L.B.: Pruneface Stonagal

Left Behind, pp. 452-453

Nicolae Carpathia is working his way around the conference table, inducting his followers one by one into his Team of Evil with his hypnotic incantation and his look-into-my-eyes mind control mojo.

Carpathia went through the ceremony with Steve, who gushed with pride. Nicolae eventually covered everyone in the room except the security guard, Hattie, and Jonathan Stonagal. ...

So of the 20 or so people assembled in the room, the authors only bother to show us the induction ceremony for the six characters we already knew by name -- Buck, Steve, Hattie, Chaim, Stonagal and Todd-Cothran. This is frustrating. Assembled in this room are the Antichrist's hand-picked lieutenants, the Grand Council of Evil, the Vice-Regents of Armageddon, the Ten Henchmen of the Apocalypse. Yet we aren't introduced to a single one of them by name.

This scene wouldn't fly in the funny pages. Even the worst hacks in the comics biz know how to properly introduce a Rogues' Gallery. As a sometime comic writer himself -- Jerry Jenkins scribes the syndicated newspaper serial Gil Thorp -- he should know better. After dropping the ball on this scene, Jenkins' dreams must've been haunted by the angry ghost of Chester Gould.

What sort of people are assembled around this table? That ought to matter. Is this a collection of explicit villains ("Ambassador of the Great States of East Asia Kim Jong Il," "Ambassador of the Great States of Africa Reanimated Zombie Mobutu," "Rupert Murdoch, emperor of Australia")? Or would that be too obvious? Maybe this council of One World Government vice-regents would be composed of others, like Nicolae, who are wolves in sheep's clothing -- Nobel Peace Prize laureates, environmentalists and champions of the poor. Introducing these various ambassadors, even briefly, should have been a prime opportunity to reinforce one of Left Behind's central themes, Tim LaHaye's upside-down belief that those who speak of peace, justice and unity are actually the dupes of Satan.

As it is, readers are left with only the vaguest impression of a conference table ringed by interchangeable, faceless white men in expensive suits. That sounds much more like my idea of an evil syndicate than like LaHaye's.

Carpathia turns to Hattie and gives her the whole "I welcome you to the team ... rights and privileges ... consistency and wisdom" spiel.

Buck tried to catch Hattie's eye and shake his head, but she was zeroed in on her new boss. Was this Buck's fault? He had introduced her to Carpathia in the first place. Was she still reachable? Would he have access? ...

"Access"? If that's not a Freudian slip then I don't know what else to make of it.

Everyone stared with beatific smiles as Hattie breathed her heartfelt thanks and sat down again.

Here again it's impossible to tell whether the creepy, unnatural behavior of everyone at the table is meant to be seen that way. The inappropriate and inhuman response of this mostly anonymous group might be intended in this scene to show that they are in the thrall of Carpathia's mind control. But then it's not all that different from the inappropriate and inhuman responses that have characterized everyone in the novel, even in scenes that Nicolae has nothing to do with, so who can say?

Carpathia dramatically turned to Jonathan Stonagal. The latter smiled a knowing smile and stood regally. "Where do I begin, Jonathan, my friend?" Carpathia said. Stonagal dropped his head gratefully and others murmured their agreement that this indeed was the man among men in the room. ...

We haven't much time left to consider the sad case of Jonathan Stonagal, so if we're going to do so before it's too late we'd best do it now.

Poor Stoney has just never quite fit in Left Behind. Try as he might, Jenkins was never really able to integrate him into the story. Stonagal's subplots kept turning into tangents wholly unconnected -- and unconnectable -- to the book's main plot and setting.

First there was Buck's Unnecessary Adventure in London -- an uncomfortably inserted interlude in which our hero travels to an England from another world, a place where The Event seems never to have occurred. That whole chapter, a pastiche of stock scenes from spy thrillers, fit in so poorly with the rest of the book that even Jenkins seems to have noticed, hastily undoing every consequence of its events as soon as Buck returned to New York. (The conspirators want Buck dead! Oh, nevermind, now they just want him to attend a meeting.)

All we learned of Stonagal from that episode was that he was somehow connected to a plan to consolidate the world's money into only three currencies. The plan was public knowledge -- it's not like you could change the currencies of more than a hundred nations without their knowledge or consent -- yet Stonagal acted as though it were a secretive, surreptitious scheme. The authors didn't bother to explain, but presumably the international banker (he owned "several" banks, we're told) was pursuing some kind of insider-trading angle to profit from the currency scheme.

All of that scheming would seem to have been rendered moot days later when Carpathia, newly installed as All Powerful Global Leader of the OWG, declared by fiat that there would be only one global currency.

But of course it's still true that Nicolae Carpathia would not have become All Powerful Global Leader if not for the assistance and maneuvering of his shadow-government sponsor Jonathan Stonagal. The details of this maneuvering are, again, pretty sketchy, as is the explanation for why Nicolae -- already receiving the full assistance of Satan himself -- would even need Stonagal's help.

