Skulduggery Pleasant Wiki
Register
Advertisement
"Even if you object to the war, you respect the warrior. That’s always been my feeling on the subject. So I cut my hair, and two days later I was in the Congo, tracking down the head of a death cult."
— Vex[1] describes one of his many exploits, Skulduggery Pleasant: The Dying of the Light
Dexter Vex
Dexter1
Character Information
Taken Name Dexter Vex
Species Human
Gender Male
Birth 1556-1630[2]
Age 392-467
Magic Energy-Throwing
Faction Dead Men (formerly)
Location Alive

Dexter Vex, occasionally Dex to his friends, is a founding member of the Dead Men and a frequent associate of Tanith Low, Saracen Rue, and the Monster Hunters.

Vex is most notorious for his many adventures. In recent years, these include an attempt to steal the God-Killer weapons, reuniting with the Dead Men during the War of the Sanctuaries, and joining Skulduggery and Valkyrie's expedition through the Leibniz Universe.

Appearance[]

Vex is a fit, chiselled, good-looking man with short blond hair, and appears to be about thirty years old. He dresses informally; for example, when wearing a tuxedo, he leaves his top buttons and bow tie undone, and when infiltrating a naval base on a cold night, he wears only jeans and a t-shirt. He is often seen wearing scuffed boots, and when hiding weapons, he has been known to wear a longcoat. He has scars across his torso, as well as a scar on his throat from Billy-Ray Sanguine's straight razor, and later gains additional scarring after his throat is torn out by Darquesse in 2013. The same incident affects Vex's voice, making it hoarse and whispery. Vex grows a beard to hide these scars, but shaves it by 2022.

Personality[]

"One of the more thoughtful of the group, though he wasn’t one to show it."
— Vex's description in Across a Dark Plain.

Vex has a playful, friendly, and good-humoured disposition, usually able to remain calm and collected, though he occasionally loses his cool. Underneath this light-hearted exterior, Vex is a pragmatic realist, planning pre-emptive strikes and believing that the ends justify the means. For example, he greets "Val!" with a hug upon meeting her, yet becomes the strongest advocate for her demise when she becomes Darquesse. Despite this, Vex tries to act morally unless he sees no alternative, even at his own expense: he prevents Tanith Low from escaping the English Sanctuary at the cost of his own freedom, and refuses to kill children during the War of the Sanctuaries, making his mission more difficult.

Vex is streetwise, adaptable, and quick-witted, but complicated ideas elude him. He isn’t especially knowledgeable, once asking if legs have vital organs, and his political prowess is notoriously limited; in 1703, Vex had not yet fully grasped the concept of voting. As such, he stays away from politics when possible, and opts to steal the God-Killers without informing the Sanctuaries. Consequently, Vex is sometimes caught off-guard by political developments, such as being unexpectedly arrested in America in 2013. Nevertheless, Vex is difficult to fool or mislead, and doesn't like to engage in deception, leading to Hopeless dubbing him the "most honest" Dead Man.

Although Vex is a thrill-seeker (Corrival Deuce claims he “needs to grow up”), he is focused and resolute when the situation calls for it. Most of his adventures are for the purpose of investigating and eliminating threats, and Vex is quick to sober up and reign his comrades in when the situation demands it. Vex has also demonstrated a penchant for leadership, and though he prefers to take a more light-hearted role in a larger group, he does not shy away from responsibility when necessary. Fundamentally, Vex is a soldier rather than an adventurer.

After the injuries and losses Vex suffers at the hands of Erskine Ravel and Darquesse, he becomes less playful and more gruff; for example, he begins referring to Valkyrie as "kid" rather than "Val". He struggles to commit to friendships and relationships in the way that he once could, becoming less trusting and more paranoid, and maintains grudges against Ravel, Nefarian Serpine, and Saracen Rue even when it would be in his best interests to work with them. Vex also becomes more reticent, although this may be due to the damage to his throat, and more reluctant to take on responsibility, refusing to lead the resistance movement against Damocles Creed. After Saracen's death, Vex loses all remaining traces of his good humour.

Biography[]

The 300 Year War[]

Vex was born in Ireland some time between 1556 and 1630.[2] He fought for the Irish Sanctuary in the 300 Year War.

After Skulduggery Pleasant's death in 1690, Vex heard stories of his resurrection as a skeleton and travelled to meet him, but was disappointed to find that the tales of a "miracle soldier" were embellished. Nevertheless, he befriended Skulduggery and his comrades Ghastly Bespoke, Erskine Ravel, and Hopeless. Shortly afterwards, they introduced Vex to Saracen Rue, and Vex became obsessed with figuring out Saracen's magical discipline. The six of them, as well as Anton Shudder, became an official unit known as the Dead Men after they volunteered for a suicide mission and returned alive.

