We are dealing with the backstory of the Overwatch heroes. What is in the past of Reaper, Soldier: 76 and Mercy?
As promised, we now dedicate ourselves to the backstory of the 21 different heroes of Overwatch. We begin with 3 members of the original team: Reaper, Soldier: 76 and Mercy.
Those who have not yet engaged with the lore of Overwatch should first check our article on the general story of Overwatch to better understand the following sections.
Reaper – Gabriel Reyes
Gabriel Reyes was an officer in the American military and originally from Los Angeles. He joined the “Soldier Enhancement Program” early on and became a good friend of Jack Morrison. When the Omnic Crisis began, he went to Overwatch with Morrison.
Reyes was mainly responsible for military operations and had command during the operations. He led the covert missions and trained several agents, such as McCree. However, Reyes became jealous – while Morrison received much attention and recognition for leading Overwatch, Reyes received little acknowledgment for his achievements.
After the defense against the Omnic Crisis, Reyes led “Blackwatch”, a secret sub-organization of Overwatch that operated without the limitations of governments and was not bound by any rules to achieve its goals. During the major explosion at Overwatch’s Swiss headquarters, it was reported that Reyes died – but his life was likely saved by Mercy. Since then, he has “suffered” from a genetic mutation, his cells die and regenerate at an abnormal rate, making him appear almost immortal.
Today, not much of Reyes remains. His existence has been forgotten, and hardly anyone knows that he is behind the mask of the terrorist “Reaper”. Reaper constantly changes his employers and seems to have no loyalty beyond his missions. But what his goals are, only he knows: revenge on Overwatch, whose agents he relentlessly hunts today.
Soldier: 76 – John “Jack” Morrison
John “Jack” Morrison was not only a key member of the original Overwatch unit but also served as its leader. In this position, he enjoyed great respect from numerous politicians, the global public, and the media. Just like Gabriel Reyes, he was part of the “Soldier Enhancement Program” at a young age, making him an excellent fighter whose endurance, skill, and speed remain unmatched by most humans and Omics.
After the end of the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch fell into disrepute, and Morrison was busy trying to save Overwatch from decline. He failed to do so when the Swiss headquarters exploded, and he allegedly found his death – which was probably just a rumor.
Today, Soldier: 76 is considered the most wanted man in the world. He has broken into numerous facilities, exposed dubious companies for corruption, and stolen equipment from decommissioned Overwatch warehouses. He pursues his own agenda, as he wants to bring the true reasons behind Overwatch’s downfall to light and, above all, bring the masterminds behind the incident to justice.
Mercy – Dr. Angela Ziegler
Dr. Angela Ziegler was employed for a long time as the head of surgery at a Swiss hospital, until she made a breakthrough in nanobiology, enabling her to heal numerous diseases that were previously fatal. This breakthrough led to her being recruited by Overwatch. However, her work at Overwatch did not go as she had planned: Ziegler lost her parents in the war and could not align with Overwatch’s militaristic principles, preferring to continue her healing work and take over as head of the medical research department.
The result of this research was her Valkyrie suit, which allowed her to effectively heal the wounded and sick even in critical situations. One of her greatest acts was saving Genji, who was nearly killed by his brother Hanzo.
Today, after the dissolution of Overwatch, one can find Angela Ziegler, often referred to as “Mercy” by those she has saved, in the crisis regions of this world, where she provides humanitarian aid to war victims and refugees and advocates for the protection of the innocent.
In the coming days, we will be dealing with the backstory of the remaining characters of Overwatch.
For more news and articles about Blizzard’s hero shooter, you can find them on our Overwatch game page.
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