And that's Stoney's real problem. He's the Satan figure from a different story, a different mythology. Stumbling unwelcome and unneeded into this story -- where the Satan figure is actually Satan -- he just can't compete.

Jonathan Stonagal doesn't belong here. He is, as his name inelegantly suggests, the stand-in for the Rockefellers and Rothschilds of a very different fantasy world -- the conspiratorial nightmare realm of LaRouchies and John Birchers. The Rockefellers -- or, rather, a nefarious, fun-house mirror version of them -- play a central role in the John Birch Society mythos that Tim LaHaye enthusiastically embraced* before he later moved on to become a premillennial dispensationalist "Bible prophecy" guru.

LaHaye's years spent as a missionary for the goofy beliefs of the John Birchers helped to prepare him for his second career as a promoter of the even goofier beliefs of PMD prophecy mania. Those two worlds share some common traits. Both believe in global conspiracies with evil, if vague, agendas. Both insist that only true believers possess the secret, gnostic keys for decoding the true meaning of history and current events. But these different conspiracies aren't really compatible -- the John Birchers and the PMD heretics decrypt the signs of the times in very different ways.

Yet despite this incompatibility, LaHaye can't quite seem to let go of many of his younger self's JBS notions. The continuing influence of those ideas can be seen throughout LB in the authors' obsession with the United Nations and in their stubbornly perverse misunderstanding of that institution. And this influence can be seen in Jonathan Stonagal, a character who inhabits the faultline or seam between these two systems that LaHaye is still trying, unsuccessfully, to stitch together. Stonagal -- the evil Rockefeller** stock character from the John Bircher rogues' gallery -- seems purposeless and adrift in Left Behind. He stumbles around the edges of this story, unable to find any legitimate reason for his presence. He seems a sad, vestigial relic.

This vague purposelessness of Stonagal's also underscores one of the defining traits of LB, and of PMD mythology in general, something we might call conspiratorial naivete. LaHaye believes, fervently, that history is shaped by murky, behind-the-scenes forces striving to create a One World Government. Yet he's complacently incurious about the actual institutions he suspects are part of that conspiracy, and he can't be bothered to learn anything about how they actually operate or what their motives might be. Stonagal, we assume, is trying to amass money and unchecked power, but how and why he intends to do this doesn't seem to interest the authors at all. The vague villainy of these conspiracies is proved by a tidy bit of circular reasoning: We know their deeds are evil because they are the deeds of evil men; we know they are evil men because they commit such evil deeds. Beyond that, the authors don't know, or care to know, any more about such villains.

The portrayal of Jonathan Stonagal in this, his final scene further illustrates L&J's conspiratorial naivete. For all of their apparent interest in characters like Stoney, they have no idea what might actually make someone like him tick.

Stonagal is meant to be the grand vizier, the power behind the throne -- think of Cardinal Richelieu, or James Brady Baker, or Dick Cheney. Such men, as a rule, don't care about fame, prestige or recognition. They don't seek titles, since the unrestrained influence they seek to exert always goes beyond the restrictions of any given title. Titles, after all, imply formal offices -- with all the checks and balances, responsibilities and restrictions that come with them. That's not the prize such characters are after.

The powers behind the throne always avoid the spotlight, the headline and the podium, not because they are modest or humble, but because such attention would interfere with their ability to wield power without concern for public opinion or public good. Puppets appear on the stage. Puppet masters do not.

And here we learn that Jonathan Stonagal is too vain, too needy, to succeed as a puppet master. He wants to be thanked, to be praised, to be loved. A real puppet master, a Richelieu or Cheney, would view Stoney's behavior here with contempt and disdain:

Carpathia took Stonagal's hand and began formally, "Mr. Stonagal, you have meant more to me than anyone on earth." Stonagal looked up and smiled, locking eyes with Carpathia.

"I welcome you to the team," Carpathia said, "and confer upon you all the rights and privileges that go with your new station."

Stonagal flinched, clearly not interested in being considered a part of the team, to be welcome by the very man he had maneuvered into the presidency of Romania and now the secretary-generalship of the United Nations. His smile froze, then disappeared as Carpathia continued, "May you display to me and to those in your charge the consistency and wisdom that have brought you to this position."

Rather than thanking Carpathia, Stonagal wrenched his hand away and glared at the younger man. Carpathia continued to gaze directly at him and spoke in quieter, warmer tones, "Mr. Stonagal, you may be seated."

"I will not!" Stonagal said.

"Sir, I have been having a bit of sport at your expense because I knew you would understand."

Stonagal reddened, clearly chagrined that he had overreacted. "I beg your pardon, Nicolae," Stonagal said, forcing a smile but obviously insulted at having been pushed into this shocking display.

