MacGyver Wiki
Advertisement

"I know that you have reservations about the rightness of this endeavour. Believe it or not, there are others who think as you do. Fellow innovators and leading minds in many similar fields who hope that science will be used to make the world a better place and fear that in the wrong hands and used for the wrong reasons, might instead end it. I'm here to tell you one thing: there is a way for you to continue your work, and find peace. You just have to be shown a different perspective. Rest assured, a day of reckoning will one day come for those who degrade and debase science by utilising it for conflict, subversion, power or greed. We will make sure of it."

- Unnamed 1944 Codex Agent "Windmill + Acetone + Celluloid + Firing Pin"

Codex
Codex
Biographical Information
Name: Codex
Motto: Pro Omni Scientia Corrumpere Auderes
Members: Head

Leland
Gwendolyn Hayes

Agents
Finch
Eric Andrews
Murdoc
Zachary Tutelman
The Merchant
Kristina
Roman
Martin Bishop
Anne Frost
Scarlett
Angus MacGyver (Defected)
Riley Davis (Defected)
Conor

Status: Disbanded
Originally From: Unknown
Affiliations:

Unknown

Goals:

Ending Weaponization of Science
Disrupting the Worldwide Status Quo
Saving the planet from climate change at the expense of human life.
Committing genocide against one fourth of the earth's population

Engagements:

Numerous

First appearance: Fire + Ashes + Legacy = Phoenix


Codex was a global, ultra-dark, scientific R&D conglomerate and Eco-Terrorist organization that has existed since the 14th century. Formed in the aftermath of the Black Plague by a group of wealthy, enlightened individuals, Codex was designed to be a scientific safeguard for the planet, to protect it against plague, famine, degradation and if necessary humanity itself. It went on to stimulate and fund the Enlightenment and the Renaissance in Europe but this eventually resulted in the Industrial Revolution, the advent of global warfare and the beginning of the climate crisis. Despite the best efforts of Codex, science became increasingly militarised or perverted for immoral pursuits by the dawn of the 20th century, culminating with the invention of the atomic bomb.

The present-day organization possesses and controls limitless wealth and resources as well as tens of thousands of trained operatives that span every single country across every corner of the globe in addition to innumerable support staff with expertise across every conceivable branch of science, engineering, mathematics and technology. To keep its existence hidden, Codex established and meticulously maintains widespread influence and control in numerous world governments, supranational organizations, NGOs and private corporations. As a result, Codex remains one of the most powerful and influential organizations in the world.

After the deaths of several members including Gwendolyn Hayes, Codex was disbanded with a Scepter containing information about the organization in the hands of The Phoenix Foundation. Many Hardrives and papers with information about codex were stored in the Codex Underground Bunker and when the Phoenix Foundation raided the base they were either destroyed or stolen by the Phoenix Foundation. Codex Cell leaders around the world fought each other for control and reunification of the organization.

After Eric Andrews escaped custody he started to unite cells of the organization around the globe to assume command of the organization. Andrews allied with Murdoc and assassinated Leland as a message to other Codex members assuming full control over the organization. Cell Leaders around the world gathered on a Video Chat with Eric Andrews to elect the next Head of Codex. Murdoc and Andrews lured the Phoenix Team members into a building in Mexico and attempted to kill them in front of the other leaders to assume full control of the organization. Unfortunately the team escaped and arrested Andrews and Murdoc foiling the planned unification. Around the world, Governments started to arrest Codex Cell leaders.

History[]

Early History[]

Next to nothing is know about Codex's history currently but what is known is that it was formed shortly after the Renaissance.

World War 2[]

During the height of the Second World War, in an age when the vast majority of scientific pursuits across the world were aimed towards creating better and more powerful weapons, strategies and military techniques. As a result, a small but motivated consortium of scientists from several nations, disillusioned by their lifes' work being appropriated or perverted for militaristic applications, formed an underground organisation that they named Codex, which they hoped would enable them to pursue their work without interference or corruption. Entirely peaceful and passive to begin with, the organisation grew rapidly as more scientists joined up, bringing with them new ideas and avenues of research previously unheard of. A strict code of loyalty and secrecy kept Codex off the global radar and the sale of advanced technologies ensured an everlasting and bountiful revenue stream.

