Paracelsus (Beauty and the Beast)

See Paracelsus for other uses of this name.
Paracelsus is a character in Beauty and the Beast (TV). He appeared in six episodes, one of them as a vision.
==Short Canon Description==
He (as John Pater) and Jacob Wells were two of the main founders of the tunnel world Below. After developing a lust for power, he became evil and bitter and began to call himself Paracelsus after his role-model, the legendary medieval alchemist.
It was Paracelsus's wife, Anna, who found Vincent Wells abandoned on the hospital steps, and took him home to her husband. When Anna became afraid for Vincent due to Paracelsus' changing behavior, she gave the baby to Jacob Wells. Paracelsus’ final plot was to drive Vincent mad by unleashing his inner beast. 
Paracelsus was portrayed by Tony Jay.
==Fan Comments==
===Varying Parentage Issues===
Fans speculated on family relationships.
 
===Paracelsus As Evil===
Almost all fanworks depict Paracelsus as evil and beyond redemption. 
==Sample Fiction==
* many stories in the series, The Book of Secrets (One example: "Seeds of Doom Chap. 2: Seeds of Hatred		 ("Elliot Burch takes an active interest in Catherine's secret life and Paracelsus plans his take-over of the tunnel world and the destruction of Father.")
* many stories in the series, Mirrors (One example: "Never to Part" - the past and present intertwine in a story line dealing with Paracelsus' attempts to destroy Vincent and flashbacks to how the Tunnel community began.")
* To Reign in Hell, a story in Catch the Wild Wind by Janet Kilbourne ("Paracelsus plots toward an invasion of the tunnels and the subversion of Vincent's loyalty to Father, centering on Paracelsus' journals which Father has never revealed to Vincent.") (1993) 
* The Perimeter by Sharon Reynolds from Tunnel Visions #1 ("The evil Paracelsus has hired two professional assassins to kill Vincent and Father, and, shown them the way down.") (1988)
* "Dream of Her Soul" in Beloved Beast Tales #2 by Lisa Stubblefield ("Vincent is captured by Paracelsus and tricked into believing that Catherine has left him and that Paracelsus now controls the Tunnel World. Catherine risks everything to find Vincent.") (1990)
* Reflections in a Darkened Glass by Joy Faulkner ("What if John Pater triumphed? What if Paracelsus had been ruler and Vincent his son, his heir apparent, as he had always intended?") (1990s)
* many stories in Flames of Hell by Steve Nottingham (1993)
* You, Darkness is a controversial story by Nan Dibble ("Vincent's worst nightmare comes true after he's captured by Paracelsus' followers.") (1991) 
* On a Darkling Plain from Tales of the Dream ("Never had Father thought to see this night again. Not since his research had been abandoned by himself so long ago had he seen such a terrifying sight... Paracelsus threatens the tunnels with mustard gas.") (1994)
* Bleak Midwinter by Nan Dibble (Tells of Father's desperation to heal the breach among the helpers and the rift between many of them and the tunnel community caused by the expulsion of Paracelsus.) (1995)
* Two of a Kind by Rosemarie Hauer (Paracelsus drugs and kidnaps Vincent.) (1995)
==Featured in Costuming==
* at Masquerades (1991)
* at Great Expectations (1993)
==Featured as a Pinata==
Paracelsus was pinata at the 1993 con, Haply I Think On Thee , one that was filled with "gold" coins. A fan's con report states that it "folded like a cheap suit pretty quickly." from JoAnn's Con Chair Report 
==A Disliked TPTB as a Persona of Pracelsus==
In late summer 1989, a fan addressed "the fiasco on Black Thursday, May 19th," which was about TPTB messing with Beauty and the Beast (TV) and changing it so something she did not like:
==Sample Art==
File:Fadedroses2-10.jpg|from Faded Roses #2, Pam Tuck (1990)
File:Yesterdayachild-3.jpg|from Yesterday, a Child, artist is Anna Deavers (1990)
 File:Bookofsecretsfour-3.jpg| from The Book of Secrets #4, artist is Peggy Spalding (1989) 
File:Reflcetionsahlstrom1-8.jpg|from Reflection's #1, artist is Keith Ahlstrom
File:BWBSFront.jpg| from Beyond Words, Beyond Silence, artist is Barbara Gipson (1992) 
 File:Onlywithlove1-2.jpg|from Only with Love #1 (1991), portrays Devin and Paracelsus, artist is Lynn Simpson 
 File:Flamesofhell-1.jpg|from Flames of Hell, artist is Stephen Carlton (1993) 
File:Brightspiritcover.jpg|from Bright Spirit Descending, artist is Kevin Barnes (1993)