THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT

"Sorry, guys, but Romulan officers just have a better pay grade.
Oh, and Mr. Spock's defecting too. See ya."

Air Date:  September 27, 1968
Writer:  D.C. Fontana
Director:  John Meredyth Lucas

In my opinion, a show's greatest strength may very well be the looseness of it's format. In Star Trek's case, the whole thing can summed up like: "Well, y'see, there's this bunch of guys flying in a space ship and every week stuff happens to 'em"

Case in point: "The Enterprise Incident" whereas the ship is sent on a secret assignment and only Kirk and Spock knows what it's all about. Fine, but do they have to threaten the whole ship and its crew doing so? That's one thing ST: TNG did better than the original series. When some of the ship's officers (including Captain Picard) were required for a secret mission, they only sent those officers relevant to the mission on, without endangering the ship. Well, it's the 23d century, when people played fast and loose.

The show opens on Dr. McCoy's medical log, saying that Captain Kirk has been behaving oddly of late. And when I say "oddly" I mean Kirk has turned himself into the galaxy's worst douchebag. We see him on the bridge berating Mr Chekov for incompetence, humiliating Mr Spock and generally being bitchy with the rest of the crew. But that's nothing compared to his next move. Out of his own accord, with no orders from Starfleet Command (at least on the surface), Kirk sends the ship into the Romulan Neutral Zone, basically saying "fuck you" to a century-old treaty.

Faster than you can say "oops!", three Romulan ships decloak and surround the Enterprise. And that's when we learn that they have apparently cut a deal with the Klingons, 'cause they're using their ship designs for now on. The Romulans are understandably none too pleased with this turn of event, and ask the Enterprise to surrender. Kirk and Spock are brought on board one of the Romulan ship so they can have a few words with the Romulan commander, one of the first high ranking female officers seen in the series so far (and she's Romulan, not Federation).

By the way, before going there Kirk has a briefing with his officers whereas Mr Spock reveals that the Romulans use some sort of cloaking device to make their ships invisible. Everybody acts surprised, as if they've all forgotten about "Balance of Terror", the first Romulan episode which clearly established this cornerstone of Romulan technology. Really, the crew should buff up on their log entries before going on assignments.

On board the Romulan flagship the Commander demands an explanation. Kirk spins a cockamamie fish story about the Enterprise entering the Neutral Zone accidentally but Spock, playing Mr Traitor, contradicts his captain and states that Captain Kirk entered the Zone on his own free will, without orders for his superiors. Kirk is unceremoniously thrown into the brig (and I do mean unceremoniously, when these guys throw someone in jail, they don't mess about). With Kirk dead, the commander can now revel in the idea of bringing the Enterprise back to Romulus, quite a prized catch.

The Romulan commander begins a romance with Spock, due to their shared heritage. Spock admits that Kirk has been officially declared "crazy as a loon" by his chief medical officer. Speaking of the devil, Dr. McCoy is brought on board for a medical evaluation, where he confirms his initial diagnosis. Just to prove him right, Kirk goes batshit insane an attack Spock, startled Spock uses the Vulcan Death Grip and kills Kirk.

However, before the collective Star Trek audience can utter a collective 'what the...!?', all things are revealed at last. There is no such thing as the Vulcan Death Grip, of course, but the Romulans don't know that. It's all part of plan to sneak Kirk aboard the enemy vessell, disguised as a Romulan, to steal the cloaking device so the Federation can study it. And Spock's job is to keep the Romulan commander occupied while his captain's doing so. Lucky Spock, for the commander romances the pants off of him (not literally, though).

Kirk is already on board, stealing the device, when the Romulan commander begins to realise that something's going on, and its not her wedding to Spock. For, despite having a bucketload of street smarts and savvy, the commander has made a terrible mistake. She assumed that, because Vulcans are incapable of lying, they are incapable of keeping things from her. Patently untrue, as Spock says so himself. A master of technicalities, he says that not telling someone everything is not the same as lying (meaning, of course, that his feelings for the commander must have been genuine).

Kirk returns to the Enterprise with the cloaking device and Scotty has 15 minutes to plug an alien technology and get it up and running otherwise their five-years mission will be running a bit short. There's also the matter of beaming Spock back on the Enterprise. The commander clearly have issues with betrayal. However not only is Spock brought back on board, but he brings his new girlfriend along with him. With this leverage, and the cloak fully functional, the Enterprise returns to Federation space, their mission complete.

