A dossier of characters that appear in the Team Fortress 2 fan film series The Scratched Universe.
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Heroes
KIA's Party
A group of Stand users who have gathered to fight against the Distorted. In General
From left to right: Smoke, Heavy Guy, and KIA
The Stands
From left to right: Switcheroo, Crush, and American Myth- Eye-Obscuring Hat: Played With. KIA and Heavy Guy often have the brims of their hats obscure their eyes during dramatic or tense moments. Inverted with Smoke's gas mask, whose eyes are the only things occasionally visible under it.
- Fighting Spirit: They all have Stands and use them to great effect against the Distorted.
- Fire-Forged Friends: All three were strangers to each other before the series start, with KIA and Heavy Guy's first meeting starting with a duel KIA initially did not want to be a part of. However, as they fought together against the Distorted, they became companions able to watch each other's back.
- Shout-Out: With JoJo's Bizarre Adventure being a strong influence over the series, the Stands here are also named after band names, songs, albums, etc.
- Sole Survivor: All three Stand users were the only survivors of different massacres.
- In Episode 1, KIA was killed by Acoleyet's attack on Lazytropia #32; he was revived, but the rest of his teammates weren't.
- The Masked Spy went on a rampage after hijacking a 24/7 Halloween server, leaving Heavy Guy the only one left to take him out and the only one who made it out.
- Smoke was the only one who didn't get turned by the Distorted in Episode 6 (Parts 1 and 2) because she went with KIA and Heavy Guy to restore power to the train to get it moving again, leaving the other Mercs who stayed behind at the station to get infected.
KIA
KIA (Killed In Action) / Houston (Stand: American Myth)
"No...I'm...quite the opposite of normal."
Click here to see KIA as Houston
"We failed, men." KIA
ALIVE BUT FORGOTTEN:
THE AMERICAN MYTH
KIA, real name Houston, is a no-nonsense, world-weary man who quietly holds a lot of compassion for humanity and especially his friends.
He is the sole survivor of Acoleyet's attack on Lazytropia #32 in Episode 1. The anomalous properties of the attacker allowed him to revive from death and receive a Stand, which he gradually learned to use as he escaped from an outbreak of Distortion. Since then, he has honed his abilities and his knowledge of the Distortion, all while battling his trauma regarding the loss of his first team. After the events of Episode 4, KIA enacts his plan to form a party of fellow stand users to eliminate the threat, with Heavy Guy being his first teammate.
KIA's Stand is American Myth (named after the album by Jackie Green). It's a versatile Stand that can fire homing bullets at a target as long as KIA has sight on the target.
- The Ace: KIA is by far the most experienced protagonist of the series, having become very familiar with the mechanics of stand powers. He is the most effective stand-user, able to defeat both Heavy Guy and P-Rick despite their own powerful Stand skills. He also has fought and learned about the Distorted since Episode 1, enough so that he's devised a plan to defeat them once and for all.
- Anger Born of Worry: In "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)," Heavy Guy very nearly becomes a Distorted. KIA harshly chews him out for his carelessness, a complete contrast from his matter-of-fact, but encouraging criticisms after they sparred in Episode 4. When Smoke urges him to back off, KIA explains that he simply doesn't want to have to kill Heavy, and the consequences of a Stand-User becoming a Distorted are immense. It's also strongly implied that he doesn't want to relive the trauma of seeing his old teammates die on the field.
- Came Back Strong: He used to be a run-of-the-mill V.A.C. member until his entire team got killed by Acoleyet, followed by himself. He somehow came back from the dead, now with a Stand. He has been a persistent thorn in the Aliens' side since.
- Crippling Overspecialization: In combat, KIA typically depends entirely on his Stand doing the fighting for him. Given how versatile American Myth is, this over-reliance on him isn't usually an issue... But if KIA can't summon his Stand and must physically engage with his opponents himself, he's not helpless, but he nevertheless struggles more. In Episode 6, this is something the Distorted V.A.C. Soldier exploits and calls him out for during their duel. This flaw sticks out especially when compared to Heavy Guy, whose fists are powerful enough to pulverize Distorted on their own, or Smoke, who has a bow and arrow that can dispatch enemies at range.
- Explosion Propulsion: American Myth's grenades are fairly non-lethal, but they have a knockback that can throw people aground.
- Fedora of Asskicking: Wears a Federal Casemaker from Episode 4 onwards.
- Healing Factor: KIA can recover from many kinds of wounds in all of a few seconds. It's an exceptional ability even among his fellow Stand-Users, and many people comment on it throughout the series. The first time he's questioned about it in "Crossroads" is also the only time he offers some kind of explanation for why he's able to do this:[An encounter with a Distorted Pyro leaves a severe burn on KIA's right hand. After Heavy incapacitates the Pyro, he turns to KIA, concerned.]
Heavy: ... You good?
KIA: [Lifting up his hand to look at the wound] Yeah...
[A purple flame emits from KIA's wound as it rapidly repairs itself. Heavy cannot believe his eyes.]
Heavy: ... You are not normal... are you?
[Not a sign of the wound is left by the time the process finishes. KIA glances sadly at Heavy.]
KIA: No... I'm... quite the opposite of normal.
Heavy: [satisfied, and sincerely] ... Is nice. - Improbable Aiming Skills: If he has a line of sight on a target, American Myth's bullets will hit it; they will simply ricochet off the nearest surfaces back to their targets if they first miss. He can even ricochet shots from one surface to another to hit multiple targets with one bullet, which he demonstrates on the Whimmers in Episode 6: Part 2.
- The Leader: He's the leader of his group, taking point, coming up with plans, and giving out orders in combat. This is due to him having the most experience with the Distorted and Stand-usage. Still, he respects the inputs and plans of Heavy Guy and later, Smoke.
- Mr. Exposition: KIA has presumably dealt with the Distorted many times since the events of Episode 1. He has a breadth of knowledge about their numerous variants, listing their powers and weaknesses whenever prompted by his companions.
- Meaningful Name: "KIA" stands for "Killed In Action," which is exactly what happened to KIA in "I for an Eye" before he was revived into the stand-user he is today.
- Psychic Nosebleed: Extended use of American Myth's ranged attacks appears to put some form of strain on KIA, resulting in him flinching in pain and gaining a nosebleed.
- Uniformity Exception: KIA had an identical appearance to most other soldiers in the V.A.C. Once he revived, he has since switched out his haircut for a distinctive fedora.
- Walking Armory: American Myth can use a wide variety of weapons, including a Combat Knife, a pistol, a Machine Gun, a Garand Rifle, and teleporting grenades. He alternates between them as needed, and since they are all part of his stand, non-users can't see them, and the bullets are straight-up invisible.
Heavy Guy
Heavy Guy (Stand: Crush)
"You feel? The burning? The PAIN? This is justice. до свидания!"
HEAVY GUY
STANDING AS THE PROTAGONIST
WITH HIS PUNCHLINE...CRUSH
Appearing in Episode 2 of the series, Heavy Guy is a kind soul with a passion for fighting and a strong sense of justice. Though he's a formidable fighter with help from his Stand, he's still inexperienced.
