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This article contains spoilers pertaining to the Resistance series. Read at your own risk!
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Daedalus was formerly a human being known as Jordan Adam Shepherd, and a Chimera who appeared as the main antagonist in Resistance 2. Daedalus took sole command of the Chimera, eliminating the command role of the Angels and replacing them with his own command system; this new system included Primarchs, who have control of around forty lesser Chimera, with Overseer's having command of around twelve Primarchs, ensuring for a much more efficient leadership system.
Daedalus was a creation of Dr. Fyodor Malikov. During Project Abraham, Malikov infused DNA from Pure Chimeran strains into two subjects; one of which was Shepherd, and Nathan Hale, who knew the former very well. Shepherd mutated into Daedalus, and was kept in captivity at SRPA Station Igloo up until his escape at the beginning of Resistance 2. Throughout the events of Resistance 2, Daedalus was primarily focused on activating the Chimeran towers scattered across the USA and the world, which SRPA had been desperately trying to shut down. He was finally killed by Nathan Hale on board his flagship in the Chimeran Fleet.
Biography
Jordan Shepherd had an abusive childhood with his father and was consumed by his father's alcoholism and religious fervor, along with his father's extreme temper that he passed onto his son. In his adult years, Shepherd married a woman named Hannah and became a traveling bible salesman. It is during their marriage that Hannah suffered a miscarriage, pushing her into depression. When Shepherd came home to his wife, he found his neighbor, Mr. Hetterwood, comforting Hannah (only for her loss of her baby). In Shepherd's state of mind, consumed with paranoia on how close his wife was becoming with the neighbor, Shepherd murdered Hetterwood.[1] However, Shepherd became guilty and horrified at how he was more like his late father, and desperate to redeem himself, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Initially, Shepherd was only interested in duty, and so did not want the camaraderie of the other men in his unit, causing them to mock him for being solitary and otherwise distant. When Shepherd saw a notice from a confidential project (Project Abraham) canvassing for volunteers, he eagerly put himself forward. However, Shepherd failed to mention his immune system was compromised during his childhood after wandering into a chemical testing zone in the Everglades surrounding the house he shared with his father, in which he contracted an asymptomatic viral infection.[2][3] Shepherd refused to say anything about his past illness, in the hope that the procedures he would undergo would suppress the natural anger he inherited from his father. On December 8, 1950, after being injected with the Pure Chimera DNA strain, his entire body slowly mutated into what he became to be known as "Daedalus".[4]
As Daedalus
Daedalus's prison in SRPA Station Igloo.
Following Shepherd's slow transformation and all of SRPA's attempts and efforts to hinder the progression of the virus failed, Shepherd was imprisoned in maximum confinement at Station Genesis in Bryce Canyon, Utah, and was secretly covered-up and listed as "Killed In Action" to his family.[5][6]
Throughout his tenure under confinement, Shepherd, now known by the codename "Daedalus," was observed and studied by SRPA's research staff, and had been experiencing aural and visual hallucinations, and as well displaying violent behaviors towards SRPA's patients and staff members. Most of Daedalus' violent episodes involved demands to see his wife and becoming enraged when his requests were denied.[5] Doctor Fyodor Malikov had frequently interrogated Daedalus (who mostly communicated by telepathy after some point in time) by proxy through infected human subjects. During these "conversations", Daedalus acknowledged the mystery behind the Chimera, including their origins and the Chimeran tower network to Malikov but refused to explain any further.[7] Then on July 8, 1951, while being berated by his attending physician, Dr. Martin Ortiz, an agitated Daedalus suddenly developed psychokinetic powers and used them to mentally attack and kill eleven SRPA personnel before being sedated by a panic team summoned by Ortiz.[5] Two days later, on July 10, Shepherd was transferred to SRPA Station Igloo.
Under Daedalus' new confinement in Iceland, he was able to contact the Chimera into attacking the facility on July 15. Coincidentally, Nathan Hale and Richard Blake arrived at the besieged Station Igloo. After Hale and Blake fought their way through Igloo, they arrived at Daedalus' detention cell where Blake attempted to input the kill code to destroy Daedalus, but ended up releasing him. Daedalus brushed aside Blake and confronted Hale, cryptically saying, "They are calling to us. Can you hear them? It is beautiful.", before making his escape.
