Overwatch Story Stuff

Welcome back Soldiers!

This week I wanted to take some time off from all the Hearthstone stuff I've been doing. Spoilers for Whispers of the Old Gods are trickling out and I think it would be better to wait until I've got a decent number to talk about rather than discuss them as they come out regardless of how interesting they may be. Instead I want to toss out a couple ideas of where I think they might be going with some of the Overwatch story.

First I want to talk about Soldier 76. He very strongly resembles Captain America. Not only is he an enhanced super soldier with the original task of wiping out the world greatest threats, but his story is also looking a lot like the Winter Soldier movie plot. Everything is great when you are saving the world, but when things quiet down and someone needs to be held accountable for the damage, it's the hero who takes the blame because he's different. But who is the Hydra of the Overwatch universe? We know someone got Overwatch shut down and turned the public against them and this is what caused Jack Morrison to go into hiding. My theory is that The Vishkar corporation may have had something to do with it. According to Symmetra's character page, Vishkar helped restore the world following the Omnic crisis by building new homes and communities for those made homeless by the conflict. It also says that they sent Symmetra abroad on "clandestine missions around the world to uphold it's corporate interests." If that doesn't sound a little sketchy I don't know what does. What if after the Omnic crisis was over the people in charge of the Vishkar corporation were worried that their role of post robot war FEMA didn't have the longevity they were looking for. What if they decided to remove Overwatch from the picture and leave themselves as the people's only option to turn to for the comfort of safety and peace. They could have used their corporate influence to twist the media and public perception of Overwatch in the same way Hydra turned SHIELD against Captain America. Then this theory could get even deeper. What if Reaper, then known as Gabriel Reyes, was in league with Vishkar. If he resented 76 for being chosen over him to lead Overwatch perhaps he sought out someone with the means to bring down the organization he no longer felt a part of. And then in order to prevent their involvement from ever becoming known to the public, Vishkar made sure Reaper was among the casualties of the Overwatch base's destruction. To bring it all back to 76, now he needs to find Reyes and confirm what he already suspects to be true. And in doing so Overwatch is reformed and tasked with taking down the corrupt Vishkar corporation and in the process redeeming Reaper. Because we all know that Blizzard is a sucker for a redemption story. (cough: Kerrigan, Grommash :cough)

The other character I want to look at is Genji. He was greatly anticipated since the original Overwatch poster was shown at Blizzcon 2014 and he remains a fan favorite since his official announcement in November. I love all the story beats Blizzard is laying down for this cybernetic ninja. He started as a spoiled son of a powerful crime family and was nearly killed by his own brother. THEN he was rescued by Overwatch had to make him into a cyborg in order to save his life. The reasoning is slightly different but this reminds me a lot of how Wolverine got his adamantium skeleton in the whole Weapon X story line. But the cool stuff doesn't stop there. While working with Overwatch on the ultimate revenge plot to take down his own family's crime syndicate he resents himself for his robotic half and goes into hiding. This is where the tin-foil hat stuff comes in. We know he eventually met up our favorite robot monk Zenyatta with whom he eventually comes to accept his new body and the gift it can be. However, what I am interested in is how we get there. The fact that he goes into self-imposed exile feels a lot like the Batman Begins story. Rich guy experiences loss and resents the life he once had. While he is gone he meets up with someone or something who teaches him to turn his past into a strength and put it to use. I want to see what happens in that process. What happens in his time with Zenyatta? Is his training in Tibet more based around focusing his mind? They could go with the expected route where he seeks out Hanzo, the brother who nearly killed him. Or does the Omnic monk teach himthat the fault doesn't lay with Hanzo but with the corrupt family who raised them heartlessly? And how does Genji fit into the plans Overwatch has to reform. Genji is front and center in the "We Are Overwatch" trailer so it would seem that Blizzard is moving forward under the assumption Genji is still a member. Harmony could mean balancing out the injustice done to Genji, but it could mean reconciliation. And I for one welcome a Double Dragon reboot featuring Genji and Hanzo!

I can't wait to see what Blizzard has to offer as they continue to build this world. These two are two of the more prominent characters but there is plenty more to get excited about. Characters who seem secondary for now like Zarya and Mei could have to wait until the second round of cinematic shorts and comics but I'm excited for their stories grow and mesh with the overall lore.

This week may not be up to par with what I normally write up but I find myself thinking more and more about Overwatch as we get closer to release. Thanks as always for taking the time to check it out anyway!

Until next time,
Chris