In time, as humankind approached the dawn of the new millenium, Codex began to change decisively as more aggressive and uncompromising individuals in it's ranks ascended to power. From a huge and powerful but ultimately peaceful scientific mega-think tank, Codex gradually evolved into a dark, scientific R&D vigilante organisation, one which held that any who misused science were the enemy of humanity and had to be removed by any means necessary. In the late 1980's, Codex began to recruit and train covert operatives to track down anyone who they believed was abusing scientific knowledge for harmful or selfish reasons and either forcibly co-opted them or killed them, paying no heed to the fact that many of their targets, despite using science to fight wars, were doing so in the ultimate pursuit of peace against evil people, groups and organisations. By the advent of the new millennium, Codex had amassed limitless dark money, uncountable resources and had tens of thousands of operatives at it's disposal across the globe as well as legions of dedicated scientists supplying it with the most advanced creations, technologies and inventions in the world. This enabled the conglomerate to infiltrate governments across the world and from there to obtain stakes and influence in extra-governmental organisations, NGOs and private corporations.

Season 4[]

In Fire + Ashes + Legacy = Phoenix, with the Phoenix Foundation supposedly dead and buried, Codex stepped up its plans for worldwide societal change by deploying a former DXS operative named Martin Bishop to procure a lethal botulism bioweapon stolen from the PMC Spearhead Operations and utilize it via a torpedo to gas Los Angeles, putting tens of thousands of lives in peril. Unfortunately for Codex, the owner/founder of Spearhead Russ Taylor suspected foul play immediately and, unable to trust anyone in Spearhead, set about reviving and reforming the Phoenix Foundation as well as its former flagship team; MacGyver, Bozer, Riley, Desi and Matty. Codex however remained determined to see the mission through, a decision which ultimately resulted in Bishop's capture and death, the loss of the bioweapon and the foiling of their plan to gas LA. To make matters worse, Bishop had arrogantly revealed that he was working with others, giving the Phoenix its first evidence of Codex's existence.

In Red Cell + Quantum + Cold + Committed, in response to the resurgence of the Phoenix Foundation thanks to Russ Taylor, Codex decided to attempt a bold, even reckless maneuver that could potentially move their plans forward and eliminate the nascent Foundation in one fell swoop. They targeted and kidnapped the family of U.S. General Acosta, a high-ranking military leader stationed in NORAD and blackmailed him into setting up the Phoenix Foundation's flagship team for stealing a quantum computer chip which Codex intended to use in conjunction with sophisticated malware to take control of NORAD's missile defense systems; one of their DOD sleeper operatives, a Major Anne Frost who worked closely with the general, was activated to ensure Acosta upheld his end, promising to release his family once they chip had been plugged into NORAD. Though Codex came tantalizingly close to success, they were nonetheless thwarted once again by the Phoenix, who rescued Acosta's family and stopped the general from plugging in the chip. Frost for her part was gunned down by NORAD security when she tried to kill Acosta for recanting; her dying words offering yet more evidence of Codex's existence.

In Windmill + Acetone + Celluloid + Firing Pin, Codex is only referred to indirectly via flashback to the 1940s. An American scientist tasked with designing bombs for the U.S. air force is visited by a Codex agent who offers him the chance to pursue his work in peace, free of military interference and gives a stark warning for the future of science.

In Soccer + Desi + Merchant + Titan, Codex found itself unexpectedly on the defensive as the Phoenix Foundation launched a covert operation against one of its major revenue streams; fixing professional European soccer matches via coercion, bribery and advanced biological kill-switches embedded in the corrupt players. Phoenix agent Desi Nguyen infiltrated one of the teams being targeted by Codex, intending to be co-opted by Codex as a supposedly down-on-her-luck player so as to gain more information on the organisation and it's mysterious leader known only as Titan. Though Desi successfully attracted the attention of The Merchant; the Codex operative in charge of the match-fixing, her refusal to throw a key match, Russ's indecisiveness and the failure of the kill-switch caused Codex to catch on to their true identities. The Merchant was withdrawn and the match-fixing operation was shuttered immediately. To muddy the water, Codex digitally altered camera footage from the match to make it seem as though Matty was Titan and deflect suspicion away from them.

