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| The Lone Gunmen | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files character | |
 Byers, Frohike, and Langly, from left to right | |
| First appearance | "E.B.E." |
| Last appearance | "Babylon" |
| Portrayed by | Bruce Harwood (Byers) Tom Braidwood (Frohike) Dean Haglund (Langly) |
| In-universe information | |
| Affiliated with | Fox Mulder, Dana Scully |
The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who appeared in recurring roles on the American television series The X-Files, and who starred in the short-lived spin-off, The Lone Gunmen. Their name was derived from the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was solely responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy.[1]
Described as countercultural patriots, they are ardent conspiracy theorists, government watchdogs and computer hackers who frequently assist central X-Files characters Mulder and Scully, though they sometimes have their own adventures. The Lone Gunmen author a news publication called The Lone Gunman (once referred to as The Magic Bullet Newsletter; a pejorative reference to the single bullet theory and, like the group's name, a reference to the John F. Kennedy assassination), to which Mulder loyally subscribed. None of them have day jobs; they rely on financial backers who believe in their cause, and the revenue generated by the subscriptions to their paper. They share a loft apartment where they also work, and use a 1974–79 VW Transporter to commute.
- ^ Goldberg, Robert Alan (2008-10-01). "The View from the Grassy Knoll". Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America. Yale University Press. p. 144. ISBN 9780300132946.