text: The United States had provided the funds and staff necessary for running the Tribunal and also held the function of Chief Prosecutor. The argument was made that it was difficult, if not impossible, to uphold the requirement of impartiality with which such an organ should be invested. This apparent conflict gave the impression that the tribunal was no more than a means for the dispensation of victors' justice. Solis Horowitz argues that IMTFE had an American bias: unlike the Nuremberg trials, there was only a single prosecution team, led by an American, although the members of the tribunal represented eleven different Allied countries. The IMTFE had less official support than the Nuremberg trials. Keenan, a former U.S. assistant attorney general, had a much lower position than Nuremberg's Robert H. Jackson, a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.


title: International Military Tribunal for the Far East

text: Justice Jaranilla had been captured by the Japanese and walked the Bataan Death March. The defense sought to remove him from the bench claiming he would be unable to maintain objectivity. The request was rejected but Jaranilla did excuse himself from presentation of evidence for atrocities in his native country of the Philippines.


text: Justice Radhabinod Pal argued that the exclusion of Western colonialism and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from the list of crimes and the lack of judges from the vanquished nations on the bench signified the "failure of the Tribunal to provide anything other than the opportunity for the victors to retaliate". In this he was not alone among Indian jurists, with one prominent Calcutta barrister writing that the Tribunal was little more than "a sword in a [judge's] wig."


text: Justice Röling stated, "[o]f course, in Japan we were all aware of the bombings and the burnings of Tokyo and Yokohama and other big cities. It was horrible that we went there for the purpose of vindicating the laws of war, and yet saw every day how the Allies had violated them dreadfully."


text: However, in respect to Pal and Röling's statement about the conduct of air attacks, there was no positive or specific customary international humanitarian law with respect to aerial warfare before and during World War II. Ben Bruce Blakeney, an American defense counsel for Japanese defendants, argued that "[i]f the killing of Admiral Kidd by the bombing of Pearl Harbor is murder, we know the name of the very man who[se] hands loosed the atomic bomb on Hiroshima," although Pearl Harbor was classified as a war crime under the 1907 Hague Convention, as it happened without a declaration of war and without a just cause for self-defense. Prosecutors for Japanese war crimes once discussed prosecuting Japanese pilots involved in the bombing of Pearl Harbor for murder. However, they quickly dropped the idea after realizing there was no international law that protected neutral areas and nationals specifically from attack by aircraft.


text: Similarly, the indiscriminate bombing of Chinese cities by Japanese Imperial forces was never raised in the Tokyo Trials in fear of America being accused of the same thing for its air attacks on Japanese cities. As a result, Japanese pilots and officers were not prosecuted for their aerial raids on Pearl Harbor and cities in China and other Asian countries.


text: Indian jurist Radhabinod Pal raised substantive objections in a dissenting opinion: he found the entire prosecution case to be weak regarding the conspiracy to commit an act of aggressive war, which would include the brutalization and subjugation of conquered nations. About the Nanking Massacre—while acknowledging the brutality of the incident—he said that there was nothing to show that it was the "product of government policy" or that Japanese government officials were directly responsible. There is "no evidence, testimonial or circumstantial, concomitant, prospectant, restrospectant, that would in any way lead to the inference that the government in any way permitted the commission of such offenses," he said. In any case, he added, conspiracy to wage aggressive war was not illegal in 1937, or at any point since. In addition, Pal thought the refusal to try what he perceived as Allied crimes (particularly the use of atomic bombs) weakened the tribunal's authority. Recalling a letter by Kaiser Wilhelm II signalling his determination to bring World War I to a swift conclusion through brutal means if necessary, Pal stated that "This policy of indiscriminate murder to shorten the war was considered to be a crime. In the Pacific war under our consideration, if there was anything approaching what is indicated in the above letter of the German Emperor, it is the decision coming from the Allied powers to use the bomb", adding that "Future generations will judge this dire decision". Pal was the only judge to argue for the acquittal of all of the defendants.


text: The Japanese emperor Hirohito and other members of the imperial family might have been regarded as potential suspects. They included career officer Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, Prince Higashikuni, and Prince Takeda. Herbert Bix explained, "The Truman Administration and General MacArthur both believed the occupation reforms would be implemented smoothly if they used Hirohito to legitimise their changes."


text: As early as November 26, 1945, MacArthur confirmed to Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai that the emperor's abdication would not be necessary. Before the war crimes trials actually convened, SCAP, the International Prosecution Section (IPS), and court officials worked behind the scenes not only to prevent the imperial family from being indicted, but also to skew the testimony of the defendants to ensure that no one implicated the emperor. High officials in court circles and the Japanese government collaborated with Allied GHQ in compiling lists of prospective war criminals. People arrested as Class A suspects and incarcerated in the Sugamo Prison solemnly vowed to protect their sovereign against any possible taint of war responsibility.


text: According to historian Herbert Bix, Brigadier General Bonner Fellers "immediately on landing in Japan went to work to protect Hirohito from the role he had played during and at the end of the war" and "allowed the major criminal suspects to coordinate their stories so that the emperor would be spared from indictment."


text: Bix also argues that "MacArthur's truly extraordinary measures to save Hirohito from trial as a war criminal had a lasting and profoundly distorting impact on Japanese understanding of the lost war" and "months before the Tokyo tribunal commenced, MacArthur's highest subordinates were working to attribute ultimate responsibility for Pearl Harbor to Hideki Tōjō." According to a written report by Shūichi Mizota, Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai's interpreter, Fellers met the two men at his office on March 6, 1946, and told Yonai, "It would be most convenient if the Japanese side could prove to us that the emperor is completely blameless. I think the forthcoming trials offer the best opportunity to do that. Tōjō, in particular, should be made to bear all responsibility at this trial."


text: Historian John W. Dower wrote that the campaign to absolve Emperor Hirohito of responsibility "knew no bounds." He argued that with MacArthur's full approval, the prosecution effectively acted as "a defense team for the emperor," who was presented as "an almost saintly figure" let alone someone culpable of war crimes. He stated, "Even Japanese activists who endorse the ideals of the Nuremberg and Tokyo charters and who have labored to document and publicize the atrocities of the Shōwa regime cannot defend the American decision to exonerate the emperor of war responsibility and then, in the chill of the Cold War, release and soon afterwards openly embrace accused right-winged war criminals like the later prime minister Nobusuke Kishi."


text: Three justices wrote an "obiter dictum" about the criminal responsibility of Hirohito. Judge-in-Chief Webb declared, "No ruler can commit the crime of launching aggressive war and then validly claim to be excused for doing so because his life would otherwise have been in danger ... It will remain that the men who advised the commission of a crime, if it be one, are in no worse position than the man who directs the crime be committed."


text: Justice Henri Bernard of France concluded that Japan's declaration of war "had a principal author who escaped all prosecution and of whom in any case the present Defendants could only be considered as accomplices."


text: Justice Röling did not find the emperor's immunity objectionable and further argued that five defendants (Kido, Hata, Hirota, Shigemitsu, and Tōgō) should have been acquitted.


text: Shirō Ishii, commander of Unit 731, received immunity in exchange for data gathered from his experiments on live prisoners. In 1981 John W. Powell published an article in the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" detailing the experiments of Unit 731 and its open-air tests of germ warfare on civilians. It was printed with a statement by Judge Röling, the last surviving member of the Tokyo Tribunal, who wrote, "As one of the judges in the International Military Tribunal, it is a bitter experience for me to be informed now that centrally ordered Japanese war criminality of the most disgusting kind was kept secret from the Court by the U.S. government".


text: Forty-two suspects, such as Nobusuke Kishi, who later became Prime Minister, and Yoshisuke Aikawa, head of Nissan, were imprisoned in the expectation that they would be prosecuted at a second Tokyo Tribunal but they were never charged. They were released in 1947 and 1948.


text: The International Prosecution Section (IPS) of the SCAP decided to try the seventy Japanese apprehended for "Class A" war crimes in three groups. The first group of 28 were major leaders in the military, political, and diplomatic sphere. The second group (23 people) and the third group (nineteen people) were industrial and financial magnates who had been engaged in weapons manufacturing industries or were accused of trafficking in narcotics, as well as a number of lesser known leaders in military, political, and diplomatic spheres. The most notable among these were:


text: All remaining people apprehended and accused of Class A war crimes who had not yet come to trial were set free by MacArthur in 1947 and 1948.


text: Under Article 11 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, signed on September 8, 1951, Japan accepted the jurisdiction of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. Article 11 of the treaty reads:


text: In 1950, after most Allied war crimes trials had ended, thousands of convicted war criminals sat in prisons across Asia and Europe, detained in the countries where they had been convicted. Some executions had not yet been carried out, as Allied courts agreed to reexamine their verdicts. Sentences were reduced in some cases, and a system of parole was instituted, but without relinquishing control over the fate of the imprisoned (even after Japan and Germany had regained their sovereignty).


text: The focus changed from the top wartime leaders to "ordinary" war criminals (Class B and C in Japan), and an intense and broadly-supported campaign for amnesty for all imprisoned war criminals ensued. The issue of criminal responsibility was reframed as a humanitarian problem.


text: On March 7, 1950, MacArthur issued a directive that reduced the sentences by one-third for good behavior and authorized the parole after fifteen years of those who had received life sentences. Several of those who were imprisoned were released earlier on parole due to ill health.


text: Many Japanese reacted to the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal by demanding parole for the detainees or mitigation of their sentences. Shortly after the San Francisco Peace Treaty came into effect, a movement demanding the release of B- and C-class war criminals began, emphasizing the "unfairness of the war crimes tribunals" and the "misery and hardship of the families of war criminals." The movement quickly garnered the support of more than ten million Japanese. The government commented that "public sentiment in our country is that the war criminals are not criminals. Rather, they gather great sympathy as victims of the war, and the number of people concerned about the war crimes tribunal system itself is steadily increasing."


text: The parole for war criminals movement was driven by two groups: people who had "a sense of pity" for the prisoners demanded, "Just set them free" ("tonikaku shakuho o") regardless of how it is done. The war criminals themselves called for their own release as part of an anti-war peace movement.


text: On September 4, 1952, President Truman issued Executive Order 10393, establishing a Clemency and Parole Board for War Criminals. Its purpose was to advise the President regarding recommendations by the Government of Japan for clemency, reduction of sentence, or parole of Japanese war criminals sentenced by military tribunals.


