Malcolm Janus

Malcolm Janus
First appearance	"Broken Circle (Part 2)"
Created by	Michael R. Perry & Michael Taylor
Portrayed by	Martin Donovan
Information
Gender	male
Occupation	political advisor

Malcolm Janus, played by Martin Donovan, is a later antagonist of the USA Network original television series The Dead Zone, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Janus appeared in six episodes of the series over the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons before he was killed off in the episode entitled "Heritage".

Background

Janus served in an unofficial covert operations group of the United States Army; the group was officially disbanded in 1997, but continued black-bag operations off-the-books over the next ten years. They wear rings which display the Illuminati symbol. Other members of the group included Kendra Crowe, an operative calling himself The Wolf, and a man (possibly named Phil) who later posed as a technician for leftwing Internet journalist Marshall Frost. In August 2006, Crowe assassinated both Phil and Wolf at Janus's behest.

Season 4

Early in the fourth season, Janus first appears to post bail for the incarcerated Reverend Eugene Purdy in "Broken Circle (Part 2)," offering the resources of "a group of concerned citizens" in order to take Faith Heritage global. Purdy accepts the offer, is released from prison, and begins broadcasting his Faith Heritage sermons via satellite. Janus also approaches Greg Stillson, coaching the Congressman through the tremulous first days after Stillson murdered his father. After the successful coverup of James Stillson's murder, Janus quickly becomes Greg's primary advisor.

After Purdy tries to cut ties with Greg Stillson, Janus has Faith Heritage's satellite feeds cut off and visits Purdy to make clear that his loyalties are to remain firmly in the Stillson camp. Purdy acquiesces, and Janus reactivates his broadcast feed, notifying Stillson that he can count on the support of Faith Heritage. Janus is also familiar with the scientific work of Alex Connors, and learns from Stillson that Connors' old science teacher is Johnny Smith. Janus later makes a call to have Portland Chemical's intellectual property recovered from Connors' possession. After the death of Alex Connors and the destruction of his lab, Janus recovers a removable hard-drive from Connors' associate Trey Walters.

In "Vanguard," Janus arranged the meeting between Stillson and Maine Senator Harlan Ellis, and by proxy, Harlan's daughter Miranda Ellis, with whom Stillson becomes romantically involved. With Stillson's relationship with Miranda progressing, the senator's daughter goes missing in "Saved," and Janus meets with Harlan to assure him that Stillson and Smith are both under control. When he finds Miranda, who faked her death in order to leave Stillson after he confessed to having murdered his father, Janus presents her with a deal: return to Stillson and play her part, or witness Smith's death. Janus later meets with Stillson and informs the congressman that Miranda is alive (contrary to what Smith had told him), and that she is in Washington D.C. with Smith at the Hotel Gerard.

Janus also gained access to Smith's house and left a Bible that allows Smith to have a vision: citing the Book of Daniel, Janus offers Smith the chance to join him and Stillson as "the third ruler in the kingdom."

Season 5

In "Forbidden Fruit," Janus contacts Boston Telegraph journalist Jeremy Tomlin with a "list of the U.S. locations most vulnerable to a terrorist attack," threatening the writer into publishing the story. Tomlin does, and Smith discovers that Janus was the leak; he proceeds to convince Tomlin to go public, only to have Tomlin name Michael Scannell (presumably under threat by Janus), chief of staff to Congressman Pat Kelly.

With Greg Stillson and Miranda Ellis's marriage quickly approaching, Miranda becomes even less sure of her choice, and turns to Smith for help. The two share an intimate liaison, and when Janus presents evidence to Stillson, Stillson demands that it be handled. Janus then delivers an envelope to Purdy, claiming that it contains Stillson's "public attestation of emotion," which he claims Stillson has requested Purdy to read at the wedding. He later presents Miranda with a pair of earrings as a gift from Stillson; the jewelry is laced with a snake venom that affects the heart, and as Miranda's heart is already damaged from a bout with rheumatic fever as a child, the earrings kill her as Greg waits at the altar.

Janus, at the head of a covert cabal, offers Stillson a place in the group's "New America" in "the Hunting Party"; with a hunting trip approaching for Vice-President Eric Danbury, Stillson is put in place on the trip to witness the assassination of the vice-president, take a bullet in the shoulder, and return fire to kill the gunman. While Kendra Crowe is the actual triggerman, Marshall Frost is set up to take the fall for the successful assassination. Stillson becomes the likely candidate to replace the fallen vice-president.

Season 6

In "Heritage," Janus travels to Cleaves Mills to keep tabs on recently-promoted Vice President Stillson, who returned for the Faith Heritage Winterfest. Janus reminds Stillson to stay focused on politics, and delivers him an amended speech on global warming to be delivered via Faith Heritage satellite.

Janus later meets with Reverend Purdy to admonish him for spending funds to throw a festival instead of focusing on Stillson's run for the Presidency. Purdy, however, makes it clear that he was no longer interested in serving the purposes of politicians, and that he intends to "take Faith Heritage back to where it used to be."

That night, Janus confronts Purdy in the Faith Heritage Chapel; the two break into a fight that results in the chapel being set on fire, and Purdy accidentally kills Janus by throwing him into a fixture that pierces him through the chest. Purdy is rescued by Sheriff Walt Bannerman, who subsequently dies in the blaze.

References

Episode 4x01 -- Broken Circle, Part 2
Episode 4x08 -- Vanguard
Episode 4x11 -- Saved
Episode 5x01 -- Forbidden Fruit
Episode 5x11 -- the Hunting Party
Episode 6x01 -- Heritage

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