Stardate:  5027.3
He's dead, Jim:  Jim Kirk himself...again (though he gets better).
New civilisations:  The Romulans make their second appearance on the show.
Kirk's little black book:  Spock's in this case as he connects with the Romulan commander big time.
The Verdict:  Star Trek goes James Bond. A tight, neatly done thriller with overtones of romance and betrayal. D.C. Fontana is one of the legendary Trek writers and her understandings of what makes the series work is still amazing. A must see.

AMOK TIME

T'Pring will have no more of Mr Spock's gong solos

Air Date: September 15, 1967
Writer: Theodore Sturgeon
Director: Joseph Pevney

Star Trek's second season is the one where the show really came into its own. The overtly serious and dramatic tone of the first season has given way to what can best be described as 'inspired silliness'. This is a very dangerous position to be in, but for the time being the programme can manage some sort of equilibrium. It won't last, unfortunately, but for now it seems to be working.

Amok Time gives us our first serious look at Vulcan culture. Spock was well on his way to become the iconic character he is, so a closer look of where he came from was particularly welcomed. Spock's past will be later re-examined in Journey to Babel, but this is the one is where it all began.

The episode opens with McCoy telling Captain Kirk that Spock has been behaving oddly lately. Kirk is not convinced until Spock shows a bit of temper and demands that the ship makes a right for Vulcan immediately. Unfortunately, the Enterprise is en route for a diplomatic mission and cannot be diverted at this point.

This is unacceptable to Spock, who grows progressively worse. Kirk oders Spock to submit to a thorough medical examination. He does, and Dr McCoy emphatically states that Spock must get to his home planet within a week, or else he'll die. Kirk demands an explanation but the Vulcan is extremely reluctant to discuss what's happening. Kirk will have his answers, damnit and Spock ultimately reveals that he has entered pon farr, the Vulcan mating cycle. He must return home to take a wife, or die trying.

The Enterprise arrives at Vulcan and we meet T'Pring, Spock's consort. Both were bethroted at age seven, so this wedding is a long time coming. Spock asks Kirk and McCoy to join him for a brief ceremony. Planetside the weddiong is presided over by T'Pau, a very important Vulcan lady who apparently turned down a seat on the Federation council. Why exactly is never explained, though it becomes clear that T'Pau has an intense dislike of outworlders (definitely not a boon when dealing with a multi-species organisation like the UFP). Meanwhile, Spock enters the plak tow (Vulcan for incredibly horny, even by human standards) and cannot wait for his wedding night. T'Pring's party comes along and everthing's seem set. However...

...T'Pring decides to be a bitch and refuses Spock's hand unless he fights for her. This is the kal-if-fee, the trial by combat. Now I see why Vulcans are reluctant to speak about it, they have turned their weddings into overly complicated affairs taking years to complete and even then may be sidetracked for a bit of the ol' gladiatorial combat. Maybe this is why Spock's dad, Sarek, has chosen a human wife. T'Pring adds even more ackwardness into the proceedings by chosing Kirk as her champion. Now let's all keep calm and think of the next Orion Slave Girl.

Kirk accepts, on the grounds that he'll just let Spock knock him out and so he'll get the girl in the end. Only then he is told that the fight is to the death. Now, really, Captain sir, when is a trial by combat not to the death? Kirk as no time to ponder is incredible lack of intelligence as the plak towed Spock lunges at him in a murderouns frenzy. Say what you will, but I've always found the fights on Trek to be well-performed affairs, usually well-directed and filmed with a deft combination of long shot and close ups. It certainly contrasts very well with modern filmed fight with their spastic editing and lack of establishing shots. The fact that the regulars are replaced by stuntmen who look nothing like our heroes, is another matter entirely.

The two fights for a while with the Lirrpa, a pole weapon with a blunt side and a slashing side. Kirk can barely keeps up and when the Lirrpa is replaced by the ahn-woon (a kind of Vulcan bola) McCoy injects Kirk with some sort of compound to allow Kirk to breathe the thin, hot air of Vulcan. The fight resumes and Spock seemingly strangles Kirk to death.

Spock asks T'Pring why she has chosen his captain for the kal-if-fee. Apparently it's part of some strange ploy to divorce Spock so she can marry Stonn, her lover. Ever the gentleman (well, once the plak tow has abated) Spock compliments her on her logical bit of cockblocking and returns to the Enterprise.