text: On May 26, 1954, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles rejected a proposed amnesty for the imprisoned war criminals but instead agreed to "change the ground rules" by reducing the period required for eligibility for parole from 15 years to 10 years.


text: By the end of 1958, all Japanese war criminals were released from prison and politically rehabilitated. Hashimoto Kingorô, Hata Shunroku, Minami Jirô, and Oka Takazumi were all released on parole in 1954. Araki Sadao, Hiranuma Kiichirô, Hoshino Naoki, Kaya Okinori, Kido Kôichi, Ôshima Hiroshi, Shimada Shigetarô, and Suzuki Teiichi were released on parole in 1955. Satô Kenryô was not granted parole until March 1956, the last of the Class A Japanese war criminals to be released. With the concurrence of a majority of the powers represented on the tribunal, the Japanese government announced on April 7, 1957, that the last ten major Japanese war criminals who had previously been paroled were granted clemency and were to be regarded henceforth as unconditionally free.


text: In 1978 the "kami" of 1,068 convicted war criminals, including 14 convicted Class-A war criminals, were secretly enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. Those enshrined include Hideki Tōjō, Kenji Doihara, Iwane Matsui, Heitarō Kimura, Kōki Hirota, Seishirō Itagaki, Akira Mutō, Yosuke Matsuoka, Osami Nagano, Toshio Shiratori, Kiichirō Hiranuma, Kuniaki Koiso and Yoshijirō Umezu. Since 1985, visits made by Japanese government officials to the Shrine have aroused protests in China and South Korea.


text: Arnold Brackman, who had covered the trials for United Press International, wrote "The Other Nuremberg: The Untold Story of the Tokyo War Crimes Trial," a rebuttal to charges that the trial had been "victors' justice"; this rebuttal was published posthumously in 1987.


text: In a survey of 3,000 Japanese people conducted by "Asahi News" as the 60th anniversary approached in 2006, 70% of those questioned were unaware of the details of the trials, a figure that rose to 90% for those in the 20–29 age group. Some 76% of the people polled recognized a degree of aggression on Japan's part during the war, while only 7% believed it was a war strictly for self-defense.


text: A South Korean government commission cleared 83 of the 148 Koreans convicted by the Allies of war crimes during World War II. The commission ruled that the Koreans, who were categorized as Class B and Class C war criminals, were in fact victims of Japanese imperialism.


text: Some time before the situation emerged about his expected accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the end of April 2019, some degree of concern was voiced by then Crown Prince Naruhito on the occasion of his 55th birthday in February 2015 about how Japanese history in regard to its World War II involvement would be remembered by his future subjects; as Naruhito put it at that time: it was "important to look back on the past humbly and correctly," in reference to Japan's role in World War II-era war crimes and that he was concerned about the ongoing need to, in his own words: "correctly pass down tragic experiences and the history behind Japan to the generations who have no direct knowledge of the war, at the time memories of the war are about to fade."


text: MacArthur appointed a panel of 11 judges, nine from the nations that signed the Instrument of Surrender.


text: The famous legal scholar Roscoe Pound was also apparently favourably disposed to replacing John P. Higgins as a judge but an appointment did not eventuate.


text: The chief prosecutor, Joseph B. Keenan of the United States, was appointed by President Harry S. Truman.


title: Pheasant

text: Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia. The classification "pheasant" is paraphyletic, as birds referred to as pheasants are included within both the subfamilies Phasianinae and Pavoninae, and in many cases are more closely related to smaller phasianids, grouse, and turkey (formerly classified in Perdicinae, Tetraoninae, and Meleagridinae) than to other pheasants.


title: Pheasant

text: Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly decorated with bright colours and adornments such as wattles. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails. Males play no part in rearing the young.


title: Pheasant

text: A pheasant's call or cry can be recognised due to the fact it sounds like a rusty sink or valve being turned.


title: Pheasant

text: Pheasants eat mostly seeds, grains, roots, and berries, while in the summer they take advantage of insects, fresh green shoots, spiders, earthworms, and snails. However, as an introduced species, in the UK they are a threat to endangered native adders.


title: Pheasant

text: The best-known is the common pheasant, which is widespread throughout the world, in introduced feral populations and in farm operations. Various other pheasant species are popular in aviaries, such as the golden pheasant ("Chrysolophus pictus").


title: Pheasant

text: According to the "Oxford English Dictionary", the word "pheasant" ultimately comes from Phasis, the ancient name of what is now called the Rioni River in Georgia.


title: Pheasant

text: It passed from Greek to Latin to French (spelled with an initial "f") then to English, appearing for the first time in English around 1299.


title: Emergency!

text: Emergency! is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situation comedy series "The Partners" and "The Good Life", it ran for a total of 122 episodes until May 28, 1977, with six additional two-hour television films during the next two years, 1978 and 1979.


title: Emergency!

text: The series stars Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe as two rescuers, who work as paramedics and firefighters in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The duo formed Squad 51, a medical and rescue unit of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, working together with the fictional Rampart General Hospital medical staff (portrayed by Robert Fuller, Julie London and Bobby Troup), and with the firefighter engine company at Station 51.


title: Emergency!

text: "Emergency!" was created and produced by Jack Webb and Robert A. Cinader, who had also created the police dramas "Adam-12" and "Dragnet". Harold Jack Bloom is also credited as a creator; Webb does not receive screen credit as a creator. In the show's original TV-movie pilot, Webb was credited only as its director. However, the series aimed to be much more realistic than its predecessors as it portrayed emergency medical services (EMS). Pioneering EMS leader James O. Page served as a technical advisor, and the two main actors underwent some paramedic training.


title: Emergency!

text: The series aired at a time when ambulance coverage in the United States was rapidly expanding and changing, and the role of a paramedic was emerging as a profession, and is credited with popularizing the concepts of EMS and paramedics in American society, and even inspiring other states and municipalities to expand the service.


title: Emergency!

text: Nearly 30 years after "Emergency!" debuted, the Smithsonian Institution accepted "Emergency!" memorabilia into its National Museum of American History's public-service section, including the firefighters' helmets, turnouts, Biophone, and defibrillator. The vehicles of Station 51 are a part of the collection of the Los Angeles County Fire Museum.


title: Emergency!

text: Set at the fictional Fire Station 51 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), where one fire engine and the paramedic rescue squad are stationed, the series focuses on two young firefighter-paramedics: young and immature John Roderick "Johnny" Gage (Randolph Mantooth), who is always unlucky in love, and more mature family man Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe), who crew the rescue squad, Squad 51, and, in addition to providing emergency medical care, perform technical rescues such as vehicle extrication.


title: Emergency!

text: The paramedics are supervised by the Emergency Room (ER) staff of Rampart General Hospital: head physician Dr. Kelly Brackett (Robert Fuller), head nurse Dixie McCall (Julie London), neurosurgeon Dr. Joe Early (played by London's real-life husband Bobby Troup), and young intern Dr. Michael "Mike" Morton (Ron Pinkard, though in the early episodes was a character named Dr. Thomas Gray).


title: Emergency!

text: Other regular characters are the firefighters of Station 51's "A" shift, Chester B. "Chet" Kelly (played by Tim Donnelly), Marco Lopez (played by actor Marco Lopez) and engineer Mike Stoker (played by active LACoFD firefighter Mike Stoker as himself). LACoFD Dispatcher Samuel Lanier portrayed himself in an uncredited voice role (over the radio) throughout the series, and he is also occasionally shown in a brief clip at the dispatch office just before a dispatch is heard in later seasons; he retired from the department shortly after "Emergency!" finished. Lopez speaks Spanish, and occasionally translated for the crew when a victim or onlooker spoke Spanish but no English. Unusually, Lopez, Stoker and Dick Hammer play characters named after themselves, though in two episodes, Hammer's character is played by John Smith.


title: Emergency!

text: Various characters held the rank of Captain throughout the series. These include Captain Dick Hammer (LACoFD Captain Richard Hammer as himself for first season/episodes 1–9, then later John Smith for the last two episodes of the season), Captain Hank Stanley (Michael Norell, during the remaining seasons) and Captain Gene "Captain Hook" Hookrader in a couple of later episodes. Actor John Anderson portrayed Captain Bob Roberts in one Season 4 episode, "Smoke Eater".


title: Emergency!

text: Other recurring characters include Battalion Chiefs Conrad (Art Balinger), Sorensen (Art Gilmore), Miller, and McConnike (William Boyett), Firefighter Conway / Firefighter Paramedic Tom Wheeler / Animal Control Supervisor Walt Marsh (Gary Crosby), Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy/Carson Police Officer/Sergeant Vince (Vince Howard), and recurring ambulance attendants Albert "Al" (Angelo DeMeo) and his assistant, George (George Orrison). Boyett and Crosby regularly appeared as Sergeant MacDonald and Officer Ed Wells respectively on "Adam-12", while Gilmore appeared on that show as watch commander Lieutenant Moore, a recurring character.


title: Emergency!

text: The role of Dixie McCall was originally written as a love interest for Fuller's character, Dr. Kelly Brackett, though the on-screen romance between Brackett and McCall was gradually downplayed and eventually ignored over the course of the series; this was explained by Brackett's and McCall's romance not having worked out.


title: Emergency!

text: The series was created by Robert Cinader and Jack Webb. Webb had previously created "Dragnet", and with Cinader had jointly created "Adam-12", both of which were TV series about policing. In 1971, Cinader and Webb met with Captain Jim Page and other officers from the LACoFD to discuss creating a show about firefighters. Initially they planned to focus the show on physical rescues, but felt that there would not be enough ideas for episodes. Page suggested they look to the LACoFD's new paramedic program for ideas.


title: Emergency!

text: At the time, the Los Angeles area was home to 2 of only 12 paramedic programs in the United States (as opposed to ambulances that provided basic first aid or only transport). In 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan had signed the Wedworth-Townsend Act which allowed paramedic programs to be trialed in Los Angeles County. In September 1971, Cinader and Webb signed a contract with NBC to develop the series. The initial pilot film of "Emergency!", titled "The Wedsworth-Townsend Act", focuses on the passage of a similar law to the Wedworth-Townsend Act that permits paramedics to operate.


title: Emergency!

