Q: WHO’D YOU PICK?
A: When I was first invited to this blog, I immediately thought of SCORPIUS, from Farscape, a TV Show that aired in the US on the SciFi (now SyFy) channel. Though only introduced at the end of the show’s 1st season, he quickly came to dominate that show and tv movie that wrapped up the series.
Q: HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT SELECTING HIM?
A: I wanted to use my first selection to focus on a Villain who is obviously a Villain, a Melodramatic, or operatic Villain. And, I believe that Scorpius is a Post Modern take on just that type of villain. From the Suit, which is all black, to his monstrous visage, everything about Scorpius screams “I’m the bad guy.”
My hope is that this obvious quality will allow me to more easily extrapolate the general truths of villainy that Scorpius points to.
Q: WHO IS SCORPIUS AND HOW DOES HE FIT INTO THE FARSCAPE UNIVERSE?
A: Farscape is a show about an astronaut named John Crichton who, like Dorothy in Oz, is shot across the universe, via a wormhole in space.
The part of the universe John, the hero, finds himself in is ruled by a fascist state of humanoids, called ironically enough, “The Peacekeepers.” Scorpius, when we first meet him, runs a black ops / science program, so he’s in a position of great power. His mission is to create a new weapon for defeating the Scarrans, the chief rivals to the Peacekeepers in this part of the universe. The weapon he believes will tilt the balance of power between Peacekeeper and Scarren harnesses, of all things, wormholes. And though his first meeting with John is accidental, Scorpius’ sole focus after their encounter is to get John.
Scorpius is a half breed, with his mother being of the humanoid variety that inhabit this aspect of space (they call themselves Sabaceans.) His father is Scarren, a reptilian / humanoid blend, who rapes her. Being a half-breed means he’s rejected by both the Scarren and Peacekeeper ethos, as both sides value species purity. If that seems to contradict his being in a position of power, the show exploits this contradiction to show Scorpius’ talent for strategy, manipulation and ingenuity.
Q: WHAT KIND OF VILLAIN IS SCORPIUS?
A: The beauty of Scorpius as a villain is that he’s not just one type of villain; he doesn’t fit into just one category. Scorpius blends a few categories, and the writers put a few twists on these categories to create something quite new and unique (and as they say in the show, “Unique is always valuable.”)
Category 1: Monster - Just from looking at him, we can see this. From his skull-like face, to his deformed body, monstrous strength, resistance to pain and uncanny ability to know when someone is lying, Scorpius oozes monstrosity.
Category 2: Evil Genius – Though he has super strength, Scorpius doesn’t want to use it, and seems genuinely embarrassed when these monstrous aspects shine through.
Scorpius’ chief asset is his intelligence. Like Lex Luthor or Moriarty, he’s a villain who defeats his opponent with his mind. In Farscape's 2nd season, Scorpius literally tries to use his mind to defeat John by implanting a neural chip containing a clone of himself into John’s head, all to get at the knowledge John has.
Category 3: Cool Suited Villain - It’s kind of a subset of both Monster and Evil Genius, but this puts him in the same category of characters like Dr. Doom, Darth Vader. Like these other villains, the suit signals a great weakness that is overcome by the technology.
Q: WHAT MAKES SCORPIUS A GOOD VILLAIN?
A: In terms of plot, a villain is the force the hero smashes up against and stands between the hero and his goal. And Scorpius definitely fits the bill. He’s John’s equal in every way and in many ways, John’s superior. Plots on the show would often resolve with John gaining some small victory, only for it to be revealed that this victory also forwards Scorpius’ agenda in some way. Yet, this alone wouldn’t make him a great villain. Though it might seem obvious to say, a great villain must do villainous things. And here, Scorpius doesn’t disappoint. On first encountering John, he tortures him to get information. As stated earlier, when the information is hard to get, Scorpius installs a microchip into John’s brain, which contains a copy of Scorpius’ personality. Though revealed in a flashback, the imagery used to depict this implies a kind of rape.
In a literal way, Scorpius is behind John, holding a phallic-like object that he jams into John. While that’s monstrous enough, the coup de grace is the ‘neural clone’ or personality of Scorpius that lives in John’s head. Scorpius isn’t just inside John’s body, he’s in his head, his thoughts, and it’s a monstrous invasion. When Scorpius finally retrieves the chip, which has the information he requires, Scorpius leaves John alive, tied to a hospital chair, unable to talk. Since Scorpius is motivated by a desire for revenge, he leaves John in what he thinks would be the ultimate torment, in an impotent life of unfulfilled revenge.
As Scorpius prepares to leave the hospital, he sucks the brain matter that has clung to the chip, off, eating it like a delicacy. The suggestion of cannibalism is clear and these actions solidify Scorpius’ bona fides as a monstrous villain.
