Mark Heathcliff

Mark Heathcliff was the overarching protagonist in The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 1. Mark was a young, religious boy from Mandela County who had multiple encounters with alternates throughout his life. These events tie heavily into the plot of The Mandela Catalogue. He serves as the overarching character of Act 1 and a posthumous mentioned character in Act 2. 
==Description==
Mark is a round-faced, fair-skinned young man with fluffy brown hair and brown eyes.
He is seen wearing a gray hoodie over a black T-shirt with blue jeans.
Mark is an overly paranoid, possibly traumatized individual. Having encountered 6 at a very early age may have left an impact on Mark growing up, as can be seen in Exhibition.
Mark has some sort of fear of the Torres household for unknown reasons, whether due to an experience or simply his exaggerated paranoia is unknown.
==Personality==
Mark was an average young man. His interactions with Cesar showed he was concerned for his friends and family. He appeared to be paranoid about going over to Cesar's house, notably due to the 'THINK principle' being broadcasted to the entirety of Mandela County and its surrounding counties. The 'THINK principle' explicitly states that locking your doors and staying home was the safest approach to avoid an alternate encounter. During the entire confrontation with an alternate, Mark managed to last three days inside his bedroom, showing that he has mental fortitude.
Mark only snapped when the alternate impersonating Cesar presumably revealed the truth: Christianity's saying about Christ was a lie and humanity had been fooled from the very start. This leads him to having a mental breakdown, desperately shooting the alternate before succumbing to MAD and ending his own life. 
==Biography==
===The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 1===
Introduced as Victim One, sometime in September of 1992, Mark gets a call from "Cesar Torres" who is on the way to the Emergency Room after finding his mother collapsed. Cesar asks Mark if he can go to his house to turn on their security cameras to which Mark reluctantly agrees, claiming to not like Cesar's house. Before hanging up, Cesar asks Mark to get a good look at the back hallway. 
After turning on the security cameras and returning home, Mark discovers that he was followed home by an alternate and barricades himself in his bedroom for days whilst being taunted by it. Mark attempts to call authorities multiple times but is ignored. Mark attempts to confront the alternate but ultimately takes his own life.
Near the end of the episode, we are shown a story written by 4-year-old Mark about the "Scary Night". In this story, he describes how he was up late at night and had an encounter with 6, which he referred to as "the man in the corner". After this, he fell asleep, implying that 6 was not attempting to kill or take Mark. He is known to have shown this story at his elementary school: Mandela Elementary School.
===Exhibition===
We are shown multiple recordings by Mark on August 30, 1992, going to a church and his home, recording at seemingly random. He is supposedly suffering from severe paranoia. At the midpoint of the episode, he is shown recording an analogue television with an alternate emerging from it. The alternate is presumed to be 6. We're also shown pictures of Mark's bedroom window, the second instance is that of a "Flawed Impersonator" looking into the window. We can assume that this is the same Alternate that attacks him in Vol. 1.
===The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 2===
Mark makes a small cameo during the scene where 6 flashes imagery from Season One on the television after Adam asks who he is.
===The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 333===
Mark’s high school contacts the police after he fails to appear at school for several days with no excuse of absence from either of his parents and no emergency contact on file to call. They ask the police to go to his home and get the number of whoever responds at the door.
Once MCPD Lieutenant Thatcher Davis arrives at the home, he is forced to break down the door as there is no response when he knocks. Shortly thereafter, we cut to an investigation of Mark's house. We first see the analogue television in Mark's room before Thatcher turns his flashlight on and discovers Mark's body with multiple .50 caliber casings beside the bed, implying he tried to attack Cesar's alternate. Thatcher finds a cassette player, a Holy Bible, and a notebook titled "Reassurances" on top of the television.
A slideshow plays, identifying Cesar Torres as the perpetrator in Mark's case, as his fingerprints were discovered on Mark's bedroom doorknob. The following are shown as points of interest:
* Mark's camcorder containing a tape titled "shadow under the door": The tape is dated September 14, 1992. The shadow of an individual's feet is seen outside of Mark's door as they rapidly and repeatedly knock.
* Mark's cassette player contains a cassette labeled "voices outside my room": When played, the voice tells Mark to let them in before harshly mimicking a different voice. The tape is flipped and a crowd of people can be heard.
* Mark's notebook: In Mark's journal, he wrote reassurances of God's love, saying that he needs protection and that he is scared. Mark slowly breaks down, saying nobody came for him and begging the reader to stop "it" before it does this to anyone else. Mark wrote "Who have I been praying to all this time?" repeatedly. The next image shows the phrase written over itself several times until it was illegible scribbles.
The last page reads "My eyes are wide open", indicating that he has been affected by Metaphysical Awareness Disorder (MAD). 