text: Cinader asked the writers to get all the rescues that were to be portrayed on the show from fire stations' logbooks. Along the same line, the series was technically accurate as every script was fact-checked and approved by the series' technical consultants, Dr. Michael Criley (the man who had initially created the LACoFD Paramedic program) and LACoFD Battalion Chief James O. Page. There were always real paramedics serving as technical advisors on set every day for further technical advice.


title: Emergency!

text: To train for their parts, the actors, Mantooth and Tighe sat in some paramedic classes (although they never actually took any written exams) and went on extensive ride-alongs with LACoFD. In an interview with Tom Blixa of WTVN, Mantooth said that the producer wanted them to train so that they would at least know the fundamentals and look like they knew what they were doing on camera. Mantooth mentioned that you needed to take the entire course and pass all the skills stations and final certification exam to be a paramedic, and went on to admit that "if anyone has a heart attack, I'll call 911 with the best of them." Mantooth became an advocate for firefighters and paramedics after the series ended. He continued, as of late October 2014, to give speeches and make appearances all over the country at special events.


title: Emergency!

text: While Webb's "Dragnet" and "Adam-12" followed a pair of detectives and patrolmen respectively, "Emergency!" followed the firemen and paramedics of Station 51, and the emergency room staff of Rampart General Hospital.


title: Emergency!

text: Typical episodes begin with the firemen and paramedics at the station going through such routines as cooking, cleaning equipment, or sleeping until a call comes from the dispatcher describing the emergency and its location. The call prompts the crew to immediately stop their routine and respond with organized precision. The firemen and paramedics respond to the scene of the emergency, where the paramedics almost always contact Rampart General Hospital to report their patient assessment and receive medical direction and treatment authorization, which often includes IV drug therapy. Many times the plot follows the accident victims and paramedics to Rampart.


title: Emergency!

text: Other plot lines end at the scene. When an event has ended, the crew return to Station 51 and resume their routines until another call is dispatched. Often, firemen DeSoto and Gage, who are best friends, engage in playful banter when an emergency call forces them to become serious-minded and immediately leave the station's living area to focus on the job at hand. Each episode typically climaxes with a major fire, disaster or rescue that often has multiple units engaged.


title: Emergency!

text: Because of the greater scope of its format, "Emergency!" was a full-hour series, whereas both "Dragnet" and "Adam-12" were half-hour shows. Actual local disasters were worked into some story lines, such as the 1971 Sylmar earthquake which destroyed the newly completed Olive View Medical Center in the San Fernando Valley; and the June 22, 1973 "Crenshaw Fire" brush fire on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.


title: Emergency!

text: Interior scenes were shot on Universal's sound stages. Exterior scenes of the fire station were shot at Station 127 in Carson, while exterior scenes of the hospital were shot at Harbor General Hospital (now Harbor-UCLA Medical Center).


title: Emergency!

text: Station 51 was represented by LACoFD Fire Station 127, located at 2049 East 223rd Street (between Wilmington Ave and Alameda St, with the 405 freeway visible in the background in wide shots) in Carson, California ( – Maps Street View).


title: Emergency!

text: At the time the series aired, the LACoFD had no Station 51. It was the number of a station that had previously existed at the intersection of Arlington and Atlantic Avenues on the outskirts of Lynwood and Compton, and closed in the late 1960s when the area was annexed by Lynwood. Since 1994, the LACoFD has had a Station 51 in a different location. In an homage to the show, the fire station on the grounds of Universal Studios was renumbered from Station 60 to Station 51, more than 20 years after the debut of "Emergency!". The vehicles based at Station 60 were accordingly renumbered. This station is therefore home to an actual Engine 51 and Squad 51, as well as Patrol 51 and Quint 51 (a ladder truck with ground ladders, fire pump, water tank and hose).


title: Emergency!

text: Station 127 was chosen by series co-creator Robert A. Cinader, and the station was eventually named in his honor (a plaque honoring Robert A. Cinader is now mounted on the station next to the office front door). Station 106 in Rolling Hills Estates, California, a similar design to 127, was initially the choice, but faced north (versus south), which would make it difficult to light properly. At the time of filming Station 127 housed Engine 127 and Truck 127 (a ladder truck), whereas the fictional Station 51 had a small rescue truck instead of a ladder truck. As of 2018, Station 127 now instead houses Quint 127 and Foam 127.


title: Emergency!

text: When filming on location took place, Truck 127 was moved off-site and replaced with Universal's Squad 51, while Engine 127 was disguised as Engine 51. After Universal obtained a 1973 Ward LaFrance to use as Engine 51, both of Station 127's apparatus would be replaced by Universal's Engine 51 and Squad 51 for filming on location. Despite being "kicked out" of their own station for filming, Truck 127 still appeared in numerous episodes under its own callsign. The Carson location of Station 127 was directly referenced in one episode where a phone call was traced to a house "in Carson" that Engine 51 and Squad 51 eventually responded to. Interior scenes at Station 51 were filmed on sets at the studio, which accurately recreated the interior of Station 127.


title: Emergency!

text: "KMG365", which is said by the crewmember acknowledging a call for a unit at Station 51, is a real FCC call sign used by LACoFD assigned to Fire Station 98 in Bellflower, and it appears on the Station Patch for Station 127.


title: Emergency!

text: In the pilot episode, Rampart General Hospital is shown (in a letter to Dr. Brackett) to be located in Carson, California. At the time of filming, Rampart General Hospital was represented by Harbor General Hospital, located in Torrance, California at 1000 West Carson Street, the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Carson Street (). The pairing of Station 127 and Harbor General as "Station 51" and "Rampart" was accurate, since if a squad had actually been quartered at Station 127, it would likely have operated from Harbor General Hospital, since they are only 2.1 miles (3.4 km) apart. Not accurate was the response area of Station 51. Many examples exist. As seen in season 6 episode 5, where they responded to 4000 N. Riverton Ave. Universal City, Truck 127 appeared in one episode where a rescue event occurred at Rampart (Harbor General), as the hospital really is in Truck 127's "first-due" district.


title: Emergency!

text: In an episode near the end of the series, one character, an aged jazz musician, hearing the name Rampart General, says, "My grandaddy used to play on Rampart Street in New Orleans!" The name Rampart actually comes from the show "Adam-12" and is the real name of a division of the LAPD.


title: Emergency!

text: In 1978, by the approval of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Harbor General Hospital was renamed as Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.


title: Emergency!

text: In 2018, CrowdRx, Inc., launched their Mobile Emergency Room Trailer, naming it "Rampart" to honor Rampart General Hospital.


title: Emergency!

text: Footage of a dispatcher used during the show appears to have been filmed at the LACoFD Keith E. Klinger dispatch center in East Los Angeles. The screen he looked at to see the street maps is a rear projection from a Kodak Carousel projector built into the console. The man was actual LACoFD dispatcher Sam Lanier, who also lent his voice as the dispatcher for the series' entire run.


title: Emergency!

text: The familiar tones that called Station 51 into service were initiated by dispatch using a Motorola Quik Call I unit, a radio listening on a common paging frequency for a pair of special audio tones assigned to that station. For a large incident, one could often hear many sets of tones calling many stations, but only a specific pair would sound the buzzer for Station 51.


title: Emergency!

text: A long scene showing the sequence of microfiche reader address lookup to quik-call dispatch appears in the season six episode "Family Ties."


title: Emergency!

text: The creators of "Emergency!" tried to accurately portray the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) by using apparatus and equipment in current use. The extensive cooperation of the LACoFD is repeatedly apparent in the program. Although a few key items were fictionalized, such as the identification of Station 51 and its equipment, many of the locations and apparatus reflected the operating reality of locations used in some filming. Nearly 30 years after "Emergency!" debuted, the Smithsonian Institution accepted "Emergency!" memorabilia into its National History Museum, public-service section, including their helmets, turnouts, Biophone, and defibrillator.


title: Emergency!

text: The vehicles which represented Squad 51 were constructed by Universal crews and were accurate replicas of the units built in-house on stock 1970 Dodge D300 truck chassis' by LACoFD prior to the filming of "Emergency". There were three identical truck chassis' used to represent the original T.V. Squad 51. The LACoFD shops were unable to fulfill a request from Universal to build the first unit for the show within the short deadline the studio required, but did provide the blueprints so the studio could build its own unit on a 1972 Dodge D300 chassis.


title: Emergency!

text: The replica's accuracy is evident in that the white light atop the Federal Signal Twinsonic lightbar was part of the blueprint, but never installed by LAcoFD on its departmental units. This light was intended to be used by other personnel and particularly helicopters to differentiate paramedic squads from regular rescue squads and other units operating that vehicle type. Prior to season 3, the studio acquired a 1973 D300 cab and chassis. All of the external paraphernalia (rear compartment box, lightbar, searchlights, K12 box, etc.) were removed and remounted on the new squad chassis. This vehicle lasted for two seasons. In season 5 the third and final Dodge truck appeared. It was a 1974 model and this is the vehicle that presently resides in the LACoFD museum. Once again, the rear compartment box and lightbar from the original Squad 51 were remounted. Also, the last two chassis came with a different engine grille, so the parts from the first truck were kept. The whereabouts of the first two stripped-down Dodge D300's remains a mystery. After the filming of the series, at the Fire Department's request, the studio donated the unit to LACoFD in 1978, which pressed it into occasional service as a reserve unit before it was eventually retired from service.


title: Emergency!

text: In 1999, LACoFD donated the Universal-built squad to the Los Angeles County Fire Museum, which restored it and put it on display.


title: Emergency!

text: The original Engine 51 was a 1965 open-cab Crown Firecoach, and was represented by LACoFD Engine 127's 1965 Crown in stock footage at the fire station (in reality LACoFD Station 127), and by LACoFD Engine 60's 1965 Crown (the unit assigned to Universal Studios) for filming on the grounds of the studio. In a few instances in the first and second seasons, the regular apparatus borrowed from LACoFD and used for filming appear to have been unavailable as some scenes show a slightly different vintage Crown Firecoach pumper, most evident by the different style of emergency lights on the cab's roof. As a condition of providing a Dept pumper for filming the LACoFD required one of its own qualified Engineers be used to operate it, active Firefighter Engineer (later Specialist) Mike Stoker, who already possessed a Screen Actors Guild card, was cast in the series. The mixing of stock station and response footage with footage filmed for specific storylines created continuity errors by mixing these apparatus.