He was the only survivor of a 24/7 Halloween server after the Masked Spy hijacked the map and went on a chaotic rampage, leaving Heavy Guy the only one left. Despite losing his teammates, the attack ignited his desire to grow stronger and more experienced to protect his fellow mercenaries from harm.
He eventually joins KIA in his fight against the Distortion to fulfill all these wishes and save the world. Soon, Heavy learns just how high the stakes of the conflict are and that his potential, along with his Stand, is greater than he thought it was.
Heavy Guy's Stand is Crush (named after the rock band of the same name). It's a powerful, close-ranged Stand with great strength, speed, precision, and potential, with heavy (pun partially intended) emphasis on the last one.
- Attack Reflector: In Episode 6 Part 2, Crush acquires Australium orbs on his fists which can deflect ranged attacks back toward the shooter, or absorb the attacks to empower one of his punches.
- Berserk Button: Removing his hat will make him instantly lose his temper. P-Rick in Episode 4 and the Bruiser in Episode 6 find out that this makes Heavy fight at his hardest, and they both pay dearly for knocking off that hat.
- Big Fun: He can get tough when necessary, but Heavy Guy is a still a big dude with a big heart. He's able to get along with just about anyone who doesn't pose an immediate threat to him. Episodes like "Crossroads" show him to be just as nice during fragging matches, being a good sport who is very encouraging to his fellow participants. His ability to make connections so quickly also means he takes losses pretty hard; the same episode has him reflect on the mercenaries killed during "Endless Greed" before he sets off to save KIA and others from a similar fate.
- The Big Guy: The physically strongest member of his group, and his stand hits like a truck.
- Blood Knight: Heavy's main motivation for adventuring is to seek out stronger foes so he can in turn gain power. It's not strictly because he enjoys the thrill of a good fight, but also because he wishes to protect humanity, a desire spurred on by his encounter with the Masked Spy in Episode 2. Heavy is the only survivor of the Spy's attack on a Halloween server, and in Episode 4, he remembers his teammates and promises to himself to not let anyone in the present get hurt by the Distorted.
- Emotional Powers: It's a lot easier for Heavy to tap into his Awakened Form when he's angry.
- P-Rick accidentally ticks him off severely in "Kicking Against Pricks" after knocking off his hat, causing Heavy to unconsciously tap into his powers for the first time in the series. He knocks out P-Rick with a much stronger punch to the face than usual, and when he calms down, he notices that something's off; his fist emits a peculiar flame and his body is shaking...
- When it seems like Smoke was killed by a Distorted Sniper in "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)", Heavy flies into a fierce rage, his eyes turning demonic as his body quakes from the power rising from within. The only reason he doesn't act on the sudden power boost is that Smoke turns out to have survived.
- Immune to Bullets: His stand in its Defense Mode can dodge bullets akin to a Scout who drank Bonk! Atomic Punch, allowing it to shield its user or their allies. Even KIA's stand American Myth cannot hit Crush in this state. Notably, this doesn't apply to Heavy Guy himself, which allows KIA to surprise him with a ricocheted bullet during their duel in Episode 4.
- Kiai: Crush's battle cry goes by "VZZZZARAHRAHRAHRAHRAHRAH!"
- Meaningful Name: As he explains in "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)," Heavy Guy foregoes the use of a minigun as a self-imposed handicap, hence the removal of "Weapons" from what would've been his full name, "Heavy Weapons Guy."
- Mercy Kill: As the climactic fight of Episode 6 Part 2 draws near, Heavy Guy has to kill a Distorted Scout, once a fellow train passenger, by snapping his neck. Rather than dropping the Scout's corpse, he gently places him on the ground before the body melts away. When his face fully comes into view after KIA's conversation with him, it's shown to be shedding a tear.
- Near-Death Experience: In Episode 6 part 2, Heavy experiences two close calls throughout his journey through a server backbone.
- Heavy Guy is lured by a Distorted Engineer into coming face to face with a Walker, who tries flashing its light to make him a Distorted. Thankfully, the Omen summons Crush to shield Heavy Guy from the flash and successfully urges Heavy to tap into its power to fight back. Afterward, KIA warns Heavy Guy that should he become a Distorted, KIA will have to "put a bullet in his head".
- When the Bruiser throws a large pillar towards Heavy Guy, the Omen pushes him out of the way by mere inches. The projectile only leaves Heavy with a large gash on the side of his head, but he soon recovers and successfully kills the Bruiser.
- Shout-Out: Heavy Guy borrows his outfit from Jotaro Kujo, while his desire to grow stronger and the concept of his sheer strength being genetic are from Baki Hanma.
Smoke
Smoke (Stand: Switcheroo)
"All of my life's trouble aside, this is a world worth fighting for."
SMOKE
SAME LIFE, DIFFERENT LOOK, ALWAYS SMOKIN'!
A BLU Pyro who was just on her way to a Scrapping Duty in Episode 6, only to get wrapped up in the story's events, Smoke is a determined and snarky mercenary who wants stability in her life.
Smoke started as your typical Pyro (who was really good at his job), but he eventually used a bow-and-arrow playstyle that suited his needs better. After waking up one day, he found that his appearance changed overnight from a man to a woman upon receiving his (now her) Stand. Smoke's lack of control over her Stand protecting her from any threats was perceived as cheating by other mercenaries, and she was banned from every fragging server she went to, leaving her only with Scrapping Duty.
After surviving the events of Episode 6, Smoke joins KIA's group of Stand users against the Distorted as atonement for her past mistakes and to protect her girlfriend, Cinder.
Smoke's Stand is Switcheroo (named after the song "The Ol' Switcheroo" by the rock band The Struts). It's a unique Stand as it's semi-autonomous with the ability to take a property/attribute off of most kinds of props and entities and switch it with another target.
- Gender Bender: Awakening her stand caused her body to have feminine traits, though her voice is still noticeably masculine. Heavy Guy notices the Vocal Dissonance in Episode 6, and he politely asks Smoke what her pronouns are to clear up his confusion. She explains that she's gender fluid, with a preference for "she/her" and a hard refusal of "it."
- Goggles Do Nothing: Despite wearing a gas mask, Smoke is the only one of the trio to recoil and choke on the stench in the corrupted Backbone in Episode 6.
- I See Them, Too: Just before a wave of Distorted approach to attack them in Episode 6, Smoke questions KIA and Heavy Guy if they saw American Myth floating above KIA. Shocked, Heavy Guy summons Crush for Smoke to see, and she does. It turns out that, though she doesn't yet know the terminology surrounding them, she's a Stand-User, too! She's elated to finally meet other people like her, and she gently urges her Stand, Switch, to show herself; the subsequent fight with the Distorted allows them to show off their skills."You can come out, Switch. We're not alone anymore."
- "It" Is Dehumanizing: While genderfluid, Smoke flatly refuses using "it" as one of her pronouns; in her words in "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 1)," she's "not a goddamn dog."
