Movies - Count Iblis

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	Movies - Count Iblis

Count Iblis is an alien on the TV series Battlestar Galactica. He was part of the original 1978 series, and was central to the plot of the two-part episode War of the Gods. In that episode, he was played by Patrick Macnee. He is not part of the 2003 re-imagined series.

1978 continuity

When an expedition from the Galactica lands on an unexplored planet, they find Lord Iblis, standing amidst the wreckage of a huge starship which had crashed on the planet some time before. Due to high radiation levels around the crashed ship, the Galactica crew is unable to explore it further.

Iblis is taken back to the Galactica. He proves to be charismatic and likeable, and quickly becomes very popular among the crew. However, several mysteries surround him — he is very elusive about his background, speaking only vaguely about being pursued by "enemies", he objects to having medical scans taken of him, and when he walks on the bridge nearby instruments go off-line. Nevertheless, Iblis' popularity grows further when he promises to protect the fleet from the mysterious Lights that have been following it recently and to lead them to Earth, which he implies he has visited, if he is given command of the fleet. To prove himself, Iblis moves some objects by psychokinesis and makes food grow on the farm ships, and offers to perform three miracles chosen by the Quorum of Twelve.

The Quorum quickly picks the first two miracles: to have Count Baltar delivered to them and for Iblis to plot a course to Earth. Hours later, Baltar delivers himself to the Colonials.

Baltar is shocked to hear Iblis' voice, which he claims to have heard before. He later realises it is the voice of the Cylons Imperious Leader. But for that to be possible, Iblis must have been on the Cylon homeworld thousands of yahrens ago, when the original biological Cylons were wiped out by the mechanical Cylons, and the robotic Imperious Leader was built to duplicate the biological Imperious Leader it replaced.

Meanwhile, Count Iblis' tricks are being uncovered. Apollo learns that there is a scientific explanation behind the sudden growth of the plants on the farm ships, and Adama remembers that the Colonials have latent psychokinesis abilities. Baltar had come to the fleet to discuss the appearance of the Lights, and that Iblis had nothing to do with it. However, it's too late, as the Quorum of the Twelve is considering giving Iblis the presidency.

Convinced that accepting Iblis' leadership will lead to disaster, Apollo and Starbuck head back to the planet where Iblis' ship was found. They are followed by Sheba, who is still under Iblis' spell, and Iblis himself, who teleports himself to the planet when he senses the plot. Apollo and Starbuck realise that the high radiation levels around the crashed ship were an illusion; they enter the ship and learn Iblis' true identity. Iblis and Sheba try to stop them, and the confrontation leads to Iblis trying to kill Sheba. However, Apollo takes the blow and dies in her place. Moments later, the Lights take Iblis away.

On the flight back to Galactica, Starbuck, Sheba and Apollo's body are taken on-board the Ship of Lights. The beings on-board explain that Iblis used to be one of theirs, but was cast away for trying to rebel. His power is limited to those who freely give him power over them. By killing Apollo, who had rejected him, he had overstepped his rights, and so they took him to punish him. The beings restore Apollo to life, and give the Colonials the coordinates to Earth.

Religious parallels

It is heavily implied that Count Iblis is Satan. To begin with, his name is shared by the demon Iblis in Islam. It is said that he has "no power other than that which others freely give him", which is part of the Mormon concepts of Satan. The being on the Ship of Lights (which are associated with angels in Heaven) say that Iblis was originally one of them, but was cast out when he tried to lead a rebellion and get others to follow him. Likewise, Satan used to be the archangel Lucifer, who was cast out of Heaven for trying to lead a rebellion against God. Iblis is referred to as the Prince of Darkness, a common title given to Satan. Finally, when he is shot by Starbuck, Iblis takes on a demonic appearance.

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