Count Iblis - 1978 Continuity

1978 Continuity

When a Colonial Viper expedition from the Galactica consisting of Lts. Starbuck, Sheba, and Captain Apollo lands on an unexplored planet to investigate a massive explosion, they find a man named Count Iblis, who warns them away from 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 Cylon 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 (the mysterious light ships give off radiation and the plants were affected when they flew past the farm ship), and Adama remembers that the Colonials have latent psychokinetic abilities. Baltar, fearful of a powerful new common enemy, had come to the fleet to discuss the appearance of the Lights under a flag of truce. Although Iblis had no direct effect on any of these occurrences it is too late. 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. Apollo reminds Sheba of the ancient texts that talk about the deceiver, by various names we know in Earth holy texts. He points out that he is very literally, the Devil. Iblis and Sheba try to stop them, and the confrontation leads Iblis to curse Apollo by saying "may her soul curse you throughout eternity" before trying to kill Sheba, however, Apollo takes the blow and dies in her place. Moments later, when the Lights appear, Starbuck, crying, shoots Iblis with his laser, to no effect but revealing his demonic actual appearance. Iblis vanishes, swearing to the Colonial warriors that he will see them again, in another place and time.

On the flight back to Galactica, Starbuck, Sheba and Apollo's body are taken on-board the Ship of Lights. The angelic beings on-board explain that Iblis used to be one of their kind, but was expelled from their number 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 he must now "forfeit a payment of our choosing." The beings restore Apollo to life, and give the Colonials the coordinates to Earth.