Characters / Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn

This page is for characters who appeared in Tiberian Dawn. For Kane, see Command And Conquer Tiberium Series Factions And Characters.

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GDI

Mark Jamison Sheppard

Played by Eric Martin

Affiliation: Global Defence Initiative
Rank: Brigadier General - however, his stars indicate Lieutenant General
Role: GDI Supreme Commander

"Are you picking this up?"

The first supreme commander of the multinational Global Defense Initiative task force during the First Tiberium War, Sheppard was a United States general before being tapped to run the newly formed GDI. Sheppard lead the campaign against Nod, personally giving briefings to his field commander, as well as dealing with politicians at the UN. He was poised to take the fall when GDI was accused of committing war crimes and vanished from public view for a time. It turned out to be a plan to lull Nod into a false sense of security, which allowed a newly-reinvigorated GDI to pursue them to their temple and defeat them.

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• Big Good: The leading man for the GDI forces.
• The Brigadier: Supposedly his rank in spite of his uniform bearing three stars.
• The Chains of Commanding: He becomes progressively more stressed as the GDI campaign progresses, while it's implied that his gamble to trick Kane weighs heavily in terms of putting his men so dangerously into harm's way.
• Frameup: Seems to take the fall when Nod propaganda makes it seem GDI is needlessly killing civilians. He's really making it seem like that so Nod will become overconfident.
• Guile Hero: Halfway during the campaign, Sheppard seems to be under intense scrutiny for alleged war crimes (actually Blatant Lies from Nod's propaganda machine). It turns out that it was all a hustle by Sheppard to fool Kane and lure Nod into a false sense of security. And it actually works.
• Military Brat: He has a son, Logan Sheppard, who is also in GDI, as a commando.
• Mission Control: One of many characters in the GDI campaign who gives you sit-reps on missions.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Normally, Sheppard is a calm and patient individual. However, the stakes are so high in the final mission that he calmly-yet-angrily tells the player to "destroy the Bastard" (Kane) and "show no leniency" towards Nod forces. He's also visibly tired for this one briefing.
• Precision F-Strike: To show how high the stakes are in the last mission, Sheppard uses about the harshest language allowed in a 90's computer game...
  Sheppard: "No leniency in dealing with Kane and his zealots. Wipe his temple off the face of the earth. Destroy the bastard... or prepare to die trying."
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Sheppard is generally supportive to his subordinates and will offer assistance wherever he could. Even when pulling off his gamble to fool Kane, he still tries to keep GDI in good fighting order.
• The Scapegoat: Subverted. Kane had intended to frame Sheppard for war crimes and atrocities committed under his watch, all through manipulative propaganda. Sheppard however is revealed to have not only seen through the ruse, but also fooled Kane, tricking Nod into complacency as a part of a risky gamble.
• Slave to PR: About halfway into the GDI campaign, he seems to spend more time addressing the press and answering allegations of war crimes than actually leading the fight against Nod. This is all part of a gamble to trick Kane and lull the the Brotherhood into complacency.
• Tempting Fate: Sheppard firmly believes that your hastily assembled task force will be sufficient enough to intercept and destroy a Nod convoy that is attempting to escape into Bosnia by passing through Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, you are treated to a nasty surprise in the form of several Artillery and Stealth Tanks.
  Sheppard: "It's "Fish in a Barrel" time."
• Tranquil Fury: The aforementioned final GDI mission briefing with his famous "Destroy the Bastard" quote.
• War Crime Subverts Heroism: In the briefing for the final GDI mission, he specifically orders the player to give no quarter to "Kane and his zealots." This is a direct violation of the Hague Conventions, and serves to drive home just how high-stakes the final mission is.

J.C. Carter

Played by Bill Collins

Affiliation: Global Defence Initiative
Rank: Colonel
Role: GDI field commander

"Welcome to the big times, Commander."

One of GDI's field commanders during the First Tiberium War, Carter assists and gives briefing to the Commander for a number of missions.