Another quality that makes Scorpius a good villain is his intelligence. He remains one step ahead of the hero and constantly surprises both him and the audience with his clever plans. In season 4, Scorpius, seemingly out of power, is buried alive in front of John, by a Peacekeeper Commandant, as a means of showing to John that Scorpius is no longer a threat. When Scorpius appears in the following episode, unharmed, he’s asked, “How did you survive?” His answer, “Foresight. And preparation.”
We’re given no further explanation. Though a potential cop out, by this time in the series we’ve seen Scorpius get himself out of trap after trap, using his keen wit and insight, that we accept this explanation without hesitation. This line also shows another aspect of his intelligence that makes him a great villain: Scorpius is great at turning a phrase. Lines like this seduce the viewer into, if not liking Scorpius, respecting him.
In terms of character, great villains are mirrors of their heroic counterparts. In terms of plot, this means a good villain will have goal that they pursue and they may also have good and compelling reasons for their actions. This is definitely true in Scorpius’ case. Being a product of rape, and identifying with his Sabacean side, Scorpius’ goal is the destruction of those who created and tormented him and who threaten the rest of their universe. Though he’s a mirror, Scorpius is a dark reflection of John, so he’ll be willing to sacrifice anyone or anything, including his own dignity and safety, all to achieve his goal of taking revenge on the Scarrens. This dogged, Machiavellian dedication also compels the viewer and earns Scorpius admiration.
Like a hero, Scorpius isn’t a victim of his origins and circumstance, but instead actively tries to overcome them. His suit is a perfect example of this. Being half Sabacean means that he’s cold blooded, but being half Scarren means that he also craves the heat. His suit’s purpose, partially designed by Scorpius himself, is to regulate his internal temperature, which if left unchecked, could cause his death.
Scorpius reflects John in more literal ways too. Both are scientists, and both, in this side of the universe, are outsiders. Neither John nor Scorpius have a place in social order they find themselves in, but Scorpius lies, manipulates and ingratiates himself into that society while John tries to create his own, more egalitarian society. Where John is trying to use his knowledge for the benefit of all, Scorpius is trying to use that same knowledge to destroy.
Finally, Scorpius is like many great heroes of mythology, in that he’s a schism figure. These characters bridge two cultures and in their blending, create something greater than their parts. Moses, for example, is both Jew, by birth, and Egyptian, by upbringing. Superman is Man and Kryptonian. Hercules is Man and God. Scorpius is Sabacean and Scarren, but instead of these two cultures working together, in him they are at war. This conflict is externalized in Scorpius, with his Sabacean need for cold and his Scarren love of heat.
Finally, the last thing I’d like to touch upon in terms of what makes Scorpius such a great villain is what I’m calling execution. Unlike a purely literary character, whose execution is solely the product of a writer, Scorpius is created by a team: from costumer designers, make-up artisans, directors to the actor himself. Wayne Pygram, the man underneath the suit, did more than recite lines and was quite often an active contributor. An example of this can be seen in the 2nd season episode, entitled, “Look at the Princess: The Maltese Crichton.” Near the end of the episode, John has Scorpius face down over a vat of acid, which just dissolved a Scarren. John tells Scorpius to stop his hunt and lets Scorpius live. After John has left, the camera lingers on Scorpius, alone. Though not in the script, Wayne decided to dip his gloved hand into the ‘acid’ and flick it off with the twist of his wrist. Of course, it does no damage to him at all, making the viewer revisit Scorpius’ previous encounter with John, and realize that Scorpius was never in any danger at all. The whole previous encounter was re-contextualized to be part of some greater plan by Scorpius, making him seem an even more clever and devious character than he was before.
According to Wayne, this addition inspired the writers to go even further in this direction with the character, giving him plans within plans. From the use of his voice, which would lower to a growl as the Scarren side would dominate or raise in pitch when his Sabacean side did, to his cold piercing blue eyes, which Wayne insisted be without contacts in order that nothing got in the way of seeing some humanity in Scorpius, Wayne infused Scorpius with an inner life and soul that makes him a great and compelling villain.
In conclusion, Scorpius is part Monster, part Mad Sceintist, part Hero, wrapped up in a bad ass suit. He’s smart, deceptive, witty and ruthless. He chases the hero, sometimes even protecting him in order to take revenge on his real enemy, those that created and tormented him, threatening to destroy all other life, the Scarrens. As created by those behind the show, Scorpius becomes a singular figure, an adjective, an idea that, like the neural clone, lives in the viewer’s head, whispering things we’d rather not hear. As it should be, with any great villain, he is smiling, damned.
