Season 2-4

Season: 1-6 , Episodes: 41, Faction: MIB

Overview

The Man in Black was an inhabitant of the Island who was antagonistic toward his twin brother, Jacob. He was once a normal man with dark hair and steely eyes, but an encounter with the Heart of the Island changed him into the Smoke Monster, a living cloud of black smoke. As the smoke, he had the ability to manifest himself as deceased individuals, most frequently as his former self. Eventually, and permanently after the death of Jacob, he took the form of John Locke.

Born on the Island in the Classical Roman era, the Man in Black lived with the other survivors from his mother’s shipwreck, after he was convinced that the island wasn’t his home. He tried to harness the power of the Source to leave, but his adoptive mother thwarted his plans and killed all the survivors he lived with, leaving him as the sole survivor of his village and the shipwreck, aside from Jacob. He, in turn, killed her in a rage. Jacob took revenge by casting him into the heart of the island, which transformed him into the Smoke Monster. The brothers spent the following centuries in conflict, drawing people to the island to test their nature. Though their mother had prevented them from hurting one another, the Man in Black eventually killed Jacob indirectly by assuming the form of John Locke and convincing Benjamin Linus to stab him. He had since tried to kill Jacob’s replacements and had also planned to use Desmond Hume for the one thing he could never do himself: destroy the Island. After Desmond deactivated the Source, he became mortal once more. With one last chance to leave the Island, he fought Jack Shephard and almost killed him before Kate Austen shot him from behind. Despite this, he thought they were too late to save the Island, but just when he realized that his plan would fail, Jack kicked him off the cliff to his death.

Days 50-64

2×10 – The 23rd Psalm

   

Six days after the Dark Territory attack, Charlie and Mr. Eko encountered the Man in Black. Eko first saw him briefly as a wisp of smoke; when the Man in Black returned, uprooting trees, Eko stood his ground. As the Monster hovered just inches before Eko’s face, several images from Eko’s past flashed within the cloud, almost like lightning, coincident with clicking noises the Monster made. (“The 23rd Psalm”)

2×21 – ?

   

The Man in Black appears as Yemi in Eko’s dream and instructs him to make John lead him to the question mark. He later appears again in Locke’s dream. (“?”)

Days 71-82

3×05 – The Cost of Living

   

Three weeks passed without an encounter, until the Man in Black manifested himself as Yemi, Eko’s dead brother. While Eko made his way to Yemi’s final resting place, the Man in Black appeared as distant wisps of smoke. To test Eko, he appeared as figures from Eko’s past. As smoke, he approached Eko, then retreated. Later Eko again encountered the Man in Black as Yemi, asking Eko to confess his sins. Eko denied any guilt, and the Man in Black left and returned as smoke, now over 40 feet in height. It seized Eko with a fist-like appendage and proceeded to repeatedly slam him into trees and the ground, fatally wounding him. Eko died in Locke’s arms after whispering his last words. When asked what he said, Locke replied, “He said we’re next.” (“The Cost of Living”)

3×14 – Exposé

   

Nine days later, the Man in Black appeared as spiders, biting and paralyzing Nikki. (Official Lost Podcast/March 21, 2008) (“Exposé”)

3×15 – Left Behind

   

The next day, the Man in Black chased Kate and Juliet through the jungle. He emitted a series of bright flashes of light at the women, then retreated and left them alone. (“Left Behind”) He returned to chase them again the next day. Juliet activated the sonar fence’s keypad, and it repelled the Monster like an invisible wall and it flew away. Juliet remarked, “We don’t know what it is, but we know that it doesn’t like our fences.” (“Left Behind”)

3×20 – The Man Behind the Curtain

   

A week after that, the Man in Black may have appeared to Locke in Jacob’s cabin, as a Mysterious Figure. (“The Man Behind the Curtain”)

Days 97-100

4×01 – The Beginning of the End

   

When Hurley stumbled upon Jacob’s cabin, he saw Christian Shephard in Jacob’s rocking chair, wearing his usual outfit. He was also startled by a second figure peering through the window at him. It is unknown which of these figures, if either, was The Man in Black. (“The Beginning of the End”)

4×09 – The Shape of Things to Come

   

While the Barracks were under siege by the mercenary team, Ben summoned the Man in Black through a secret room in his house. He appeared as a single black cloud, larger than ever before, that ran parallel to the ground. He only injured one of the mercenaries seriously, but he caused a great deal of confusion and panic amongst his victims, who fired upon him in vain. Keamy grimly described the Monster as “a black pillar of smoke.” (“The Shape of Things to Come”)

4×10 – Something Nice Back Home

   

The Man in Black later held Aaron outside of Sawyer, Miles and Claire’s camp. Miles saw Claire walk away with him in the night, calling him “dad”. (“Something Nice Back Home”)

4×11 – Cabin Fever

   

When Locke entered Jacob’s cabin, he met “Christian,” who claimed to be speaking on Jacob’s behalf. He dodged questions about Claire, prompting Locke to ask, “How do I save the Island?” In response, the Man in Black told him to “move the Island.” (“Cabin Fever”)

4×14 – There’s No Place Like Home, Part 3

   

Soon afterward, “Christian” appeared to Michael on the Kahana, heralded by whispers. He told Michael that he could “go now” and the bomb Michael was trying to control detonated. (“There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3”).

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