Where he finds out that Kirk pulled a lazarus on him. Thanks to McCoy's knock-out drugs. Spock is overjoyed at seeing his friend alive and well, but quickly returns to the Spock we all know and love. On a final note, T'Pau has pulled some strings to get Kirk out of his jam with Starfleet Command (he disobeyed orders to be on Vulcan).

Stardate: 3372.7
He's dead, Jim:  Jim Kirk himself, though it's only a ruse.
New life and new civilisations:  Vulcan, the planet of seemingly logical and peaceful people who, nevertheless, allows two men to fight to the death for a bride's hand. Altair VI, the Enterprise (and at least three other ships) must attend the inauguration ceremony of its president.
Chekov's victim:  Chekov says he'll get spacesick due to the ship being sent back and forth between Vulcan and Altair VI.
Kirk's little black book:  Spock's in this case. He was bethroted to T'Pring at age seven and now must return to Vulcan to claim her. Kirk still has to fight for the girl, however.
The Verdict:  A very strong outing, revealing some of Spock's backstory and setting up aspects of Vulcan culture that'll get revisited in subsequent Trek series.

CHARLIE X

Charlie makes sure some of the issues of adolescence will not be ignored

Air Date:  September 15, 1966
Writers:  D.C. Fontana (story by Gene Roddenberry)
Director:  Lawrence Dobkin

A closer look at Trek's early episodes shows how tragic the whole show was compared to others. Which may explain why ratings were so low.

The general public was probably expecting silly space adventures like Glen Corbett, Space Cadet, Captain Video, Rocket Rangers or the more recent Lost in Space. Instead they got a sci-fi show full of angst written by people weened on Shakespeare and Greek tragedies. A few of them got the picture and became true believers, others just changed the channel. In the midst of the space race, who wants to see people generally being miserable in space?

The Enterprise is on a rendez-vous course with the probe ship Antares. They have a special passenger on board they want to unload on Kirk's shoulders: Charlie Evans, marooned on planet Thasus since the age of three. Now 17 years old, the young man seems eager to rejoin with the human race. The Antares crew, however, seems eager to get rid of him.

Doctor McCoy examines Charlie and finds him in good health. Mr Spock, however, is curious just how a child of three could have survived on an alien planet without adult supervision. Charlie remains evasive on the subject. Anyway, he has other things on his mind as he comes in contact with Yeoman Janice Rand, his first ever with the opposite sex. Charlie develops a huge crush on Rand, and by that I mean the stalker/obsessive kind. His continuous attempts at seducing Rand prompts the woman to report him back to Kirk. Spock and McCoy recommend that Kirk becomes a father-figure for him to guide him through this difficult period.

Oblivious to everyone else (at first) Charlie is no mere awkward teenager with no social skills. He has powers. He interrupts a jam session between Spock and Lt Uhura (they are diverting Rand's attention from him) and later performs seemingly impossible card tricks to impress her. Later, he destroys the Antares when their captain is attempting to warn the Enterprise about him. Clearly something is amiss, yet it takes forever for Kirk and crew to realise it. Meanwhile, Charlie is becoming more and more irritated. He tries desperately to be liked, yet behave in a most unlikeable way.

Kirk tries his best to teach Charlie how to handle himself in society, and that includes leaving Janice alone. Charlies still defers to Kirk's authority, but it's only a matter of time before the levee breaks. Finally, odd things are happening for all to see. Charlies melts chess pieces when he loses a game to Spock. Freezes people who displeases him, transforms a young woman interested in him into a lizard. Charlies attempts one last ditch effort to get some action with Rand, but she flatly turns him down. She is whisked away somewhere as retaliation. Finally, Kirk has no choice but to notice.

The Enterprise was headed for the Alpha V colony (Charlie's relatives are there) but Kirk do not want to unleash Charlie on an unsuspecting colony (this is what the Antares did to his ship, after all). Charlie, on the other hand, wants to go. He blocks the helm and navigational systems to prevent Kirk from changing course and generally behaves like an asshole to his former mentor (there's a pattern here, as disciples always turn against their mentors). Charlie is sole master of the ship...

...Until the Thasians arrive. These alien beings have given Charlie his powers so he could survive his ordeal. Unfortunately they haven't given him the wisdom to use them. The Thasian are discorporate beings whom Charlie feels no connection with. Kirk pleads with the Thasian to let him stay, but the Thasians understand he is too dangerous for human company. They undo whatever it is he has been doing, and take Charlie back. Kirk and crew are safe again, but at what price?

