Jack-085

"I am so much more than you, or any other Spartan could ever be..."

-To Jax-007 during the Battle of Minerva.

SPARTAN-085, also known as Jack-085, Magnus, The Traitor by fellow SPARTAN-II's and Reave by the Dark Ones, was a SPARTAN-II Commando of the Sigma Division, and a Modified Cybernetic Warrior, the first of the 'Meta Humans', as he described himself. Jack was the first Spartan to go rogue, joining the Insurrection and rising up the ranks soon after escaping from the UNSC Facility he was living in on Earth. Years later, after his supposed death at the Battle for the Hephaestus Array, Jack reappeared, after several incidents linking to him, in 2599, during the Battle of Minerva.

After dissapearing from the battle near it's conclusion, Jack built up a colossal army, and returned yet again in 2615, during the Second Battle of Reach, where he led his army of robotic 'drones' against the UNSC and Rebel forces on Memorial Fields. During the battle, Jack was badly injured by General Alfred Bates and SPARTAN Lysander-X050. Jack continued to lead the armies of the mysterious 'Dark Ones' during the Second Galactic War.

After a short, brutal campaign against his own species, Jack was finally put down in 2616, killed as he led a massive attack towards Earth by his childhood best friend, Marco-025, who finally ended his madness that had lasted almost a century.

Early Life and Training
Jack Evelyn MacArthur was born on Biko, in the city of Durban. He had a troubled childhood, with no known father and an abusive mother. Jack learned at a very early age how to try and take care of himself. He excelled in school, grasping knowledge that his peers could not understand at that young age. Jack was one of the preliminary SPARTAN-II candidates that were not chosen by Doctor Catherine Halsey to join the SPARTAN-II program. However, Doctor Calvin Roe, an ambitious ONI Operative, was given permission to begin his own SPARTAN Project, codenamed 'Sigma', which would mirror Halsey's work and create 'Personal Assassins' for high ranking ONI members.

Jack was abducted by ONI agents in 2517 at the age of six, and taken to the UNSC Washington Training facility on Earth along with 19 other children. Jack was not the most willing trainee initially, attempting to break out on their third day along with Marco-025, Nef-015, Elena-071 and Ahmad-126. The five were separated and put into different teams. After this incident, Jack stayed quiet and began to excel in his training. He was placed in a four-man team, and was second in command after Jacob-076. By 2525, Jack was shaping up as a possible team leader alongside Fenn-145 and Kane-099.

Eventually, Jack joined the other members of Sigma on the UNSC Hopeful, not long after Halsey's SPARTAN-II's had left the station, to undergo the augmentation procedures that would turn them into Spartans. It was during these augmentations that eight members of Sigma were 'killed'. In reality they had been preselected to be put into smaller teams for use by ONI, as the other twelve members were to be used in the war against the Covenant, which had only just begun. The other members of Sigma only became aware of this fact many years later, in 2552 during the Loss of Hope.

Betrayal
Several weeks after his augmentations, the other Spartans had recovered sufficiently, and were awaiting orders when Jack finally made his move to escape, the escape he had been planning all those years. He and Ahmad-126 killed several guards before being confronted by Marco-025. Jack gave Marco the opportunity to join them and be free men rather than serve the UNSC. Marco declined reluctantly, letting his former friends escape from the Facility.

Several weeks after, with the UNSC hot on their heels, Ahmad had a change of heart, deciding that to defend humanity, they needed to stay with the UNSC. When Ahmad attempted to contact the UNSC forces searching for them, Jack attacked him, and after a short fight, shot Ahmad in the head with a pistol, killing him instantly. Jack fled, vanishing from even the watchful eyes of ONI. Ahmad was presumed to have killed himself. Within a year, Jack had joined and was working his way up the ranks of the United Rebel Front.

