JC Denton
Encyclopedia
JC Denton is the player character
and protagonist
of the first-person
role-playing computer game Deus Ex
. He is voiced by Jay Anthony Franke
in both Deus Ex and its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War
.
What the letters "JC" stand for is never revealed in either game. According to Harvey Smith, an idea was considered during development that the character would be a descendant of Jesus Christ
. Warren Spector stated in an interview that the player was originally to be able to choose the gender of the character, with the ambiguity of J.C. being a "nice, unisex name" to flow with Denton. Although the feature was not implemented, the name was left unchanged.
version of the game, and in Deus Ex: Invisible War
. The other appearances are ginger hair, brown skin, black skin and albinism
.
JC has solid, bright blue eyes as a result of nano-augmentation to enhance his night-vision, which he obscures by wearing sunglasses. In the PC version his hair and skin color can be chosen by the player at the start of the game from a pre-generated set; changes made to JC's appearance affect those of his brother Paul as well.
, a datacube reveals JC's date of inception as March 17, 2054, with an "assigned birth date" of March 17, 2029. Since Deus Ex takes place in 2052 this would mean JC is biologically 23 years old (this is supported by the fact that the artificial intelligence Morpheus mentions JC is 23), and his growth was accelerated to his biological age. This would be assuming that the inception date was incorrect. This leaves no room for most of his original backstory, unless the acceleration was somehow irregular or his memories are in fact false (which raises serious questions about his relationship with Paul). Another datacube contains an email about "creating genetically viable candidates for nano-augmentation through cloning", speculating that "in the future, this process could be streamlined through the application of accelerated growth and memory implantation", which lends some credence to this theory.
This leaves open the possibilities that JC and/or Paul are the result of such a process (and that all references to their past and their parents are forged) or that the datacube with JC's age (and the appearance of fully-grown clones in tubes) is simply an inconsistency introduced by development of the game. Given the complexity of the plot of Deus Ex and its numerous twists, neither can be discounted.
of his older brother Paul Denton (thus, he is referred to as the "Secondary Unit" by Bob Page and Walton Simons and why Morpheus makes no mention of Paul as a relative) and a prototype created by shadowy organization Majestic 12 to test their nano
-augmentation
program. As a result of screening, Paul was found to have the right combination of biological and genetic factors to make him a good candidate for the nano-augmentation program. To create more compatible test subjects, Majestic 12 produced clones of Paul, but most failed to accept the augmentations. His parents, however, were infertile after Paul's birth. They approached MJ12 looking for a method to have a new baby. MJ12 offered one, in the form of the implantation of an embryo. This procedure produced a clone of Paul, which would later become JC Denton. Paul and JC are, thus, identical twins born eleven years apart. However, later on in the game, it is shown that a third clone (revealed to be Alex Denton, the player in the sequel) was being constructed in a tank filled with liquid and wires going into its body. This is presumably either the growth acceleration procedure carried out by MJ12 or the nano-tech augmentation embedding for the subject.
Later, as Paul reached adolescence, he became more independent and MJ12 decided to have him and his parents killed, while JC was sent to a Swiss
school where he could be more closely supervised. Paul escaped this attack, and JC grew up unaware of his early childhood with Majestic 12. After graduation, JC joined UNATCO
, United Nations
Anti-Terrorist Coalition.
After settling the conflicts between the Triads in Hong Kong and destroying the Universal Constructor in the VersaLife facility, JC is dispatched by Tong to New York, where he scuttles the superfreighter carrying the Gray Death virus. The previous owner of the ship, Stanton Dowd, instructs JC to track down his Illuminati associate Morgan Everett in Paris, who in turn sends JC to Vandenberg Air Force Base
where a group of ex-Majestic 12 scientists were working on a cure for the virus with their own Universal Constructor. After the UC is brought online, the rogue artificial intelligence
Daedalus and the MJ12 construct Icarus merge to create a new entity, Helios. JC finishes the UC by uploading the final software component from the computer system of an undersea Majestic 12 base. After diverting a MJ12 missile launch against Vandenberg, JC goes on to Area 51
, where Helios, Tong and Everett give him his options for changing the world using the advanced technology in the base. The player can choose to merge with Helios and give the AI's almost limitless power the advantage of human compassion, overload the antimatter reactors and destroy Area 51, crippling the world's communications systems (and destroying Helios); or kill Bob Page but preserve the equipment in the base, giving the Illuminati the power to rule the world in secret.
JC Denton becomes central to the plot of Deus Ex: Invisible War despite only making an appearance towards the end of the game. Invisible War takes place twenty years after JC's actions at Area 51. Rather than choosing between the three possible outcomes of the first game, the plot of Invisible War works on the assumption that a combination of all three events actually occurred. JC merged with Helios with the goal of creating the world's first true benevolent dictator, which destroyed Area 51, plunging the world into a minor Dark Age and killing Bob Page in the process. Unfortunately, defects in JC's nanite architecture resulted in an imperfect merge. JC would be forced into stasis to wait for a cure, lest he die from the merge.
