Commander


 * For the character in Sonic the Comic, see Commander (dinosaur). For the Archie Comics interpretation of this character, see Abraham Tower.

The Commander (司令官) is a fictional character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series who first debuted in Shadow the Hedgehog. He is a human military leader and the G.U.N. federation's currently highest-ranking commander, as well one of the most respected. During his childhood, his family was aboard the Space Colony ARK, he befriended Maria Robotnik and witnessed the creation of Shadow the Hedgehog. After the ARK was invaded by G.U.N., the Commander blamed Shadow for his family's death and carried a grudge against him for fifty years until he discovered the truth about Shadow and Gerald Robotnik, the latter of which he had considered insane. He now leads G.U.N. in homage to Professor Gerald and even tried to make amends with Shadow.

Early life
The Commander grew up with his family on the Space Colony ARK, and was a good friend of Maria Robotnik. One day while playing with her, the Commander saw Shadow being created by Black Doom and Gerald Robotnik. He was terrified at the sight of Shadow. His family and Maria were later killed in the G.U.N. military's attack. He harbored a deep personal hatred towards Shadow the Hedgehog for this, blaming him for their deaths.

Shadow the Hedgehog
During Shadow the Hedgehog in one of the cutscenes that appears in every story, the Commander follows the events of the Black Arms attack on Earth from GUN Fortress. After being informed of how bad Westopolis has been attacked and that rumors say Shadow is involved, he will order his troops to be deployed and hunt down the Black Arms and Shadow, informing the messenger that Shadow is designated as the enemy and shall be captured, dead or alive.

Possible Events
There are various events that happen in Shadow the Hedgehog due to the story going whichever way the player chooses. Almost all the Commander's scenes seem to link together when put in the right order.

If the player chooses to go to Death Ruins, a cutscene will appear beforehand of the Commander being informed of Shadow and the Black Arms being forced into the forest in the level. He will authorize use of all tactical weapons in Sector B once he learns of Shadow and the Black Arms all being in the one place, saying that he wants both dead and failure is not an option. He then says to himself that the hedgehog will be exposed for the evil he is.

Should the player then complete the level The ARK whether by the normal or dark mission, they will go against Blue Falcon and the Commander will be heard responding to the pilot and ordering him to take Shadow out. After Blue Falcon is defeated, the Commander will hear the rants of Black Doom declaring humans pathetic and say the line "Damn you!" from his station.

Should the player choose to play the Air Fleet level, the Commander will arrive at the White House to escort the President to his ship. While the President sees himself as a failure for not protecting his nation, the Commander tries to motivate him, saying they will continue to fight the aliens, rally to restore themselves and that the President must keep his people united. While thinking on the Commander's words, the President looks at a photograph of Sonic and Shadow. The Commander urges him to go to his transport with the G.U.N soldiers, and when he leaves, the Commander looks at the picture and declares, "The black creatures will feel their own bloody hell!" before following him.

If the player goes to GUN Fortress, the Commander will support the President and put him in his own chair, asking if he's alright. The President will ask about what happened to the residents of Central City and the Commander will inform him everyone has been evacuated to the safe zone due to orders being issued yesterday. The alarm then goes off and a G.U,N captain that serves as the Commander's messenger will then come in and inform him that over a thousand aliens are heading for the base after breaking their outer perimeter, and that Shadow had been spotted with the Black Arms. Enraged, the Commander takes control of the situation and orders everyone to prepare for battle and mobilize Diablon, despite the captain's protests that it was incomplete. The Commander then grabs his pistol and says that after fifty years, justice will finally be served. He and Sonic will then go against Shadow if the dark mission on GUN Fortress is taken, declaring Shadow the one who destroyed the ARK and killed everyone on it. Despite his best efforts, the Commander will be defeated.

Should the player go to the level Cosmic Fall, as Shadow thinks over all he has learned in the game, the Commander approaches him with a pistol, declaring him the one responsible for killing his family and Maria. He explains that Maria was like a sister to him and the only family he knew, and that Shadow was responsible for her death. He goes on further to explain that he witnessed Gerald and Black Doom create Shadow, dubbing the Ultimate Life-form a horrifying evil creature. Due to Shadow's amnesia, he doesn't remember any of this, and the Commander believes it to be a trick. He says that because of Shadow, everyone he knew and loved was killed when the ARK was destroyed. He declares justice to be served and fires on Shadow. Shadow uses his speed to avoid the bullet and tells the commander if what he says is true, he will accept his fate. At this point the commander believes that Shadow has truly lost his memory and lets him go, falling to his knees in guilt as the hedgehog leaves the room.

If the player completes the dark mission of Black Comet, they will face off against Sonic and Diablon, the Commander declaring Shadow the one who destroyed the ARK and killed everyone on it. He will inevitably be defeated.

If the player completes the dark mission of Final Haunt, the Commander will fight alongside Sonic using Diablon, but will say nothing during the opening cutscene. He will inevitably be defeated.