Working for the URF
Jack proved an extremely valuable asset for the URF, reporting only to it's highest echelons of power and providing them with info on the SPARTAN Program. Some of this information was used by General Howard Graves in 2531 when he attempted unsuccessfully to trap the SPARTAN-II Blue Team.



After Graves' death, Jack began his own project, using his considerable power over the URF leaders to gain funds. Setting up in the Olmara System, in the Orbit of the planet Endrin. Jack's plan, was to create a superweapon, a large array of connected ships which could simultaneously fire their MAC guns in a coordinated path, which would destroy any UNSC or Covenant fleet in minutes. Many of the ships were turned essentially into floating guns, with several 'Control Ships'. It was dubbed the 'Hephaestus Array' by Jack, who was known by his subordinates as Colonel Jack, or his nickname, 'The Giant', due to his impressive height. No one in the URF knew of his Spartan training and history.

The Hephaestus Array
"Greetings. We wondered when you would arrive. We have been assembling this fleet for over twenty years, and with a little more time, it would be complete. I ask you simply to work with us, as my creation, which I have dubbed the 'Hephaestus Array' after the Greek God, may be the key to winning this war, is that not what you want? If not, you will be destroyed. Please, give me your response, if you do not want to work together, you will be destroyed."

- Jack's message to the approaching UNSC Fleet

During the late 2540's, Jack had discovered the locations of several armour testing locations used by the UNSC. Knowing that it would spell doom for him and the URF if they dared to make a direct assault, he planted several spies and recording devices, to monitor the cargo being transported to and from these bases. Eventually, in 2550, Jack's spy network informed him that ONI had arranged for the transport of a full suit of MJOLNIR Armour, along with various armour permutations.

The Armour in question was en-route to Earth, where it would be tested by the Spartans of Jack's old squad, Spartan Team Sigma.

When ONI learned of this, a Battle group was immediately dispatched to the planet Endrin, in the Olmara System. Along with the group came 5 members of Sigma Team: Jacob-076, Amy-133, Wulf-041, Nef-015 and Marco-025. The arrival did not worry Jack, as he saw it only as a plan to test out the Array, which had not been fully activated. As the UNSC Fleet neared the planet, the Array fired. Seven MAC rounds impacted the lead destroyer, the UNSC Livingston, destroying it instantly. It was after this that Jack relayed his message to the UNSC.

As expected, the fleet commander, Rear Admiral Kesson, refused the offer, leading an attack on the Array. Several ships were sent groundside to attack Insurrectionist outposts, while the majority of the Battle Group engaged the Array directly. A wave of over 40 Pelicans were sent in to attack directly, only a dozen surviving, containing SPARTAN-076, SPARTAN-025 and SPARTAN-041, made it to the Array along with several platoons of ODST's. Jack had remained at the bridge of his command ship the entire time, surveying the battle. From his point of view, it could have gone either way; the Array was largely immobile and under construction, despite having over two dozen MAC guns attached.

Eventually, however, the three SPARTAN-II's made it to the bridge of the Array, where Jack lay in wait for them. He had massacred most of the staff, and transferred gun control to individual ships in the Array. As the Spartans searched the room, Jack ambushed them, swiftly knocking back Wulf-041 in close quarters combat and gaining the higher ground as he ordered a veteran squad of insurrectionist soldiers to attack the Spartans. While Marco and Wulf fought them off, Jack engaged Jacob-076 in a hand-to-hand fight.

Angered that they were evenly matched (Jack had always prided himself in being the best in training), he knocked Jacob back long enough to fire a missile launcher at him. Though it was not a direct hit, Jacob was badly wounded. Jack fled, closely pursued by Marco and Wulf after Jacob had waved off their concerns over his health.

Jack, realising that he needed to get the Spartans away from the Array, fled to the hangar bay, taking a shortsword bomber down to the planet. Marco and Wulf took a pelican, intent on capturing or killing the rogue Spartan. As Jack entered the planet Endrin's atmosphere, a Covenant fleet arrived, immediately engaging both the UNSC and Insurrectionist fleets. Jacob, still at the Array Hub, directed all available MAC fire on the Covenant ships.

