| Stanton Parish | |
|---|---|
| Portrayed By | John Pyper-Ferguson |
 | |
| First Seen | "Original Sin" |
| Status | Living |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 200+ |
| Profession |
Former Soldier in the Union Army |
| Alpha Type | Hypercognitive. |
Stanton Parish is the most powerful Alpha alive. With a life spanning at least two centuries, he has been working to foment a civil war between the Alphas and regular humans. While there is some dissent in the organization, it is believed that he is the nominal head of Red Flag.
Background[]
Photographic evidence of Stanton stretches back to the Civil War, but historical records before then are spotty at best, giving no definite year for his birth. An alpha with Stanton's memories mentions that he built a farmhouse with his father in Upstate New York and where he raised his first family. He mentions marching through New York during the American Civil War, he mentions he fought in the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and many others.
Stanton was one of the scientists involved in the MK-Ultra experiments, and during the end of the project, released a manifesto that is believed to have led to the creation of Red Flag.
Parish told Dr. Rosen that he has "perfect brain-body communication". Rosen opines that this may include immortality, no need for sleep, and other abilities. This sometimes seems to have made Parish a high-functioning sociopath, unconcerned with the deaths he's caused or plans in his species-wide civil war. But his advanced age might also be having a negative effect on his memories and otherwise normal emotional connections to other people, not true sociopathy.
Events[]
In Original Sin, Stanton laid an elaborate trap to silence all Red Flag members who wanted to go public. Through an encoded message, he invited a portion of the Red Flag leadership to meet at an abandoned brick factory in upstate New York.
Working with Danielle Rosen, he ensured that the DCIS team intercepted this invite. The DoD surrounded the meeting with tactical teams, and after gassing the building, moved in and used lethal force on most of the Alphas.
Stanton visited Dr. Rosen at his home, offering Rosen a place with him, as well as all of the knowledge he has gathered over the years about the human brain and the Alpha phenomenon. Rosen refuses, and when he airs the Alpha phenomenon to the public the next day, Stanton watches bemused, saying, "He just made things complicated."
In Wake Up Call, Stanton meets with the Building 7 escapees, bearing witness to an explosion on a freight train in Jersey City.
During the events of The Quick and the Dead, Stanton visits a woman dying in a hospital. He explains to Danielle Rosen that this is his last living grandchild, one of thirty-two. He already buried thirty-one grandchilderen. Stanton made himself known to the woman during her life, posing as a distant cousin. Later that night, alone in her room, Stanton suffocates the woman.
Rosen's research in Alpha Dogs reveals that Stanton gain control over his Alpha abilities after being shot in the head during a Civil War battle. Tended to by a Union doctor, Parish's ability to control his body and mind grew. When the doctor hopes to announce his findings on Stanton's ability, Parish promptly murders him.
During a conversation with Rosen, Parish reveals that he was at Cold Harbor (one of the final battles of the Civil War), San Juan Hill (Spanish-American War), Verdun (WWI), and the streets of Berlin (presumably at the end of WWII).
In Gaslight, Rosen investigates US Senator Charlotte Burton, who has received substantial donations from the Llamrei Foundation, an organization built on Parish' family fortune. The senator reveals that Stanton asked her to assist with medical trial tests, erasing her memory afterwards. Rosen later finds out that the tests were done by "August Medical," which also manufactures photic stimulators, a strobe light device used to gauge mental function in comatose patients. The device is in use in over 2700 hospitals nationwide.Abilities[]
Stanton is classified as a Hypercognitive Alpha; he has a perfect mind to body connection. He can control his brain and everything the brain controls. Due to this, he is able to heal and recover from any injury including fatal ones within moments of receiving them. As seen when he revived from death after being shot in the head in the American Civil War or when he revived after puncturing his neck with a folded plastic cup, bleeding profusely. Stanton possesses perfect cellular regeneration which suspends his aging process, effectively rendering him ageless. Despite being over 200 years old he appears to be a man in his 40's.
Trivia[]
- He has buried 31 grandchildren.