| “ | I won’t force you. | „ |
| ~ Ish's catchphrase, foreshadowing that the people of the Island were easily manipulated without him having to force them. |
| “ | Don't rock the boat. | „ |
| ~ Ishmael |
| “ | What do your parents know, about surviving? | „ |
| ~ Ishmael taunting the Baudelaires and their deceased parents by saying because they are dead, they are not worth listening to. |
Ishmael is the main antagonist of The End, the thirteenth and final installment in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events book series and one of the three overarching antagonists (alongside the Sinister Duo) of the 2017 Netflix series.
He was portrayed by Peter MacNicol in the TV series, who also portrayed Gary Granger from the 1993 film, Addams Family Values, Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II, R.M. Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Fenwick in Recess: School's Out!, X the Eliminator in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Chronos in Justice League Unlimited, Doctor Octopus in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Professor Ivo in Young Justice the Mad Hatter in the Batman: Arkham video game series, and the Invader in The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.
Biography[]
Backstory[]
Ishmael loved to be called "Ish" but for some reason no one had the courage to call him that. He was a member of V.F.D in his youth and he is much older than Count Olaf or the Snicket family, suggesting he was an earlier part of V.F.D before the Schism. Apparently, he was a science teacher when he lived a normal life in the city the Baudelaires came from, and he knew Josephine Anwhistle's mother-in-law. She got afraid of being poisoned and feared the Medusoid Mycelium fungus so she poured her "poisoned" tea into a pot plant, from the Bistro Smelt restaurant, and then realized her error when the plant died and its owner was whisked away to Peru about The Prospero.
Also, Ishmael had a history with Count Olaf. When Olaf resolved to be a master criminal during the Schism, Ishmael did the opposite and vowed for peace, abandoning all weapons. Olaf said this was stupid and set fire to Ishmael's home (although, as Olaf claims he didn't start the fire, it's more likely the Man With a Beard But No Hair burned down his home instead.)
Olaf apparently nonetheless put Ishmael in a cage, and Ishmael was reduced to humiliation. Maybe Olaf put Ishmael in a cage in front of all of V.F.D. or something to make Ishmael hate him so much. But Ishmael escaped and vowed to get vengeance on Olaf and maybe do the same thing to him.
In the Netflix canon, Ishmael is revealed to be the founder of V.F.D. and also used to be the principal of Prufrock Preparatory School where he would recruit students into the secret organization.
The End[]
When the three Baudelaire children Violet, Klaus, and Sunny arrive to the Island along with the main antagonist of the series Count Olaf, arrive on the Island, they are welcomed by the inhabitants of the island and are taken by the young girl Friday and they meet Ishmael.
When they meet him, he has clay around his ankles, because he claimed he couldn't walk. He also manipulated the inhabitants into getting rid of certain objects that were washed up on the shelf, and wear white garments and drink cordial. In an entry in his book, it revealed that he used to work for the Baudelaire's parents and took over when they left.
Ishmael is alerted of Count Olaf's presence on the Island by the Baudelaires and Islanders, and Ishmael finally gets vengeance on him by imprisoning Olaf in a large bird cage. Olaf protests that this isn't fair but Ishmael has had enough of his treachery so he rightly ignores him.
When the Baudelaires venture to the far side of the Island and enter the mysterious Arboretum to find weapons, they find the Incredibly Deadly Viper has been there before. It leads them to the hiding place in the Arboretum where Ishmael stores all the technology and hidden debris the storms washed up. Ishmael himself appears, just when the Baudelaires find the Island's diary, appropriately entitled A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Because the Baudelaires see Ishmael can actually walk, his truth is blown and he invites the Baudelaires to live peacefully with him on the Island. After a long discussion about secrets the orphans agree, having no other home, and Ishmael rides back with them on his sheep driven sleigh. However, they find a massive argument occurring back at the colony, and everyone either wants to return to Winnipeg or to kill Ishmael for dishonesty. Eventually, when Olaf arrives, Ishmael mortally wounds Olaf with a harpoon and stands up to do so. It was then revealed that he was a member of V.F.D. The shattering of the helmet results and releases the spores of the Medusoid Myselium fungus and despite the Baudelaires saving themselves by eating apples covered in horseradish (as horseradish is one of the cures of the mycelium) and offering apples to the Islanders, Ishmael stubbornly refuses to listen, and he takes his followers off the Island. Since he ate an apple that had the antidote he was saved. It is unknown if any other person survived.
Trivia[]
- Ishmael's appearance resembles classic depictions of God. With him and the Incredibly Deadly Viper giving the Baudelaires apples to help them, this is a homage to the bible story of Adam and Eve with God and the serpent swapping roles of good and evil. It is invoked more in the Netflix series where Ishmael was revealed to be V.F.D.'s founder and the former principal of Prufrock Preparatory School. Writer and editor of the show, Joe Tracz, had explicitly stated that this was meant to push the God metaphor even further as well as jab at the classic "good wizard" archetype like Dumbledore from Harry Potter and Gandalf from Lord of the Rings.
- It is unknown was his relationship was with the Snickets, Quagmires, Vice Principal Nero, Mrs. Bass, Mr. Remora, The Man With a Beard But No Hair, and The Woman With Hair But No Beard.
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 Villains
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V.F.D. Firestarters Inhumane Society Other | ||