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This article is about the character. For the model, see JACK (model).
This article, JACK, may require cleanup. Deploy Delta Team to East Barricade Academy and retrieve the data immediately!

"Oh you -- you clever little shit."
Baird, moments before JACK's sacrifice.

JACK was a hovering robot that accompanies Delta on all its missions, but he remains cloaked (i.e. invisible) during battle and appears only when needed. Recent upgrades to JACK's system include a slide-out monitor that allows Anya Stroud to communicate with Delta through video thanks to Dr. Polanski.[1] He has also had a stun gun added by Damon Baird.

Delta Squad's Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago effectively treat JACK as a member of the team, and one that they're better off with than without. They use it mainly for ripping doors open when they have to gain access, but can be used to communicate like mentioned above. A final use for JACK is the programing capacity to be able to hack computer terminals. JACK successfully hacks two computer terminals inside an old, abandoned warehouse laboratory in the company of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago who were in search of a way of reaching the Locust stronghold undetected and later hacks a Locust terminal in the heart of their capital city Nexus. He is also able to hack the terminals in Adam Fenix's secret lab.

During the Battle of Old Ephyra, JACK sacrificed himself to use the Hammer of Dawn to destroy the Kraken besieging the city.

History

Locust War

Evacuation of Ilima

In 9 A.E., JACK was assigned to Zeta-Six during the Evacuation of Ilima. He accompanied them to Ilima Savings and Trust, where Cpl. Michael Barrick asked him to open a vault door for them.[2] He later went with them to Ilima High School during their search for Dr. Gregory Wisen. While in the basement, Zeta came under attack by Wretches, and they defended JACK as he cut open a door so they could proceed forward. He later opened another door for them near Wisen's office, which allowed them to continue on to the school’s gym. As Zeta continued though the school, JACK used his flashlights to help guide them through the darkened hallways. When they reached the cafeteria, JACK cut open the door leading out of it while Zeta fought off a large group of Tickers.[3]

Lightmass Offensive

Throughout the Lightmass Offensive, JACK was consistently being used by Delta Squad. After four years of imprisonment, Marcus Fenix is freed from his holding area by JACK ordered by Dom. From that point on in the prison, JACK was used for clearance through doors. When reaching House of Sovereigns, Delta encountered many locked doors within the building, ordering JACK to 'rip' them open. Usually this process includes protecting JACK from enemies such as Drones and Wretches. Opening doors to the canals towards the Seeders and different key locations locked from the public. After retrieving Alpha Squad and the Sonic Resonator, they continue with their mission.

JACK was then taken in with the rest of the group to Old Ephyra where they would locate Franklin and the Junker to Lethia Imulsion Facility. JACK was still being used as a ripper of doors. He cut doors into alley ways and catwalks towards Franklin's Outpost. When reaching the outpost, Baird and Cole stayed behind while JACK went with Fenix and Santiago. As they progressed through Ephrya, they made it to an old house occupied by a Stranded man. It was already nightfall and Kryll were a threat, so Delta had JACK stay with the man and open a com link between the two so they may communicate as the man turned on the lights. As Delta left the house, JACK accompanied them to Chap's Gas Station. JACK then joined Delta as they got in the Junker and left to pick up Alpha and head to the Imulsion Facility.

When approaching the facility, JACK was tasked with ripping open the front door, but it was too thick. Once again, the four split up and JACK joins Delta again. As they moved through the facility with JACK, he was then tasked to open the doors to the Mining Carts, and open the tunnels to the lifts down into the Hollow. During the mission, Baird found a geobot and hacked into the mainframe which showed tunnel data. When planting and activating the resonator, that geobot showed more data. JACK then attached to the geobot and revealed the tunnel data, sending it back to Control. JACK wasn't used until he was tasked to retrieve more data from the source, the Fenix Estate.

JACK was later brought by Marcus Fenix to his childhood home to extract any data concerning the Hollow. While wandering in the basement winery, they found a steel locked door blocked by a loose wine cabinet. Obviously a job for JACK, he was tasked with ripping the door while Fenix and Santiago defended him from a wave of invading Locust. When JACK opened the door, it revealed the lab in which he hacked into the computer and displayed the entire Hollow map. The huge size of the Hollow was a shock to Delta and Command. JACK downloaded the data and barely made it to the APC out back, narrowly avoiding being killed by waves of Locust and a Brumak.

