Fox Mulder
Opening the X-Files
In May 1989, Mulder was sprayed with an experimental drug that causes
hallucinations and
paranoia. Mulder started talking about aliens and conspiracies, although his previous interest in such things was not as active. The following month, Mulder underwent regressive hypnosis in attempt to remember what happened when Samantha disappeared. After that, Mulder started displaying a fanatical interest in the paranormal.
Mulder continued to work in the Violent Crimes department, pursuing his paranormal interests in his spare time. In 1990, he learned a great deal about the X-Files from former FBI agent
Arthur Dales (Travelers). In late 1991, Mulder "discovered" the X-Files, and re-opened them with Agent
Diana Fowley. Agent Fowley transferred away shortly thereafter, leaving Mulder the only agent to work on the X-Files. A few months later, in March 1992,
Dana Scully was assigned to the X-Files as a partner to Mulder, with the assignment to use her background in hard science to apply scientific reasoning and expertise to evaluating Mulder's work with the X-Files.
Seasons 1 through 7
Mulder's ultimate goal was to uncover what he believed to be a government conspiracy to hide the truth about alien life, and to find out what had happened to his sister. His quest and belief in the existence of aliens was, for most of the series, the driving force of the plot, or
mytharc. However, during a period of time after Scully's cancer went into remission (season 5), Mulder was convinced that aliens did not in fact exist, and that the government conspirators had merely concocted that threat as a smokescreen, to toy with him. Progressively through the series, Scully's scientific methodology, and Mulder's strong beliefs, started to rub off on one another.
Mulder's basement office was decorated with photographs, newspaper articles and other materials pertaining to
conspiracy theories, extraterrestrial life, and other supernatural phenomena. Among the collection was a picture of
Deloys monkey, a newspaper article about
Duane Barry,
Max Fenig's
NICAP hat, and, most famously, a poster depicting a
flying saucer with the words "I Want to Believe".
|
Mulder's paranoia reflected the American public's suspicion of the government, characteristic of the 1990s |
While working on the X-Files, Mulder often came into conflict with his superiors, most notably his direct superior, FBI Assistant Director
Walter Skinner, who was for a long time skeptical of Mulder's work. Mulder's dedication to the X-Files led many of his superiors and fellow agents to regard him as a moonstruck fringe-dweller who spent all his time and effort "hunting [for] little green men," a once promising FBI agent who threw away his career.
Mulder tended to conduct his investigations with blatant disregard for rules and regulations, sometimes even breaking the law. He accused
Bureau authorites of hiding the truth and infiltrated restricted military bases and other secret facilities, leading to official reprimands and suspensions on more than one occasion. He was often in risk of being fired - however, he was usually able to keep his job through the help of
various benefactors.
Throughout his work, Mulder was antagonized by the
Cigarette Smoking Man and the
Syndicate. Various conspirators provided Mulder with some information, but they were never entirely truthful, and Mulder could never disregard the possibility that they were trying to mislead him.
Mulder had multiple informants. Of his most significant high-level government informants,
Deep Throat was first, followed by
X, and later
Marita Covarrubias. Each of them provided Mulder with valuable information, even saving Mulder's life on more than one occasion. Little was known about the background of these characters. Mulder also had had
US Senator Richard Matheson on his side for a number of years (see
Little Green Men (2x01) and
S.R. 819 (6x10)).
During the 7th season, Mulder eventually discovers the truth about his sister. Samantha was abducted (whether by extraterrestrials or by the human conspirators is unclear), and various tests were performed on her. Episode
Closure (7x11) reveals that, unable to bear the testing any longer, Samantha ran away from her home with the
Spenders in California and was eventually admitted to a nearby hospital, where she disappeared from her locked room. It is revealed that Samantha was taken by "spiritual intervention," with the help of beings called "
Walk-ins." Mulder is briefly reunited with Samantha's spirit. There are, however, some
plot holes relating to Samantha's apparent passing. (See article,
Samantha Mulder.)
Seasons 8 and 9
Mulder was also abducted by the aliens himself in 2000 (
Requiem (7x23)), and returned to Earth, almost dead, a few months later. He had been infected by an
alien virus (for the second time), but Scully found a way to rescue him (
Deadalive (8x15)). He returned to work for a brief period of time, but was eventually fired by the newly promoted
Deputy Director Kersh (
Vienen (8x18)). After Scully gave birth to William, Mulder went into hiding in
New Mexico.
After about a year in hiding, Mulder obtains crucial information from
a secret facility about the date of the planned alien colonization effort, but is caught and put on trial for the murder of
Knowle Rohrer. Despite a defense organized by
Skinner with numerous witnesses, the judges (who it is hinted are at least partially working for the conspiracy) sentence Mulder to
death. With help from several people, including a reformed Kersh and the ghost of
Alex Krycek, Mulder breaks out of prison and escapes with Scully. As of the
series finale, Mulder and Scully are "officially" presumed dead, and in hiding.
