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Oswald Danes was a convicted murderer, rapist and paedophile as well as being a former teacher.
Biography
In 2006, he raped and murdered twelve-year-old Susie Cabina. At his subsequent trial, he stated that "she should have ran faster." He was sentenced to death, and executed by lethal injection. However, he survived his execution, being the first to experience the Miracle at the very beginning of Miracle Day. Because his sentence was technically carried out, his lawyers successfully advanced a force majeure argument, apparently flavoured with Fifth and Eighth Amendment implications, which induced the reluctant Governor of Kentucky to parole him. (TW: The New World)
He thereafter made an appearance on WWCN in which he broke down and cried, apologising profusely for his crimes. This started to shift opinion in his favour — opinion which had been solidly against him when he departed Montrose Hill State Penitentiary. Public relations guru Jilly Kitzinger thereafter offered her services to him, but he declined, saying that he didn't need representation. (TW: Rendition)
After being beaten by two Police officers, Oswald decided to accept Jilly's offer, and attended a meeting at PhiCorp. He agreed to promote giving PhiCorp the power to sell drugs to people without prescriptions, and PhiCorp offered him bodyguards. Captain Jack Harkness then broke into the studio where Oswald was going to appear on teleision, and Oswald admitted that his repentance was an act; the murder and rape of Susie Cabina had, in fact, been the best moment of his life. Jack then inferred that Oswald wanted to be executed, and Oswald had his bodyguards repeatedly punch Jack in the stomach, and escort him out of the building. Once out on the street, a woman approached Jack and asked if he'd seen or touched Oswald, almost infering that he was some kind of deity. Oswald then addressed the nation, promising them new drugs laws and stated that this was a new era for mankind, before asking them just one thing, "Walk with me." (TW: Dead of Night)
Soon afterward Ellis Hartley Monroe began preaching for a contrasting message, calling for the segregation of those who should be dead and the 'living': "Dead is Dead". Her campaign began to gain increasing media attention, competing with and surpassing that of Oswald. One one occasion he was supposed to give a press conference in front of a hospital where the worst medical cases were abandoned, only to find Monroe there and giving her own conference instead. In an attempt to upstage her, Danes entered the building to comfort the patients and pledge his help for their plight. His move worked, as the reporters turned their attention to him, especially when he held up an abandoned baby and promised a comfortable life for her. Monroe subsequently lost favour in the public's eye and disappeared soon afterwards. (TW: Escape to LA)
Oswald was later hired to speak at the Miracle rally in Los Angeles, upon his arrival it became clear that not everyone had forgiven him as bottles were thrown at his car. Whilst there he was once again followed by Jack Harkness who eventually approached him. Jack asked Oswald for his help in exposing PhiCorp, reading a prepared statement by Harkness instead of his assigned speech by Kitzinger, and in return he would make sure that Oswald got his wish and died. Upon his arrival on stage, however, he ignored the requests of both Jack and Jilly Kitzinger, and started an improvised rant about humanity evolving into everlasting angels which also causes the audience to cheer and chant his name. As the praise was shouted at him, he began to madly throw out his arms and grin, as well as praying to the skies as if he were some kind of messiah. (TW: The Categories of Life)
Oswald was later quoted saying that he believed the Categories of life policy was a good idea. (TW: Immortal Sins) Soon after this he asked Jilly Kitzinger to hire a prostitute for him, to her surprise of legal age as he claimed he was leading a new life. When the prosititute arrived she offered to act like a young girl for him, which Oswald bristled at; instead, he asked her for a proper dinner date. She refused, saying that he was still in her eyes, outside her profession, a monster, before letting slip that he would soon become part of "Category Zero" as she angrily left his hotel room. After this revelation Danes demanded Kitzinger tell him what Category Zero was, and she admitted that it was a new system whereby criminals such as Danes would be incinerated. Upon hearing this he attacked Kitzinger and went on the run. (TW: End of the Road)
After two months on the run Oswald turned his attentions back to Jack Harkness, at some point learning of Jack's ties to Gwen Cooper. He escaped to Wales, and entered her household disguised as a shopping delivery man, being recognised as he picked up baby Anwen. Upon his discovery he was severly beaten by Gwen with a saucepan and tied up, but during his interrogation by Harkness it was revealed that he had information useful to the team in their mission to find the Blessing, and that they had reached a stalemate situation with him. This greatly irritated Rhys, who desired to beat or kill Oswald for his evil acts in 2006 and the threat he posed to Anwen. When Gwen asked Oswald about his murder of Suzie Cabina, she discovered that for once she had met a paedophile who was not ashamed of his crimes, and more or less proud of them. Oswald then stated that he found Gwen calling him a monster flattering, which increased Rhys' desire to kill him. He then insisted that he accompany Jack and Gwen to Shanghai, after the team realised the only other options were to either, hand him over to the police or leave him in Rhys' "care", and that both other alternatives could prove damaging to the mission. It was in Shanghai that he Jack and Gwen discovered the importance of Jack's blood and the "call" of "the Blessing". (TW: The Gathering)
While Gwen went to look for the Blessing, Oswald spoke to Jack asking who he was. Jack explained that he was from the future, and Oswald asked if he knew if they would survive. Jack explained that time can be rewritten, and told Oswald that he was small compared to what humanity would one day become. After hearing from Gwen, Jack and Oswald entered the warehouse in Shanghai with her. They then found some explosives which they strapped to Oswald's chest in order to hold the families hostage. Oswald witnessed as the Miracle was negated by Jack's blood, causing Jack's death. He then grabbed the Mother, waiting for Gwen and Jilly to escape before blowing her up. Jack then came back to life and escaped with them. Before he blew her up, the Mother commented that he was going to Hell, to which he gleefully agreed, saying "that's where they go... all the bad little girls." Screaming for Susie to "keep running", Danes detonated the explosives, killing himself and the Mother, and burying the Blessing. (TW: The Blood Line)
Behind the scenes
- During pre-production of Torchwood: Miracle Day, this character's name was reported as "Oswald Jones". (DWM 427)