The Illusive Man
**The Illusive Man**
“Salvation comes at a price. Judge us not by our actions, but by what we seek to achieve.”
[cut]
Real Name:
Unknown
Place of Birth:
Unknown
Age:
Unknown
Field of Activity Before Cerberus:
Unknown
Current Residence:
Unknown
Race:
Human
The Illusive Man, a ghostly figure, secretive and possessing an extraordinary intelligence network, is the leader of Cerberus. He has short, silver-gray hair and "steel-blue" eyes that are likely artificial. The Illusive Man's real name and his life before Cerberus have been long forgotten. For many years, the Illusive Man has utilized Cerberus and its vast information network to achieve his goal - elevating humanity above all other races. He is described as a person who embodies the best and worst traits of human nature.
The Protheans
The Illusive Man was an ordinary citizen with a job and a family until extraterrestrial life was discovered. Soon after the Battle of Shanxi, an electronic message began circulating on the internet, calling for people to take their rightful place and prove their strength in the face of alien threats. Alliance intelligence could not determine the author of this message but labeled him the "Illusive Man" in press releases to quell the inflammatory rhetoric that was preparing people for a new war. This name stuck to him, and the Illusive Man subsequently founded Cerberus, a pro-human organization that broke away from the Alliance. He was responsible for the rift within the Alliance and established the Cord-Gislop Aerospace Corporation as a front for his group's shadow operations. He justifies his actions by saying that "if humanity wants to survive, sacrifices must be made for the greater good. The Alliance doesn't understand this. Cerberus does." In terms of appearance, the Illusive Man is dressed in a meticulously tailored futuristic-style suit, combined with the imposing demeanor of a charming billionaire; he also seems to possess unique eyes that burn with an unusual blue color. It remains unclear whether they grant him any additional abilities or are simply for aesthetic purposes.
The Illusive Man believes that the Terra Firma political party plays a crucial role in elevating humanity and even planned several assassinations to position the right man - Charles Saracino - at its helm. He believes that biotics are the future of the human race, and within his beliefs, he provoked explosions of ships belonging to Eldfell-Ashland Energy carrying Element Zero over human colonies to stimulate the birth rate of biotics. Somehow - likely through dubious means - the Illusive Man acquired one of these biotic children as an infant and transferred her to Paul Grayson, intending for him to raise her as his own daughter. A decade later, he infiltrated Cerberus operatives into the Ascension Project to benefit from the Alliance's most complex biotic research.
He is also interested in the Quarians and their Migrant Fleet. The Illusive Man distrusts the alien race that effectively operates the largest armada of starships in the galaxy. Nonetheless, he is also quite impressed by the Quarians' technological expertise, particularly in creating the Geth and their subsequent survival despite numerous hardships they faced. This curiosity led him to acquire the transmission codes of the Migrant Fleet for espionage purposes.
His long-term plans are entirely unknown, but it is known that he has numerous ventures serving a unified goal - to help humanity claim its rightful place. Currently, it appears that his primary focus is on the Reapers, whose existence has recently been uncovered; the Illusive Man recognizes the immense threat they pose to the human race. He has dedicated all his vast resources to stop them at any cost.
Mass Effect: Ascension
After the attack on the Citadel, the Illusive Man began to view the claim that it was carried out by a Geth armada with suspicion; he knew that no ordinary Geth attack could be that successful. He also understood that the truth about what happened would eventually reach him, but at that time he had other concerns. While he acknowledged Captain Shepard's role in creating a new place for humanity in the galaxy, the Illusive Man also knew that the suspicions and distrust of other races would soon close the political channels opened by Shepard, and he decided to work diligently to advance his business in the Ascension Project. He also ordered Paul to go to Omega to acquire the Migrant Fleet codes, but Paul betrayed him and attempted to sell Jillian Grayson to the Collectors.
When Paul Grayson reported to the Illusive Man, the leader of Cerberus gently admonished him for his dependence on red sand but agreed that the abducted Jillian needed to be rescued and sanctioned an attack directly on the Migrant Fleet, where she was being held. When the strike team, including Paul and the traitorous Quarian Golo, failed to establish communication for reporting, the Illusive Man presumed they were dead during the attack, as his information network did not extend to the Migrant Fleet. He was surprised when Paul later contacted him, even more astonished when Paul calmly announced that he was leaving Cerberus for good. He threatened to expose many of Cerberus's secrets and used this leverage to ensure that Kali Sanders would be left alone. The Illusive Man had to concede for the sake of Cerberus's other projects.
