ANTON LEM

Anton Vissarionovich Lem was a Soviet agent who worked in GRU Special Operations, meaning that he killed people. Although his identity was known, he was working secretly with Ingrid, a Soviet agent with Army Intelligence who had recently married Craig Bannister, a DXS operative and friend of MacGyver. Together, Lem and Ingrid had used sophisticated programming techniques to manipulate individuals without their knowledge, and by introducing certain chemicals into the bloodstreams of those individuals, they could trigger an artificial heart attack to eliminate anyone who failed. Ingrid had programmed her new husband, Craig, to act as a mole within the DXS. Under hypnosis, and without realizing that he had been compromised, Craig had been feeding information to the Soviets through Ingrid. Lem had used similar programming techniques on Reverend Mather, a highly respected clergyman who was scheduled to be one of the keynote speakers at the prestigious and formal International Peace Through Science Symposium held at the Exhibition Center.

In an effort to identify the mole and stop the leaks within the agency, Thornton turned to MacGyver and engaged the cooperation a Soviet defector named Viktoria Tomanova to set a trap, a plan which made made Viktoria a target. At the Symposium, Viktoria recognized Anton Lem from having seen his file at the GRU, but she did not immediately recognize Ingrid, who was attending with her husband Craig. As Mather began to deliver his remarks, Lem activated a small remote device that triggered Mather's programming. His words became uncertain and confused, then he suddenly reached for a gun that had been concealed at the podium and began firing toward Viktoria. MacGyver pushed Viktoria out of harm's way and used an ultrasonic beam to shatter Mather's glasses before disarming him. Mather was still disoriented and unaware of what had happened, but his programming had failed, prompting Lem to activate a second remote signal which triggered a heart attack. MacGyver and Bannister attempted to administer CPR, but they were unsuccessful. Reverend Mather died, and Lem escaped.

In a second attempt to eliminate Viktoria, Ingrid programmed her husband Craig to believe that Viktoria and MacGyver together had been behind the agency leaks and that Craig must now kill them both. Lem maintained communication by phone with Ingrid, who addressed him as his superior. MacGyver and Viktoria had returned to the Exhibition Center to search for clues behind Mather's suspicious death when Ingrid and Lem arrived with Craig, still under the influence of their programming. At Ingrid's orders, Craig fired the first shot, but MacGyver and Viktoria were able to disarm Lem and Ingrid, and as MacGyver turned to Craig and reminded him of their friendship and their missions together, the effect of the programming began to weaken. Craig lowered his gun, but Ingrid was determined to maintain control, and she used the remote device to trigger a heart attack in Craig. Rushing to his aid, MacGyver fashioned a makeshift defibrillator to break the magnetic field and counteract the clotting. Craig Bannister survived and recovered, and Ingrid and Lem would have been taken into custody.

Portrayed by: Beau Starr

Cross Reference: Craig Bannister, Ingrid Bannister, International Peace Through Science Symposium, Reverend Mather, Viktoria Tomanova

Episode Reference: The Enemy Within