title: Emergency!

text: Early in the third season, Engine 51 was represented by a 1973 closed-cab Ward LaFrance P80 Ambassador triple-combination pumper. LACoFD was purchasing numerous P80s at the time, and Ward LaFrance, through their local distributor, Albro Fire Equipment Co. of Los Angeles, donated a P80 unit to Universal Studios specifically for use in the series as product placement. The Ward LaFrance Engine 51 was thus not a disguised unit and did not require the use of LACoFD resources for filming.


title: Emergency!

text: Engine 127's 1965 Crown, one of the two originally used for the series, was later refitted with a closed cab. Eventually it was placed into reserve status when Station 127 received a new engine. In its reserve capacity, it was serving temporarily as Engine 95 when it was involved in a collision. Damaged beyond repair in the collision, it was salvaged for parts and sold as scrap. The County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association now owns and has restored the 1965 Crown which formerly served as Engine 60 at Universal Studios and appeared most often as the Crown version of Engine 51.


title: Emergency!

text: The Ward LaFrance P80 Ambassador that represented Engine 51, owned by the studio outright, made its final "Emergency!" appearance in the movie "The Steel Inferno," but it was marked as Engine 110. The Ward remained at Universal Studios as a prop following the conclusion of the series, and made brief appearances such as in the film "The China Syndrome" (1979) and a short educational film produced by the National Fire Protection Association in 1984. Eventually, the Ward was pressed into active duty at Yosemite National Park, as MCA Recreation Services (Universal's then-owner/operator) was under contract to provide visitor services at the park at the time, and it remained with YNP Fire after MCARS's involvement at the Park ended.


title: Emergency!

text: As the fire department for the concession area was private (not state or federal), the engine had the California personalized (vanity) license plate YCS E51. It served continuously as YNP Fire's Engine 7 until it was retired and replaced in July 2008. Per terms of a previous agreement between the Park and the County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association, the museum assumed ownership of the Ward and added it to the museum collection. In 2012, the museum finished a complete restoration of the Ward to its original appearance in the show.


title: Emergency!

text: Both of Station 51's vehicles have also been immortalized as "Hot Wheels" diecast vehicles "Emergency Squad" (1998) and "Fire-Eater" (1977) respectively.


title: Emergency!

text: An antique fire engine was the part of three episodes of the show. In the third season, episode 2, entitled, "The Old Engine", Gage and DeSoto see a derelict fire engine in a scrap yard during a fire. They purchase the vehicle for $80 according to the script and attempt to restore it. The script says it is a 1932 Dennis fire engine, but the vehicle is a Dennis Ace model, that was manufactured from 1934 to 1939 and sold to the British market including Australia, New Zealand, and India. Records indicate this model was not sold in the US.


title: Emergency!

text: In Season 4, Episode 13, "The Parade", the two paramedics have finished their restoration of the Dennis Ace fire engine for the California Firefighters Parade, though having to replace a part that just busted. En route to the parade, wearing antique uniforms, the two spot an apartment fire and respond in the engine using its antiquated equipment to rescue two people trapped in the building before LACoFD arrives. The Dennis Ace is heavily damaged when the structure collapses onto it. In Season 5, Episode 2, "The Old Engine Cram" the main characters are informed by Nurse McCall that a man is looking to buy that same model of fire engine. Unfortunately, the engine is mistakenly referred to in the script as a 1923 Paige when it is actually a Dennis.


title: Emergency!

text: The orange radio Gage and DeSoto used was a model 3502 Biocom Biophone. It came in an orange fiberglass case and was fully portable. It could transmit EKG and voice simultaneously, could be charged in 15 minutes, and had one hour of talking time. The radio had eight duplex UHF channels and a total of 12 watts of transmitting power. There were two Biophones used on the series, one smaller than the other.


title: Emergency!

text: In "Survival on Charter #220", Gage and DeSoto are briefly seen using a Motorola Apcor, with Dr. Early and Nurse McCall using a Motorola base station back at Rampart.


title: Emergency!

text: The electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) machine used in the show was a Datascope Model 850 Dual Trace Physiological Monitor. This model came out in 1971 and was the first portable, battery rechargeable unit of its kind. Its original price was $2,000. In the middle of Season 4, the show switched to a Datascope MD/2, which was a combined monitor and defibrillator that allowed the monitor unit to slide out. With the monitor docked, it can read and display an EKG through the defibrillator paddles; this function is shown several times during the series, and anticipates the development of the AED, only a few years later. The paramedics also carried some medical equipment in a black model PF-3300 Old Pal tackle box, commonly used by the fire department at the time. There were instances when the actors encountered difficulty in pronouncing medical terms correctly, so some scenes show the characters from the back or behind a mask, which allowed them to dub in the correct pronunciations at a later time.


title: Emergency!

text: Many items of the equipment were donated to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in May 2000.


title: Emergency!

text: The protective clothing ("turn-out gear") that the firefighters wore, including the MSA Topgard helmets, as well as nearly all other equipment such as insignia, were standard fire department issue at the time.


title: Emergency!

text: The badges used in the series were authentic fire department badges. At the end of filming each day, they were collected, stored for safekeeping and then reissued the next day.


title: Emergency!

text: Prior to "Emergency!", ambulances had been operating for decades in the United States. However, their crews rarely had training beyond basic first aid. Most states did not license them to perform more advanced medical treatment. The alternative was to staff ambulances with traditional healthcare professionals like doctors, which was expensive and posed recruitment challenges.


title: Emergency!

text: Writing in the "University of Baltimore Law Review" in 2007, Paul Bergman argued that "Emergency!" encouraged the growth of EMS. The conclusion is shared by Yokey and Sutherland in the book "Emergency! Behind the Scenes". Bergman acknowledges that some of this trend had already been in motion, due to developments such as the 1966 report "" and California's Wedworth-Townsend Act in 1970. In 1971, there were only 12 paramedic services operating in the United States. In the first three years that "Emergency!" aired, 46 out of 50 states enacted laws that allowed paramedics to practice. On a federal level, the 1974 Emergency Medical Services Systems Act was enacted to encourage the trend. By 1982, half the American population was within ten minutes' reach of a paramedic unit.


title: Emergency!

text: The show was referenced during a debate in the Health Committee of the California State Assembly, during the passage of a bill to make the Wedworth-Townsend Act permanent. A 1977 "Newsweek" article wrote that "[t]he television series "Emergency!" helped create a national demand for such services." In a 1993 paper, Byron K. Toma argued that it "helped convince the public that they are entitled to the highest levels of emergency medical aid technologically available."


title: Emergency!

text: In episode 17 of season 3, "Fools", singer Bobby Sherman plays an arrogant intern who shows disdain for John and Roy ... until he is sent out with them by Dr. Brackett to see exactly what they do. Sherman's character changes his mind quickly upon watching them perform a harrowing rescue. In real life, Sherman would leave show business and become an EMT. He worked with paramedics and taught CPR and first aid and subsequently joined the Los Angeles Police Department Reserve Officer Program. He served as a training officer for many years and would be promoted to the rank of Captain; Sherman credited his role on that episode of "Emergency!" as a guiding force in his choice of career change.


title: Emergency!

text: "Emergency!" was a third-generation spin-off, having been spawned from Jack Webb's "Adam-12", which itself was spun off from Jack Webb's "Dragnet". All three series take place in the same universe and depict different aspects of the public safety infrastructure of Los Angeles, California.


title: Emergency!

text: Characters from "Emergency!" and "Adam-12" "crossed over" twice. The police officers appeared briefly in the pilot episode of "Emergency!", and the firefighter/paramedics appeared in the "Adam-12" episode titled "Lost and Found". Unusually, in the "Emergency!" episode titled "Hang-Up", there was a subplot in which the crew of Station 51 watched the television show "Adam-12", despite sharing a fictional universe with those characters.


title: Emergency!

text: "Emergency!" spun off an animated version called "Emergency +4" which ran on NBC Saturday mornings from 1973 to 1976, and featured four youngsters and their three pets who participated in rescue adventures with firefighter/paramedics DeSoto and Gage.


title: Emergency!

text: Mantooth's Gage and Tighe's DeSoto appeared in the tenth episode of "Sierra", another Webb/Cinader production about a pair of National Park Service rangers, which appeared for only a partial season in 1974. In that episode, "The Urban Ranger", the two paramedics participate in mountain rescue training and get involved in many of the episode's subplots. Following recurring themes from "Emergency!", Gage continues to fail in his attempts to get a date, while DeSoto briefly considers changing careers to become a park ranger.


title: Emergency!

text: The "905-Wild" episode of "Emergency!", broadcast during the closing of its Season 4 on Saturday March 1, 1975, was intended to be the pilot for a new series created and produced by Jack Webb. The series was to have been about the adventures of two Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control officers, and the staff of a county animal shelter. The episode featured Albert Popwell and Mark Harmon as the officers and David Huddleston and Gary Crosby in their supporting roles. However, it failed to sell and the follow-up series was never produced.


title: Emergency!

text: Squad 51 briefly appeared in the "CHiPs" episode "Cry Wolf" (season 1, ep. 18), where it can be seen responding from the station to a false accident report. Further in the episode "MAIT Team" (season 2, ep. 15), Engine 51 and Squad 51 can be seen responding from the station to a traffic accident. Again in the episode "Hot Wheels" (season 3, ep. 8) Squad 51 arrives on the scene of a traffic accident. It has a major role in the episode "E.M.T" when it responds to aid a young boy trapped in his clubhouse under a busy freeway, where California Highway Patrol officers Ponch and Jon retrieve equipment from the squad to aid in the rescue of the boy.


title: Emergency!

text: The episode "Cover Up" of "Quincy, M.E." featured a paramedic team from Squad 44 contacting Rampart General Hospital while tending a heart attack patient, although the patient is directed to a closer hospital. When Dr. Quincy later visits Station 44 to question the paramedics concerning the patient's death, stock footage of the exterior of Station 51 is used. This episode was written by R.A. Cinader. Earlier, in the season 1 episode "Has Anyone Seen Quincy?" Harbor General Hospital is used as the filming location of the unnamed hospital seen throughout the episode. Rampart is again contacted in season 7's "The Golden Hour", but the patient is directed to a closer hospital, and Engine 51 responds to a hotel fire in the same season's episode "Smoke Screen".


