Alexander "Alex" Mahone is a fictional character portrayed by William Fichtner in the American television series Prison Break. Mahone is introduced in the premiere of the second season as a special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specializing in manhunts for escaped prisoners for 14 years. When the protagonist of the series, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), successfully orchestrates the escape of eight prisoners from Fox River State Penitentiary, Mahone is assigned to spearhead the task force assembled to recapture the fugitives and manages to capture four of them. He is later arrested in Panama and imprisoned in Penitenciaría Federal de Sona in the second-season finale. Mahone manages to escape, and is coerced into taking down the Company, a secret group of multinationals which exerts an influence on the White House. An assassin is hired by the Company to murder his son, and Mahone spends the majority of season four seeking revenge. The writers created Mahone's character in the second season so that there would be a fugitive pursuer who was not corrupt. When the writers saw that the number of antagonists was increasing, they decided to make him the alter ego of Scofield. The writers try to let Mahone inhabit a gray area, shifting the audience's sympathy for the character. Fichtner, attracted to the potential of the character, was cast as Mahone just one day before filming began for the second season; he signed on for only two seasons, but was convinced to appear in a third. Plot Background Mahone was born at Boardman, Ohio into an abusive family, and was repeatedly beaten by his father. After joining the military Mahone was transferred to Special Ops during the Gulf War, later becoming an FBI Special Agent. The nature of his quick advancement is questioned, and many of his files are classified. He married a woman named Pamela (Callie Thorne) and they had a son, Cameron. The marriage lasts for 12 years until Mahone abruptly ends it without explanation, ordering his family out of the house. Before separating from his wife Mahone pursued Oscar Shales, a murderer whom he struggled to capture; it is revealed that Mahone killed Shales and buried the body in his backyard. Fearful that his wife would discover his secret, he cuts her out of his life. Mahone is plagued with visions of Shales, which cause him to self-medicate with prescription drugs. Season 2 After eight