Real puppet masters don't allow their feelings to be hurt when they don't receive proper recognition for their accomplishments. They'd prefer their accomplishments to go unnoticed. And they don't have feelings.

The only thing about this "shocking display" that's actually surprising is the accidental revelation that Jonathan Stonagal seems to be immune to Nicolae's mind-control. No amount of warm-toned, hypnotic flattery or eye-gazing seems to work. The Antichrist is unable to bend Stonagal to his will.

That's interesting. We were told that Buck Williams alone was shielded from Nicolae's powers due to his "commitment to Christ" and to the protective prayers of his friends in the Tribulation Force. I doubt that we're meant to assume that Stoney has also become a born-again RTC, or that Bruce and the Steeles are desperately praying for him too. And even with all that divine counter-magic, Buck still wasn't able to resist as firmly as Stonagal did -- wrenching his hand away and saying "I will not!"

So what accounts for this apparent immunity to Nicolae's preternatural charisma? I have a theory. Like many of my theories that attempt to explain the unexplainable in LB, this one is unsupported, and probably contradicted, by the book itself, but I think it's interesting.

For about 30 pages in the previous couple of chapters, Jenkins tried to inject a bit of suspense by raising the possibility that Stonagal, rather than Carpathia, was the real Antichrist. What if that were actually true? Or, rather, what if they both were?

What if, years ago, a young Jonathan Stonagal agreed to a deal with the devil. He agreed to dedicate his life to the service of his infernal master, paving the way to One World Government and one counterfeit world religion. In exchange for this faithful service, he would one day rule the world as Satan's anointed, warring against Heaven itself as the Antichrist.

Here, after decades of careful but ruthless toil, the final pieces of his grand scheme are at last moving into place. The figurehead he personally selected and groomed has been installed as the man through whom he, Jonathan Stonagal, will rule the world. His triumph, finally, is at hand.

And then, just as he is about to receive his reward, Old Scratch points out the fine print in their contract. These things always have fine print, even if all it says, way down at the bottom in microscopic, blood-red ink, is that you'd be a fool to trust the Devil to keep a bargain. Other deals and other promises have been made, Stonagal learns, too late, but only one will be kept. He did all the work, but the figurehead will reap the reward.

That scenario would have made Stonagal a more interesting, more tragic villain. It would also have added an interesting aspect to Nicolae Carpathia's character -- haunting him with the kernel of doubt that belongs to every triumphant adulterous lover.

But as I said, this theoretical scenario isn't really supported by the book itself. The authors don't really know or care to know why Stonagal has worked so hard for so many years to set the stage for Nicolae's global dominion. His elimination in the pages that follow isn't presented as the inevitable tragic fate of a diabolically ambitious villain. It is, rather, an awkward and belated attempt to correct a wrong turn in the story, to purge an unnecessary character who wandered in, accidentally, from a different conspiratorial fantasy and never really belonged in this story in the first place.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

* For much more on Tim LaHaye's roots in the John Birch Society, see Michael Standaert's insightful Skipping Toward Armageddon.

** LaHaye may also be clinging to some 50-year-old worries about the ecumenical movement. The Rockefellers were generous patrons of the once-influential National Council of Churches, helping to fund, among other things, the NCC's offices at 475 Riverside (a.k.a. the "God Box"). The council was once feared by fundamentalists as a source of corrupting liberal theology. Fundamentalists also criticized its emphasis on interdenominational cooperation as a form of syncretism -- a stepping stone to the One World Religion that LaHaye is certain looms in the future of our doomed planet. The Fosdickian bomfoggery once enthusiastically promoted by John D. Rockefeller is now as dead as J.D. himself, but LaHaye seems to cling to this bugbear from his youth the way other men his age still cling to the hairstyles and fashions of the postwar years.

Comments

[Pythonis]

FIRST! ...That was it....

[aunursa]

So of the 20 or so people assembled in the room, the authors only bother to show us the induction ceremony for the six characters we already knew by name -- Buck, Steve, Hattie, Chaim, Stonagal and Todd-Cothran.

As I noted in a previous thread, when this scene is described at the beginning of the sequel, Tribulation Force, there were only 17 individuals in the meeting. Despite the fact that the description here indicates that there must have been many more people.

[SchrodingersDuck]

The only thing about this "shocking display" that's actually surprising is the accidental revelation that Jonathan Stonagal seems to be immune to Nicolae's mind-control. No amount of warm-toned, hypnotic flattery or eye-gazing seems to work. The Antichrist is unable to bend Stonagal to his will.

Well, we're told the mind control on Buck failed because he felt insulted by Carpathia muscling in on his journalistic integrity. Perhaps it's the same for Stonagal - perhaps he can overcome mind-control because he has this same integrity, this time as ruthless banker, and Carpathia is trying to violate it.