Resistance: The Gathering Storm
In the few months after Daedalus' escape from Iceland, he was later recaptured by American forces and watched-over by the Domestic Security Agency (DSA) instead of SRPA, who had insisted on being responsible for Daedalus's incarceration, despite being rebuked for losing the creature in the first place. On November 13, as Daedalus was being transferred from Offutt Air Force Base to a maximum security lab facility in Florence, Colorado the convoy he was being transport was attacked by a Chimeran commando force and allowed Daedalus to escape again.
Three days later, U.S. President Noah Grace formulated a contingency plan to declare a truce between the Chimera and the United States, known as Project Omega. The Grace Administration, seeing that Daedalus was the only known Chimeran entity to be communicable with the human race and "speak" for the Chimera, oversaw the capture of Daedalus as a higher priority in the negotiations. The project was then led by Chief of Staff William Dentweiler and involved in capturing Daedalus. To capture Daedalus, Dentweiler planned on luring him into rescuing his wife, Hannah Shepherd whom he still cared for her, from Sheridan, Wyoming by torturing her into sending a mental signal to Daedalus. Daedalus later sent a contingent of Chimeran forces to rescue Hannah and bring her to his location. After briefly talking to, and warned by his wife, they were traced by American forces via a tracking device implanted on Hannah's person. American soldiers sedated Daedalus with harpoons containing 2000 cc of sedatives and brought him to a secret military base near Sheridan. In taking necessary security precautions, Daedalus was implanted with an electrode which electrocuted him whenever he attempted to use his power to escape. Hannah was also kept as a hostage to convince Daedalus to actively cooperate in the negotiations.
Weeks later, Daedalus began to cooperate in the truce, in which part of the negotiations involved allowing a Chimeran warship to peacefully enter Sheridan's airspace. On December 24, Noah Grace boldly confronted Daedalus and started to negotiate his intended truce by allowing the Chimera to take over Earth unimpeded so long as they left the United States in peace. Daedalus was not impressed by Grace's offer and the truce only came to an end when Nathan Hale killed Grace for his treasonous action. Before Hale could kill Daedalus, the Chimera quickly broke free of his confinement by sending out a mental blast, which killed three people and paralyzed every human being within two-hundred yards. Though his mental attack delivered a painful shock to Daedalus, it was sufficient to overload and destroy the electrode inside him. On leaving the base, Daedalus ordered the Chimeran warship to destroy Sheridan and its surroundings in retaliation for his imprisonment.
Resistance 2
In the months after his escape from human imprisonment Daedalus quickly improved the effectiveness of the Chimera's military forces, including nullifying the Chimera's dependency on the Angel strain by creating castes equal to the Angels known as Primarchs and Overseers, and the evolutionary creations of Chimeran strains that are adapted to warm environments, thus limiting the need for cooling units.[8][9] The change in Chimeran military tactics caused great concern to SRPA, and the organization decided eliminating Daedalus was the primary target to end the war against the Chimera.[10] SRPA made several assassination attempts on Daedalus, but all ended in failure.
Between 1952 and 1953, Daedalus began excavating and activating Chimeran towers scattered throughout the globe. In his quest, Daedalus commanded his forces in successfully conquering Africa and South America. Furthermore, Daedalus had also focus attention on the Gray Tech artifacts in a ulterior motive in apparently assembling a doomsday weapon, known as the Prometheus Weapon.
On May 15, 1953, Daedalus led the Chimeran Fleet in a two frontal assault on America. After the fleet were within the American mainland, Daedalus began activating towers throughout the United States. Daedalus traveled to Bryce Canyon where he encountered Dr. Malikov and Nathan Hale. Daedalus then activated Bryce Canyon's tower and immediately left, briefly causing Hale into unconsciousness.
Daedalus later relocated to the Holar Tower in Iceland where he was able to use the hub tower to remotely keep all the Chimeran towers throughout the world activated. This was evident when Echo Team managed to annihilate the Chimeran forces defending the Chicago Tower, only to discover Daedalus' control after Dr. Malikov initially deactivated the tower and finding it reactivated again. SRPA forces unleashed an all-out assault on the Holar Tower, but were devastated by the strong Chimeran presence there that attacked them in a crushing ambush. Daedalus impeded Echo Team who alone were able to enter the tower, tragically killing Sentinels Aaron Hawthorne and Benjamin Warner, and nearly killing Hale by impaling him (who was then rescued by Joseph Capelli).
Daedalus' corpse after having been killed by Nathan Hale.