Another
X-Files film has been in the works for several years, and will reportedly focus on an individual case rather than delving into the series mythology or the upcoming alien invasion.
Family
Mulder had a rather strained relationship with his parents, not in the least thanks to the X-Files. Initially, he had no idea his father was involved in the conspiracy and Samantha's disappearance. Bill Mulder, who became disenchanted with the
shadow government and his own role in the conspiracy, eventually approached Fox about his past deeds, but was presumably shot and killed by
Alex Krycek - working as an assassin for the Syndicate - before he could reveal any great amount of information (
Anasazi (2x25)). Over the next few years, Mulder got into several conflicts with his mother while trying to discover the extent of her own knowledge of his father's precise involvement. Teena Mulder dies of an apparent suicide, when the stress of Samantha's abduction finally becomes too painful (
Sein und Zeit (7x11)).
During the last years of his work on the X-Files, Mulder was even forced to doubt that Bill Mulder was his true father. He is lead to consider the possibility that his mother had had an affair with the
Cigarette Smoking Man (due to strong evidence provided in
Talitha Cumi (3x24)), a connection which may have resulted in the birth of either Samantha or Mulder himself. The possibility was hinted at later in the series, and
Jeffrey Spender, who certainly was the Smoking Man's son, said that Mulder was his half-brother. In the 9th season,
William (9x17) explains that Spender and Mulder have very similar
DNA, providing strong evidence that they do have the same father.
Mulder's relationship with his sister Samantha was, in some ways, one of the most central of the series, although the real Samantha was only ever shown in flashbacks. These flashbacks show them alternately bickering and affectionate, and it can be assumed that their relationship was close. They seem to have spent a good deal of time together, playing pick-up games of neighborhood
baseball (Fox usually played right-field), riding bikes, playing board games, and watching television. After her disappearance, when Mulder was twelve, the family fell apart, and Mulder's intense desire to unravel the mystery of her abduction became the central drama of his life.
By the 7th season of the series, Mulder's platonic partnership with Scully clearly crossed over into the romantic sphere, and he was the presumed father of her child William, perhaps by way of
in-vitro fertilization (
Per Manum (8x08)). In
The Truth 9x19, Scully, speaking to Mulder, referred to William as "our son."
Friends and Foes
Mulder's closest friend was
FBI partner
Dana Scully, who was assigned to "debunk [his] work" by the conspirators and the FBI brass. But against their intentions, her loyalties quickly became affixed to Mulder's quest and Mulder himself, a connection which seemed to pull Mulder's work out of obsurity, as Scully's scientific bent afforded them a certain amount of credibility. Their intense professional and personal relationship continued to strengthen through the years. While the relationship was platonic for the greater part of the series, there are clues that it developed into a romantic one by the last few seasons. Mulder and Scully almost always called each other by their
surnames - Mulder purportedly hated his first name, but Scully had no such aversion. At the end of season eight, the romantic undertones were confirmed when the two shared a kiss. In the series finale, the very last scene depicted Mulder and Scully in bed together, contemplating what the future held.
Mulder's only known romantic relationships, prior to his work on the X-Files, were with
Phoebe Green and
Diana Fowley. Phoebe Green was a fellow student at Oxford, and the two had a brief relationship.
Mulder dated Diana Fowley when he was a student at the FBI Academy. Mulder is seen wearing a wedding ring in a flashback scene of
Travelers (5x015), set in 1990 - given the time frame, it's likely that this marriage would have been with Diana. When she reappears in
The End (5x20), Mulder is reluctant to believe that she might be working with the Syndicate (as she is in reality), and disregards Scully's own suspicions of her loyalties. After participating in an experiment which nearly cost Mulder his life, Diana apparently suffers from remorse, and anonymously provides Scully with the means to rescue him, at the cost of Diana's own life.
When in need of extra assistance, Mulder went to various friends/contacts with expertise in different areas.
The Lone Gunmen, three conspiracy theorists/
computer hackers/tabloid newspaper publishers, were his most trusted friends, after Scully. The trio were generally sought after when Mulder and/or Scully needed more techno-savy assistance. The Lone Gunmen, in turn, had their own contacts when a situation was beyond their abilities. Dr. Charles "Chuck" Burks was another character who helped Mulder when even Mulder's own knowledge of the paranormal was not enough to crack a case. Earlier in the series, Mulder could be seen calling Danny, a character known only by his first name, and who was never shown on screen. He would typically help Mulder with tasks like pulling up
plate numbers.
Mulder's greatest nemesis was the
Cigarette Smoking Man, who, despite his obvious ill-intent, seemed to hold Mulder in special regard. Though he mocked Mulder to his face for his foolishness and the futility of his quest, in
Two Fathers (6x11) he told his son
Jeffrey Spender, "You pale to Fox Mulder." Mulder also developed an intense enmity for
Alex Krycek, a double agent who briefly worked with Mulder in the FBI as infiltrator, and who continued to serve as a recurring adversary, acting as an assassin for the Syndicate in the murders of
Bill Mulder and
Melissa Scully.