- Meaningful Name: Smoke is named after the smoke from a burning object—which can linger well after a fire burns out and thus indicate that one happened at some point. This ties into her backstory as a former full-time Pyro; she's long since left her flamethrower behind in favor of a bow and arrow, but signs of her old playstyle are still present, namely her hazmat suit.
- Mirror Character: Smoke serves as a counterpart for P-Rick, in that both of them are Stand Users related to cheating in Fragging Duty Servers. Drop It is a Support Party Member that allowed for P-Rick to advance in Fragging Duty due to its' Time Master ability allowing for their Stand User to dodge and making slightly suspicious plays within Fragging matches, but not enough to really get noticed. Switcheroo however is a Long-Range Fighter that unintentionally made things difficult for Smoke due to Power Incontinence preventing Switch from leaving Smokes' side that resulted in Smoke being banned from Fragging Duty due to being able to Cap Payloads and Control Points for two people.
- Physical Attribute Swap: Switcheroo can swap the properties between two objects she or Smoke touches. This can be applied to objects hit by Switcheroo's arrows and can stay even after the arrows are removed. For example, she can make fire arrows by imbuing them with the properties of a nearby fire. Or create a machine gun that can fire "healing bullets" by imbuing the gun with the properties of a health pack.
- Power Incontinence: In Episode 6 Part 2, Smoke explains to KIA and Heavy that her first few days as a Stand-User were not easy, as Switch kept acting without her influence. She would continuously save Smoke from certain death throughout her Fragging matches, and because no other mercenary could see Switch, they immediately assumed Smoke was willfully cheating. She was subsequently banned from the many Fragging servers she tried attending, and she eventually resigned herself to only joining Scrapping Duty servers, where "cheaters" like her are better tolerated. Thankfully, her time in those Scrapping servers allowed her to hone her skills with Switch, and she now has much greater control over how Switch acts. They were also where she met the love of her life, Cinder.
- Vocal Dissonance: Something that puzzles Heavy Guy about Smoke in Episode 6 is that she has a feminine body, but speaks with a masculine voice.
Fixer's Party
Fixer, Jumpsuit, and Bonkbot represent the three only survivors of an attack by the Distorted against a server controlled by Railway United. Nowadays, they have returned to some semblance of normalcy by taking on Server Janitorial Duty, cleaning up messes after matches on servers. In General
From left to right: Jumpsuit, Bonkbot, and Fixer
- Badass Normal: Fixer and Jumpsuit had no special powers, yet managed to fight through a whole railway station full of Distorted.
- Meaningful Name: All three of them. Fixer is a Mr. Fixit. Jumpsuit wears a jumpsuit. Bonkbot is a Bonk-themed Robot.
Fixer
Fixer
"Wow! I...yeah. I guess having a normal life makes you miss out on the wacky stuff."
FIXER
DON'T WORRY...
HE'LL FIX IT.
Introduced in "The Distortion (Part 1)," Fixer is a kindhearted, intelligent Scout who worked as a train repair mechanic for Railway United. He loved his job and was well-liked by his coworkers, but the good times come to an abrupt end when the company's facilities are invaded by the Distorted. Fixer slept through the inciting attack for almost an hour, and this negligent action has haunted him ever since, even as he tries his best to move on from the tragedy.
- Action Survivor: Had no combat experience before the Distorted attack on Railway United, but managed to live and fight through to the end with minimal physical injury. Emphasis on physical.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Fixer's genuinely pleasant and friendly, but that should not be conflated with weakness. A dying P-Rick pushes his buttons severely in episode 5, provoking Fixer into drawing his gun and threatening him with it to shut him up. A shocked Jumpsuit urges him to stop, to which Fixer relents and makes a quip to regain his cool.
- Excellent Judge of Character: During the first half of "The Distortion (Part 1)," almost all insight into Jumpsuit's character is filtered through Fixer's positive perception of him. Fixer congratulates Jumpsuit for his work and asserts their friendship while on lunch break, and it's during the Distortion outbreak later that his assessment is proven correct to the audience. Jumpsuit comes to his aid and subsequently becomes his best friend and roommate in the episode's next part."He's a Good Guy.”
- Hand Cannon: Wields the Magnum Opus, a Desert Eagle magnum, as his primary weapon. Foster openly says that it's powerful enough to destroy the Nigh-Invulnerable Alien Walkers.
- Ironic Name: After the Railway United Incident in Episode 3, Fixer's name gets painted in an ironic light. While it's true that he can fix machines without much issue, his newfound trauma leaves himself as the one thing he can't fix. Every subsequent episode shows him trying to cope with his issues and struggling every step of the way.
- Morality Chain: Fixer serves as this for his roommate Jumpsuit, who was visibly horrified when P-Rick kept pushing Fixers' buttons to the point where Fixer drew his gun and threatened to shoot the incapacitated Scout.
- Mr. Fixit: It's in the name. However, he is not without error, as when hotwiring a security panel, he accidentally triggers an alarm that draws in every Distorted in the building. His subsequent attempt to repair a sentry gun was far more successful.
- My Greatest Failure: Sleeping on the job on the day of the attack. Fixer believes that if he had not done this, then he might have been able to rescue Hotrod.
- Nice Guy: Fixer is a very pleasant individual with a lot of empathy. "The Distortion (Part 1)" showcases how his kind personality shines when he's at peace; he has a great rapport with his coworkers, especially Jumpsuit, who he gives an uplifting pep talk to during their lunch break.
- Slept Through the Apocalypse: Fixer was taking a nap in the breakroom when Veerus and his Distorted launched their attack on the Railway United dispatch center, ironically saving his life because of it.
- Survivor's Guilt: If there's one thing Fixer regrets most from his time during the Railway United Incident, it's the fact he fell asleep while the Distorted took over. These feelings are amplified since the Incident cost him one of his closest work buddies, Hotrod. Starting with "Kicking Against Pricks," Fixer begins hallucinating Hotrod's undead corpse, who spends each vision berating and menacing him for his choice to nap. Soon, the Hotrod hallucinations begin interjecting like this in Fixer's conversations with actual people, such as when Fixer recounts his experiences to Skimmer and Terge in "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)."
Jumpsuit
Jumpsuit
(Written note to Fixer) "You're too pure to be a killer."
JUMPSUIT
One of the two survivors of the Railway United Incident. Jumpsuit was a former serial killer who decided to change his way of living. He is armed with his signature knife when fighting enemies.
- Badass Normal: In a setting where the top-tier fighters are either V.A.C., Robots, or Stand Users: Jumpsuit is able to hold his own against the Distorted using nothing but a knife.
- Death Glare: In "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)," Terge recounts his time working in the Badlands to Fixer, and he makes his low opinion of the place and its people loud and clear. As he does, Skimmer is unnerved to see Jumpsuit glaring intently at Terge, the talk of the Badlands evidently striking a nerve within him. Terge is too caught up in his storytelling to notice, and Skimmer chooses not to comment on it. In the third QnA, Blackimus confirmed that Jumpsuit wasn't offended by Terge's badmouthing—he glared out of familiarity; he too knows how dangerous the Badlands can be.
