Kurgan (Highlander)
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| Alias | Och Ragenko, Yuri Kusigyn, Conrad Roschman, Keith Samples, Victor Kruger[1] |
| Age | 2,990 (at time of death) |
| Found | 1005 BC, Russia |
| Portrayed by | Clancy Brown |
| First appearance | Highlander |
| Movies | 1 |
The Kurgan is a fictional character from the first Highlander film, portrayed by actor Clancy Brown. He is an Immortal and the main antagonist to the character Connor MacLeod in Highlander, and the latter's last opponent in the Gathering. He is also mentioned on Highlander: The Series.
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[edit] History
The Kurgan's true name is never stated. He was born in eastern Russia on the border of the Caspian Sea in 1005 BC. His tribe, the Kurgans, were infamous for their cruelty, and were known to "toss children into pits full of starved dogs, and watch them fight [for the] meat" for amusement. His first death occurred in 970 BC, when his drunken father crushed his head with a rock. Upon returning to life, the Kurgan proceeded to force his father to swallow a searing hot stone, killing him.[2] He then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans. He eventually encountered another Immortal, "The Bedouin," who revealed to him his true nature, and who became the only person who could be labeled as his friend. During the intervening centuries, the Kurgan took an incalculable number of Immortal heads.[3]
In the year 476 BC, allying himself with the Persians as part of a special fighting unit, the Kurgan took part in the Battle of Plataea in ancient Greece. During the battle, he faced off with a Spartan warrior who wielded a katana made by the master swordsmith Masamune, strong enough to shatter the Kurgan's blade. He escaped by falling down a cliff, and was borne away by the flow of the battle. From this experience, the Kurgan learnt the value of steel and a well-crafted blade.[4] The Spartan warrior fought in the battle was revealed to be fellow Immortal Tak Ne, whom the Kurgan would also encounter in Babylonia and ancient China.[5]
Circa 410 AD, the Kurgan joined the Vandals, Goths, and Visigoths in attacking Rome and other Roman settlements, also fighting with the Goths against the Huns. He would then later ally himself with the Huns directly, fighting along Attila, around the year 453. From the fifth to thirteenth centuries, the Kurgan would spread terror alongside the Tartars of the Gobi and ancient Turkey, as well as with Viking raiders and the Mongol horde of Genghis Khan.[6]
In the year 1536, the Kurgan hired himself out to Clan Fraser in their battle with the MacLeod clan, in exchange for allowing him to be the one to kill Connor MacLeod. In the midst of the battle, the Kurgan challenged MacLeod. Before Connor could strike, he was run through with the Kurgan's broadsword. However, Connor's cousins Angus and Dougal (along with other members of his clan) beat the Kurgan back, rescuing Connor from certain beheading. The Kurgan promised he would finish it, screaming: "Another time, MacLeod!!" Five years later, Immortal Tak Ne – now known as Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez – sought out the now fully-Immortal MacLeod as the only hope of defeating the Kurgan. However, the Kurgan discovered this, and tracked them down to MacLeod's home. MacLeod was away, but Ramírez and Heather MacLeod, Connor's wife, were there. He battled Ramírez, who managed to slice Kurgan's throat (though not deep enough to behead him) before being impaled and decapitated himself; all while Heather watched. After taking Ramirez's Quickening, the Kurgan raped Heather and departed. MacLeod returned shortly after, narrowly missing his enemy.
The Kurgan would join the naval forces of Napoleon Bonaparte of France in 1804, and while serving aboard one ship, would run into Connor MacLeod serving aboard the H.M.S. Victory under Admiral Nelson. MacLeod was able to fatally stab the Kurgan, but before he could behead him, a mainmast fell, and the two were separated. Moreover, MacLeod’s weapon became lodged in the Kurgan’s body. The ship sank, taking the Kurgan to the sea’s bottom, where he revived and claimed the Masamune katana as his own.[7]
After these events, the Kurgan would return to his native Russia, pillaging alongside the Cossacks near the end of the ninteenth century.[8] During the First World War, in 1918 Galluzo, Italy, the Kurgan hired two gypsy women, Natasha and Stasya, to lure Francesco, an Immortal monk, off of holy ground with the promise of sexual favors. Once the monk was off holy ground, the Kurgan challenged him, and quickly took the head of the unarmed Francesco. Afterwards, he had his way with the two women. While the Kurgan slept, Stasya managed to steal MacLeod's Masamune katana in payment for services rendered, but left the Kurgan his broadsword.[9]
During the 1960s, the Kurgan entered into an unholy partnership with the government of the Soviet Union to create a genetically-engineered army of mortal super-soldiers purportedly loyal to the U.S.S.R., but in fact created to aid the Kurgan in his quest for "The Prize" – men possessing greatly-slowed metabolism and aging, as well as superior fighting and swordsmanship abilities.[10] The Kurgan and these soldiers would confront Connor MacLeod and a group of other fellow Immortals in the year 1964, with the Kurgan himself gravely (yet temporarily) wounded during the battle, allowing Connor and the others to escape with their lives.[11]
These devoted followers of the Kurgan would continue to remain active for decades, even following his death in New York City in 1985, seeking to destroy MacLeod for his actions in the first Highlander film. The Kurgan's influence would continue to be felt in the world for some time to come – Connor MacLeod received a "Dark Quickening" from his enemy, resulting in the deaths of several innocent Immortals at Connor's hands in early 1987, until Duncan MacLeod aided in purging the Kurgan's last influences from his cousin's tortured psyche.[12]
The Kurgan and Connor MacLeod would meet again in 1985, in New York City, where the Gathering was to take place. During this time, the Kurgan was going by the alias "Victor Kruger." The last six Immortals at this time were himself, MacLeod, Sunda Kastagir, Iman Fasil, Osta Vasilek, and Yung Dol Kim. Vasilek was beheaded by the Kurgan in New Jersey before he learnt of Fasil's death in Madison Square Garden at the hands of the Highlander. He then defeated both Kim, as well as Connor's friend Kastagir, leaving just the two of them. In order to throw Connor's concentration off, the Kurgan kidnapped his then-girlfriend, a screaming Brenda Wyatt, and raced all the way to the abandoned Silvercup building while driving down the wrong side of the highway, playing chicken and running over pedestrians while gleefully singing the theme from "New York, New York."