Like all the best Trek episodes, "Charlie X" is ahead of its time. Nowadays, in the US, there is a thriving industry of so-called rehabilitation centers for parents who cannot cope with their own teens. So they have them kidnapped and brought to out-of-the-way camps where their sons and daughters are thaught a few things or two by people with no proper qualifications and where teenagers are psychologically, physically and sometimes sexually abused by people who don't know what they are doing. "Charlie X" seems to mirror that situation perfectly. The only difference is that Kirk doesn't really want Charlie to go away. He just wants him to get better.

Stardate: 1533.6
He's dead, Jim:  While no one on the Enterprise permanently suffers from Charlie's fits of pique, the same cannot be said for the twenty members of the Antares' crew.
Strange new worlds:  Thasus, the planet where Charlie was marooned all these years ago.
New life and new civilisations:  The Thasians, discopoeral aliens who gave Charlie his powers. They look human but that may be just a disguise. Most in the Federation considers the Thasians to be mythical beings. They are not.
Kirk's little black book: Charlie's actually, who develops a huge crush on Yeoman Rand.
The Verdict: A very touching episode whereas the big bad is no black hat heavy, but just a simple, confused teenager with vast powers over reality. Kudos to Robert Walker Jr. for a perfect performance as the troubled Charlie. A classic.

MIRROR, MIRROR

Captain Kirk was always a stickler for racial equality

Air date:  October 6, 1967
Writer:  Jerome Bixby
Director:  Marc Daniels

Mirror, Mirror easily belongs in my top ten episodes of the Original Series. That's probably because I was always a sucker for stories where heroes meet evil versions of themselves. In  my role-playing days, I guess I must have set up endless variation on that theme.

It's a question of contrast, I think. The more noble the hero, the more evil his or her parallel counterpart must be to make the story effective. This is why the Mirror Universe featured on Deep Space Nine episodes were not as effective. DS9 was already a show drenched in shades of gray, where heroes sometimes behaved like villains, and villains sometimes had good intentions. In that respect, it's more difficult to achieve. Frankly, they should have done it on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Because the characters were portrayed as paragons of human morality and ethics with a never ending faith in the 'human spirit'. A mirror version of Captain Picard, quite possibly the most self-righteous character ever devised for TV, would be most interesting to see.

The episode starts on a cold open, where Captain Kirk, Dr McCoy, Uhura and Scotty are negotiating with the Halkans to secure dilithium crystals mining rights on behalf of the Federation. The Halkans refuse, due to their absolute stance on pacifism. Not only will they not engage in warfare and violence but will not allow anyone to use their resources to do the same. Kirk reassures them that the Federation have always been dedicated to peace, but Tharn (a representative of the Halkan Council) counters the argument by saying that Kirk cannot guarantee that the Federation will always remain benevolent and may descent into barbarism in the future. A very good point, since we know that governments can go bad, and even those founded on principles of freedom and liberty are not immune to poor decisions and may even fall into authoritarianism, if not outright facism.

There's an ion storm going on, one of the worst kind, so it messes with the transporters. When the landing party returns to the Enterprise...things are different. The Federation is now an empire, and the ship is run along the lines of a ruthless military dictatorship. To illustrates the difference, the uniforms are different, low-ranking officers and crewmen make Nazi salutes and are severly punished if they screw up and, oh, Spock has a goatee (now and forever the ultimate symbol of evil in the universe).

Kirk still has to deal with the Halkans, only this time his orders are to destroy them if they do not comply. In  my opinion this is the only weak spot in the episode. It's almost as if the Empire is asking permission to invade and conquer, and if you say no, they'll waste you into submission. Conquerors seldom ask permission for anything, they come in and invade and if you don't like it then you can lump it 'cause the conquerors are not going away anytime soon. So why the imperial Enterprise just doesn't send troops to take over and sod it with the Council is a mystery to me.

Kirk, of course, is apalled at this turn event and stalls for time, not only to protect the Halkans but to give him time to get his crewmen out of this nest of vipers. Goatee Spock reminds Kirk that his conduct is unprecedented and he will have to report it. Now, as we all know, Kirk has disboeyed orders before, and gotten away with it too but this time the imperial Starfleet is not going to let that slip up. Case in point: Mirror Chekov. He wastes no time in organising Kirk's assassination. He fails, of course and it's off to the Agony Booth with him (funny the way our Kirk has just ordered one of his men to be tortured almost to death without realising it).

