I think I've found a clue as to the identity of the Man in Black, and I'd like to know what others think. With all the knowledge MiB had of what went on during the time-flashes - being able to impersonate Christian, to know enough to tell Locke what he had to do off the Island, and to know when Locke came to the beachcraft so he could have Richard tell Locke he needed to die - it makes me think he's a time-traveler. I don't think he can just skip around at will, though, since it doesn't seem we've met anyone with that ability. So it leads me to wonder: is MiB one of the people who were time-flashing? Just a later version who then time-traveled all the way back to before the beginning somehow? It doesn't seem MiB knows what will happen after Jacob's death, or even that he knows who will attempt to kill Jacob nor whether it will be successful, so I think it must be someone who wasn't there when all that happened. None of the people who went through the flashes were there when MiB had Ben kill Jacob, so they all fit that bill. Perhaps, as I've mentioned in other posts, he is a disembodied consciousness. Could it be his consciousness was removed from his body and sent back in time, and he's been waiting all this time to get back to what was once his "present" so he can fulfill whatever purpose he has in mind?
I used to think MiB was the Monster, but now I don't (I mean, if that's how it turns out, cool, but I think the evidence may be pointing elsewhere). I still think the Losties are the most important main characters in the show, or it wouldn't be about them; and that leads me to believe MiB is one of them, or related to one or more of them in a major way so as to have an emotional attachment. Even so, I don't think Jacob is necessarily one of the Losties - in fact, I think it makes more sense if he's not. But about MiB I could go either way.
I can't be clearer than this because there's not much to go on. I don't think I'm actually making a lot of sense; but if anyone understands what I mean, do you have anything to add? Am I completely going on a wild goose chase? Basically I'm wondering: since we've got so little to go on as far as concrete answers, can we figure anything about MiB's identity based on what he's done, and how that relates to other characters?
This is all presupposing MiB isn't simply MiB - which is to say, not a body-snatching Sawyer or Jack or what-have-you, but a character separate from anyone we've met so far.