- The Faceless: Only takes off his ski mask enough to eat and drink, and never at an angle where we can see his face. His only visible facial features are his eyes and eyebrows.
- Heroic Mime: Jumpsuit never utters a single word in the series. It's unknown if he doesn't speak because he refuses to or because he can't. Janitor suggests he use a pencil and paper to communicate whatever he can't through other nonverbal cues in Episode 5; After killing P-Rick after urging Fixer not to, Jumpsuit uses the notepad to express how important Fixer's purity is.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Seemed to be this with Fixer, even more so after the Distorted attack.
- Kill It with Fire: He seems to be aware of the Distorted's weakness to fire, always setting their corpses alight with a matchbox when they're defeated.
- Meaningful Name: Jumpsuit's name calls attention to the jumpsuit he wears. It also brings a prison jumpsuit to mind, tying into his stained backstory. Played for Laughs in Episode 6 Part 1 when shopping for a new wardrobe where Bonkbot wonders if he'll be called "Jacket" instead with a new look.
- Odd Friendship: The quiet and shifty former serial killer who is co-worker and roommate with the overly-friendly Fixer.Fixer: Best of the best, and Best Friends. We don't say a lot, or at all; but we're all feelin' it here in our hearts, you know? The friendship. You and me, the freaking Scouts owning this!
- Psycho Knife Nut: Downplayed. He uses a perpetually bloody kitchen knife as his primary weapon to efficiently kill Distorted and is designated as a former slasher villain. However, he has turned over a new leaf and seems to be rather mentally stable, if a little quirky. He also isn't averse to using other things around him when the knife would be impractical, such as grabbing an SMG to shoot a Distorted Pyro.
- Reformed, but Not Tamed: Jumpsuit was a slasher villain before his job at Railway United, though the finer details of that point in his life are left vague. Eventually, he decided to turn over a new leaf, but he still keeps his kitchen knife and ski mask on his person at all times. His combat skills are also as sharp as ever; he has a much easier time fighting the Distorted than Fixer in "The Distortion (Part 2)," going for clean kills and keeping his emotions in check throughout each confrontation. Foster seems to recognize how great an asset Jumpsuit's experience is; before he sends him on his way at the end of the episode, he outright admits that Jumpsuit changed his perception of slasher mercenaries for the better.
- Tragic Keepsake: Jumpsuit keeps a photo of him, Fixer, Hotrod, and their RED Engineer coworker on hand as a tribute to their time in Railway United. It bears even more significance to him after the Distortion outbreak that destroyed the company, killed Hotrod, and led to the other Engineer's disappearance. It first appears in the opening minutes of "Crossroads," when Fixer admits he's still grieving over incident, prompting Jumpsuit to show him his photo. He nonverbally explains that he's still hurting from the losses, too, by sadly thumping his chest over where his heart would be.
- Virtuous Character Copy: Jumpsuit is intended to be a positive spin on Team Killer
, another mute, masked, knife-wielding Scout with unkempt hair. Whereas Team Killer is a monstrous, undead murderer who remorselessly kills innocent people, especially on his team, Jumpsuit is heroic, having turned over a new leaf from his slasher past to become caring and considerate towards his coworkers and friends, especially Fixer. Visually, Team Killer is on RED with white hair in a ponytail, Jumpsuit is on BLU, and has loose dark brown hair.
Bonkbot
Bonkbot
"I am sorry about your friends. If I was there earlier...I could've helped."
BONKBOT
BONK'S BEST
BOSTON BORN
BOLD BOISTEROUS
Sponsored by BONK!
A robot activated by Fixer and Jumpsuit as a way of fighting back against the Distorted.
- The Big Guy: He's by far the most physically powerful of his group, effortlessly destroying a small army of Distorted while Fixer and Jumpsuit just stood back and watched.
- One-Man Army: Bonkbot easily destroys the Distorted on the outside of the Railway United warehouse.
- Parrying Bullets: He does this against a Distorted Heavy's minigun, using it to sends his bullets back into the rest of his crew.
- Robot Buddy: He's this to Fixer and Jumpsuit, accompanying them ever since being activated.
- Super-Strength: He can bat a baseball hard enough to reduce a Distorted Soldier's head to a fine red mist, and leave a crater in the wall behind him. Shortly after, he sends a Distorted Heavy's corpse flying a very good distance with a single swing.
- Trick Bullet: He has several, such as incendiary and explosive bullets for his pistol, and explosive baseballs.
V.A.C.
In General
"You're going to be fine. No one else is going to try to harm you. We've been called here to kill and contain the outbreak and escort any survivors back home safely."
THE V.A.C
VALIANT ALLIANCE CORPORATION
Appeared in Episode 3 Part 2, the Valiant Alliance Corporation, or the V.A.C. is the equivalent of military or police officers in the series. They are the ones who maintain order in the servers and one of the active groups who fight against the Distortion outbreak.
- Badass Army: They are very efficient at fighting the Distorted if they're aware of an outbreak. The only V.A.C. Personnel the aliens manage to infect are small isolated squads guarding servers. Whenever the main forces show up, the aliens cut their losses and withdraw.
- Establishing Character Moment: From both KIA/Houston's group in Episode 1 and Foster's group in Episode 3 Part 2, they are the ones who respond to the situation at hand with different outcomes. Notably, in their second appearance, pyros make up a plurality of the V.A.C. unit deployed given the Distorteds' weakness.
- Expy: According to Blackimus in his 2nd Q&A video, he based the V.A.C. on the Mobile Task Forces from the SCP – Containment Breach video game.
- Kill It with Fire: Given that Distorted are Weak to Fire and will revive if the body remains, the V.A.C. most commonly employs Pyros given their arsenal of flamethrowers, while the other classes are often equiped with a laser pistol that can ignite them.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: The V.A.C. in TF2 is the Valve Anti-Cheat software that kicks or bans any players who are suspected of cheating. Meanwhile, the V.A.C. in the series is the Valiant Alliance Corporation which protects servers by enforcing the law and prioritizing safety against any criminal activity.
- Militaries Are Useless: Subverted. While the V.A.C. is powerless in Episode 1, and continues to struggle to stop the Distortion from spreading or prevent their attacks, once roused they are a highly effective fighting force that can easily dispose of Distorted mercenaries and able to adapt to the alien's evolving strategy.
- Ray Gun: V.A.C. soldiers make extensive use of ray-based energy weapons from the Phlogistinator to a laser pistol that ignites enemies on impact. Given the Distorted are universally Weak to Fire, it makes sense the V.A.C. would build their arsenal around it.
Foster
Foster
"I'm glad. They need all the help they can get."
A RED Scout who leads a squadron of V.A.C. soldiers in the fight against the Distorted.- Reasonable Authority Figure: Foster utilizes his authority to help Fixer and Jumpsuit in big ways throughout the series, as compensation for them being among the only survivors of the Railway United Incident. In "The Distorted" Part 2 alone, he readily fills them in on information about the Distorted, so they'll be better equipped to handle the threat should they have to deal with it again. Despite recognizing Bonkbot as government property, he allows him—and any associated equipment—to stay with Fixer and Jumpsuit, knowing his power would help protect his friends from further harm. And after he sends the survivors back home, he mails them an invitation to their new cleanup jobs. "Kicking Against Pricks" reveals he's in regular contact with their new boss, and he routinely checks in on how they're doing.