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• Distressed Dude: In the second GDI mission briefing cutscene, Carter sends an emergency transmission that the beachhead you established in the first mission is under attack by Nod troops "pouring in". There's a big battle and explosion that happens right behind him and Carter then closes by saying he doesn't know how long he'll hold out.
• Good Counterpart: To Seth, Kane's right-hand man from the Nod campaign (or at least the closest thing to one for the GDI storyline; see Number Two below).
• Killed Offscreen: In the later missions, Carter begins to look worse for wear, coming down with an apparent skin affliction and displaying some tiredness and confusion which could be attributed to combat stress and fatigue. As it turns out, the skin affliction is one of the signs of mild Tiberium poisoning. Carter is never seen again after the GDI offensive into Hungary as he was either killed-in-action or succumbed to Tiberium poisoning.
  • Another possibility is that in the last mission he briefs you on, he mentioned that “his” gunboat will take out the enemy’s power supply. In the mission, the gunboat is promptly taken out by an obelisk of light, possibly with Carter on board.
• Number Two: Sort of. Carter serves as the "good guy" equivalent of Seth (Kane's right hand man from the Nod campaign). He even winds up pinch-hitting for Sheppard when the latter goes "missing" during the middle of the GDI campaign. And while it's not really shown whether Carter is actually Sheppard's right hand man, what is for sure is that he gives the player mission briefings about as much as Sheppard does.
• Out-Gambitted: Comes up with a plan to destroy Nod's riverside defenses so that he can level one of their bases with gunboats. He didn't count on Nod having built one of their new Obelisks of Light there.
• Poor Communication Kills: One mission he gives you requires you to take a Commando and destroy a particular NOD building, but static obscures which one he wants wrecked. Blowing up the wrong building (it's the airfield, BTW) forces you to undertake a conventional mission to fix that mistake, which will likely result in additional casualties.
• You Are in Command Now: When the UN cuts funding off, Carter assumes de facto command over all GDI operations in Europe until Sheppard re-emerges to spring GDI's trap against Kane.

M.O Morelli

Played by Wendy Bagger

Affiliation: Global Defence Initiative
Rank: Colonel
Role: GDI Air Force commander

"Give 'em hell!"

She is a hands-on commander who oversees battles and brief commanders from the seat of her own A-10 Warthog. She is a responsible leader with a cheerful personality. Apart from briefing field commanders when necessary, she also performs field tests, for example, of the ORCA Assault Craft.

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• Ace Pilot: Always giving briefings from her cockpit.
• Action Girl: Seems to be prerequisite for not only commanding GDI's air assets, but also doing field tests for the first-generation Orcas.
• Death from Above: Prefers taking enemies out from an A-10 Warthog, and later on an ORCA aircraft.
• The Pollyanna: Downplayed. Morelli is noticeably more lighthearted and optimistic compared to the more serious characters in Tiberian Dawn, but she still does her job responsibly. ^note Only Dr. Mobius is more lighthearted and even downright comical, but he stops this when he realizes the horrors of Tiberium.

Dr. Ignatio Mobius

Played by Richard Smith (Tiberian Dawn), Rene Auberjonois (Renegade, voiced only)

Affiliation: Global Defence Initiative
Rank: N/A
Role: Lead Tiberium Researcher

"The possibilities of Tiberium...are limitless!"

Although a scientific genius and child prodigy, Ignatio Mobius is notoriously absent minded, as he focuses on his scientific research so much that he ignores his surroundings or even basic rules of safety. This trait has given him the doubtful honor of having risked his life more times than the average GDI commando, without actually stepping on the frontlines.

He is fascinated with Tiberium and its mutagenic properties, however, his enthusiasm and almost gleeful fascination turn to horror, as he realizes the ramifications of Tiberium's properties halfway through GDI's campaign. He then dedicates himself to finding a cure for Tiberium-affected humans.