Avoiding the zones of conflict on Endrin, Jack was shot down while he attempted to land his shortsword on the planet. Marco and Wulf's Pelican landed shortly after. Jack's new MJOLNIR armour ensured his survival, and he was, as before, lying in wait as his former comrades arrived at the site. He attacked Wulf-041, knocking him out, before Marco engaged him.

The pair quickly discarded their weapons, fighting with all their strength on the mountainside where Jack had crashed. Both Spartans, having been together in training, knew each and every move that the other would make, though each had their own skills; Jack's cunning and Marco's brute strength, respectively.

After a long, intense fight, during which Jack had become more and more aggravated, finally having met his match, both fighters were worn out, their armour dented and smashed helmets discarded. Jack resorted to going for his weapon, grabbing a magnum pistol and attempting to shoot the comatose body of Wulf-041. Marco slammed into him, knocking him to the floor.

After a brief tussle, Jack was able to get the upper hand, pointing his pistol at his old friend. Before he could pull the trigger, however, something caught his eye. What remained of the Hephaestus Array, piloted by a dying Jacob-076, and Amy-133, who had attempted to reach him, had crashed into a Covenant Supercarrier, crippling it and several ships around it, causing it to fall toward's the surface of the planet. Dropping the pistol, Jack began to run towards the falling wreckage of the Array, what he saw as his life's work.

While Marco and Wulf recovered from the fight, Jack ran as fast as he could, across the mountainside where the remnants of both the Covenant ships and the Array had crashed. Disregarding his personal safety, he wandered through as more pieces fell from the sky. One such piece of flaming wreckage landed dangerously close to the Spartan, injuring him and gouging a deep hole in the mountainside.

As Jack got to his feet, looking around as the fire raged all around him, he wept, wandering aimlessly, stages of deep anger and regret passing through the ex-Spartan. Eventually, while atop a piece of what had been his Array, the metal gave way, causing him to fall into what he assumed was an old mineshaft, several hundred feet deep.

The hard landing nearly killed Jack, breaking most of his reinforced bones in the process. Pieces of metal began to rain down, one piece cutting through his MJOLNIR armour at the hip as the dark area around him lit up in flames, setting him on fire.

Jack-085 died at the bottom of the shaft, screaming and alone.

Revival
"You, creature, will become what you have always been destined to be. You will be our herald, our vanguard. You will know greater power than any of your kind, a God in walking form. You will serve in our pantheon as the voice of the Silence."

- Jack's awakened saviours, speaking to him telepathically as he was remade



Jack regained consciousness several days later, finding himself within a fluid-filled tank within a dimly lit chamber. What remained of his body was being slowly rebuilt within the tube, and after telepathically conversing with an unknown entity, he was remade to be stronger, faster, and much deadlier than he had previously been, even as a SPARTAN.

This process lasted several months, nearly two thirds of the former Spartan's body being replaced by advanced cybernetics and 'upgraded'. However, the mind of the Spartan was not altered in any way. Jack retained his thoughts and memories, as well as his hatred, which had intensified after his defeat and 'death'. After some length of time, he was allowed out into the chamber, which contained little more than a bed and bathroom, which had been constructed while he was being rebuilt.

When asking his unknown benefactors, Jack was informed that everything had been constructed according to his memories. Food was also provided in the form of a nutrient paste. Eventually, it was announced that Jack would be released on a mission, one that would last several decades before coming to fruition. Jack would act as a vanguard for their race as they awakened throughout the galaxy, serving as the living embodiment of a God within the 'Pantheon', serving under the 'Silence' Sect.