title: Emergency!

text: Station 51 appears in the TV movie "The Great Los Angeles Earthquake" (1990), in a segment where all Los Angeles police and fire personnel are deployed to prepare for a massive Southern California earthquake. Stock footage from "Emergency!" is used.


title: Emergency!

text: Rampart Hospital is briefly mentioned in the "911" episode "Hen Begins" (season 2, ep. 9), where Hen is introduced to fellow peers who are struggling to fit into their roles.


title: Emergency!

text: From 1978 through 1979, the show returned as a series of "Movies of the Week". The TV movies premiered in this order:


title: Emergency!

text: "The Steel Inferno": A fire breaks out in a skyscraper and the members of Squad 51 along with other LACoFD members help rescue those who are trapped. Personnel from Rampart General Hospital set up a triage area at the scene to care for the injured awaiting to be transported to the hospital. A Coast Guard helicopter helps firefighters with rooftop evacuations. This television movie was similar to Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno" (1974).


title: Emergency!

text: "Survival on Charter #220": While Squad 51 is on a call, two planes collide with one landing in a Los Angeles subdivision, trapping Gage and DeSoto. A resident of the subdivision which was the site of the crash was the girlfriend of one of Squad 51's other paramedics from another shift. The on and off-duty firefighters make multiple rescues and the injured girl Squad 51 was originally dispatched to help turns out to be all right. During the rescue, however, an engine from one of the planes lands on the squad, rendering it out of commission due to the heavy damage it sustained.


title: Emergency!

text: "Most Deadly Passage": The paramedics from Squad 51 travel to Seattle to watch how their paramedics treat patients and respond to calls for help. The most notable incident in the movie is the ferry that catches fire in the middle of a trip.


title: Emergency!

text: "What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing?": Gage and DeSoto travel to San Francisco to observe some female paramedics work. A worker is rescued from the Golden Gate Bridge, an ambulance gets into an accident that ends up killing the patient being transported to the hospital, an epileptic in a coffee shop is treated along with someone having a heart attack at a dance bar. A pier at the Embarcadero catches on fire.


title: Emergency!

text: "Greatest Rescues of "Emergency!"": Gage and DeSoto are both promoted to the rank of captain, at which rank they were no longer permitted to hold paramedic certification. They think back to their time on Squad 51 and some of the rescues they carried out. Robert A. Cinader wrote and directed the framing story, which included clips from other such installments as the pilot, on whose writing Harold Jack Bloom had collaborated with Cinader. This film marked the "official" ending of the series.


title: Emergency!

text: "The Convention": John and Roy are back in San Francisco for a paramedic convention and they ride along with the San Francisco Fire Department's paramedics.


title: Emergency!

text: The TV movies were shown in syndication as two-part episodes starting in the 1980s. They also aired on TV Land in 2001, on MeTV in June 2015, and on Cozi TV in late 2019.


title: Emergency!

text: The book "Emergency!: Behind the Scenes" by Richard Yokely and Rozane Sutherland was published in 2008.


title: Emergency!

text: Charlton Comics out of Derby, Connecticut, published several issues of an "Emergency!" comic book in the mid-1970s, geared towards youth readers. One of the issues contains some of the earliest published work of John Byrne. Charlton also published four issues of an illustrated black-and-white magazine geared more towards adult readers featuring art by Neal Adams and others, these projects were overseen by publisher Steve Kahn, in parallel with similar books for The Six Million Dollar Man and .


title: Emergency!

text: Wonderland Records produced three original audio dramas based on "Emergency!"; these were released on a single 33 rpm LP. These were: "The Jaws of Life" (in which the title gadget proves its worth when Gage and DeSoto must rescue one man from a subway mishap and another from a burning car; they also help a woman shocked by a high-voltage power line; both are uneasy about supper this week, since Lopez is the designated chef at Station 51), "Front Page Story" (in which Gage and DeSoto, after rescuing an elderly man from a burning – and supposedly abandoned – wharf, must deal with investigative reporter Jenny James ... who's been instructed to write an exposé on Squad 51; she observes – and unwittingly complicates – their treatment of a blind teenage diabetic with a fractured skull, who might need on-the-spot surgery to save his life), and "The Used Car Caper" (in which our paramedics assist a security guard shot in a bank robbery, and then a young woman injured by a reckless driver; the latter call ties into the subplot, as DeSoto puts his old car up for sale ... and gets an offer from a fellow who's suspiciously eager to close the deal).


title: Emergency!

text: The series was first syndicated in 1976, after the fifth season. Local stations mainly aired it between 4:30 and 6 p.m. Eastern (3:30 to 5:00 Central) for the same viewers that were its most loyal audience on NBC, elementary school-aged children. However, "Emergency!" was not nearly as successful in reruns as "Dragnet 1967–70" and "Adam-12" were. When the program was first syndicated, it went by the title "Emergency One!" (the stock title "Emergency!" appeared with the word "One" fading in beneath) to avoid confusion with the new episodes still airing Saturday nights on NBC and continued to be called that when the TV movies aired as well. The syndicated episodes would revert to the original title, "Emergency!", in 1979. Renaming programs for syndication was commonplace until the 1980s. Although in the early 2000s it had a brief run on TV Land, "Emergency!" had been rarely seen in recent times because the series had come under the ownership of the Jack Webb Estate. The show is now seen on Cozi TV.


title: Emergency!

text: "Emergency!" seasons 1 – 6 were available on Netflix on Demand in high definition (though several episodes are missing due to rights issues), having been restored and rescanned from the original film negatives. The series ran on MeTV from September 2013 to December 2016, an over-the-air service mainly seen on digital subchannels of local television stations. Starting in January 2017, the series moved to the NBC Universal owned digital broadcast network Cozi TV. As of Spring 2022, the series airs on FETV, a satellite and cable network featuring classic programming and family entertainment. It is only available for purchase on DVD in the US from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and through major retailers.


title: Emergency!

text: In 1998, Universal Studios released 39 episodes on VHS, in a 20-volume set, distributed through Columbia House. The videocassettes each contained 2 episodes from the series, except for the first one, which only contained the two-hour pilot.


title: Emergency!

text: Universal Studios has released all six seasons of "Emergency!" and the six post-series tele-films (as "The Final Rescues"), on DVD in Region 1.


title: Emergency!

text: On July 12, 2016, Universal released "Emergency! – The Complete Series" on DVD in Region 1. The 32-disc set contains all 122 episodes of the series as well as the 6 post-series tele-films.


title: Emergency!

text: In 2017–2018, Universal re-released the first two seasons on DVD in new single sided disc collections.


title: Emergency!

text: Note: "Seasons 1 & 2 in the complete series set were released on single sided discs; they were originally released on double sided discs in the individual season sets."


title: Emergency!

text: The Los Angeles County Fire Museum currently houses the Universal-built Squad 51, both Engines 51 (the renumbered Crown LACoFD Engine 60 and the Ward-LaFrance-donated Engine 51), and various equipment used on the show. Such equipment includes: the orange "BioPhone", black "drug box" (tackle box), defibrillator, OB/GYN, radios, turnout coats, gear, various cast photographs, and other paraphernalia used on the show.


title: Emergency!

text: The museum, which relocated to 16400 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower, California, USA (33.8842615N, 118.1259962W) in July, 2018, allows fans to photograph and (for special events) touch / handle the various equipment. Some of the equipment is signed by various actors from the show.


title: Pazuzu

text: In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu (; also called Fazuzu or Pazuza) was a personification of the southwestern wind, and held kingship over the lilu wind demons.


title: Pazuzu

text: As an apotropaic entity, he was considered as both a destructive and dangerous wind, but also as a repellant to other demons, one who would safeguard the home from their influence. In particular he was protective of pregnant women and mothers, whom he could defend from the machinations of the demoness Lamashtu, his rival. He is invoked in ritual and representations of him are used as defense charms.


title: Pazuzu

text: Hanpu is his father. He has many a connection to other wind deities, namely Lamashtu and the Lilû demons, other protective demons, as well as the foreign Egyptian dwarf deity Bes.


title: Pazuzu

text: Pazuzu has two chief aspects. Firstly as a demon of the home, as a domestic spirit, and secondly as the wandering wind demon, traversing the mountains, where he presents as a more wild character.


title: Pazuzu

text: There is a well documented use of Pazuzu in Mesopotamian white magic. His inhuman and grotesque form can be inferred to have been used to frighten away unwanted guests, as well as prevent his wind-demon subjects from entering the home and wreaking havoc. His role in ritual and magic is documented on inscriptions on the backs of his statues, or in ritual texts. Spells, Incantations, and special artifacts were used to gain the favor and protection of the demon, such artifacts being placed in and around the home, or worn on the person to achieve the desired effect.


title: Pazuzu

text: Large numbers of Pazuzu Heads have been discovered, made from a variety of materials, chiefly terracotta, but also bronze, iron, gold, glass, and bone. These heads often feature holes or loops at the top, allowing them to be worn on necklaces by pregnant women in order to protect the baby from evil forces. Occasionally the heads would be attached to cylinder seals or worn as brooches as well. Some of these heads have been found in graves.


title: Pazuzu

text: Carved Amulets are also common. Ritual texts from Uruk state that a woman could be given a bronze necklace or amulet of Pazuzu in order to protect her from miscarrying via the interference of Lamashtu. Some are rectangular, showing Pazuzu in either standing or crouching pose (see gallery images below). Larger amulets made from stone could be hung on the wall to protect the room or an entrance. One of this type of amulet that was found inside a home in the Neo-Assyrian town of Dur-Katlimmu was lying on the floor of the main reception room and was thought to have been hung on the wall facing the entryway.


title: Pazuzu

text: Given the number of artifacts uncovered, it can probably be inferred that Pazuzu enjoyed great popularity, and based upon the uniformity of the heads, amulets and statues, it has even been speculated that such representations of the demon/god were mass-produced.


title: Pazuzu

text: Relating to the representations of Pazuzu, text inscriptions on the backs of representations or on tablets would invoke or otherwise mention Pazuzu.


title: Pazuzu

text: A ritual text from Assyria prescribes a Pazuzu head as a way to banish sickness. Similary a ritual incantation against Lamastu from the Late Babylonian Period instructs making a Pazuzu necklace and hanging it around the afflicted persons neck.


