Stepping into the Shadows: An Introduction to Vuk
In 1992, Vuk and “her” other D’Bari allies followed the cosmic power of the Phoenix. As it came near the planet Earth, they saw the power entering Jean Gray in space and converging with the Phoenix Force. Vuk and the D’Bari powers clash with the X-Men and their mutant allies, whom they combat in a bid to get to Jean and the Phoenix.
The Thinker and The Professional
ISTP — 359 – 358 – 369 – 379
INTP — 459 – 359 – 145 – 135
The Professional Thinker
INTP Tritype® 359
Tritype® 359, 395, 539, 593, 935, 953: The Thinker
Often shy, you are very private and need time to more fully reveal yourself. You are ambitious but seek admiration in a subtle manner. You can seem somewhat invisible when you want to due to your ability to fit in even if you lead with type 3.
Katherine Chernick Fauvre.
Unmasking the Mystery: The Origin and Nature of Vuk – Beyond “He,” “She,” or “It”
Vuk is the leader of a shape-shifting alien race known as the D’Bari. The D’Bari are a humanoid plant species so Vuk might be asexual for this reason.
Humanoid:
Noun: (especially in science fiction) a being resembling a human in its shape.
Google’s English dictionary – Licensed from Oxford University Press
“a three-eyed humanoid”
“She” or “it” is one of the D’Bari who escaped from the annihilation of their planet by the Phoenix Force.
Jessica Chastain who plays Margaret Smith, the woman Vuk impersonates, seeks to capture the Phoenix. She is driven, goal-oriented, and an emotionally cold antagonist to humans and mutants but a protagonist for her race.
Here’s a breakdown of her character traits and how they align with specific Enneagram types:
Key Traits:
Intellectual Arrogance: Vuk exhibits strong confidence in her ability to manipulate Jean Grey and other mutants, often underestimating her opponents.
Analytical Thinking: She approaches the pursuit of the Phoenix Force with deep theoretical understanding and methodical reasoning.
Dual Competency: Vuk excels in both her alien abilities and her comprehension of human and mutant behavior, enabling effective manipulation.
Objective-Driven: Her exhaustive and calculated methods demonstrate a clear focus on thoroughly understanding and exploiting the Phoenix Force.
Independence: As the D’Bari survivors’ leader, Vuk operates autonomously, making decisions without external influence.
Intellectual Curiosity: Vuk’s approach to the Phoenix Force showcases intense curiosity and intellectual depth, aligning with INTP’s emphasis on cognitive processes.
Motivations and Fears:
- Motivation: Vuk is motivated by a desire to resurrect her race and rebuild her world using the Phoenix force. She sees Jean Grey as a means to achieve this goal(2)(4).
- Fear: Vuk fears the extinction of her race and the loss of her people’s identity. She is driven by a need to control the Phoenix force to prevent further destruction and to use it for her people’s survival(2)(4).
Behavioral Patterns:
- Manipulative and Strategic: Vuk uses her intelligence and understanding of human behavior to manipulate Jean Grey and other characters to achieve her goals.
- Resilient and Determined: Despite facing setbacks, Vuk remains determined to achieve her objectives, showing a strong resilience in the face of adversity(2)(4).
Enneagram Type Analysis:
Based on Vuk’s characteristics, she aligns closely with Type 3: The Achiever and Type 5: The Investigator.
- Type 3: The Achiever:
- Key Traits: Ambitious, driven, and strategic, Type 3s are known for their ability to achieve their goals through hard work and determination. Vuk’s focus on resurrecting her race and her strategic approach to manipulating Jean Grey align with these traits.
- Motivations and Fears: Type 3s are motivated by a desire to succeed and fear failure. Vuk’s motivation to control the Phoenix force and her fear of her race’s extinction mirror these motivations and fears.
- Behavioral Patterns: Type 3s are known for their adaptability and strategic thinking, traits that Vuk demonstrates in her interactions with Jean Grey and other characters.
- Type 5: The Investigator:
- Key Traits: Intellectual, analytical, and independent, Type 5s are known for their deep understanding of complex systems and their ability to analyze and exploit them. Vuk’s intellectual confidence and her exhaustive approach to understanding the Phoenix force align with these traits.
