stayed at the same school and didn’t have to leave her friends. The last thing Mark wanted to do was rip her away from what was already familiar to her. When she was out with her friends or at school, Mark was secretly crumbling. His alcohol problem was an ever-present beast, looming over his shoulder. He was drinking more than he should’ve been. He knew that better than anyone else. Things really came to a head when he passed out in the middle of the day. Angelina had come home from school to a silent apartment and found him on the floor, unresponsive. She panicked, assuming the worst. She physically shook him awake. When he came to, Mark realized that he was becoming the person he swore off in high school. He tried to cut back again. He needed to. He’d never wanted Angie to see him like that.
Things eventually stabilized. The grief was still present but instead of stewing in the pain in silence, Mark and Angie bonded over the fond memories they still had. It was especially hard for Mark to talk about since he’d already lost his first father – it was like salt in the wound – but talking about things with his baby sister made him feel better about it. After many long conversations, they’d promised each other that no matter what, they’d always be there for each other. Angie was starting high school soon, and Mark was moving up in his career. He took the pain he felt and turned it into motivation to keep going.
They both held true to their promises. Mark was there for every single one of Angelina’s big, important life events. He gave her rides before she got her license. He was there when she got her first boyfriend and comforted her through her first heartbreak. He helped her pick out a prom dress and did her hair for her (to the best of his ability). He attended her high school graduation and helped her fill out her resume for her first job. He supported her as best he could while getting over his own issues and trying to provide for both of them.
Angelina had been seeing a man since she was 19 and at 21, she decided to move in with him. Mark didn’t particularly like the guy but he made her happy and honestly, all he wanted was to see his sister thriving. Mark helped her pack her things and move. He was thankful she wasn’t moving too far away but he promised to visit her every week regardless.
Mark continued to move up in his career and Angelina was there for all of his promotions. Even though she was younger than him, she knew how hard Mark had worked. He’d come so far and she told him all the time how proud she was of how far he had come. She knew he’d suffered but he came out on top every single time. That was something about her big brother that she deeply admired. If Mark wasn’t working or visiting his sister, he didn’t do much. His life wasn’t really anything to write home about. He’d wake up early on the weekends to have a cup of coffee as the sun rose. He’d come home from work, take a shower, watch Wheel of Fortune, and go to bed. He didn’t realize it but he was struggling with some form of depression. Mark thought it was normal to struggle to get up in the morning. The grief that came with death followed him around like a shadow and constantly pushed him towards the bottle. To cope with it, he put his sister above all else. All he cared about was making sure she was doing ok as well as continuing his career path. He was on track to becoming a homicide detective at that point. Those were the only things he had to look forward to.
When Angelina was 22, the man she was with broke up with her, and Mark was there to comfort her through the whole thing. He helped her move out and find her own place. He even paid the down payment for her, insisting that she shouldn’t worry about another thing while she’s already recovering. Angie was always thankful for how much help Mark was to her. He spent a few nights with her until she felt she could be on her own. A few months later, she met a man named Seth at a record store, and the two hit it off. When she told Mark, he was immediately suspicious of him. To be fair, he’d been a total gentleman from the beginning. He gave her gifts, took her out to dinner, complimented her up the wazoo. He seemed like the perfect man. However, when Angelina introduced him to Seth, Mark immediately noticed a plethora of red flags. He had a terrible gut feeling despite how nice he seemed, and he refused to let that feeling go.
Seth ended up moving in with Angie when she was 23. Despite having been in a relationship for over a year, Mark still didn’t like him. It frustrated her to some degree but he was her brother so she tried to ignore it. On one of his routine trips to visit his sister, he told her to be careful around him. Angelina said she would but she didn’t realize how deeply concerned he was. Mark had noticed some bruises on her body and it was clear she was trying to hide them. It could’ve been from a fall or bumping into something so he didn’t say anything yet, but he made a mental note to himself just in case something was off. After that visit, Angelina started pulling away from Mark. It raised blinding red flags to him. Mark knew she’d never cut him off, but the sudden silence and isolation from her was concerning. He still visited her every week but she seemed so closed off. She spoke like she was being monitored. Every single time, Mark told her that if something was wrong, she needed to tell him. He was a cop, and he’d been one for over 10 years. It was comforting for her to hear but she was stuck in a cycle; Seth would treat her terribly. He’d hit her, berate her, bring her down and make her feel reliant on him, and then disappear for a few days. It turned her into an emotional wreck. She’d get so anxious she’d keep herself up, sitting by the phone, waiting for him to call. When he finally got home, he’d fill her arms with goodies and kiss her and coddle her like he’d never left. He’d apologize and tell her that he loved her. Nobody had loved him like she had. She couldn’t leave because he loved her too much. Angelina knew it was bad. She knew this wasn’t the life she should be living, but she didn’t know how to tell Mark about it.
After one too many covered-up bruises and several missed calls, it clicked in Mark’s head. He’d learned the tells of abuse and he knew he had to act sooner rather than later. Mark had called her and she showed up at his apartment wearing long sleeves in the summer. She spilled everything to him, sobbing into his arms about how lost she felt and how scared she was. She was almost 24. Her birthday was right around the corner and Mark wanted Seth away from her before it happened. That same day, Angelina took her brother back to her apartment and they shoved all of Seth’s shit into trashbags and dumped it on the sidewalk before he came home. He was having another “episode” – he’d been gone for 2 days already, which meant he’d be home within the next. Mark helped her change the locks and he stayed with her until Seth came back, even going so far as to call out of work.