title: Pazuzu

text: "I am Pazuzu, son of Ḫanbu, king of the evil lilû-demons. I was enraged (in violent motion) against the strong mountains and ascended them."


title: Pazuzu

text: Another text also narrated by him describes Pazuzu encountering other lilû demons in his travels, and breaking their wings, therefore preventing them from inflicting harm. "I ascended a mighty mountain that shook, and the (evil) winds I encountered there were heading West; One by one I broke their wings." In another text he is perceived as more malicious, as the narrator addresses him as "Agony of Mankind", "Suffering of Mankind", "Disease of Mankind", and chants telling the demon to not enter the home.


title: Pazuzu

text: According to Eckart Frahm's study of the Demon, the appearance of Pazuzu has remained fairly uniform throughout his history. Pazuzu is depicted as a combination of diverse animal and human parts. His body of canine form, though scaled not furred, with birds' talons for feet, two pairs of wings, a scorpion's tail and a serpentine penis. He holds his right hand up and his left hand down. His face is striking, with gazelle horns, human ears, a doglike muzzle, bulging eyes, and wrinkles on the cheeks.


title: Pazuzu

text: There is also a notable connection to the earlier Babylonian personifications of The Four Winds. These beings, as depicted on several Cylinder seals, have wings, and each represents a different direction of wind; South, East, West, and North. It is of note that Franz Wiggermann calls attention to the crooked positioning of the masculine West Wind in seals, as similar to posture in Pazuzu's iconography. More connections appear in later seals, as this same bent-over figure takes on talons and a scorpion's tail. The main difference in their depictions is the head, thus Wiggerman concludes that it is Pazuzu's body and not his head that denotes him as a wind demon. Another scholar, Scott Noegel, asserts that Pazuzu's possession of four wings links to the term "kippatu", meaning "circle, loop, circumference, and totality" suggesting his control over all cardinal directions of wind inherited from his predecessors.


title: Pazuzu

text: The baby-snatching Lamastu was attested as both a subject of and an antagonist of Pazuzu. It is theorized that Pazuzu could have been created specifically as a counter to her. Initially she existed as an independent demoness, with no distinct connection to other demons. Then in the Late Bronze Age she took on the lilû demon classification, thus Pazuzu was introduced as a way to chase her from the home and back into the underworld. It does also seem to be that Pazuzu's first appearances and Lamastu's reassigning as a lilû both originate from the same time and place, the Middle Assyrian Empire, but this could be a coincidence.


title: Pazuzu

text: On one Lamastu amulet, a scene shows Pazuzu chasing the demoness away from her victim, while another displays him destroying it.


title: Pazuzu

text: On a Neo-Assyrian Bronze Plaque, Pazuzu's head is perched above the top of the plaque, while a smaller version of him in the scene itself is chasing Lamastu away down a river. Other protective spirits appear in the plaque as well, including Fish-men and other animal headed demons, there to protect the person who is lying down on a bed.


title: Pazuzu

text: Some scholars believe that Egyptian demon Bes is a counterpart of Pazuzu. Notably both are known to be protector demons in the home. They have iconographic links: both having a lion parts, wings, a distinctly long phallus, and similar facial features. And there are noted similarities between the positioning of the two on protective amulets as well. Another close connection is their association with the protection of pregnant women and mothers.


title: Pazuzu

text: There is evidence that the two were in each other's cultural spheres. A possible Pazuzu figure was found in Egypt, as well as Bes amulets uncovered in sites in Iran. In a seventh century era fort in Nimrud, five Pazuzu heads were found near a Bes amulet.


title: Pazuzu

text: One theory posits a connection in their names as well - that Bes, like Pazuzu, could have been derived from the king name Bazi - although Pazuzu's name has not yet been proven to have originated from Bazi, nor, it is speculated, has Bes's name been proven to be of foreign origin.


title: Pazuzu

text: On some amulets, Pazuzu appears alongside Ugallu and Lulal, protective deities who were thought to solely benefit mankind thus their presences here may be apotropaic, or deployed to minimise Pazuzu's maleficent aspect. Their common positioning on the back of the amulet out of sight of the viewer could suggest the latter. They have also been present on the back of half-relief Pazuzu heads, again out of sight.


title: Pazuzu

text: Pazuzu is the god of the southwestern wind and who is associated with the plague. Pazuzu was invoked in apotropaic amulets, which combat the powers of his rival, the malicious goddess Lamashtu, who was believed to cause harm to mother and child during childbirth. Although Pazuzu is considered an evil spirit, he was called upon to ward off other malicious spirits. He would protect humans against any variety of misfortune or plague.


title: Pazuzu

text: According to Wiggermann, the Pazuzu figure suddenly appeared in the Early Iron Age. His first visual depictions are not attested until the 8th century BC with the first finds being in the tombs of Nimrud, and his first appearances in texts trace to the 7th century BC. The majority of his representations were found in the Seventh and Sixth Centuries BCE, with the most recent finds dating back to the time of the Seleucid Empire.


title: Pazuzu

text: Bazi, as named in the Tell Leilan version of the Sumerian King List, was a king of Mari. The name is followed by that of the succeeding king, Zizi. Bazi's name is preceded by Anbu, his father, who was suspected to have inspired the god Anbu, which later conflated into Hanbu. (Pazuzu's father.) The theory goes that, given the connection between Anbu and Hanbu, it could be that the name Pazuzu is a construction of the following kings names: Ba-zi-Zi-zi.


title: Pazuzu

text: Like Pazuzu, Humbaba was used as a protector deity, with depictions of his frightening head being used to ward off evil. It could therefore be speculated that the Pazuzu heads replaced those of Humababa. Humbaba fell from favour in the Late Bronze Age, shortly before Pazuzu emerged, although the two do not share any great iconographic connection, making it unlikely that Pazuzu could have evolved from the earlier deity.


title: Pazuzu

text: Another speculation is that rather than Bes and Pazuzu having a common origin point, Pazuzu was an offshoot of Bes.


title: Bad Omens

text: Bad Omens is an American rock band from Richmond, Virginia formed in 2015 by vocalist, frontman and producer Noah Sebastian, guitarist Nicholas Ruffilo, and bassist Vincent Riquier. The band was later joined by guitarist Joakim "Jolly" Karlsson and drummer Nick Folio, releasing their critically acclaimed debut self-titled album in 2016 under Sumerian Records. Their second full-length album, "Finding God Before God Finds Me," was released in 2019. A deluxe edition was released in 2020, spawning singles "Limits" and "Never Know", which both charted on the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Songs chart.


title: Bad Omens

text: The idea to form Bad Omens came in 2013 when Noah Sebastian began secretly making lyrics while also performing guitar duties for a Washington, D.C.-based act named Immoralist. In 2014, Noah Sebastian departed from his former band, with Bad Omens in sight. The following year in 2015, he contacted an old friend, Nicholas Ruffilo, to start the band. He then added another mate, Vincent Riquier, who introduced him to a friend from Sweden, Jolly Karlsson. Karlsson had known Riquier through being touring mates from an old project from Riquier. With those four members, the group moved out of their homes in Sweden and Richmond. Karlsson had the idea to make the move when a friend of his began a small record label that was initially producing the band's songs. Nick Folio joined after submitting an online cover of a demo the band put out while seeking a drummer. Thus became Bad Omens. The band put out an untitled demo EP containing rough versions of their debut album tracks, which caught the eye of Sumerian Records. The EP was good enough for Sumerian to recommend taking most of the tracks and putting them on a full-length.


title: Bad Omens

text: After months of rehearsal in Folio's basement, the band set off to Belleville, New Jersey, to record their debut album with producer Will Putney (Upon a Burning Body, The Amity Affliction, Body Count) at Graphic Nature Audio. That very same year in December, the band landed a record deal and released a single and complementary music video for "Glass Houses" through the Sumerian YouTube channel. The single received some attention. A month later, the band released "Exit Wounds". They played on the Sumerian Records 10 Year Tour alongside Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, After the Burial and Erra. In April 2016, "The Worst in Me" was released, throwing Bad Omens into the limelight with almost one-million streams in a month. This garnered Bad Omens an opening spot on the Ten Years in the Black Tour, a tenth-anniversary Sumerian Records tour headlined by Asking Alexandria, with supporting acts such as Veil of Maya (in certain shows), After the Burial, Upon a Burning Body, I See Stars and Born of Osiris. This tour not only boosted their morale as a band, but also shed light on their debut album that had just been released on August 19, 2016. The album received positive reviews, with "Metal Injection" rating it an 8.5 out of 10. Many critics compared it to Bring Me the Horizon's "Sempiternal" release in 2013. Bad Omens' rising fame got them a spot on Warped Tour in 2017, which gave them notice from pop punk fans and metal fans alike. The same year, Noah Sebastian worked with American deathcore act, Winds of Plague on their fifth studio album "Blood of My Enemy". The band embarked on what is seemingly their largest tour yet, supporting Parkway Drive on their "Reverence" tour along with Stick to Your Guns in the spring of 2018. After the tour, the band took time off to finish writing their sophomore album.


title: Bad Omens

text: Bad Omens was initially scheduled to open up for The Amity Affliction and Senses Fail on their 2019 "Misery Will Find You Tour". However, the band dropped off the lineup on the day the tour was announced. Senses Fail declared the reason they had dropped off was because their logo was too small on the promotional flyer. Bad Omens quickly released a statement clarifying that they left because agreements in the signed contract were not fulfilled, and both bands were now "bullying" the group over their own failure to comply. Bad Omens concurrently released a shirt with their logo in a tiny font to parody the situation.


title: Bad Omens

text: On December 16, 2019, Bad Omens released a new song, "Never Know", and announced the upcoming deluxe edition of their album, "Finding God Before God Finds Me", which featured the same track listing, as well as "Never Know" and two other new songs: "Limits" and a Duran Duran cover of "Come Undone". On January 16, 2020, the band released the music video for the track, "Limits". A day later, they released their cover of "Come Undone".


title: Bad Omens

text: In February and March 2020, the band embarked on their first full US headlining tour with support from Oh, Sleeper, Thousand Below, and Bloodline. On March 13, the remainder of the tour was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Bad Omens

text: In 2022, Bad Omens toured with A Day to Remember, The Ghost Inside, and Beartooth. The band later announced on August 23 that they would be headlining a North American tour with Dayseeker, Make Them Suffer, and Thousand Below.