Mass Effect: Redemption
Eventually, the Illusive Man learned the truth about the Reapers and the immense threat they pose to the entire galaxy. He knew that the only hope of the galaxy was Captain Shepard. If the Hero of the Galaxy fell, then all of humanity would perish along with him. Thus, he took all necessary measures to ensure that Cerberus did not lose Shepard.
Unfortunately, the SSV Normandy was attacked by an unknown ship, and Shepard was presumed dead in action. Captain's body was found by agents of the Shadow Broker, who intended to sell it to the Collectors. Therefore, the Illusive Man allied with Liara T'Soni, an alien companion of Shepard, to find the body before the deal was completed and learn the Collectors' intentions regarding the matter. He paired her with the drell Feron, an agent whom Cerberus had attempted to recruit multiple times before he fled upon learning of the Shadow Broker's dealings with the Collectors. When they failed to prevent the escape of the Shadow Broker's best agent, Tazzika, with Shepard’s body from Omega, the Illusive Man ordered Miranda Lawson to take matters into her own hands while waiting for Feron to learn what the Collectors wanted from Shepard’s body. Ultimately, Liara and Feron managed to recover Shepard's body, although the drell was captured and became a prisoner of the Shadow Broker.
Mass Effect 2
After the Collector's destruction of the SSV Normandy, the Illusive Man used his connections and influence to acquire the severely damaged body of Captain Shepard. For two years, the Illusive Man devoted a significant amount of Cerberus resources to the Lazarus Project, led by Miranda Lawson, entirely dedicated to resurrecting Shepard. However, he rejected Miranda's proposal to implant a control chip in the Captain's brain, fearing it could affect Shepard's personality.
When Shepard finally awakens and comes to after two years, the Illusive Man explains during their first meeting that the fate of the galaxy, but especially humanity, is as grim as Shepard's death; the Council still denies the very existence of the Reapers and completely ignores the extraordinary events among human colonies in the Terminus Systems, where entire settlements are disappearing without a trace. The Illusive Man believes that the disappearances of humans are somehow related to the Reapers, but due to overwhelming indifference and political red tape characteristic of the Alliance and the Council, only Cerberus can provide Shepard with the necessary resources to confront both the disappearances and the Reapers. Shepard agrees to a temporary alliance with Cerberus, and the Illusive Man provides Shepard with the ship Normandy SR-2, fully crewed, including Cerberus operatives Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor, along with former members of the SSV Normandy crew, Joker and Dr. Chakwas, ready to work with Shepard.
After Shepard and his new team investigate the incident at the Freedom's Progress, the last site of human abductions, they obtain evidence that the Collectors were behind it, abducting entire human colonies for unknown reasons. The Illusive Man notes that even he has limited information about this race, and further investigation of the Collectors' activities will require a team of combat and scientific specialists gathered from across the galaxy. He then provides Shepard with a dossier of those the Captain must recruit for his team.
Not wanting to wait for another human colony to be attacked, the Illusive Man used the acquired information about the Alliance deploying defensive turrets in the Horizon colony run by a former member of Shepard's squad. Shepard's timely arrival prevented the Collectors from abducting the entire colony. This confirmed the Illusive Man's suspicions that the Collectors were particularly focused on exterminating Shepard.
Ultimately, the Illusive Man directs Shepard to the Collector ship that destroyed the original Normandy, supposedly disabled by a turian patrol. The Illusive Man intentionally allowed Shepard to fall into a trap to deceive the Collectors, leading them to believe they were in control of the situation, with the aim of retrieving information from their ship about how to get through the Omega 4 Relay; Shepard was not pleased with the direct betrayal, but the Illusive Man told him that he believed the Captain could handle any danger he might encounter there. After obtaining information about the need for a Reaper recognition system to safely navigate through the relay, the Illusive Man directs Shepard to investigate a derelict Reaper - damaged by ancient mass effect weapons - after Cerberus's research team aboard it was deemed missing.
