DHARMA years (1970s-1992)Edit

The InitiativeEdit

In the early 1970s, the DHARMA Initiative established itself on the Island, where “properties […] that exist nowhere else on earth” (Barracks video) were studied in an attempt to change the core values of the Valenzetti Equation (Sri Lanka video). Founded in 1970 by Karen and Gerald DeGroot and financially backed by Alvar Hanso’s Foundation (Swan Orientation film), the Initiative found the Island after building the Lamp Post, a station that indicates its location with respect to time ("316").

The DHARMA personnel consisted of workmen and scientists, who were brought to the Island via a submarine. A series of at least nine stations were built all over the Island where scientific research was conducted, and a suburban-like neighborhood called the Barracks was constructed where the DHARMA employees resided with their families. The DHARMA staff used microbuses as a mean of transportation, and a network of dirt roads connected the Initiative’s facilities ("The Man Behind the Curtain"). A radio tower was also erected on the Island, broadcasting the numerical values of the Valenzetti Equation. (Sri Lanka video)

Thus far, no information on the DHARMA Initiative’s first contact with the Others have been given, and the nature of their relations during this time is unknown. Horace Goodspeed, a DHARMA mathematician, admitted that the Initiative was not “exactly sure” who the Others were ("The Man Behind the Curtain"). The presence of the Initiative on the Island apparently did not affect the Others’ activities in the outside world, as Richard Alpert, who contacted John Locke in 1972 through his science teacher by offering him a place at a summer camp sponsored by Mittelos Bioscience ("Cabin Fever"), was seen on the Island a year later during his first encounter with Benjamin Linus ("The Man Behind the Curtain"). Charles Widmore attested that under his leadership, the Others "protected the Island peacefully for more than three decades" ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham") suggesting that he occupied this position during most, if not all, of the years during which the DHARMA Initiative was settled on the Island.

The WarEdit

Regardless of the initial relationship the DHARMA Initiative had with the Others, the situation rapidly deteriorated into military conflict, and the Others became known to the DHARMA personnel as the “Hostiles”. Mikhail Bakunin, an Other, would later affirm that the Initiative “foolishly initiated a war against the Hostiles” ("Enter 77"). Benjamin Linus, a DHARMA workman who defected to the Others, would state: “The DHARMA Initiative. They came here seeking harmony, but they couldn't even coexist with the Island's original inhabitants.” ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

The DHARMA Initiative took several measures to protect its workers from the Hostiles. The Arrow, a DHARMA station whose primary purpose was “to develop defensive strategies and gather intelligence on the island's hostile indigenous population”, had members with “a specific area of expertise” ("Because You Left"). The Initiative built a high-frequency sonic fence surrounding the Barracks, however it is unclear if the fence was effective, as Richard Alpert apparently passed through it with ease, claiming that "[the] fence may keep other things out, but not [his people]." ("LaFleur"). A security team, headed by Sawyer (known to DHARMA members as Jim Lafleur), was present on the Island. Some stations were equipped for defense against the Hostiles: the Swan and the Hydra had their own armory, which contained a wide array of weapons, and signaling “an incursion […] by the Hostiles” in the menu system of the Flame’s computer triggered an explosion, effectively destroying the communication station ("Enter 77").

The earliest known battle occurred in the early mid-70s, when the Hostiles attacked the Barracks. Roger Linus, a DHARMA workman who was driving back from the Flame during the attack, claimed that he heard a “huge explosion” and drove through the middle of a “shootout”. This, however, may very well not have been the first assault on the DHARMA Initiative by the Hostiles; Goodspeed noted that the Initiative was “having some skirmishes with the natives”, and the DHARMA staff appeared well-prepared for an attack: a siren warned the personnel of the strike, armed employees could be seen rushing to presumably engage the Hostiles, young students in the DHARMA classroom knew their “positions” while their teacher, Olivia Goodspeed, had a shotgun available. Furthermore, Annie, a girl attending the DHARMA classroom, reassured a young and scared Benjamin Linus by telling him not to worry; that it was “just the Hostiles” and that they were going to be okay. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

In 1973, Ben ventured in the jungle and encountered Richard Alpert. While being initially scared of Richard, Ben eventually explained that he was looking for his dead mother, of whom he had had visions. At first, Richard encouraged Ben to head back to the Barracks, claiming that his people would be looking for him. However, after Ben expressed his hate for the Initiative and his desire to join the Hostiles, Richard explained that it might be possible, but cautionned that he would "have to be very, very patient." ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

At some point, a truce between the DHARMA Initiative and the Others was negotiated and agreed upon. In 1974, this truce was threatened when a conflict involving two members of the Others and a husband and wife pair of DHARMA members, Amy and Paul, resulted in the death of the latter. The episode took place outside the sonic fence surrounding the Barracks, and would have ended in Amy's capture (and possible death), had not a time-traveling Sawyer and Juliet intervened, killing the two Others and rescuing her. Later that night, Richard Alpert visited the Barracks and dicussed with Horace, accusing the Initiative to have broken the truce. However, Sawyer explained his actions to Richard and proved that he was not a member of the DHARMA Initiative. Alpert acknowledged that the truce had not been violated, on the condition that the Initiative surrenders Paul's body as a symbol of justice, which was done. ("LaFleur")