Though Jack did not fully understand the meaning behind these titles, he was glad to be put in a position of power, and to ultimately gain revenge. He was provided with a small ship, altered for human control, and sent out from the caverns beneath Endrin, ordered to cause as much chaos as possible, to weaken the UNSC by prolonging war until the time came. Loyal only to his new masters, Jack set course for Reach, using star maps provided to him. He knew that it would take a long time, decades even, to slowly undermine his foes and manipulate all those he could into fulfilling the wishes of the Silence, under whom he now served.

Jack was back.

Magnus
Over the next few years, Jack was a ghost. He did not participate actively within the final years of the Human-Covenant War, acting only as an observer. Had Humanity been destroyed, then his mission would have simply been to sow destruction among the Covenant in preparation for his masters. Even then, however, Jack never truly planned on bowing to those who had saved him. As ever, he merely bided his time until an opportunity arose.

After humanity's victory in the war, Jack immediately began acquiring a web of contacts throughout the galaxy. He approached Insurrectionists to begin with, targeting the fanatical and the weak-willed to serve him, while also establishing several contacts within the UNSC Military, generally with promises of power and fortune.

Jack was contacted by the group known as 'The Silence' on board his vessel often, mainly for status reports and inquiries into the galactic situation. He never returned to the planet of his rebirth, Endrin, though he was notified that his saviours had left the planet in preparation for the arrival of the rest of their race. Jack was intelligent enough to go around any questions he did not, or could not, answer, though he refused outright to challenge his 'masters'.

By 2555, Jack had gained contacts within the ruling class of Sanghelios, namely through Rol 'Ranak and Sur 'Ranak, both renowned warriors and brothers to Felo 'Ranak, a powerful Kaidon whose views on coexistence with humanity were opposed by many. Through the younger brothers, he established a link with several Insurrectionist and Sangheili groups eager to strike at Earth, the two factions essentially working under his orders to subvert the United Nations Space Command.

His crowning achievement in his years as Magnus would be a chance encounter with John Verensky, a brilliant young scientist working for ONI in 2556. Verensky became a protégé of sorts to Jack, both sharing the same ruthlessness and disregard for life. Allowing the young man to go unharmed after their first encounter, Jack had Verensky gain control of the experimental Project HAYABUSA after a few years, and use the group to go after key targets in the UNSC's Military Industrial Complex, all the while blaming the attacks on his rather convenient and disposable rebel contacts, who he would place at the scene either by force or trickery, to throw the authorities off the trail.



However, it was after a particularly large attack on the colony of Circumstance in late 2567, leaving over 300,000 dead, that Jack's plan began to unravel. Verensky, had become 'a simple mass murderer' in his eyes after this incident. Whereas Jack, who thoroughly enjoyed the slaughter and chaos, patiently planned every move, well aware of the consequences, Verensky had become drunk with power, using every resource at his disposal to kill as many people as possible.

In desperation, Jack began severing all ties to Verensky, making use of the Elite brothers, whom he had supplied for several false-flag attacks, to eliminate everyone working on the case. Not only were Verensky's men targeted, but SPARTAN Team Shrike, who had largely been responsible for dismantling his group from the outside, were engaged as well.

With time running out, Jack intervened himself, striking at Verensky's last safehouse alone, after making it's location public to his enemies. Jack arrived, and successfully destroyed all records concerning himself. Verensky himself was killed at the hands of a young Insurrectionist, whom even Jack had been unaware of throughout the incident. When she confronted the former SPARTAN-II, he killed her with a single blow, breaking her neck, and fleeing as Shrike Team stormed the building, butchering two of them in his escape.

For Jack, the failure of his plans was a mere setback. Talented though Verensky may have been, he, like all the others in Jack's life, was ultimately expendable, leading him to attempt a new approach. He had lost many of his Sangheili and Rebel contacts, but retained many within the UNSC itself. Picking one, Jack set out once more, his goals unchanged. Using his array of contacts, he arranged for Captain Roger Maxon to travel to the planet of Minerva, where he began another scheme, one that would last several decades and leave humanity fractured and devastated.