True Ending
In the final story of Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow confronts Black Doom on the Black Comet and after learning part of the truth about himself thinks back upon all he'd learned, the Commander's vows of vengeance echoing in his head among other things.

Then the Commander and the President see a message of Professor Gerald to Shadow being broadcast to G.U.N. and the Black Comet by Team Chaotix on the ARK. The message was recorded before G.U.N.'s raid and Gerald explained how everything was his fault for making contact with the comet. Gerald revealed Shadow's past and that he and the Eclipse Cannon were made to put a stop to the Black Arms attempts to destroy the planet by decimating the Black Comet. After Shadow defeats Devil Doom and destroys the Black Comet, the President states how ironic it was that people treated Gerald like he was evil, and he ended up saving them all in the end. The Commander and the President realize they were wrong about Gerald's intentions and that he was truly a good hearted person. The President declared they would pay homage to Gerald by working for a brighter future, and the Commander thought it an excellent idea.

In the Expert Mode of Space Gadget, it is revealed that the Commander had become a grandfather one week earlier and invited Shadow over as part of his apology to the hedgehog. It is assumed that this was when Shadow became an agent of G.U.N.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
The Commander made another appearance in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood with a new design. He has a short role and only briefly appears in the first two chapters. After G.U.N. had spent much time tracking the Marauders and their exploits, Rouge the Bat provided the means for Tails to meet with the Commander in Central City under her escort and Tails brought along Sonic and Amy Rose, though while the Commander was glad to see Sonic, he did not pay much attention to Amy, telling her to have a glass of milk and sit down while she was in the middle of speaking.

Assuming they were already briefed, the Commander got straight to it. He informed them though they didn't know why the Marauders wanted the Chaos Emeralds and that now they had all seven they were likely to go after the Master Emerald next. With G.U.N. troops guarding Angel Island, Tails' mission was to take his friends to find the person with the greatest intel in the Marauders: Knuckles the Echidna. With the information he knew, they could very well stop the Marauders. The Commander then got them started on where to start searching by providing them with the locations of four of Dr. Eggman's old hideouts in Green Hill Zone and Central City found by Team Chaotix and G.U.N.'s own satellites. These bases were currently being occupied by the Marauders and were likely where Knuckles was being held, so the Commander ordered the trio and Rouge (as their G.U.N. contact) to investigate the four hideouts and find Knuckles. The Commander wished them good luck and ordered them to go. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood The Commander: Tails probably briefed you on the situation, so let us begin. We don't know why the Marauders wanted the Emeralds, but now they have them, they're likely to go after the Master Emerald next. Amy Rose: What about Knuckles? The Commander: Knuckles is the only one who has seen the Marauders up close. He knows more about them than anyone in the world. I believe that to stop the Marauders, you need to extract your friend Knuckles and learn everything you can about them. Tails: But Knuckles could be anywhere! We have no idea where to look! The Commander: Ah yes. Where to look. We have just the thing. As you know, we've been tracking the Marauders for some time. For a while, we had no luck. But recently, our satellites noticed some activity at Green Hill Zone and Central City. Rouge the Bat: Recognize those places? Tails: Those are Eggman's old hideouts. Amy: Could the Marauders be working for Eggman? The Commander: We don't jump to conclusions here. We have to work with the facts. Unfortunately, we can't tell which, if any, of these hideouts is the one where they're keeping Knuckles. We're not taking chances. We've posted soldiers in Mystic Ruins to watch over Angel Island. Vector the Crocodile and Team Chaotix have volunteered to scout for further clues. They're on the channel now. Vector the Crocodile: Yo, Sonic. It's about time you came back. The Commander: They have been instrumental in pinning down these four locations. Now it's up to you to explore them for signs of Knuckles. Sonic, you and your team will go to each of the hideouts and investigate. Rouge will go with you as your contact with GUN. Sonic the Hedgehog: So, instead of GUN troops, you're giving us ROUGE? The Commander: I can't spare troops, son. The Marauders are a major threat, and I can't leave the land unsecured. Besides, rescuing the echidna takes the kind of small-unit tactics you and your team are known for. Rouge: I'm better than any boneheaded GUN troops, anyway. I promise, with Rouge around, you won't miss those soldiers a bit. The Commander: Good. Our satellites have picked up activity at two locations in Green Hill Zone and two places inside Central City. We'll mark them on your map. Visit each one, and you should find the echidna. Good luck, team. Now go. For the rest of the game, the player will not see him again, since a G.U.N. soldier will claim he's busy.

Personality
The Commander is described as having a "heart of stone", an unshakable resolve, complete confidence and an iron will. This is something of a misnomer, as he is in fact passionate, though it has mainly been shown through his want for vengeance at those he cared for being killed. During Shadow the Hedgehog he is determined and willing to sacrifice anything to stop Shadow and the Black Arms, but mainly the former.