By 1703, the Dead Men were infamous among Mevolent's troops. Vex was present with the other Dead Men when Lord Vile attacked their force in Denmark between 1733 and 1735, and was one of only ten survivors when the corpses of Vile's victims attacked them two nights later. The Dead Men eventually grew to such renown that they were selected to track down Abyssinia with the Diablerie in around 1745. Tensions grew and the alliance almost broke down until Abyssinia was located. Their combined force failed to defeat Abyssinia until China Sorrows threatened to kill Abyssinia's son Caisson.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Vex met Donegan Bane and Gracious O'Callahan while tracking a vampire through Hong Kong. They became close friends and killed the vampire by driving a train over its head.

AOHDexter

Vex in 1861

In around 1850, Vex was on a perilous mission in France with the other Dead Men when Larrikin Fetter decided that it was Shudder’s birthday. Along with the others, he tried not to laugh at Larrikin’s antics and Shudder’s reaction. In 1861, Vex and the other Dead Men pursued Nefarian Serpine from Wyoming to South Dakota. They survived an ambush by Noche’s zombies at a church, but failed to catch up to Serpine before he entered the safety of the Necromancer Temple. In late 1928 or early 1929, Vex was almost killed by Serpine, but Larrikin sacrificed himself to save him. Vex never forgot Larrikin's dying screams.

Peacetime[]

After the war ended in 1929, Vex became an adventurer. He became notorious enough for somebody to hire Billy-Ray Sanguine to kill him, and Sanguine succeeded in scarring Vex's throat, but he was apparently "distracted" and Vex survived, breaking Sanguine's arm.

In the late 1960s, Vex settled down in San Francisco for two years while dating a hippy named Sally, growing his hair long and becoming a vegetarian. After seeing her spit on a soldier, he cut his hair, resumed eating meat, and returned to adventuring, tracking the head of a death cult in the Congo. He later dated Adrasdos, but this relationship didn't work out either.

Dexter2

Vex in 2012.

After the collapse of the Irish Sanctuary in 2011, Vex stays away from Ireland, hoping to avoid the ensuing politics. He does, however, return for the Requiem Ball in 2012, where he meets Skulduggery's partner Valkyrie Cain for the first time. As with the other guests, his soul is taken from his body by Melancholia St Clair, but is later returned to him.

Theft of the God-Killers[]

Vex decides that the Sanctuaries of the world are too focused on each other, and are ignoring the impending threat of Darquesse. As such, he concludes that the God-Killers need to be recovered to be used against her, and learns their locations from Jerry Ordain. Believing that the Supreme Council will only get in the way, Vex covertly assembles a team of international mages to steal them: Saracen, Gracious, Donegan, Frightening Jones, Aurora Jane, and, with reluctance, Wilhelm Scream, because Vex can't find anybody better on short notice.

In 2013, Vex and his team begin their attempt to steal the God-Killers. They successfully threaten Johann Starke into locking the dagger in a vault after failing to steal it covertly, and retrieve the bow from Jackie Earl after storming his compound. However, Vex learns that he is racing Tanith Low's own team, and is ambushed by them in Poland en route to the spear. Vex is launched to the enemy sniper tower by Aurora and fights off Dusk, Sabine Adorn, and Billy-Ray Sanguine, before deducing that Wilhelm is a traitor and that the dagger and bow are actually forgeries.

Fearing that Tanith's actions will be blamed on the Irish Sanctuary, Vex decides to stop her attempt to steal the sword from the English Sanctuary himself. His team breaks in and confronts Tanith, Wilhelm, and Black Annis, but both teams are discovered and apprehended. Tanith then reveals that she has dropped a rage-zombie virus into the vents, so Vex and his team defend the Elders from the affected Sanctuary agents. Vex himself fights Tanith for the God-Killer, but loses due to Wilhelm's interference. Vex and Saracen are then attacked by Dusk in his vampire form, and work together with Tanith to lock him in a room before defeating and capturing her.

Vex's team are apprehended once more, but are released for helping the Sanctuary against the rage-zombies.

Wartime[]

VexLSODMcover

Vex during the War of the Sanctuaries.[3]

Once more ignoring the Sanctuaries, Vex travels to America in August 2013 to investigate the murders of some Presbyterian mortals, and links them to the Church of the Faceless. He is caught off-guard when political tensions escalate, and is one of the first Irish mages detained by the Supreme Council, imprisoned with Caius Caviler. Vex unsuccessfully attempts to convince Caviler not to fight back, and watches in horror as Caviler is beaten to death by Grim. This incident sours Vex towards the Supreme Council even further, and he is unreceptive to Zafira Kerias' pleas for him to talk Grand Mage Ravel down from war.

