Edward Funsch

Edward "Ed" Funsch (played by William Sanderson) was a postal worker in Franklin, Pennsylvania, who suffered from haemotophobia, a fear of blood. His fear, along with those of other members of the community, were exacerbated due to experimental crop spraying by Franklin Appliances and Pesticides, tesing out a insecticide containing LSDM. This would lead to visual hallucinations once exposed to a potentially triggering situation and would evoke enough of a fear response in them to drive them to kill.
== History ==
Funsch was a relatively new resident of Franklin, Venango County. He served in the United States Marine Corps, had no advanced education and was without driver's license. Funsch had no known family except for a wife who died childless around 1984.
Funsch began hallucinating after he cut his finger at work before he was laid off from his low position as a sorting clerk. While his boss attempts to set him at ease by giving Funsch a monetary send-off pooled by his colleagues and even allows him to stay employed for his end of the week paycheck, Ed begins to see messages on all kinds of electronic displays telling him to kill. Following this, he becomes erratic to the point of violence whenever he sees blood, regardless of the circumstance, to the point where a child's nosebleed was enough to induce the visions. Intrusive thoughts of homicide begin to overtake Funsch, shown prominently when an ATM screen tells him to grab the gun of a security guard and kill everyone present. Fearful and frustrated, Funsch hits the machine before he is chased away by bank security.
While Funsch unsuccessfully attempts to secure a job at the local mall, he is horrified to see that a blood drive is being organized in town. This proves to be his breaking point, hallucinating several violent news reports in a row of televisions before they flash the words "BEHIND YOU" and "DO IT", with regards to the store's open gun rack.
Back at home, Funsch watches a commercial advertising the blood drive, which includes close-ups of the needle prick and the drawing of blood. While Funsch inspects the rifle and ammo he bought, a volunteer collecting data for the drive knocks at his door, causing him to have a panic attack and finalizing his decision to act on his paranoia. He first flanks down a bus, but abruptly screams at the driver to let him off after realizing that he was going the wrong direction. After arriving at his destination on foot, Funsch positions himself at the top of a clock tower overlooking the blood drive and begins to unload his gun at random targets while cackling madly. He is eventually confronted by Mulder, who talks him down by bringing up that if he does not surround, either he or Funsch will be forced to shoot, spilling blood everywhere, a thought that hadn't crossed Funsch's fractured mind. Mulder overpowers Funsch when he fight back after seeing blood on Mulder's clothes before he is taken away on a stretcher, presumably to a hospital. ( "Blood")
Category:The X-Files characters
Category:Criminals
Category:Humans