Mr. Farwell

Mr. Farwell is the protagonist villain of The Twilight Zone episode "The Rip Van Winkle Caper". He is the ring-leader of a group of criminals who rob gold bars from a train on it's way to Fort Knox and then put themselves in a state of suspended animation for a hundred years so that, when they awaken, they will be free to spend their stolen plunder.

He is portrayed by Oscar Beregi Jr., who also played another villain from The Twilight Zone, Captain Lutze.

history
Farwell is introduced as the leader of a quartet of criminals. He is said to be a former professor with a doctorate in both chemistry and physics, who is also an expert in noxious gases. True to this descriptor, he uses a specially made compound of gas to knock out an entire train full of people, allowing him and his accomplices to steal the gold bars on the train that were bound for Fort Knox. However, this was just one part of Farwell's plan; in order to ensure that he and his accomplices will be free to spend their plunder without fear of reprisal, Farwell has consturcted four sleeping chambers for himself and his associates. The plan, is that they will be kept in suspended animation for a hundred years, the idea being that by that time no one will remember the heist, and the gang will be in the clear.

However, upon awaking after a century in the year 2061, the gang finds that one of their number, Erbie, was killed when a rock fell on his glass coffin, cracking it and releasing the gasses that kept him in suspended animation. As a result, Erbie perished and is now just a skeleton. Soon after, Mr. DeCruz kills gang member Brooks, leaving only Farwell and DeCruz without a truck. They must now traverse Death Valley on foot, with limited water. Sure enough, the older and heavier Farwell quickly becomes dehydrated, and DeCruz gleefully offers him his water...in exchange for bars of gold. At first reluctantly agreeing to this, as Farwell becomes weaker and weaker from the heat, he finally snaps in the face of DeCruz's demands for more gold and the sadistic pleasure the man takes in his suffering, and brutally kills him. Farwell then weeps at how he is now alone and hopelessly stranded in Death Valley.

He is found some time later by a man, pleading with him for more water in exchange for his last gold bar, but Farwell expires before the man can give him any water. In a final tragic, cruel twist, it is revealed that the gold Farwell had on him is actually worthless; ever since humanity found a way to make gold aritificially, real gold lost it's value.