title: Bad Omens

text: The lyrical content of the band's debut revolves mostly around despair, mental health struggles, and addiction. Noah Sebastian had this to say in an interview with Sumerian about "The Worst in Me", in particular: It's about a very intense and unhealthy relationship I was in, but we wrote it in a format that's universal to all bad habits. More specifically, it's something you can't let go of even though it's not good for you—whether it's a relationship, a drug problem, or terrible situation. You're addicted. The band have stated numerous times that they have been compared to the early 2010s metalcore style of Bring Me the Horizon. This is due to Noah Sebastian's scratchy, mid-to-high pitch screaming style which bear resemblance to Bring Me the Horizon frontman Oliver Sykes' voice on their 2013 "Sempiternal" release. The band have addressed these comments as "flattering, yet frustrating". Sebastian also explained that while he may have been influenced by the band, the intent was to sound unique.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The Porsche 918 Spyder is a limited-production mid-engine plug-in hybrid sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche. The 918 Spyder is powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine, developing at 8,700RPM, with two electric motors delivering an additional for a combined output of and of torque. The 918 Spyder's 6.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack delivers an all-electric range of under the US Environmental Protection Agency's five-cycle tests.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: Production began on 18 September 2013, with deliveries initially scheduled to begin in December 2013, and a starting price of ≈€781,000 (US$845,000 or GB£711,000). The 918 Spyder was sold out in December 2014 and production ended in June 2015.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The 918 Spyder was first shown as a concept at the 80th Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. On 28 July 2010, after 2,000 declarations of interest, the supervisory board of Porsche AG approved series development of the 918 Spyder. The production version was unveiled at the September 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Porsche also unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918 at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, which combines hybrid technology first used in the 997 GT3 R Hybrid, with styling from the 918 Spyder. However, the 918 RSR didn't make it to production. The 918 Spyder was the second plug-in hybrid car manufactured by Porsche, after the 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The 918 Spyder is powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine built on the same architecture as the one used in the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype racing car without any engine belts.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The engine weighs according to Porsche and delivers at 8,700RPM and of maximum torque at 6,700RPM. This is supplemented by two electric motors delivering an additional . One electric motor drives the rear wheels in parallel with the engine and also serves as the main generator. This motor and engine deliver power to the rear axle via a 7-speed gearbox coupled to Porsche's own PDK double-clutch system. The front electric motor directly drives the front axle; an electric clutch decouples the motor when not in use. The total system delivers and of torque. Porsche provided official performance figures of in 2.6 seconds, in 7.2 seconds, in 19.9 seconds and a top speed of .


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: Those numbers were surpassed in independent tests which yielded 2.5 seconds for 0100 km/h, 7.0 seconds for 0200 km/h, 19.1 seconds for 0300 km/h, a top speed of and 17.75 seconds for the standing kilometre reaching a speed of .


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: In "Car and Driver"‘s independent test of the Porsche 918 they achieved in 2.2 seconds, in 4.9 seconds, in 17.5 seconds, and the quarter mile in 9.8 seconds. In "Motor Trend"'s independent test the Porsche 918 set a production-car track record at Willow Springs Raceway. With a time of 2.4 seconds, it was the fastest car to 60 mph that they had ever tested. It stopped from in , and broke Motor Trend's figure 8 record at 22.2 seconds.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The energy storage system is a 312-cell, liquid-cooled 6.8kWh lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. In addition to a plug-in charge port at the passenger-side B pillar, the batteries are also charged by regenerative braking and by excess output from the engine when the car is coasting. emissions are 79g/km and fuel consumption is under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its five-cycle tests rated the 2015 model year Porsche 918 Spyder energy consumption in all-electric mode at 50kWh per 100 miles, which translates into a combined city/highway fuel economy of . When powered only by the gasoline engine, EPA's official combined city/highway fuel economy is .


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The 4.6 litre V8 petrol engine can recharge an empty battery on about two litres of fuel. The supplied Porsche Universal Charger requires seven hours to charge the battery on a typical 120V household AC socket or two hours on a 240V charger. A DC charging station can restore the battery to full capacity in 25 minutes.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The 918 Spyder offers five different running modes: E-Drive allows the car to run under battery power alone, using the rear electric motor and front motor, giving a range of for the concept model. The official U.S. EPA all-electric range is . The total range with a full tank of gasoline and a fully charged battery is according to EPA tests. Under the E-Drive mode the car can attain a maximum speed of . Two hybrid modes (Hybrid, and Race) use both the engine and electric motors to provide the desired levels of economy and performance. In Race mode a push-to-pass button initiates the Hot Lap setting, which delivers additional electrical power.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The chassis is a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque and the brake system is boosted electrically (rather than the traditional vacuum boost).


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The production version was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The 918 Spyder was produced in a limited series and it was developed in Weissach and assembled in Zuffenhausen for the 2014 model year. Production for the 2014 model year started on 18 September 2013<nowiki>,</nowiki> with deliveries scheduled to begin in December 2013. Sales in the United States began in June 2014. Pricing for the 918 Spyder started at in Europe and in the U.S. According to its battery size, the 918 Spyder was eligible to a federal tax credit of up to .


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The country with the most orders is the United States with 297 units, followed by China and Germany with approximately 100 orders each, and Canada ordering 35 units.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: According to JATO Dynamics, a total of 105 units have been registered worldwide during the first nine months of 2014. The United States is the leading market with 202 units delivered up to May 2015. , a total of 9 units were registered in Switzerland, 6 in the Netherlands, 5 units in Canada, 4 in Sweden, 3 in Brazil and 1 in South Africa.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: The Weissach Package is a weight saving and aerodynamics package offered by Porsche for the 918 Spyder. It was an $84,000 factory option in the US. The package included magnesium wheels and an extended rear diffuser, interior parts covered in Alcantara instead of leather. The windscreen frame, roof, rear wings, and rear-view mirrors were also made out of carbon fiber.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: At the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918 Spyder. Instead of using plug-in hybrid technology, power for the two electric motors is provided by a flywheel accumulator KERS system that sits beside the driver in the passenger compartment. The V8 is a further development of the direct injection engine from the RS Spyder race car developing at 10,300RPM. The electric motors each provide an additional , giving a peak power output of . The six-speed gearbox is a development of the unit from the RS Spyder.


title: Porsche 918 Spyder

text: In September 2013 a 918 fitted with the optional 'Weissach Package' set a Nürburgring lap time of 6:57 on the road course, reducing the previous record by 14 seconds, and making it the first street-legal production car to break the 7-minute barrier.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen () is a fictional character from the "Dune" franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel "Dune" and is also a prominent character in the "Prelude to Dune" prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Herbert's son Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The character is brought back as a ghola in the Herbert/Anderson sequels which conclude the original series, "Hunters of Dune" (2006) and "Sandworms of Dune" (2007).


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Baron Harkonnen is portrayed by Kenneth McMillan in David Lynch's 1984 film "Dune". Ian McNeice plays the role in the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries "Frank Herbert's Dune" and its sequel, 2003's "Children of Dune". Harkonnen is portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård in the 2021 Denis Villeneuve film "Dune" and its 2023 sequel "".


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Frank Herbert wanted a harsh-sounding name for the antagonistic family opposing House Atreides in "Dune". He came across the name "Härkönen" in a California telephone book and thought that it sounded "Soviet", though it is in fact Finnish, a language unrelated to Russian. In earlier drafts of "Dune", the character was called "Valdemar Hoskanner".


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Herbert's "Appendix IV: The Almanak en-Ashraf (Selected Excerpts of the Noble Houses)" in "Dune" says of Harkonnen (in part):


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: The character is usually described as the primary antagonist of the novel. Herbert writes in "Dune" that the Baron possesses a "basso voice" and is so "grossly and immensely fat" that he requires anti-gravity devices known as suspensors to support his weight. He is one of the wealthiest members of the Landsraad and a bitter rival of Leto Atreides, and the Baron's "legendary evil and intellect" are unmatched by anyone else from House Harkonnen. In the novel, the Baron feigns outrage over losing control of Arrakis to Leto, but is actually conspiring to use the situation as an opportunity to destroy the Atreides once and for all. William Hughes of "The A.V. Club" describes the Baron as "a decadent, monstrous gasbag of depravity and evil". As ruthless and cruel as he is intelligent and cunning, the Baron is "crafty and power-hungry" and has a talent for manipulating others and exploiting their weaknesses, as well as a propensity for torture and blackmail. "IGN" describes the character as "cruel, sadistic and hedonistic", Travis Johnson of Flicks.com.au explains that Harkonnen is written as "a predatory homosexual given to pederasty and incest, an unrepentant rapist and murderer." The Baron's sexual preference for young men is implied in "Dune" and "Children of Dune". It is noted, however, that he "once permitted himself to be seduced" by a Bene Gesserit in the liaison which produced his secret daughter.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: As "Dune" begins, a longstanding feud exists between the Harkonnens of Giedi Prime and the Atreides of Caladan. The Baron's intent to exterminate the Atreides line seems close to fruition as Duke Leto Atreides is lured to the desert planet Arrakis on the pretense of taking over the valuable melange operation there. The Baron has an agent in the Atreides household: Leto's own physician, the trusted Suk doctor Wellington Yueh. Though Suk Imperial Conditioning supposedly makes the subject incapable of inflicting harm, the Baron's twisted Mentat Piter De Vries notes:


