Cave Johnson (Portal)
Encyclopedia
Cave Johnson is a fictional character in the 2011 video game Portal 2
. He is portrayed by American actor J. K. Simmons
and created in part by Portal 2s designer Erik Wolpaw
. To date he only appears in Portal 2. Cave serves as a guide to the player-character Chell
as she explores an abandoned part of the Aperture Science facility, though all of his messages are pre-recorded from before the events of the Portal games.
and is voiced by actor J.K. Simmons. His physical appearance is based on that of Portal 2 lead animator Bill Fletcher. He is described as an "eccentric dead billionaire" and "extroverted, enthusiastic and opinionated." He was the founder and CEO of Aperture Science. He was also a "shower curtain visionary." He was initially considered to be the main character of Portal 2, where players were in control of him as he was trapped inside of a computer. This idea was scrapped, however. They later envisioned Cave Johnson as the primary antagonist, but this was also scrapped. This idea was revealed as a result of leaked quotes from the character.
Johnson was envisioned since Portal as an "industrial, Southern guy" who would contrast the "anti-septic" and "politically correct" nature of Aperture Science. Though their idea of the character underwent several changes over the development, the selection of J.K. Simmons helped to solidify the character. Pictures of Cave Johnson appear throughout Portal 2, and though Valve used a casting call to try to find someone to use as a template, they turned back to their own lead animator, Bill Fletcher, for Cave's face. Though comparisons have been made between Cave and Andrew Ryan
, the wealthy industrialist that created the fictional underwater city of Rapture
in BioShock
, Wolpaw claims they had not considered this character in their creation of Cave.
. His actor, J.K. Simmons, spoke original lines for various trailers for Portal 2, including at the PAX East exposition in 2011. He does not appear as himself, but instead he is heard by the player-character Chell
as she traverses abandoned parts of the Aperture Science facility in pre-recorded messages that explain the area as well as some of the backstory of Aperture. In these pre-recorded messages, he is sometimes accompanied by or makes reference to a woman named Caroline. As Chell progresses through this area and hears more and more messages, the messages appear to indicate a decline in Aperture as well as himself. He eventually contracts a deadly illness after grinding up moon rock
s, which he turns into Conversion Gel, and begins discussing the prospect of putting a person's mind inside of a computer. He indicates that if the process isn't able to be done on him before he dies to put Caroline in charge, even forcibly if necessary. This leads us to find out Caroline is in fact the personality on which the GLaDOS
computer system controlling Aperture Science's testing course is based. While Johnson doesn't actually say Caroline was supposed to be put into a computer against her will, this might have been done as a result of confusion amongst his engineers about his final instructions, or because it was the best way for her to properly control the entire testing facility.
's Steve Watts compared Cave Johnson to the industrialist Howard Hughes
. A writer for Edge
wrote that the "surprise star turn" was J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson. The editor described him as a "gruff and acid alpha male who set up Aperture, who performs with real brio and bite" and that while it would be hard to quote him, his lines were "perfectly pitched, and funny to the bone". PALGN
's Adam Ghiggino wrote that the dialogue of Portal 2 was funny and cited Simmons as an example. GamesRadar
's Tyler Wilde called Cave "bombastic" and praised Simmons for "perfectly" portraying him. GameSpy
's Will Tuttle wrote that it is "hard not to feel oddly honored to take part in some of the experiments that ranged across his entire career". He also wrote of Simmons that his voice "adeptly blend gravitas and silliness, and I found his segment to be just as great the second time I played through the game". GamePro
s Will Herring wrote that Valve should be "commended" for the introduction of the character. Official Xbox Magazine
s Jon Hicks described Cave as a "cigar-chewing, damn-the-expense-and-particularly-the-health-restrictions" type.
