The: X-files 2x23

: Scully checks a heating vent for signs of Eugene Victor Tooms, the shape-shifting mutant from Season 1.

Mulder and Scully are brought onto a case by Detective Kelly Ryan, a former student of Scully’s, to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances that leave only scorch marks behind. They eventually find Dr. Chester Ray Banton, a physicist who was exposed to during a freak particle accelerator accident. The X-Files 2x23

: Vince Gilligan (his first writing credit for the series) Guest Star : Tony Shalhoub as Dr. Chester Ray Banton Plot Summary : Scully checks a heating vent for signs

: Initially, the script allowed Banton's shadow to move independently, but this was scrapped to save on animation costs. Chester Ray Banton, a physicist who was exposed

Banton’s shadow now acts as a mobile "black hole" that disintegrates anyone it touches. He hides in areas with to prevent his shadow from forming and inadvertently killing more people. The situation escalates when the government, represented by Mulder’s informant X , takes a sinister interest in Banton’s condition for research purposes. Key Trivia & Lore