Nathaniel Renko

Captain Nathaniel "Nate" Renko is the main protagonist of the video game Singularity. Nathaniel Renko was a U.S. Recon Marine who happens to come into possession of the Time Manipulation Device, also known as the TMD, giving him a variety of new abilities that increase in number as he progresses through his mission to save the world from the terrible reign of Dr. Nikolai Demichev. As a result of his fated acquiescence, he becomes a threat to Russia's attempts to take over the world, who is manufacturing new Russian-developed E-99 Tech (short for Element 99). He is the nemesis of Dr. Nikolai Demichev. 
Throughout the game, Renko lacks any portrayal of appearance, voice, or personality. However, Renko has the opportunity to become a hegemonic fallen hero at the very end of the game, or save the world as a heroic sacrifice. The latter will result in his ally, Barisov, to reveal his true colors and take over the world for himself. It is unknown if Renko ever successfully saved the world. 
==Biography==
===Background===
Nathaniel Renko is dispatched to investigate a bizarre electromagnetic energy surge coming from the Russian island Katorga-12. While on a helicopter en route to the mysterious island, another energy surge disables it, sending him and his comrade James Devlin crashing onto Katorga-12. After he and Devlin make it off the crashed copter, Renko mysteriously starts phasing in time between the present (2010) and the year 1955. By fate, he encounters an innocent man in need of saving from a structual fire. Unknown to Renko, he just made the biggest mistake of his life.
===Singularity ===
Renko jarringly realized that the world has been taken over by Russia, under command of Dr. Nikolai Demichev . He realizes this briefly after he returns to the present Katorga-12, where he and Devlin encounter strange, empowered creatures, as well as Spetsnaz soldiers appearing to fend the two of them off. He and Devlin are then captured by the Demichev's soldiers, where he meets Kathryn Norvikova, who saves him-- but not before Devlin is killed. 
Kathryn and Renko then discuss about the TMD, or Time Manipulation Device, which they believe can restore the world to it's more stable state. She is part of a secret organization known as MIR-12, who have discovered that two scientists were responsible for Russia's dominance over the rest of the world. The two scientists who researched a new material called Element 99 were Dr. Viktor Barisov and Dr. Nikolai Demichev, the latter of which is the antagonist. Using the nicknamed E-99 tech, Barisov creates an impossible weapon-- none other than the TMD. In the past, Demichev revealed himself as a villain and kills Barisov so that he can take it for himself; however, Barisov successfully managed to keep the TMD locked in a vault, inaccessible with Barisov now dead. Barisov's death was covered as a lab accident, which unironically occured leading to Demichev's death from a structual fire. It was during this fire that Renko had unknowingly rescued a hegemonic future dictator. 
He then goes on a quest to unearth the TMD, and uses it to meet Dr. Viktor Barisov, inventor of the TMD, who is currently dead. Nathaniel Renko wishes to change that. After finding the TMD, he opens a rift in time and travels back to 1955 to combat more Russian soldiers and arrive at Barisov's lab just in time to shoot Demichev before he kills Barisov. Barisov and Renko then have a bright conversation, and he tells Renko that he will wait 50 years for this day that Renko arrived from. For Renko, the time elapsed was only a moment, and Barisov was now helping him conspire against Demichev.
It is revealed that Renko was abruptly pulled into the year 1955 because of a catastrophe called the Singularity. An E-99 bomb had exploded and turned the residents of Katorga-12 into mutants with powers. To destroy the island and its research facility responsible for creating these scientific discoveries used for villainy, they fuse a bomb that they found on a ship called The Pearl. By using the TMD to travel back to 1955, he visited a large facility called the Cooker, the leading producing facility of E-99 tech. Charging the bomb in 1955 resulted in an eruption due to it likely being shabbier than its 2010 counterpart that was also destroyed. Returning to the present year (2010), Renko and Demichev finally come face to face. Barisov is being taken hostage, and Renko must choose between 3 endings: 
===Endings===
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Sacrificing yourself to stop Demichev=
:No narration, only brief gameplay and cutscences.Renko will choose to finally kill Demichev. But in order to truely become the world's savior, he must go back in time and kill himself so that he never saves Demichev, which they finally realize to be the cause of the current world's tyranny. After the death of his past self, Renko retrogrades back to the very beginning, and the introduction plays out almost exactly identical to the real beginning of his story (the game). The only difference is, his supposed ally Barisov now rules the world. A statue of him is seen during the helicopter flight that denotes this. And suddenly, the mission that starts the whole game is called off, and the game ends. In this timeline, Renko's fallen comrade Devlin never dies, and he lives. But the world is now under the control of Russia, so against all of Renko's efforts, the world is still ruined. 
