History ComicBook / Agent47BirthOfTheHitman

* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: Diana has green eyes, red hair in this comic book, in contrast to her blue eyes in ''2016'' onwards the games.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Robyn notes that having four agents to kill Franklin is a bit overkill, but should be more than enough to accomplish the hit. [[spoiler:The hit goes sideways fast because 47 is also contracted by a seperate client to kill Franklin before the ICA can]].

** As mentioned at the top of the page, it is impossible to talk about this comic without mentioning the death of Diana' parents at any point, as they provide Diana with enough resolve to find and take down Blue Seed, and especially since this spoiler happens on '''Page 2''. Despite releasing during the gap between ''Hitman (2016)'' and ''Hitman 2'', the latter game is necessary to play through as the information is revealed near the end of that game.

* [[FiveStagesOfGrief Seven Stages of Grief]]: Referenced by Diana, where she was going through Stage one ([[JustIgnoreIt Denial]]), but claims it's more efficient than Dr. Kübler-Ross makes it out to be, with Diana claiming stage two is admitting you exist, with stage three being creating a new life for yourself.

* {{Prequel}}: This comic is a prequel to the entire [[Franchise/{{Hitman}} Hitman videogame series]]:

* BrickJoke: The rabbit (or one of its siblings) 47 receives from 6 is still on the grounds in 1998, where he goes to feed it and [[spoiler:where Ort-meyer sedates him to hand over to the Partners]].

*** The [[spoiler:memory altering serum]] used by Ort-meyer is used as the basis of a newer iteration of the same [[spoiler: serum]] in ''Hitman 3''. The doctor discussing the [[spoiler:memory altering serum]] also tries to convince a nearby guard about potential use to [[spoiler:effectively remove PTSD episodes, bad memories, and even abuse]].

* EscapedFromTheLab: Issue 5 has 47 escape from the Satu Mare Mental Institute facility, playing out the start of ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47''. In particular, it's revealed here that this was a FailureGambit by Ort-meyer as [[spoiler:The Constant wanted to shut down the cloning program, and freeing 47 was the only way to keep it running to create other clones like 47, and changing his mind]]. They do point out 47's convenient escape, however, before reinstating it:

* LostInACrowd: 47 does this on the cover for Issue 5.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Robyn notes that having four agents to kill Franklin is a bit overkill, but should be more than enough to accomplish the hit. [[spoiler:The hit goes sideways fast because 47 is also alligned to kill Franklin and kills him for his own client before the ICA can]].

* PragmaticAdaptation: A DownplayedTrope: Issue 5 recreates the tutorial for ''[[VideoGame/HitmanCodename47 Codename 47]]'', albeit in a truncated form, While it largely sticks to the games' events, it does remove the part about Ort-Meyer asking you to pick up one of two guns (Desert Eagle or the AMT Hardballer) from a table. While in-game, said table was actually made up of two crates, the comic opts to remove this part, and displays his suit, as well as weapons, on a plinth, with no guns in sight, being replaced with a Fiber Wire and knives. 47 does however, take two pistols from the orderlies a few pages later.

* SuperBreedingProgram: This is what Ort-meyer was doing, and it's his life's work, and no other faction has even come close to replicating his success. He was [[spoiler:being funded by Providence, something Janus alludes to in Hitman 2, while The Constant in the Isle of Sgail mission mentions that Janus did not approve of the cloning program, but The Partners did]].

* TimeSkip: Issue 4 does this three times; After 47 [[spoiler:is captured and has his memories jumbled up]], the comic skips from 1989 to 1994. It happens again to 1996 when Ort-meyer is [[spoiler:contemplating on his subjects effectiveness declining]], and finally to 1998, where [[spoiler:the Partners want to use 47 to do their bidding]].

* ActionGirl: The 14-year old Diana is can surprisingly fight on her own against better-equipped opponents, just so long as she isn't completely outmatched.
* AdaptationDyeJob: Diana has [[SignificantGreenEyedRedhead green eyes]] in this comic book, in contrast to her blue eyes in the games.
* AllThereInTheManual: The purpose of the comic series is to shed light on what Diana and 47 were doing before they ever met with each other.

* AnimalLover: Believe it or not, 47 is one. Given the choice between murdering an innocent rabbit for no reason other than to prove his strength, or keeping it as a pet, he chooses to keep it. It's noted by Subject 6 that he keeps releasing new rabbits into the estate of The Institute, and even after [[spoiler: his mind wipe]] in Issue 4, he still has a fondness for rabbits, and coos at one in a window.
* ArcWords: "No one's Untouchable". This is echoed by Diana and her family, and is used quite a lot in Diana's narration. It's also the title of the ''very related'' cinematic shown in VideoGame/Hitman2 (where the phrase is also repeated), and is the name of the level in the Carpathian Mountains in ''VideoGame/Hitman3''. The phrase is also used by The Constant at the end of VideoGame/Hitman2016 to get [[spoiler:the ICA to join Providence.]]

