X BACKGROUND: Deep Throat's successor as Mulder's anonymous source, [ NAME WITHHELD ] a.k.a. "X" was to pursue the same mission: supply the X-Files agents with both information and disinformation in order to keep them investigating aspects of the aliens' infiltration that might have eluded us. Following Deep Throat's betrayal of the Syndicate (and his subsequent termination), this semiautonomous position was placed under the auspices of Syndicate enforcer C.G.B. Spender a.k.a. Cigarette-Smoking Man. X's methods, however, were more flamboyant and unnecessarily theatrical than those of his predecessor, increasing the risk of exposure. His bizarre manner of having Mulder contact him — by placing a masking-tape "X" on a window — would clearly signal any other source performing surveillance on Mulder. Our analysts' psychological profiling suggests that X might have "seen too many movies." These factors, combined with active attempts to undermine Cigarette-Smoking Man (we believe from misplaced ambition) necessitated a termination order.