William's Secret Birth

Lore & Background

The mythology centers on a government effort to hide alien existence and a doomsday plan. This narrative begins as early as the 1940s and involves the 'Colonists,' extraterrestrial beings aiming to colonize Earth by 2012. The story follows FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder, who believes in the supernatural, and Dana Scully, his skeptical partner. Their work is often obstructed by their boss, Assistant Director Walter Skinner, and shadowy figures like the Smoking Man. Key elements include the discovery of a black oil parasite on a World War II submarine, which can control human hosts and gestate aliens within 96 hours. The conspiracy utilizes human cloning programs and hybrid experiments conducted by Japanese scientists and Nazi defectors from Operation Paperclip. The narrative also tracks the introduction of new agents in Season 8: John Doggett, another skeptic, and Monica Reyes, a believer who aligns with Mulder's perspective.

In Their Own Story

In Season 1, Mulder and Scully investigate Oregon abductions until evidence is destroyed by fire. They meet Deep Throat, who helps them uncover a human cloning program before being assassinated. In Season 2, Scully is kidnapped by Duane Barry and abducted, later found comatose in a hospital. Mulder learns his sister Samantha has returned but is killed by a shapeshifting bounty hunter; she was revealed to be one of many clones made from alien tissue. A hacker named Kenneth Soona provides Navajo-coded files leading Mulder to a box-car full of alien corpses, where he is trapped and left for dead by the Smoking Man. In Season 3, Albert Hosteen nurses Mulder back to health while Scully discovers Nazi scientists experimenting on humans to create hybrids. Her sister Melissa is shot and killed. Mulder infiltrates a train car with Japanese scientists experimenting on a hybrid but is saved by informant X. Meanwhile, a French salvage crew is infected by black oil from a sunken WWII submarine; the virus passes through Alex Krycek, who takes it to a missile silo housing a UFO.

Reader's Guide

The source outlines specific episodes and plot advancements across multiple seasons without covering post-Season 6 events where William would appear. In Season 4, the Syndicate uses a canary trap that leads to X's death but reveals Marita Covarrubias as a new contact. Mulder investigates the Tunguska event in Russia, surviving a black oil vaccine test, while Scully is diagnosed with cancer, which Mulder attributes to her abduction. In Season 5, Mulder fakes his suicide to infiltrate The Pentagon for a cure for Scully's cancer. The agents encounter Cassandra Spender, who claims to be an abductee delivering a positive message about aliens. Later, they learn of a telepathic boy named Gibson Praise targeted by assassins. The feature film 'Fight the Future' depicts Mulder and Scully dealing with a terrorist bomb that hides evidence of a new black oil strain in North Texas. Scully is abducted after being stung by an infected bee, but Mulder rescues her from a spaceship buried in Antarctica using a weak vaccine developed by the Syndicate.

Did You Know?

• The overarching story of the show spans events as early as the 1940s.
• Alien entities referred to by writers as 'Colonists' planned to colonize Earth in the year 2012.
• Deep Throat was killed after helping Mulder expose a conspiracy involving alien-human hybrid experiments.
• Mulder's sister Samantha was revealed to be one of many clones produced using alien tissue.
• The black oil parasite can gestate an extraterrestrial inside a host within 96 hours.

The Core Mytharc and Alien Colonization

At the heart of The X-Files lies a sprawling narrative often termed 'mytharc' by creators and enthusiasts alike. This overarching storyline chronicles the relentless pursuit of truth by FBI agents Fox Mulder, a staunch believer in the paranormal, and his skeptical partner Dana Scully. Their investigation uncovers a deep-seated government conspiracy designed to conceal the reality of extraterrestrial life and their impending invasion plans. While not every episode advances this central plot, those that do typically begin with monologues from Mulder or Scully setting the stage for deeper mysteries. The narrative timeline stretches back decades, originating as early as the 1940s, revealing a long history of hidden operations. Late in the series, writers clarified that these extraterrestrial entities, known internally as 'Colonists,' intended to colonize Earth specifically by the year 2012. This grand conspiracy involves shadowy figures like Assistant Director Walter Skinner and later agents John Doggett and Monica Reyes, creating a complex web of belief and skepticism that drives the series' most significant dramatic arcs.

Season One Foundations and Early Conspiracies

The mythological journey begins in Season 1 with Mulder, known as 'Spooky Mulder,' assigned to investigate unexplained cases alongside Scully, who is tasked with debunking his findings. Their partnership immediately encounters resistance when evidence regarding Oregon abductions is destroyed by fire. A pivotal moment occurs during an investigation into a missing Air Force pilot, introducing the secretive informant Deep Throat. He provides crucial intelligence until his assassination reveals a chilling government human cloning program, leading to the temporary closure of the X-Files unit. The Lone Gunmen also emerge as allies during this period, assisting in abduction cases before the first major tragedy strikes. Deep Throat's death marks a turning point, exposing the lethal lengths the conspiracy will go to protect its secrets and setting a dangerous precedent for future investigations involving human-alien hybrids.

Escalation Through Abductions and Clones

Seasons two and three dramatically escalate the stakes as Mulder and Scully face direct threats to their lives and families. After being separated, Mulder investigates forced closures of SETI programs in Puerto Rico before Scully is kidnapped by Duane Barry and subsequently abducted by aliens herself. Her mysterious recovery coincides with the return of Mulder's sister, Samantha, who had been taken as a child. Tragically, Samantha is killed while evading a shapeshifting bounty hunter, only to be revealed as one of many clones created using alien tissue. The narrative deepens when hacker Kenneth Soona provides data in Navajo code, leading Mulder to a train car filled with alien corpses where he is left for dead by the Smoking Man. Scully's own abduction history is further explored through her encounter with the First Elder, who claims she was experimented upon by Japanese scientists on a similar secret train.

The Black Oil and Shifting Alliances

As the series progresses into Season 3 and beyond, the mythology introduces terrifying new elements like the parasitic 'black oil' discovered on a World War II submarine. This substance infects crew members, allowing it to travel across bodies and eventually possess Alex Krycek, who attempts to hide it within a UFO at a missile silo. The conspiracy's reach is further demonstrated through the assassination of Mulder's informant X, which occurs after the Syndicate uses his mother's safety as bait in a canary trap to identify leaks. Despite X's death, he manages to pass the name of Marita Covarrubias, a UN representative who becomes a new ally. These events highlight the constant evolution of the threat, moving from simple cover-ups to biological warfare and international intrigue involving figures like Luis Cardinal, who is linked to the murder of Scully's sister.