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• Absent-Minded Professor: Tends to carry out his studies in the danger zone. In Renegade's mission "Brains and Brawn", he gets distracted by a sample of blue Tiberium in the detention center he was captive in, despite the place falling apart.
• Bus Crash: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars reveals that at some point after the events of the first game, Dr. Mobius and his research staff were killed by a freak lightning strike during an ion storm. This, coincidentally, prompted GDI to invest in developing sturdy shelters to prevent something like that from happening again.
• Cloud Cuckoolander: For much of his appearances in Tiberian Dawn and Renegade, he's shown to be rather eccentric and absent-minded, notably being prone to Techno Babble when talking about Tiberium. The moment he's not either of those, however, is a sign that something has gone seriously wrong.
• Crazy-Prepared: As revealed in Renegade, he developed a prototype armored suit allowing the wearer to work with Tiberium unharmed. Not only was this found to have practical military applications, but it would in time pave the way for the X-O Battlesuit and much later on, the Powered Armor used by Zone Troopers.
• The Cuckoolander Was Right: Played seriously, as Dr. Mobius' grim warnings about the dangers Tiberium poses to humanity not only come to pass in the later games, but nearly lead to the end of civilization. As early as the later missions of Tiberian Dawn, the first signs have begun to be felt across the globe.
• Distressed Dude: The premise of Renegade is to rescue him, his daughter Sydney, and Dr. Petrova from Nod captivity. Or rather, just him and Sydney.
• Ditzy Genius: He's generally shown as being absent-minded and very prone to Techno Babble.
• Eye Take: During the science talk show, for some strange reason, Mobius does this towards the audience when he says "the possibilities of Tiberium...are limitless".
• Just Think of the Potential!: Played With. Especially early on, Dr. Mobius is shown to be incredibly enthusiastic about the limitless possibilities of Tiberium, which even Kane approves of. As time passes, however, that sense of wonder gives way to both horror and a sense of responsibility, making it his life's work to study Tiberium, as well as reverse its effects on the planet.
• Legendary in the Sequel: Downplayed. While not given too much attention, Mobius is mentioned as not only having a very distinguished scientific career (in turn influencing Gabriella Boudreau's own work by the events of Firestorm) but even in death also helped shape the development GDI's Tiberium-mitigation tech well into the 2040s and beyond.
• Mad Scientist: A heroic and mostly comical example.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Mobius is somewhat of a comic relief character, as shown when he inadvertently confuses a science talk show host with his Techno Babble. However, at the beginning of GDI mission 12, Dr. Mobius holds a very grim press conference when he reveals the danger that Tiberium poses to humanity. He's noticeably much more blunt and matter-of-fact, driving home how severe the threat is.
  Dr. Mobius: Tiberium is a new life form. Quite simply put, it seems to be adapting to Earth's terrain, foliage, and environment to suit its own alien nature. If this is the case, ladies and gentlemen, we are facing a killer beyond that of our most turbulent nightmares. It is not in exaggeration to state that the future of the entire planet may be in jeopardy. May God have mercy on our souls.
• Oh, Crap!: His enthusiasm towards Tiberium's possibilities turns to abject horror upon discovering its impact on the planet, even while acknowledging its immense potential.
• Papa Wolf: Toward his daughter, Sydney.
• Plucky Comic Relief: A downplayed example. Mobius is a Ditzy Genius and Absent-Minded Professor who provides some of the more lighthearted moments in the Tiberian Dawn and Renegade stories. However, when he discovers Tiberium's threat to humanity and planet Earth all bets are off.
• Small Role, Big Impact: While he shows up only a few times in a few FMV cutscenes in Tiberian Dawn, his impact on GDI's future development, especially by Tiberium Wars, couldn't be understated.
• Techno Babble: Lays it on impressively thick when describing Tiberium, which according to him is part anti-matter.
• Villain Respect: Kane himself shows an admiration for Dr. Mobius' competence (despite the former calling the latter an "obvious lunatic"). Enough to have him kidnapped during the events of Renegade in order to make use of those talents.
• Vindicated by History: In-universe, his warnings come to help shape GDI's evolution and its commitment to stopping the spread of Tiberium.

Nod

Seth

Played by Eric Gooch

Affiliation: Brotherhood of Nod
Rank: Commander
Role: Kane's second-in-command

"So, you're the new addition to the Brotherhood? Well..."

Seth was one of Kane's lieutenants and was responsible for briefing the Brotherhood's newest commander during the early part of the war. A small and petulant individual, Seth lorded over his charge and harbored secret ambitions of his own, ambitions that would prove to be his undoing.