JC's goal was to bring about the world's first "post-human civilization". By giving all humans the mental and physical advantages of biomodification, JC hoped to eliminate the stratification of humanity encouraged by the Illuminati. Additionally, biomodification would allow all human minds to communicate with the Helios A.I., which has the processing power to gauge the desires of each individual human. It would instantly respond to these desires, and thus bring about an "instantaneous democracy". JC intended for Helios to communicate, not to assimilate, unlike the Omar cyborg collective. However, because Helios would know each and every human thought, many of JC's enemies (such as the Illuminati and Templars) feared the "Great Advance" would bring about universal slavery rather than universal democracy (the Illuminati believe that perfect slavery and perfect democracy are exactly the same thing). Also, many feared the complete loss of privacy the "Great Advance" would bring about.
The merge with Helios gave JC total control over nanotechnology, transforming him into a walking universal constructor
. He receives the power to control the weather, to alter matter on an atomic level, and to shape objects and buildings from the material he walks on.
In the finale of Invisible War, JC behaves the same as every other human in combat, should the player choose to oppose him. He is tougher than any other character in the game, making him harder to kill.
If Alex decides to follow JC, the closing cinematic of the game shows all of humanity uplinking with Helios, who instructs them to break down the boundaries between themselves.
If Alex kills JC, and sides with either the Templar or the Omar, the Helios A.I. right before destruction revives JC. In one final attempt to prevent what JC and Helios perceive as the end of the world, JC will engage Alex and say "You want to plunge the world into chaos? Come and take it from me".
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
and protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the first-person
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
role-playing computer game Deus Ex
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
. He is voiced by Jay Anthony Franke
Jay Anthony Franke
Jay Anthony Franke is an actor and voice actor, best known for voicing JC Denton and Paul Denton from the video game Deus Ex...
in both Deus Ex and its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive. Released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox video game console on December 2, 2003, the game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex...
.
What the letters "JC" stand for is never revealed in either game. According to Harvey Smith, an idea was considered during development that the character would be a descendant of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Warren Spector stated in an interview that the player was originally to be able to choose the gender of the character, with the ambiguity of J.C. being a "nice, unisex name" to flow with Denton. Although the feature was not implemented, the name was left unchanged.
Appearance
While there are several choices of appearance for JC, the image at the top of this page is considered the canonical version, as it is also used in the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version of the game, and in Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive. Released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox video game console on December 2, 2003, the game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex...
. The other appearances are ginger hair, brown skin, black skin and albinism
Albinism
Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin...
.
JC has solid, bright blue eyes as a result of nano-augmentation to enhance his night-vision, which he obscures by wearing sunglasses. In the PC version his hair and skin color can be chosen by the player at the start of the game from a pre-generated set; changes made to JC's appearance affect those of his brother Paul as well.
Origins
JC's origins are muddled in the game. In Area 51Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
, a datacube reveals JC's date of inception as March 17, 2054, with an "assigned birth date" of March 17, 2029. Since Deus Ex takes place in 2052 this would mean JC is biologically 23 years old (this is supported by the fact that the artificial intelligence Morpheus mentions JC is 23), and his growth was accelerated to his biological age. This would be assuming that the inception date was incorrect. This leaves no room for most of his original backstory, unless the acceleration was somehow irregular or his memories are in fact false (which raises serious questions about his relationship with Paul). Another datacube contains an email about "creating genetically viable candidates for nano-augmentation through cloning", speculating that "in the future, this process could be streamlined through the application of accelerated growth and memory implantation", which lends some credence to this theory.
This leaves open the possibilities that JC and/or Paul are the result of such a process (and that all references to their past and their parents are forged) or that the datacube with JC's age (and the appearance of fully-grown clones in tubes) is simply an inconsistency introduced by development of the game. Given the complexity of the plot of Deus Ex and its numerous twists, neither can be discounted.
Character
JC Denton is revealed to be sharp, intelligent and perceptive, yet cold, stolid and a bit of a loner. This is in contrast to his brother, who is passionate and empathic. In an early conversation with his brother, he states that he is "used to being on [his] own" after Paul fondly remembers his UNATCO initiation ceremony. Paul then wryly remarks that "one can be TOO self-sufficient". However, JC is also highly idealistic and believes his work in UNATCO to be heroic and for the greater good. JC's personality is, however, largely down to the player, as the game gives the ability to carry out whatever action he desires, whether it be morally reprehensible or admirable, or anywhere in between.Biography
-
- - Morpheus
Prior to Deus Ex
JC is a cloneCloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of his older brother Paul Denton (thus, he is referred to as the "Secondary Unit" by Bob Page and Walton Simons and why Morpheus makes no mention of Paul as a relative) and a prototype created by shadowy organization Majestic 12 to test their nano
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
-augmentation
Human enhancement
Human enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means...
program. As a result of screening, Paul was found to have the right combination of biological and genetic factors to make him a good candidate for the nano-augmentation program. To create more compatible test subjects, Majestic 12 produced clones of Paul, but most failed to accept the augmentations. His parents, however, were infertile after Paul's birth. They approached MJ12 looking for a method to have a new baby. MJ12 offered one, in the form of the implantation of an embryo. This procedure produced a clone of Paul, which would later become JC Denton. Paul and JC are, thus, identical twins born eleven years apart. However, later on in the game, it is shown that a third clone (revealed to be Alex Denton, the player in the sequel) was being constructed in a tank filled with liquid and wires going into its body. This is presumably either the growth acceleration procedure carried out by MJ12 or the nano-tech augmentation embedding for the subject.