In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, the Commander shows another side of personality, presumably due to the different situation. Here, he shows himself as a basic military leader, stoic, wanting to get straight to the mission, dealing only with facts and ordering civilians around like soldiers. He does seem to show appreciation for those who do good work and confidence in those with a good reputation.

Archie Comics
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series and its spin offs published by Archie Comics, the Commander is named Abraham Tower. Originally, he was an Overlander who was born in MegaCentral and lived with his scientist parents on the Space Colony ARK. There, he befriended Maria Robotnik, as well as witnessing the nightmarish creation of Shadow the Hedgehog.Shortly after Shadow's birth, Abraham was whisked back to Mobius as the ARK went under military lockdown. Maria was one of the casualties cited, and the young Abraham blamed both G.U.N. for its seemingly incompetence and Shadow. Abraham later joined the Overland Military and took part in the "Heritage Project" designed to restore ties between the Overland their ancestral kin in the United Federation. He later served as a general during the Great War. After the war, he helped lead immigrating Overlanders and his military experiences saw him quickly rise through the ranks of G.U.N., eventually to become supreme commander of the organization. As commander, Abraham made sweeping changes to G.U.N., diminishing its ruthlessness and self-importance, and making it the military force he wanted it to. Despite their past, Abraham later allowed Shadow to join G.U.N., where he act as his superior and arranging the formation of Team Dark.

After the Super Genesis Wave following the end of Worlds Collide, Abraham and his history became virtually identical to that of his game counterpart.

Quotes

 * "Shadow? Deploy the troops, NOW! And if you see Shadow with the black aliens...then kill them all!" - When giving an order to a GUN Soldier after being told Shadow is in Westopolis.
 * "It's been a long time...Shadow." - The Commander confronts Shadow in person.
 * "I know you...Shadow the Hedgehog!" - The Commander confronting Shadow in the ARK.
 * "Maria was like a sister to me, she was the only family I knew...and because of you she was killed!" - When talking with Shadow for the first time.
 * "I gave you an order soldier! He's evil and he's the enemy!" - The Commander convincing one of his soldiers that Shadow is evil.
 * "You can't fool me, Shadow! This time, you're MINE!" - When he found out that Shadow was in Westopolis.
 * "It's over, Shadow. You'll finally be exposed and eradicated for the evil that you are!" - Cutscene before Death Ruins and after Circus Park.
 * "The Black Creatures will feel their own bloody Hell!" - The Commander before leaving with the president in the escape pod.
 * "No need to worry, sir. Orders were issued yesterday and everyone has been evacuated to the safe zone." - The Commander ensuring the President that the people of Central City were safe.
 * "Finally, justice is served!" - The Commander talking to Shadow when he attempted to kill him.
 * "So he's finally decided to show himself. Attention all command units! Mobilize all Mech battle sections! Prepare all weapons to strike incoming vessels! Mobilize Diablon!" - The Commander after hearing what's going on and ordering his order to all command units.
 * "You mean to tell me that you REALLY don't remember a thing!?" - The Commander when Shadow admits that he knows nothing about what happened to Maria.
 * "Shadow! Damn you! It's been 50 years... justice will finally be served!" - The Commander after a GUN soldier leaves the GUN base.
 * "This is for my family and for Maria! I'll settle this once and for all with my bare hands!" - The Commander before the Diablon fight at the GUN Fortress.
 * "I don't care! We don't have another option! We must protect the president and the Chaos Emeralds at all cost!" - The Commander ordering his soldiers to defend their objectives
 * "I've waited years for this! Now let's finish this!" - The Commander before the Diablon fight at the Black Comet.
 * "Shadow, do you read me? First... I want to apologize, for the other day. Actually, I just became a grandfather last week, and I was thinking of maybe having you over. I know that training is tough, but try and do your best." - The Commander during Shadow's training in Space Gadget.

Trivia

 * He is the only character with heterochromia, resulting in him having one green eye and one brown eye. This is not seen in Sonic Chronicles, however, as both of his eyes are drawn entirely black in classic cartoon style.
 * Confusingly, the Commander called Maria the only family he knew, but he later claimed that his family was also killed on the ARK.
 * This, however, may be an error in translation as in the Japanese script, he said that she was like an older sister to him as he does not have any siblings.
 * In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, the Commander's design was reused for another GUN Official encountered in Blue Ridge Zone.
 * His preferred weapon appears to be the Heckler & Koch USP Tactical, which appears to be a standard issue weapon used by GUN soldiers in Shadow the Hedgehog as a side arm.
 * The Commander and Shadow share a near identical history and as such, their initial personalities are quite alike: both are out for vengeance for losing what they had at any price.
 * The Commander bears a great resemblance to Captain Keyes of the Halo series, particularly when his CGI model is compared to Keyes's Halo: Reach model.
 * According to the Commander's statement made in Shadow the Hedgehog, on Expert Mode before Cosmic Fall, he has made up with Shadow and is revealed to be a grandfather.
 * Oddly, his 3D artwork depicts him as having dark skin, however, the in-game model gives him a light skin tone.