Assassin's Creed: The Fall - Television Tropes & Idioms

Assassin's Creed: The Fall is an Expanded Universe comic book miniseries set in the Assassins Creed series and published by DC Comics.

The comic stars Daniel Cross, a recovering drug addict who has been experiencing the Genetic Memory of his ancestor in the form of hallucinations. His ancestor just happens to be Nikolai Orelov, a master Assassin and key player in the Russian Revolution in the early 20th century. A sequel has been announced entitled Assassin's Creed: The Chain and it will continue the story of Cross and Orelov after the events of the first series.

This comic contains examples of:

Action Girl: Invoked by Daniel regarding Hannah, but she never really fills this role.
The Alcoholic: Daniel as the comic opens.
Ancient Conspiracy: It's Assassins Creed, so duh.
Animal Theme Naming: Orelov is Czech for "Eagle's son," which goes nicely with the series knack for giving eagle-related names to their historical Assassins.
Authority Equals Asskicking: Who kicks the most ass in Russia? Tsar Alexander III.
Awesome Moment of Crowning: Subverted. For a moment, Daniel believes that the Mentor is offering him the position of Grandmaster. The Mentor tells him that he has a long way to go before he's even eligible.
Badass Grandpa: Nikolai's pretty old in Issue 3.
Badass Mustache: Nikolai sports one.
Beard of Evil: Tsar Alexander III has a particularly glorious one. It even comes with a curly handlebar mustache.
- Vladimir Lenin's looks to be a more straight example.
Beard of Sorrow: Daniel and Nikolai. More than once.
Big Good: The Mentor is the Grandmaster of the Assassin Order.
Bilingual Bonus: Daniel occasionally speaks in untranslated Russian.
Bishōnen: Daniel after he's been in the Order for a while.
Boisterous Bruiser: Alexander III trash talks Nikolai after nearly beating him to death.
Brainwashed and Crazy: Daniel whenever Vidic's reprogramming kicks in.
Canon Immigrant: Preemptive. Daniel is supposed to play an important role in the games. Revelations has made this official, with him being held as a Templar Hero, a member of their inner circle, so far appearing twice out of sight with his voice herd, and now working as the Templar's head of operations, further pushing him to be Desmond's Evil Counterpart and future enemy since he's coming after Desmond's Dad.
Children Are Innocent: The only reason Tsar Alexander III doesn't kill Nikolai is because the royal family happens to be watching.
Continuity Porn: There are numerous references to the games.
Cool Train: The Imperial Train.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Alexander III had very little trouble laying a brutal smackdown on Nikolai.
Dead Little Sister: Nikolai lost a child at some point prior to the comic. He was apparently less violent before then.
Dead Partner: Nikolai used to work with Aleksandr Ulyanov, before Alek was executed.
Distressed Dude: Subverted. Daniel was never in any real danger. The Mentor just didn't want him to be conscious to know exactly where his office is.
Evil Counterpart: Daniel proves to be one for Desmond Miles from the main games.
Gambit Roulette: Hoo boy, here we go.
- Vidic reprogrammed Daniel to relive Nikolai's memories almost at random. While Daniel could keep them suppressed with medication, he eventually decided the meds weren't worth it. Nikolai's memories come back and Daniel begins shouting things about Templars in the middle of an alley. This attracts the attention of Hannah, who assumes that Daniel is an Assassin. Daniel eventually joins the order and even gets to meet the Grandmaster. Once again, due to Vidic's reprogramming, Daniel blacks out and kills the Grandmaster with his own hidden blade. Under Vidic's reprogramming, Daniel returns to Abstergo and reveals the locations of every Assassin training camp he had been to.
Genetic Memory: While it IS one of the staples of the series, this time it's done a bit differently. Daniel doesn't use the Animus to access Nikolai's memories. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a lot of control over when it happens either.
Grave Robbing: Nikolai (to his own displeasure) digs up Rasputin's grave to take a shard of the Staff of Eden.
Highly Visible Ninja: Though he is advised to be stealthy, Nikolai prefers to charge in with his guns blazing.
Historical Hero Upgrade: YMMV on how much of a heroic upgrade it is, but the Narodnaya Volya were a Russian left-wing terrorist organization. Vladimir Lenin was also given a similar treatment.