|-|
Ruling the world together=
:Chancellor Demichev is the only survivor of Katorga-12. Any mention of Barisov... is wiped from history. With the TMD at your disposal, you and Demichev now control the Singularity. Katorga-12 becomes pivotal in Demichev's final push: To remove all remnants of rebellion against his leadership. As commander of the military, you forged Demichev's forces into an unstoppable war machine. You even trained some of the islands creatures in combat. You used them as a first wave assault, in all major battles. Millions are forced into slave labor. With the full power of the Singularity, and you at the helm of the military, any pockets of resistance around the world... are weeded out. MIR-12 (the main heroic faction of the game) proves difficult at first, but with the TMD by your side, they do not stand a chance. In the years that follow, tensions build within a ruling Russian dictatorship. Your knowledge of advanced weaponry, and control of the TMD, allows your support to grow. Some believe you are more powerful... than Chancellor Demichev himself. Demichev recognizes this, and he begins a secret weapons development program in the former United States. There are even rumors he's created his own TMD. Conflict seems inevitable, as the world once again finds itself in the midst of a cold war between two superpowers.
|-|
Ruling the world alone=
:With Dr. Barisov and Chancellor Demichev dead, the knowledge of E-99 and Katorga-12 dies with them. You disappear, and become a legend in the years to come. Most believe you never existed in the first place. The whereabouts of the TMD... are unknown. Weeks pass before the bodies of Demichev and Barisov are discovered... the murders are never solved. The death of Chancellor Demichev, was the first step in ending Russia's grip of the world. The USSR quickly dissolved into feuding factions all fighting for power. Wars erupt across the globe, as casualties rise into the millions. With their newfound freedom, MIR-12 (the main heroic faction of the game) grows in strength and influence. While they continue their fight against the Russian military, they also begin a manhunt for Dr. Barisov's murderer. To this day, they have been unsuccessful. With the TMD removed from Katorga-12, the Singularity destabalizes. A massive explosion destroys the eastern coast of Russia, and stretches as far as the prison state of Alaska. A group of Katorga-12 creatures escapes to the Russian mainland, and overwhelms northern China. There are rumors of a secret army taking over parts of the former United States. Their leader remains a mystery, but is said to be ruthless, laying waste to all who stand in his way. It is believed his plans involve world domination. His following grows everyday. Some claim he's able to summon incredible power, as if he controlled the hand of God himself.
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* The first ending results in Russia taking over the world (Barisov)
* The second ending results in a Cold War (With Demichev fighting Renko)
* The third ending results in the United States taking over the world (Renko)
===Heroic Acts===
Regardless of whether or not Renko managed to save the world, he is the hero of the story for combating the main villain, Demichev. He is shown to have a good heart in many ways. He was a member of the U.S. Army, and saved Demichev because he thought he was an innocent man needing to be saved. He even sacrificed himself for the intention of saving the world. The two evil endings of Singularity are completely dependent on player choice. It is also worth noting that the Chrono-Notes that Renko from the past left behind for the player to read on walls throughout his mission warns the player of many things. In fact, one or more of the Chrono-Notes even warns not to trust Barisov. This shows that Renko is a good guy, as Renko of the past didn't want Renko to become evil, and that the separate endings are the corrupting influence of the villains, simply there to show how Renko can alternatively be undone as a hero, and to excite the player with a final decision. 
== Powers and Abilities==
Given the power of the TMD, Renko is undoubtedly the most powerful character in the game. As the name Time Manipulation Device suggests, it arms Renko with a plethora of chronokinetic abilities. 
===Without TMD===
Without his TMD, he has the strength and stamina of a soldier, which is most realistically above average (for a human). He is obviously experienced with guns, and can even adapt to using guns not bound to normal technology, as shown by using the Dethex Launcher, Kasimov Sniper Rifle, and other guns powered by E-99 Tech. Despite the hugely short notice of his new situation, he adapts quickly. As a result, he has been shown to be a highly adaptable soldier, and since his title is "Captain", it is possible that even before possession of the TMD he was a respectable marine. 
Assisted by Devlin, he fends off mutated creatures on the first encounter, showing his meritorious skills. 
It is unknown if he has any leadership skills to accompany his title of "Captain", as Renko does not speak once in the entire game.
