History Characters / QuakeIV

* IamAHumanitarian

** [[spoiler:BadassAbnormal]]: [[spoiler:After his Stroggification]].

* DeadLittleSister

** [[spoiler:BadassAbnormal]]: [[spoiler:After his incomplete Stroggification]].

* EyeScream: Prior to being assigned to Rhino Squad, [[AllThereInTheManual he lost one of his eyes in the initial Strogg invasion of Earth]]. He had it replaced with a [[{{Foreshadowing}} cybernetic implant]] - [[spoiler:way before most of the rest of his body was replaced with cybernetics]].

* BadassSpaniard: Ok, Mexican in this case. The first time you see him, he snap-shots a Strogg in the head with a single Machinegun shot, one handed, and not even ''looking'' where he's shooting. He then explains to you that he's the resident Marksman of Rhino Squad. Like that needed saying. Whereas most other allies fire bursts from their own weapons, Cortez only ever takes one shot, and it always does more damage. That's because his rifle is a modified sniper variant.

* {{Badass}}: WordOfGod said that he's surnamed Kane because it's said that the creator of StarTrek have always used a hard "K" sound in the names of his heroes. Plus, Kane just sounds badass.

[[foldercontrol]]

-->''"I hear their voices when I sleep. I've seen the worst of war. But I can't escape the images of the Strogg. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel A metallic spine, jutting awkwardly through muscle.]] [[BodyHorror Flesh and bone fused with wires and steel.]] I hear their voices when I sleep. Created for war, and fueled by the blood of their enemy. But this isn't just a nightmare, [[spoiler:it's who I've become]]."''

* BadassBookworm: Despite being every bit the InsufferableGenius, he's more than capable of holding his own in a fight. In an off-screen adventure he even manages to fight his way to safety while trapped alone deep behind enemy lines while [[spoiler:Kane was busy getting raped by the Makron and being turned into a Strogg]]. But then again, we don't really know how much time [[spoiler:Kane]] spends between [[spoiler:getting grappled by the Makron]] and [[spoiler:its entrance on the ConveyorBeltODoom]], anyway.

* [[NamesTheSame Name's The Same]]: Shares his name with the famous composer.

* NonActionGuy: Averted. He used to be one, until an argument with a general caused him to be transferred to the front lines, and often complains/demands bodyguards when he has to be sent on a dangerous mission. He ''is'', however, a [[BadassBookworm capable soldier in spite of this]], and sometimes ends up on MissionControl, providing lots of helpful information to the rest of the squad.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: He was called Strassa, until the development team saw that "strasse" is german for "street".

* BackFromTheDead: Averted, as he was built following the original Makron's destruction. It seems that "Makron" is simply a title and not a name.

* BackFromTheDead, although it's possible, assuming it's not simply ArtisticLiscense on the developers' part like all the other aesthetic details, that "Makron" is simply a title and not a name.

* BackFromTheDead

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: He wants the Strogg to be dead because they killed his sister during [[EnemyTerritoryQuakeWars the Strogg invasion of Earth]].

* FakeNationality: He, a German, is voiced by PeterStormare, who is Swedish. Stormare is often cast as non-Swedish characters, due to his skill at mimicking accents.

* HeyItsThatVoice: He is voiced by by PeterStormare (whom you might know as [[{{Constantine}} Lucifer]], [[TheBigLebowski Uli Kunkel]], [[PrisonBreak John Abruzzi]] and [[{{Fargo}} Gaear Grimsrud]]).

* [[spoiler:TheCaptain]]: [[spoiler:After Voss's stroggification and death]].

* HeyItsThatVoice: He's voiced by Greg Eagles, a.k.a. [[AfroSamurai Rokutaro]], [[MetalGearSolid Gray Fox]], [[TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy the Grim Reaper]] and [[CrashBandicoot Aku Aku]]. In a related, yet ironic, note, Eagles would later voice ''[[UnrealTournamentIII Malcolm]]''.

* EmbarrassingFirstName: Although it is not revealed in-game, he has "Marion" as his first name. In an interview, the creators stated that they wanted to give him a first name that no-one would dare call him to his face.

* NiceGuy: He's, perhaps, the friendliest member of Rhino Squad and an all-round nice chap. [[spoiler:Guess who doesn't survive to the end of the game.]]

!!Lt. Scott Voss

* BadassNormal: Although the almost entirety of the Rhino Squad would qualify, while others prefer to use guns, he can beat Stroggos in hand to hand combats, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation at least according to his backstory]].

