Mr. Indestructable

We meet this guy for the first time on a black and white TV monitor in the Pearl. My first reaction was, how did Snake Plisskin get on LOST island? Locke's comment, delivered as dry as toast": "Well, I guess he'll be expecting us."

Yep, as Sayid found out the hard way, our crafty russian cyclops was indeed awaiting them. So Mikhail got in the first shot, but it's been all uphill from there for him. First he fights with Sayid inside the Flame station and loses. Then he gets taken prisoner and marched out to the fence where Locke gives him the bums rush into the sonic fence.

A very cool scene indeed with Patchy foaming from the mouth and bleeding from the ears and Oh Yea, stopping to say "thank you" to Locke.

HUH?

Thank you for what? and why was Ms. Klugh so eager to take a bullet back at the flame?

Now I suspect Patchy knew he wasn't gonna die by being tossed into the fence. He was just putting on a show for the tourists. But the next time he shows up is miles and days away within spitting distance of where Naomi parachutes down into the trees. I mean Hurley's flare barely burns out and there comes Patchy scampering out of the jungle all surprised as hell that the losties are there. Hmmm.

Here comes ass whupping number two as Jin lays the Kung Fu law down to the cyclops. I was actually cheering on the edge of my couch as this was happening. Patchy shows he's a bit of a klepto as he tries to five finger the SAT phone but Jin catches up and Patchy decides one time is enough and coughs up the phone.

So the next time our mystery russian shows up he is barrelling into the other's campsite who happen to be on their way to the Temple. Wait a minute, they didn't decide to leave until after Patchy got his brains scrambled at the fence, so how did he know where to find Ben and the gang?

He didn't have a walky, because he obviously hadn't contacted Ben. As soon as Ben lays eyes on him he asks him why he isn't dead.

Now comes ass whupping number three. Oh how delighted I was watching Locke beat the snot out of Mikhail. Yea Baby! Nobody stepped up to help Patchy, even though Ben asked them to.
By the time Ben tells Mikhail to go to the Looking Glass, he appears to be mostly healed from Lockes beatdown.

Next our intrepid island communications man dons his diving gear and goes in search of our hero rock star. What does he find instead? That he's been pawned by Ben all along and his own communications have been jammed. (He also thought Greta and Bonnie were in Canada, that will be a whole other column)

So here it's Desmonds turn to inflict damage on Mikhail. Let's see, maybe a spear through the chest, hey it always worked in Bond movies. They are designed to kill 1200 lb sharks, so you think it would slow down Patchy? no way...

This guy with his chest fully ventilated with an extra airhole and about 90 feet of water pressure above him he manages to swim out to the side of the Looking Glass and sets off a hand grenade, but not before showing it to Charlie and waving goodbye.

This is the Super Soldier Mulder and Scully were looking for all those years ago.

Is it goodbye? I honestly don't think so. It would be a hoot to see Patchy survive again. I want to see more losties kick his ass. I bet Kate or Sun could take him, and Sawyer hasn't had his turn yet.

Let's look at Mikhail for a moment. Was he born on the island? NO. It was clear both from the russian literature scattered around the Flame and from confirmation from TPTB that everything Mikhail said was true except for him being a member of the Dharma initiative. So this means Mikhail was recruited to the island. This rules him out as an island native. So where exactly does he get his super regenerative powers? I Don't Know. He seems to be quite literate and fluent in multiple languages ( he understood Naomi), always a good thing to have in a communications officer. Is he dead? I Doubt It.

Whats my theory? Well, I think the island gave him extraordinary healing powers because at some point he made a sacrifice ( his eye ) to the island. Maybe in the fight with Dharma, I don't know when, but at some point (much like the island gave Desmond foresight) he was chosen.
I think Richard Alpert might also have been chosen, after all he doesn't appear to age. Although this might have been not intended. Mikhail was chosen to defend the island, and until he accomplishes his mission, he will not die.