Personally, the theory I like though is that Stonagal is actually an RTC - he figured even before the Rapture that Carpathia was the Antichrist, but because he was so desperate for the End Times to begin, he actually tried helping Carpathia to the top to accelerate Armageddon. He temporarily renounced his Christianity to avoid being Raptured, then said the sinner's prayer again for mind-control protect and did everything he could to make Carpathia check every item on the Jenkins/Le Haye list.

[Keith]

This is one of those areas where editing would have been a good idea. Maybe, dare I say it, even outlining the story, which is a good idea in general but a necessity when you have two or more authors, unless you're writing an exquisite corpse, then you can just make all kinds of wacky stuff up but those are way more fun to read because they aren't trying to make sense.

They could have easily edited Stonagal out of the first draft and rewritten a few scenes. Apparently, even in writing, your True Christian is incapable of second thoughts or changing your mind, so strong is their faith in themselves.

[Keith]

He temporarily renounced his Christianity to avoid being Raptured, then said the sinner's prayer again for mind-control protect and did everything he could to make Carpathia check every item on the Jenkins/Le Haye list.

Not bad,Schrodinger'sDuck but it has one flaw: renouncing Christ is the one big No No that can't be forgiven. If you're RTC and go backslide that far, you're damned even if you repent. I'm sure someone here will have the chapter and verse for this. I think it's in Mathew.

[Hawker Hurricane]

Here we have them: The Trusted Lieutenants of the New World Order; the men who will lead the various plots and persecutions of the RTCs, the ones they will foil and assassinate, in short the Admiral Piets, General Veers, Admiral Wessels, Moff Jerjerrods, Captain Needas, and General Taggs of the whole series...
And he can't be bothered to give them *names*?

(Parody of Left Behind scene: "At this point, Jonathan Stonegal realized he had wandered into the wrong novel, said 'Excuse me,' and walked out.")

[aunursa]

So what accounts for this apparent immunity to Nicolae's preternatural charisma?

When I first read it, I assumed Nicky didn't assert his mind control over Stonagal because he wanted Stonagal out of the way. He wanted to be beholden to no one, to owe no favors. (In the prequel The Rising, Nicky arranges to have his biological fathers killed.)

[Jessica]

"The Antichrist is unable to bend Stonagal to his will."

meta-Stonagal?

[histrogeek]

I think Duck has the right idea that Stonogal was getting pissy because he was the big shot, the same way Buck was pissy that his alleged and unseen journalistic integrity was insulted. The extremely weird part of that explanation is how heretical it is. That's Pelagianism; will only can resist sin. There is no need for grace or the Passion.

Given their sloppy theology, I imagine that L&J don't even think there is a problem.

[Reileen]

Mildly off-topic, but every time I see Steve Plank's name, I think of this Plank, from the Cartoon Network show Ed, Edd n' Eddy. It makes for some interesting mental images in the context of LB.

Going back to the topic...

What if, years ago, a young Jonathan Stonagal agreed to a deal with the devil. He agreed to dedicate his life to the service of his infernal master, paving the way to One World Government and one counterfeit world religion. In exchange for this faithful service, he would one day rule the world as Satan's anointed, warring against Heaven itself as the Antichrist.

Here, after decades of careful but ruthless toil, the final pieces of his grand scheme are at last moving into place. The figurehead he personally selected and groomed has been installed as the man through whom he, Jonathan Stonagal, will rule the world. His triumph, finally, is at hand.

And then, just as he is about to receive his reward, Old Scratch points out the fine print in their contract. These things always have fine print, even if all it says, way down at the bottom in microscopic, blood-red ink, is that you'd be a fool to trust the Devil to keep a bargain. Other deals and other promises have been made, Stonagal learns, too late, but only one will be kept. He did all the work, but the figurehead will reap the reward.

This is such a badass story idea. That could be a book or comic series in and of itself, actually, tracing the story of the could-be Antichrist.

...I almost want to write it as a short story, though.

[SchrodingersDuck]

Not bad,Schrodinger'sDuck but it has one flaw: renouncing Christ is the one big No No that can't be forgiven. If you're RTC and go backslide that far, you're damned even if you repent

That's a good point. We have however seen lapsed Christians such as Buck and Barnes being redeemed though, so maybe he let his faith lapse, made sure he was in a strip club at the moment the Rapture hit, that sort of thing, so he couldn't get killed taken, but a quick "Forgive my trespasses" would be enough to redeem him. Besides, Peter denied his Christianity, but was contrite enough be forgiven - perhaps Stonagal could be saved in the same way.

[Wakboth]

The idea of two Antichrists is a great one. If LaHaye and Jenkins hadn't been in such a hurry (and weren't unimaginative idiots), they could also have invoked the two beasts from Revelations here...

[The Law Fairy]

Maybe Carpathia turned off the mind mojo when he got to Stonagal. Like he said, he's trying to have some fun. Like a mildly sadistic six-year-old letting the ants THINK they can get away before burning their little bodies to a crisp under the magnifying glass.