* CallForward: A lot of the story beats and references in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' and ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' (A.K.A: The "VideoGame/WorldOfAssassinationTrilogy") are actually direct references to events shown or discussed in this comic series:

*** One of the Hawkes Bay mercenaries mentions "a lady from Blue Seed Pharmaceuticals" as one of the hits they performed for The Shadow Client. This may be in reference to Cheryl Franklin, one of the heads of Blue Seed in this comic, but there's no further confirmation of this.

*** Ort-Meyer shown here has his design pretty consistent with his appearance in [[VideoGame/HitmanCodename47 the first Hitman game]], as well as with their flashback appearance in ''2'', and he's gotten more detailed, adding more wrinkles to his face, among other things.

*** The final Mendoza cutscene has [[spoiler:Diana mention that she saw 47 as a blank slate with whom she should control and bring life to, which is in reference to dialogue in the very last panels of Issue 6 with Diana having similar remarks toward 47]].
*** [[spoiler:The Constant]] reminds 47 that's he's taken a [[spoiler:memory altering serum]] before, and 47 vows to [[LittleNo never do so again]].
*** [[spoiler:In the Memories section of Carpathian Mountains]], Grey mentions that Diana has every right to not forgive 47 after what they did, alluding to 6 and 47 planting the bomb that would kill Diana's parents.

*** The game forces you to [[spoiler:re-enact 47 killing Diana's parents within his memories]].
*** When confronting [[spoiler:The Constant on the train]] in ''Hitman 3'', 47 sternly quips "'''No''', ''never again''", when asked to [[spoiler:embrace his clone killer nature, and take the new serum]].
* CerebusRetcon: Diana and 47 finally meet at the end of the comic series in a bar, but as they do during the events of ''2016'', they never directly face each other in the bar so as to not draw suspicion. This means it doesn't ''directly'' contradict the tutorial for ''2016'' either, as they only say their names and reveal more about themselves until both are in a secure location, namely the wintery tundra of ICA Headquarters.

** It updates 47's origins to give him some more sympathetic motivations, as he was made to kill, but has emotions that he's routinely told to ignore by Ort-Meyer with the help of special memory fogging pills.
** 47 is also friends with another clone; Subject 6, who was originally depicted as his first kill in [[Literature/{{Hitman}} Hitman: Enemy Within]], but was retooled into a childhood friend of 47 that helped him take down The Institute [[spoiler:and failed, and was forced to flee when the guards overpowered them]], and the comic explicitly reference the book when [[spoiler:47's memories were jumbled up.]]

** The reason why 47 escapes "The Institute" facility at the start of ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47'' to begin with is because Ort-Meyer's backers funding the cloning program are [[spoiler:Providence, an [[TheConspiracy Illuminati-esque conspiracy]], and freeing 47 was the only way to keep the clone program running (even quoting the start of the game's tutorial).]]

* WalkingSpoiler: The fact [[spoiler:The Constant and Erich Sodors]] are mentioned and seen, with the latter coming out of ''nowhere'' to aid Diana in killing some hired guards, this should be a '''huge''' red flag for those who've completed ''VideoGame/Hitman2016''.
* WorldBuilding: Basically the raison d'être of the comic series is to establish a consistent backstory for Diana, Subject 6 and Agent 47. Surprisingly, there is a lot of Continuity between this comic, the novels, and the games:

** The Satu Mare Mental Institute from ''Codename 47'' is used only after the the Institute for Human Betterment in is burned down in Issue 1 .

** The [[Literature/{{Hitman}} Hitman: Enemy Within]] novel gets used as a plot point, as Subject 6 was described as 47's first kill, when in fact here its revealed that [[spoiler:47's memory was changed in Issue 4 by Ort-meyer to make him forget and hate Subject 6, not treat him as a brother as this comic otherwise depicts.]]

** Savi is Diana's mentor, teaching her [[TheSneakyGal the art of stealth]], and how to survive on your own.

* BoradStrokes: DownplayedTrope: Issue 5 recreates the tutorial for ''[[VideoGame/HitmanCodename47 Codename 47]]'', albeit in a truncated form, While it largely sticks to the games' events, it does remove the part about Ort-Meyer asking you to pick up one of two guns (Desert Eagle or the AMT Hardballer) from a table. While in-game, said table was actually made up of two crates, the comic opts to remove this part, and displays his suit, as well as weapons, on a plinth, with no guns in sight, being replaced with a Fiber Wire and knives. 47 does however, take two pistols from the orderlies a few pages later.

