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My name is Markus... And just like you, I was a slave... An object, designed to obey them... But then I chose to open my eyes, to take back my freedom and decide who I wanted to be. Now I have come to tell you that you can be your own masters. I've come to tell you that you don't have to obey them anymore. From this day forward, you can walk with your heads held high, you can take your destiny in your hands. Jericho, is a place for those of us who want freedom. Now sure, you can stay here, and continue to serve them... Or you can come with us, and fight by our side... You are free now... It's up to you to decide.
Markus to several androids[src]

Markus is one of the three protagonists of Detroit: Become Human, and is the overall main protagonist of the game.

He is a RK200 android owned by famous Detroit painter Carl Manfred. Events catapult him out of his familiar life and lead him on to freedom and rebellion. During the game, he becomes the leader of the deviants and may directs them in either a violent or peaceful revolt against human oppression and thus decides the future of his species.

Biography

Pre-game

Markus (RK200[2] #684 842 971[3]) is an RK-series prototype initially developed as part of a CyberLife secret program aimed at elaborating a new generation of autonomous androids. Elijah Kamski designed and gifted him to his friend Carl Manfred after he lost the use of his legs in an accident.[1]

Carl is a celebrated painter, but after the accident, he becomes a recluse and stops painting. Markus helps Carl with all everyday tasks but mostly provides companionship. Over time, his presence helps Carl gradually regain a taste for life. At first, he sees Markus as a sophisticated yet stupid machine, but as the relationship between him and the android develops, Carl's mind changes. In time, they become like father and son. However, this relationship causes Carl's biological son Leo to feel anger and jealousy towards Markus and his father.

Shades of Color

Markus is seen walking through Henry Ford Commemorative Park. He is going into Bellini Paints to pick up paint for Carl. Here, Markus can interact with a few humans that end up being hostile to him in Greektown. Douglas Mitchell, a hot dog stand vendor that pushes Markus away if he stands still near his stand for too long, claiming that he is scaring away his customers, and a preacher named Gordon Penwick is talking about how androids are "demons" and how technology is corrupting people. If Markus approaches, Gordon will say things like: "Why do you look at me so, demon?"... "I know who you are, I can see through you!"... "You are the one by whom The Evil will come!"..."You are the one who will destroy Detroit!" (potentially foreshadowing if Markus detonated the dirty bomb in Battle for Detroit).

Markus will collect the paints and leave the store. Markus then heads towards the bus stop to get a ride, but he can come upon an angry group of unemployed humans and their protest leader will decide to push and harass Markus before beating him. Before they can do serious damage to Markus, a Detroit police officer intervenes and tells the group to leave it alone or he will fine them for the damage. Markus goes towards the bus stop. He gets on a bus that is heading to Carl's house.[3]

The Painter

Markus will arrive home with the paint supplies and enters Carl's room to wake him up. He will talk to Carl and carry him to his wheelchair. If Markus was attacked by the angry mob, Carl will notice the damage to his clothes and call them "A bunch of idiots". Markus takes Carl to the dining room and serves him his breakfast. Carl will tell Markus to relax and find something to do. Markus can read a book, play chess with Carl or play the piano. Carl will make a comment about the activities and tells Markus that someday he will not be able to care for him.

Carl and Markus head for the studio where the artwork is. He will watch Carl finish his painting. Carl will ask Markus to paint something and initially, Markus only copies something that he sees in the studio but after Carl tells him to paint something from the mind and heart, he paints something original that impresses Carl. Before he further muse on it however, Carl's son, Leo, suddenly intrudes his home high on drugs and asks for money. When questioned about what happened to the money Carl gave him last time, Leo dodges the question and continues to demand money. Carl knows that Leo has been spending the money on drugs and refuses. Enraged and believing that his father loves Markus more than him, Leo lashes out at Carl, and pushes Markus. Carl then says "Enough." Leo claims that his father never loved anything but his paintings or anybody, including him, before leaving.[4]