=== The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 1 (RESTORED EDITION) ===
As in the original vol. 1, Mark & "Cesar" are introduced after the T.H.I.N.K Principle ends, however they aren't labeled "Victim 1" & "Victim 2", but only by name, as we then go to a call transcription, the date says that the call takes place during September 13th, 1992. "Cesar" tells Mark that he wants him to turn on his cameras, when Mark questions this, "Cesar" then says that he heard her screaming before he found her unconscious, and is currently taking her to the ER. Mark then asks "Cesar" if did what the broadcast told them to do. "Cesar" claims he did, but notes it weird, and suggests that she saw something that made her pass out. Mark then agrees to turning on the cams in Cesar's house, but says he's just gonna hurry up and get out of there, as he seems to be afraid of Cesar's house for some strange reason, "Cesar" is okay with this, but tells Mark to get a good view of the back hallway before leaving, Mark sounds slightly puzzled by the request, but agrees to do it anyway. The call then ends with "Cesar" thanking Mark.
We're then shown an item exhibition, similar to Vol. 333, as the Torres camera system is labeled as "item 03". We're then shown footage of the same date as the call transcription, recorded at 09:56, where all 4 of the Torres cams are turned on by Mark and then him rushing out of the house, as he said he would do during the call. Much later during the footage, notably the night after, due to the date now saying 92/09/14, an unidentified voice calls out for Mark in the Torres household.
We're then shown another item on the item exhibition, this time showcasing Mark's "Reassurances" notebook, labeled as "item 13", as it was in Vol. 333. Inside, the same message from Mark, that was originally put in the camcorder in Vol. 1, is written.
"It followed me home, Cesar."
"I do not want to see what is on the other side."
"But it has been days, and no one has come to help me."
The item exhibition pops up yet again, this time showing "item 17", Mark's camcorder, inside it is an unlabeled tape. The tape plays and we're then shown Mark's bedroom door, the same unidentifiable voice sounding from behind it, calling for Mark to open the door, promising presents and a surprise. The date on the bottom right saying Sep/15/92, showing that this is taking place 2 days after the call. Afterwards, we're shown Mark's bedroom window, as the voice starts making indescribable noises. We then go back to the door, and the voice keeps making indescribable noises, but after a few seconds, Mark opens his door, and the voice calls out for Mark's whereabouts, before the lights start glitching and the camera then cuts out briefly, before showing the now pitch-black hallway, as Alternate Cesar reveals himself to Mark. He starts laughing at Mark, Mark yells out, "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!", before shooting himself. Alternate Cesar disappears into the darkness, only to light up once again, The date then changes to the phrase, "BAD DECISION, MARK", and Alternate Cesar then shapes his face to look like Mark's before the footage glitches and then cuts out.
Skipping to the second part of the Toddler stress assessment, we're shown some drawings that Mark made when he was 4 years old, dubbed "The Scary Night". It shows that one night, Mr. Heathcliff (Mark's father) did not check under his bed one night. So he decided to go to his mother's (Jane Heathcliff) room, It reads that there was scary knocking coming from the door and the scariest part was going down the stairs, as we're then shown a drawing of Mark about to go down the stairs. It then reads that he almost got to his mom's room, but then he saw "The man in the corner". We are then shown a drawing of the man that Mark saw, before then reading that he just fell asleep afterwards, and then ending the story.
=== The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 4 ===
While the alternate was speaking to Thatcher, he says, "A scared boy with a gun, sound familiar?" and shows an image of the outside of Mark's house, implying that Mark was "the scared boy with a gun" and comparing Mark to Thatcher.
=== Mandelapolice.com ===
The mandelapolice.com website has a page about the Mark Heathcliff case. The following is written on the website, describing the progression of footage:
SEP 13 92
9:38 PM
Vehicle dashboard recording through the windshield (to The Torres Residence) Heathcliff mutters. Words are indiscernible.
9:56 PM
Heathcliff arrives at The Torres Residence, exits the vehicle, enters the house and returns after 23 seconds.
9:58 PM
Dashboard recording shows Heathcliff exceeding double the speed limit on county roads.
10:09 PM
Heathcliff returns home and locks himself in the bedroom with a camcorder.
10:12 PM
A voice reminiscent of Torres calls to Heathcliff from outside the bedroom window. Heathcliff remains silent.
10:30 PM
The following message was shown using the camcorder's text display:
IT FOLLOWED ME HOME, CESAR
Heathcliff directs the camcorder to the bedroom door, where an unidentified voice is heard speaking to Heathcliff.
SEP 14 92
2:02 AM
The camcorder is positioned to face the bedroom door.
Shadows are seen under the door, coinciding with sporadic knocking. The knocking continues in intervals until 9:34 AM.
10:01 AM
Heathcliff repeatedly dials numbers on his mobile phone. No response is heard. Heathcliff continues this until 6:26 PM.
6:26 PM
Heathcliff starts sobbing until he stops at 11:47 PM.
11:52 PM
Footage cuts out.
SEP 15 92
7:32 PM
Footage resumes. The camcorder continues to face the bedroom door.