Historical In-Joke: Nikolai manages to stab Tsar Alexander III in the kidney during their fight. He actually died of a kidney infection six years later, probably as a result of injuries sustained in the Borki Train disaster.
Husky Russkie
I Hate Past Me: Sort of. Nikolai's memories cause his descendant a lot of trouble. Daniel just wishes they'd go away.
I Just Knew: Despite not knowing about his Assassin heritage, Daniel got a tattoo of the Assassin emblem because "It felt right."
In the Hood: Russian and Arabic assassins are shown wearing the series signature white beaked hoods. Averted with Daniel, Paul, and the Mentor who never wear hoods. Mildly averted with Hannah, who always wears a hoodie but keeps the hood down... even in the rain.
Inadequate Inheritor: Nicholas II is far less badass than his father.
It's All My Fault: Nikolai still has nightmares of Aleksander Ulyanov blaming him for not saving him in time.
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Nikolai tortures a Templar agent to get the Staff's location. The information is correct.
- Lampshaded with this exchange:
  Assassin 1: Are brother Orelov's methods always so savage?
  Assassin 2: He was a gentler man when I met him years ago; before they lost the child.
Lantern Jaw of Justice: Nikolai.
Le Parkour: Daniel, Nikolai, Paul and Hannah.
Lotus-Eater Machine:The animus after Daniel kills the Mentor.
MacGuffin: The Staff of Eden. It also happens to be the Tsar's royal staff.
Made of Iron: Nikolai lived through the Tunguska explosion at point blank. No one else around survived.
Manchurian Agent:Daniel was brainwashed to kill the Grandmaster of the Assassin Order.
Meaningful Name: Daniel Cross isn't his real name. It was chosen for him by Warren Vidic. Cross is supposed to represent his status as a Templar Manchurian Agent.
Meaningful Background Event: The 2000 Presidential Election is constantly in the background. The Assassins are trying to keep the Templars from rigging the election. They fail.
Mother Russia Makes You Strong: Tsar Alexander III.
Morality Pet: Anna tries to be this for Nikolai.
Murder, Inc.: The Narodnaya Volya, (aka the Russian chapter of the Assassin Order)
Nikola Tesla: Mostly off-panel, but he was responsible for the Tunguska event.
Ninja School: The Assassin training camps.
No Escape But Down: Daniel after he realizes that he killed the Mentor and hears the bodyguards knocking on the door.
Old Master: Nikolai.
Older and Wiser: Nikolai seems to have calmed down after the Tunguska event.
- Now that he's an Assassin, Daniel has become this. Also really pretty.
Papa Wolf: Alexander III
Posthumous Character: Nikolai lost a child before the comic started.
Rasputinian Death: Invoked regarding... Rasputin's death.
"Not so immortal after all, henh?"
Redemption in the Rain: Daniel decides to join the Order after having a massive hallucination during a rainstorm. Also doubles as a Shower of Angst.
Right Behind Me: Alexander III when Nikolai breaks in the door to the Tsar's car, but only sees the Tsar's... family.
- Nikolai later pulls this off on Tsar Nicholas II, who recognizes Nikolai from the train incident.
Shirtless Scene: Daniel after he gets out of the shower.
Shrouded in Myth: Most Assassins don't believe in the Mentor's existence, because he never keeps to a single place and rarely makes his position known.
Simple Staff: What Nikolai accuses the Tsar's new non-Eden staff of being before he breaks it.
Spotting The Thread: Nikolai can immediately tell that Tsar Nicholas II's royal staff is only a copy of the real Staff of Eden.
Super Window Jump: Daniel performs a spectacular Leap of Faith from the Burj al Arab in Dubai after he kills the Mentor.
The Tunguska Event: This one goes by the "Tesla's Death Ray" school of thought. Nikolai was there when it happened.
Token Minority: Paul is the only non-white person in the Assassin camp. Daniel is quick to point this out, much to Paul's non-amusement.
Took a Level in Badass: Daniel after he joins the Order.
Traintop Battle: Averted. While the battle between Nikolai and Alexander III does leave the train car, it's only because the train crashes and they continue to fight amongst the wreckage.
Translation Convention: Played straight and averted. While Nikolai's memories are read in English, Daniel occasionally speaks in Russian which is never translated.
Tsarist Russia
Unwitting Pawn: Daniel.
Walking Shirtless Scene: The Mentor's henchmen are inexplicably never shown with a shirt. Even when they're kidnapping Daniel.

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