Agent 47

Agent 47
'Hitman' character
Agent 47 from Hitman: Absolution
First game	Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)

Agent 47 is the protagonist of the Hitman video game franchise, created by the Danish company IO Interactive. Currently, there are five Hitman video game titles in the series and two novels, Hitman: Damnation by Raymond Benson in 2007 and Hitman: Enemy Within by William C. Dietz in 2012. A film adaptation of the game was produced by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in 2007 with Agent 47 portrayed by Timothy Olyphant. In 2013, Fox International Productions plans to reboot Hitman and change the title to Agent 47. In this reboot Agent 47 will be portrayed by Paul Walker.

In video games

Appearance

Agent 47's typical attire consists of an immaculate black suit, black leather gloves, white striped dress shirt and a red tie. As the Hitman video game series allows players the option of engaging in stealth-based strategy to avoid conflict, Agent 47 has the ability to exchange his stock costume with various characters in the game to avoid detection. There are a wide variety of costumes to choose from including police, military, medical and culinary uniforms that are all made available by incapacitating non-player character and 'stealing' their clothing.

In addition to the signature suit, alternative stock costumes (costumes assigned to Agent 47 at the beginning of a level or displayed in a cut scene) are occasionally provided. In Codename 47, he is seen wearing a guerrilla camouflage in the jungle, while in Silent Assassin Agent 47 wears a protective anorak in the Japanese mountains and a blue turban in India. At the end of Blood Money, Agent 47 wears a white suit and white gloves while he is placed into a coffin during his funeral.

In addition to clothing, Agent 47's distinctive choice of weaponry plays an important role in his appearance. He prefers to use a pair of silver customized AMT Hardballers nicknamed "Silverballers." Following the third video game in the series, Hitman: Contracts, the Hitman symbol replaces the Hardballer logos that are typically printed on the side of the pistol's slide. Throughout the franchise, the silverballers serve as Agent 47's signature weapon.

47's barcode as based on images from Dr. Ort-Meyer's journal.

47 is completely bald with very pale skin and blue eyes with dark eyebrows. His ICA file from Hitman: Absolution states his height as 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m). In Hitman: Enemy Within his weight is given as 187 lb (85 kg). Since players of the video game series control the character from a third person perspective, the barcode that is tattooed on the back of his head is starkly prominent.

His barcode acts as a security key to access areas of the facility where he was created and trained. 47's barcode is implied to be in Code 39; according to Dr. Ort-Meyer's journal, the barcode was added to the tattoo in 1975, one year after the code was developed. Curiously, the other characters in the games appear oblivious to the conspicuous tattoo. A newspaper descriptions of 47 in Hitman: Blood Money fails to mention the barcode as a notable characteristic.

Character history

Agent 47 was born on September 5, 1964 in a Romanian asylum with the number 640509-040147 tattooed on the back of his head in the form of a barcode. "64-05-09" denotes his date of birth, "04" indicates Series IV, "01" documents his class, and "47" is the order in which he was cloned. In the Hitman game series and the Hitman novel, Agent 47 is a genetically-enhanced clone and the culmination of decades of secret research into gene augmentation. His creation was funded by a group of investors who donated their own DNA to the project. In Hitman: Codename 47, five men of various nationalities served in the same unit of the French Foreign Legion. After their stint was finished, four of those men returned to their respective countries and founded their own criminal empires, becoming 4 of the biggest criminals in the world. The remaining one, Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer, ran a mental institution which he used as a cover for genetic experiments. In exchange for research funding, Ort-Meyer provided his former comrades with donor organs harvested from clone bodies, which significantly extended their longevity. In Hitman: Codename 47, each of Ort-Meyer's accomplices are said to be 60–70 years old but appear 10–20 years younger.

The men whose DNA contributed to 47's creation are often referred to within the series as the "Five Fathers", consisting of Dr. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer himself, Lee Hong, Pablo Ochoa, Frantz Fuchs and Arkadij Jegorov. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer is a discredited German scientist living in Romania, whose radical theories were deemed insane by his peers.

Ort-Meyer believed that genetic recombination and human cloning could be used to produce a perfect version of the human species, superior in strength and mind, and unburdened by conscience. His ultimate goal, unbeknownst to his associates, was to create an army of flawless and unquestioningly obedient supermen as his personal army. When Ort-Meyer's associates become suspicious of his motives, he employs 47 to systematically eliminate each of them. When 47 discovers Ort-Meyer's plans, he manages to eradicate his latest series of clones, known as the Mr. 48s, and snaps Ort-Meyer's neck.