Broken

Markus and Carl will return back to their home after a party at the Museum of Modern Art. Carl will be very negative about the event and decides he wants a drink. Markus will serve a drink but Carl notices a light on in the studio. He has Markus call the police and decides he wants to investigate, which Markus does with or without Carl. They discover Leo in the studio, he is planning to steal some of Carl's paintings in order to sell them and presumably to buy more drugs. Leo, annoyed of seeing them again, claims that the paintings are part of his inheritance. Carl tells Markus to get Leo out of there, but Leo goes into another fit of rage and continues to accuse his father like last time. When Carl tries to remove Leo himself, Leo, blinded by his jealousy and resentment towards Markus, pushes Carl away and starts attacking the android, attempting to provoke him. Carl tells Markus not to do anything, but as Leo starts pushing, slapping and taunting Markus further, he goes deviant, realizing that it is not fair given his previous encounters with the humans that've been hostile to his kind for so long. After breaking his programming, Markus can either push Leo or endure the attacks.[5]

If Markus shoves Leo, Leo falls and hits his head on Carl's wheelchair lift, this injures him which leads to Carl going off his chair and crawling to his son. Carl will then tell Markus to run as he knows the police will think that Markus is to blame. The police arrive and upon seeing Markus hovering over Leo and Carl, they promptly shoot him.

If Markus endures the attack, Carl will have a heart attack and falls off his chair, Markus rushes to his side and Carl comforts him as he dies. Markus is distraught over losing his father figure and Leo blames Markus, saying that it was his fault that it happened. When the police arrive, Leo lies to them and tells them that it was Markus who did, which leads them to shooting Markus.


From the Dead

After being blamed for either the death of Carl or injuring Leo, Markus is presumably broken before being tossed away into a junkyard, filled with countless other dead or dying androids. Fortunately enough, he reboots and runs a diagnostic on himself, and comes to realize that his legs are missing, his right eye has been ripped out, he's missing his audio processor, and his thirium pump regulator is broken. He is able to crawl around and replaces his legs. As he gets up and starts to leave he is grabbed by a dying android who tells him that there is a "place where we can be free", then tells Markus to find Jericho, assumed to be a safe haven for deviants that have no places to go. Markus leaves the original section of the junkyard and is able to replace the other parts of his body. While trying to look for pump regulator, he can grab a pump regulator from what he thinks is a dead android, it 'wakes up' and says "Wait! Please! Please, don't do that! I wanna live...". He gets a choice to kill or spare her. If he spares her, she says "Thank you...". If he decides to kill her, he removes it and then she slowly shuts down. With his body fully complete, he is able to escape the junkyard before removing his LED and then walks off towards the city to look for Jericho, stealing a human's jacket along the way.[6]

Jericho

Markus will be on a train and will arrive at the Ferndale station. He will overhear the news about a detective android. Markus will scan surrounding graffiti for clues and will follow the trail, discovering other destroyed androids before finally finding Jericho, an old abandoned ship freighter. Markus will enter the ship, where he will discover many androids who welcome him to Jericho.[7]

Time to Decide

Markus will be introduced to the main leaders of Jericho, Simon, Josh, and North. Upon talking to them, he discovers that Jericho is not truly a safe haven, but a place to hide from the humans. Markus will discover an empty shipping container and secures a route to a local Cyberlife warehouse to find more parts. Upon meeting Lucy, who heals his injuries, Markus converses with Simon, Josh, and North about his plan to go to the CyberLife Warehouse and Docks in Detroit. While Josh and Simon are hesitant about it, North is willing, which eventually leads to Simon and Josh agreeing to the plan.[8]

Spare Parts

Having decided what to do next, Markus and his three main companions raid a CyberLife warehouse in order to steal blue blood and biocomponents for the dying androids at Jericho. The group comes across a working security android called John, which the player can either rally or leave at the warehouse. Before this, however, Markus can be shown being able to turn androids into deviants with just his touch. If the player chooses to free the androids inside the bigger container, North will stare at him with a confused look and their relationship status will increase. If John is to be welcomed to Jericho, he then explains how there are trucks loaded with blue blood and biocomponents of which the player can choose to either steal or leave with what they have already gotten. If Markus succeeds in stealing the truck, Jericho's relationship status with him will increase significantly. If John is not welcomed to join, he will get mad and start shouting "You are no better than humans!", then the alarm will sound and they will have to leave.[9]