[Veach]

This vague purposelessness of Stonagal's also underscores one of the defining traits of LB, and of PMD mythology in general, something we might call conspiratorial naivete. LaHaye believes, fervently, that history is shaped by murky, behind-the-scenes forces striving to create a One World Government. Yet he's complacently incurious about the actual institutions he suspects are part of that conspiracy...

Matt Taibbi's latest book is about exactly this phenomenon, and I'd highly recommend it.

[Froborr]

Hmm. Given Buck's salvation by vanity last Friday, I can't shake the suspicion that it's vanity that's protecting Stonagal here, too. The phrasing ("I will not!" rather than "I won't!" or "No!") seems very hoity-toity, offended-sensibilities, "How dare you, good sir?" to me.

So in other words, this scene is completely consistent with the real central theme of LB, which is the glorification of myopic narcissism.

Random aside: I once participated in an "exquisite corpse"-style roleplaying campaign. It was immensely fun. Though it wasn't quite the same thing -- since every GM was a player in every other GM's sessions, everybody knew what had been created before them.

Still, I think the results were suitably surrealist: ketchup robots, the Dread God of Mechanical Arms, Giant Killer Space Bear (from Space), bioweapons that induce loyalty, and evil extradimensional demon fungus.

[Elmo]

I immediately associated Jonathan Stonagal with David Rockefeller. But I'm not sure just how much we're supposed to read into that. The mythos of ElBeeWorld allows the United Nations to function as some sort of mutated one-world government so it makes a certain amount of sense that it would need to have a one-great-bank to manage all of the finances and when El Beyond was written, Chase was a pretty good choice to play the role of evil bankroll holder.

But as time goes by, we see more cute name games sneaking into the character list. JayJay seems to have a fondness for sports figures.

[mcc]

Real puppet masters don't allow their feelings to be hurt when they don't receive proper recognition for their accomplishments. They'd prefer their accomplishments to go unnoticed. And they don't have feelings.

Hm, actually I think this bit makes sense, for once. I think what's going on here is actually a version of your theory, just less interesting. Notice the progression of events-- Stonagal's smile "freezes" as Carpathia begins his speech, this reaction is greatly outsized and rises as the speech continues, and Carpathia's response is the very specific "I have been having a bit of sport at your expense because I knew you would understand", which I think tells us what's going on here. Stonagal's reaction isn't hurt feelings-- he's pissed off because Carpathia just tried to mind-whammy him.

Stonagal isn't the antichrist, but he knows Carpathia is and he's on the same team; Stonagal knows exactly what Carpathia just did to everyone else in the room and he knows that Carpathia just tried to do it to him, and this foreknowledge probably is linked to why the mind-whammy didn't work. The bits about "not interested in being considered a part of the team" and "obviously insulted" were a brief bit of unreliable naarator-- they're showing what the scene looked like from Buck's perspective, as Buck does not yet fully understand the hypnosis thing. (They've been clumsily trying this enough times during the chapter, hedging descriptions of hypnosis events with plausible Buck's-eye-view alternate explanations of what's happening, that I think we can assume this is what's happening here.) Viewed this way, even if we still don't understand him or anything about him, at least Stonagal's present situation takes on a bit of interesting color: His anger at a seemingly innocuous "welcome to the team" was quite real and urgent, and his forced smile at the end is probably hiding real fear from the knowledge that he is the only non-hypnotized person in the room and Carpathia's reliability is now in question. The Monster he created has just turned on him, and he does not know what it is going to do next.

I might go so far as to suggest that this is why Carpathia shot Stonagal-- because Stonagal couldn't be controlled. But then of course you have to explain why he didn't shoot Buck...

[Becky]

Spoilers, kind of...

Based on the prequels, I don't think Fred's theory is so far off. Stongal did agree to "dedicate his life to the service of his infernal master, paving the way to One World Government and one counterfeit world religion" And in exchange, he expected to be the puppetmaster behind the throne of the Antichrist. (Whether Satan actually promised him that or just let him believe it isn't really clear). But Nicholae had other ideas. (Of course, it's quite possible that L&J didnt' intend that all along, but rather just backwrote it in when they wrote the prequels).

[Les]

Have you READ Gil Thorp? "[T]he worst hacks in the comics biz" scoff at it's terribleness. Although I'm kind of grooving on the general insanity of the new artist. There's no sense in the story lines or the words or the pictures (the perspectives are totally strange), but it has nice bold lines.

(Alas, I read Gil Thorp. This is the fault of the Comics Curmudgeon.)

[aunursa]

Becky: Of course, it's quite possible that L&J didnt' intend that all along, but rather just backwrote it in when they wrote the prequels

Thank you, we have a winner.

[Cary Bleasdale]

"But then of course you have to explain why he didn't shoot Buck..."

I think this is because of the protection, which, seems to me, has to extend to physical aspects of the world, as well.