Civil War
"Verensky taught me that subterfuge didn't work. If I can't destroy the UNSC from within, then I'll simply have to put it up against a force powerful enough to battle it on equal footing"

- Jack's personal diary, December 2570

In April 2571, a battlegroup of three UNSC ships arrived at Minerva, a largely unpopulated planet in the outer colonies. The planet's governor, Drew Balker, was a corrupt, violent man who had been happily accepting luxuries delivered by Jack's contacts over the years, and after the Captain of one of the ships, Roger Maxon, witnessed a peaceful protest being brutally put down, he made use of his forces to overthrow the Minervan Government in a military coup, hundreds of soldiers joining him in doing so. While most UNSC soldiers would have resisted, Jack had ensured that over the years, many people with sympathies to the Insurrection had been placed among his crew, largely thanks to Verensky. After executing Balker and anyone who challenged his authority, he assumed control of the planet and began to build his forces.

This was a major success for Jack, who, after being gifted with an advanced computer virus by his benefactors, used it to wipe all data on Minerva from the UEG and UNSC's records. Though imperfect, the colony was largely forgotten about, with no ships being sent out. This added to Maxon's anger at the UNSC, who had apparently ignored the colony. Much to Jack's surprise, Maxon proved to be extremely resourceful, being able to recruit thousands to his cause from other outer colony worlds, accumulating his own fleet of ships and striking at a still-recovering UNSC. Jack largely worked behind the scenes, ensuring that the UNSC did not catch on to Maxon's growing forces for several years. Finally, in December 2571, the first major attack was launched on a UNSC-controlled colony, the newly-dubbed 'Legion' officially declaring war after a crushing victory.

Tannis Uprising
"From the single spark I ignited on Tannis came a great conflagration. It was the first of many colonies to rise. Without Tannis, I think, Maxon's Legion would have barely lasted a year"

- Jack commenting on his actions on Tannis, which served as a catalyst for further uprisings

Second Battle of Reach
"Is that really all you can do? I am the vanguard of a power much greater than any that you or your allies have encountered. There is no hope for you! Give up, it will only make your deaths quicker"

-A message transmitted to UNSC forces during the Second Battle of Reach, 2615.

Assault on Earth
"That's the difference between you and me, Marco. You detach yourself in battle, you do not care who you kill, why you are doing it or what purpose you are serving, you just do, and do so without emotion. That is what makes you a tool! I revel in the slaughter, the taking of life. We are Gods among lesser mortals, and should enjoy every last moment of carnage, watching our enemies drop like ragdolls, hearing their last breath, feeling their heart's final beat. we-"

-In a confrontation with Marco-025, who interrupted by firing at Jack.

Personality
"I think that even as kids, we were a little scared of him, of what he might have become..."

- Marco-025

Even as a child during SPARTAN training on Earth, Jack was much more aggressive than any of the other trainees, often severely injuring trainers when he could get the chance. His somewhat unnatural aggression likely stemmed from his abusive childhood before joining the program.

Like all SPARTAN candidates, he was genetically superior, having above-average intelligence and physical qualities, even at a young age. However, though this never truly manifested while in training, Jack enjoyed manipulating others and taking charge of situations, seemingly enjoying the trouble he could cause. He was, throughout his life, quite a compelling speaker, convincing others to obey him. The earliest example of this was with Ahmad-126, who escaped from the training facility with Jack shortly after their augmentations. As Magnus in the late 26th Century, he secretly manipulated many projects within The Legion and by 2599, was essentially in control of the entire organisation, even as it fell apart before the UNSC.



Another key aspect of his personality, something that was debated among his surviving teammates for years after, was his madness. Though Jack was always considered slightly unstable and very aggressive, he was able to work effectively in a team with Marco-025 and Elena-071, though he was seen as a terrible loser, stemming from an inferiority complex that enraged him when losing. An example of this would be while fighting Jacob-076 over Endrin, during which Jack became increasingly irate and angry. His immense anger against Spartans persevered for his entire life.