JACK made it safe to Timgad for the train holding the Lightmass Bomb. However, there is more for him to work on. He is tasked with the electrical problems across Timgad to repair and close the bridge. When crossing the bridge, Delta and JACK make the train. All that JACK is left to do is rip open doors. During this, Fenix and Santiago are tasked with defending JACK from Lambent Wretches and a Berserker. Finally, after General RAAM is defeated, Marcus has JACK give him the data showing the layout of the Hollow and puts it into the Lightmass Bomb. Using the information that was stored in JACK, the bomb inflicts heavy casualties on the Locust and all but obliterates the Kryll breeding grounds. This was a major win for the human forces on Sera.

Evacuation of North Gate

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During the Evacuation of North Gate, JACK accompanied Delta Squad who used him as a scout at one point. After Colonel Hoffman's APC was booby-trapped with a bomb, Marcus contacted Anya about having JACK disarm it, hesitant to risk JACK because there were so few bots left and he could be destroyed if the bomb detonated. After Anya left it up to Hoffman, Hoffman agreed and JACK was able to safely disarm the bomb on the APC.[4]

Operation: Hollow Storm

Raid on Jacinto Med

JACK took part in Operation: Hollow Storm. Before the operation started, JACK accompanied Marcus and Dom on a training mission with their new recruit, Benjamin Carmine, outside of Jacinto Med. When Carmine spotted a Wretch, JACK scanned the area for more.

Later inside the hospital, the bot helped Delta communicate with Anya during the medical center's defense from a Locust raid. He also assisted in opening a jammed door so Delta could defend the outside of the building. Once the fighting was over, Anya made contact through JACK's view screen and gave Dom the bad news about his wife.

Inside the Hollows
GOW-Jack-fixinggrindlift
"JACK, scan these bodies. Looks like there's some kind of markings."
—Marcus ordering JACK

JACK was with Delta as they regrouped with Carmine inside the Hollow. While the squad defended their position, JACK reactivated a broken down grindlift. Once it was repaired, it carved a way through the rock walls, allowing Delta to carry on with their mission. He also provided a link with the surface so Delta could communicate with Command. Later, after engaging Kantus for the first time, Marcus asked JACK to scan the bodies to identify the markings on them.

New Hope Research Facility
GOW2-jack-newhope

During the Mission to New Hope Research Facility, JACK helped Delta recon the building. When they came across a huge bolted door, JACK attempted to cut through it but it was too thick. Marcus then asked Baird to get a charge ready to blow it open. When they returned with the charge, JACK opens doors to allow them through. Later in the investigation, JACK hacks a computer terminal that revealed a backdoor into the Locust tunnels under Mount Kadar. From the data JACK gathered, Anya was able to direct Delta on their journey to Mount Kadar.

Rescuing Maria

After learning where his wife possibly was, Dom insisted on attacking a nearby Locust work camp to find her, accompanied by Marcus and JACK. After taking the area outside of the camp, Dom had JACK scan a Locust terminal and the bot located Maria on it. After clearing the camp and finding the area where Maria was supposed to be, Dom had JACK search the nearby cells for her while he and Marcus held off the Locust. JACK was able to locate Maria and cut her cell open, but Maria's state forced Dom to euthanize her.[5][6]

Infiltration of Nexus

Later on in the progression of the operation, Delta escorted JACK through Nexus. After battling their way to the center, JACK activated his homing beacon, allowing Grindlifts to begin their assault. After it was deployed, reinforcements came in including Cole and Baird.

When Delta found a Locust control center, Marcus had JACK hack into the computer terminals and JACK discovered a message from Adam Fenix detailing a way to destroy the Locust for good by sinking Jacinto. At Marcus' request, Jack sent the data back to Command who began developing a plan to sink Jacinto and flood the Hollow.

Lambent Pandemic

Waiting for Repair

JACK on Bairds desk.

A deactivated JACK on Baird's desk in his room on the CNV Sovereign.

Two years after the sinking of Jacinto, JACK was deactivated due to a lack of spare parts. Baird left him in his room in the CNV Sovereign next to the stairs outside Dominic Santiago's room, with a note next to it stating that JACK needs to be repaired, but Baird does not have the resources to do it. Augustus Cole later laments over JACK's state, causing Baird to reply that he is still busy with finding a new battery.[7]

Retaking Azura

Baid and Cole upset

JACK reactivated next to Baird and Cole.