Mulder famously has a sardonic sense of humor even in the face of the most bizarre and dangerous phenomena, and his trademark bad jokes (most of them improvised by actor
David Duchovny) are characteristically glib or cynical.
He is somewhat athletic and has an interest in sports, mostly
baseball and
basketball. He jogs regularly, is shown playing a casual game of basketball (
Two Fathers (6x11)), and often bounces his basketball around his apartment when bored. His favorite professional teams are the
New York Yankees and the
New York Knicks.
His ethnicity and religious affiliation are never directly disclosed, but there are several hints that he is supposed to be
Jewish, as in the episodes
Kaddish (4x12) and
Drive (6x02).
David Duchovny has said that he considers Mulder to be Jewish. Despite believing in a variety of paranormal phenomenon, Mulder is often openly scornful of organized religion (
Revelations (3x11);
All Souls (5x17)). However, in the series finale he talks hopefully about the afterlife and touches Scully's crucifix with some reverence, suggesting that just as Scully has modified her skepticism and accepted some of Mulder's beliefs in the paranormal, so has Mulder opened his mind to the possibility of God.
Mulder is almost never seen sleeping in a bed. The bedroom in his apartment (which appeared and disappeared during various times in the show's run) is apparently used for storage and is filled floor to ceiling with junk. Instead, Mulder sleeps on his couch, often falling asleep to a blaring television. Mulder can seem to go through manic periods when worried or working on a case, contributing to or exacerbating his
insomniac tendencies.
Mulder's
porn habits are a recurring joke on the series, and are alluded to in several episodes. In the third season episode
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose (3x04) the psychic
Bruckman implies that Mulder will die from an act of
autoerotic asphyxiation.
Mulder apparently has a rather poor sense of direction - he sometimes goes through the wrong corridors in a building and can't use a map very well. Similarly, Mulder isn't comfortable when in the country and somewhat doesn't really like nature, although in
Home (4x03) he tells Scully that he would like to live in a rural community when he retires.
Mulder rarely drinks alcohol, and in the few cases he does, he is so drunk that he behaves out of character, suggesting a low tolerance level. His famous penchant for sunflower seeds he says was passed down from his father. In
Fire (1x11), he reveals a mild case of
pyrophobia, but it is never mentioned throughout the rest of the series. He also admits to a childhood fear of bugs in
War of the Coprophages (3x12). Mulder has a remarkable memory, and once mentions that he is "cursed with a
photographic memory."
Mulder disapproves the use of drugs when treating psychological disorders and says that he's not a
Freudian.
*Mulder's cell phone number is (202) 555-9355.
*Mulder's address is #42, 2630 Hegal Place,
Alexandria, VA 23242. 23242 is however a ZIP code within
Richmond, Virginia. Mulder's apartment number,
42, is a reference to the
answer to life, the universe and everything.
*Mulder's badge number is JTT047101111
*Mulder's computer password is TRUSTNO1. He uses computer software that displays the password as it is typed.
*Mulder's
Social Security number is 123-32-1321
*
Pseudonyms Mulder has used include M.F. Luder,
George E. Hale, and Marty.
*Mulder has a tank with
goldfish at home that Scully feeds in his absence.
*He hates being called Fox, and claims that he even made his parents call him Mulder growing up. However, both parents call him Fox on the show.
*The character of Fox Mulder has also appeared on other series -
The Lone Gunmen and
Millennium. He was mentioned in the short-lived series
Strange Luck. He also made an appearance in the
The Springfield Files episode of
The Simpsons and on the animated series
Eek! The Cat. In an episode of the
ReBoot series, Mulder and Scully were parodied as agents "Fax Modem" and "Data Nully." David Duchovny refused to provide his voice for the episode.
*He is possibly of partial
Dutch heritage, as
Mulder is a
Dutch surname meaning
Miller.
Chris Carter has said that he named Mulder after his mother's
maiden name.
*According to the 5th season episode "Unusual Suspects", which took place entirely in
1989, Mulder is 6' tall (~183cm), about 170lb (~77kg), and has green eyes.
*He has seen "
Plan 9 from Outer Space" 42 times (another reference to
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), and claims that the film is so incredibly bad that it shuts down the logic centers of his brain, allowing him to make intuitive leaps of logic.
*According to the episode "Beyond the Sea," Mulder's
blood type is O-negative. He is also red-green
colorblind (
Wetwired).
*Mulder's personality type is
INTP, under the
Myers-Briggs personality test.
*In the episode
Je Souhaite, while watching
Caddyshack at Mulder's apartment, Mulder and Scully are shown drinking
Shiner Bock beer.
"The Truth Is Out There," The Official Guide to the X-Files Vol. 1, by Brian Lowry, Chris Carter. Harper Paperbacks, 1995.
*
From Russia with Madness - Wold Newton universe speculation on the origins of Fox Mulder.
