Codename 47
47 is the main character in the Hitman video game series, of which four games have been released up to date. His name comes from a barcode tattooed on the back of his head (640509-040147), the last two digits are 47. He works under various aliases during missions; the earliest example is Tobias Rieper (possibly a play on 'Grim Reaper'), revealed in the first installment of the series, and is so far the most used. Other aliases include Metzger (German for butcher), Mr. Julio, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Johnson, Jacob Leiter and Dr. Cropes (an anagram of "corpse").
His voice is provided by actor David Bateson.
Origins
Creation
47 is a genetically enhanced clone, the culmination of more than thirty years of research into human cloning and genetic augmentation, created by a cabal of criminal masterminds in an attempt to create the perfect soldier.
In the 1950s, five criminal masterminds, hiding from the authorities, found themselves quite coincidentally in the same unit of the French Foreign Legion. These five men, led by a brilliant but unethical and disgraced scientist named Dr. Ortmier (Ort-Meyer), formed a pact to use their resources to create a genetically engineered super soldier who would bring them unimaginable power. After their stint in the Foreign Legion was finished, four of the men returned to their home countries and founded vast criminal empires, from which they diverted funding to Dr. Ort-Meyer in order to continue his research. In exchange for the funds, Ort-Meyer also provided these criminals with donor organs harvested from clone bodies, with which they significantly extended their longevity. (By the events of Hitman: Codename 47, the "five fathers" were well into their 70s, but appear to be in their mid 40s or 50s.)
47's "Five Fathers," the men whose DNA went into his creation, were:
- Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer: A discredited Eastern European scientist whose radical theories were significantly ahead of his time, Ort-Meyer believed that genetic recombination and human cloning could be used to produce a perfected version of humanity, possessing superior physical abilities and unburdened by moral scruples or the nagging voice of a conscience. His ultimate goal (unbeknownst to his partners), was to create an army of unbeatable and unquestioningly obedient supermen with which to conquer and repopulate the world, but at the end Mr. 47 broke Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer's neck.
- Lee Hong: A Chinese crime lord, he eventually rose to become the head of the Red Dragon triad and the most powerful criminal in Hong Kong. 47 inherited Lee Hong's speed: Even in his advanced age, Lee Hong proved extremely spry and dexterous with a sword.
- Pablo Belisario Ochoa: A Latin American drug dealer, Pablo formed his own drug cartel by violently eliminating his rivals, but his methods earned him great animosity and he was eventually forced to flee to a secret compound deep within the Colombian rainforest. 47 inherited Pablo's stamina and durability: Pablo was able to survive and continue fighting even after being shot a couple dozen times in the chest with an assault rifle (although this feat could partially be attributed to the large quantity of cocaine he had consumed moments earlier). Pablo was also very much inspired by Tony Montana in De Palma's "Scarface".
- Franz Fuchs: A former member of the Hitler Youth, Franz always resented the collapse of Fascism. He developed a career as a professional terrorist-for-hire, organizing attacks such as the attempted chemical bombing of the G7 leadership. 47 inherited Fuchs' devious and creative intellect.
- Arkadij "Boris" Jegorov: A staunch anti-Communist, Boris became a world-wide arms dealer who smuggled weaponry for his older brother; Russian mafia boss Sergei Zavorotko, and even trafficking in nuclear weapons. 47 inherited Boris' keen senses: Boris was able to detect 47's presence from several rooms away.
From a secret laboratory beneath his privately-owned asylum in Romania, Ortmier spent thirty years combining and manipulating DNA taken from each of the five conspirators in an attempt to create life. Free from any moral or ethical boundaries, Ortmier's research produced many failed attempts and aborted monstrosities, but ultimately several successful genetically augmented clones were created. 47 was one of several clones in Ort-Meyer's 4th series, possessing a 47th chromosome, which, combined with his exceptional criminal lineage, endowed him with levels of strength, speed, stamina, and intelligence significantly above the human norm. In real life, possessing an extra chromosone can lead to Down's Sydrome.
In Blood Money, it is revealed that 47 was the first and only perfect human clone to be produced, and that Ortmier's extensive research made successful human cloning a reality. 47's DNA is said to be the basis for cloning labs all over, and that nothing has yet to parallel 47; a sample of 47's bone marrow is needed to produce a top-grade clone, even with all of Ortmier's research. While there are attempts that have come close, they have problems such as albinism and lifespans that cannot last longer than 18 months after puberty.
