| "To them, every outcome is a degree of victory. That is why they think they will win. We'll prove them wrong." | ||||
| — Janus about the Illuminati[1] | ||||
Janus is a mysterious individual opposing the Illuminati, and the leader of the Juggernaut Collective.[2] Janus' true identity is unknown, even to fellow members of the Collective.
Biography
Janus has been fighting the Illuminati for many years. When asked their reasons behind doing so, Janus claims that the Illuminati killed someone who was important to them.[3] They use their impressive hacking skills to help the Juggernaut Collective uncover information about the cabal.
Janus goes to great lengths to ensure that their identity remains a secret. When contacting people directly, they use voice scrambling software that makes it impossible to distinguish their gender or nationality. In addition, a "ghostly" image of a human face superposed with static appears on a screen when they talk. Alternatively, Janus represents themselves with a human face whose features constantly change.[4] Due to the emotionless nature of the computerized voice, it is difficult to discern Janus' emotions or to tell whether or not they are telling the truth. This makes certain people who Janus contacts reluctant to trust them initially. However, Janus claims that if they reveal their identity, it would put not only their own life, but the lives of the other Juggernaut's, in danger.[3]
Abilities
Janus has the ability to hack many objects and databases. For example, when recruiting Ben Saxon, Janus remotely hacks an advertisement blimp to display the words "What master do you serve?" as well as a phone number to contact them. At a later stage, Janus hacks an autonomous trawler submarine which then safely transports Saxon to Baltimore, USA. Somehow, Janus has gained access to the psychological profiles of Jaron Namir and Ben Saxon who, as members of the Tyrants, presumably have highly classified files. In addition, they claim to know "all about" other Tyrant members such as Scott Hardesty and Yelena Fedorova implying that they have accessed information on them also. Janus manages to track down the location of Anna Kelso when she has been captured by the Tyrants using only the code-name Icarus. Icarus turns out to be the name of an Illuminati-owned yacht, who Janus flags with an Interpol stop-and-search warrant.[3]
Work with the Juggernaut Collective
Mikhail Kontarsky sending information on the Killing Floor to Janus.
Janus wants to learn about and expose the Killing Floor, which the Illuminati use to give orders to the Tyrants. First Janus attempts to get this information from Mikhail Kontarsky. Kontarsky has only begun to upload the data when he is assassinated by a member of the Tyrants. Janus then resorts to requesting the help of Ben Saxon. As a Tyrant, Saxon has direct access to the computer terminal on board the Tyrant Jetliner that can access the Killing Floor. The information Saxon acquires allows Janus and the Collective to hack into the Killing Floor and extract information on one of the Tyrants' missions. The group decide to intercept the Tyrants and prevent this mission from going ahead. Ben Saxon as well as Anna Kelso (who Janus has informed about the Illuminati's existence and the scope of their influence) agree to assist. The usefulness of the information obtained from the Killing Floor is compromised when a member of the Juggernaut Collective betrays the group and informs the Tyrants of their plans. Janus does not get physically involved in the Collectives mission in order to preserve their anonymity. They are thus safe from the Tyrants' ambush that leaves many of the Juggernaut's dead.[3]
In 2027, Janus is in contact with Garvin Quinn, who is stationed at the Rifleman Bank Station. Once Quinn has safely escorted Adam Jensen from Rifleman Bank, he contacts Janus. Quinn thinks Jensen could have been a useful ally and should have been recruited into the Juggernaut Collective. Janus dismisses the idea, stating that Jensen is too obsessed with finding Megan Reed at that point in time. However, Janus also states "(Adam) will find the truth in due time" and that they would find Adam if Quinn followed Janus' instructions exactly as specified.[5]
By 2029, Janus and the Collective have begun to investigate Task Force 29 who they suspect to be a front for the Illuminati. They sneak an ally, Adam Jensen, into its ranks in order to uncover the truth.[2] Alex Vega who was introduced to the group by Ben Saxon, acts as a go-between for Janus and Jensen.[6] Janus creates a "whisper chip" which can be used to tap the secure network used by Task Force 29's directors. Janus instructs Jensen to connect it directly to the Neural SubNet's motherboard so that the Collective can eavesdrop on their communications.[2]
Notes
- In early September 2016, the online preview of Prima Games' guide for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided displayed a concept art of Volkard Rand for the entry for "Janus," in a section of the guide containing descriptions for various characters in the game.[7] The concept art of Rand was later removed from the website by Prima Games, leaving the "Janus" entry without an image.
Trivia
- In Roman mythology, Janus, who possesses two faces, is the god of beginnings, transitions, doorways, endings, and time.
- Janus's avatar and voice resembles Daedalus.
Gallery
References
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