After the War of the Sanctuaries officially begins, Tanith and Sanguine break Vex free as a peace offering to the Irish Sanctuary. With Vex returned to them, the Dead Men are reunited at last, and quickly embark on a mission to France, seeking to retrieve the Engineer. Vex enjoys the mission until the Dead Men encounter the ghost city of Wolfsong. Nevertheless, the mission is a success, and the Dead Men go on to complete a number of other missions, including stealing a part for the Engineer from the English Sanctuary.

Vex is overwhelmed in the Battle of the Keep, and escapes with Skulduggery, Saracen, Gracious, Donegan, and Sanguine. He learns that Ravel has betrayed the Dead Men and killed Ghastly and Shudder, and soon after learns that Valkyrie has become Darquesse. Vex is furious at Skulduggery for not killing Valkyrie and ending the threat of Darquesse when he had the chance.

Vex is part of the group that infiltrates Roarhaven and tries to kill Ravel, successfully subduing Syc, but the attempt ultimately fails. Vex remains spiteful towards Ravel even as the Warlocks attack Roarhaven. Vex's contributions to the Battle of Roarhaven include being attacked by an Accelerator-powered Grim and being used as bait by Charivari to lure out Ravel, and on both occasions, Vex is saved by Stephanie Edgley. When Darquesse arrives, Vex convinces Stephanie to kill her and promises to take the blame to protect her from Skulduggery, but the attempt fails.

After the Warlocks are defeated, China Sorrows, the new Grand Mage, tasks Vex with capturing the remaining Accelerator-powered sorcerers with Saracen, Donegan, Gracious, Dai Maybury, and Fletcher Renn. Vex himself serves as the unofficial leader of the group. In November, the group instead starts focusing on capturing the newly-released Remnants, but Vex becomes possessed by one of them and begins leading the others.

When the Remnants capture Alice Edgley, Vex negotiates with Valkyrie on their behalf, intending to join the army against Darquesse. En route to Roarhaven, Valkyrie is attacked by Vincent Foe and Samuel, but Vex chooses not to assist her. He flees with the Sceptre of the Ancients after a scuffle at the Roarhaven entrance, but resurfaces in the final battle against Darquesse, informing Darquesse that the Remnants are turning on her as the other Remnants all attempt to possess her. The attempt fails and Darquesse destroys the Remnants, before tearing out Vex's throat and removing the Remnant from his soul.

Aftermath[]

Vex's losses and failures in 2013 have a profound effect on him. As he recovers from the injury to his throat, he begins latching onto goals that he sees as easily achievable. One of these is finally learning Saracen's magical discipline, but when Saracen once more refuses to tell him, Vex concludes that Saracen doesn't trust him or anyone else. As such, animosity grows between the two, and they are no longer on speaking terms.

In 2020, Tanith recruits Vex to assist her in fighting the Coldheart inmates and Blackbrook operatives at the naval base Naval Magazine Whitley. Vex's contributions to the battle include partnering up with Auger Darkly and protecting the First Wave kids. He also participates in the battle against Abyssinia, but is quickly taken down.

Hunting Mevolent[]

In 2021, China Sorrows hires Vex for a new incarnation of the Dead Men, with the goal of travelling to the Leibniz Universe and killing Mevolent with the God-Killers; Vex himself wields the God-Killer spear. The rest of the team consists of Skulduggery, Tanith, Valkyrie, Nefarian Serpine, Luke Skywalker, and Saracen, who reconciles with Vex after finally revealing his power to him.

After arriving in the Leibniz Universe, the group discovers that the world is overrun by a draugar virus, and that Mevolent is in the far-off city of Tahil na Kurge. As such, it takes seven months to reach him. Along the way, Saracen is infected by the virus, and as he succumbs to it, he asks Tanith to take over his duties as Vex's best friend. Eventually, Vex is forced to take Saracen "hunting", and returns alone.

When Skulduggery and Tanith infiltrate Tahil na Kurge, Vex stays behind with Serpine, guarding the Sceptre of the Ancients. The two of them attack the Leibniz force that attempts to invade Vex's home dimension, and Vex loses the Sceptre during the battle. When Mevolent joins forces with Serafina of the Unveiled, Vex joins Valkyrie, Skulduggery, and Tanith in hunting him down, but the group is attacked by the Unveiled. Vex himself fights Strosivadian and nearly dies.

