The Alien Bounty Hunter

A shape-shifting alien enforcer who kills the clones of a human-alien hybrid project, and whose blood is lethal to humans.

The Alien Bounty Hunter, played by Brian Thompson, is a recurring alien character created by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz in the two-part episodes "Colony" and "End Game". In "End Game", directed by Rob Bowman and written by Frank Spotnitz, he kidnaps FBI agent Dana Scully while disguised as Mulder. The character drives the plot of the series' mythology arc, pursuing clones created for a human-alien hybrid project that dates back to the 1940s. His primary objective is to eliminate these "tainted" progeny and retrieve the specific clone posing as Samantha, leading to a violent confrontation on an American nuclear submarine in the Beaufort Sea.

Quick Facts

Species: Alien
First appearance: Season 2, Episode 17: 'End Game'

Lore & Background

According to the narrative revealed by "Samantha," the Bounty Hunter can only be killed by piercing the base of his neck, as his alien blood is lethal to humans. He operates under orders from an extraterrestrial race that considers the cloning experiments on Earth a contamination, necessitating their destruction. Disguised as Mulder, he kidnapped Scully and set up a hostage exchange to swap her for Samantha. His presence forces Mulder to realize that the "Samantha" he knew is merely one of several clones working at abortion clinics to access fetal tissue for the hybrid project. The hunter's origins are tied to two original aliens whose progeny were sent to Earth, and his mission reflects an internal alien conflict regarding these failed experiments.

Reader's Guide

He is an extraterrestrial enforcer, distinct from the Syndicate's human collaborators: the Alien Bounty Hunters take human shape and are tasked with policing the Colonists' plans and eliminating any threats. His defeat requires piercing the base of his neck, a weakness revealed by the fake Samantha before her death. He uses a stiletto weapon often called the "gimlet". In the final confrontation on the USS Allegiance, he relies on his physical resilience and toxic blood to overwhelm Mulder. His disappearance at the end of the episode leaves no trace of himself or the submarine, though X informs Mulder that a naval fleet was sent to destroy the craft found below the ice.

Did You Know?

The stunt where Skinner shoves X against the elevator wall was performed for real by actors Mitch Pileggi and Steven Williams, causing them to break the back of the scenery.
The "gimlet" weapon used by the hunter was constructed from aluminum and acrylic and activated by a pneumatic hose hidden in actor Brian Thompson's sleeve.
A decommissioned destroyer, HMCS Mackenzie, was rented from the Royal Canadian Navy to serve as the interior for the USS Allegiance.
"End Game" was Frank Spotnitz's debut as a television writer, and he got significant help from Chris Carter to put the script together.