MacLeod followed them to the site, where he and the Kurgan faced each other in deadly combat, with Brenda's life at stake. After almost killing MacLeod, the Kurgan was distracted by Brenda bashing him over the head with a pipe. This distraction gave Connor the time needed to gather his composure, and the two ancient warriors clashed once more. MacLeod's calmness, maturity, and skill all proved to be superior to the Kurgan's, and ended up beheading his foe, his essence passing to the Highlander, winner of "The Prize."
[edit] Alternative continuity
In Highlander: The Series, the Kurgan's death effectively kicked off the beginning of the Gathering. The Kurgan is mentioned in the episode "The Watchers."
After Darius's death in Paris, in 1993, Duncan MacLeod returned to Seacouver to learn more about the Watchers, and the Hunters. His investigation led him to Joe Dawson, a Watcher, who had no alternative but to tell him who they were. To exemplify the Watchers' knowledge, Dawson showed Duncan his cousin Connor's, the Kurgan's, and his own personal databases. Among other Immortals listed as being slain by the Kurgan in this database were Ivan Trotski and Flavio Parocchi. Additionally, a number of his known aliases over the centuries ("Och Ragenko," "Yuri Kusigyn," "Conrad Roschman," "Keith Samples," "Victor Kruger") are also listed. In contrast to the Kurgan's background in the film continuity, the series portrays the Kurgan as being much younger, having received his immortality in 1453 (according to the screen display that Joe shows Duncan). According to Dawson, Connor MacLeod did the world "a lot of good" by killing the Kurgan.
In the Watcher Chronicles DVD supplements, it's also mentioned that from 1981 to 1985, the Kurgan was watched by future leader of the Hunters, James Horton.
[edit] Highlander II: The Quickening and Planet Zeist
In the final shooting draft of the Highlander II: The Quickening screenplay, it was revealed that the Kurgan was in fact originally sent from the planet Zeist to Earth by General Katana in order to hunt down Connor MacLeod and Ramirez before either of them could win "The Prize," and therefore return to Zeist. The scene was scheduled for filming, and actor Clancy Brown contacted about reprising his role in the sequel, but Brown was not willing to abide the rather extensive pre-production requirements (makeup, costuming) a second time, and declined.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Highlander: The Series, "The Watchers" (1993). Information displayed onscreen in a Watcher laptop database, and viewed by Duncan MacLeod.
- ^ Garry Kilworth, Highlander film novelization (1986), pp. 290-92. The Kurgan's early life, including him gaining his immortality and the killing of his father, is described.
- ^ Highlander film novelization (1986), p. 293.
- ^ J.T. Krul, Highlander: Way of the Sword comic book series (2008), Dynamite Entertainment, Issue #3, pp. 2-6.
- ^ Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, and Larry Ferguson, Highlander movie screenplay (1985); J.T. Krul, Highlander: Way of the Sword comic book series (2008), Dynamite Entertainment, Issue #4, pp. 1-5. Ramirez is shown marrying his Japanese wife Shakiko in ancient Japan, and is called by his Egyptian name of Tak Ne by her father, Masamune, during the flashbacks.
- ^ Garry Kilworth, Highlander film novelization, pp. 290-91. The Kurgan's past centuries spent raiding with many of history's most notorious barbarian tribes are detailed.
- ^ J.T. Krul, Highlander: Way of the Sword comic book series (2008), Dynamite Entertainment, Issue #1, pp. 1-5.
- ^ Garry Kilworth, Highlander film novelization (1986), p. 291.
- ^ J.T. Krul, Highlander: Way of the Sword comic book series (2008), Dynamite Entertainment, Issue #2, pp. 1-6.
- ^ Brandon Jerwa and Michael Avon Oeming, Highlander comic book series (2006), "The Coldest War," Dynamite Entertainment, Issue #1, pp. 11-12.
- ^ Brandon Jerwa and Michael Avon Oeming, Highlander comic book series, "The Coldest War," (2006-07), Issue #2, pp. 7-14, 19-23; Issue #3, pp. 1-5, 8-17, 21-26; Issue #4, pp. 1-5, 10-13, 15, 19-23, 26. The events surrounding Connor MacLeod and the Kurgan's encounter in East Germany in January, 1964 are shown in this series.
- ^ Brandon Jerwa, Highlander comic book series, Issue #6, pp. 1-10, 12-19, 21-25; Issue #7, p. 1-6, 19-25; Issue #8, pp. 1-6, 9, 21-26; Issue #9, pp. 1-8, 11-16, 19-26. In February 1987, Connor MacLeod is kidnapped by another fellow Immortal, and is successfully purged of his Dark Quickening during the subsequent ensuing confrontations.
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