Ultimately, Ort-Meyer managed to perfect the process enough to produce an assembly line of genetically augmented clones, including Mr. 17, the antagonist of the second Hitman video game. 47 belonged to Ort-Meyer's fourth series of clones, possessing a 47th chromosome which, combined with DNA harvested from the world's most dangerous criminals, endowed him with levels of strength, speed, stamina, and intelligence significantly above the human norm. In Hitman: Blood Money, it is explained that American interests had repeatedly attempted to replicate Ort-Meyer's success, but were largely unsuccessful. 47 represents the most successful result of Ort-Meyer's research. Other clones produced by Ort-Meyer were plagued by medical problems such as albinism and extremely short lifespans (before 47, other test subjects lived only 18 months). Ort-Meyer's research was distributed among many covert cloning labs, but is insufficient; a sample of 47's bone marrow is needed to fill in the DNA gaps, making him an extremely valuable specimen.

Early life

Agent 47 was raised in Romania by cloning facility staff along with fifty other "Series IV" clones. From the beginning, Dr. Ort-Meyer identified 47 as his most promising creation. He was quiet and showed little social behavior except for one incident where he adopted a runaway laboratory rabbit, much to Ort-Meyer's displeasure. Agent 47 also had violent relationship with the asylum staff; regular invasive medical tests and frequent painful injections fostered strong enmity. On one occasion, he stabbed a doctor repeatedly with several needles, prompting Ort-Meyer to increase the number of personnel assigned to control him.

Training

47's training revolves around efficient killing techniques. He is instructed in the use of rifles, sidearms, military equipment and machinery as well as knives, improvised weaponry and garrotes, making him highly competent with a diverse array of weapons. Advanced hand-to-hand combat training and his genetic advantages allow Agent 47 to excel in numerous scenarios ranging from self defense against multiple opponents to murdering or incapacitating targets while unarmed. During his training, Agent 47 was noted for his distinguished marksmanship and assault on asylum staff with homemade slingshots.

When Agent 47 was 30 years old, he found a gap in the security and escaped the asylum, killing a security guard in the process. However, it is later revealed that Ort-Meyer purposely freed him to test his training in the world.

Employment

Agent 47 was soon employed by the International Contract Agency, a clandestine organization providing assassination and mercenary services. With a lifetime of training and genetically augmented physical abilities, he soon became the Agency's most effective employee. He briefly retired from the Agency between the events of Hitman: Codename 47 and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, but returned to work for the Agency shortly thereafter. He enjoys his only notable human friendship with his handler, Diana. Agebt 47 threatened to find a new employer after the I.C.A. had a significant loss of influence during the events in Hitman: Contracts.

Despite the threat however, he continued with the I.C.A. until the events of Hitman: Blood Money, during which the organization is destroyed. At the end of that game the I.C.A. is rebuilt. The last scene depicts Agent 47 walking into a shop, using a fake name and asking what they have to sell "preferably in the back," suggesting that he has resumed his career at either the I.C.A. or a competing organized criminal organization.

Personality

Agent 47 is an introverted character who almost always speaks without emotion in a calm, formal manner (with what might be considered a muted or blunt affect). His lack of empathy, emotion or excitement while committing acts of murder are defining characteristics of the character. One minor but notable exception to this is in one of the final cut scenes of Hitman: Blood Money, where he cursed at his I.C.A. handler, Diana, when she injected him from behind with a syringe. He also faked her death in Absolution; he felt emotions towards her.

47 once demonstrated a high degree of devotion to Father Vittorio, the Sicilian priest who provided him shelter in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, going so far as to rescue Vittorio from the Russian mafia even though there was no monetary reward in it (in fact, according to Vittorio, 47 donated a large percentage of his earnings from Hitman: Codename 47 to the Catholic Church). In the end, 47's work spilled over into the church, when his enemies located his hiding place in a Catholic monastery. This led to an attack on the monastery and the murder of a number of priests before 47 was able to stop the attack. As a result of the incident, 47 has chosen isolation rather than risk associating with innocent people who might be targeted for retaliation.

47 places a significant measure of trust in his Agency contact, Diana Burnwood. She is the one character in the series that Agent 47 has had constant contact with, and probably the closest thing he has to a friend. As a general rule, however, they never meet face-to-face. In Absolution, she was 47's target. He spared her, feeling emotions towards her, and left Victoria, a genetically created female assassin, to take care of her. During the Rosewood mission 47, while carrying Victoria in an attempt to flee from Blake Dexter's hired gun Wade and his henchmen, expresses his sympathy for her due to their similar origins (47 was also genetically created).