Training
Born on September 5, 1964, and tagged with the identity 640509-040147 (the barcode ID tattooed on the back of his head), 47 was "raised" with the other "Series IV" clones by the asylum's staff. From the very beginning, Dr. Ort-Meyer identified 47 as his most promising creation. While maturing, 47 was quiet and showed little social behavior, his only display of affection being toward a runaway laboratory rabbit he adopted (much to Ort-Meyer's displeasure). 47 also had a fairly negative relationship with the asylum staff, due to the regular medical checkups and frequent painful injections. It is documented that 47 stabbed a doctor with several needles, prompting Ort-Meyer to double the guards assigned to him.
Along with the other clones, 47 was trained from youth to be a tool. Instructed in the use of firearms, military hardware, and the many tools of assassination. During his training, 47 was noted for his exceptional marksmanship, as well as for attacking the asylum staff with homemade slingshots.
After 30 years of relentless training under the tutelage of Dr. Ort-Meyer, 47 eventually found a gap in the asylum's security. Killing a security guard and disguising himself in the guard's uniform, 47 managed to escape from the asylum. Unbeknownst to him, 47's escape was deliberately orchestrated by Ort-Meyer himself in order to see how 47 would perform in the outside world.
The Agency
47 is soon employed by the International Contract Agency (ICA), a clandestine organization providing assassination and mercenary services. With a lifetime of training and genetically augmented physical abilities, 47 soon rose to become the Agency's top performer.
Abilities and reputation
Abilities
47's unique genetic makeup gives him exceptional physical abilities, including increased strength, speed and endurance. While not quite superhuman, 47 is at the extreme end of what a human being is capable of, and may even exceed humanity's natural abilities by some degree. Notably, he can endure multiple bullets to the chest without dying, although a headshot with a rifle or a couple of shotgun blasts at close range would kill him (in Codename 47 and Blood Money it is shown that he wears a flak jacket for protection). He is also able to easily outrun everyone else in the games, and is strong enough to wield a minigun as a man-portable weapon, albeit fairly awkwardly. Finally, 47 is very athletic; able to mantle over ledges, climb pipes, and jump across balconies.
47 also has been rigorously trained in the art of assassination. He has an extensive knowledge of murder and of the means to accomplish it. He is skilled in all forms of firearm use, and has nearly perfect aim, limited only by the mechanical inaccuracy inherent in any firearm he uses. This makes him an excellent sniper, as well as a peerless pistol marksman. He is even able to wield two guns at once without any of the usual decrease in accuracy such behavior normally creates. He is also skilled in strangulation, throat-slitting, smothering, poisoning, and the use of improvising deadly weapons from objects he finds on his missions (shovels, pool cues, fire pokers, etc.).
47 has shown proficiency in operating a large variety of vehicles on more than one occasion, most often being when he has to extricate himself after all objectives are accomplished. These range from common automobiles and vans, small watercraft such as motorboats, and even aircraft like seaplanes and helicopters.
In Blood Money, 47 is also shown to be highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He can knock out a full grown man with a single punch to the face, disarm an opponent at close range and shoot them with their own weapon, head-butt an enemy to stun them, and seize people from behind to use as human shields.
Template:Solution While he is more than capable of using brute force to mow down a couple dozen armed men, 47 is also an extremely creative individual, capable of devising cunning and stealthy ways of eliminating his targets without creating a commotion. Notable creative hits include locking a target in a sauna to stimulate a heart condition and cause cardiac arrest, disguising himself as a chef and poisoning a target's meal by improperly preparing his fugu sushi, disguising himself as a doctor and sabotaging a surgical operation on a target, and replacing a prop Mauser C96 handgun with a real one during a break in an opera rehearsal, causing an actor to unknowingly kill the target. Template:Endspoiler
47 also appears to have a rudimentary understanding of several foreign languages (based on the fact the player perceives subtitles during several conversations between individuals speaking non-English languages), but not to the point where he is conversant in any of them.
Finally, 47 is a master of disguises, often donning the uniforms of dispatched guards or civilians in order to blend in and infiltrate an enemy stronghold without being detected. The fact that he is a multi-racial clone aids him in this considerably. He may not look exactly like the people of the country his target is in, though he usually looks close enough to not arouse too much suspicion.
47's reputation
Due to his exceptional talents, 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 in the criminal community as an urban legend, and few even know what he looks like.