In Right + Wrong + Both + Neither, Codex makes no appearances and is only referenced to regarding a hack they made on the Phoenix servers to make it appear that Matty was Titan, the leader of Codex. Thanks to Riley Davis however, the corruption in the footage was expunged and Matty was cleared of any suspicion.

In Mac + Desi + Riley + Aubrey, Codex makes no appearances and is only referred to briefly when Matty visits James MacGyver regarding Codex, to which James responds by instructing Matty to look into something called "File 47".

In Father + Son + Father + Matriarch, Codex finally decided to take decisive action against the Phoenix and the MacGyvers. Impatient for success, a decision was made to lure James and Angus out into the open by staging a bombing attack and framing Elliot Mason for the crime; the reasoning being that the MacGyvers would surely have to go and apprehend Mason personally, leaving them vulnerable. As predicted, the MacGyvers tracked Mason to his off-the-grid safe house and confronted him but were perplexed when Mason angrily admitted having no knowledge of the attack nor any hand in it. At that moment, Codex forces ambushed the trio and despite valiant resistance, the MacGyvers and Mason were captured and taken to a Codex FOB. It was there that the Head of Codex was at last revealed; Gwendolyn Hayes, the younger sister of Angus' mother and a former DXS operative. Following a revealing conversation, Mason and James were placed in lock-up while Gwen spoke with Angus. The two men however overpowered their captors but in the process, James was critically injured. As Mason rampaged through the facility searching for Angus, Hayes ordered the building evacuated and demolished, satisfied that she had planted the seeds of doubt in Mac's mind. Though Mac and Mason were able to escape, James decided to stay behind and hold back the pursuing Codex forces by committing suicide via self-detonation of a bomb. Codex then abandoned the area and disappeared.

Mandate and Operations[]

Unlike it's Phoenix counterpart, Codex considers its purely espionage and military operatives to be completely expendable, instead placing highest priority on its science-capable members and operatives. Codex strongly believes that science should only be used for the advancement of human civilisation and therefore seeks to put a stop to any attempts to utilize it for militaristic purposes, corporate greed, suppression of human rights or the pursuit of espionage be it a government, an NGO or private enterprise. The organisation is lead by a individual who is the Head of Codex who oversees all operations, projects and experiments; the Head is also aided by a board of directors each of whom manage a specific department. Science operatives report directly to the board for missions.

Codex science operatives, who undertake the missions sanctioned by Codex, tend to operate alone and are not paired with military personnel; agents like Martin Bishop worked alone whereas a few like The Merchant worked alongside an associate. Military assets are only ever deployed in the event of an emergency or to provide once-off back-up assistance should the operative require it. Any equipment used by Codex agents is provided solely by Codex itself, making it impossible to trace it back to anyone. The organisation also employs thousands of support staff to power its scientific pursuits and experimentation

When Codex detects an abuse of science somewhere in the world, operatives are dispatched to either sabotage or simply shut-down the effort by any means necessary including lethal force; direct harm to innocents is strongly discouraged but generally accepted as collateral damage. Those behind the effort are then either blackmailed into silence, bribed or simply silenced.

Codex's ultimate, overarching plan is laid out in File 47. A series of carefully engineered natural disasters would be activated at societal and geographical pressure points around the world to trigger a chain reaction which would result in the complete collapse of human civilisation and a reset of humanity. These disasters can include everything from artificial tsunamis to nuclear reactor meltdowns to biological weaponry. Once civilisation has disintegrated, Codex would help rebuild it and then hand the reins back to humanity.

Known Members[]

Trivia[]

  • Russ Taylor believes that Codex had the Phoenix Foundation mothballed in order to prevent the think tank from interfering in their plans.
  • Many of Codex's operatives in the past were former OPI/DXS agents who became disillusioned with the agency's mission.
  • MacGyver producer Craig O'Neill referred to Codex as "the dark counterpart of the Phoenix Foundation" in much the same way that Elliot Mason is to Angus MacGyver and "an immensely powerful and exceptionally dangerous coalition of science-purists who detest the application of science in what they deem immoral pursuits such as war and as far as they're concerned, no one is currently more guilty of this than the Phoenix Foundation".
  • The former head of Codex, Gwendolyn Hayes, is James MacGyver's sister-in-law and Angus MacGyver's maternal aunt i.e. the younger sister of Angus' mother.
  • Elliot Mason is currently one of their top priority targets for execution.
Advertisement