Things get from bad to worse. Goatee Spock has orders to kill Kirk and take his place if he doesn't comply. On the positive side, Kirk realises that his counterpart already has a girlfriend waiting for him in his quarters. That'll save a bit of time, usually he has to romance the hell out of any women he encounters, now all he had to do was walk in and...there she was. Lt. Moreau (his GF) is worried about what's happening but then reveals that Evil Kirk disposes of his enemies by way of an alien device that can vaporise a target by the simple press of a button. She suggests Kirk gets rid of Goatee Spock, but Kirk refuses. Another unprecedented turn of event (I should point out that that Kirk got to command the Enterprise by assassinating Captain Pike. Proving, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Pike is really Starfleet's bitch. Whatever versions of the Trek universe he ends up in, he always gets completely screwed over. Poor Chris, will you ever get a break?).

Meanwhile, Scotty and McCoy jury rig the transporters to allow them to leave, however the technobabble will trigger an alarm on Mirror Sulu's security console (he doubles as chief helmsman and security chief...for double paychecks, the bastard!). Uhura has to distract him. This is a good one for Nichelle Nichols, she gets to be part of the action, for once, and she also gets to play the vixen, tormenting Sulu so he won't see the security breach (on the other hand, while he doesn't see the LED going on and off, the thing also has ping ping ping sound you hear a lot on the Enterprise. And Sulu doesn't notice. Though, if Lt. Uhura ever put the moves on me, I'd probably even forget I'm even on board the Enterprise).

Goatee Spock begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together and realises something's going on. This is another of the episiode's forte, illustrating that while they are behaving in a very different way, these are the same people that Kirk and co. work with on their own ship. With the same personalities, only shown in a different environment where these personalities have taken a different turn. Take Mirror Sulu, for instance, he is devious, cunning and utterly without scruples. However he shows the same level of competency and skills than his counterpart, displays a certain amount of loyalty and is still very much driven for the command track. Same man, different outlook.

Events move along. Mr Scott completes his transporter mods, and it's off for the transporter room. Goatee Spock doesn't know exactly what's going on, but he understands enough to bring the entire party together in sickbay for a chit chat. In comes  Mirror Sulu, who has decided that everyone is traitor (except himself, of course) and by killing everybody he's sure to become captain of the ship but Lt. Moreau intervenes with the alien thingamabob and whisks Mr Sulu's men into The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. But not Mirror Sulu (even his evil self is protected by the Regular Character Clause).

However, Goatee Spock has been severly injured and Dr McCoy feels onligated to save him. He tells the others to scarper to the transporter. He'll be back in five minutes (and then what? he comes back twelve years later? Oops, sorry, wrong series). Goatee Spock awakens, mind melds with McCoy and now finds out everything he wanted to know about parallel universes but was afraid to ask.

He escorts McCoy back to the transporter room. He'll operate the transporters and allow the landing party to leave to get his own Kirk back. But not before Kirk delivers of his famous Speech where he exorts Goatee Spock to orchestrate a revolution, because the Empire will inevitably fall within 250 years due to mismanagement, entropy and because the script just says so. He tells Goatee Spock that his empire is illogical, worse, that Spock is illogical to support it. Once again Kirk proves that he is the King of Balls. You do not tell any version of Mr Spock that he is illogical. You just don't. Goatee Spock groks what Kirk has to say and sends them all out on their merry way.

Back on their ship, Kirk asks Spock how he managed with their counterparts. Easy, Spock just threw them all up in the brig (ah Mr Spock, only sane man in a universe gone mad). The regular version of Lt Moreau turns up, but it's clear that she has absolutely no relationship with Kirk beyond professional duties and all. Alas, Kirk contemplates romancing Moreau the hard way and orders Sulu to move along.

Stardate: Unknown
He's dead, Jim: Five. Two of Mirror Chekov's henchmen, and three of Mirror Sulu's.
New life and new civilisations: The Halkans, complete pacificists. They look entirely human only with a dot in the middle of the forehead. The have counterparts in the Mirror Universe who act pretty much the same way (there are many constants between both universes).
Chekov's victim: Mirror Chekov is thrown into the Agony Booth torture device for his failed assassination of Captain Kirk.
Kirk's little black book: Lt. Moreau, who's the Captain's Woman (Mirror Universe only).
Crewman of the week:  Lt. Moreau, see above.
The Verdict:  5 out 5. An engaging adventure romp done with spunk and flair. The uniforms and look of the evil Empire is spot on and the cast revels in playing less than stellar versions of themselves. This one has become a classic of the original series and with good reasons. A must see.

THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN

Pink Floyd
August 1967
EMI
Produced by Norman Smith


Here's what happened. A friend told me he was at some music store where he met an acquaintance looking to buy himself some Pink Floyd. At the time, the band had just released The Division Bell, so the friend of a friend was hesitating between this new release or an older album.

He stumbled upon Piper, the first album. So now he was torn between the Floyd's first release and its latest output. So, he asked my buddy what album to choose. Since my friend was no fan of either psychedelic music or sixties music in general he recommended The Division Bell. It didn't help that he never actually listened to Piper despite my almost messianic faith in promoting the album to him. So his mate bought Division Bell instead.

Now, all of you raise your hands please: how many of you still listen to The Division Bell? OK, now who still listens to The Piper at the Gates of Dawn?

So, my when my friend told me of this incident I seriously contemplated having him confined to an insane asylume possibly for the rest of his life. But then, I am defenitely biased on the Barrett-era Floyd. Later on, I thought about what would have happened if I were to witness this encounter. Politely, I would have let my friend state his case, and then I would counter with the following argument:

"OK, let's see. The Division Bell, it's new, it's slickly produced, it sounds and looks modern (twenty years ago modern) and there's probably quite a few very good tracks here and there. Some of them may even be up to par with PF's best material. Now, Piper. It's old, some of it sounds very dated and that's because it was made in another time, another place (and Gilmour's not even on it). If you don't listen to old albums, you may even find it very difficult to get into. Much more difficult than, say, Division Bell. Yet, if you're anything like me, here's what's gonna happen. You'll listen to Division Bell a couple of time, probably even going to like it. But, do you remember A Momentary Lapse of Reason? Sure you do, but do you still listen to it, apart from 'Learning to Fly' the hit single? Probably not. You may not like Piper at first listen. But you'll meet people who keeps mentioning this record to you. Mentioning a guy like Syd Barrett and how that part of Pink Floyd's career was special and like nothing else the band ever did. So you'll give it another try. And another. And another. Why? Because it's special, it's unique. Not only compared to Floyd's later output, but compared to other sixties psych records. Some of the songs will stick into your head ans stay there. Ten years down the line, you'll probably give Piper another spin or two while The Division Bell is gathering dust on your record shelf. Piper is the sound of a new band, trying new things at a time when everybody and his goddamned brother were trying new things. Division Bell is the sound of old pros, who hasn't got anything to prove anymore, who are not trying new stuff, but merely expanding on a formula that had gone stale years ago. It's an album by a band that doesn't care anymore (incidently, Division Bell is indeed Floyd's last album of original material). So, are you looking for short-term investment? or long-term?"

Unfortunately that exchange never took place and I could not state my claim. On the other hand, if anyone out there is hesistating between Piper and latter-day Floyd albums, the argument still stands (in fact, I find that very few Pink Floyd fans listen to their last two albums anymore. Ah ah. Vindicated at last).

100 GREATEST MOVIE VILLAINS

Pt. 14  66-70

MAGNETO

Who's he?: Erik Lensherr, Auschwitz survivor and leader of the Brotherhood, a group of super-powered mutants who believe that humanity is on the way out and they're on the way in.
How bad is he?: If Magneto had the power to control cupcakes, this would be a very short article. Unfortunately, Magneto has absolute and complete control over the forces of magnetism making him one of the most powerful and dangerous creature on Earth. Nothing subjected to magnetism can escape his will, in return he is quite willing to subject magnetism to his every whim. Unlike his buddy, Charles Xavier, Magneto does not want to live in peace with humanity, yet doesn't necessarily want to destroy, we just don't matter to him. If we're in the way, though, Magneto will not hesitate to brush us aside. To add insult to injury, Magneto rarely acts alone and is usually surrounded by a group of like-minded mutants just as willing and able to use their powers to brush us aside, too.
What happened?: Subjected to a virus that eliminates the mutant gene from one's DNA, Magneto has apparently lost all of his powers, but don't count Magneto out just yet, his powers may be returning sooner than you think.
Appearances: X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: Last Stand (2006), X-Men: First Class (2011)

