(There a few holes in this theory, but i just want to get this basic idea out there and bounce it around a little - i think the basic idea is good but also prob wrong in a few places...)
Richard Alpert was given life extension properties by the Hanso Foundation via Thomas Mittlewerk (the man who took over from Alvar Hanso and is responsible for the death of millions - according to The Lost Experience and Rachel Blake)
After getting near-immortal qualities, Alpert became power-hungry and evil and possibly sparked the 'great war', leading to the 'end of the world'.
Somehow Alpert's evil reign in the real world was undone/reversed (perhaps Widmore funding Faraday's research led to time travel technology) and someone (possibly Faraday himself or even Widmore) (perhaps even Jacob - somehow) went back in time and banished Alpert to the island to 'save the world' from his 'great war' BEFORE he started it.
Somehow ALpert was banished to the island (in the island's ancient past) for eternity as a way to save the world from his tyranny. (Much in the same way it is said Satan was "chained" to the earth in exile, Alpert is "chained" to the island in exile)
He has existed on the island for who knows how long, and cannot escape it. His exile on the island could have slowly changed him from evil back to good, but he could be pulling the longest con of all and just waiting for his time to come before he can rule with an iron fist again? (near-immortality would bring alot of patience)
Now perhaps Alpert's great interest in John Locke is that somehow Locke is the key to Alpert's chains? Locke can somehow get Alpert off the island, and in doing so, allow Alpert to reign as a near-immortal god on earth, bringing the end of the world.
Is THIS how the world is being saved? Does everyone need to be on the island for some reason related to Alpert? Perhaps if the castaways do not do what is required then somehow Alpert will escape and bring the end of the world?
Look at Alpert's eyes - one is black, one is hazel - good and evil encompassed in one body?
Maybe when the plane crashed it set off a new timeline and series of events which, in the end, lead to Alpert returning to reality and destroying the world?
So Ben, Widmore, Hawking, Faraday, etc are all working towards repairing the now faulty timeline to ensure that Alpert stays chained to the island for eternity?
Possible holes:
- If Alpert was the evil god-like being, then why did he play dumb and pretend not to know who Locke was back in 1954? (Unless he hadn't become evil/immortal yet at that point and really was clueless then?)
- How did ALpert appear to Locke as a child? (Once again, this could be pre-life extension 'surgery'/pre-island exile) Theory by srsen
Richard Alpert was given life extension properties by the Hanso Foundation via Thomas Mittlewerk (the man who took over from Alvar Hanso and is responsible for the death of millions - according to The Lost Experience and Rachel Blake)
After getting near-immortal qualities, Alpert became power-hungry and evil and possibly sparked the 'great war', leading to the 'end of the world'.
Somehow Alpert's evil reign in the real world was undone/reversed (perhaps Widmore funding Faraday's research led to time travel technology) and someone (possibly Faraday himself or even Widmore) (perhaps even Jacob - somehow) went back in time and banished Alpert to the island to 'save the world' from his 'great war' BEFORE he started it.
Somehow ALpert was banished to the island (in the island's ancient past) for eternity as a way to save the world from his tyranny. (Much in the same way it is said Satan was "chained" to the earth in exile, Alpert is "chained" to the island in exile)
He has existed on the island for who knows how long, and cannot escape it. His exile on the island could have slowly changed him from evil back to good, but he could be pulling the longest con of all and just waiting for his time to come before he can rule with an iron fist again? (near-immortality would bring alot of patience)
Now perhaps Alpert's great interest in John Locke is that somehow Locke is the key to Alpert's chains? Locke can somehow get Alpert off the island, and in doing so, allow Alpert to reign as a near-immortal god on earth, bringing the end of the world.
Is THIS how the world is being saved? Does everyone need to be on the island for some reason related to Alpert? Perhaps if the castaways do not do what is required then somehow Alpert will escape and bring the end of the world?
Look at Alpert's eyes - one is black, one is hazel - good and evil encompassed in one body?
Maybe when the plane crashed it set off a new timeline and series of events which, in the end, lead to Alpert returning to reality and destroying the world?
So Ben, Widmore, Hawking, Faraday, etc are all working towards repairing the now faulty timeline to ensure that Alpert stays chained to the island for eternity?
Possible holes:
- If Alpert was the evil god-like being, then why did he play dumb and pretend not to know who Locke was back in 1954? (Unless he hadn't become evil/immortal yet at that point and really was clueless then?)
- How did ALpert appear to Locke as a child? (Once again, this could be pre-life extension 'surgery'/pre-island exile) Theory by srsen