I have no idea what you call it formally, but it's part of the Christian Mythos-like the belief that Jesus came to England as a baby (This is obviously false, he clearly came to IRELAND. Sheesh. What won't people believe. *grin*)

After all, if the devil is interested in destroying Christians, whats to stop him from just collapsing churches? Dropping bricks on peoples heads? SHOOTING THEM for chrissake. He's the DEVIL! He could just fool everyone into believing its an accident. Now, nowhere in scripture(that I know of) is the protection of physical bodies given-actually, I think several verses specifically warn that you may get killed.

But people seem to believe it anyway. I think that's whats coming through here a little bit. Bucks soul and body are safe from the Anti-christ and his minons..for a while. It'll be like that throughout the series. Sometimes the believers are invincible (literally cannot be shot) and sometimes they're not.

[Froborr]

Well, if you envision Satan's primarily goal as not destroying Christians but rather acquiring souls, it makes sense he'd try to keep the Christians alive as long as possible, to maximize the time he's got to tempt them. While he'd want evil people to die so he gets their souls.

You know, between the current Sluggy story and my recent watching of the Pinky and the Brain Halloween Special, I've been seeing a lot of soul-bargaining lately.

I, being smart, have not sold my soul. I'm renting it out on a time-share basis. Much more profitable in the long run.

[CarlosMcRey]

I might go so far as to suggest that this is why Carpathia shot Stonagal-- because Stonagal couldn't be controlled. But then of course you have to explain why he didn't shoot Buck...

Buck escapes here because of the same reason he escapes Stonagal's original attempts to kill him: luck and his willingness to lie down in the face of evil.

[Spherical Time]

I don't exactly understand Stonagal's motivation still. He's needy and wants to be loved, but obviously he's been the puppetmaster before this scene happens. But why did he want to do this anyway? If it had been money, his neediness would have interfered. If it had been power, selling out to Satan doesn't make much sense to me.

He's a really bad character.

[Jim]

I always imagine Stonagal being played by John Neville as Well-Manicured Man. If LH&J were better writers, I'd suspect that not naming the members of the OWG was supposed to be for creepy effect and we were supposed to imagine them meeting in a darkened room, just like The Syndicate on The X-Files. That doesn't seem to be what the authors were going for, though.

[Mabus]

This is such a badass story idea. That could be a book or comic series in and of itself, actually, tracing the story of the could-be Antichrist.

...I almost want to write it as a short story, though.

It's Darth Tyrannus' arc in Revenge of the Sith, explored particularly well in the novelization. Here's Count Dooku, all ready to establish his Empire of Man and Sith Army...

On Stonagal:

I almost wonder if this is not LaHaye's way of writing his former beliefs out, rather than in. Here is Stonagal, the International Je^H^H Banker Supreme, poised to seize control of the world at last. Er, Mr. Stonagal? I regret to inform you you're not part of this story after all. So long, sir.

This could also serve as a means of shaking off any old-timers from LaHaye's former days who were looking forward to seeing a Stonagal-like AntiChrist in the series. "I'm not like that anymore," he says, and shoots the character who represents it in the face.

Think LaHaye's capable of that?

[Mabus]

Argh.

[ericblair]

These things always have fine print, even if all it says, way down at the bottom in microscopic, blood-red ink, is that you'd be a fool to trust the Devil to keep a bargain.

I don't think that's the case. From literature and pop culture, you can trust the Devil to keep a bargain; however, you never understand the bargain you're making. A lot of stories end up with the Devil pissed off because the protagonist figures out a loophole in his contract and the Devil has to let him go. Or, in other cases, God tears the contract up.

I think you could contrast the amoral legalisms of the Devil (you make a contract with him), versus the all-encompassing love of Jesus (you accept him, or "have a personal relationship" with him). However, in LB you never get the sense that there is any real difference between the Antichrist and God besides our guy/their guy, shirts/skins, white hat/black hat. They both demand unquestioning loyalty, they kill fairly innocent people left and right, and the only difference is that God is Our Guy and the Antichrist is Their Guy.

[Tonio]

Jonathan Stonagal doesn't belong here. He is, as his name inelegantly suggests, the stand-in for the Rockefellers and Rothschilds of a very different fantasy world -- the conspiratorial nightmare realm of LaRouchies and John Birchers.

While Fred is probably right, how does the name Stonagal make that suggestion?

But these different conspiracies aren't really compatible -- the John Birchers and the PMD heretics decrypt the signs of the times in very different ways.

Those details are probably not important. They're merely two different versions of the same worldview, with the names and players changed. LaHaye may be the type of personality who gloms on to conspiracy theories, trying and discarding them, because of some void in his psyche.

Personally, the theory I like though is that Stonagal is actually an RTC

I thought about that possibility as well - he could even be the Trib Force's mole, waiting to play his part in supposedly foretold overthrow of Carpathia.

