"The Mythology of the Virtual Season" by Matt Asendorf 
  
1. A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST 
Mabius and The Millennium Group 
 
The Antichrist (sometimes spelt 'Mabus' -- Mabius) intended to destroy the world in a nuclear 
holocaust. He had already taken the form of Yaponchik (see: "Maranatha") and was revealed to 
have been responsible for the famous accident at Chernobyl. Chernobyl is the Russian word for 
Wormwood, the name of a star that, according to the Book of Revelation, would fall to the Earth 
and poison a third of its waters. Mabius's activities were prophesied in the Bible. 
 
He befriended the Millennium Group during the late 50s (see: "In Adventu Dominae") and, 
following the atomic experiments at Los Alamos (see: "Matryoshka"), began Project Aounabara 
with the Group's support. The Cold War heightened and ushered in relations between the U.S. 
and Japanese Military/Science communities. 
 
[Auonabara was a spin-off of earlier WWII Japanese experiments by the horrendous Unit 731 
(see: The X-Files episodes "Nisei" and "731").] 
 
 
2. A PERFECT HUMAN BEING 
Stem Cells, Growing Hands, and Red Lacquered Bowls 
 
The Project's intent was to reengineer humans to withstand the fallout of a nuclear explosion 
(see: "Akuma Odori"). However, Mabius only wanted the research for himself (he's not fully 
human as evidenced in "Revelation") and had no intention of allowing Group members to survive 
the holocaust. He used the researched gleamed from both the Emergen Corp work (see: "Bardo 
Thodol") and Aunoabara as a bargaining chip for his position within the Group. The Group sought 
the research as both a survival tool, and as a blueprint for future generations of their own kind. 
 
[In reality, this plot thread (as introduced in "Bardo Thodol") isn't totally science fiction. For 
example, the Japanese scientist who was injured at the uranium processing plant in Tokaimura in 
the fall of 1999 was treated by the infusion of stem cells. The following two passages are an 
explanation for the mysterious hands from "Bardo Thodol." This information never made the final 
draft of "Akuma Odori."] 
 
While working on genetic stem-cell research at Emergen Corp., Stephen Takahashi (see: "Bardo 
Thodol") had stumbled upon a breakthrough that would prove to be very beneficial to the 
continued efforts of Group scientists involved in Auonabara. By using his own genetic material, 
Takahashi was able to "grow" singular human parts and make it possible to engineer a human 
being from scratch and also add genetic components to the overall code. 
 
Unlike cloning, which would merely replicate existing DNA without change, these components 
would allow certain "humans" to more likely survive a nuclear holocaust. Basically, up until 
Takahashi's breakthrough, Project Auonabara had been somewhat of a failure. The Group's 
interest in Takahashi's work was high and Mabius tracked him down, finding him near death in a 
Buddhist temple. 
 
[The Red Bowls were difficult to figure into the grander plan of both Mabius and The Group, so 
they were left as significant mainly for their cultural use, and were somewhat explained at the end 
of "Bardo Thodol."] 
 
 
3. BREAKING THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER 
James Hollis and The Millennium Group 
 
After his stint in the Korean War, James Hollis was employed by the Pentagon/Group to perform 
biological research for Project Aounabara (see: "In Adventu Dominae"). He was shocked to learn 
his methods were being practiced on Chinese sailors held captive in the Senkaku Islands -- a 
joint operation between the US and Japanese governments. 
 
The Group was afraid James would expose them so they had Michael Wynters murder his 
youngest daughter Melissa (see: "Closure"). The Group also had James's co-worker Kieran Doyle 
murdered -- by his own daughter Cassie (see: "Darwin's Eye"). Cassie honestly believed she was 
not responsible because it was the Group's blood-brain barrier research that made her into a 
killer. The same researched was used on Wynters and Lucas Barr (see: "Via Dolorosa" and 
"Goodbye to All That"). Emma made the connection when she found two files from the 
Department of Defense ("File 86-49-4-0-3/D.O.D./T-7, File 84-24/4-0-8/D.O.D/T-7" as exclaimed 
by her father in "Via Dolorosa"). 
 
James blamed himself for the death of Melissa and became fixated on the images of palm trees 
caught in a nuclear blast -- a reality he believed his work on Project Aounabara would bring. 
 
 
3. OTHER THREATS 
The Board, Remote Viewers, and The Waldinalbs 
 
The Board was a worldwide organization that carried tremendous weight in Washington politics 
and global capitalism. They wanted to create a world of chaos that they alone could control. And 
we, as consumers, bought their products and listened to their lies. 
 
In the end, the Group gathered the most prominent leaders of the Board together on the 
Washington Metro and killed them with an "improved" version of Ricin gas (see: "Revelation"). 
They hoped the Board would then fall into disarray and be destroyed from within. 
 
The remote viewers were used by the Board to give them an advantage over their enemies. The 
Group felt threatened and attempted to kill the viewers (see: "The Innocents" and "Exegesis") but 
were largely unsuccessful. 
 
An ancient prophecy described the judging of clergymen. The wicked would be condemned and 
turn into salt, while the faithful would remain unharmed (see: "Sala' Del La Morto"). According to a 
(fictional) passage from the Waldinalbs' ancient text, the Beast would slaughter these faithful 
during the last days. Blaylock performed a type of brain surgery on Father Matthew, who was 
deemed faithful, and removed the pineal and pituitary glands -- the spiritual Third Eye (see: "The 
Third Eye"). 
 
 
5. LORD OF THE FLIES 
Legion, Lucy Butler, and Buzzing Insects 
 
Legion is the manifestation of Evil that carries out the Devil's work on Earth and has tempted 
Frank on more than one occassion. 
 
There are essentially two arms of Legion, working in opposite yet complimentary ways. There are 
manifestations who manipulate events in a way to make their offers of service (false promises of 
hope) seem palatable to Frank, such as Lieutenant Quien (see: "Diabolus Ex Machina"). And on 
the flip side, there are those who physically strike at Frank and his family to weaken them, such 
as Lucy Butler (see: "Anthropophagi") and the Janitor (see: "Anthropophagi" and "Diabolus Ex 
Machina"). 
 
In its role as a tool of the devil, Legion's goal is intertwined with Mabius's since he is also carrying 
out the Devil's work to some extent. This explains why Legion worked so hard to get Frank away 
from the side of good by the Millennium and why "Diabolus Ex Machina" (the episode before the 
finale) represented a last-ditch effort to "convert" Frank. 
 
[Read Dan Owen's "Behind the Script" essay of "Anthropophagi" for a more indepth analysis of 
the episode.] 
 
Some cannibalistic cultures believed that devouring a physical body meant the consumption of 
the metaphysical soul. Lucy wanted Zech to eat her child so he'd, in essence, inherit her Evil 
(see: "Anthropophagi"). The spread of Evil and the corruption of innocence is a recurring theme in 
Millennium as it is in "Lord of the Flies," the book Jonah gave to Jordan in "Diabolus Ex Machina." 
 
The flies were the eyes and ears of the Devil, the Lord of the Flies. According to the Old Man they 
were: "Harbingers of damned souls" and "Anthropoids of the Evil in the world." 
 
[A list of episodes that mentioned the flies: "Genesis," "Shophetim," "Hostile Elements," "Twilight 
Years," "Tribulation," "The Third Eye," "Diabolus Ex Machina," "The Swords of Armageddon," and 
"Revelation."] 
 
 
THANKS TO: Eric Davis, David Klein, Dan Owen, and Kevin Patterson