The name of Vic stands for victim and Rattlehead comes from what Mustaine's mother used to say to him when he was headbanging. "Don't do that or you'll rattle something up in there!" This then led to the expression "to rattle one's head" meaning head-bang.
Vic Rattlehead is the mascot of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Vic is a skeletal figure who embodies the phrase, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." His eyes are covered by a riveted-on visor, his mouth is clamped shut, and his ears are closed with metal caps.
His image appears on several Megadeth album covers. When the band started in 1985, he was on their first four album covers (1985–1990). Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!, Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?, So Far, So Good... So What!, and Rust in Peace.