Matt Taibbi's latest book is about exactly this phenomenon, and I'd highly recommend it.

He wrote a Rolling Stone piece that was highly critical of the 9/11 conspiracy theorists, and was savaged by readers for it. The reactions were amazing - according to them, one either believes in the conspirary or one is dupe of the government.

[Tonio]

I almost wonder if this is not LaHaye's way of writing his former beliefs out, rather than in.

Reminds me of how the Olympian overthrow of the Titans in Greek mythology may have been an update of the myths to reflect a new religion supplanting an old one.

[Fiona]

While Fred is probably right, how does the name Stonagal make that suggestion?

Stone-a-gal => Rock-a-fellow.

[SchrodingersDuck]

You can certainly see the Left Behind influence in Gil Thorpe. Here's an example of a recent Thorpe strip. The backstory is that there's an immigrant baseball player, Elmer, and he's at risk of being deported. Therefore a girl named Branden ran away with him to get married. Except that instead of getting married, they actually planned to go to a week-long Spanish Immersion course. The logic being that if he's a Latino immigrant to America, the language he really wants to brush up on his Spanish, in case he gets deported for not speaking enough English. A foolproof plan.

I love the way even characters in the strip know how daft this twist is, and actually yell "That might have made sense!" when told about the possibility of elopement.

[damnedyankee]

Carpathia took Stonagal's hand and began formally, "Mr. Stonagal, you have meant more to me than anyone on earth." Stonagal looked up and smiled, locking eyes with Carpathia.
"I welcome you to the team," Carpathia said, "and confer upon you all the rights and privileges that go with your new station."

Stonagal flinched, clearly not interested in being considered a part of the team, to be welcome by the very man he had maneuvered into the presidency of Romania and now the secretary-generalship of the United Nations. His smile froze, then disappeared as Carpathia continued, "May you display to me and to those in your charge the consistency and wisdom that have brought you to this position."

Rather than thanking Carpathia, Stonagal wrenched his hand away and glared at the younger man. Carpathia continued to gaze directly at him and spoke in quieter, warmer tones, "Mr. Stonagal, you may be seated."

"I will not!" Stonagal said.

"Sir, I have been having a bit of sport at your expense because-"

Stonagal put up his hand, an abrupt gesture that managed to silence Nicolae with it's suddenness.

"Of course," Stonagal muttered, bracing himself on the table for support as his knees buckled for a moment. "It's wrong. It's all wrong. I've... been wrong?"

Buck watched the bizarre display with confusion. Indeed, every eye in the room was turned toward Stonagal. Even Nicolae, through slitted lids, observed his mentor with a mixture of suspicion and morbid fascination.

Whatever spell had come over Stonagal seemed to pass, as he slowly straightened up. There was a difference to his manner now, a cold glint in the eyes that had been lacking before, a precision to his movements as he adjusted his coat and checked that the knot of his tie was still in place.

"Well," said Stonagal at last. "I won't pretend that it hasn't been an educating experience, but when you get right down to it, I don't belong here, Nicolae."

Nicolae smiled like a cop about to talk a man down from a ledge.

"Mr. Stonagal, please-"

Stonagal shook his head slightly. "No, I'm afraid even that much is wrong. When you get right down to it, Nicolae, this isn't my story. And it's high time I was leaving it. I have places to go, people to see..."

He ran a hand through his hair, and promptly plucked it off. The toupee was tossed onto the table and lay there like a dead thing.

"... and a Superman to kill."

And with those words, Lex Luthor turned on his heel and strode out of the conference room, this story left behind.

[Nobody_Special]

While Fred is probably right, how does the name Stonagal make that suggestion?

Rock-e-feller

Stone-a-gal

5th grade humor at best.

[Tonio]

Stone-a-gal => Rock-a-fellow.

Seriously? I shouldn't be surprised, given Nicolae's last name. I didn't realize the meaning you offered because I had been mentally pronouncing Jonathan's last name as "staun-a-ghul," sorta kinda rhyming with "nautical."

[Ember Keelty]

Stone a gal?

Well that just proves it. He is RTC.

[Jack Grey]

Damnedyankee: Nice, very nice.

[Salamanda]

These things always have fine print, even if all it says, way down at the bottom in microscopic, blood-red ink, is that you'd be a fool to trust the Devil to keep a bargain.

You know, that's what always bothered me about that Charlie Daniels song. The devil just rolled over and handed over that golden fiddle with no catch whatsoever. I mean, why would you expect the friggin' devil to play fair? And who was judging that contest anyway?

Stone-a-gal => Rock-a-fellow.

Rock-a-fellow => Groove-a-dude!

[MercuryBlue]

Somebody who prefers fiddle to electric guitar, apparently.

[mike timonin]

Tonio:

The reactions were amazing - according to them, one either believes in the conspiracy or one is dupe of the government.