- Motivations and Fears: Type 5s are motivated by a desire for knowledge and understanding and fear being overwhelmed by the demands of others. Vuk’s motivation to understand and control the Phoenix force and her fear of losing her people’s identity reflect these motivations and fears.
- Behavioral Patterns: Type 5s are known for their strategic thinking and ability to manipulate situations to their advantage, traits that Vuk displays in her interactions with Jean Grey and other characters.
Vuk’s character in X-Men: Dark Phoenix exhibits traits that align with Type 3: The Achiever and Type 5: The Investigator. Her strategic approach, intellectual confidence, and determination to achieve her goals are key characteristics that support this analysis. Her motivations and fears, particularly her desire to resurrect her race and her fear of extinction, further reinforce her alignment with these Enneagram types.
Ranked List:
- Type 3: The Achiever with a Wing 4: Being a Shapeshifter and a Magician archetype
- Type 5: The Investigator with Wing 6: The Loyalist (due to her loyalty to her race and her determination to protect them)
- Type 9: The Peacemaker (due to her ability to blend in and manipulate situations to her advantage) and a wing Type 8: The Challenger (due to her confrontational approach and her willingness to challenge others to achieve her goals)
We can begin again. Here.
Vuk about Earth
References to this ranking:
- 2 IMDb: Jessica Chastain as Vuk – X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
- 3 IGN: Dark Phoenix’s Vuk and D’Bari: The Marvel Villains Explained
- 4 The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Dark Phoenix’: The Comics Behind Jessica Chastain’s Character
Other Considerations:
Vuk’s character in X-Men: Dark Phoenix is a complex and intriguing one, with traits that align with multiple Enneagram types. Her strategic approach, intellectual confidence, and determination to achieve her goals make her a compelling and formidable villain. Understanding her Enneagram type can provide deeper insights into her motivations and behaviors, enhancing our appreciation of her character.
Based on Vuk’s characteristics as depicted in Marvel, particularly in Dark Phoenix (2019), the most fitting Enneagram type for her would likely be Enneagram Type Three.
The Professional Shapeshifting magician: Exploring Vuk’s 3-5 Tri-Fix
Vuk’s qualities align well with the traits of an Enneagram Type 3 and 5, which include:
- Driven and Objective: She approaches her goals with a sense of detachment, focusing on the logical steps needed to achieve them.
- Knowledge-Seeking: As a member of an advanced alien race, she has a deep understanding of the Phoenix Force and seeks to harness its power, indicating a thirst for knowledge and mastery.
- Self-Sufficient and Independent: Vuk operates independently, showing resilience and resourcefulness in her quest.
- Secretive and Private: She conceals her true intentions behind a calm and inoffensive demeanor, much like a Type 5 who values privacy and may withhold personal information.
According to Wikipedia and as a side note unrelated to the movie: “Margaret Madeline Chase Smith was an American politician with fair hair. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a U.S. representative and a U.S. senator from Maine. She was the first woman to serve in both houses of the United States Congress, and the first woman to represent Maine in either.”
In the movie “Dark Phoenix,” Vuk is portrayed as a complex antagonist with several distinctive traits:
- Dual Competency and Specialization: Vuk demonstrates high competency in both her alien abilities and her understanding of human and mutant behavior. This allows her to manipulate events and characters effectively. Her focus is particularly on mastering the power of the Phoenix, showing a deep dive into a specific subject of interest.
Tritype® 359, 395, 539, 593, 935, 953: The Thinker
“If you are a 359, you are ambitious, knowledgeable, and accepting. You want to be efficient, wise, and peaceful. Intellectual and clever, you find amenable ways to manage difficult situations and relationships.”
Katherine Chernick Fauvre.
- Intellectual Confidence and Arrogance: Vuk displays a strong intellectual arrogance, especially evident in her confidence about manipulating Jean Grey and other mutants. She believes in her superior knowledge and abilities, sometimes underestimating the resilience of her opponents.
Caption: Watch this YouTube Clip
- Protective of Reputation and Image Management: Throughout the film, Vuk maintains a carefully crafted image to blend in and manipulate those around her. She hides her vulnerabilities and true intentions, presenting herself as a sympathetic figure to Jean initially.