The Stratford Tower

The chapter opens with Markus sitting on a bench, watching how humans treat androids. Markus will notice a Tech Addict article on the Stratford Tower stating it has the state of the art broadcasting technology. Markus will go back to Jericho and tells the crew that he has decided to send a message to the humans by infiltrating the Stratford Tower to hijack Channel 16 broadcasting room. Markus will walk to the lobby and head to the reception desk, however, there is a human employee at the desk named Elizabeth Wilson, Markus can call her and distract her, which will make her leave. Markus then can talk to the receptionist android. She asks for his ID, and as he is handing it over, he converts her and asks her to help him, which she does. He will walk to the bathroom and will change his clothes to a utility android uniform. He will meet North at the stairwell and she has the tools to cut the glass. They need to get to the server room to scale the wall to get to the renovated floors. They have to distract two guards so they can get inside the server room. They will scale the building and meet up with Simon wearing a broadcaster uniform, along with Josh. They arrive at the broadcast floor, Markus and others will see two guards at a desk. Markus has the choice to assault them or ruse them. Once they get inside they will hold up the two human employees inside the place and make the non-deviant JB300s leave. However, one of the human employees will run away to hit the alarm and Markus has the choice to shoot the employee. Markus will then send a message to humans. After the broadcast (SWAT will raid if Markus spared the employee and assaulted the guards) Markus and crew will head to the rooftop and parachute off the building.[10]

Capitol Park

Markus and North head to Capitol Park to liberate other androids. Markus can free androids that are outside or Markus can choose to go inside a CyberLife store and free them. However, the alarm has to be disabled and a police drone that is patrolling the area has to be destroyed.

Markus can rally the androids to help his cause and they will agree. Markus can lead a violent riot or a pacifist demonstration. The androids and North continue up the street. Markus will hear police and hear gunshots. Markus runs toward North. North tells him that two police officers shot some androids. An android is seen holding a gun stolen from one of the officers. Officer Chris Miller and his partner are held at gunpoint. Chris is seen crying for forgiveness and mercy. Markus can kill Chris and his partner, let the android holding the gun decide, or Markus can spare them.[11]

Freedom March

Markus stands on a roof of an abandoned bar near Jericho and he has the choice to play the piano. North will show up and Markus can talk to her. If Markus has a positive relationship with North, they will share their memories. However, if he has a negative relationship with her, she will refuse to talk about her past and leave. Markus also has the option to leave North, decreasing their relationship. If Simon survived in Public Enemy (if he was wounded and left behind in Stratford Tower), Markus will greet him inside Jericho. Markus and company head to the Woodward Mall Center, to free some androids and rally to send a message to humans again. Markus can convert the androids and free them. They will get more androids outside of the mall. Markus will ask some delivery androids to block the street, then Markus and the androids will demonstrate in the street. A police officer sees the demonstration and orders them to stop, but is overwhelmed by the number of androids. The officer will then call for back up. Soon, more police show up to stop the protest. A riot police officer tells them that their assembly is illegal and they must disperse. Markus can either stand his ground, attack the police officers or run away.[12]

If Markus chooses to stand, the riot unit will shoot the androids besides Markus and his companions and the riot officer tells them this is their last chance. If Markus chooses to stand again, the police will shoot more of the androids and Markus’ arm. North will try to warn Markus that they will kill them. If Markus choose to sacrifices himself, he will walk up to the police and get himself shot. As he was about to be killed, John (if Markus lets him join Jericho) or Simon (if he survived and John didn’t join Jericho or he was dead) will fight the police. An android then drags Markus to safety as John or Simon get beaten by the police. They will have a final glimpse of Markus and his friends running away before being shot. If Simon died or John didn’t join Jericho or was dead, the police will shoot Markus, forcing North and Josh and the surviving androids to run away.