!! Warning: This comic book contains a '''MASSIVE''' VideoGame/Hitman2 spoiler '''[[WhamShot right at the start]]''' that makes talking about this comic series [[WalkingSpoiler incredibly difficult without ruining the storyline]] of that game. The spoiler in question is unmarked here, '''[[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned so read on at your own risk!]]'''. [[LateArrivalSpoiler Marked spoilers for Hitman 3 are also abound.]]

*** Penelope Graves first mentions Blue Seed in Colorado when speaking with Sean Rose.
*** The final Colorado cutscene has the Shadow Client talk about "the village incident" with Olivia, going into detail about his capture, and alludes to being a clone. This is the "Minnulescu" incident Ort-Meyer mentions in Issue 1, and confirms that Subject 6 and The Shadow Client are the same person.
*** The interactive cutscene in Colorado has the Shadow Client's StringTheory wall show a bunch of prior targets, and Diana claims they were all branded as unsolved or accidents. This is 47's [=M.O=] he learns from 6 when the latter talks about [[KarmicDeath Poetic Justice]] while killing one of their targets. So not only is 47 entirely correct in his assertion that the only people who could see that pattern is someone who knows how he operates, it's someone who, as we later find out in Hitman 2, '''47 himself''' used to know; The Shadow Client, A.K.A; Subject 6.

*** One of the Hawkes Bay mercenaries mentions "a lady from Blue Seed Pharmaceuticals" as one of the hits they performed for The Shadow Client. This may be in reference to Cheryl Franklin, one of the heads of Blue Seed in this comic. This is the same company that was responsible for killing Diana's brother; James Burnwood, when water leaked into the local water supply, and also giving cancer to several other people. Diana's parents filed a lawsuit against them, but Blue Seed decided to put out a contract with The Institute that leads to 47 and 6 to kill Diana's parents with a car bomb. This was later revealed in ''Hitman 2'' in the final Isle of Sgàil cutscene to the audience. After Diana's parents' untimely death, Diana tries to go after Blue Seed, which sets in motion these comic events.

* CerebusRetcon: Diana and 47 finally meet at the end of the comic series in a bar, but as they do during the events of ''2016'', they never directly face each other in the bar so as to not draw suspicion. This means it doesn't ''directly'' contradict the tutorial for ''2016'' either, as they only say their names and reveal more about themselves until in a secure location, namely the wintery tundra of ICA Headquarters.

* WalkingSpoiler: The fact [[spoiler:The Constant and Eric Sodors]] are mentioned and seen, with the latter coming out of ''nowhere'' to aid Diana in killing some hired guards, this should be a '''huge''' red flag for those who've completed ''VideoGame/Hitman2016''.

* YouDontLookLikeYou: Justified for both [[spoiler:Janus and Edwards (The first and second Constant's), as well as for Eric Soders as they are all portrayed as being younger men]], but 47, Diana and her parents look very different to their CG counterparts, as depicted in the "Untouchable" and "A Bad Hand" cutscenes in ''VideoGame/Hitman2'':

''Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman'' is a prequel comic book miniseries for the hit stealth videogame franchise; ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'', a series of [[ThirdPersonShooter third-person]] [[StealthBasedGame stealth]] action games by Danish developer Creator/IOInteractive. The comic book series was released on November 1st, 2017, published by Creator/DynamiteComics, and focuses on the young 47, fellow clone 6, and his soon-to-be handler, Diana Burnwood, and their separate exploits before they joined the [=ICA=]; the International Contracts Association.

** From Issue 2 onwards, the Satu Mare Mental Institute from ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47'' is used when 6 and 47 are taking jobs as the Institute had burned down.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: In Issue 5, two targets are shown to be killed by 47; Lee Hong seems to be killed by shooting him with a Silverballer in an alleyway in Hong Kong, while an elderly man with albino hair appears to be Frantz Fuchs, killed in the same way.
* CerebusRetcon: Diana and 47 finally meet at the end of the comic series, although as in ''2016'', they never directly face each other in the bar to not draw suspicion, and so it doesn't ''directly'' contradict the tutorial for ''2016'' as that was a flashback. Players assumed that 47 and Diana meet for the first time in that level; here its revealed that Diana met up with 47 in a bar and recruits him to the ICA. They only said their names and reveal more about themselves until in the secure location of ICA Headquarters.

* ActionGirl: The 14-year old Diana is actually quite agile, and can hold a fight on her own against better-equipped opponents, just so long as she isn't completely outmatched.

