His Divine Shadow
His Divine Shadow (also known simply as His Shadow) is a fictional character in the TV series Lexx. He is portrayed as the absolute ruler of the Divine Order and the League of 20,000 Planets.[1]
His Divine Shadow[edit]
His Divine Shadow rules from The Cluster, in the collective form of a current humanoid avatar and the disembodied brains of prior avatars, the Divine Predecessors. The cluster is the religious center as well as the supreme military command of the LEXX universe. The portion of his consciousness driving the current avatar is passed in "the kiss" to a new avatar when the current avatar's body is discarded and the brain joins the collective, a process which normally destroys the persona of the host. Unbeknownst to his worshippers, he is the last surviving member of the Insect Civilization, which had been destroyed by the Brunnen-G. That survivor (correctly) assumes that he will be more successful in wiping out humanity by getting it to destroy itself. He works towards humanity's destruction by starting a religion centered around himself (his possessed human bodies), gradually becoming “the most powerful ruler in the two universes.”
In the opening episode, as result of the noted single failure of the destruction of the new host persona, a new avatar whose persona includes that of a prior host not destroyed like the others takes the collective on board the LEXX and leaves The Cluster, allowing it to personally wipe out all opposition in preparation for the rebirth of its insect form through the Gigashadow, the recreation of the insect civilization, and the complete destruction of humanity.
The Aftermath[edit]
His Shadow's Order is destroyed by Kai, Last of the Brunnen-G, as foretold by the Time Prophet, but not before a part of his essence is transferred to Kai, who later passes it on to Mantrid, who goes on to destroy the Light Universe. Kai at one point refers to the Shadow as "the enemy of humanity," so in that sense his Divine Shadow lives on until the destruction of Mantrid by the Lexx crew, which like the Divine Shadow's defeat is mostly Kai's doing.
Despite his death and the downfall of his Order, His Shadow's legacy haunts the characters throughout the series, even when the Light Universe is destroyed and they are forced into the Dark Zone. The phrase "I kill you in the name of His Divine Shadow" is repeated several times throughout the later half of the series, even though there is no longer a Divine Shadow, emphasizing the extent of his effect upon the Two Universes.
His Divine Shadow's Personal Flagships[edit]
His Divine Shadow exclusively owns and commands the most advanced pieces of military technology known in the entire Lexx universe. He can wantonly deploy a weapon of mass destruction to anyone who opposes him (known commonly as heretics), and his lineage of flagships use very advanced forms of technology to destroy any planet he wishes. It has been shown consistently that almost all of His Divine Shadow's flagships (save the Lexx) are immune to all forms of weapons fire, and have superior defenses.
The Foreshadow[edit]
- The Foreshadow is the first personal flagship of His Divine Shadow, and was deployed during the complete destruction of Brunnis-2, Kai's homeworld. It is somewhat spider-like in shape, having eight spokes radiating from a central command hub (Resembling a giant, space-born predator which later menaced the Lexx itself in the episodes "The Web" and "The Net"). Its main weapon generates dark sheets of destructive energy which retain the general shape of the Foreshadow itself. The Foreshadow is capable of destroying an entire planet, but unlike the Lexx 2000 years later, it has to fire its weapon numerous times to achieve complete destruction. The Foreshadow has smaller defensive guns attached so it can take on smaller craft, unlike the Lexx which only has its main weapon.
The Megashadow[edit]
- Never in any of the Lexx episodes has the Megashadow been seen actually destroying a planet, however it does possess the same ephemeral wave that the Foreshadow uses by unfolding its front "legs"."
The Lexx[edit]
- When compared to the sheer size and weight class of the Foreshadow and the heavy armored defences of the Megashadow, the Lexx is a rather inferior vessel to this proud heritage. This is not to say that it is weak by any standard; what it lacks in defense and size, it makes up for in pure firepower. It can destroy whole planets in one shot. The Lexx is the most powerful weapon in the two universes. No other His Divine Shadow flagship can land on planets.
Portrayals[edit]
Walter Borden played the dying His Shadow in the first Lexx movie, I Worship His Shadow, and provided the voice of His Divine Shadow throughout the rest of the movies/Season 1, and in the Season 2 episode "Brigadoom." He also played several other characters in the run of the series, including The Wuzzard and Dr. Ernst Longbore.
The prisoner who is forcibly "implanted" with His Shadow's consciousness in I Worship His Shadow (and thus becomes the new physical body of His Shadow) is played by show creator Lex Gigeroff.
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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