John Mercer

John Mercer is the main antagonist of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, along with his assistant Colonel Angela Harding.
Mercer is a leader of the Resources Development Administration, being the Executive Vice President of Frontier Operations in the Western Frontier, with orders to gather materials and resources for RDA projects across Pandora for the Colonization of the Western Frontier. He was also the administrator of The Ambassador Program (TAP) over a decade ago.
==Background==
Mercer is a shrewd and ambitious businessman who saw the potential of Pandora and aimed to use it to his advantage. He had created The Ambassador Program together with his co-worker Alma Cortez. The program was meant to create raise young Na'vi and create diplomats for the RDA. Though Cortez wished for the program to do good, Mercer aimed to use it win the admiration of the organization.
In 2138, Mercer along with Angela Harding and Alma Cortez kidnapped a group of Na'vi children from the Sarentu clan to use them for TAP. The kidnapping resulted in the decimation of the Sarentu, a deed which Mercer and Harding hid from the RDA by fabricating reports and destroying the bodies with corrosive acid which inadvertently created a toxic mist.World Knowledge entry
Although Alma Cortez was on the fence about what had been done and had great guilt, Mercer manipulated and convinced her that the Na'vi were primitive and that abducting their children was a necessary evil for the greater good. He claimed to Cortez that the Na'vi were primitive savages, although it is unclear if he genuinely believed this, or if he knew they were more peaceful and complex than his claims were and used it to manipulate her.
During TAP, he was known to have strict and rather cruel personality. For example, he physically beat Teylan for his bed wetting so badly to the degree he had bruises for weeks. He viewed Aha'ri's songcord as a useless piece of string, and when she touched him and broke the rule of no physical contact, he punished the entire group instead of only her. He also murdered Aha'ri when she tried to leave with her friends. When it was time to update Aha'ri's student profile, he merely vaguely wrote that she died to an unfortunate incident.Audio logs and notes in Frontiers of Pandora#TAP School Records
When human-Na'vi relations soured throughout the 2140s, he changed the program to teach the Na'vi human combat methods and turn them against their own kind, making do with military assets instead.
Mercer worked on Pandora until 2154. The attack of the Na'vi clans during the battle in the Hallelujah Mountains interrupted the program, and Mercer gave the order to execute the children, from which Alma saved the children and put them in cryogenic sleep, hiding them.
==Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora==
Mercer was among the RDA forces return to Pandora in 2168. It is said that he is seeking revenge. He directed Sec-Ops forces against the Na'vi.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzw1EKnaIA
After contacting Teylan by chance while both of them were on their communicators, he tries to manipulate Teylan to turn against The Resistance. Mercer gave Teylan a tablet and told him to take notes, and also told Teylan that one day, Teylan would understand Mercer's actions against the Resistance.
He is believed to have been killed in the explosion in the facility when his student and Teylan rebel against him. His death was eventually confirmed by RDA lieutenant Cassandra Slate in an audio log found after she is defeated by The Sarentu.
===Quests===
*Awakening:
*Last Strike:
==Personality==
Mercer is described as a dangerous visionary who is intelligent, manipulative, and vindictive, hungry for power and the admiration of other people. He has little to no respect for the Na'vi, calling them primitive and savages, and wanting them dead for opposing the RDA.
In the start, Mercer aimed to win the admiration of the organization, though was willing to do whatever he thought necessary to achieve these desired ends and was inclined to hide truths from the RDA. Despite the fact that they attempted peaceful approaches with the Na'vi at first, Mercer was quick to resort to violence and force which culminated in the decimation of the Sarentu and the abduction of several of their children for TAP, something which he worked to cover up so that neither the RDA nor other Na'vi clans would ever know.
When it came to the TAP students, Mercer treated them like property and expected absolute compliance from them. He was disappointed when Alma tried to show them more creative works, like poetry, which could inspire their imagination. Instead, he felt they should learn economics which he believed was real science, saying they should read books such as The Triumph of Hegemony Politics in the Second Space Age and Untangling Entanglement: an Introduction to Quantum Business Analysis.Audio logs and notes in Frontiers_of_Pandora#RE: TAP Syllabus Proposal He further committed ruthless and abusive acts towards the students, hurting them several times both physically and emotionally. Mercer would inflict severe punishments on all the students if only one of them defied him and was willing to murder one, Aha'ri for doing so.
Upon his return to Pandora and spearheading the colonization of the Western Frontier, Mercer had become even more determined and aggressive than ever before. Tasked with extracting resources from the area for the RDA, he did so however he saw fit, regardless of the environmental impact and spread massive pollution. Mercer went to extreme lengths do his job and combat anyone who opposed him, seeking to decimate the Na'vi and the Resistance at any cost. He started to show signs of mental instability which disturbed his subordinates whom he cared little for, viewing them all as expendable, and this created resentment towards him amongst them. However, Mercer could also show some measure of respect towards those who seemingly obeyed him without question and those he thought he could control, and would actually let his guard down around them.
Mercer was noted by Harding to be into extreme neatness; his office has objects at right angles. Harding once picked up a stapler and he not only ordered her to put it back, but it had to be at the right angle as his pens were. He is also said to have the belief that first impressions are very important.
A peculiar behavior of Mercer was that he held onto the songcord belonging to Aha'ri after he had killed her, keeping it on his person despite him once claiming it to be worthless. The reason as to why he did this was unclear.
==Relationships==
* See John Mercer/Relationships.
==Audio logs==
===Brainstorm===
Transcript
 
