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Alice: Madness Returns Wonderland
Infernal Train
Infernal Train
Location Northern hemisphere
First appearance Chapter 1
Series Alice: Madness Returns
Location on map
Infernal Train map
Further information
Transcript
Transcript
Walkthrough
Walkthrough
Madness and destruction. You shouldn't ask questions you know the answer to, it's not polite. And that noise wasn't Lizzie talking in her sleep.
— The Queen of Hearts to Alice[1]

The Infernal Train was a huge, fiery, and truly horrifying locomotive owned and driven by the Dollmaker. It was the source of Alice Liddell's growing insanity and the Ruin that caused Wonderland's corruption. The Dollmaker used the train mainly to destroy what was left of Wonderland[2] and hunt down the Insane Children.[3]

With the Dollmaker defeated, the train was left with no conductor and Wonderland was fused with London, creating Londerland.[4]

History[]

Origin[]

It is inspired by Through the Looking-Glass, although is never seen actually riding the Looking Glass Railway.

The Dollmaker had stated the Train was Alice's invention and defense, as he merely set its schedule and itinerary.[5]

The Infernal Train is repository and incarnation of all the things that Alice fears—things Bumby knows about her (acquired through family association, conversations with Pris, and from “therapy” sessions). He uses her fears to manipulate her and lead her in ways that encourage dependence on him. He knows her rich fantasies, her domestic unhappiness, incidents of unresolved parental friction; her crippling survivor guilt. These are all grist for his disgusting mill. He wants to destroy her memory because she knows something incriminating that he wants her to forget; he wants to deprive her of all her imaginative recollections of comfort and security and joy and replace them with his degraded values; he wants her continued dependence—so she will become one of his “kids.”
Alice: Madness Returns chapter 6 script[6]

The train was built by the March Hare and the Dormouse after being tricked into taking over the Mad Hatter's domain and turning it into a factory.[7] Its scheduled arrival to each place in Wonderland brought death and suffering to many of Wonderland's residents, as well as destruction to Wonderland itself.[2]

The Mock Turtle had once been the stationmaster of the Infernal Train on the Looking Glass Railway, but was dismissed from his job after the Dormouse and March Hare commandeered the Mad Hatter's factory.[8]

Alice: Madness Returns[]

Train interior

Mad Hatter giving Alice a clue.

When Alice tried to find out who set the train in motion through some of her friends and former enemies, they each gave her clues leading to the mastermind himself – yet her ignorance and Dr. Angus Bumby's hypnotherapy initially lead her astray. However, it slowly made her remember the events of the night of the fire[2] and came to a realization of who the real murderer was after talking to the Queen of Hearts.[9]

It was only after Alice defeated the Dollmaker and killed his real world counterpart, Bumby, that the train was destroyed. The destruction of the train marked the end of the destruction of Wonderland, but the Cheshire Cat remarked that the damages the train had inflicted on Wonderland were permanent.[4]

Appearance[]

Infernal Train exterior

The cathedral-like exterior of the train.

The exterior architecture of the Infernal Train was extremely intricate and delicate, engulfed by dark color and roaring flames. The train itself resembled a large series of cathedrals aligned together following the same track. It was black and bellowed dark smoke from its engine and was covered in large stained glass windows that leaked scarlet and crimson through the transparent glass. The general architecture featured curves, spikes, turrets, and many windows of varying sizes.

The interior of the train was also dark and intricate. It contained many seats similar to pews and beautifully crafted curtains with clean and fresh carpets. The basic interior of the train was similar to the exterior with its detailed lining. The interior also had a black and white checkered pathway leading its way through the coaches, and it was dimly lit by candlelight.

Trivia[]

Bumby being pushed into the train

Bumby being killed by a train.

  • It is extremely ironic and symbolic that Bumby is killed by a train.
  • According to the game's script, the Infernal Train was envisioned as having piles of "doll-encased children" being used as its fuel.
  • The Infernal Train has the symbol of the Greek Titan Cronus (Also known in Roman terms as Saturn) on the floor right before the actual boss fight.
    • In mythology, Cronus was known to have devoured his own children after it was prophesied that one of them would overthrow him and rule in his place. In the end, Zeus, one of his children, managed to escape being consumed and defeated Cronus as an adult, freeing his siblings from his stomach. This is an obvious parallel to Bumby indoctrinating his child patients for abuse ("consumption") and Alice, the one who escaped, killing him and freeing the rest of the orphans from his control.
  • The sickle symbol in the engine of the train represents Ceres, the Roman goddess and ruler of the harvest which alludes to Bumby's role of harvesting children for child prostitution.
  • In early designs, the train was supposed to be a much larger stage instead of the simple line of dialogues, and was also supposed to be more mechanical and steampunk, similar to the Hatter's Domain's in idea, but set apart in design to be more "train-like" according to the concept art.[7]
    • A quote from the artbook states: "Being the second episode in the game series, we wanted Madness Returns to borrow certain elements from Through the Looking glass, including the train line[...]"
    • "[...]To the left is an early image of what the interior might have possibly looked like, when it was a much bigger level. We tried our best to separate the motifs and themes of the train from the Hatter's Domains."

References[]

  1. Spicy Horse (2011-06-14). Alice: Madness Returns. (Electronic Arts). Scene: Dollmaker Part 1. Level: Chapter 6: Infernal Train.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Throughout Alice: Madness Returns
  3. Spicy Horse (2011-06-14). Alice: Madness Returns. (Electronic Arts). Scene: Fort Resistance. Level: Chapter 5: The Dollhouse.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Spicy Horse (2011-06-14). Alice: Madness Returns. (Electronic Arts). Scene: The End. Level: Chapter 6: Infernal Train.
  5. Spicy Horse (2011-06-14). Alice: Madness Returns. (Electronic Arts). Scene: Dollmaker's Workshop. Level: Chapter 5: The Dollhouse.
  6. Alice: Madness Returns chapter 6 script. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  7. 7.0 7.1 McGee, American. (2011). The Art of Alice: Madness Returns. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Books. ISBN 978-1-59582-697-8.
  8. Spicy Horse (2011-06-14). Alice: Madness Returns. (Electronic Arts). Scene: Naval Disaster. Level: Chapter 2: Deluded Depths.
  9. Spicy Horse (2011-06-14). Alice: Madness Returns. (Electronic Arts). Scene: Dark of Heartness. Level: Chapter 4: Queensland.
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