Dark Watchers

The Dark Watchers are mysterious characters first mentioned in Monster.

Description
The dark watchers don't seem to have human forms and are presumably 5 dimensional. In minds, they are black, faceless, humanoid shapes, appearing as if they are created out of black tar and are swimming in a pool of blue-black latex. They have the ability to watch anyone as long as they are morphed. The exception to this is Francis Specter, as she is 4 dimensional. They can also speak out of Brittney Donegal's mouth, and after Drake's consciousness overwhelmed her, they seem to have possessed her in some way, turning her eyes black and replacing her blood with dark fire. They like pain, death, fights and fear, because it entertains them.

They seem to be connected to the aliens who created the ASO virus in some way, but they don't appear to reside in the actual virus itself, or in the minds of those infected. Rather, they seem to live somewhere else, and merely have the ability to see out of the eyes of the mutants created. It is unknown if they are actual physical beings, but it is implied that they are not.

As every character soon refers to them as Dark Watchers, it is presumed that this is their real name.

In Hero, it is revealed that the Dark Watchers are in fact an older Malik and his students who created the simulation that the Gone series was held in. They communicate with Malik at the end of the book, and inform Malik that there is no way to escape the simulation except to turn it off, which would everything cease to exist.