Even in later years after his reconstruction, Jack held little regard for life, human or otherwise. He was a remorseless sociopath, delighting in combat and killing. It was theorised by those who knew him that it was the extreme pain of his augmentations that finally pushed him over the edge into true madness. In the universe, he lived a lonely existence, only serving himself and his own interests. While he had no real plans for leadership or domination, his motives largely fell between self preservation and his desire for the destruction of those who had wronged him.

Skills and Abilities
In training, Jack was an able candidate, always vying for the top. He was very competitive and subsequently ended up as one of the emerging leaders in the Sigma Spartan group, along with Fenn-145 and Elena-071. He was particularly talented at stealth and infiltration, often setting up ambushes and traps in training exercises. It was not only his physical skills that served Jack in battle, his keen intellect and manipulative nature often giving him the upper hand. While loyal only to himself, Jack would often make temporary alliances for the sake of survival or his own gain, his charismatic nature allowing him to gain the trust of others in spite of his appearance.

After his escape in 2525, Jack's evasion skills were put to the test as he managed to elude UNSC forces looking for him, escaping Earth and managing to get to the Outer Colonies without detection. He was also adept at computer hacking, being able to cover his movements across the galaxy. Jack often preferred to avoid direct confrontation, being without the protective MJOLNIR armour that the other Spartans benefited from. He relied largely on speed, surprise and often, explosives, to deal with enemies while working for the URF.

After he was 'rebuilt' in 2550, Jack gained immense strength, his reaction time increased to levels that were impressive even for a Spartan. His new armour, forged for him by his saviours, was made of a lightweight material that, while lacking energy shields, was tougher than MJOLNIR armour plating, able to take a large amount of damage, ballistic or plasma. Jack's favoured weapons after this point were his twin M6D pistols, stolen from a UNSC armoury along with a variety of explosives and weaponry, largely the small arms that he specialised in.

Quotes
"You're a coward, Marco! A goddamn coward! After all they've done to us, you think that we should honestly be fighting for them?! We're leaving, and you can't stop us. Nobody can."

- To Marco-025 in 2525, during his escape from the SIGMA Facility on Earth.

"Can't say I'm surprised to be seeing you guys again. I've come too far to allow you to stop me at this point. Can't say it feels good to kill my brothers, but I suppose I'll get over it"

- Upon meeting Jacob-076, Marco-025 and Wulf-041 inside the Hephaestus Array

"I'm sorry my dear, but in the grand scheme of things, you are simply irrelevant. Goodbye"

- Jack, prior to killing John Verensky's assassin in 2568

"Let's see if we can grind the meat beneath the armour, shall we?"

- While encountering two SPARTAN-III's of Shrike Team

"It's fairly simple, General. You keep your mouth shut and follow my commands. If not, I will kill you, your family, and everyone close to you. Understand?"

- Threatening Cole Warrick, Military Director of Project HAYABUSA

"I'm simply an advanced form of life, superior in every possible way. You are as useful as I make you, and as disposable as I wish you to be. Clear?"

- To a questioning group of hired mercenaries, sent on a salvaging mission

"They force you to pay them exuberant taxes, to work for them, to die for them! For what? Are you not self-sufficient? This colony has, and will survive without the intervention of the totalitarian regime that gives nothing back! I urge you, fight for your freedom! Fight for your independence!"

- Inspiring the people of Tannis to rise up against the UNSC

"There is no 'Quid Pro Quo' with me. There is only 'Do as I say, or I snap your spine', Mister Durovin"

- Jack, teaching the leader of the Durovin Family his place

Literary References

 * Rebirth (Short Story)
 * First Impressions (Short Story)
 * Halo Fanon Survival of the Fittest Season 4 (Non Canon)
 * Halo: Shrike
 * Halo: Sigma (Upcoming)
 * ''Halo: The Howling Dark (Upcoming)