- Productivity and Independence: Vuk operates independently, rarely relying on others unless it furthers her agenda. Her plans are meticulously carried out, reflecting a high level of personal initiative and productivity.
- Emotional and Relational Distance: She shows a significant degree of emotional detachment, viewing others primarily as means to an end. Her relationships are strategic rather than genuine, emphasizing her cold and distant personality.
Conservative Yet Polished Appearance: Vuk adopts a human appearance that is conservative but always composed and elegant, helping her to blend in and convey a non-threatening image that belies her true power and intentions.
- Objective and Exhaustive Approach: Vuk’s methods are exhaustive and calculated, with a clear objective in mind. She seeks to understand and exploit the Phoenix force thoroughly, not just superficially.
- Balance of Inward and Outward Focus: Vuk balances her inward mastery of her own alien capabilities with an outward focus on how to manipulate and control others, particularly Jean Grey. Her dual focus is instrumental in nearly achieving her goals.
Vuk’s character in “Dark Phoenix” embodies the archetype of a knowledgeable and manipulative figure who uses her intellectual and strategic prowess to achieve her goals, often at the expense of others’ well-being, aligning well with the traits of the INTP 3+5: The Professional.
“It’s so much easier to understand your language when you’re not screaming.”
“This is a primitive species.”
Vuk (Jessica Chastain)
Her vices as a secondary Type 5 include being seen as unfeeling, dispassionate, and ‘cool as a cucumber and hard on relationships.
The manipulative achiever
How is Vuk a type 3
Vuk: [creates a hologram] What entered you in space was not a solar flare. And it was not an accident. It was drawn to you.
Jean Grey: What… what was it?
Vuk: A pure and unimaginably powerful cosmic force. We saw it enter you in space. We were there, Jean, following that force.
Jean Grey: Why?
Vuk: Because it’s the spark that gave life to the universe… and the flame that consumed my world. What remains of my people searched the stars for that power, to control it, but it destroyed everything it ever came into contact with. Until you.
Jean Grey: Why me?
Vuk: Because you’re stronger than you know. Because you’re special, Jean. With my help, you could control what’s inside you. Harness that power to create whole new worlds… turn dust into water… water into life. It’s your destiny, Jean, to become something greater… to evolve into the greatest force in the galaxy. I told you they could never understand you. And what they don’t understand, they fear. And what they fear…
Jean Grey: …they seek to destroy.
Why is Vuk secondarily a Type Three (Heart)
Enneagram Type 3: Successful Achiever
Performer, Motivator, Achiever, Producer or Status Seeker
Compare to Magneto who is Type 8 (835-Solution Master), Vuk is secondarily a Type 3 (359-The Thinker) due to her ability to adapt to the expectations of others as Margaret Smith. She expresses her Three with her desire to perform, her ability to achieve her goal, and her natural ability to motivate and charm Jean.
“Because you’re stronger than you know. Because you’re special, Jean.”
Vuk (Jessica Chastain)
“The only person afraid of your power is you”
As opposed to Magneto who is Type 8, Margaret Smith, the woman Vuk impersonates, is not that confrontational. She is the adopted self-image of a Three who is there to charm and “salvage” Jean from a schizophrenic condition she now suffers called “The Phoenix.”
“Feel the power inside you. That power is you.”
Vuk (Jessica Chastain)
“Let’s just say I have friends in high places.”
You can’t control it. If you kill me, you’ll kill them all.
Your emotions make you weak.
Vuk to Jean
Type 3 over Type 8 as she is not very confrontational
Professor Charles Xavier: I knew. I knew you were still in there.
Vuk: He just showed you your past. Follow me… into your future.
Jean Grey: No. I never asked for this, any of it.
Vuk: I traveled to the stars for a gift that you don’t want.
Jean Grey: Then take it, please. Free me.
Vuk: I’ll try.
Professor Charles Xavier: Stop it. You’re going to kill her!
Vuk: Your lives mean nothing. Your world will be ours.
Professor Charles Xavier: You’d kill us all.
Vuk: [smiles] Yes.
“We can begin again. Here.”- Vuk about Earth
She is efficient, wise, and goal oriented as she proceeds toward the end, especially facing magneto and other mutants on a train.