Towards the end of the suicide mission at the Collector Base, instead of having Shepard set the explosives and blow the base up, the Illusive Man proposes using a radiation pulse to kill all living Collectors and leave the base intact for the purpose of utilizing its technology against the Reapers. If Shepard destroys the base, the Illusive Man becomes enraged at the Captain's heroism, stating that he knew that Shepard would "choke on that hard choice." He also claims that the technology could elevate humanity's standing above everything else, and of course Cerberus is humanity. Shepard counters him, as he did not expect understanding of his choice, and leaves Cerberus. The Illusive Man attempts to reason with the Captain, citing that it is because of him that Shepard is still alive. Shepard can either brutally disconnect the call or promise to win the war against the Reapers without sacrificing humanity. In another scenario, if Shepard accepts the Illusive Man's proposal and only destroys the Collectors, he considers it a splendid opportunity to elevate humanity's standing. Shepard can either warn the Illusive Man that the technology obtained from the Collectors should only be used to combat the Reapers or agree with his notion of elevating humanity through the use of that technology. At the end of the meeting, the Illusive Man smiles contentedly, looking at the hologram of his newly acquired prize: the Collector Base.
Mass Effect: Retribution
Some time after the battle with the Collectors, the Illusive Man is searching for new ways to understand the Reapers in order to counter them. He needed a test subject for experiments with the recently acquired Reaper technologies. The chosen candidate was Paul Grayson, captured by Kai Leng, a former N7 infantryman. The Illusive Man subjected his former operative to the implantation of Reaper technologies and intended to eliminate him when he went out of control. But before he could destroy Grayson, the Turians launched a mass strike against exposed Cerberus installations, assets, and agents both within the Council and in the Terminus Systems, including the station where this experiment was being conducted. The Illusive Man was forced to flee while Grayson's mind was completely taken over by the Reapers (just as Saren Arterius had been before), sending him to unleash their wrath. Seeing that Grayson had become a liability, the Illusive Man sent Kai Leng to finish the job. Leng ultimately managed to complete his task, ending Grayson's life at the John Grissom Academy. Leng was forced to rush into hiding to avoid capture and left Grayson's body in Alliance hands. This did not trouble the Illusive Man, as he knew that someone like David Anderson was as worried about the impending Reaper invasion as he was. Additionally, not wanting to allow a war with Omega's Pirate Queen, Aria T'Loak, the Illusive Man exploited her suspicions regarding Grayson's involvement in the murder of her daughter to secure an alliance with her.
Facts:
• The appearance and voice of The Illusive Man were provided by the famous American actor ***Martin Sheen.***
• “The Illusive Man” (Illusive Man) may refer to The Upright Man (Honest Man) and his successor The Virtuous Man from ***Midkemia*** Raymond Feist. They also ran organized crime syndicates. He is also compared to ***G-Man*** from the Half-Life series, in appearance and role (both play the part of a patron and employer, both watch over the player during their actions, and pull the strings to control the outcomes of specific events). He also bears a resemblance to ***The Smoking Man*** from the television series The X-Files or various members of Section 31 from Star Trek.
• He is sometimes mistakenly referred to as The Elusive Man; however, “illusive” refers to something transient, unreal, or deceptive (such as an illusion).
• It is no surprise that The Illusive Man bears a strong visual resemblance to his voice actor Martin Sheen (as do some other characters in the game closely resemble the people who voiced them).
• Many characters outside of Cerberus claim they do not trust The Illusive Man; amusingly, Martin Sheen who voiced him states in the Mass Effect 2 documentary DVD that he himself does not trust The Illusive Man.
• The Shadow Broker has some files on The Illusive Man that can be accessed aboard his ship.
The Shadow Broker's Files:
Profile of The Illusive Man:
Today's Activities:
Cigarettes smoked today: 4
Alcohol consumed today: 7
Daily score in skyball: 160/0 (fifth magnificent game in a row)
Suit worn today:
- "Giuli and Vorn"
- Lightweight linen fabric, 2200 thread count
- Closes with a single button, breast pocket, five internal pockets, cuffs with four buttons
- Built-in protection against light firearms
- Dark purple color
Sexual Encounters (in the past week):
- Sani Sheldani, titled "sexiest person on Illium"
- Brooke Carriger, skyball champion
- Vela Viches, titled "Dream Girl - 2185" in Hot Cluster
- Stacy and Steffi Strong, "The Terra Firma Twins"
- Matriarch Trelani (twice)
Messages sent today to:
- The Citadel
- Illium
- Omega
- Earth
- Horizon
- Eden Prime
- Tethys
- Palaven
- Tuchanka
- Migrant Fleet