DR. EDWARD PRETORIUS

Who's he?: A scientist interested in the possibilities of accessing other dimensions. For that purpose, Pretorius build the Resonator, a huge tuning fork designed to stimulate the pineal gland, giving human beings access to other worlds.
How bad is he?: Dr. Pretorius did make contact with otherworldy entities who just had the hots for him. They send him back with the ability to shape and mold his body at will. Pretorius then became some sort of polymorphic monster, yet retained what was left of his mind. Perfectly aligned with the line of thoughts of his buddies, Dr. Pretorius seek to permanently access our dimension to wreak havoc and indulge in every kind of S&M fantasies known to mankind. I can see his name plate quite clearly: Edward Pretorius, Scientist & Pervert Inc.
What happened?: For one thing, his assistant Crawford was accused of killing Pretorius, then he came back with his psychiatrist and a cop. And then all hell broke loose and then the house blew up.
Appearance: From Beyond (1986)

DR. EMIL HOBBES

Who's he?: A medical doctor who had controversial ideas and unorthodox methodology in conducting his experiments.
How bad is he?: Mad scientist time! In the beginning, Hobbes developped the theory of creating a parasite that would assimilate the function of a diseased organ, and eventually replace that organ completely. So far, so good, but Hobbes had other ideas. Fueled by an illicit sexual relationship with a sixteen years-old trollop, Hobbes decided that human beings are not horny enough. So the parasite was altered to boost up the sexual energies of the people infected. Things wend South pretty fast when he introduced the parasite into the closed community of a high rise appartment building. Before anyone could say "what the hell were you thinking", the entire appartment complex became a commune of sex maniacs. Thanks a lot, Doc. Looking forward to read your comments in the medical journals.
What happened?: Or not, because Hobbes killed himself and his teenage dreamboat to prevent the parasite from spreading. It didn't work. Soon, hundreds of randy residents decided to leave the complex for a night around town.
Appearance: Shivers (1975)

DARRYL REVOK

Who's he?: Darryl is a scanner, he can tap into the nervous system of another individual and link with them telepathically. Darryl, however, does not like being a scanner, and had sworn to destroy the company mostly responsible for their existence, ConSec.
How bad is he?: He can make people's head explode. No, seriously. Darryl isn't just any scanner down the block, he's a very powerful one. And he has created a faction of scanner loyal only to him. Because Revok is at war against ConSec and most importantly its main man, Dr. Paul Ruth. All the while, Revok has decided to create his own army by shipping the drug that causes 'scannerism' to several maternity clinics, thus making sure a new generation of telepathic mutants will get born. The thought of mass producing telepathic mutants to serve one man's cause should be enough evidence that Revok is not one of the good guys.
What happened?: Enter Cameron Vale, a transient, a loner, a bum but also a scanner on a par with Revok. He was used by Ruth as an agent against Revok. Turns out they're brothers. And since they were on opposing sides of the arguments, they duked it out scan for scan. Somebody won. We're just not sure who.
Appearance: Scanners (1981)

ANNIE WILKES

Who's she?: Her? No one, just a down-to-earth ex-nurse living in a secluded farm up there in the mountains. In spare time, Annie likes to read trashy romance novels, most of them written by Paul Sheldon.
How bad is she?: Woe to you if you happened to be Paul Sheldon, happened to crash your car near her home, and not only decided to stop writing trashy romance novels but killed off your main character. Annie won't like that, not one bit. And God forbids if you have plans of actually leaving Annie to her own device. That won't do at all. Not one bit. There's a reason Annie is an ex-nurse. There's also a good reason why she lives up there, on her own, and people avoid her like the plague. Annie!? Annie! Just what the hell are you doing with that sledghammer?
What happened?: By a combination of pain-killing drugs and sledgehammer, Annie had Sheldon exactly where she wants him. She also forced him to write another trashy novel, reviving the aforementioned dead character. Until Paul made a bid for freedom.
Appearance: Misery (1990)

100 GREATEST MOVIE VILLAINS

Pt. 13  61-65

HENRY F. POTTER

Who's he?: A member of the board of the Bailey Building and Loan Association of Bedford Falls, New York.
How bad is he?: The only thing Potter wants is for the Building and Loan to go away so he can become Bedford Falls sole lord and master. Don't worry, it ain't happening thanks to the efforts of one George Bailey, who pretty much sacrificed his own life to prevent it. This, on the other hand, has left George depressed and suicidal. In order to save his life, George was shown what would happen if Potter won, and Sweet Jesus it's not pretty. Now renamed Pottersville, Bedford Falls is basically the worst neighborhood on the entire planet: prostitution, poverty, violence and just about any other social ills you can think about. And with Potter at the top of the foodchain, bleeding the people dry. And let's not mention all the lives that have been ruined.
What happened?: George puts his suicide plans on hold and live to fight another day. Thanks to the decidedly grateful townsfolks of Bedford Falls, the Building and Loan is saved and Potter never gets his mitts on the town.
Appearance: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