* InformedAbility: Despite him being the Heavy weapons expert, he isn't seen carrying or using one.

* NonActionGuy: Averted. He used to be one, until an argument with a general caused him to be transferred to the front lines, and often complains/demands bodyguards when he has to be sent on a dangerous mission. He ''is'', however, a [[BadassBookworm capable soldier in spite of this, though]], and sometimes ends up on MissionControl, providing lots of helpful information to the rest of the squad.

* TheSmartGuy: He's a mixture of this and InsufferableGenius.
* TheStoic: He embodies this trope to an extent.

* {{Nerdgasm}}: [[Invoked]] He admits to Kane that he's jealous of him, simply because [[spoiler:Kane is seeing awesome technology he can't]].

* {{Nerdgasm}}: [[spoiler:He admits to Kane that he's jealous of him, simply because Kane is seeing awesome technology he can't]].

* [[spoiler:PlayerPunch]]: [[spoiler:His death]].

* [[spoiler:PlayerPunch: His death]].

* [[spoiler:PlayerPunch: His death]].

* HeyItsThatVoice: He is voiced by by Peter Stormare, (whom you might know as [[{{Constantine}} Lucifer]], [[TheBigLebowski Uli Kunkel]], [[PrisonBreak John Abruzzi]] and [[{{Fargo}} Gaear Grimsrud]])

* GrapplingHook: He uses it on [[spoiler:Kane]].

[[spoiler:While attempting to destroy a Strogg facility, Kane is defeated and captured by the Makron. Deemed suitable for immediate cybernetic augmentation, Kane is taken to a Strogg Medical Facility and shackled to a metal slab mounted on an assembly line. In line for stroggification behind another captured marine, Kane witnesses the gruesome process used by the Strogg to create their soldiers right before he himself is subjected to it. However, before the stroggification is completed, Kane is rescued by his squadmates. As a result of the operation, Kane is faster, stronger, and has superhuman stamina. He also gains the ability to use certain Strogg technologies, such as teleporters and health stations. Of particular note is his immunity to Strogg laser defense grids, which are instantly lethal to unmodified humans on contact.]]

[[spoiler:Following a medical examination back aboard the USS Hannibal, Kane is greeted by squadmate Lance Corporal Nikolai "Sledge" Sledjonovitch with the words, "Welcome back Corporal Kane. May I be the first to say, you look like shit," a sentiment shared by another squadmate, Corporal William "Billy" Rhodes. Kane's squadmates change their opinion when it is shown that the Strogg technology embedded within Kane's body can potentially help the humans destroy the Strogg Nexus. When Kane does indeed defeat the Nexus, he only receives a brief three minutes of congratulations from Rhino Squad before he finds that he will be receiving new orders, and shall once again have to plunge into the heart of battle.]]

[[spoiler:Strauss figures out a way to destroy the core by shutting down its coolant systems after the EMP bomb is destroyed. He is believed killed in the Tetranode Hub by the Strogg after Kane is captured by the Makron in the coolant system chamber, however after returning to the Hannibal, he is seen in the briefing room. (He claims to have escaped capture on his own, however 'Sledge' and the rest of the squad believe he was helped) He helps in the destruction of the Nexus during Operation: Last Hope. (During which he sometimes talks to Kane to give advice, or to just comment on things like the Strogg Core's technology level)]]

On Stroggos, Cortez defended the flank of Rhino Squad, dramatically killing three Strogg with his rifle and notifying Kane on the location of the rest of Rhino Squad. [[spoiler:While present on the Death convoy, Cortez was not involved in the Tetranode attack. During Operation: Last Hope, Cortez steals a tram and helps Kane reach the data processing tower. He is last seen on the Hannibal, congratulating Kane]].

On the Strogg planet, Bidwell is found at the trenches near a Strogg anti-aircraft gun with Sledge. During Operation: Advantage, he helps Voss, Morris and Kane to secure the door controls and later, secure the detonation position. [[spoiler:While guarding the EMP bomb truck, Rhino Squad is attacked by a Harvester and Bidwell is impaled through the chest by one of the Harvester's legs. His death causes Voss and Morris to temporarily pause in grief]].

