The Army of Darkness Witch, also known as the Deadite Witch or Evil Ash, is a powerful antagonist in the horror-comedy film "Army of Darkness" directed by Sam Raimi. Released in 1992, the film follows the story of Ash Williams, played by Bruce Campbell, who gets transported back in time to the medieval era. In the film, the Army of Darkness Witch is portrayed as a horrifying and dark force with supernatural abilities. She is the queen of the Deadites, a demonic army of possessed corpses, and is responsible for unleashing them upon the world. The witch has a grudge against Ash and seeks to kill him, believing that his arrival in the past will upset the balance of power. The Army of Darkness Witch is characterized by her twisted appearance and menacing presence.
At its debut, many motorcyclists reckoned the bike, which was designed by Honda’s American division and manufactured in Ohio, had been built to compete with Harley-Davidson’s CVO series. It followed a series of concept bikes Honda displayed on the show circuit, displaying inspiration from the American custom bike scene (Read The Bear’s write-up here for some more info on that). Some of these machines were so wild that nobody figured Honda could ever mass-produce anything similar—but in 2003, the Rune hit dealerships.
Along with the added power, Honda went all-out on styling, including its first-ever seamless gas tank, and bold touches everywhere, from the exhaust to the fender to the headlight. At its debut, many motorcyclists reckoned the bike, which was designed by Honda s American division and manufactured in Ohio, had been built to compete with Harley-Davidson s CVO series.
The Army of Darkness Witch is characterized by her twisted appearance and menacing presence. She has pale, decaying skin, long, tangled hair, and sharp, pointed teeth. Her eyes glow with an otherworldly light, and she possesses dark magic that allows her to summon and control the Deadites.
Adventure Rider
The Honda Rune: Is it cartoonish, or a classic? The answer is… yes?
Honda is a pretty conservative motorcycle manufacturer these days, but 20 years ago, things were different. In the years running up to the 2008 global financial meltdown, the public was in love with cruiser-based custom motorcycles, and Honda saw an opportunity to appeal to the whims of that market while also showcasing their company’s technical capability. The result was the Rune, a bike that people are still impressed with, or repulsed by, almost 20 years later.
An unlikely origin
The Rune was a wild-looking bike, which is pretty funny when you realize it’s a cousin to the Gold Wing. It’s much more than a gussied-up tourer though, with a stretched-out wheelbase (68.9 inches, the longest Honda motorcycle ever) and weirdo trailing-link front end. But at its heart, the 1832cc six-cylinder engine was very similar to the one used in the Gold Wing. Even here, though, Honda’s hot rod builders managed to spice things up, installing more aggressive camshafts and re-tuning the fuel injection system for more snap. To slow down all that muscle, and the 888-lb wet weight, Honda added dual 330mm front brake discs and a single 336mm rear brake disc, the largest ever used on a Honda bike at that point.
Along with the added power, Honda went all-out on styling, including its first-ever seamless gas tank, and bold touches everywhere, from the exhaust to the fender to the headlight. The materials were all high-quality, not cheap, insta-rusting garbage plasti-metal.
Unlike any motorcycle Honda has made before or since. They sold like mad, but the wild-looking Rune was still a sales disaster in a weird way, as it cost Honda a lot of money. Photo: Mecum Auctions
The end result was a motorcycle unlike anything Honda had built before. In many ways, nobody had built anything like it before. They couldn’t build it because some parts were so radical that Honda had to invent new production process just to mass-produce them.
At its debut, many motorcyclists reckoned the bike, which was designed by Honda’s American division and manufactured in Ohio, had been built to compete with Harley-Davidson’s CVO series. It followed a series of concept bikes Honda displayed on the show circuit, displaying inspiration from the American custom bike scene (Read The Bear’s write-up here for some more info on that). Some of these machines were so wild that nobody figured Honda could ever mass-produce anything similar—but in 2003, the Rune hit dealerships.
A sales paradox
The Rune was priced around $27,000 US when it appeared. It was a lot of money in 2003—but Honda had little trouble generating interest. The marketing campaign was pretty wild, inspired by Frank Frazetta’s art. See below:
Honda wasn’t messing around with this advertisement. It’s one of very few moto adverts that I can remember 20 years after I first saw it in a magazine. Image: Honda
Contrast that to the current “friendly hipsters on Hondas” advertising for the CL500 scrambler, and it’s a big difference! But, really, both are just reflections of their times. In 2003, anti-social chopper builders with walrus mustaches and cartoonishly inflated biceps were the heroes of television, so a bit of dark fantasy art wasn’t likely to scare off potential buyers.
