| “ | You're threatening me? After seeing what I'm willing to do to my own brother? | „ |
| ~ To John Scott |
Richard Steig is the main antagonist of "Pilot", the first episode of Fringe.
He is portrayed by Jason Butler Harner, who also portrayed Gordon Stewart Northcott in Changeling, Toby Carlson in The Walking Dead and Roy Petty in Ozark.
History[]
Richard Steig worked at Massive Dynamic, particularly in the weapons systems research division as a research assistant. But one day, some group contacted him to steal old research from Walter Bishop and William Bell about airborne viral contagions. Richard managed to do so by setting up a laboratory in the U-Case Storage facility in Back Bay, Massachusetts. He got his hands on a toxin that would make people’s flesh translucent and literally melt away until there were only bones. To conceal his involvement, show a demonstration and potentially protect himself, Richard gave the contagion to his twin brother, Morgan, having him unknowingly smuggle it in an insulin syringe. However, during Glatterflug Flight 627 from Hamburg, Germany to Boston, Massachusetts, Morgan injected the contagion into himself not knowing what was inside of it. As a result, the toxin infected and killed not only him, but everyone on the plane (it still landed due to the autopilot).
FBI agents, Olivia Dunham and John Scott were sent to investigate the incident at Logan Airport, the plane was soon destroyed after being set on fire. Richard Steig was nearby in a van; he was already terminated from Massive Dynamics three months before the incident for trying to leave with classified information. When Olivia and John spotted him at the U-Case facility. During the chase, however, Richard made the lab explode, causing John to be infected. After recruiting Peter and Walter Bishop and discovering John's memories, Olivia learned about Morgan Steig and his brother. When Richard was tracked down, he tried to run for it, but Olivia eventually caught up to him a threatened to make him talk.
Imprisoned at Massive Dynamics, Richard refused to say anything until Peter threatened to use the chemicals on him. He revealed the ingredients in the contagion, which Walter Bishop used to make a cure for Scott. Stieg also revealed that he did not sell his chemicals but was forced into what he did by someone from Dunham's office. However, Olivia found out that it was Scott who threatened him, she found a tape that Richard buried, and it had the same conversation as one that John had on his phone at the airport. In a deteriorated mental state, he killed Richard by suffocating him with a pillow before dying himself in a car crash. After his death, Olivia joined the Fringe team as the incident involving Richard Steig was only the first of many in "The Pattern."
Alternate Timeline[]
In an alternate timeline where Peter Bishop died, John Scott was killed by the contagion. As a result, he likely did not kill Richard Steig, but it is unknown what happened to Steig.
During the final battle of the Observers, Walter and Olivia used the same translucent skin toxin Richard stole on them.
Trivia[]
- "Steig" is German for "Path."
- 6/27 is J.J. Abrams' birthday.
 Villains
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