:No recording as of yet, audio log has not been found, text retrieved from game files. It is unclear if this log actually appears in the game.
: JOHN MERCER: Okay, let's see. Gentlemen, ladies, sons of
:bitches, yada yada yada yada. Yeah, we broke the pretty Na'vi
:arches! (chuckles) Maybe not the best way to introduce the topic
:to the top brass. I'm confident everyone is aware of the sudden
:change in the literal landscape of the Western Frontier, and I
:know there has been some consternation, as this wasn't a part of
:the agreed-upon action plan. (Now, throw in a little dispersal
:of guilt.) The fact is that Colonel Harding's reckless handling
: of the native situation, as well as the unauthorized operations
:she has engaged in for personal gain, have created a state of
:open hostilities. This has forced me to break protocol and employ
:these radical methods on an accelerated schedule. (In other words,
:more money, faster! It's gonna be hard for them to argue with
:that!) Before we move onto the consequences, I would like to direct
:your attention to the exceptional gains that we are witnessing already.
:Add graphs here, numbers go up, people start smiling, nodding to
:each other… yeah. They're gonna love it. Maybe some handwringing
:about the natives, a bit of bootlicking, but nobody's really
:listening anyway since they're just watching the graphs go through
:the roof, and pow! Applause, exceptional initiative, saved the
:operation from disaster. Shortlist for promotion. Time for
:John Mercer to get a new title.
===Defoliant report===
none|300px
Transcript
 
:JOHN MERCER: On the topic of our current ground clearing
:methods. While I appreciate the Settlement Director's
: concerns over the use of defoliants prior to the mechanical
:removal of the heavier vegetation, I can assure you this poses
:no risk to our future human settlers. Yes, operators have
:reported experiencing "a metallic taste" when in the
: processed zones, but our masks are perfectly adequate for
:filtering out any major contaminants from the air. While this of
:course leaves the potential issue of dermal absorption, I would
:like to point out that by the time any actual settlers arrive in
:the processed zones, all aboveground defoliants will have
:been washed away by the rains. As for our preference on the
:defoliants as opposed to fire, we are able to deploy them
:without inciting an immediate response from the Na'vi, thus
:preserving SecOps resources, which I keep being told are a
:highly limited commodity all of a sudden. I trust this addresses
:all of your concerns on the matter.
===On Wildlife Management===
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Transcript
 
:JOHN MERCER: On the topic of wildlife management. First of all,
:I feel that the board's time has been wasted in escalating this
:matter to them. The Settlement Director is well aware that we
:do not currently have the resources to even catalogue the
:populations around the proposed settlement zones. We can
:only progress on this matter once the Na'vi have been
:adequately pacified and the lingering fringe elements from the
:rebellion have been expunged from the area. This is not
:something Colonel Harding has been able to achieve at this
:time. Once we have the manpower for secondary tasks, I can
:assure everyone that wildlife management is at the top of the
:list. Future settlers will experience Pandora without having to
:worry about some of its more dangerous elements. This will
:mean culling and chasing away any serious predators, leaving
:enough breeding pairs to support leisure hunting further out
:from the settlements. I am aware of the effect this will have
:on the prey populations, but I am sure our less ambitious
:hunting enthusiasts will help us in achieving a balance there. I
:will be happy to discuss this plan in more detail once it is
:actually timely to do so.
===Thoughts on defectors===
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Transcript
:JOHN MERCER: Nothing like starting the day with two fresh
:defector files on my desk. Hmm, married couple. Wonder which
: one came up with the idea? Guessing him. Looks like a chump.
: Good luck raising a family out in the damn jungle. And for
:what? To "protect" a moon that wants to kill every human on it,
:with a population to match? I kind of get it when this happens
:with the labcoats. Especially the ones with the humanities
:minors. Pfft! Should have screened those out before letting
: them on the ships. But soldiers? And what's this? A
:construction engineer? Should have a better head on himself
:than that. Jin-young MacKay ... Solid resume. Hobbies ...
:Carpentry? This guy. Makes things out of trees, but tears up a
:solid contract, to, what, save some alien trees? (sighs)
:Numbskulls and hippies, the lot of them. At least they've
:raised the average IQ around here by leaving. Not that they
: shouldn't be shot on sight. Save everyone the court martial.
== Notes ==
===Desertion Clampdown===
Transcript
 