Danielle RousseauEdit

On November 17th, 1988, a 7-months pregnant Danielle Rousseau, along with the other five members of her science expedition, shipwrecked onto the Island. The vessel, after capting the transmission of the DHARMA radio tower broadcasting the numbers, had changed course to investigate. As the ship approached the Island, it was caught in a storm and and ran agroud ("Solitary"). After drifting to shore in an emergency raft, the team continued to search for the transmision source. In the jungle, a member of the team was killed by the Monster while another one, Montand, was dragged in a hole, losing his arm in the process. When the team heard Montand calling from the hole, the other members of the science expedition decided to enter the hole while Danielle waited for them. ("This Place Is Death")

Rousseau dubbed the place where Montand lost his arm the Dark Territory, indicating that the Black Rock was not far from there and claiming that "this is where it all began—where [her] team got infected" ("Exodus, Part 1"). According to Rousseau, "it was weeks before [her team] found the radio tower" ("Numbers"). While waiting for rescue, her team dug out a temporary shelter and survived for two months. The team presumably explored the Black Rock, since Rousseau claimed that while they were coming back from the Black Rock, the group met the Others, who Danielle identified as "the carriers" of the sickness, even though she later stated that she had never seen other people on the Island. Rousseau claimed that the sickness took her comrades, one after the other. ("Solitary")

Shortly after this, Rousseau shot and killed two other members of her team, Brennan and Lacombe. She then confonted her husband Robert at gunpoint, claiming that he was not Robert, that he was sick. This time, Rousseau suggested that it was the Monster who had infected her husband, not the Others. Robert attempted to murder Danielle, but his firing pin had been removed by Danielle ("Solitary"), who shot him instants after the deception. ("This Place Is Death")

After her team was gone, Rousseau went back up to the radio tower and changed the transmisson, broadcasting a distress signal ("Numbers"). Even though Danielle arrived on the Island in 1988, four years before the collapse of the Initiative, it appears that she did not meet any DHARMA personnel. The transmission was not changed back to broadcasting the Numbers, as if the Initiative had abandoned the radio tower. It is unknown if this was a result of its ongoing war against the Hostiles.

Three days later, Rousseau delivered her baby herself. Rousseau had only been with the child, Alex, for only one week when she saw a pillar of black smoke 5 kilometers inland. That night, Benjamin Linus and a young Ethan Rom (two members of the DHARMA Initiative) were instructed by Charles Widmore to kill Rousseau. Ben entered Rousseau's tent while she was sleeping and discovered Alex. Instead of killing Rousseau, Ben took her baby, warning her, "If you want your baby to live, every time your hear whispers, your run the other way." Ben brought Alex to the Others' camp, where he was confronted by an aging Widmore for not having followed his orders, claiming they were in the Island's best interests. Widmore ordered Ben to kill the baby, but Ben refused, questioning if Alex's death really was what Jacob wanted and proposing that Widmore kill her instead. Widmore scoffed and walked away, allowing Ben to raise Alex as his child. ("Dead Is Dead")

The PurgeEdit

On December 19, 1992, the Hostiles launched an Island-wide toxic gas attack - known as the Purge - that effectively wiped out the DHARMA Initiative's presence on the Island, marking the end of the long conflict between the DHARMA Initiative and the Others. Over forty people were killed, and among the notable fatalities was Horace Goodspeed. ("The Man Behind the Curtain") ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") The toxic gas was released from a DHARMA station called the Tempest, and it is unknown how the Hostiles were able to use one of the Initiative's sation against its members. ("The Other Woman")

Earlier that day, Benjamin Linus, having defected to the Hostiles, used a deadly gas canister to murder his father Roger while the two were alone at the Mesa. Ben then returned to the Barracks, where the gased members of the DHARMA Initiative were layed dead, strewn all over the lawn. The Hostiles, led by Richard Alpert, emerged from the woods, wearing gas masks. After making sure the gas had time to dissipate, the Others took off their gas masks and began to pile the DHARMA workers into a mass grave. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

Ben would later explain his betrayal: "When it became clear that one side had to go, one side had to be purged, I did what I had to do. I was one of the people that was smart enough to make sure that I didn't end up in [the mass grave]." ("The Man Behind the Curtain") This quote suggests that other members of the Initiative defected to the Others. Ethan Rom, born on the Island and son of Horace Goodspeed, was 15-years old when the Purge occured and joined the Others' society under unknown circumstances. ("He's Our You")

It is unclear who ordered the Purge. Ben once said: "Not so long ago, Jack. I made a decision, that took the lives of over forty people in a single day" ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1"), but later claimed that the purge was not his decision, but rather the Others' previous leader's. ("Cabin Fever")

The Others and the majority of the DHARMA personnel had no knowledge of the underground Swan station (Official Lost Podcast). Thus, Stuart Radzinsky and Kelvin Inman survived the Purge, and remained hidden. While the Others could haved monitored the Swan from the Pearl, they had no way of knowing its location.