Logo/Insignia
47 has his own personal symbol, that resembles a modified fleur-de-lys, which he adopted from the Ort-Meyer asylum where he was born. The fleur-de-lys was the symbol used to represent The Foreign Legion’s Special Projects department, set up during the 1950’s to perform highly sensitive, top secret work. One of the projects involved experimental research into the replacement of damaged organs, skin and muscle tissue. The project focused on ways of replacing injured soldiers’ lost or damaged body parts, using POWs, the indigenous population and the legionnaires’ fallen comrades as donors. It was the work of this department that ultimately led to the creation of Agent 47 and hence it is from this that Hitman’s symbol stems. The fleur-de-lys, or lily, is also a flower commonly associated with death, this is not the reason that it has been adopted as a symbol, but it does make it even more appropriate. This symbol is engraved on the handles of his trademark Silverballer pistols. The Agency uses this symbol to mark pick-up points on the map. It is also found on 47's equipment (such as his laptop, briefcase and cell phone). It can even be found in the Gontranno church on the windows.
Appearance
47 is completely bald. No hair grows on his head, although whether this is from natural hair loss or genetic design is unknown. The only visible sign of hair on his body are his eyebrows, which are brown. A barcode tattoo is prominently displayed on the back of his head (though it is never noticed by NPCs) containing information about his date of creation and clone series identification number (640509-040147). 47 also has rather piercing, blue eyes. His facial features are quite imposing, with a long face, large cheekbones, prominent brow, and recessed forehead. 47 is also taller than average, although not exceptionally so (based on information in Hitman: Blood Money, he is about 6 feet tall).
On his missions, 47 almost always dresses in a well-tailored, silk-lined black suit of Italian make, with a red tie and white shirt underneath. With this suit he wears a pair of black leather gloves. Blood Money reveals that this ensamble costs $5000, or it is possible that the Agency has the cleaners they send retrieve a suit left in the field while deducting $5000 from his pay. Thus, the actual price of his outfit is unknown. However, since 47 makes frequent use of disguises while carrying out his assignments, he actually spends relatively little time wearing the suit in-game.
Trademark weapons
Although 47 carries and owns a large variety of weapons, he is well known for a couple. These weapons have become his 'trademarks'.
The Silverballer
The Silverballer is a semi-automatic .45 caliber handgun (.45ACP ammunition) that is believed to be based on the AMT Hardballer (a modified version of the Colt M1911), which 47 often carries on Hitman posters and covers. The version of this firearm seen in the game has a shorter barrel than an actual Hardballer, but can be modified later with a longer slide, making it look more like its real-life counterpart. In the Demo of Hitman: Silent Assassin the guns are also named "(Dual) Hardballer(s)".
Interestingly, the real life AMT Hardballer has a rather infamous reputation among many firearms collectors for frequent jamming, sometimes as often as several times per magazine. It thus may appear odd that an expert assassin would choose such an allegedly unreliable pistol for his primary armament.
In the original Hitman: Codename 47, 47 could carry one Silverballer. To hold two, he would have to pick up another first. In later installments, 47 would mostly wield these guns two at a time, yet in Hitman: Contracts he would also be able to carry a single Baller equipped with a suppressor. An unlockable weapon in Hitman: Silent Assassin was two suppressed Silverballers. In Hitman: Blood Money 47 can extensively customise the Baller, attaching silencers, scopes, laser sights, grips, and other upgrades to improve performance. It is also possible to modify it with an extended magazine and full-auto modification, essentially converting it into a machine pistol.
The weapon has immense firepower in the earlier installments of the game (and still does in the latest installment); a pair of them can send bodies flying several meters. The weapon takes a bit long to reload and has nine cartridges (which can later be upgraded to eighteen) in a magazine.
In actuality, the AMT Hardballer carries 7 +1 rounds in a magazine. That is, it carries seven in a magazine, and one in the chamber.
A synthetic cord attached to two handles that is used for strangulation. 47 almost always carries this weapon because it will not trigger metal detectors and ensures a quiet, swift kill when properly employed. Typically, 47 will approach his target from behind and slip the weapon over its neck, crushing the windpipe with a swift jerk, then wrestle the victim to the ground. (In the latest installment also used to strangle victims from above when in an elevator. He would carefully bring his trusted 'weapon', lower it to the unsuspecting target's neck and lift him up onto the top of the elevator using his exceptional strength. The target would be strangled to death by the time he is fully lifted.)
WA2000 Sniper Rifle
The WA2000 is a rare bullpup configuration sniper rifle. It comes in suppressed and non-suppressed versions.
The rifle was not clearly considered a trademark of 47 until Hitman: Contracts, in which the gun is carried as a default weapon on several missions. In the earlier games it is more of 'just a weapon among the others'. Like the Ballers, it can be upgraded with suppressors, better ammo, scopes, etc. in Blood Money.
Hypodermic Syringe
- Syringe Poison: Contains a mixture of Sodium Pentothal, Pavulon and Potassium chloride, when mixed together they form a concoction which can kill within 7-10 seconds.
- Syringe Sedative: Contains a powerful tranquilizer, which can knock out a full-grown man in an instant.