Resistance against Creed[]

In the wake of Saracen's death, Vex goes through a string of short-lived relationships with little consideration, until he settles down somewhat with Rasmus. In 2022, the two of them join Temper Fray's resistance movement against the various threats to the world, in particular Damocles Creed. Vex is offered leadership of the group, but declines.

When Vex and Temper are ambushed in a bar, Temper releases his Gist to save Vex's life, and is taken over by it. Vex subdues him and brings him back to the resistance headquarters, which he later tours Valkyrie around. When the Shalgoth attack the world, Vex and Kierre serve as reinforcements for Tanith and Cadaver Cain. Vex is also part of the force that tries and fails to defeat Crepuscular Vies, before they are all wiped from existence by Obsidian. As with the others, Vex is brought back into existence when Darquesse recreates the world.

Alternate timelines[]

In the Leibniz Universe, Vex joined the Resistance against a victorious Mevolent. In 2013, he assists in breaking a dimension-travelling Valkyrie Cain out of Mevolent's dungeon, but he is later killed by a Redhood when Mevolent's forces attack Ratoath.

When Valkyrie travels to a version of the year 2093 where the Faceless Ones have returned, she learns that Vex, among many others, is dead.

When Strickent Abhor travels back in time to 1703, the Dead Men of this new timeline try to prevent him from assassinating Mevolent, so that Mevolent will be able to close the Gate to Hell. After learning that they are in an alternate timeline, Vex and Saracen conclude that they can do things that they otherwise wouldn't do, and become romantically close. Later, the Dead Men attempt to assassinate Abhor before he can widen the Gate, but are overwhelmed by Abhor and his forces. Vex, Saracen, and Shudder are then attacked by Mevolent himself, and all three die in battle against him. This timeline is later reversed through the efforts of Valkyrie.

Magic and abilities[]

Vex is an Adept, specifically an Energy-Thrower, capable of firing streams of purple energy from his hands. He is extremely capable at this, able to destroy the head of a draugr with a single blast. If he uses both hands, Vex is able to destroy a human torso and force back Strosivadian. Vex has fairly good aim with these blasts, which extends to firearms. In 1861, his weapons of choice were pistols and a Spencer rifle.

Vex's true skill as a combatant, however, is his prowess in hand-to-hand combat. He is a down-to-earth street fighter; for instance, he defeats the martial artist Noonan by stomping on his foot and smashing his head into a wall. Vex is more than a match for skilled fighters such as Billy-Ray Sanguine, Dusk, and a Remnant-possessed Tanith Low. He is even capable of subduing Temper Fray when the latter is taken over by his Gist, though the method by which he does this is unknown.

Vex's talent as a combatant is not limited to single combat. He is tough and resourceful, and is only rarely outmaneuvered. For example, Vex is capable of resisting swarms of enemies such as zombies and draugar, and when targeted by a sniper, Vex has Aurora Jane propel him to the sniper's nest to confront him directly. While fighting Mevolent, Vex counters Mevolent's eight feet of height by jumping onto his back and attempting to stab him in the throat. Vex is extremely difficult to take by surprise, noticing an ambush at a pub as soon as he walks in and even avoiding Sanguine when the latter lunges unexpectedly from a wall.

However, Vex struggles against opponents with greater physical strength than himself, lacking an effective way to counter them besides his magic. Even wielding the God-Killer spear, Vex is no match for Strosivadian, who nearly kills him in single combat. Vex is also helpless against the raw physical strength of Charivari and an Accelerator-powered Grim.

Trivia[]

  • He once owned a kitten named Sabrina.
  • He claims to have taught Skulduggery to dance.
  • He speaks French.
  • Vex is the only original member of the Dead Men who has never actually died, and the only member who has been part of every iteration of the team for its entire existence.

Appearances[]

MCMentioned
Death Bringer
Kingdom of the Wicked Front Cover
Maleficent Seven
Last Stand of Dead Men Cover
The Dying of the Light Cover
Armageddon-Outta-Here Cover
ResurrectionMentioned
Bedlamcover
Skul-13-final-cover

References[]

  1. Earlier books refer to the character primarily as ‘Vex’, while later books primarily use ‘Dexter’. For the sake of consistency, this wiki uses the former.
  2. 2.0 2.1 It has been confirmed that Vex was born roughly within fifty years of Skulduggery, Ghastly, and Ravel. Skulduggery and Ghastly were born in 1580, and Ravel was born in 1606, so Vex must have been born between 1556 and 1630 to be within fifty years of both.
  3. The image depicts Vex's blast as yellow, rather than its canonical purple.
Advertisement