7:54 PM
Heathcliff gathers a handgun and a Holy Bible from the dresser drawer.
8:16 PM
Heathcliff repeatedly shouts for help until the voice gives out.
8:42 PM
Heathcliff physically "hugs" the Holy Bible, crying into it while rocking back and forth.
8:49 PM
Heathcliff aggressively writes in composition notebook.
9:17 PM
Heathcliff curls into fetal position in the corner of the bedroom, sobbing uncontrollably. The word "please" is very faintly heard being muttered through the tears.
10:23 PM
After an hour of silence and stillness, Heathcliff calls out to his Mother and Father.
10:37 PM
Heathcliff gets up to retrieve the handgun. He shoots multiple rounds into the door.
10:49 PM
The power goes out. Camcorder light also ceases function.
10:58 PM
The following messages were shown using the camcorder's text display:
"I DO NOT WANT TO SEE WHAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE
BUT IT HAS BEEN DAYS
AND NOBODY HAS COME TO HELP ME
WHAT IS LIFE REALLY WORTH?
WHEN ALL I CAN DO?
IS CONFRONT IT ALL ALONE?"
Heathcliff curses the perpetrator, before firing another round.
10:59 PM
The following message was shown using the camcorder's text display, in a secondary text style:
"Uh Oh! bad decision mark!"
11:04 PM
Obscured in darkness, the footsteps of the perpetrator are heard approaching the recording camcorder. The perpetrator stares into the lens until 11:13 PM.
11:14 PM
The following message was shown using the camcorder's text display, in the secondary text style:
"I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU"
The camcorder is then shown facing Heathcliff's remains. Over it, the primary text style reads:
"NOBODY CAME FOR ME"
This is replaced by the text in the secondary text style reading:
"AND NOW I'M FREE"
11:15 PM
Footage ends.
==Gallery==
Mark disturbed.png|Mark's disturbed appearance during Cesar's reveal.
The Victperp.png|Mark is labelled as 'The Victim' and Cesar labelled as 'The Perpetrator'.
Restored Cliffbar.png|Mark labeled as "MH" in The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 1/RESTORED EDITION
File:MarkHeathcliffandCesarTorresinVol.2.jpg|Mark and Cesar Torres in Vol. 2.
===Miscellaneous===
OGMark.png|Mark's original depiction in Mark's Soliloquy.
Scrimblo Mark.png|Mark as he appears in The Scrimblo Catalogue.
Mark and Sarah.png|A clear photo of Mark and his sister Sarah.
Marker.png|Clearer version of Mark's ID Facial Reconstruction photo from Vol. 333.
File:Mark Plush.webp|Mark-etable Plushie
File:Mark bedroom.png|Mark's camera pointed to his bedroom door.
File:Image 2023-10-18 175935942.png|Mark as seen in Phone a friend
File:Mark death.png|NOBODY CAME FOR ME
==Trivia== 
*While he was named after the YouTuber Markiplier, his name is a biblical reference to a figure known as Mark the Evangelist.
*The image used for Mark is of series creator Alex Kister himself.
*Mark is one of the five characters to have a piece of merchandisehttps://www.makeship.com/products/mark-plush based on them; the other 4 being 6, Cesar's Alternate, and Preacher, who also have plushies, as well as Gabriel having a figure & plushie too.
*Mark is a writer and would probably write poetry, as stated by a tweet by Alex Kisterhttps://twitter.com/kisterkatalog/status/1692741055811068098?s=20.
*Mark is canonically left-handed, as revealed in his Mark-etable plush promo, using his left hand to write.
*It is most likely Mark has IBS.
*It's noted that in Vol. 1 (RESTORED)'s camera footage of the Alternate looking for Mark in the Torres household, the date reads 92/09/14. This means 2 things. 
**(A) The Alternate showed up to the Torres residence the night after Mark turned the cameras on.
**(B) Either Mark was only trapped in his room for only 2 days or 1, either due to the Alternate arriving at his house the day of his suicide or shortly after he looks for Mark in the Torres residence.
*The Alternate disguises as a "Flawed" version of Mark seconds after Mark kills himself, as he still has no mouth and pitch-black eyes, just like he did when he was impersonating Cesar seconds beforehand.
*Unlike in Vol. 1, The remake does not show Mark's corpse after the Alternate reveals himself. Just like with Mrs. Torres encountering the Alternate.
*Mark (along with Cesar in the same statement) has been confirmed several times will soon get more coverage in the series and stated by Alex about Mark and assumingly Cesar that he regrets killing Mark off so early in the series. 
**However, after the drama, Alex said, that content related to Cesar, and possibly Mark, would no longer appear in Vol. 5 and in TMC as a whole.
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Category:Characters
Category:Humans
Category:Protagonists
Category:Deceased
Category:Posthumous Characters
==Sources==
Category:Act 1
Category:Act 2