3. "Who is Richard Fannin?"
Richard Fannin, also known as Merlin, Maerlin, the Magician, the Wizard, The Ageless Stranger, and Randall Flagg, appears as the villain in several King stories. In the trade paperback version of book two Roland makes mention that he witnessed the events of "Eyes of the Dragon" on pages 361-362 (or if you don't have the trade paperback edition it is in the section called "The Pusher", chapter 3, section 13.) In the trade version of book three Fannin himself admits that he was the villain in "The Stand" on pages 387-390 (again, if you don't have the trade edition try "Bridge and City", section 40.)
We discover in book 4 that R.F. is also Marten Broadcloak, the wizard advisor to Roland's father, seducer of his mother and a man who aided in the complete and utter destruction of the Gunslinger way of life.
While re-reading the series to find out all the page numbers for the chronology I also came across the stunning revelation (on page 106 of the first book no less) that Marten is, in fact, "known in some quarters as the good man." This means that Farson, The Good Man, Flagg, Fannin and Marten are all one and the same person.
While we are on the topic, several nice folks have also e-mailed in wondering about what Walter meant at the end of the first book after he sent the vision to Roland. To hear Walter tell it that vision would have destroyed Marten, which, if he is Flagg, would be darned difficult to do. In that same section Walter also says that he works for "The Ageless Stranger" (i.e. Flagg) but has never met him outside of a dream (page 211). This leads me to believe that as powerful as Walter is, he doesn't have the slightest clue who Marten really was.
The revised edition of book 1 solves this problem by changing Walter's dialog slightly. He now says "I never could have sent that vision to your father. He would have come back drooling." Rather than "I never could have sent that vision to Marten..." Also now, Marten and Walter are in fact the same person. I am hoping, really sincerely hoping, that King doesn't make every single villain Roland has faced into Flagg. I don't think it's necessary to have Marten, Walter, The Man In Black, The Ageless Stranger and Flagg all be the same character. Spin off Walter and Marten, let them be dead at the end of book 1 and move on. It's my understanding that once all the books are released King is planning on doing revised editions of books 2 and 3, if that's the case then hopefully this will become more clear.
On a side note, J.A. Lawson writes in from England with the tidbit that in "The Stand", Tom Cullen refers to Flagg as being the demon "Legion" (I'll be running down the page reference tonight.) You probably recognize this from the Bible story where Jesus casts the demon out into a herd of pigs who then flee lemming-like off a cliff, but Legion also appeared as the villain in the King made for T.V. movie "Storm of the Century" under the name "Mr. Linoge". Linoge told his victims that if they simply gave him what he wanted he would go away. What did he want? A child to raise as his own to one-day replace him.
Lori, sharp reader that she is, ran the page reference for me (thanks Lori!) If you have the uncut version of "The Stand" in hardcover it's on page 818, for the uncut Signet paperback look to page 806. "He's always outside. He came out of time. He doesn't know himself. He has the name of a thousand demons. Jesus knocked him into a herd of pigs once. His name is Legion. He's afraid of us. We're inside. He knows magic. He can call the wolves and live in the crows. He's the king of nowhere..."
It's also worth noting that in the revised and expanded edition of book 1 Walter references the Ageless Stranger as Legion. (pg. 292.)