During the invasion to the Strogg planet, he remained at the Rhino Squad crash-site with Morris, attempting to stabilize Medic Metcalf's collapsed lung. Afterwards, he is brought by Matthew Kane to attend to Pvt. Chase's leg injuries. [[spoiler:After Kane's stroggification, he's present in his rescue, and by request of Voss, identifies Kane's neurocyte as inactive and tries to escort him to Falcon Five for a medical evacuation. After the destruction of the dropship, he attempts to return back to Rhino Squad with Kane, but is ambushed and killed by a Strogg Scientist who drags his corpse away]].

[[spoiler:Voss is captured in the Strogg Medical Facility by a Tactical Transfer after being cut off from the rest of the squad by a section cave in, damaging his communication system. He is later encountered, stroggified, in the Waste Processing Facility as the facility's guardian. He is able to warn Kane to run just before the chip takes control and forces Kane to fight and destroy him in order to escape the facility with some other surviving marines to a waiting drop ship.]]

[[spoiler:During Operation: Advantage, Morris first opens communications while at the Death convoy staging area. When the convoy arrives at the Tetranode, Morris helps Voss, Bidwell and Kane secure the door controls. He is present with Voss at the detonation position and, while guarding the EMP bomb truck, is attacked by a Harvester but escapes serious injury. When Kane is captured and stroggified, Morris is present in his rescue.]]

[[spoiler:During Operation: Last Hope, Morris is promoted to Second Lieutenant, replacing Voss' stroggification and death. Although he isn't seen for the rest of the operation, he is heard repeatedly giving orders to the other members of Rhino Squad. When Kane succeeds in destroying the Makron and the Nexus core, Morris is seen congratulating him.]]

[[spoiler:During Operation: Advantage, Rhodes disarms the mines that blocks the Death convoy. Afterwards, he is not seen for the rest of the operation. When Kane is captured and stroggified, Rhodes is present when Kane is rescued, nearly shooting him before Voss stops him. After Anderson notifies him that Kane isn't dangerous, Rhodes breaks open the glass cylinder holding him.]]

[[spoiler:During Operation: Last Hope, Rhodes helps Kane get to the top of the data storage tower and stays behind to defend the security console. He is later seen on the Hannibal, congratulating Kane.]]

* GrapplingHook: He uses one on [[spoiler:Kane]].

William Rhodes knew from a very early age he wanted to be a Marine. He entered the Corps as soon as he was old enough, and he quickly showed a gift for demolitions. Where anyone else would require a detailed blueprint of a structure to know where best to place a bomb, Rhodes knows instinctively where the weak points are. Be it a heavily fortified damn or a reinforced bunker, Rhodes can reduce it to rubble with a minimal amount of explosives. Hailing from Texas, Rhodes plays as hard as he works. He's been demoted twice due to altercations with MPs while out on R&R.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: The pose that he strikes during the ending, upon [[spoiler:destroying the Nexus]]. Utterly BadAss.

* {{Nerdgasm}}: [[spoiler:He admits to Kane that he's jealous of him, simply because Kane is seeing awesome technology he can't.]]

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: After [[spoiler:Kane's]] rescue:
--> '''[[spoiler:Sledge:]]''' [[spoiler:Welcome back, Corporal Kane. May I be the first to say you look like ''shit''.]]

* FridgeLogic: His backstory says that he isn't afraid of using weapons against the enemy. Now, [[spoiler:[[WhyDontYouJustShootHim why don't he just shoot the Scientist?]]]]

* [[spoiler:ThatOneBoss: His Stroggified self, who's just about as deadly as the Makron. To elaborate: MadeOfIron, fast for his [[TheBigGuy size]], armed with Rocket Launchers and a [[{{BFG}} Dark Matter Gun]], can [[EnemySummoner summon Mooks]], and recharges his health up to three times. Sure, it takes a lot to bring him down, even at Training Level! And what's more, it doesn't help that he becomes a...]]

* [[spoiler:TheCaptain]]: [[spoiler:After Voss's stroggification and death.]]

* HeyItsThatVoice: He's voiced by Greg Eagles, a.k.a. [[AfroSamurai Rokutaro]], [[MetalGearSolid Gray Fox]], [[TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy the Grim Reaper]] and [[CrashBandicoot Aku Aku]]. In a related, yet ironic, note, Eagles would later voice ''[[UnrealTournament Malcolm]]''.

*

* [[spoiler:{{Nerdgasm}}]]: [[spoiler:He admits to Kane that he's jealous of him, simply because Kane is seeing awesome technology he can't.]]

* [[spoiler:Nerdgasm]]: [[spoiler:He admits to Kane that he's jealous of him, simply because Kane is seeing awesome technology he can't.]]

