Summary
For every heroic faction, an equally villainous or nefarious faction must also rise. Whether it is through the Rebel Alliance fighting theGalactic Empire inStar Wars, or the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. facing off against HYDRA in Marvel Comics, there must always be a true balance of power at work within any epic story. For Stephen King’sThe Dark Towerseries, Roland and his allies fight for the White, while the Crimson King’s forces all work under the banner “Agents of Red.” In “our world,” or Keystone Earth, the forces of good are represented by a company known as The Tet Corporation. Meanwhile, the forces of evil work under the umbrella of The Sombra Corporation.
The Sombra mega-corporation works in conjunction with two other companies to serve the Crimson King in everything and anything he needs. They are the direct competitors of The Tet Corporation. Using corruption, violence, and criminal enterprises to fuel their corporate greedand the Crimson King’s plans, Sombra has become an engine on Keystone Earth. The company spent years building its empire to fund endeavors that would ultimately lead to the toppling of or destruction of The Dark Tower. When Mike Flanagan’s live-action adaptation comes to life, the Sombra Corporation is crucial to the Keystone Earth story.
The Sombra Corporation, Explained
Rising to power in the late 80s, the Sombra Corporation joined forces with North Central Positronics and LaMerk Industries, all under the umbrella of serving the Crimson King. They also purchased another company, Trans Corporation, the company thatrecruited Dinky Earnshaw from Stephen King’sEverything’s Eventual. The Trans Corporation recruited Dinky and a series of other people for their unique paranormal powers that, unbeknownst to them, were used to carry out assassinations. These same powers would later be used to become the Crimson King’s Breakers to tear down the beams holding the Dark Tower in place.
It was due to the Sombra Corporation’s actions and their extensive reach that Roland Deschain, the last of the gunslingers, and his ka-tet made a deal while on Keystone Earth to found the Tet Corporation through their allies there. The main act that Sombra becameknown for inthe Dark Towerserieswas their attempt to purchase the vacant lot from Calvin Tower. This lot contained the wild Rose that became the manifestation of The Dark Tower itself on Keystone Earth. (One of the primary features of the Dark Tower is being surrounded by a field of wild roses.) The Rose, when looked upon, seemed to contain a multitude of worlds within its center, representing the ways in which the Dark Tower was the axis on which all reality was made.
The Sombra Corporation also set a trap forFather Callahan, the failed priest fromSalem’s Lotwho survived the vampiric outbreak. While attempting to find redemption in New York City, one of the Crimson King’s agents, Richard Sayre, lured Father Callahan. He promised Father Callahan a million dollars in funding for the homeless shelter where he volunteered, if Callahan just appeared at Sombra’s headquarters. However, when he arrived, Father Callahan was surrounded by a horde of vampires. The plan was to infect the former priest and prevent him from serving as an agent of the White. Instead, Father Callahan leaped out of the Sombra Corporation headquarters to what should have been his death rather than be taken by the vampires. Instead, he awoke in Roland’s world.
The Sombra Corporation in Live-Action
The Dark Towerseriesis Stephen King’s most epic, sprawling fantasy/sci-fi/horror/western series he’s ever created. In such an expansive story, there needs to be a grounded element that keeps readers invested in the larger elements of the narrative. For this story, the human corporations that represent both parties — Roland and the Crimson King — are crucial to the overall story. The first couple of seasons can allude to the machinations of both North Central Positronics and The Sombra Corporation with relative ease. Once seasons 3 and 4 hit, introducing characters like Richard Sayre and the entire company would be a great way of bringing audiences deeper into the battle being waged on Keystone Earth.
Sombra has so much influence over key elements and characters in the story, from the fate of the vacant lot that protects the Rose, to the formation of the TET corporation and even Father Callahan’s entry into MID-World. It would make sense that they would become part of the fabric of the Dark Tower’s story. It would also showcase how deep the Crimson King’s influence runs, especially if they report to otherfigures such as The Man in Blackand so many others. There’s also their connection to the Breakers, who are critical to the big climax at the end of the story. With all this in mind, it is nearly a certainty that Sombra will have some sort of presence in Mike Flanagan’s adaptation ofThe Dark Towerseries.