:Note has not been found, text retrieved from game files. It is unclear if this note actually appears in the game.
: Memo: To all lieutenants
:Status: Urgent
:It has come to our attention that lieutenants may need more of
:an incentive to ensure we don’t watch as RDA personnel simply
: walk off base and into the arms of the Resistance. We recruit only
:the best and expect our leaders to act as such. Desertion is not a
:fact of life in the RDA. It is not “natural attrition” it is a
: failure of squad leaders to account for their assets.
:The following measures will be implemented with immediate effect
:to deal with the defector problem.
:- All desertion will result in the strictest disciplinary measures.
:- A new reprogramming initiative will be implemented for returned
:personnel.
:- Lieutenants will be held responsible for desertion numbers among
:their platoons.
:- Increased resources have already been funneled to focus on monitoring
:all communications.
:It is time to get your house in order. Discipline is at the very core
:of the RDA and everything we do here on Pandora. We must tighten the leash.
:Play your part.
:John Mercer
===RE: TAP Syllabus Proposal (partial author)===
Transcript
 
:Note to self: He was always difficult. But I used to think at
:least we shared a goal. To share the wonders of human
:culture. To better the lives of both Na'vi and humans. But was I
:fooling myself? Was he always this callous?
: From: J. Mercer
:To: You
:Old books. Poetry !! Comparative art studies (you can't be
:serious ?! ). Cortez, come on. Where are the economics, the real
:science? This is an 'institution of high learning'. Your words,
: not mine. We must teach what actually matters! Bring
: civilization to those savages. Let's reconvene tomorrow. Spit-
:balling some literature:
: History of Economics
:Corporate Governments: An efficient solution to a historical
:problem, chapters 2, 3, 25
:Conquering the Global Village, chapters 7-9
:The Triumph of Hegemony Politics in the Second Space Age
:Covert Diplomacy: Clandestine operations and other forces for
:global peace
:Trade Theory
:Pandoran Commodities and Disruptive Markets, chapter 7
:Untangling Entanglement: an Introduction to Quantum
:Business Analysis, chapters 1-5
===TAP School Records (partial author)===
Transcript
 
:Subject: Teylan
:Temperament: Eager to please. Ideal candidate to promote
:human aims. Gets distracted by tech. We should keep an eye
:on this aspect.
:Skills: A malleable mouthpiece for TAP
:Additional note: Perhaps we can nurture Teylan's love of
:human technology. AC
:Subject: Ri'nela
:Temperament: Subject appears to be adapting to the program
:well. Some of the other subjects have a strong attachment to
: this one. Could be used to our advantage.
: Skills: Articulate for a Na'vi.
:Additional note: Agree that Ri'nela is a great candidate for TAP
:and has the trust of her Na'vi peers. She could go far with the
:right support. AC
:Subject: Nor
: Temperament: Can be surly. Needs discipline. Suggest
:stronger punishments to bring him in line.
:Skills: Shows potential in weapons. Need to breakdown his
:resistance to human tech and channel his anger.
:Additional Note: Nor needs care, not discipline, in my opinion.
:Let's discuss next steps. AC
:Subject: Okni
:Temperament: Sickly. Subject is weak. Not a good candidate
:for TAP. Suggest downgrade to service aspects of the initiative
:if they survive.
:Skills: Compliant.
:Additional Note: Okni had another fever this week. Need to
:check in with medical to see what we can do for her. AC
:Subject: Yuayt
:Temperament: Responds well to discipline and authority. Has
:proven useful as eyes and ears for us in exchange for
:favorable conditions. Helped us monitor rule-breakers to
: maintain discipline.
:Skills: Firearms. Recommend for combat missions, once
:loyalty to TAP is rock solid.
:Additional Note: Yuayt is far too young for combat. He is strong
:for his age, but we should proceed with caution. I will take this
:up with John myself. AC
:Subject: Aha'ri
:Temperament: Displays disruptive and insubordinate
:behaviors. Strong discipline recommended. Too much
:influence over sibling and others. Suggest separation.
:Status: Deceased
:Notes: Disciplinary issues. Subject was not suited to TAP. An
:unfortunate incident led to termination. JM
:Additional Note:
:I was too much of a coward to write this when it happened. But
:I'll write it now. For all the kids.
:That was no 'unfortunate incident', John. You killed Aha'ri. A
:child. Because you can't stand dissent and you will crush it at
: any cost. That spirited girl was snuffed out.
: I tried my best to protect the others. But I fear it was not
:enough. What started as a dream will haunt me forever. I will
:make this right.
:Let the record state: John Mercer murdered Aha'ri. In cold
:blood!!
: AC
==Notable Quotes==
== Trivia ==
* According to the dossier behind Alma during the briefing in the quest Welcome to the Resistance, Mercer is 1.86m tall and weighs 77kg. The dossier also has his age, and according to the document he is "50+" — an exact age is not given.Welcome to the Resistance let's play video by JigglyRuff
==Gallery==
Mercer Artstation Image.jpg|ArtStation Character Model of Mercer
Mercer Backstory.png|Biography
Mercer art.jpg|Mercer holding Kataru's songcord
John Mercer2.png
==References==
pl:John Mercer
ru:Джон Мерсер
Category:RDA
Category:Games Characters
Category:Human
Category:Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Category:Deceased
Category:Antagonists