That's exactly how conspiracy theories (post WWII) work. Pre-WWII, the conspiracy is generally seen to be outside of government, trying to take over. It's only after WWII that the idea of government being part of the conspiracy becomes a trope. The Birchers are actually a perfect example of this transition from an "outside threat, if only government would listen to us" to "it's too late, they got the government" sort of mindset.

What? Yes, actually, I did write my master thesis on this subject, why do you ask?

[sievetronix]

What Carpathia needs is a real rogue's gallery....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NEu3HaSzgXs&feature=related

sorry I still don't know how to make links on this.

[bc]

Mike: Post WWII, wasn't the underlying story that the Commies - those oh, so smart, all-powerful commies - had infiltrated the government and it was up to John Birchers to redeem it by ousting them? This same underlying story is in the conspiracy theories of the "islamofascists" because "they" are here and have become esconced in some positions of power which will be revealed when it's too late to do something about it. Seems we have quislings all around us.

[jackd]

Steve, who gushed with pride

I'm trying to figure out how that would work. A quick Google shows examples of the phrase in some use, but the context always seems to be similar to the dictionary.com 2nd meaning "to express oneself extravagantly or emotionally; talk effusively: She gushed with pride over her new grandchild."

From context, there's no actual gushing going on - Steve isn't recorded as actually saying anything. Looks like one more lesson in the LaJenkins Bad Writing course.

And thanks to SchrodingersDuck for explaining why Gil Thorp never makes a damn bit of sense.

[Tonio]

Yes, actually, I did write my master thesis on this subject, why do you ask?

Because I would love to read the work. Conspiracy theories appear to be attempts to deny the reality that shit happens. A preference for sinister control over everything versus no control.

[Cowboy Diva]

I think when it comes to conspiracy theories it is the incredible logic jumps people make to make it all work. My favorite is how a person (group) can start at the UN placing World Heritage plaques at USNPS sites, and go directly to ZOMG I HAVE SEEN THE OWG BLACK HELICOPTERS TAKING OVER OUR LAND!
It is very much a leap, but I think one of fear rather than faith.

[Amos]

His name is Jon Stonagal, perhaps he's the Anti-Baptist.

[Peter]

You should turn your analysis of LB into a book. I'd buy it.

[Mouse]

I'm having reoccuring fantasies where all of LH&J's mistreated characters corner them in a dark alley and beat the ever-loving shit out of them. The beatdown is of course led by Hattie, the most mistreated of the Left Behind characters.

[Nobody_Special]

These things always have fine print, even if all it says, way down at the bottom in microscopic, blood-red ink, is that you'd be a fool to trust the Devil to keep a bargain.

I don't think that's the case. From literature and pop culture, you can trust the Devil to keep a bargain; however, you never understand the bargain you're making.

Or per a horrible Brendan Fraser movie, the Devil gives you what you want without telling you the consequences of your deal, leading to an ironic punishment. In this movie I vaguely remember, he played a schlub (BIG stretch, I know) who sold his soul to the Devil for a woman's love. He got ten wishes: one wish was to be a wealthy foreigner since his love interest liked exotic men: The Devil made him a Colombian drug lord. Another time he wanted to be a sensitive lover: He was so wimpy she left him, etc.

As for Mr. Stonagal, if L & J actually looked at history, besides finding many a great parallel of a strong man who steps forth in an hour of crisis promising stability and protection for a nation, and then turning into a diabolical tyrant when granted purely "emergency" powers (I'm thinking of a former corporal who rose to power in a Central European country in the 1930's, for example), they might actually find a compelling example or two of a businessman who rose to power by ruthlessly crushing his competition, say like a 19th century robber-baron who created a huge, "standard" ized monopoly in an industry essential to the US economy. If you made him a banker, he could bankroll the rise of the strong man behind the scenes, allowing him to gain power through winning "allegedly" legitimate elections, biding time until the strongman gained absolute power, and calling in his favors. And then the Devil turns on him and zaps him straight to Hell.

But you'd have to read something other than Scriptures to find things like that.

[Jeff Weskamp]

"Reminds me of how the Olympian overthrow of the Titans in Greek mythology may have been an update of the myths to reflect a new religion supplanting an old one." -- Tonio

I've also read that the "Primal Deities" of the Greek Religion (Chaos, Eros, Gaea, Uranus, Tarterus, Nyx, Erebus, Aither, Hemera, etc.) were themselves the gods of an even older religion that was supplanted by the religion personified by the Titans. So that would mean that the Greek Pantheon embodies three separate pantheons (the Primals, the Titans, and the Olympians), which I think is kind of cool.

As for the whole "selling one's soul" angle, I am reminded of a short story in Harlan Ellison's Mind Fields, where a desperate husband "rents" his soul for 100 years in order to heal his ailing wife. The guy is then reconfigured into a living muscle-car that is given to wicked people (wife-beaters, rapists, etc.). The "car" then devours these people alive.