-->''"I hear their voices when I sleep. I've seen the worst of war. But I can't escape the images of the Strogg. A metallic spine, jutting awkwardly through muscle. Flesh and bone fused with wires and steel. I hear their voices when I sleep. Created for war, and fueled by the blood of their enemy. But this isn't just a nightmare, it's who I've become."''
-->-- Kane in the trailer.

-->Above all else, Corporal Matthew Kane is a survivor. He was involved with the disaster on Space Station Armstrong and was the only one to emerge alive. But exactly what happened there may never be known--he is under the strictest orders to remain silent. After several months of recuperation, Kane was assigned to Rhino squad. This was due to Lieutenant Voss, who saw Kane's potential to be a truly valuable asset to the team. However, the squad knows him only from his mysterious reputation. They don't trust him, and they believe he might be too much of a loose cannon. Yet with their upcoming mission on Stroggos, they will quickly find out just what Matthew Kane is capable of.

--> Johann Strauss possesses one of the most gifted minds of our age. By the time he was 4 years old, Strauss could perform complex trigonometry equations in his head. At the age of 8 he was fluent in six languages and could recite all of Shakespeare's works from memory. He was part of the research team that discovered how the Strogg used black holes to travel across the vast distances of space. He currently holds a Ph.D. in advanced computer science and in biotechnology and is one of eight people fluent in the Strogg language. In keeping with his genius status, Strauss also has a tremendous ego and can be extremely brash. He would have remained in research were it not for a run-in with General Nathaniel Hastings. Strauss insulted the general so badly that he found himself on the front lines a week after the argument. While in the field, Strauss found he excelled in working with Strogg technology. Because of his talents, he was assigned to Rhino squad. Now they receive missions deep in enemy territory that require interaction with Strogg security and computer systems.

* InsufferableGenius.

--> Growing up on his family's ranch, Cortez took to guns while very young. His father still brags about how, at the age of 8, Alejandro could kill a jackrabbit from 150 yards out. After his sister was killed during the first Strogg attack on Earth, Cortez joined the Marine Corps determined to have his revenge. Extremely cool in a firefight, he has a way of getting to vantage points no one else can find. Silent as darkness and swift as the hand of death, Cortez was assigned to Rhino squad after he single-handedly defended a communications outpost armed only with a depleted pistol--14 rounds against 14 Strogg--and at the end of the fight he still had one round left.

--> On Stroggos, Cortez defended the flank of Rhino Squad, dramatically killing three Strogg with his rifle and notifying Kane on the location of the rest of Rhino Squad. [[spoiler:While present on the Death convoy, Cortez was not involved in the Tetranode attack. During Operation: Last Hope, Cortez steals a tram and helps Kane reach the data processing tower. He is last seen on the Hannibal, congratulating Kane]].

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: His backstory puts him in {{badass}} levels. However, he rarely does something of importance in-game, aside of destroying a Strogg at the beginning of the game with dew shots and [[spoiler:helping Kane to reach the last tower near the end of it]].

-->The son of a former Russian Olympic weightlifter, Nikolai was raised on a farm where he spent most of his childhood doing intense physical labor. He eventually grew to dwarf even his father's huge physique. While his family had expected him to go to college to study chemical engineering, Nikolai surprised everyone by choosing to join the Marine Corps. After his first two days in boot camp, he was given the nickname “Sledge"--a moniker that has stuck with him ever since. Soft-spoken and a man of few words, Sledge is a welcome addition to Rhino squad. He can easily handle equipment that would normally take two men to lift. His strength has become the stuff of legend--Sledge is the only human who has fought a Strogg hand-to-hand and won. Admittedly, he required three weeks in a hospital afterward.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The only character to address him by his real name is Strauss.

--> Master Sergeant Marian Bidwell was born in space and plans on dying in space. Both his parents were Marines for life, and he intends to do the same. He supplied falsified documents in order to join the Corps while still two years under the legal age limit. He's seen more war and death than most men twice his age, but Bidwell still loves the Marine Corps and all its traditions. The master sergeant can be extremely brutal during training. He knows the only way a Marine is going to survive under enemy fire is to train under extreme duress. More than a few Marines have been severely injured during exercises, but Bidwell will never lessen the training. Rhino squad is too important to allow anyone but the absolute best out onto the field.