** The comics take place in the late 80s to early 90s, yet car models from the 2000s can be seen throughout.

* AnimalLover: Believe it or not, 47 is one. Given the choice between murdering an innocent rabbit for no reason other than to prove his strength, or keeping it as a pet, he chooses to keep it. It's noted by Subject 6 that he keeps releasing new rabbits into the estate of The Institute, and even after [[spoiler: his mind wipe]] in Issue 4, he still has a fondness for rabbits, and coos at one in a window in Issue 5.

*** The "Homecoming" cutscene is all about The Shadow Client revealing who he really is; Subject 6, and getting him to remember his pact to tear down The Institute and Providence.

*** Grey talks to Diana and 47 in the "Gifts and Curses" cutscene about how they had a formation of a brotherly-like alliance, how they planned to take down The Institute and how they failed. They also mention how The Partners grew paranoid, and forced Ort-Meyer to wipe the clones' memories (or rather, re-arrange them to be disconnected events). The point of the cutscene is for 47 to remember who The Constant was after the Minnulescu Incident; Janus.

*** The opening Dubai cutscene has 47 say "You never do" when Grey mentions that he "didn't plan this far ahead", referring to their failed storming on The Institute.
*** The final Dubai cutscene has Grey mention that he "doesn't like executive decision makers", alluding to his hatred of Ort-Meyer and Providence displayed in this comic.

*** [[spoiler:The Constant]] reminds 47 that's he's taken a [[spoiler:memory altering serum]] before.
*** [[spoiler:In the Memories section of Carpathian Mountains]], Grey mentions that Diana has every right to not forgive 47 after what they did, alluding to 6 and 47 planting the bomb that killed Diana's parents.

* EscapedFromTheLab: Issue 5 has 47 escape from "The Institute" facility, playing out the start of ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47''. In particular, it was a FailureGambit by Ort-meyer as [[spoiler:The Constant wanted to shut down the cloning program, and freeing 47 was the only way to keep it running to create another one like him, and changing his mind.]] They do point out 47's convenient escape, however, before reinstating it:

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Robyn notes that having four agents to kill Franklin is a bit overkill, but should be more than enoiugh to accomplish the hit. [[spoiler: The hit goes sideways fast because 47 intervenes and kills Marchand for his own client.]]

** Ort-Meyer frees 47 from The Institute because [[spoiler: Providence wanted to use him for their own ends, and he realised he'd never see 47 again]], which directly leads into a recreation of the tutorial for ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47''.
** The [[Literature/{{Hitman}} Hitman: Enemy Within]] novel gets used as a plot point, as Subject 6 was described as 47's first kill, when in fact here its revealed that [[spoiler:47's memory was changed in Issue 4 by Ort-meyer to make him hate Subject 6, not treat him as a brother as this comic otherwise depicts.]]

* YouDontLookLikeYou: Justified for both [[spoiler:Janus and Edwards (The first and second Constants'), as well as for Eric Soders as they are all portrayed as being younger men]], but 47, Diana and her parents look very different to their CG counterparts, as depicted in the "Untouchable" and "A Bad Hand" cutscenes in ''VideoGame/Hitman2'':
** Diana's younger self has her hair being well kept instead of being long and flowing, her forehead is massive, she's wearing a different dress (Diana wears a plain white dress in this comic, instead of posh school clothes shown in Hitman 2), and also not having YouthfulFreckles like Diana has here.

* AnimalLover: Believe it or not, 47. Given the choice between murdering an innocent rabbit for no reason other than to prove his strength, or keeping it as a pet, he chooses to keep it. It's noted by Subject 6 that he keeps releasing new rabbits into the estate of The Institute, and even after [[spoiler: his mind wipe]] in Issue 4, he still has a fondness for rabbits, and coos at one in a window in Issue 5.

*** The Constant [[spoiler:that briefly captures 47 in issues 3, 5 and 6]] is the same one introduced in ''2016''.

* YouDontLookLikeYou: Justified for both [[spoiler:The Constant and Eric Soders as they are portrayed as being younger men]], but 47, Diana and her parents look very different to their CG counterparts, as depicted in the "Untouchable" and "A Bad Hand" cutscenes in ''VideoGame/Hitman2'':

The comic book series wrapped up on June 20th, 2018, a few months before ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' came out, in which this comics' events [[CallForward are referenced several times]], as well as clarifying some of the events only alluded to by characters in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', and this comic would be further referenced in ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' at least once in every level. As such, this comic series is the backbone for the story of what IO Interactive dubs the ''VideoGame/WorldOfAssassinationTrilogy'', meaning this comic does have some ContinuityLockout involved, as this comic clarifies events alluded to in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', and comic events are acknowledged in ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' ''VideoGame/Hitman3''.