- Super-Strength: "Smoke & Mirrors" Part 2 showcases Foster's capabilities—one of them being his immense physical strength. He successfully stops a Distorted-infected train with his bare hands, though the feat leaves him feeling very winded afterward.
- Vocal Dissonance: Foster's voice is completely unlike any other Scout's; rather than being loud, energetic, or brash, it is deeper, quieter, and gentler, with a hint of authority. According to a QnA video, this was a very intentional choice; Blackimus quickly determined that the Scout's regular voice would be a poor fit for Foster's character, so he opted to provide the voice himself.
Dispatch
Dispatch
"No thanks, mate! Not a part of my job, but I'm sure the big bloke would love to join you on that."
Professional, but with a sense of humor. Dispatch is a RED Sniper who works as one of V.A.C.'s assassins, using a sniper rifle that can hit enemies at a long range.- Establishing Character Moment: In Episode 5, a V.A.C. soldier remarks that Dispatch is not present in the group yet. Foster reassures him that Dispatch will arrive, right when a Distorted Spy is about to attack them. Suddenly, a single bullet sends the Distorted flying against a wall. Dispatch appears, and his quietness suggests him to be a Cold Sniper... only for Foster to comment on his dramatic entrance. Dispatch laughingly chides Foster for ruining the suspense.
- Friendly Sniper: From his job in V.A.C, Dispatch shows concern to people involved from the Distortion outbreak at the same time having moments where he is the cheerful one on the group.
Bravo
Bravo
"Observed from the person. Said by the person."
A BLU Spy working for the V.A.C. A cold and collected assassin that utilizes his unique abilities to carry out reconnaissance and surprise attacks.- Excellent Judge of Character: Bravo correctly judges Smoke as inexperienced with Stand usage, purely by his own observations and what he hears her say about herself.
- Mysterious Watcher: First implied in "Crossroads," Bravo tends to observe KIA and Heavy Guy's fights against the Distorted in order to evaluate their characters, very rarely intervening himself. In "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)," he saves KIA's life from a Distorted Spy who snuck up on him by tossing a Kunai into its back, but he doesn't make his presence known past that.
- The Stoic: Talks in a completely monotone voice.
KIA's V.A.C. Team
KIA's old team is slaughtered by Acoleyet during "I for an Eye," and they sadly weren't able to revive like KIA did. Throughout the series, KIA occasionally flashes back to his time with his late coworkers—sometimes, he is even visited by their spirits encouraging him to take important steps forward in his life.
The Team in General
- Mirror Character: Collectively, the spirits of KIA's team serve as a counterpart to Hotrod's ghost. The two parties have one immediate similarity: they are personifications of Fixer and KIA's struggles to move on from their loved ones' deaths. However, while Hotrod haunts Fixer and denigrates him every chance he gets over his past transgressions, KIA's teammates offer him nothing but encouragement to keep pushing forward for a better future.
Ace
"I know I may seem like trouble. Many of us Scouts make more problems than we solve them. But you have my word, I won't get in the way. I promise you! I want to live my life knowing I did something good! It's my way to return the favor after all the fun I had on this server!"
A BLU Scout who worked in the V.A.C. In the attack by Acoleyet, he was killed alongside everyone else on his team, including KIA. Houston, however, would be revived from the ordeal, yet the memory of Ace would affect him long after the event.- Dead Person Conversation: At the end of Episode 6 Part 2, the ghost of Ace greets Houston, letting him know his team is rooting for him and is proud of what him.
- The Load: Before their deaths, Ace was adamant to prove his worth as a Scout on KIA's team, hoping to defy the Scout stereotype of instigating many problems for others to solve. Given KIA's positive regard for him in both parts of "Smoke and Mirrors," it's implied Ace succeeded.
Villains
Aliens
Aliens in General
"However, let them make their move. Once Mann makes its move...We shall react accordingly."
Mysterious creatures who began their invasion on Earth by infecting all citizens with the Distortion. Walkers
Walkers
"What is a single loss to a handful of victories?"
The primary alien form encountered inside the Scratched Universe. These small machines have the ability to infect mercenaries with Distortion with a simple flash of their light, which is also the primary means by which Distorted are created. Interestingly, these aliens have knowledge of the existence of Stands.- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: High-ranking walkers (i.e. the Lieutenant) emit an orange-yellow light from their camera while those beneath it are colored green.
- Super-Toughness: Despite their small size, Walkers are incredibly durable. It required Heavy Guy's Super Mode punches to break one's shield, and even then, American Myth's rifle and Smoke's arrows were unable to penetrate its armor.
The Commander
The Commander
"Store their biometrical data within the network. All your brethren must be aware."
The Commander is the head of the operation who leads the Walkers to invade Earth.The Distorted & the Ghouls
Distorted in General
- "Those things...used to be people. Now they are nothing but mindless drones. We call it...The Distortion. And the infected...The Distorted."
- Adaptational Seriousness: TF2 mercenaries with distorted faces and speech are a common sight in Gmod and SFM fan animations, and those features are usually a source of slapstick comedy with little bearing on their health, if at all. This series contextualizes distorted faces and voices as telltale signs that these mercenaries are infected by a hostile virus, which turns them into murderous drones for the aliens propagating it. The faces are thus exclusively presented as Body Horror, and the only sensible response for the characters facing those infected is to kill them on-sight, lest they become infected, too.
- Adaptational Wimp: Collectively, the Distorted are intended to be adaptations of the Vagineer species and its variants, all TF2 freaks with various interpretations across the game's fandom. Aside from their weird faces, their most consistent details are their fantastic speed, endurance, and strength, along with a strong Healing Factor. Normal mercenaries stand very little chance of surviving an encounter with them. By contrast, most Distorted are easily dispatched with common weapons. Even the stronger variants aren't as powerful; while still threatening, their specialized roles and clearly defined weaknesses mean killing them is much more feasible.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Blackimus revealed in the third QnA video that every single Distorted mercenary enjoys what they've become: monstrous creatures who cultivate more of themselves. The mindset change is permanent, as it completely overtakes and erases the original personality of its victims.
- Facial Horror: Most distorted have horrifically distorted faces that make them easily stand out. The Pyros by contrast have their gas masks become their faces.
- It Can Think: It becomes increasingly apparent as the series progresses that the Distorted can be much more than mindless beasts.
- The Distorted Pyros are self-aware of how disturbing their faces are. The first one shown in Episode 3 frightens Fixer with an exaggeratedly wide-eyed expression as it slowly walks toward him; beforehand, it flashes a knowing, sinister grin while chuckling. Later episodes, like the first part of Episode 6, demonstrate that these infected Pyros are smart enough to hide their faces with masks, compensating for their inability to do so naturally like other Distorted.