In fact, these days, when you mention the Rune, you often hear people say they’ve been looking for one for years, because they don’t come up for sale often. Honda didn’t make many of them, for good reason. Reportedly, each Rune cost about $100,000 to manufacture, so Honda lost almost $75,000 on each sale. No wonder demand often exceeded supply.
These luxo-barges were supposedly allotted on the basis of one per dealership. Photo: Mecum Auctions
So, in a weird way, despite an eager market, the Rune was a sales disaster, costing Honda a lot of money over its 2003-2005 production run. But as a marketing ploy? The fact that we’re still talking about it today shows Honda knew what it was doing. Whether or not you like the polarizing styling, there’s no question the Rune sticks in your brain after you’ve seen it.
Want to buy one?
If you’re interested in buying one and want to learn more about the than a raw spec sheet, there are many contemporary ride reviews of the Rune still archived online. Perhaps the best ride review from a modern perspective is Ryan from FortNine’s take on the machine.
Still convinced you want one? Good news: Mecum has one coming for sale at the July 6-8 Kissimmee Summer Special. It’s an ’04 model. The advert says it’s a one-owner machine, but that’s about all the info we get.
What will it cost you? A 2004 model just sold for $20,500 on Bring a Trailer, and a few days before that, another went for $25,250.
For more details, check out the auction listing here.
The Rune was priced around $27,000 US when it appeared. It was a lot of money in 2003—but Honda had little trouble generating interest. The marketing campaign was pretty wild, inspired by Frank Frazetta’s art. See below:
Throughout the film, the witch constantly torments Ash, using her powers to send hordes of Deadites after him. She is relentless in her pursuit and employs various tactics to try to defeat him. However, Ash manages to hold his own against her, using his wits, humor, and his infamous chainsaw hand to defend himself. The battle between Ash and the Army of Darkness Witch culminates in an epic showdown in the climactic final act of the film. Ash manages to outsmart and defeat her, using a combination of skill, courage, and a bit of luck. In the end, he returns to the present day, victorious over the witch and the forces of darkness. The Army of Darkness Witch is a memorable and iconic character in the horror genre. She embodies the classic image of an evil witch, with a terrifying appearance and formidable powers. Her role in "Army of Darkness" adds an extra layer of danger and excitement to the film, making her a worthy adversary for the charismatic and resourceful Ash Williams..
Reviews for "The Witch's Army of Darkness: From Legends to Reality"
1. Joe - 2/5 - I couldn't stomach "Army of Darkness Witch." The storyline was weak and disjointed, leaving me confused and uninterested throughout the film. The humor fell flat for me, with forced jokes that didn't land. The action scenes were poorly choreographed, and the special effects seemed outdated. Overall, "Army of Darkness Witch" didn't live up to its hype and left me feeling disappointed.
2. Emily - 3/5 - "Army of Darkness Witch" was a letdown for me. I found the characters to be one-dimensional and lacking depth. The constant shift between comedy and horror didn't work for me, and it felt like the film couldn't settle on a cohesive tone. The visuals were decent, but the plot seemed lackluster and predictable. Though I appreciate some aspects of the film, it ultimately failed to engage me and left me feeling unsatisfied.
3. Jack - 2.5/5 - "Army of Darkness Witch" simply didn't resonate with me. The dialogue felt cheesy and forced, and the acting lacked authenticity. I found the use of slapstick humor to be repetitive and tiresome, and it didn't add any value to the overall story. The pacing was inconsistent, and the film seemed unsure of its own direction. While there were a few entertaining moments, I struggled to connect with the film as a whole.
4. Sarah - 2/5 - I found "Army of Darkness Witch" to be a mediocre film. The plot was convoluted, making it difficult to follow and invest in the characters' struggles. The comedy felt forced, and I didn't find myself laughing at the majority of the jokes. The action sequences were poorly executed, lacking excitement and leaving me indifferent. Overall, I was underwhelmed by "Army of Darkness Witch" and wouldn't recommend it to others.