FREDDY KRUEGER

Who's he?: A long time ago, Krueger was the groundskeeper at a school in Springwood, Ohio. Actually, Krueger was a child killer. He was arrested but, due to a technicality, was released. The victims' parents strongly objected to this turn of event, so they followed Krueger home, doused him in kerosene, set him on fire and promised never to speak of this again. Cased closed? Not by a longshot.
How bad is he?: Wouldn't you know it! Krueger survived his own death and became a disembodied spirit who, years later, tortured the sons and daughters of his executioners in their sleep. For Krueger has the ability to influence reality through dreams. One by one some of those kids were killed, leaving everyone none the wiser. Kruger can be fought, and even defeated, but he always come back. Because you can always dream of someone, even if they're dead and gone. In our dreams, no one is really dead, and can always come back. This is where Freddy comes in. Sleep tight.
What happened?: He came back, over and over again. It passed the point where Freddy sought revenge for his own murder, now he just IS. He even manifested himself in the Real World, terrorising the director and actors who made his own movies. This is how powerful Freddy is. Sleep tighter.
Appearances: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and all of its sequels and remakes.

MICHAEL MYERS

Who's he?: Michael Myers. That's about as much info as we have on the guy. His psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, believes that Michael is actually Evil personified.
How bad is he?: As a six-years old, Michael killed his own big sis Judith because...well, because he did. Locked in a mental institution for fifteen years, Michael eventually escapes, dons an expressionless Captain Kirk mask, equips himself with a large knife and set out to terrorise local teenager Laurie Strode...just because. Michael is very strong, and extremely resilient to pain and injuries. The guy was shot six times and survived to kill and kill again. He even survived being turned into a human fireball. Michael is relentless in his pursuit of killing people for no good reason other than 'because'. There's just no stopping that guy.
What happened?: Nothing, well, almost nothing. His ability to survive anything that would kill anyone else means that Michael is still out there, waiting for the perfect Halloween to go on yet another rampage...because.
Appearances: Halloween (1978), and all the rest, except for Halloween III.

WILBUR WHATELEY

Who's he?: Amateur occultist, Whateley is the son of a human woman (Lavinia) and an abomination named Yog-Sothoth.
How bad is he?: Imagine being the offpsring of a clan of inbreds and a powerful thing from out there. Obviously, Wilbur was brought up into the family business of securing Eldricht tomes of forgotten knowledge, perusing through the most potent spells contained within and conjuring up his dearl old Dad for a family reunion that would doom humanity several times over. And let's not forget that Willy here has a twin brother who must be kept locked at all times, because while Willy takes after his Mom, his brother most certainly takes after his Dad.
What happened?: Wilbur's bro was let out of the cupboard and started to kill the good townspeople of Dunwich, Massachussetts, Wilbur was busy at the time, trying to conjure up Dad and his friends. A well-placed lightning bolt prevented the End Of The World As We Know It. The Whateleys are all dead, save for an unborn child, growing up inside a woman unlucky enough to have attracted Wilbur's attention.
Appearance: The Dunwich Horror (1970)

JOSEPH CURWEN

Who's he?: Way back when, Joseph Curwen was a trader in Arkham, Massachussetts, and by that I mean that he was actually a warlock, worshipping demonic entities. Eventually, the citizenry of Arkham had enough of that. Curwen was summarily convicted of witchcraft, tied to a tree and burned alive. Case closed, right?
How bad was he?: Wrong! Due to his knowledge of magic, Curwen devised a way to come back from the dead, through a huge protrait of him that managed to survive for centuries. Enter Charles Dexter Ward, a remote descendant and actual Curwen look-alike. Soon, Curwen came back through Ward's body and had several words for the people of Arkham. None of them were Happy Birthday. Along with old cronies, Curwen sought to bring back friends from beyond.
What happened?: You know what they say? If you don't succeed at first, then try again. When the residents of Arkham got the suss, they eventually decided to settle this old score once and from all. Curwen's portrait was burned down, which liberated Ward from the curse...or did it?
Appearance: The Haunted Palace (1963)