X-Files mythology, TenThirteen Interviews Database, and more

Primer Section 0

Section 0
The mytharc in short
To oversimplify, things go like this:

The alien life form Purity (or Black Oil, or Black Cancer, or Grey aliens, or the Colonists) created life on Earth and the human race. Its main force left, but it will return to colonize the Earth through a mass viral pandemic, exterminating mankind in the process. The date for the colonization is December 22, 2012. In 1973, a group of people contacted the Colonists and made a deal. In exchange of the survival of this group and their families when the colonization happens, this group would have to prepare the way for this day. This group, which became a global conspiracy, the Syndicate, would have to be turned into alien/human hybrids in order to survive. The Syndicate’s task became to create an alien/human hybrid through gene therapy, and to find an effective way to spread the Black Oil virus the day of the colonization. For the hybridization project, civilians were abducted and experimented on in concordance with the aliens. For the spreading, it was decided that it would be done using bees carrying the alien virus, given to them by genetically modified corn. The Syndicate used the military and any other governmental agency, doctors, ex-Axis powers experts, train boxcars, governmental or private buildings and created a clones and hybrids work force, and cataloguing and surveillance systems and facilities.

But like the aliens hid the fact that the human race would be nearly exterminated in the colonization, the Syndicate secretly conducted research for a vaccine that would render one immune to the Black Oil, saving every human being on the planet. There is also a second alien race, the Shapeshifters, who fight against Purity’s supremacy. When the search for a vaccine began to give back results, the first successful alien/human hybrid was also created, meaning that the colonization was to begin. But the Syndicate fell victim to the shapeshifting Rebels. After the end of the Syndicate, the infrastructure for the colonization fell to the hands of the colonists. The alien Rebels and the remaining human resistance don’t seem enough to prevent the inevitable impending colonization.

The Syndicate’s role was filled in by the Supersoldiers, alien facsimilies with human appearance. FBI agents’ Mulder and Scully’s union resulted in a son, William, who proved to be the subject of a prophecy: to become the leader of the colonization (for this, Mulder must die), or to become the leader of the resistance that will bring colonization down. Scully gave up William for adoption to hide him and Mulder and Scully became fugitives to escape the all-encompassing Supersoldier conspiracy.

Combine that compelling however un-believable storyline with mysterious scripts, atmospheric cinematography and a moody soundscape, and you begin to understand the quality of the X-Files series.

Sources: a great deal of episodes and a great deal of thinking
Section 1 > | E.T.C 2004-2008

4 Responses to “Primer Section 0”

  1. Arashi says:

    This is indeed correct – and given the events of Seasons 10 and 11 – the ending of My Struggle IV finally makes sense, thank you.

    The invasion is still on – but with Mulder alive and William being… William, he will lead a John Conner like resistance and win. That shitty ending I hated, I finally love, so again: thank you.

    What I have a small amount of trouble with, is the (though ret-conned, not entirely unsalvagable) events of the “Season 10” and “Season 11” comic books.

    I (presume) you’ve read them, I have just finished them myself. The conclusion of “The Glasses Wearing Man’s” arc – explains his absence in the revived show (as he was written out of time/time traveled/went somewhere else in euclidean space). If I am reading this correctly – his endgame was to pretend to work with the colonists, lure them into his time-based magnetite trap and what, destroy them? Did it send them away, did it give him more powers to fight them (as Mulder speculated, but he never answered)…

    The only loose end of this contiguous storyline (which I think the ENTIRETY of the story Carter wanted to tell) is how the Gunmen died between the comics and Revival (yes yes I know, it was decanonized, I don’t care, I’m sure Carter knows what he is doing).

    Them comics (plus s1-9 established facts) would explain the reappearances of “dead” (smoking) characters in the revival series too, in their… much healthier forms. (93%…)

    Additionally, in the comics the faceless rebels call themselves “guardians”. This finally makes sense while typing this reply. I remember asking my significant other yesterday why the faceless rebels chose human, as their “base” form – couldn’t they just shape shift into a form without eyes/noses etc – and why mutilate a shift?

    They are the living descendants of the people originally created by the black oil (at the top of your primer: “created life on Earth and the human race.”) I wondered why create it, then come back to destroy it (that’s too “Alien/Prometheus” for me).

    Then it hit me: because the faceless rebels kicked them off earth and forced the remainder to turn back into the oil/hide/hibernate and have been on earth, ever since. They don’t come from space, they are from earth, “Atlanteans” might be a slightly disingenuous but not entirely untrue moniker.

    Mannnnn oh man. So the “Scully-less” future may well turn into a Terminator shoot-em-up clone… or Gibson Praise: Time Cop. I’m in.

  2. Chuck says:

    Great ‘oversimplified’ mytharc primer, great in-depth mytharc primers, great episode guides, great analysis and discussion, great website. This is a treasured bookmark of mine. I’ve never added a comment before, but I really hope you know how many of us ‘faceless’ rebels there are here in the shadows who love this site.

    P.S. Arashi – Fantastic reply regarding the ‘My Struggle’s and how they ‘fit’ in to the series as a whole and whatever the future might hold (whether we see it or not).

    • orodromeus says:

      It’s comments like this that make me still keep the site live through all these years!

    • Tommy says:

      I agree. I know this was written four years ago now, but this website is a gold mine of all that I love about The X-Files. I’ve even recommended others here! It’s amazing just how dedicated some people are. I hope that the person(s) behind ETC know that their hard work and dedication is still valued and admired in 2023.

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