The origin of the FBI’s X-Files was somewhat convoluted in the TV series, and it becomes more convoluted in the five-issue miniseries “X-Files: Year Zero” (2014) — but also more compelling. This second miniseries tying in with IDW’s Season 10 comics is a dramatic step up from the uneven “Conspiracy.”
The TV series has two contradictory origins of the X-Files. First, in Season 1’s “Shapes,” Mulder investigates a case that continues from the “very first X-File, initiated by J. Edgar Hoover himself, in 1946.” Second, the Season 5 episode “Travelers” suggests that FBI agent Arthur Dales was the first to delve into the X-Files, in 1952. (However, Arthur’s brother – also named Arthur, a Roswell cop – knew an alien baseball player in 1947, as shown in Season 6’s “The Unnatural.” We also know from that episode that the brothers talked regularly. So perhaps the FBI’s Arthur came across strange cases before the events of “Travelers.”)
“Year Zero” clarifies that Dales was not the first agent to investigate X-Files. As Mulder notes in Issue 5:
“I’ve met Arthur Dales – he thought he investigated the first X-Files, but he clearly didn’t know about the 1940s cases. I doubt if many agents did.”
So in this miniseries we get the definitive “first X-File,” and it’s not merely the backstory of “Shapes.” The title “Year Zero” has multiple meanings: It’s the origin of the casefiles themselves, and it also features a villain named Zero. Pointedly, this supernatural being goes by “Zero” in his interactions with Mulder and Scully in 2014, but goes by “Xero” in his interactions with FBI agent Bing Ellinson and Special Employee Millie Ohio in 1946.
When Hoover assigns the duo to investigate odd cases – from a sub-basement office, perhaps the same one M&S will later use – Ellinson notes that “these weird cases we’re looking into – they’re all because of Mr. Xero. They’re all X-Files.” (This arguably contradicts “Travelers,” where we learned that, in 1952, unsolved cases were filed under “U” by an FBI secretary until she ran out of room, at which point she used “X,” as that drawer had extra space available.)
At any rate, “Year Zero” works largely because Ellinson and Ohio are likable leads. Ellinson has a bit of a temper and an interest in secret government experiments in New Mexico. For those reasons, he is being marginalized by his bosses. Ohio is a woman and is therefore being marginalized – see the “Special Employee” title. Neither is thrilled to be working with the other, yet they share the common need to demonstrate their worth to their bosses so they don’t get fired. Bing is like a hardboiled detective and Millie reminds me of the lead from “Marvel’s Agent Carter” with the way she’s constantly having to prove that she can do a traditional man’s job.
The “Shapes” tie-in is pretty straightforward, as a man turns into a Manitou in Montana, as per the werewolf-style mythology. The additional layer to the story is that Xero/Zero gives the FBI agents – in both the past and the present – tips about supernatural events (such as the Manitou) via intermediaries. His goal is ultimately sinister, as he wants to track down one of the intermediaries, who owes him something in exchange for making her immortal. Writer Karl Kesel does a nice job of making a reader uneasy about whether Xero is a playful or dangerous entity.
The art on “Year Zero” is effective. Greg Scott and Vic Malhotra share the art credit, with colors by Mat Lopes. My guess is that one of the artists did the past scenes and the other did the present-day scenes. The 1946 panels are drawn with solid lines, pastel colors and sparse backgrounds; the 2014 panels feature more shading and gloomy backgrounds. The contrast nicely evokes the nostalgia of the past much like “Travelers” and “The Unnatural” did with their lighting and color palette choices.
Occasionally, the idea of “The X-Files” going forward on TV without Mulder and Scully is bandied about. In 2002, the show could’ve continued with Doggett and Reyes, but Chris Carter instead opted to shut it down when ratings dropped below that of timeslot competitor “Alias.” He felt that not enough people wanted a Doggett/Reyes series. The introduction of agents Einstein and Miller in the 2016 miniseries can’t help but make me speculate about a regular series with those agents, with M&S popping in when David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are up for it.
But “Year Zero,” with its strong leads and nostalgic setting, pitches what might be the best spinoff idea – one starring Ellinson and Ohio.