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: The Baron has taken Yueh's wife Wanna prisoner, threatening her with interminable torture unless Yueh complies with his demands. Harkonnen also distracts Leto's Mentat Thufir Hawat from discovering Yueh by guiding Hawat toward another suspect: Leto's Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, of whom Hawat is already distrustful. The Atreides are soon attacked by Harkonnen forces (secretly supplemented by the seemingly unstoppable Imperial Sardaukar) as Yueh disables the protective shields around the Atreides palace on Arrakis. As instructed, Yueh takes Leto prisoner; however, desiring to slay the Baron, Yueh provides the captive Leto with a fake tooth filled with poisonous gas as a means of simultaneous assassination and suicide. De Vries kills Yueh but he also dies with Leto in the assassination attempt; however Harkonnen survives. The Baron then manipulates Hawat into his service, by convincing Hawat that Lady Jessica was the traitor and using Hawat's desire for revenge on Lady Jessica and the Emperor as motivation to assist House Harkonnen.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Jessica flees into the desert with her and Leto's son Paul Atreides, and both are presumed dead. Paul's prescience helps him determine the identity of Jessica's father, the "maternal grandfather who cannot be named" — the Baron himself. Over the next two years, Harkonnen learns that his nephews Glossu Rabban and Feyd-Rautha are conspiring against him to usurp his throne; he lets them continue to do so, reasoning that they have to somehow learn to organize a conspiracy. As punishment for a failed assassination attempt against him, Harkonnen forces Feyd to single-handedly slaughter all the female slaves who serve as Feyd's lovers. He explains that Feyd has to learn the price of failure.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: The Baron's plan to assure Feyd's power is to install him as ruler of Arrakis after a period of tyrannical misrule by Rabban, making Feyd appear to be the savior of the people. However, a crisis on Arrakis begins when the mysterious Muad'Dib emerges as a leader of the native Fremen tribes, uniting them against the rule of the Harkonnens. Eventually, a series of Fremen victories against Beast Rabban threaten to disrupt the trade of the spice, inciting the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV to intervene personally, leading several legions of Sardaukar. After the emperor's arrival on Arrakis, both Corrino and Harkonnen are shocked to learn that rather than a native Fremen warlord, their opponent Muad'Dib is the still-living Paul Atreides, and the Emperor's intervention was part of his plan. The Imperial forces fall prey to a surprise attack by the Fremen, who let a sandstorm short out the force field shields of the transport ships, disable them with projectile weapons, and then mount a mass assault using sandworms as siege-breakers. Their enemies are left trapped on the planet, outnumbered by the many tribes and outgunned by the sandworms. The Harkonnen's past ruthlessness further causes the enraged Fremen to give them little to no quarter; over the course of the battle their entire army is exterminated.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: The Harkonnen leadership are also all killed in the course of this battle. Rabban dies first, in the early stages of the battle. Baron Harkonnen himself is poisoned with a gom jabbar by Paul's sister Alia Atreides, still a toddler physically but an adult Reverend Mother mentally, who reveals that she is his granddaughter to him just before his death. His remaining heir Feyd-Rautha is killed in ritual combat by Paul Atreides. House Harkonnen as a political entity is left virtually defunct, permanently excluded from galactic power, though Harkonnen "blood" is technically ascendant, as Imperial House Atreides is composed entirely of Vladimir Harkonnen's descendants.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Alia had been born with her ancestral memories in the womb, a circumstance the Bene Gesserit refer to as Abomination, because in their experience it is inevitable that the individual will become possessed by the personality of one of their ancestors. In "Children of Dune", Alia falls victim to this prediction when she shares control of her body with the ego-memory of the Baron Harkonnen, and eventually falls under his power. Alia eventually commits suicide, realizing that Harkonnen's consciousness has surpassed her abilities to contain him.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: In the "Prelude to Dune" prequel series by Brian Herbert and Anderson, it is established that Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the son and heir of Dmitri Harkonnen and his wife Victoria. Harkonnen's father had been the head of House Harkonnen and ruled the planet Giedi Prime. Trained since youth as a possible successor, Vladimir had been eventually chosen over his half-brother Abulurd (namesake of the original). Unhappy with his brother's doings, Abulurd eventually marries Emmi Rabban and renounces the family name and his rights to the title. Under the name Abulurd Rabban, he reigns as governor of the secondary Harkonnen planet Lankiveil. Abulurd and his wife have two sons: Glossu Rabban (later nicknamed "Beast Rabban" after he murders his own father) and Feyd-Rautha; Vladimir later adopts the boys back into House Harkonnen, and Feyd becomes his designated heir. The Baron's most prominent political rival is Duke Leto Atreides; the Harkonnens and the Atreides have been bitter enemies for millennia, since the Battle of Corrin that ended the Butlerian Jihad. When Emperor Shaddam IV orchestrates a plot to destroy the "Red Duke" Leto, the Baron eagerly lends his aid.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: The young Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is described as an exceedingly handsome man, possessing red hair and a near-perfect physique. The Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam is instructed by the Sisterhood to collect his genetic material (through conception) for their breeding program. As the Baron's homosexuality is something of an open secret, Mohiam blackmails him into having sexual relations with her and conceives his child. When that daughter proves genetically undesirable, Mohiam kills her and returns to Harkonnen for a second try; at this point he drugs and viciously rapes her. She exacts her retribution by infecting him with a rare, incurable disease that later causes his obesity. Mohiam's second child with the Baron is Jessica. In "", the deteriorating Baron at first walks with the assistance of a cane, then relies on belt-mounted suspensors to retain mobility. He consults numerous doctors in the expanse of time between the "" and "Dune: House Harkonnen", up to and including his future instrument Dr. Yueh, all of whom are ultimately no help. To conceal this debilitation, he pretends that his obesity is due to intentional overindulgence, lest the Landsraad remove him from power. When he determines that Mohiam inflicted him with the disease, he attempts to coerce her into revealing the cure, but soon discovers that there is none. The Baron, Duke Leto, and Jessica herself are unaware that Jessica is secretly the Baron's daughter or that he has even fathered one. In the year 10,176, the Baron's grandson Paul is born to Leto and Jessica.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: In "Hunters of Dune" (2006), the continuation of the original series by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the Baron is resurrected as a ghola (5,029 years after the death of Alia) by the Lost Tleilaxu Uxtal, acting on orders from the Face Dancer Khrone. Khrone intends to use the Baron ghola to manipulate a ghola of Paul Atreides, named Paolo. Khrone tries various torture techniques for three years to awaken the 12-year-old Baron's genetic memories; these methods fail due to the Baron's sadomasochistic nature. Khrone is successful when he imprisons the Baron in a sensory deprivation tank for a prolonged period; the Baron's memories of his former life return. The reincarnated Baron is soon haunted by the voice of Alia in his mind; the source of this inner Alia is never explained.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Baron Harkonnen is portrayed by Kenneth McMillan in David Lynch's 1984 film. The obese and disheveled Baron is overtly unstable, and covered in oozing pustules. William Hughes of "The A.V. Club" deemed McMillan's facial prosthetics "very memorable". Emmet Asher-Perrin of "Tor.com" wrote that "Lynch's attempt is infamous for really leaning on [the] codified aspects of the Baron, to the point where his sore-ridden appearance has been called out as a likely connection to the AIDS epidemic, which was a prevalent health crisis while the film was in production." Travis Johnson of Flicks.com.au noted that the Lynch film embraced "the archetype of the depraved gay sadist", which would not be acceptable in 2019. Asher-Perrin added, "Lynch also makes a point of connecting the Baron's desire for men to deviancy and violence, deliberately juxtaposing his assault of a young man with a tender love-scene between Duke Leto and Lady Jessica Atreides."


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Ian McNeice plays the Baron in the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries "Frank Herbert's Dune", and its sequel, 2003's "Children of Dune". Asher-Perrin notes that the miniseries played down the negative aspects emphasized by the Lynch film, and writes, "[The Baron's] appearance was not altered to make him seem ill, he never physically attacks anyone, and the miniseries paid more attention to the fact that the Baron was a rapist, his preference for men being incidental." He also praises McNeice as a standout among the cast, writing that he "manages to make the Baron Harkonnen—easily one of the most despicable characters in science fiction literature—every bit as conniving and vicious as he needs to be...and every bit as fascinating. McNeice has a superb sense of how to make the baron mesmerizing to watch no matter how odiously he behaves". Austin Jones of "Paste" writes, "McNeice commands his role as Baron Harkonnen, capturing the vile indulgence and vanity of a feudal lord".


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Baron Harkonnen is portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård in the 2021 Denis Villeneuve film "Dune" and its 2023 sequel "". Skarsgård called the role "small but important", and noted, "I had seven hours in make-up every day because I had to be really fat." Villeneuve said:


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: A line of "Dune" action figures from toy company LJN was released to lackluster sales in 1984. Styled after David Lynch's film, the collection featured a figure of Baron Harkonnen, as well as other characters. In 2006, SOTA Toys produced a Baron Harkonnen action figure for their "Now Playing Presents" line.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: H. R. Giger's Harkonnen Chair is a chair originally designed by the artist as set dressing for an unrealized 1970s adaptation of "Dune" by Alejandro Jodorowsky.


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: Thomas West of "Screen Rant" writes that "there are few science fiction villains quite as compelling and darkly charismatic as the Baron". William Hughes of "The A.V. Club" calls the Baron "one of the most iconically awful villains in all of science fiction", and Stuart Conover of ScienceFiction.com describes him as "one of the most insidious villains". Maude Campbell of "Popular Mechanics" writes that the Baron is "one of the most evil characters ever put to paper (including Darth Vader)", and Jon Michaud of "The New Yorker" compares "Herbert's scheming, backstabbing villain, the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen" to the villainous Lannister family of George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Emmet Asher-Perrin suggests that "what makes the Baron truly monstrous [is] the fact that he spends all of his time plotting murder, sowing discord, and destroying populations of people to get his way". Hughes writes that the evil Harkonnen is "specifically designed to make the noble Atreides family seem that extra bit more dignified and pure", with Jesse Schedeen of "IGN" agreeing that the Baron is "as cruel and vindictive as Leto is noble and just." Hughes goes on to say that Herbert "successfully made [the Baron] so vampirically vile that he casts a (sometimes literal) shadow over the entire series." Sandy Schaefer of "Screen Rant" calls the Baron "a deliciously despicable antagonist".


title: Vladimir Harkonnen

text: While the novel suggests that the Baron's obesity might be the result of a genetic disease, the "Prelude to Dune" prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson explains that Harkonnen was once a fit, attractive but vain man who is given the incurable disease intentionally by the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Mohiam after he drugs and rapes her. Asher-Perrin suggests that in this narrative, "the Baron's corpulence is meant to be comeuppance for doing something reprehensible, a physical punishment meant to hurt his vanity by taking away the attractiveness he so prized in himself."


title: Facesitting

text: Facesitting, also known as queening or kinging, is a sexual practice with one partner sitting over the other's face, sometimes allowing for oral–genital or oral–anal contact. The sitting partner may face in either direction.