The Extinction Agenda! is the fifth of six issues in the Deus Ex: Human Revolution comic series. It was released June 15th, 2011.
| "Adam Jensen closes in on his former ally Durant...but who's pulling the psycho cyborg's strings? Is this all a feint to undermine Sarif Industries? If so, who's behind it? Based on the acclaimed video game!" | ||||
| — Synopsis, DC Comics | ||||
Plot summary[]
The issue opens with a flashback to 2025, when Jensen is confronting Quincy Durant a couple of days after the Mexicantown Massacre. Eliza Cassan is reporting that peace has finally returned to Detroit after riots broke out over the shooting of a fourteen-year-old boy by Detroit PD. Durant is standing alone in an abandoned church. He tells Jensen that sneaking around gathering evidence like "some internal affairs asshole" is beneath them. Jensen shoots back that selling guns, drugs and back-alley augments is beneath the two of them. Durant dismisses the comment, and mentions Jensen's refusal to take the shot on the boy during the massacre. He says that Jensen must feel "all justified inside" knowing that, if they'd done things Jensen's way there wouldn't have been so many deaths. Durant goes on to taunt Jensen, saying that the only way Jensen could have ever gotten the draw on him, even before augments, was to shoot him in the back. Jensen tells Durant that he isn't the man he used to be as he lobs an EMP grenade at Durant. Durant shoots Jensen in the shoulder just before the grenade goes off, temporarily disabling Durant's augmentations. Jensen uses the opportunity to take a shot at Durant, hitting him in the left cheek bone. The round passes through the back of Durant's head, but apparently misses anything important. In the background from present day, Durant tells Adam that the one thing he told him to do was shoot to kill, but he still couldn't do it.
Back in 2027, Jensen tells Durant that he'll happily oblige this time, as he's no longer the sentimental type. Jensen asks Durant what happened to him. Durant tells Jensen that he killed him, but that "they" rebuilt him, more powerful than ever. "They" put a Glass Coin intelligence chip - presumably some sort of mind-control device - to help him see the world the way it really is. He tells Jensen that they killed him too; that he's no longer the man he was or thinks he is. Jensen asks Durant who "they" are. He wants to know who's controlling him. Durant simply says that no one is anymore. He explains that Dr. Vera Marcovic removed the mind-control chip. He says that people like she and David Sarif think that they're causing evolution, exploring and developing the new technologies, but that his personal mission is no longer about evolution. He says that the people who made the augments are now afraid of what they've created, and that they will destroy augmented people if they can't control them. He says that the Human Revolution is beginning, and that "the killing's just started." Durant orders his men to Shoot Jensen in the head. Before they get the chance, Katrina Sutherland takes out both of Durant's men with sniper fire, and Jensen grabs one soldier's Combat rifle and begins shooting, telling Durant that he's the right guy if Durant wants a war. Jensen takes out several of Durant's men. Durant jokes that the two trying to kill each other is "just like old times." Jensen grabs Dr. Marcovic and dives behind cover, complimenting Katrina on her marksmanship. He tells her that he might have to buy her dinner sometime. She tells him she likes his style, flirting with her in the middle of a firefight. As she speaks, several unmarked gunships approach. Katrina warns him to get out of there, and seconds later the building explodes around Jensen. Jensen grabs Marcovic and jumps out of a window. Once on the ground, he asks her if her rescue will affect his psychological profile, to which she replies that he's either brave or insane. She apologizes for the augmentations she had to install to save his life, but says that she's grateful that he's here for her now.
Later, in Jensen's apartment, Sarif tells Katrina and Jensen that Dr. Marcovic is recovering well. He says that they haven't managed to trace the gunships that attacked. Sarif postulates that whomever sent Durant after Sarif Industries didn't like that he had gotten out of control and decided to end him before the Sarif team could find the people who held his leash. He goes on to inform them that Homeland Security has censored the media on the events from the car plant. Jensen says that they're blacking out the media to cover up Jake Dredger's involvement. He asks Sarif is they found Durant's body. Sarif says that they're searching, but not being forthcoming with much information for operational security reasons. He says that they want to speak to Jensen, but that they'll wait until the group returns from the UK. Katrina expresses surprise that they would allow that, but Sarif explains that he threatened to go to the press if they didn't. Sarif asks for a word alone with Katrina, and tells Jensen that they leave for London in the morning.