Thereafter, Daedalus led the fleet in breaching the Liberty Defense Perimeter and traveling to the Chicxulub crater to finally initiate the Chimera's ultimate plan.[11] On his flagship, Daedalus discovered SRPA's final action of detonating a fission bomb in destroying the Chimeran fleet and himself. Knowing the presence of the SRPA strike team including Richard Blake, Nathan Hale and Joseph Capelli, Daedalus commanded his forces in the ship in bringing the bomb to him, so that he might personally dispose of it. However, despite procuring the bomb, Daedalus confronted Hale again. Daedalus then battled Hale and was eventually killed by him. Upon his death, Daedalus' powers were immediately transferred to Hale upon touching Daedalus' corpse. Daedalus' body was presumably destroyed in the nuclear blast upon the successful detonation of the fission bomb.
Despite Daedalus' death, his efforts in activating the tower network achieved in allowing to create a wormhole to the Chimera's home planet and establishing contact with the Pure Chimera, leading into the events of Resistance 3.
Personality
Prior to becoming Daedalus, Jordan Shepherd was a taciturn and religious man. Despite his serene character, Shepherd has an innate feeling of intense anger and jealously due to his abusive father's treatment during his traumatic childhood.
After becoming Daedalus, he is shown to have an appreciation of the Chimera and considers himself as a major part of a "great whole". Daedalus bears a strong dislike for the human race, and considers them as a sort of evolutionary dead end, due in part to their view that the Chimera are a "disease", and their refusal to recognize them (the Chimera) as "the evolution of man". He also refers to humans as "meat-things," "shadow-people," and other derogatory terms as well. However, despite his transformation into a Chimera, he still possessed his love for his wife, Hannah. He also seemed to take an interest in Hale, due to him undergoing the same treatment in Project Abraham. In nearly every encounter with Hale, he attempts to convince him to give in to his infection and that the human race is fruitless and he "should be free of them", however, to no avail.
Another aspect of Daedalus' personality was that he retained his knowledge of military tactics and developed a more efficient form of leadership in the Chimeran military chain of command. His shrewd tactical skill was shown numerous times as the Chimera began to slowly overwhelm human resistance in several countries.
Abilities and traits
Daedalus is a fairly large, brown, Angel-like creature that can float in the air (utilizing what can only be described as telekinetic levitation to achieve this). It is clearly visible where his old human body is, as it appears his brain has expanded enormously, and his human body has bent backwards onto it (his skull, ribcage, and upper-arms are all visible in the boss fight, and corpse).
When in combat, Daedalus can telekinetically float, use mental blasts, and has razor sharp tentacles that he can impale enemies with, but his true power lay in his absolute control of the Chimera. Daedalus had uncanny intelligence and was an effective military strategist due to his experiences as Jordan Shepherd while in the U.S. military, which was instrumental in the Chimeran evolutionary and command structural changes he instigated himself.[10] Even though Daedalus lost his capability of audible speech in his mutated form, he was able to communicate through mental telepathy to other Chimeran strains, as well as humans that are infected by the Chimeran Virus. He is known to "speak" at ranges greater than 800 feet. It is interesting to note that Daedalus claims it is difficult for him communicate with humans ("meat-speak" as he refers to it), and requires a great deal of concentration for him to do so. An early attempt to communicate with Daedalus ended in him spouting gibberish - "Meano pontha hyblom oraga."[7]
It is revealed in Resistance: The Gathering Storm that Daedalus has the ability to transfer his consciousness to any Chimera type or unit on Earth; while remaining linked to his body. This presumably allows him to communicate with others even when Daedalus himself is not present, allowing him a nigh omniscient level of control over his army.
Quotes
- "They are calling to us. Can you hear them? It is beautiful"
- ―Daedalus' first meeting with Nathan Hale at Station base Igloo.[src]
- "Leave now...order your men to go. This place does not belong to you."
- ―Heard telepathically at Bryce Canyon, Utah.[src]
- "Such arrogance...to think that we are a disease to be destroyed, when in fact we are the evolution of man. You think this planet is your birthright, but it was first ours. It was ours ages before you walked upright, and now it shall be once more. Soon your skies will shine with our stars, and the Earth shall tremble...only then will you know what it truly means to suffer..."
- ―Daedalus meets Hale again at Bryce Canyon, while Daedalus activates the controls.[src]
- "This matter is beyond your domain, you are a squirming larvae refusing to evolve. Cease this futile resistance and awaken."