Computer and Video Games' Andy Robinson described Cave's personality as "loud" and that Simmons is "on form here". GameZone
's Ben PerLee described Cave as "the typical tycoon mastermind/crazy man, so stubborn in his ways, government and basic human rights be damned" and that "his suggested history with GLaDOS
provides an amazing focal point for the second entry". PC Gamer
s Dan Stapleton wrote that Cave's "comically sociopathic approach to science is second only to GLaDOS’". He also praised Simmons for his portrayal of Cave because of his "fittingly cantankerous voice". Giant Bomb
's Ryan Davis called Simmons' portrayal "terrific" and described Simmons as a "perennial tough-talker and boss-man-type". CNN
's Larry Frum praised Cave's "sarcastic, shoot-from-the-hip attitude" for its contribution to the game's dialogue. ABC News
' Lou Kesten wrote that Cave was a "memorable" character, and that Simmons helped in portraying what he thought was one of the three "most distinctive characters in video games" along with Wheatley
and GLaDOS. The Wall Street Journal
s Ryan Kuo wrote that Cave's "gruff proclamations are somewhat more grating than his synthetic counterparts" and that "for better or worse, it’s also impossible to un-see J.K. Simmons once you know it’s him speaking".
Portal 2
Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
. He is portrayed by American actor J. K. Simmons
J. K. Simmons
Jonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
and created in part by Portal 2s designer Erik Wolpaw
Erik Wolpaw
Erik Wolpaw is an American videogame writer. Erik along with Chet Faliszek were the two writers behind the now-defunct Old Man Murray video game commentary web site. As of 2011, he works for Valve Software in Seattle...
. To date he only appears in Portal 2. Cave serves as a guide to the player-character Chell
Chell (Portal)
Chell is the protagonist and player character of the Portal series. Chell first appears in Portal, where she is taking part in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center's test under supervision by GLaDOS. GLaDOS tries to kill her as Chell then tries to escape the Enrichment Center, attempting to kill...
as she explores an abandoned part of the Aperture Science facility, though all of his messages are pre-recorded from before the events of the Portal games.
Concept and creation
Cave Johnson was created by designer Erik WolpawErik Wolpaw
Erik Wolpaw is an American videogame writer. Erik along with Chet Faliszek were the two writers behind the now-defunct Old Man Murray video game commentary web site. As of 2011, he works for Valve Software in Seattle...
and is voiced by actor J.K. Simmons. His physical appearance is based on that of Portal 2 lead animator Bill Fletcher. He is described as an "eccentric dead billionaire" and "extroverted, enthusiastic and opinionated." He was the founder and CEO of Aperture Science. He was also a "shower curtain visionary." He was initially considered to be the main character of Portal 2, where players were in control of him as he was trapped inside of a computer. This idea was scrapped, however. They later envisioned Cave Johnson as the primary antagonist, but this was also scrapped. This idea was revealed as a result of leaked quotes from the character.
Johnson was envisioned since Portal as an "industrial, Southern guy" who would contrast the "anti-septic" and "politically correct" nature of Aperture Science. Though their idea of the character underwent several changes over the development, the selection of J.K. Simmons helped to solidify the character. Pictures of Cave Johnson appear throughout Portal 2, and though Valve used a casting call to try to find someone to use as a template, they turned back to their own lead animator, Bill Fletcher, for Cave's face. Though comparisons have been made between Cave and Andrew Ryan
Andrew Ryan (BioShock)
Andrew Ryan is a fictional character in the 2007 video game BioShock. The character has received significant praise from critics, and so has his voice actor, Armin Shimerman, whose voice talent was cited as one of the contributing factors to BioShock and won "Best use of sound" from IGN...
, the wealthy industrialist that created the fictional underwater city of Rapture
Rapture (BioShock)
Rapture is an underwater city that is the setting for the games BioShock and BioShock 2. The game's back-story describes the city as envisioned by business tycoon Andrew Ryan in the mid-1940s as a means to create a utopia for mankind's greatest thinkers to prosper in a laissez-faire environment...
in BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
, Wolpaw claims they had not considered this character in their creation of Cave.
