Sir Derek Janus

Sir Derek Janus, often referred to by his last name 'Janus' or as 'Sir', is the owner of the Janus Foundation and the leader of the Watchers (Heritronians who came to Earth to recover the Box of Destiny and its keys that was stolen almost 2000 years ago).

He is one of the main antagonists in the Look and Read series, "The Legend of the Lost Keys".

Information
Sir Derek Janus is the leader of the latest generation of Watchers - descended from the Takers who followed the 'First Guardian' to Earth with the mission of retrieving the box and the keys, opening it when the time was right and returning to Heritron with the box. He is both highly respected and feared among his fellow Watchers, particularly when he gets angry whenever they fail a task he has ordered them to do. Janus himself only answers to the Supreme Taker/Supreme One - whom he talks to using a Crystal Communicator. Janus himself is shown to be cunning and perfectly willing to use other means - such as kidnapping or even murder - to achieve his goals.

However, he is egotistical, as seen when he gloated that he would be going through to Heritron first after the Box was opened - declaring that even though he had been asked to bring George, he declared going through first was his 'moment of triumph', and that he would not share it - telling his assistant Stephanie Burns to bring George through after him "like the slave he soon will be". Whenever he failed or annoyed the Supreme One, however, he would have a sombre look until after the conversation, where he would take his anger out on others - similar to a bully.

"January, Janus, and both its faces, The hidden danger beneath the smile that graces". - An extract from the sixth poem in the Prophecies of the First Guardian.

Derek's last name, Janus, is the same name as a Roman God. In Roman Mythology, Janus has two faces - one face that looks into the past and the other into the future, although Countess Anna points out that on Earth, "two faced" is another way of saying "not to be trusted" - which is true with Sir Derek. This is proved both when he tricks Professor Waters into helping retrieve the box before later stealing it from him, as well as promising George he will let Mark and Lisa go in return for the keys - only to admit after getting the keys that he lied and imprisons all three of them.

Also in Roman Mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions - therefore of gates, doors, passages, endings and time. This is fitting both because of Janus been the one to open and the first to go through the 'doorway' into Heritron. It also fits as the symbol on the Janus Foundation as well as on the box and the doorway when it's opened is that of the Roman God Janus.

It's unbeknown what happened to Janus after the box was sealed, as it was the Watcher's only way back into Heritron. It's likely he went on to live a normal life on Earth but having to live with the knowledge that he failed.

Appearance
The Legend of the Lost Keys (TV Series)