===With TMD===
While wielding the TMD, he becomes even more powerful. He quickly adapts to using it, being able to defeat individual mutant brutes (that serve as boss fights) shortly after gaining it. The powers he gains are:
Time Manipulation Abilities
Ability 	Description
Age 	Speeds up the aging process of certain objects and enemies, turning enemies to dust
Renew 	Retrogrades objects to their orignal state
Revert 	
* Transforms a human enemy into a Revert, a murderous mutation that kills other humans
* By reverting a Revert, the Revert becomes a time bomb that explodes on contact with other humans
Impulse 	
Releases a short burst of energy from the TMD that is on Nate's left hand
Gravity Manipulation	
Telekinetically pulls targeted object into Nate's left hand, where it hovers, and can be launched. Used with explosive/cryogenic barrels
* Allows him to catch any explosive projectile before contact
* Allows him to steal shields from enemies
Deadlock 	Renko creates a sphere of clear blue energy, that when launched becomes a force field within which everything slows down in time by an extreme amount
Chronolight 	
* Allows Renko to pull objects previously existant in a certain location back (location of these objects are signified by a blue cloud)
* The glowing blue writing on the walls seen throughout the game are warnings that past Renko wrote to warn his future self. Chronolight is used to turn the partially erased Chrono-Notes into legible notes
ChronoPing 	Shows glowing footsteps left by his past self to show him where to go
Upgrades 	The TMD has many upgrades grantable to Renko located in areas around Katorga-12
Furthermore, it is possible that Renko learned even more abilities with the TMD, because in an alternate ending he is said to have trained the empowered creatures you fight in the game to fight for him. Supposedly, he should be able to write Chrono-Notes, since those were left behind by his past self for present Renko (the player) to see. 
===Weapons===
There are many weapons Renko uses throughout the game. In many locations around Katorga-12, Renko finds these weapons, and stores them in a locker that can be accessed from many different places, possibly because of video game logic. However, two of his weapons he does not store in his locker- the Seeker and the RLS-7 (the RLS-7 is a rocket launcher)
The very first weapon that Renko discovers on Katorga-12 is the Centurion Pistol, which he uses to kill enemies (preferably with a headshot) and break locks. However, he finds a few other weapons throughout his journey that outclass this pistol-- especially the ones powered by E-99 Tech. These weapons are:
Weapons
Weapon 	
In-Game Description
Centurion 	A single shot revolver that fires a powerful E99 bullet. This weapon does a very high amount of damage but has an extremely low rate of fire.
AR9 Valkyrie Assault Rifle 	The primary assault rifle of the USSR. The name means "chooser of the slain" and the weapon is a lethal combination of firepower, range, and accuracy.
A lethal scoped assault rifle with a good mixture of firepower, range, and accuracy
Volk S4 Shotgun 	This autoloading shotgun is built to deliver massive damage for close range tactical combat
Single barrel shotgun
Kasimov SNV-E99 Sniper Rifle	This variant is a modified semi-automatic sniper rifle. The precision optics make it perfect for long range combat but unreliable in close quarters.
*The scope of the sniper rifle allows you to view your enemies in slow motion. One shot on any body part is enough to kill any human enemy (even on Hard)
*First weapon Renko encounters that uses E-99 Tech
Seeker Rifle 	This rifle fires E-99 charged shells that alter time and allow the operator to control the bullet.
*The second E-99 Tech weapon Renko finds
Autocannon 	Heavy cannon that uses an automatic load system coupled with a high capacity 100 round clip. Unmatched rate of fire for extended combat engagements.
Does not have a scope
Requires time to charge up, much like a Minigun
Spikeshot 	E-99 charged rail gun that fires an explosive spike. Each shot requires a brief delay to fully charge rail.
*The third E-99 Tech weapon Renko finds
Dethex Launcher 	A multi-purpose launcher that fires standard, and smart munitions. Standard load and radio controlled grenades do area-of-effect radius damage.
*The fourth E-99 Tech weapon Renko finds
*The weapon has two fire modes:
**Primarily, it shoots a grenade that only takes a couple seconds to detonate
**Alternatively, it releases a blue sphere that can be remote controlled, and detonated at will. Used by Renko to solve puzzles and surprise enemies with an explosion they can't react to
RLS-7 	Military Issue rocker launcher that fires HE rockets
*Rockets can be sent back to their owner thanks to the TMD; use Gravity Manipulation and then use Impulse
*This is the weapon Renko uses the least
** The rockets can either be typical rockets that follow a straight path, or rockets that can be steered with limited control; not as easy to steer as the Seeker
 
== Trivia==
*Renko has hardly any portrayal of his appearance in the game. Only by looking at a mirror hidden in the game, killing your past self during the heroic ending of the game, and by seeing dark silhouettes of Renko on the game's cover as well as during the hegemonic ending where you rule the world by yourself can you see any slight portrayal of Renko's appearance.
* It appears that the TMD's abilities are controlled and activated by hand movements.
*Renko remains silent throughout the game, so his voice is unheard of. By looking at the credits of the game, you will even see that Nathaniel Renko does not even have a voice actor.
*This character is subject to a fun time paradox: When you have to kill yourself in the past, it results in a time paradox, as if you killed Renko in the past then how were you able to travel from the future to kill your past self?
*The cover art of the game features a shadowy figure of Nathaniel Renko, his face barely visible.
*When you travel back to the beginning of the game after killing yourself, Renko seemingly remembers that he is dead, and remembers everything else that happened before that.
*It is revealed in a journal that Renko is "The Chosen One", being the only person that can save time.
== External links ==
* Nathaniel Renko on the Villains Wiki
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