On rare occasions, 47 can also show a warm side to his personality. When being raised by Dr. Ort-Meyer, he befriended a rabbit. Although he has no apparent interest in sex, he has shown considerable forbearance to a young prostitute named Lei Ling (renamed to "Mei Ling" in Hitman: Contracts). He rescued her from sex slavery in the first game in exchange for a safe combination, and can optionally rescue her again from exactly the same situation in the sequel, in return for a keycard that he presumably needs. In two other levels in the same sequel, the player can optionally rescue a prisoner being beaten by a couple of guards (in return, the prisoner tells 47 the location of his target) and a German ambassador about to be killed by a Spetsnaz agent. In "Absolution" 47 tosses a coin to a homeless man, as to whether this is from empathy or simply a witty reaction to the man's line "Can you spare some change?" is up to interpretation. In the same game, 47 can also rescue a prisoner being beaten by police officers in return for information. In Hitman: Blood Money, 47 picks up a small canary during his travels. He and the canary appear to be fond of each other, with the latter showing a happy responsiveness to 47's playful hand gestures and even allowing 47 touch it in one scene. However, he later kills the bird to silence it when he hears an intruder approaching his position.

Morality

Agent 47 is an antihero. His profession requires him to commit murder. However, his targets often consist of people who are themselves not in good moral standing. 47 can be seen as delivering 'justice' to the individuals who are either too powerful or well connected to be judged by the law, but still commits a sin to deliver it. In the trailer of the Hitman film, 47 is described as a "necessary evil".

47 will kill anyone he has been assigned to assassinate without any hesitation and with no exceptions. However, he has been known to spare individuals whom he has not been specifically ordered to kill (a few cutscenes in Hitman: Contracts show him knocking out rather than killing various henchmen and bystanders), and even to occasionally offer assistance to those in need. However, he has also demonstrated a cold willingness to kill innocents if they pose a direct threat to his mission. In Hitman: Blood Money, the game shows a more brutal 47. 47 murders an innocent mailman due to the CODE RED scribbled on the package. Blood Money's final mission also shows 47 executing an innocent priest and a reporter, both of whom knew his identity. Throughout Contracts which shows a heavily wounded 47's recollection on his past missions, his subconscious changes the missions to be in a dreary and always raining atmosphere, showing that he had at least some regret over the things he has done.

When Diana states she does not have long to live, he gives his apology before calmly asking if she has his payment. The younger 47 was shown to be less violent, having befriended a rabbit. Though it is up to the player to decide how 47 will accomplish the missions he is given, the games generally encourage discretion; the more silent and unobtrusive the player is, the higher the reward. In Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, 47 confesses his sins to Father Vittorio, and performs an act of Catholic symbolism by making the Sign of the Cross before performing his first hit after coming out from retirement. His confession to Father Vittorio in the opening sequence hints that Agent 47 is not entirely devoid of a conscience.

Hitman: Absolution explored 47's conscience to a greater extent. In the opening mission, his handler, Diana, has betrayed the ICA, and 47 is sent to terminate her. His first shot does not kill her cleanly, and she is able to ask him to protect Victoria, a young girl that 47 was sent to retrieve for the Agency. 47 spends the remainder of the game carrying out this request. In addition, in one cutscene he has several flashbacks of shooting Diana, indicating genuine regret for his action. 47 even expressed his disgust for exploiting innocent people at one point in the game, specifically during a briefing for the Dexter Industries mission.

Abilities and reputation

While not superhuman, Agent 47's physical capabilities are at the peak of human performance. As a class one type clone, 47 can be seen performing physical tasks much more efficiently than an average human. 47 has mastered the art of stealth, being able to sneak up on almost anybody and quietly neutralize them. 47 also has an expert level understanding in the use of disguises in order to access unauthorized areas of a location. He is physically strong enough to climb pipes, move and dispose of bodies, and jump from balcony to balcony with minimum effort. 47 is noted to be a skilled driver, as he can be seen piloting airplanes and helicopters.

