Character Spotlight: Marcus Fenix

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Character Spotlight: Marcus Fenix
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Name: Marcus Fenix

Game(s): Gears of War series

Archetype: Tank

Class: Warrior

Skills/Attributes:

Massive size.

Skilled in all manners of modern warfare.

Excellent soldier.

Talented leader.

Skill tactician.

Overview:

Marcus Fenix is, in many ways, the ideal soldier.  Recognized early on as both a skilled combatant and leader, he was given leadership roles in almost every position he found himself in.  Ever the perfect soldier, he lead many successful battles and skirmishes in the Pendulum Wars, all the way up until he deserted his post to try and save his father’s life.  Years of imprisonment afterwards did nothing to lessen his skills, or his soldiering.  Even through the loss of dear friends and family, Marcus perseveres through hardships, doing what he can to keep his team alive, and win the day.

Marcus is a big dude.  I mean, BIG.  He clearly belongs in the “Tank” archetype (especially with how much punishment he can take).  Though he has a penchant for causing destruction, he’s also a very calculating individual, placing priority on keeping his team alive through every engagement as best he can.  His ability to dish out damage, while still staying cognizant and protective of those around him, places him squarely in the Warrior class.  Let’s take a look at what makes this Gear unique.

Tactical Brute Force

Marcus is obviously a pretty strong guy, with a lot of weight to throw around.  Though probably capable of muscling through most tight spots, he still uses every force multiplier available to him.  Sniper rifles, long-distance grenade tosses, and even orbital death rays are all at Marcus’ disposal.  In close range combat, however, he really brings his weight to bear, utilizing the chainsaw on his Lancer, brutal executions, and even impaling his opponents with grenades.

I would look towards Western boxing and wrestling for inspiration for Marcus’ combat style.  Like a heavyweight tactician, Marcus picks his openings, sticks his shots, and makes every ounce of muscle count.  Similarly, in grappling with his opponents, he uses leverage and brute force to his advantage wherever he can.  Boxing and wrestling are a match made in heaven for this heavyweight.

The Ideal Soldier

Marcus spends his whole life in the military, living through horrors some of us can only dream of.  Soldiers’ lives are regimented, organized, and done according to code.  Though not for everyone, this style of living can really help someone keep on point, even outside of the military.  Applying a rigorous, set schedule to things can help you keep from “falling off the bus” when trying to enact change in your own life.

Just as an experiment, try drawing up your day in written form.  Look at what “needs” to be there, and what doesn’t.  Cut out those activities that don’t help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself.  Cut out the fat, but leave time for recreation (everyone needs a little R&R).  Lay out your schedule, and try to do everything at the same time, every day (including when you wake up, and when you go to bed).  If you can, stick with it for a month, and see how it goes.  It may be for you, and it may not be, but after a month you’ll be able to see what good habits may emerge from this experiment.

The Selfless Leader

Marcus has lost a lot of people near and dear to him in various wars that he has fought in.  Family, friends, and battle buddies have all died either right in front of him, or near enough to be the same.  He’s had to bear the weight of losing people under his command, as well as people completely outside of his control.  This takes a heavy toll on a person, and the Gears series doesn’t really downplay this at all.

These kinds of losses change a person fundamentally, and in Marcus, it manifests itself as a near fanatical desire to keep his teammates alive and well.  You may go to war fighting for an ideal, but when push comes to shove (literally), you’re fighting for the people you have beside you.  There’s a reason the military can churn out great leaders, and it’s this devotion to those around you.

This may sound as a bit of a shocker, but genuinely caring about the well-being of those around you and under your command can really endear you as a leader.  Of course, not everyone understands this.  We’ve all had that manager, or boss, or commander, who clearly doesn’t care about the personal well-being of the people they’re responsible for.   That phrasing, by the way, is important.  If you’re in any kind of supervisory or leadership position, you are responsible for the people you’re “in charge of.”  If something goes wrong, it’s on you, first.  If something goes right, it’s because the people you’re leading got the job done.

A good leader recognizes that, while they make the calls, it’s the team that gets things done.  Being a leader doesn’t mean being more important than the people you’re leading.  It means being responsible for them, and their well being.  Marcus understands this completely, and lives it every day.  Hopefully, you don’t have to go through the same kind of loss that he did to understand that.

That’s it for today.  Friday we’ll check back in with the Marcus Fenix Workout, where we’ll talk about getting big and dangerous.  Until then, live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace