Alex Krycek

Lore & Background

Krycek assists in Scully's abduction, murders Mulder's father, Bill Mulder, and assaults Assistant Director Walter Skinner to take from him a tape revealing a US government cover-up of alien visits to Earth. After a botched attempt on Scully's life results in the death of her sister, the Smoking Man tries to kill him with a car bomb, but he escapes. Under the influence of the black oil, he returns the tape to the Smoking Man in exchange for the location of an alien ship, and is left locked in a missile silo in North Dakota. In Russia, a group of men with missing left arms amputate his arm as well, to keep him from being used in black oil experiments.

Reader's Guide

Later in the series he switches sides as it suits him, blackmailing Skinner with infectious nanotechnology, and in the season seven finale "Requiem" he pushes the now wheelchair-using Smoking Man down a flight of stairs. In the season eight finale "Existence", he is shot dead by Skinner during an unsuccessful attempt to kill Mulder, and his ghost briefly appears to help Mulder escape a military base in the series finale. The role was first offered to Callum Keith Rennie, who rejected it.

Did You Know?

• When Nicholas Lea first appeared as Krycek, the producers felt they could kill the character off if the actor did not do a good enough job.
• Before playing Krycek, Nicholas Lea had a small part as a club goer named "Michel" in the first-season episode "Gender Bender".