"You gave Jack a stun gun."
"Yeah, he can do a lot more than just open doors now."
"Oh shit! Jack is back, baby!
"
—Anya, Baird and Cole, during the Battle of Azura

After deactivating the Maelstrom covering Azura, Marcus Fenix and Anya Stroud reunite with Baird and Cole, and Baird reveals that he has not only managed to fix JACK again but has also equipped him with the ability to perform in combat by providing JACK with a stun gun of sorts that helps to disorientate and stun Delta's enemies, making them easier to kill. From then on, JACK rejoins Delta Squad, and is pivotal in directing an elevator downwards towards Delta's position, thus helping them get close to Adam Fenix's position.[8]

Swarm Invasion

Search for Answers

By 42 A.E., Damon Baird had built a new utility robot from scratch, which he named after the original JACK. This model was one-of-a-kind and featured a range of new behaviors and capabilities with a modular construction that allowed new attachments and components to be installed on the fly.[9]

After Dave suffered a catastrophic failure due to damage sustained in the mission to Azura, Baird reluctantly gave the new JACK to Delta-One. Its first combat experience was the Evacuation of Settlement 2. Four months later, JACK accompanied Kait Diaz and Delmont Walker on their search for answers at both the New Hope Research Facility and the Mount Kadar Laboratory. At the former, JACK discovered coordinates in the security system pointing to the secret lab. Once there, Del had JACK download all of Niles Samson's genetic research and attempt to disconnect Kait after they were betrayed by the Niles AI. JACK helped the two fend off Niles' released test subjects and make their way through the facility. After they emerged the group was greeted by Marcus and Baird in a King Raven and Baird explained that he had tracked them through JACK.[9]

Sacrifice

"It's JACK! He... he's broadcasting beacon coordinates! And he's overriding my firing controls! Oh you -- you clever little shit."
Damon Baird as JACK prepares to sacrifice himself

During the Battle of Old Ephyra, when the Hammer of Dawn beacons are destroyed, JACK overrides Baird's firing controls, turns himself into a beacon and takes control of the Hammer of Dawn. Flying himself into the Kraken's mouth, JACK fires the Hammer of Dawn, sacrificing himself to destroy the Kraken. Baird is left noticeably saddened by JACK's destruction. JACK's sacrifice wins the battle and saves the COG capital of New Ephyra from certain destruction.[9]

Appearance Gallery

Behind the scenes

Crimson Omen
Gearspedia has 15 images related to JACK.
"Robot sidekicks are hard to design because so many have been done before. The player needs to get emotionally attached to this character though the course of the game. So giving him some ability to be expressive was key on our list of design requirements."
Gears of War: Destroyed Beauty
  • JACK was designed as the robot sidekick in mind but to be more unique since many have been done before. In concept arts, he would've had a bigger role in the game than the final design.[10]
  • In Gears of War 2, JACK was originally going to upload the discovered Collectibles and allowed the player to view them from his screen.[11][12]
  • In Gears of War 3, JACK's parts are seen in Damon Baird's quarters on his desk, on the CNV Sovereign, which is sunk by the Lambent Leviathan. Later, when Delta re-grouped on Azura, Baird revealed that he had got him running again and he joined them on their final mission on the island. How Baird recovered JACK is a mystery. JACK also did not accompany Baird, Cole and Clayton Carmine in Halvo Bay during Gears of War: Judgment's Aftermath campaign, suggesting Baird got him back somehow after that.
  • The name suggested by Augustus Cole for the JACK-model bot used by Kilo Squad in Halvo Bay was JACK. However, Baird rejected that name and instead dubbed him Troy.
  • JACK's ultimate fate was similar to that of Troy, another JACK-model bot used by Baird during the Destruction of Halvo Bay. Both were destroyed while acting as a targeting beacon for a weapon of mass destruction in an effort to defeat an overwhelming enemy, the Lightmass Missile for Troy and the Hammer of Dawn for JACK. Unlike Troy, JACK's actions were completely his own instead of being done under orders and he succeeded in destroying the intended target of the strike.
  • JACK is the only known bot to directly kill a being of his own volition. Though Troy helped kill hundreds of Locust as the beacon for the Lightmass Missile, JACK directly killed the Kraken by turning himself into a targeting beacon, taking control of the Hammer of Dawn and firing the Hammer while he was inside of the Kraken's maw.

Appearances

References

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