He finally showed up and Angelina was a mess. She tried not to cry as she stared out the window, watching Seth’s expression change from confused to enraged. Something in her still loved him, despite everything he had put her through, and she hated it. She watched him throw open the door to the building and disappear inside. He stormed up the stairs to her apartment and tried to break in but fortunately, Mark was still there. Seth was promptly arrested and sentenced to 6 months for attempted breaking and entering. Angelina finally felt safe and she was starting to come out of her shell again, albeit very slowly. Mark asked her a hundred million times if she felt safe by herself and she insisted that she would be ok. Still, he kept visiting her every week, asking the same question.
For her 24th birthday, Mark splurged and took her on a daytrip to see Niagara Falls. Just like he wanted to become a detective, Angelina’s biggest childhood dream was to see the waterfalls. She was stunned that he’d gone through the effort to take her there. She kept insisting that she’d pay Mark back or make it up to him but he told her that he wanted to do something special for her. Any money that she tried to give him would go right back to her. Mark made sure to pack her camera and Angelina took advantage of that. She took so many pictures – of the falls, the surrounding greenery, her unsuspecting brother – and she had a kind older woman take a picture of the two of them together.
Mark did what he could to make that entire year all about her. Angelina was still recovering and trying to push through everything that happened between her and Seth. He knew he couldn’t fix everything but he’d be damned if he didn’t try. When he got released from prison, Mark made sure to keep extra close attention on Angelina, even going so far as to offer to install cameras. Angie insisted he didn’t have to so he backed off, but he told her to call him if anything happened at all.
Angelina’s 25th birthday passed and although he couldn’t do another big trip, Mark made sure to spend about three paychecks on her. A purse, some jewelry, a new camera, anything she’d slightly hinted at – he was spoiling her. They both knew that. Angelina cried when she saw everything Mark got her. Later on that year, Mark was moving up the ranks again, and Angie was there to congratulate him and surprise him with her own gift; a framed picture she’d taken of the two of them at the falls.
Unfortunately, things had taken a turn for the worst. Seth Baxter was on a war path. He was dead set on Angelina and he’d made up his mind in prison that he would make her suffer. She was sound asleep in her apartment when he’d managed to break the door open. She woke up to him staring at her and she screamed. She told him to get out, and Seth told her that he wasn’t going to. She tried to reach for her phone and call the police but while she was asleep, Seth had cut the cords. She was backed into a corner and fighting for her life when Seth pulled a knife on her and slit her throat. Mark had woken up in his sleep with a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He tried his hardest to fall back asleep but he couldn’t. Around 9 in the morning, a few minutes after he’d arrived at the station, he’d gotten the call that Angelina was killed a few hours ago. Mark rushed to her apartment, pushing through the other officers and detectives, gripping her now freezing cold hand. For the first time since his parents had died, he sobbed, inconsolable. The only person he had to live for was gone and he couldn’t protect her.
I hate Mark Hoffman. His writing as a villain is so good that I hate him. I always think about his backstory, however. His sister was murdered and he proceeded to murder the guy who did so. It was also implied that his sisters killer had been abusing her when they used the words 'domestic dispute.' I can't help but feel bad for him. I don't blame Hoffman for killing Seth at all. I would do the same damn thing.
So, I get pretty pissed at John for saying "everybody deserves a chance" straight to the man who lost everything. Like- if John had just fucked off, then Mark probably wouldn't have fallen into such a dark hole. Which could be said for all of his apprentices. I hate Hoffman, I do, but I do know that he is someone without something to live for. His sister was all he had.
John, bby, I love you, but let's not get pissy at the man who lost his sister when you were ready to slice and dice the guy who caused Jill to lose her kid. You hypocrite >:/
Hoffman’s path as Jigsaw's apprentice began with revenge, with the desire to inflict suffering on the one who had caused him pain. And his path ended with revenge as well. His final act of vengeance was not only against Jill personally, but also against John. It was as if he was trying to make John suffer by taking the life of someone John cared about.
It doesn’t matter that John was already dead. It doesn’t matter that killing Seth Baxter wouldn’t have brought Angie back.
Revenge is blind.
"Fix me, motherfucker," Amanda cried to John. Nothing changed for her.
"Fix me, motherfucker" - this is precisely what Hoffman could have snarled in fury and despair, feeling betrayed, if John were still alive. Hoffman was hurt all over again, and the only way he knew how to cope with his pain was by inflicting it on others in revenge. For him, too, nothing had changed.
Both Amanda and Hoffman were ultimately defeated because John didn’t fix people. He broke them further. And they were both undone not by John’s hand, but by the consequences of his designs.
And I am curious about how John would have reacted to what happened to Jill. Would he have been as lenient with Hoffman as he was with Seth Baxter? “Everyone deserves a chance,” he shouted directly into Hoffman’s face, speaking about the man who had so unfairly and cruelly taken the only person he held dear from him. “You didn’t see the blood! You didn’t see what he fucking did to her!” and John showed no trace of understanding or sympathy in response. But what would he have said if he had seen Jill’s blood? If he had witnessed what Hoffman had done to her? Would he have given Hoffman the proverbial chance? I’m not sure.