Appearances
Cave Johnson's only appearance to date is in the 2011 video game Portal 2Portal 2
Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
. His actor, J.K. Simmons, spoke original lines for various trailers for Portal 2, including at the PAX East exposition in 2011. He does not appear as himself, but instead he is heard by the player-character Chell
Chell (Portal)
Chell is the protagonist and player character of the Portal series. Chell first appears in Portal, where she is taking part in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center's test under supervision by GLaDOS. GLaDOS tries to kill her as Chell then tries to escape the Enrichment Center, attempting to kill...
as she traverses abandoned parts of the Aperture Science facility in pre-recorded messages that explain the area as well as some of the backstory of Aperture. In these pre-recorded messages, he is sometimes accompanied by or makes reference to a woman named Caroline. As Chell progresses through this area and hears more and more messages, the messages appear to indicate a decline in Aperture as well as himself. He eventually contracts a deadly illness after grinding up moon rock
Moon rock
Moon rock describes rock that formed on the Earth's moon. The term is also loosely applied to other lunar materials collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon.The rocks collected from the Moon are measured by radiometric dating techniques...
s, which he turns into Conversion Gel, and begins discussing the prospect of putting a person's mind inside of a computer. He indicates that if the process isn't able to be done on him before he dies to put Caroline in charge, even forcibly if necessary. This leads us to find out Caroline is in fact the personality on which the GLaDOS
GLaDOS
GLaDOS, short for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is a fictional artificially intelligent computer system in Valve Software's Half-Life video game series and the main antagonist in the video games Portal and Portal 2. She was created by Erik Wolpaw and Kim Swift and is voiced by Ellen...
computer system controlling Aperture Science's testing course is based. While Johnson doesn't actually say Caroline was supposed to be put into a computer against her will, this might have been done as a result of confusion amongst his engineers about his final instructions, or because it was the best way for her to properly control the entire testing facility.
Reception
1UP.com1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Steve Watts compared Cave Johnson to the industrialist Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. A writer for Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
wrote that the "surprise star turn" was J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson. The editor described him as a "gruff and acid alpha male who set up Aperture, who performs with real brio and bite" and that while it would be hard to quote him, his lines were "perfectly pitched, and funny to the bone". PALGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...
's Adam Ghiggino wrote that the dialogue of Portal 2 was funny and cited Simmons as an example. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
's Tyler Wilde called Cave "bombastic" and praised Simmons for "perfectly" portraying him. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
's Will Tuttle wrote that it is "hard not to feel oddly honored to take part in some of the experiments that ranged across his entire career". He also wrote of Simmons that his voice "adeptly blend gravitas and silliness, and I found his segment to be just as great the second time I played through the game". GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
s Will Herring wrote that Valve should be "commended" for the introduction of the character. Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
s Jon Hicks described Cave as a "cigar-chewing, damn-the-expense-and-particularly-the-health-restrictions" type.
Computer and Video Games' Andy Robinson described Cave's personality as "loud" and that Simmons is "on form here". GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
's Ben PerLee described Cave as "the typical tycoon mastermind/crazy man, so stubborn in his ways, government and basic human rights be damned" and that "his suggested history with GLaDOS
GLaDOS
GLaDOS, short for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is a fictional artificially intelligent computer system in Valve Software's Half-Life video game series and the main antagonist in the video games Portal and Portal 2. She was created by Erik Wolpaw and Kim Swift and is voiced by Ellen...
provides an amazing focal point for the second entry". PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
s Dan Stapleton wrote that Cave's "comically sociopathic approach to science is second only to GLaDOS’". He also praised Simmons for his portrayal of Cave because of his "fittingly cantankerous voice". Giant Bomb
Giant Bomb
Giant Bomb is an American video game website and wiki that includes gaming news, reviews, commentary, and video, created by former GameSpot editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis in collaboration with Whiskey Media...
's Ryan Davis called Simmons' portrayal "terrific" and described Simmons as a "perennial tough-talker and boss-man-type". CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Larry Frum praised Cave's "sarcastic, shoot-from-the-hip attitude" for its contribution to the game's dialogue. ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
' Lou Kesten wrote that Cave was a "memorable" character, and that Simmons helped in portraying what he thought was one of the three "most distinctive characters in video games" along with Wheatley
Wheatley (Portal)
Wheatley is a fictional artificial character in the 2011 video game Portal 2. He is voiced by British comedian Stephen Merchant and created in part by Portal 2s designer Erik Wolpaw. To date, he only appears in Portal 2....
and GLaDOS. The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
s Ryan Kuo wrote that Cave's "gruff proclamations are somewhat more grating than his synthetic counterparts" and that "for better or worse, it’s also impossible to un-see J.K. Simmons once you know it’s him speaking".