- Universally, if a normal Distorted is infected long enough, they develop stronger planning and deceiving skills. The first Distorted shown with these capabilities is an infected Engineer in Episode 6. He masquerades as a V.A.C. member managing a server checkpoint with a power outage, and he does so convincingly enough to have successfully trapped and infected nearly everybody stopped there. He's only stopped by KIA poking holes in his act and developing a counterplan to restore the server's power.
- No Body Left Behind: Most low-level Distorted dissolve into a green goop once they die. Those that don't however will revive if their bodies are not burnt.
- Reviving Enemy: If a Distorted's body isn't set aflame or isn't damaged enough to dissolve, it will eventually revive again.
- Sdrawkcab Speech: The Distorted all speak backwards, just like the Vagineer they're based on. Unlike the Vagineer, though, their dialog isn't just random noise; reversing it reveals that it's contextually appropriate to whatever scene it's in. Some, like The infected V.A.C. Soldier and Engineer in Episode 6 can talk normally.
- Shout-Out: The Distorted are directly based on the Vagineer and similar classic Freak characters created in Garry's Mod, with the most obvious similarities being their Facial Horror and Sdrawkcab Speech.
- Weak to Fire: Distorted are extremely vulnerable to fire, easily catching alight by a single match. This is also the most effective way of disposing of Distorted which do not dissolve.
Soldier Variants
Distorted V.A.C. Soldier
"A noble effort, son. However, it is a shame to see such capable fighters and their potential squandered. You're misguided and fighting for a lie. But do not worry. We will open your eyes."
Click here to see his Distorted form
This Distorted Soldier antagonizes KIA's team in "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 2)." Being a Stage 1 Distorted, he's a lot stronger than what the heroes have encountered before. He's able to read KIA like a book throughout their confrontation, and he tries calling KIA's team's crusade against his kind into question, in a vain attempt to demoralize them.
"TO ARMS, SOLDIER!" - BFG: Wields a rocket launcher and a machine gun half his size as his primary weapons.
- Badass Boast: After telling KIA's group they'll soon join the Distorted's ranks, Smoke fires an arrow at his head and says that's not going to happen. The Distorted Soldier smiles, catches the arrow and crushes it apart with the same hand, taunting Smoke by saying she isn't the first to threaten him that way. Considering the large amount of Distorted in the dead server, he's not joking.
- Villain Respect: The Distorted Soldier holds KIA's party in good regards for their power and determination, though nonetheless condemns them for fighting a lost cause.
- You Can't Thwart Stage One: He informs the heroes a train full of Distorted has already departed, making the summation that for every sever saved, three more are rendered derelicts.
Pyro Variants
Distorted Pyros
An example of a Distorted Pyro
Pyros are unique in that none which are infected ever display the normal distortions of the other mercenaries, and is always given some form of strength or unique ability that single them out among every other class.This is best demonstrated by their normal Distortion. Their face is not distorted like every other class. Instead, their goggles are replaced with brilliantly visible eyes whose gaze is extremely disturbing. Not only that, they are more durable and intelligent than any other type of recently infected Distorted.
- Elite Mooks: Among the basic Distorted, Distorted Pyros stand out due to them being so resilient to damage that they can continue fighting past the point when other Distorted would've fallen immediately. One of them in "Crossroads" even has its' entire head from the jaw up completely obliterated by Crush, and it just raises its' firearm to try shooting at Heavy Guy until it is finally gunned down by American Myth.
- It Can Think: Distorted Pyros lack any of the feral traits of other recently turned Distorted. In addition, they are self-aware of how disturbing their faces are. The first one shown in Episode 3 frightens Fixer with an exaggeratedly wide-eyed expression as it slowly walks toward him; beforehand, it flashes a knowing, sinister grin while chuckling. Later episodes, like the first part of Episode 6, demonstrate that these infected Pyros are smart enough to hide their faces with masks, compensating for their inability to do so naturally like other Distorted.
- Leitmotif: The Distorted Pyros are strongly associated with the chase music for Jin Yoshida from SOMA. Its percussion synths bring an intense, panicked heartbeat to mind, and they supplement an ominous, whining drone. It highlights the danger they present, especially among their brethren, along with the universal discomfort the other characters experience around them.
- Made of Iron: Distorted Pyros are incredibly durable, even compared to the Heavy. The first one encountered took a full submachine gun magazine to the chest and simply popped the bullets out, followed up by surviving a headshot to the face by a magnum. It took a final head strike by Jumpsuit's knife to finally dispatch it.
- Nested Mouths: The first Distorted Pyro in episode 3 demonstrated withdrawing its respirator into its mouth. It was later shown in episode 6 that this uncovers a mouth-tongue which can reach out and impale targets.
- Uncanny Valley: Distorted Pyros are externally devoid of typical Distorted traits and abnormalities. However, having their eyes shown through the mask makes them one of if not the creepiest type Distorted in the series.
Sniffers
An example of a Sniffer
Unlike their distorted counterparts, ghouls created from Pyros are closer in strength to other types of recently turned mercenaries. Easy to dispatch by an inexperienced Stand user, they nonetheless stand out by being blind and relying on their strong sense of smell to track targets.Ferals
An example of a Feral
Ghouls that vocalize loud screams to alert its allies of opponents nearby.Bruisers
An example of a Bruiser
A hulking brute closer in build to a Heavy than a Pyro, this variant stands out from other large Distorted with their tough armor coverage and even yet incredible body strength.- Lightning Bruiser: As its name suggests, it moves at dangerous speeds and is strong enough to throw a steel beam with just one arm.
Heavy Variants
Slam
An example of a Slam
The first Distortion variant encountered by the protagonists. This heavy was enhanced by the Lieutenant to have increased size and musculature, with its right arm grown disproportionately large to slam opponents with ease.Bulwark
An example of a Bulwark
The largest and most powerful Distorted yet encountered. Made up of an amalgamation of mercenaries, most prominently the heavy, the Bulwark possesses incredible vitality and regeneration such that putting it down for good is extremely difficult.- Body of Bodies: Is formed from a pile of corpses so mangled that their individual parts are barely recognizable.
- Hollywood Acid: Can spew this from its mouth, which required Crush to destroy its head to stop.
- Mighty Glacier: It's so tough to kill that only the Bruiser can be compared to it, but it usually crawls much slower.
Medic Variants
Vile
An example of a Vile
Distorted Medics that explode when close to their target or are struck in the head.- Action Bomb: They can explode into a gory mess when close to an enemy, but since this can be forced to happen if hit on the head hard enough, they're also useful for killing other Distorted.
Spy Variants
Whimmer
An example of a group of Whimmers
A non-aggressive variant of Distorted that is able to jam radio signals.- Harmless Enemy: They don't have heads to sense the environment, and thus cannot respond to being attacked. This means they're guaranteed to be guarded by other Distorted who can fight back.
- Walking Tech Bane: Unlike other versions of Distorted, Whimmers are specialized in jamming communication signals instead of direct combat.
Human Collaborators
Veerus
Veerus (Stand: Unknown)
(Walker to Veerus) "We gifted you with life and a lethal weapon. Sharpen your claws. Do not disappoint us again."