Generally an alternative to the fibre wire, the syringe can be used much quicker than the fiber wire. For instance, you can run up to a target from behind and quickly deploy the syringe, while the fiber wire requires a much slower and stealthier movement. They can also be used to inject their contents into food or drinks to sedate or poison targets indirectly.
RU-AP Mine
This is a small, undetectable mine (the acronym stands for Remote Undetectable Anti Personnel Mine) that can be placed in certain areas, or dropped on the ground. It has a detonator that can be used in a certain range. The range can be increased by buying an upgraded detonator before the start of a mission.
The mine was not a trademark of 47 until Hitman: Blood Money, in which it is carried on all missions, and can be placed in briefcases, or in specific points of interest on the map (such as a chandelier in the Paris Opera House) to trigger unfortunate "accidents".
47's Character
Personality
On the surface, 47 is quite introverted, cold and callous, and seems able to feel compassion only toward a few people. He is able to remain calm, controlled, and emotionally detached even in the tightest situations, and always speaks in a controlled, formal manner. While 47 is quite reserved and normally only speaks when absolutely necessary, he has also demonstrated a rather dry wit, and has a certain fondness for word play (similar to James Bond).
One of his mottos appears to have become "Trust no one." His behavior toward others is generally cold and untrusting, with a few exceptions. He demonstrates a high degree of devotion to Father Vittorio, the Sicilian priest who gave him shelter in Silent Assassin, going so far as to rescue Vittorio from Russian mafia kingpin Sergei Zavorotko even though there was no monetary reward in it for him. He also seems to place at least some trust in his Agency contact, Diana Burnwood, such as being willing to meet her face-to-face, seemingly without bringing any weapons. However, on rare occasions, he can also show a surprising kind side to his personality. When being raised by Dr Ort-Meyer he befriended a rabbit, and even held a small funeral service after its death. In Hitman: Blood Money he owns a small Canary who shows no fear around 47. Though 47 pets the Canary, 47 swiftly kills it in one of the last cutscenes in order to preserve his own life. However, he appears to be crying after killing the canary, which can bring the conclusion that 47 has compassion for animals.
47 can put his morals aside at any given time, and appears willing to kill anyone the Agency offers him a contract on; as he says in Hitman: Blood Money: "I can do whatever I'm paid to." While he has been known to show mercy to those he does not have specific orders to kill, he has also demonstrated a willingness to kill innocent civilians if the Agency specifies he should do so (for example, in a cutscene early in Hitman: Contracts, after interrogating a thug 47 knocks him unconscious rather than killing him outright. Yet in Hitman: Blood Money, a cutscene shows 47 murder an innocent mailman after receiving instructions to do so from the Agency.) In most missions, it is ultimately the player who decides whether 47 will only kill his assigned targets, or slaughter every innocent civilian in sight. Yet, the games generally encourage the player to be stealthy and to minimize civilian and law enforcement casualties. In Contracts, 47's reaction to one single gunshot wound probably indicates he has never been shot before in the official story, thus strengthening his stealthy nature.
At the same time, 47's primary concern is his own survival, and he is perfectly willing to kill innocent people to ensure that goal. Blood Money illustrates this on several occasions; 47 kills an innocent mailman after the mailman delivers to him a letter from the Agency instructing him to kill the messenger, he regretfully kills his own pet canary when it threatens to give away his position by chirping, and in the game's final mission 47 kills an innocent priest and a helpless reporter to preserve the secret of his existence.
In Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, 47 confesses his sins of murder to Father Vittorio, and performs an act of Christian symbolism by making the sign of the cross before performing his first hit coming out from retirement. These actions seem to demonstrate that Agent 47 is not entirely devoid of human emotions and ethics, yet during the ending of the game, he appears to consider attempting to leave all this behind him in favour of his work as an assassin.
47's targets are almost always violent criminal masterminds or corrupt politicians. He is not assigned to kill innocent individuals, the closest being an assignment to kill a private detective who had failed in his mission and ended up kidnapped by bikers. This changed however in the fourth Hitman game, where a seemingly innocent journalist became a target, however, he happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, when 47 was massacring all whom attended his "funeral". Leaving the journalist behind would let others know that 47 was in fact still alive.
Planning and filming has begun for the Hitman movie to be released in 2007. Agent 47 will be played by Vin Diesel. There has been a movement among fans to get the original voice actor David Bateson, who is also an experienced actor, into the lead role. Bateson, whose looks provided the basis for 47's, strongly desired and campaigned for the role, but lost most likely because the production studio was unwilling to take a chance on a lesser known actor and instead opted for a well-known name.