Lone gunmen trio

The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters who had recurring roles on The X-Files and also starred on a short lived spin-off. Described as counterculture patriots, they were ardent conspiracy theorists and computer hackers who frequently assisted Fox Mulder, though they sometimes had their own adventures. The trio consisted of:

Related Topics:
The X-Files - Spin-off - Fox Mulder

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood), a former 60s radical and the oldest of the three. He dressed in mostly retro fashions (such as fur vests), and had a lascivious attitude toward women. He is also the only Gunman to make solo appearances.
• John Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood), was once a menial office worker for the FCC. He dressed conservatively and occasionally appeared to be the leader of the trio. He is also known for the famous line, "That's what we like about you Mulder. You're ideas are even weirder than ours." He was born on November 22, 1963, the same day that President Kennedy died. His parents named him after the fallen president.
• Richard Langly (Dean Haglund) resembles Garth from Wayne's World. He was a big fan of The Ramones and had a competition with Frohike over who was a better computer hacker. He also had a "philosophical aversion to having his image bounced off a satellite."

The season 5 episode, Unusual Suspects, chronicles how they initially got together:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1989, Mulder is pursuing a woman named Suzanne Modeski. Modeski encounters John Byers in an electronics expo, and asks for his help. Initially she tricks him into thinking that Mulder is an abusive ex-boyfriend that is stalking her, but once Byers discovers that Mulder is an FBI agent, she reveals that she is a scientist on the run from her superiors. It turns out that she created a paranoia inducing chemical, which presumably would be used against the Soviets. But when she discovered that it would be tested on innocent civilians, her conscience got the better of her and she was forced on the run. Byers and Modeski enlist the aid of computer hacker/cable salesman Melvin Frohike. Frohike's computer hacking skills are insufficient, so he begrudgingly recommends his longtime nemesis, Richard Langly. Eventually the four of them encounter a warehouse full of aeresol products laced with the paranoia inducing chemical, but are cornered by Mulder. Without warning, all five of them are ambushed by hitmen. After a shootout, Mulder kills the hitmen, but he is doused with the chemical. He strips his clothes off and begins babbling incoherently. A team led by Mr. X sanitizes the scene, and Byers, Langly, and Frohike, are put in jail. They are released just in time to see Modeski forced into a rental car by Mr. X's team.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Though their early appearances were few and far between, the Gunmen quickly became fan favorites, even getting their own T-shirts. The actors were also frequent guests at X-Files conventions. They also appeared prominently in episodes written by acclaimed science fiction authors William Gibson and Tom Maddox. Their spin-off series had the boys investigating mostly corporate crime, aided (and sometimes hindered) by a mysterious thief named Yve Adele Harlow (Zuleikha Robinson). Despite fan loyalty, the show was ultimatly cancelled after 12 episodes. The Gunmen themselves died during the final season of The X-Files, sacrificing themselves to stop a bio-terrorist. They briefly reappeared in the series finale, as figments of Mulder's imagination.

Related Topics:
Science fiction - William Gibson - Tom Maddox - Zuleikha Robinson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to being fan favorites, the Gunmen also seem to have set the standard for technogeeks in subsequent series, such as Abby Sciuto from Navy NCIS.

Related Topics:
Abby Sciuto - Navy NCIS

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Lone gunmen trio: Appearances ►