Later that evening, Jensen is showering when Katrina comes up behind him and almost touches him. Jensen whips around and catches it, nano-blade at the ready. Katrina warns him that he could poke someone's eye out with it. Jensen retracts the blade and asks Katrina if she makes a habit of sneaking up on men in the shower, to which she replies "only the lucky ones." She proceeds to unzip the skintight jumpsuit that she's wearing, which quite excites Jensen. She tells Jensen that Sarif offered her a seat to London. Jensen suggests that they had better make the most of their last night together, and the two pull in close and kiss.
Meanwhile, at the remains of the Delaney car plant, a pair of Homeland Security agents are searching the rubble for Durant's body. One agent is telling the other that, although they've recovered a lot of bodies, only Martin Woodrell, a former member of Jensen's S.W.A.T. team under Durant, had been identified. The second agent notices movement, but the first dismisses it, saying that there' no way that anything survived the bombing. The second agent insists, and is promptly shot in the head by Durant, who then shoots the first agent multiple times as well.
In London, Zhao Yun Ru, William Taggart and David Sarif are meeting to discuss the recent happenings. Zhao remarks that the Diogenes Club where they are meeting is a far more "civilized" place to meet. She likens the meeting to "old friends who are rediscovering how close they once were." Sarif points out that Zhao has been trying to take over his company, and Taggart has been campaigning against augmentations. Taggart insists that he harbors Sarif no personal ill-will, only that he disagrees with Sarif's ideologies. Zhao says that the common element among them is that the three all care about the future of the world. She says that they are not all that different deep down, and is hopeful that they can find a compromise. Sarif tells them that he doesn't intend to compromise, and that he won't "consort with extremists." Taggart defends himself by saying that he's not an extremist, that he only wants regulations. Taggart says that there are certainly medical benefits of augmentation, but that they should only be used to fix the injured, not provide "playthings" for the wealthy. Zhao says that the industry should be regulated to make sure that it develops in a positive manner. Sarif tells her that another reason she might want these regulations is to ensure that Tai Yong Medical gets a monopoly on augmentation technology. Zhao tells him that he's being cynical; that she'd hoped the recent attacks would have "opened his eyes to the bigger picture." Taggart points out that Sarif has been targeted by augmented terrorists twice already, proving that their way is the only way. Sarif tells them that the only thing that it proves is that they both know "an awful lot about [his] problems and their causes." Both Zhao and Taggart take exception to the remark, but Sarif presses on by saying that he wants nothing to do with their "pathetic conspiracy." He tells them that the world is changing faster than they can control it, and that Sarif Industries is a driving force behind that change. He tells them that he will decline the invitation "in the strongest possible terms."
While Sarif is talking with Zhao and Taggart, Jensen is conversing with Katrina. Jensen asks if she knows the place. She knows it by reputation: old money and power. Jensen wonders if she'd be interested in joining. She tells him that she'd be "too scandalous a presence" for the club, and warns Jensen never to join a club that would have her as a member. Jensen suggests that they start their own private club with just the two of them, then he asks her what Sarif wanted to speak privately about. She tells him that Sarif offered her a job, but she declined. She explains that, after the ten years she spent with MI-5, she is tired of being a pawn in other people's games. She suggests that her own company could use Jensen. She admits that the pay might not be as secure, but that it'd be a lot more fun. Jensen declines the offer. Katrina wonders if the rejection has anything to do with Megan Reed, saying that it's hard to compete with a dead woman. Jensen tells her that it's not that, just that he feels like he failed to protect Reed and the other Sarif Industries scientists, and that he must now atone by avenging them. He suggests that once his work with Sarif is done that there might be a chance, "not that [he'd] expect a cool, beautiful, sophisticated lady to wait around for [him]." Sarif interupts their conversation to tell them that it's time to go. Sarif bids Katrina farewell, and he and Jensen are about to leave, when Katrina tells Jensen that, although she normally wouldn't wait around, she might make an exception for him.
On the ride home, Jensen and Sarif are discussing the visit. Jensen mentions that it was over rather quickly, and Sarif explains that he only meant to make his point in person. Sarif says that Katrina is very interesting, then Malik jumps in to ask what happened. She knows that Katrina was interested in Jensen, and asks him if he blew it. Jensen says that sometimes don't work out, and wonders when his love life (or lack thereof) became Malik's business. Malik tells him that she has to "look at [his] miserable mug everday, all dark and moody." The tone is joking, but her face expresses real concern. Suddenly, someone hacks their com system. The mysterious person says "Deus Ex!" moments before a missile hits the side of the VTOL and the sudden pressure loss begins to suck both Sarif and Jensen out the side.
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