History Characters / MetalGearSenatorArmstrong

[[center:[-[[Characters/MetalGear Main Character Index]] | Characters/MetalGear1 ([[Characters/MetalGearSolidSnake Solid Snake]] | [[Characters/MetalGearBigBoss Big Boss / Naked Snake]]) | [[Characters/MetalGear2SolidSnake Metal Gear 2]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid Metal Gear Solid]] ([[Characters/MetalGearSolidFOXHOUND FOXHOUND]]) | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Sons of Liberty]] ([[Characters/MetalGearRaiden Raiden]]) | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Snake Eater]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Guns of the Patriots]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]] | [[Characters/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Revengeance]] ('''Senator Armstrong''') | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidV The Phantom Pain]] | [[Characters/MetalGearAcid Acid]] | [[Characters/MetalGearAcid2 Ac!d 2]] | [[Characters/MetalGearGhostBabel Ghost Babel]] | [[Characters/SnakesRevenge Snake's Revenge]]-]]]

[[center:[-[[Characters/MetalGear Main Character Index]] | Characters/MetalGear1 ([[Characters/MetalGearSolidSnake Solid Snake]] | [[Characters/MetalGearBigBoss Big Boss / Naked Snake]]) | [[Characters/MetalGear2SolidSnake Metal Gear 2]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid Metal Gear Solid]] ([[Characters/MetalGearSolidFOXHOUND FOXHOUND]]) | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Sons of Liberty]] ([[Characters/MetalGearRaiden Raiden]]) | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Snake Eater]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Guns of the Patriots]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]] | [[Characters/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Revengeance]] ('''Senator Armstrong''') | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidV The Phantom Pain]] | [[Characters/MetalGearAcid Acid]] | [[Characters/MetalGearGhostBabel Ghost Babel]] | [[Characters/SnakesRevenge Snake's Revenge]]-]]]

* EnergyAbsorption: Once EXCELSUS is down, green energy flows from the Metal Gear's exposed wiring into him.

* SuperStrength: Strong enough to make the entire Metal Gear Excelsus explode with a single punch. Even Raiden, who can toss around a RAY unit, has trouble against him.

* WorldsStrongestMan: When he's hulked out, he's the single strongest character in the entire ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' universe at the time of his introduction, surpassed only by [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain the Man on Fire]]. He's also the strongest member of the most powerful PMC in the world, and considering the other members include ''Sundowner'', that's saying something. To put it simply, he's far more dangerous to Raiden than the ''[[HumongousMecha Metal Gear]]'' he starts the fight in.

* CigarChomper: He has a cigar in hand while going on a MotiveRant about starting a war with Pakistan. He also takes a smoke break after kicking the shit out of a bruised-up Raiden.

** On another level, Raiden fighting against Armstrong is symbolic of the struggle between the weak and the strong who prey on them. Raiden is symbolic of the citizens of America who for too long have been manipulated by politically powerful and wealthy men who dominate the way they live their lives, and Armstrong is symbolic of those crooked politicians. Raiden is symbolically representing every citizen who ever wanted to punch the politicians they hated in the face, and "fight the power" as the saying goes.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote: When powered up by nanomachines, son]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_7932.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

** We also have NO idea how he created and enhanced himself the nanomachines, which seem to be VERY unique and powerful even by Metal Gear Solid standards.

* {{Expy}}: A lot of fans have pointed out that his plan would essentially create the lawless Hell that is the world of ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', albeit one that isn't plagued by nuclear holocaust. (Although [[FridgeHorror that could very well be part of Armstrong's plan to "wipe the slate clean"...]]) The irony is that when powered up he looks and fights like Raoh, the very person in that world trying to bring about order and law.

* {{Expy}}: A lot of fans have pointed out that his plan would essentially create the lawless Hell that is the world of ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', albeit one that isn't plagued by nuclear holocaust. The irony is that when powered up he looks and fights like Raoh, the very person in that world trying to bring about order and law.

* MeaningfulName: Maybe a bit on the nose; his arms ''are'' indeed very strong. And that's not even getting into when he activates his {{Nanomachines}}.

* RatedMForManly: A mega-buff former quarterback turned Navy man turned United States senator who [[HulkingOut hulks out]] with ridiculous charges of electricity to become stronger than Raiden and able to create giant pillars of fire and lava with his punches.