The comic book series wrapped up on June 20th, 2018, a few months before ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' came out, in which this comics' events [[CallForward are referenced several times]], as well as clarifying some of the events only alluded to by characters in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', and this comic would be further referenced in ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' at least once in every level. As such, this comic series is the backbone for the story of what IO Interactive dubs the ''[[VideoGame/Hitman2016 World]] [[VideoGame/Hitman2 of]] [[VideoGame/Hitman3 Assassination]]'' Trilogy, meaning this comic has some ContinuityLockout involved.

* CallForward: A lot of the story beats and references in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' and ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' (A.K.A: The "World of Assassination Trilogy") are actually direct references to events shown or discussed in this comic series:

*** The end Colorado cutscene has the Shadow Client talk about "the village incident" with Olivia, going into detail about his capture, and alludes to being a clone. This is the "Minnulescu" incident Ort-meyer mentions in Issue 1.
*** The interactive cutscene in Colorado has the Shadow Client's StringTheory wall show a bunch of prior targets, and Diana claims they were all branded as unsolved or accidents. This is 47's [=M.O=] from his time with working with The Institute, as shown repeatedly in this comic, with 47 and 6 killing their targets in accidents, meaning not only is 47 entirely correct in his assertion that the only people who could see that pattern is someone who knows how he kills, it's someone who, as we later find out in Hitman 2, '''47 himself''' used to know; Subject 6, A.K.A; The Shadow Client.

*** One of the Hawkes Bay mercenaries mentions "a lady from Blue Seed Pharmaceuticals" as one of the hits they performed for The Shadow Client. This is the same company that was responsible for killing Diana's brother; James Burnwood, when water leaked into the local water supply, and also giving cancer to several other people. Diana's parents filed a lawsuit against them, but Blue Seed decides to put out a contract with The Institute that leads to 47 and 6 to kill Diana's parents with a car bomb. This was later revealed in ''Hitman 2'' in the final Isle of Sgàil cutscene. After Diana's parents' untimely death, Diana tries to go after Blue Seed, which sets in motion these comic events.
*** Subject 6 repeats the same conversation above of "the village incident" to Diana and 47 in the "Gifts and Curses" cutscene, going into greater detail, such as the formation of a brotherly-like alliance.

*** The [[spoiler:memory altering serum]] used by Ort-meyer is used as the basis of a newer iteration of the same [[spoiler: serum]] in ''Hitman 3''. The doctor discussing the [[spoiler:memory altering serum]] also tries to convince a nearby guard about potential use to effectively remove [[spoiler:PTSD episodes, bad memories, and even abuse.]]
*** If 47 is disguised as a lawyer, he can give a cliff notes description of this entire comic series to Don Yates in the Mendoza level, referencing the Blue Seed incident, and how Diana attempted to go after them from outside the law.
*** The game forces you to re-enact [[spoiler:47 killing Diana's parents within his memories.]]
*** The final Mendoza cutscene has [[spoiler:Diana mention that she saw 47 as a blank slate with whom she should control and bring life to, which is a reference to what they say in the very last panels of Issue 6 with similar remarks toward 47.]]

** 47 just looks the same as he does in ''Videogame/Hitman2'', with almost no attempt to make him look younger. He's also not wearing plumbing overalls like in the comic, sporting a black jumper and camo trousers (the ones used in the tutorial and Patient Zero campaign for ''2016'' and ''2''). This is Averted in ''Videogame/Hitman3'', where 47 actually bears a strong resemblance to his comic counterpart in-game.

* AnachronismStew: The comics take place in the late 80s to early 90s, yet car models from the 2000s can be seen throughout.

* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Like in the games, 47 has a vested interest in making accident kills. He kills one target by crushing him with a chandelier, and another with some loose rock (which he chiselled to make loose).

''Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman'' is a prequel comic book miniseries for the hit stealth videogame franchise; ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'', a series of [[ThirdPersonShooter third-person]] [[StealthBasedGame stealth]] action games by Danish developer Creator/IOInteractive. The comic book series was released on November 1st, 2017, published by Creator/DynamiteComics, and focuses on 47 and his soon-to-be handler, Diana Burnwood, and their separate exploits before they joined the [=ICA=]; the International Contracts Association.

*** The interactive cutscene in Colorado has the Shadow Client's StringTheory wall show a bunch of prior targets, and Diana claims they were all branded as unsolved or accidents. This is 47's [=M.O=] from his time with working with The Institute, as shown repeatedly in this comic, with 47 and 6 killing their targets in accidents.