- ―Heard telepathically as Hale and Dr. Malikov escape Bryce Canyon.[src]
- "You must be free of them."
- ―Heard telepathically as Daedalus prepares to kill Aaron Hawthorne.[src]
- "If you knew what was to happen you would not have fought. Such a waste, you could have been so much more."
- ―Daedalus stabbing Nathan Hale in the stomach.[src]
- "Through my will, the universe, shall be reborn."
- ―Daedalus said during the 'special delivery' cutscene.[src]
- "Traitor! You fight for a race that will only betray you!"
- ―Daedalus during the final boss fight.[src]
- "You are all coming home."
- ―Said during final boss fight.[src]
- "They don't deserve this world, not after all they've done, not after all they've taken!"
- ―Daedalus during the final boss fight.[src]
- "We are taking them. We are taking each and every one of them! No matter what happens to me, the skies will never be the same!"
- ―Said by Daedalus during towards the end of the boss fight.[src]
- "No more humans, no more Chimera. Only the pureness of our kind."
- ―Said by Daedalus during the final boss battle[src]
- "If you could see what I have seen, if you knew what was coming, you would do anything in your power to join the other side!"
- ―Said by Daedalus during the final boss battle[src]
- "Lay down your weapon, stand with us. There is no greater tragedy than to die at the hands of friends"
- ―Chicxulub Crater (level)[src]
Gallery
Trivia
- Daedalus was named after the mythical craftsman of Greek mythology and the father of the more well-known Icarus.[12]
- Daedalus was voiced by Robin Atkin Downes who also voiced General Hadley in a Resistance: Fall of Man trailer, Infected Hale in Resistance 2, and later voices James Grayson in Resistance: Retribution and Joseph Capelli in Resistance 3.
- He is, so far, one of two Chimera that could communicate with Humans on a sentient level.
- From SRPA Station Igloo to the Holar Tower in Iceland, Daedalus does not have any features besides a bloated, floating body. However, in Chicxulub Crater, Mexico, Daedalus then has a "tail" made of vertebrae.
- Daedalus sometimes appears to talk like he knows the future, especially when he said to Nathan Hale that his race will betray him, something that did happen, and he was liquidated by another human, Joseph Capelli after fully turning into a chimera. Furthermore, he mentioned that skies will never be the same, and that was proved in which the sky changed owing to the opening of the wormhole over New York City.
- Nathan Hale's last words before he was killed at the hands of Joseph Capelli were "Can you hear them? They are calling to us. It's beautiful" which is similar to what Daedalus had said to Nathan Hale when they first meet in Iceland, with only the order of wording being different, followed by "This is just the beginning." This, coupled with Nathan gaining new powers from touching Daedalus's corpse suggest that Nathan was about to turn into another Daedalus.
Sources
- ^ Resistance #0 (In the issue Jordan Shepherd apparently murdered both Hetterwood and Hannah Shepherd until it is clarified in Resistance: The Gathering Storm that Hannah wasn't murdered by her husband.)
- ^ SRPA file DM177533
- ^ Asymptomatic on Wikipedia.
- ^ Intel 15, Journal Entry (Pure Chimera Strains)
- ^ a b c Intel 16, Dossier (Jordan Adam Shepherd)
- ^ SRPA file DM177531
- ^ a b Intel 14, Journal Entry (Daedalus)
- ^ SRPA Intelligence Memorandum 3
- ^ Chimeran Forces Spread Across Africa
- ^ a b SRPA Intelligence Memorandum 5
- ^ SRPA Intelligence Memorandum 18
- ^ Daedalus on Wikipedia.
| Characters of Resistance | |
|---|---|
| Sentinels | Joseph Capelli · Benjamin Warner · Murphy · Campbell · Waldron · Hank Leavitt · Nathan Hale |
| SRPA | Welles · J. Robert Oppenheimer · Wallace · Cassandra Aklin · Martin Ortiz · Bravo One · McAlister · Dunbar |
| British Army | Johnny Grayson · James Grayson · Stephen Cartwright · Rachel Parker · Diggle · Pete · Ryan · Derek · Morgan |
| Graterford Prison | Herbert Sawicki · Mick Cutler · Dick · Darryl · Ned |
| Others | Roland Mallery · Jordan Shepherd · Hannah Shepherd · Hetterwood · Marcus · Blakely · Luke |