* FoeTossingCharge: The first thing he does once he starts fighting Raiden is knock him back with a powerful shoulder tackle. He also performs plenty of these in the final battle proper.
* ForeheadOfDoom: According to the character designer, while Armstrong's original design made him look more intelligent, his forehead and chin were later emphasized to be more fitting with his character. Specifically, that of a man of action, not just words.

* BadassBaritone: Very tough, extremely cunning and one hell of a LargeHam, with a booming voice to hammer it all home. If his goals weren't genuinely well-meaning then this would've been EvilSoundsDeep.

* MeetTheNewBoss: Thirteen years after [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty George "Solidus Snake" Sears's resignation]] from the US presidency over [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid the Shadow Moses Incident]] and nine years after his insurrection during the Manhattan Incident, Presidential candidate Steven Armstrong expresses a similar desire to reboot the United States by instigating a revolution within the American homeland. The similarity to ''Sons of Liberty'' led to rumors that Solidus actually appears in this game; actually, the "Sears Project" is mentioned in connection with plans to create child soldiers, just like Solidus did in Liberia.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote: When powered up by nanomachines (son!)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_7932.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

[[center:[-[[Characters/MetalGear Main Character Index]] | Characters/MetalGear1 ([[Characters/MetalGearSolidSnake Solid Snake]] | [[Characters/MetalGearBigBoss Big Boss / Naked Snake]]) | [[Characters/MetalGear2SolidSnake Metal Gear 2]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid Metal Gear Solid]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Sons of Liberty]] ([[Characters/MetalGearRaiden Raiden]]) | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Snake Eater]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Guns of the Patriots]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]] | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]] | [[Characters/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Revengeance]] ('''Senator Armstrong''') | [[Characters/MetalGearSolidV The Phantom Pain]] | [[Characters/MetalGearAcid Acid]] | [[Characters/MetalGearGhostBabel Ghost Babel]] | [[Characters/SnakesRevenge Snake's Revenge]]-]]]

** Armstrong is obsessively into the idea of individualism and people fighting on their own terms, but his power is derived from ''nanomachines''--as in, his body is flooded with tiny robots that practically do the fighting for him. Unlike genuinely skilled fighters like Sam, Armstrong is shown to be [[UnskilledButStrong little more than a brawler]]; without his army of invisible helpers, he would have been no threat whatsoever.

* AuthorityGrantsAsskicking: He's both the ultimate backer of Desperado, and the most advanced and lethal combatant they have, using {{Nanomachines}} in his body to become a [[NighInvulnerability nigh-invulnerable]] superhuman.

** The Japanese script also makes no mention of Armstrong playing college football, merely stating that he's more of an athlete than other politicians.

* MysteriousPast / RiddleForTheAges: PlayedWith. Armstrong seems to have a relatively normal background in America, according to Raiden. The reasons behind his SocialDarwinist MightMakesRight-based philosophy are a complete mystery, given he doesn't seem to have a DarkAndTroubledPast like Raiden and the rest of Desperado. He does seem to have some knowledge about The Patriots, but how/if he is connected to them is never clarified.

* TheSocialDarwinist: Wants to create a new America where the strong survive and the weak die. His motivations are very similar to the Patriots who wanted to socially engineer American evolution, only difference being is that instead of information control he intends to use violence to enforce this new world. Unlike most examples, he's not a hypocrite and proves to be enough of a believer that he accepts that Raiden beating him proves him right in his mind.

* Mysterious Past / Riddle For The Ages: PlayedWith. Armstrong seems to have a relatively normal background in America, according to Raiden. The reasons behind his SocialDarwinist MightMakesRight-based philosophy are a complete mystery, given he doesn't seem to have a DarkAndTroubledPast like Raiden and the rest of Desperado. He does seem to have some knowledge about The Patriots, but how/if he is connected to them is never clarified.

* DeadpanSnarker: It's usually drowned out by him being a total LargeHam, but his sense of wit during his more sedate moments is incredibly dry.
--> '''Raiden''': How the hell did you get elected...
--> '''Armstrong''': Well, I don't write my own speeches.

** There's no clear explanation as to how he met and recruited any of the other Winds of Destruction save for Jetstream Sam. He likely recruited Khamsin from the USA military, but the rest is a mystery. Mistral at least seems to be ''in love with him'', but what his feelings towards her were are never revealed either (and he doesn't even mention any of the Winds save for Sam during his fight with Raiden).