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• Badass Boast: "I'm Seth. Just Seth. From God, to Kane, to Seth. I am his right hand."
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Seth has aspirations for greatness and for being an exemplar to the Brotherhood. Renegade reveals that Kane does make an example of him...as a warning against going against the Messiah.
• Big Bad Wannabe: Has hopes of replacing Kane. Kane proves to be one step ahead after assigning the Nod commander too many a suicide mission.
• Boom, Headshot!: His demise.
• Broad Strokes: While not all of Nod's campaign is canon, Seth's execution is confirmed to have occurred in Command & Conquer: Renegade.
• Dead Guy on Display: In Renegade, it is revealed that instead of simply being disposed of in some manner, Seth's corpse is kept perfectly preserved inside a machine, as a warning to anyone who would dare circumvent Kane's authority.
• The Dragon: Seth serves this role for Kane (at least until Kane discovers his treachery halfway through the campaign).
• Establishing Character Moment: The first briefing of the Nod campaign shows Seth's distinctly smug, rather condescending attitude as he identifies himself as literally two steps down from God, and orders the commander to kill a target simply because "his views do not coincide with ours, and that makes him dangerous".
• Green-Eyed Monster: As the Nod campaign progresses, Seth's tone becomes increasingly bitter and he becomes resentful over the player's success.
• Killed Mid-Sentence: "A full frontal attack with your strongest forces should render their military center of opera—" *blam*
• Klingon Promotion: He tries to send the player on a suicide mission against the United States, but Kane steps in. After giving you your orders, as an afterthought, he mentions "Oh, and congratulations on your promotion."
• Meaningful Name: Subverted; in the Bible, Cain killed Abel but not Seth.
• Mission Control: Until he gets on Kane's bad side.
• Obvious Judas: Before long starts actively trying to send the player on missions calculated to end in failure.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Despite being Kane's second-in-command, Seth clearly has nowhere near the amount of power or importance within the Brotherhood as he likes to believe. And after trying to send the Nod commander on a suicide mission, is killed by Kane himself with minimal fuss.
• Smug Snake: He enjoys wielding his authority over the player early on and is not afraid to show it, until Kane himself takes notice of the player's successes and he tries to pull an Uriah Gambit on them.
• The Starscream: He tries to go behind Kane's back and launch an invasion of the United States, with the player's own troops nonetheless. Kane wasn't having it, however.
• Too Dumb to Live: Repeatedly sending the player on missions with rigged intelligence is bad enough and would be tempting fate as it is. Kane is usually one step ahead of his officers and has already noticed the player's resourcefulness, yet Seth decides to drop all subtlety and assign the player to attack The Pentagon, even after he already heard a pistol being loaded in the next room, not taking the hint.
• Uriah Gambit: Having grown jealous of the player's achievements, he tries to send them on a suicide mission to the US. It doesn't work, and he ends up getting killed instead.
• Villainous Legacy: Seth foreshadows Nod's recurring tendencies of having overly ambitious and treasonous figures in positions of power (with varying degrees of competence), including General Hasan and Brother Marcion.
• You Have Failed Me: He threatens the player with this, but he's the one who winds up on the receiving end of it.

Greg Burdette

Played by Eric Randall

Affiliation: Brotherhood of Nod (inclined)
Rank: N/A
Role: WWN Reporter / Nod Propagandist

"And the death toll so far... God only knows."

An employee of the WWN news broadcasting company, Greg typically reports on military activities of the GDI in a snide, negative manner, emphasizing their international, uncontrolled nature. He was present when a fight between the two sides broke out in the "peaceful farming village" of Białystok in Poland, Central Europe, and his reports covered needless carnage and slaughter wrought by GDI troops, or so it seemed.

In reality Burdette, who was a Nod sympathizer, was nowhere near Bialystok, and the image behind him was digitally added in the Cairo Temple of Nod bluescreen studio. It was an effort by Kane to discredit GDI with these allegations which lead to the UN suspending their funding while an investigation was conducted.

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• Alphabet News Network: WWN news.
• Blatant Lies: GDI terrorists? Seriously?
• Intrepid Reporter: Subverted, he's not actually reporting, he's making a good portion of it up.
• Kent Brockman News: Exploited by Nod. Given how Kane has him manufacturing similar reports for various locations and outlets, it's not even clear if he's working for WWN anymore.
• Propaganda Machine: For Nod.
• Show Within a Show: His reporting pops up in cutscenes for both the GDI and Nod campaigns.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: His actions are never followed up on, whether it be in the GDI campaign to remove his credibility, or in the Nod campaign to maintain his propaganda streak.

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