--> On the Strogg planet, Bidwell is found at the trenches near a Strogg anti-aircraft gun with Sledge. During Operation: Advantage, he helps Voss, Morris and Kane to secure the door controls and later, secure the detonation position. [[spoiler:While guarding the EMP bomb truck, Rhino Squad is attacked by a Harvester and Bidwell is impaled through the chest by one of the Harvester's legs. His death causes Voss and Morris to temporarily pause in grief]].

--> Anderson is the youngest member of Rhino squad, even though he's been with them for more than a year. Coming from an affluent family in Chicago, Jeremiah could have easily used his grandfather, General Anderson, to avert serving on the front lines. Instead, he requested to be a part of Rhino squad, hoping to always be in the thick of the action. When Sergeant Bidwell heard a general got Anderson assigned to the squad, he made it just that much harder on Jeremiah. Much to Bidwell's surprise, Anderson thrived under the stressful conditions. Although Jeremiah considers himself a healer, he isn't afraid of using a gun, and with his knowledge of Strogg physiology, he's an expert at stopping the enemy with a minimum of shots.

-->During the invasion to the Strogg planet, he remained at the Rhino Squad crash-site with Morris, attempting to stabilize Medic Metcalf's collapsed lung. Afterwards, he is brought by Matthew Kane to attend to Pvt. Chase's leg injuries. [[spoiler:After Kane's stroggification, he's present in his rescue, and by request of Voss, identifies Kane's neurocyte as inactive and tries to escort him to Falcon Five for a medical evacuation. After the destruction of the dropship, he attempts to return back to Rhino Squad with Kane, but is ambushed and killed by a Strogg Scientist who drags his corpse away]].

--> After the death of its former commander, Lieutenant Daily, Rhino squad wasn't sure it would ever find someone capable of leading it. Then the squad met Lieutenant Scott Voss. He epitomizes the old saying, "It's not so much the size of the dog in the fight as it is the size of the fight in the dog." He's not physically large or overtly demanding, but there is something about his demeanor that demands respect from even the most reckless Marine. Rhino squad knows very little about Voss because he never speaks of his past. But were he to talk, they would hear tales of the horrors he endured after being captured during the Mars riots. He was tortured for six months before being freed; he still suffers nightmares and is highly claustrophobic after having been placed in a coffin and buried for days at a time. Voss knows Rhino squad questions his reasoning for bringing Matthew Kane into the group. But Voss has a sneaking suspicion this new guy just might prove to be Rhino squad's most valuable asset in its battle against the Strogg.

--> Corporal Dell Morris has been with Rhino squad for more than three years, which makes him second in seniority only to Sergeant Bidwell. He's highly skilled at hand-to-hand combat, having achieved black belts in tae kwon do, jeet kune do, and aikido. Gifted with a quick wit and boundless energy, Morris likes nothing better than to give a running commentary as he mows down Strogg. While his chatter can be a bit trying on his squadmates, Morris is a complete professional in a firefight. The team has come to look to him for guidance when the lieutenant or master sergeant aren't around.

--> William Rhodes knew from a very early age he wanted to be a Marine. He entered the Corps as soon as he was old enough, and he quickly showed a gift for demolitions. Where anyone else would require a detailed blueprint of a structure to know where best to place a bomb, Rhodes knows instinctively where the weak points are. Be it a heavily fortified damn or a reinforced bunker, Rhodes can reduce it to rubble with a minimal amount of explosives. Hailing from Texas, Rhodes plays as hard as he works. He's been demoted twice due to altercations with MPs while out on R&R.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: [[FantasticRacism He gets this treatment]], from the other non-Rhino Squad Marines after [[spoiler:being Stroggified]] (although they seem to be under the mistaken impression he's a [[spoiler:Strogg Ambassador]] rather than a [[spoiler:Stroggified fellow Marine]]). However, as soon as the shit hits the fan and his [[spoiler:Strogg implants]] makes him humanity's last best hope, everyone wants to be his best bud.

!!Alejandro Cortez (Corporal)
* BadassSpaniard: The first time you see him, he snap-shots a Strogg in the head with a single Machinegun shot, one handed, and not even ''looking'' where he's shooting. He then explains to you that he's the resident Marksman of Rhino Squad. Like that needed saying. Whereas most other allies fire bursts from their own weapons, Cortez only ever takes one shot, and it always does more damage. That's because his rifle is a modified sniper variant.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: He says this line to Kane after his rescue:

* [[spoiler:BlackDudeDiesFirst]]

* [[spoiler:ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: He gets impaled by a Harvester's leg.]]

* PlayerPunch: [[spoiler:His death]].