I’m a big fan of IDW’s X-Files: Season 10 comics and need a place to ramble on about them. Below are general thoughts and speculations about events and characters in the ongoing comic series.
[Note: This post contains heavy spoilers for the X-Files: Season 10 comics, particularly Issues 11-15. For anyone looking to catch up, these issues have since been collected in Volume 3 of the hardcover books, available here.]
So, let’s talk about the Glasses-Wearing Man.
Right before I picked up July’s issue, I was talking to my boyfriend about how I’d been wondering what had become of the characters who survived until the end of the show, especially Gibson. Then, as soon as I saw the chess board, I was like, “huh…” Then the whole mind-reading thing…
I don’t think we ever saw Gibson display telekinesis (did we?), but obviously William did, and Gibson was probably the character on the show most similar to William in terms of ability. Also, that might be part of the reason they’ve been keeping him in shadow, if it’s supposed to be an existing character, but they didn’t want us to recognize him right away.
If it is in fact Gibson, that just makes me wonder what’s happened over the past 12 years to make him go from wanting to do everything in his power to distance himself from what he is and everyone who wants to study him to apparently becoming a (the?) central figure in this neo-syndicate.
This also brought to mind Jeff Gulka’s comments from the LAX-Files book signing event back in 2011:
Quote:
| “…Smith’s seventh question asked Mitch and Jeff where they felt their characters were after the show ended. Mitch said he has no idea what Skinner is doing, but he has seen and read some outlandish stuff on the internet, where Skinner is photo shopped into situations. Jeff added that he thinks Gibson Praise is a bad guy, perhaps Cancer Man 2.0, reading people’s minds. Jeff added that he hopes there is a place for his character in a 3rd X-Files Film.” |
[Source: http://lax-files.com/]
I’ve been thinking about the possibility of Gibson as the Glasses-Wearing Man (as he’s being referred to on eatthecorn.com), and I definitely think it’s possible, though I’d be really curious about how and why he’d end up going down that path. Though, really, he was, what, 15 the last time we saw him? And now he’d be about 27-ish. That’s a lot of time for a person to grow up and change and figure out who they want to be and what they want to make their purpose in life, so that could be interesting.
So, for reasons that kind of support Gibson as Glasses-Wearing Man:
– While in the presence of the Syndicate after being taken by them, he could have easily read everyone’s mind and gotten a pretty good idea of what they know and what’s going on.
– He also spent a year hanging out with Mulder, so he’d most likely know a good amount of what Mulder knows about the conspiracy from his perspective.
– Gibson has been face-to-face with aliens in multiple forms and can read their minds, as well (and possibly communicate with them that way?).
– The shadowy figures’s most distinguishing feature at this point is that he wears glasses. Considering that it’s probably not Skinner, Langly, or Frohike, I can’t think of many other characters who prominently wear glasses.
– They both greatly dislike/have no respect for CSM.
– I mean, the chess thing. Come on. It’s either gotta be Gibson, or Harris at least wants us to think it’s Gibson.
– Though it’s really interesting that he appears to be playing chess against himself (physically moving one side with his hand, moving the other with his mind). Have to wonder what that might imply, or if he’s just doing it to illustrate his point to CSM.
– He references a chess grandmaster in the context of where someone from the original Syndicate would probably be more likely to reference a political or military figure. (Though to be fair, CSM *was* fond of referring to the conspiracy as a “game.”)
– Also, the mind-reading thing. Not too many characters can do that. Possibly William, but that’s not confirmed, and this doesn’t seem like a 13 year-old kid. It could potentially be someone who gained the ability through exposure to an alien artifact like Mulder did, but so far Gibson seems like the most reasonable choice here, since he can probably use this ability most effectively, having been born with it.
Now for the more skeptical points:
– Based on his silhouette, he does seem to be a bit tall to be Gibson. Even as and adult, it seems like he would probably still be no taller than Scully.
– If Gibson wanted to keep tabs on Mulder and Scully, why would he be doing it through CSM and A.D. Morales? Last we knew, he still considered them to be friends.
– When did Gibson learn to Force Choke people?
I’m sure all will be answered in time, but this sort of speculation was always a fun activity when the show originally aired, and I’m glad to see that these comics are no different!