47's enhanced DNA also allows him to remain perfectly calm in any situation. He never shows any signs of fear or anxiety even when completely surrounded by enemies. This trait allows him to effectively disguise himself and enter restricted areas without raising any suspicion from nearby guards, even when they already suspect someone may have infiltrated their ranks. Whatever the odds, 47 never panics. He always keeps his composure and clear mind to the point of being perfectly aware of all his surroundings and constantly calculates his every action, never losing focus. Still, when The Saints (elite female assassin group) launches a missile at the Waikiki hotel in which 47 resides after eliminating Sanchez, he is shown for a second as panicking before jumping sideways.

Trained extensively in armed and unarmed combat and in the use of improvised weapons, such as explosives, sniper rifles, automatic weapons and bladed weapons, 47 is fully adept at surveying his environment and using it to his advantage. He is also resourceful enough to maintain anonymity by avoiding leaving forensic evidence for law enforcement agencies to discover through various methods. 47 is skilled in infiltration, ex-filtration, and evasion, as well as the traditional art of assassination as seen when carrying out contracts. On site, he can slip past guards without arousing too much suspicion.

47 also has a detailed understanding of human anatomy and human nature, shown through his use of poisons, and sedatives, as well as striking vital points when strangling targets or using hand to hand combat. He also knows how best to move throughout an area without catching the attention of civilians or armed guards, being excellent in deduction and logistics, determining the best way.

If there is one ability that makes him appear superhuman, it is his ability to slow his own perception of time. In "Absolution" he is able to focus enough in fights, as well as shooting to slow his perception of timing, allowing him to respond rapidly and cleanly.

Due to his successful track record, 47 is usually given the Agency's largest and most difficult assignments. 47 completes all of his assignments with unwavering accuracy, fulfilling all of his objectives and always eliminating his targets without hesitation. 47's stealth and cunning are legendary; he is regarded by the world as an urban legend, and few even know of his appearance (fewer even that he exists). The degree of 47's professionalism is such that in the trailer sequence that plays on the title screen of Blood Money, the speaker states that once a client has contracted 47 to perform an assassination, he cannot be called off and will fulfill the contract through to the end no matters what, even if the client changes their mind, meaning that the client must be absolutely certain of their desire to have the contract fulfilled before they contact The Agency and request 47.

In film

In the 2007 Hitman feature film, Agent 47 is portrayed by Timothy Olyphant. His back story differs significantly from that of the video game. The organization he works for is renamed the International Contract Organization. Instead of clones, his employer takes in orphans and rejects and trains them as professional assassins. 47 is considered the best of them. 47's personality is generally consistent with the games as he displays the same emotional detachment and dedication to killing his targets. However, 47 retains his calm under pressure, as well as his disdain for killing or harming non-targets, especially innocents. The latter is demonstrated by his protection of a woman named Nika, as well as his decision to spare Interpol agent Mike Whittier, despite Whittier having seen his face.

On February 5, 2013, it was reported that the film is being rebooted with the title of the film being Agent 47. Paul Walker is attached to star with commercials director Aleksander Bach helming the project as his directorial debut. Screenwriter of the original Hitman film, Skip Woods wrote the screenplay with Mike Finch and filming is said to take place in Berlin and Singapore this summer.

Reception

Agent 47 has gained significant success and was very well received and praised by both critics and fans alike. He is widely considered as one of the greatest characters of its genre and is also known as "the most wanted assassin" and " most recognizable bald guy" in the world of video games. Some personalities often commented on his own murderous personality. In 2012, Games Radar ranked Agent 47 as 47th "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in video games, commenting "To refer to Hitman's Agent 47 as a hero would be a bit of a misnomer. He has been known, after all, to unceremoniously murder a man simply because his clothes were deemed desirable, and then also cram that man's naked corpse into a armoire in an insane effort to cover his tracks." IGN ranked him as the gaming's 4th "most notorious" anti-hero, commenting "He's just doing his job, you might say, like most people do. But his method of operation elevates him to a sadistic level. He does whatever it takes to get the job done – collapsing hot tubs, dressing up as waiters, poisoning donuts, and more. Even if it's just his job, he's no good guy and deserves a spot on this list." Empire (film magazine) ranked him as the 21st "greatest video game character", commenting "A silent weapon for the International Contract Agency (ICA), Agent 47 - a name derived from the last two digits of his assigned number - is the perfect killer clone: a deadly mix of speed, intellect and strength. Originally conceived by IO Interactive as a disgruntled and bearded old guy, he was later transformed into the barcode-tattooed, snappy dresser who has since become a gaming staple.Leather gloves, red tie, black suit and bald, barcode-adorned head, Agent 47 is striking to the point where it's probably something of a hindrance in his chosen line of work."

External links

• Official Hitman website