A mysterious BLU Medic, Veerus is a human operative for the Alien Walkers. He was revived by the aliens and was given a Stand to serve their purposes, namely, spreading the Distortion and fulfilling grunt work only a human could do.He first appears in "I for an Eye", where he's revealed to have created the Sniffers KIA encounters during his escape; in turn, he is responsible for the Distortion taking root in the mercenaries' world.
Veerus has a currently unnamed Stand that can resurrect and "ghoulify" corpses by physical contact.
- The Heavy: Veerus instigates a lot of the conflict throughout the series. Not only is he able to spread Distortion like the Walkers, but his human body means he can carry out actions that the Walkers can't, such as operating machinery to spread stronger Distorted mercenaries across the world.
- The Distortion outbreak that haunts the series is instigated by him in "I for an Eye," starting with him turning Pyros into Sniffers.
- The Railway United incident in "The Distortion (Part 1)" is partially kick-started by him spurring the distorted mercenaries awake with a spell, indirectly making Fixer and Jumpsuit's escape from the facility much more harrowing.
- In "Crossroads," Veerus commandeers a Mountain Lab server to launch rockets containing Distorted Variants upon command. His attack on the server isn't shown, but the aftermath is; slaughtered mercenaries are everywhere, and a quite few of them are either Distorted or on their way there. The rocket Veerus is called upon to launch contains a Heavy Variant meant to take down KIA and Heavy Guy, and he's presumably responsible for all Distortion rockets to appear in the series thereafter.
- Necromancer: The ability of his Stand is to reanimate Mercenary corpses into Distorted variants.
The Gentleman
CBS
Independent Villains
Acoleyet
The Acoleyet
"I hope I didn't scare you! Hah!"
Acoleyet the Neyenth
Pupil of MONOCULUS
Once just a normal Demoman wearing a MONOCULUS! hat, Acoleyet was approached by Monoculus, who used a spell upon the Demoman that gave the hat self-awareness and caused him to pull himself off the body, killing the Demoman. Though confused in his initial role, he went on to cause havoc and destruction across the servers since the first episode.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Acoleyet was once an ordinary Demoman, and he's now a potent magic user who is easily able to dispatch mercenaries and low-ranking V.A.C. officers.
- Knight of Cerebus: Despite how comical he appears, his actions in "I For an Eye" mark the permanent Art Shift of the same episode—and the entire series, by extension—from a low-quality TF2 comedy SFM animation to a better one with a more dark and serious tone.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: While the atrocities he commits in Episode 1 were intentional, they were merely products of him wanting to test his new powers while acting in service of Monoculus. However, by killing most of the people in the server he was in, Acoleyet unintentionally provided an opportunity for the Distortion to begin spreading across the world.
P-Rick
P-Rick (Stand: Drop It)
"Do you really think you'll get far in fragging duty by being fair? In a world like this? You don't."
An arrogant RED Scout who does fragging duty as his job. Not content with fighting matches fair and square, he uses his Stand to cheat in his matches under the guise of "just being good". KIA and Heavy Guy catch P-Rick after he instantly caps the last control point in a Dustbowl match despite KIA standing on top of said point, causing the three to fight.P-Rick's Stand is Drop It (named after the middle lyrics from the song "Let Me Hit It" by Sporty-O). It's a close-ranged Stand that can stop time by doing certain hand motions.
- Asshole Victim: Because of P-Ricks' abrasive personality, very few cared.
- Enemy Eats Your Lunch: He stole Heavy Guy's sandvich, just to be a prick.
- Fighting Spirit: Has a Stand, called Drop It.
- Fragile Speedster: P-Rick's battle style hinges on the mobility Drop It affords him. His Stand's time-stopping ability supplements his natural speed very well, allowing him to outmaneuver his foes better than most other Scouts. It also gives him ample opportunity to land some surprise hits on his opponents. However, his overreliance on Drop It is meant to compensate for his poor durability and lackluster physical strength, flaws which are showcased in his fight with KIA and Heavy Guy in Episode 5. They land only a few good hits on the evasive P-Rick, but they're enough to eventually take him out of the fight; his own attacks don't have a lasting impact on either target. He very likely would've been down for the count earlier, had Drop It not swiped Heavy's Sandvich to heal his user partway through.
- Foil: P-Rick's Stand-Usage opposes the principles of KIA's party during "Kicking Against Pricks." KIA and Heavy Guy refrain from using their stands inside fragging matches because they made fights too easy, and later dedicate themselves to fighting the Distorted. P-Rick has no such qualms, and doesn't seem to care where his power came from.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The full extent of P-Rick's final beating at the hands of KIA and Heavy Guy is never shown on-screen in Episode 5. At most, only a twitching hand is shown. Based on his dialogue and Fixer and Jumpsuit's reactions to him, it's implied his injuries are so bad that he can no longer move. Of course, he squanders his chance to receive immediate help from Fixer and Jumpsuit, as he can't resist the urge to shit-talk them for their shock while he's pleading for help. This only leads to an aggravated Jumpsuit shooting him dead. After respawning, P-Rick returns to peak health.
- Jerkass: There's no polite way to say this: P-Rick is an asshole. His time during "Kicking Against Pricks" is mostly dedicated to showing how deeply unpleasant he is to be around. He's egotistical, openly rude, way too comfortable abusing his powers to get ahead in life, and even when mortally wounded and calling for help, he treats other people like they're worth less than the dirt beneath his feet. His near-death experience seems to have humbled him, however, but only time will tell if this sticks.
- Meaningful Name: "P-Rick" is a slightly corrupted spelling of "prick"—a foolish, detestable man, which is exactly what he is. Amusingly, Blackimus' second QnA video reveals the name was P-Rick's idea; he thought it sounded cool when he first made it. This adds a new layer of meaning to the name, as it parallels how awesome he thinks he is despite being anything but. KIA and Heavy Guy poke fun at it in Episode 5, and P-Rick grows offended—as if he never realized he set himself up for it.KIA: What's your name?
P-Rick: P-Rick's the name.
Heavy Guy: P... Rick...
KIA: [smiling] "Prick!"
[P-Rick sneers as Heavy Guy guffaws.]
Heavy Guy: PFFFFT-HA-HA-HA! Ohhhh, that slaps me on the knee.
KIA: I'm proud of you, kid. You are self-aware.
[P-Rick loses his cool and slaps KIA across the face. KIA, no worse for wear, redirects his gaze back to P-Rick, flashing him an amused smile again.]
KIA: Alright then.
P-Rick: [seething] Don't you EVER call me that again. - Mirror Character: He and Smoke, introduced in "Smoke and Mirrors (Part 1)," approach their Stands in opposite ways. Smoke, who suffered from Power Incontinence, saw her stand as Unwanted Assistance as it made her look very suspicious and got her banned so many times she abandoned Fragging altogether. P-Rick has much better control of his stand, and is much better at hiding its presence, to the point it took two experienced Stand users to finally bust him.