Later, as Paul reached adolescence, he became more independent and MJ12 decided to have him and his parents killed, while JC was sent to a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
school where he could be more closely supervised. Paul escaped this attack, and JC grew up unaware of his early childhood with Majestic 12. After graduation, JC joined UNATCO
UNATCO
This is a list of fictional organizations within the world of the futuristic cyberpunk computer game Deus Ex.- National Secessionist Forces :...
, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Anti-Terrorist Coalition.
Events of Deus Ex (2052)
JC's first assignment after joining UNATCO is to track down the barrels of the plague vaccine Ambrosia stolen by the NSF. On his way to the final barrel, he discovers that Paul had been working with the NSF. The player is then given the choice whether to assassinate the NSF leader Juan Lebedev, leave it to Anna Navarre, or kill Navarre and save Lebedev. Whatever his decision, JC ultimately chooses to side with the NSF, and transmits a warning signal to Paul's allies. (Whether Paul survives the repercussions of his and JC's betrayal is up to the player, however given his appearance in Invisible War, it can be said that canonically Paul survives.) JC's "killswitch" is then activated and he is imprisoned by Majestic 12, but quickly escapes with Jock to Hong Kong where his killswitch is deactivated by Tracer Tong.After settling the conflicts between the Triads in Hong Kong and destroying the Universal Constructor in the VersaLife facility, JC is dispatched by Tong to New York, where he scuttles the superfreighter carrying the Gray Death virus. The previous owner of the ship, Stanton Dowd, instructs JC to track down his Illuminati associate Morgan Everett in Paris, who in turn sends JC to Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
where a group of ex-Majestic 12 scientists were working on a cure for the virus with their own Universal Constructor. After the UC is brought online, the rogue artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
Daedalus and the MJ12 construct Icarus merge to create a new entity, Helios. JC finishes the UC by uploading the final software component from the computer system of an undersea Majestic 12 base. After diverting a MJ12 missile launch against Vandenberg, JC goes on to Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
, where Helios, Tong and Everett give him his options for changing the world using the advanced technology in the base. The player can choose to merge with Helios and give the AI's almost limitless power the advantage of human compassion, overload the antimatter reactors and destroy Area 51, crippling the world's communications systems (and destroying Helios); or kill Bob Page but preserve the equipment in the base, giving the Illuminati the power to rule the world in secret.
Events of Deus Ex: Invisible War (2072)
JC's goal was to bring about the world's first "post-human civilization". By giving all humans the mental and physical advantages of biomodification, JC hoped to eliminate the stratification of humanity encouraged by the Illuminati. Additionally, biomodification would allow all human minds to communicate with the Helios A.I., which has the processing power to gauge the desires of each individual human. It would instantly respond to these desires, and thus bring about an "instantaneous democracy". JC intended for Helios to communicate, not to assimilate, unlike the Omar cyborg collective. However, because Helios would know each and every human thought, many of JC's enemies (such as the Illuminati and Templars) feared the "Great Advance" would bring about universal slavery rather than universal democracy (the Illuminati believe that perfect slavery and perfect democracy are exactly the same thing). Also, many feared the complete loss of privacy the "Great Advance" would bring about.
The merge with Helios gave JC total control over nanotechnology, transforming him into a walking universal constructor
Universal constructor
A universal constructor may refer to*Universal assembler, a hypothesized nanotechnology device for building a large class of nanomachines including itself, or...
. He receives the power to control the weather, to alter matter on an atomic level, and to shape objects and buildings from the material he walks on.
In the finale of Invisible War, JC behaves the same as every other human in combat, should the player choose to oppose him. He is tougher than any other character in the game, making him harder to kill.
If Alex decides to follow JC, the closing cinematic of the game shows all of humanity uplinking with Helios, who instructs them to break down the boundaries between themselves.
If Alex kills JC, and sides with either the Templar or the Omar, the Helios A.I. right before destruction revives JC. In one final attempt to prevent what JC and Helios perceive as the end of the world, JC will engage Alex and say "You want to plunge the world into chaos? Come and take it from me".
Other appearances
JC Denton appears as a CPU-controlled opponent in the mobile game Lara Croft's Poker Party, along with several other characters from games published by SCi/Eidos.External links
- Deus Ex "Continuity Bible" - Developer approved article with information on JC Denton
- "Deus Ex Timeline".
- Deus Ex Script: http://db.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/deus_ex_script.txt (Please refer to this link manually due to an anti-leech system).
- Jay Franke Interview on being the voice of JC Denton http://www.gamearena.com.au/videos/latest.php/bigpond-gamearena-industry-insider-jay-franke-interview