- Near-Death Experience: After KIA and Heavy Guy leave him beaten in Episode 5, P-Rick is killed by Jumpsuit shooting him to protect Fixer. He soon finds himself respawned in a clinic, and the Medic on duty reveals that he luckily survived thanks to the server's respawn systems still being online. They're typically turned off during Clean-Up Duty; had that been the case, he would have been permanently dead. The gravity of his experience visibly shakes P-Rick to the core, and after thanking the Medic for his service—the first act of kindness he ever demonstrates in the series—he leaves a changed man.
- Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: P-Rick stands a head above other Fragger Mercenaries through the use of his Stand to stop time, but compared to other Stand Users like Heavy Guy and KIA who have more combat-oriented Stands, he is easily outclassed.
- Odd Name Out: Downplayed. P-Rick's Stand, Drop It, is the only one named after a song's lyrics instead of an album, band, or the song itself.
- Powerful, but Incompetent: When P-Rick is left at KIA and Heavy Guy's mercy in "Kicking Against Pricks," KIA directly calls out P-Rick for his lack of skill with his Stand. His assessment stems from P-Rick's highly predictable and basic use of Drop It's time-stopping ability for evasion and mobility. Up until the events of the episode, he'd only used the ability to cheat against normal mercenaries, so there wasn't much reason to employ lateral thinking to make the most of it. His complacency leaves him very ill-equipped when KIA and Heavy Guy challenge him, as they're more seasoned Stand-Users who can quickly figure out his strategy and counteract it effectively. Sure enough, once they catch up to him, they overpower him just as easily as they outplay him; he lacks in brawn as much as he does in brains.
- Time Stands Still: P-Rick's Stand, Drop It, can temporarily stop time around his user with a swipe of his hand, leaving the user to move around and act freely. When time starts back up, P-Rick and his Stand move extremely quickly from the point they start their actions when time was frozen to the point it ends. He abused this skill to gain an unfair advantage in many Fragging matches, and Drop It complements his innately good mobility so well that his cheating was never caught for some time. At worst, most other mercenaries were only vaguely suspicious of P-Rick... except for fellow Stand-Users KIA and Heavy Guy, who quickly learn of his Stand and put him in his place during Episode 5.
The Masked Spy
The Masked Spy (Stand: Fight the System)
"Congratulations, you're a winner. I am not easily impressed, and yet you have impressed me."
Click here to see him under his mask
The Masked Spy is an antagonist in Episode 2 where he eliminates Heavy Guy's comrades one by one with his Stand. Heavy Guy defeats him, but a subsequent scene reveals that his loss will be temporary, and he will possibly return.
The "Unmasked" Spy His Stand is Fight the System (named after the song by Shungudzo). It's a switchblade that manifests on his right arm; it allows him to hijack machinery to suit his whims, such as an Engineer's buildings. However, he likes to take things a step further by influencing the very servers he enters—they exist thanks to technology, so not even they are safe from his manipulations.
- Expy: The Masked Spy is a carbon copy of the vampiric Dio Brando from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, filtered through the persona of a TF2 Spy. The main difference between him and his basis is his device-based Stand compared to Dio's humanoid one.
- Reality Warper: The Spy's Stand, Fight the System, grants him the ability to rewrite the rules of reality, as though he is vandalizing code. Among several other capabilities, Episode 2 demonstrates that the Stand can remotely disable respawn machines and withdraw blood from the Spy's victims.
Other Mercenaries
Hotrod
Hotrod
"Well, ain't that something?"
Click here to see Hotrod as Fixer's hallucination
Fixer’s former co-worker and friend at Railway United. In the Distortion outbreak that destroyed Railway United, Hotrod was presumably killed.
"Hope...is the last thing to die. Right?"Following the incident, a hallucination of Hotrod’s reanimated corpse haunts Fixer, blaming him for his death.
- Ambiguous Situation: Due to the fact that V.A.C. knows that the Distorted have a tendency to Playing Possum, it's unknown if Hotrod was actually Distorted or just killed in the battle, or if his Distortion did indeed manage to survive and escape Railway United with Veerus before V.A.C. arrived.
- At Least I Admit It: As Fixer's hallucination, "Hotrod" admits that he let Fixer sleep but, to him, it does not change the fact that Fixer should have done something to save him.
- Boom, Headshot!: In "The Distortion (Part 1)," Fixer awakens from his nap in the Railway United breakroom to the sound of gunfire. Just outside, he stumbles across Hotrods' corpse with a hole right in the center of his forehead; it's present in Fixers' hallucinations of his dead friend later on in the series.
- Establishing Character Moment: In his first appearance in Episode 5, the Hot Rod hallucination dresses down Fixer for sleeping through the first hour of the Railway United Incident. He toys with Fixer's emotions by admitting he still respects him a little during his rant. Suddenly, he gets an idea and declares that he's coming to visit Fixer soon. To make it abundantly clear that this is a threat, his face and voice violently distort as he laughs madly at Fixer's distress.
- Heroic Sacrifice: There are a few hints in "The Distortion (Part 1)" that imply Hotrod died trying to hold off any Distorted from attacking Fixer while he slept in the breakroom. Fixer wakes up to the sound of gunfire, and he finds Hotrod's corpse—with a shotgun next to it—relatively close to where he fell asleep. Fixer himself hasn't connected the dots on what happened; his Survivor's Guilt he has throughout the series is strongly influenced by his fear that Hotrod died resentful of him. That fear is something the Hotrod hallucination weaponizes against him, starting with "Kicking Against Pricks."
- Mirror Character: Hotrod's ghost serves as a counterpart to KIA's late V.A.C. team as a collective. Both parties embody the grief each character they're associated with experiences. However, the spirits of KIA's teammates come to him to offer support, knowing he has what it takes to fight for a better future. Hotrod, meanwhile, shames and threatens Fixer every time he appears, never letting him forget about his inaction when the Railway United attacks started.
The Omen (Major Character Spoilers)
The Omen
"An omen awaits you."
A mysterious masked figure that claims to be the ancestor of Heavy Guy. His appearance often coincides in a moment of great danger to Heavy Guy or in his moments of absolute rage.- Big Damn Heroes: Twice. First by encouraging Heavy Guy to awaken his Super Mode and save him from Distortion, and second when he leans Heavy Guy out of the way to dodge a speeding rebar beam from striking his head.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He's a terrifying, shadowy figure wearing an oni mask. Yet his first voiced appearance in Episode 6 Part 2 shows him as nothing but benevolent. Twice over, his intervention saves Heavy Guy's life, and during the first one, he echoes Heavy Guy and his companions' words of encouragement to emotionally empower his descendant.
- Life-Saving Encouragement: his words to Heavy Guy awakens his Super Mode for the first time, saving him from becoming a Distorted at the last moment.
- Oni: Wears the mask of one.
Cinder
Cinder
"I can pretty much feel the heat coming out of the phone, y'know?"
Cinder is Smoke's girlfriend who supported her even after receiving a Stand and a body transformation.- Ambiguously Bi: She could swing both ways, considering she's perfectly fine with her boyfriend (Smoke) becoming a girl.