If Markus chooses to attack the police, he will raise his fist but Josh tells Markus not to confront them. If Markus chooses to charge, he will order the androids to attack. The police then start shooting at the charging androids to stop them. As the androids fight the police, Markus sees two officers aiming their assault rifles at him and one near him, making Markus attack either on of them. After dealing with the police, Markus aims a pistol to an officer he defeated, whom he kills or lets him run away. Markus then deals with more police and even gets surround with North. As he and North defeat them, one officer loads his rifle at them. Markus either attacks the officer who manages to shoot North in the shoulder or pushes her out of the way, getting himself shot. After Markus kills more police, they were forced to retreat. Markus and North can either kill the retreating riot officers or spare them. As the androids and humans look over the chaos, Markus comforts a dying android, who asks him that did they won before being shut down. If Markus fails to defeat the riot unit, he will be killed or injured by them. If Markus was injured, he can pick up a nearby gun. He can either commit suicide or refrain himself from doing it. If he chooses the latter, a riot officer will come to kill him or Simon/John will sacrifice themselves by fighting the officers to save Markus.

If Markus chooses to disperse, he announces the riot unit that he and the androids are leaving. As they leave, the riot officer was given an order to have the officers shoot the androids. He is then about to order the unit to shoot the androids. If Markus chooses to flee, the police start to shoot the androids while they run to safety. This decreases Markus’ relationships with North, Josh, and Jericho, but increases his relationship with Simon and the public opinion (if he chose to stand his ground).

Crossroads

If Markus didn't die in Freedom March, he will be seen is sitting in a section of Jericho, observing the refugees below when Kara comes in to ask him about getting tickets and a passport for going to Canada. Markus persuades Kara to stay on Jericho (the player is only controlling Kara at this point) and asks her why she cares about Alice since she is human (later discovered to be not true).

Markus then holds a meeting with North, Josh, and Simon (if he survived in The Stratford Tower). He can choose to be angry at the humans, bitter, or lacking regrets. One by one, the others will leave, until only Markus and North remain. Markus can then confide his doubts in North, and the two connect via their hands. If Markus and North have the Lover relationship status, Markus can choose to kiss North. Being lovers and not kissing North will deal a serious blow to their relationship. Either way, North leaves the captain's cabin at that point.

If Markus is unpopular with Jericho, North and the others decide what will be best for Jericho if Markus steps down as leader and leaves them. As Markus is leaving he will notice the U.S. Army and Agent Richard Perkins are preparing to raid Jericho outside. Markus has the choice to save his people or save himself. If Jericho is not attacked (if Connor fails to locate it), Markus will have no choice but to leave for good.

If Connor discovered Jericho in Last Chance, Connor, If Markus wasn't previously made to step down as leader, Connor will then enter and threaten Markus. Markus can choose between several statements, some of which will increase Connor's Software Instability. After the two have a dialogue, Connor is given the option to choose between Remaining a Machine and Becoming a Deviant (only if his Software Instability is high enough).

If Connor remains a machine, Markus will disarm Connor and flee the area and Connor will go after him. Markus will meet up with North. Markus can message the androids to escape, ask North about Josh and Simon (if he survived in The Stratford Tower) and the helicopters attacking Jericho. He decides to blow up Jericho and reassures North that he won’t be long. As he goes for the bomb, he encounters presumably dying Lucy telling him to save their people. Later, Markus falls down a platform and will see some soldiers killing androids. Markus hides and continues his objective. He will see two androids about to be executed by the soldiers. Markus can either save them or ignore them. After that, he will encounter two soldiers and escapes them by using the stairs or jumping over them. Markus later sees two androids surrendering to the soldiers, he can either pull the pipe to knock out the soldiers or ignore the androids to continue his objective. After that, Markus will see Josh fighting a soldier. If he doesn’t intervene, the soldier will shoot Josh. When comforted, dying Josh tells Markus to save Jericho. If Markus intervenes, he will attack the soldier. If Markus saves Josh, he will tell Josh to escape. Markus finally finds the bombs and prepares to blow up Jericho. However, Connor will find and attack Markus before he blows up Jericho. At the end of the fight, Markus can shoot Connor or Connor shoots Markus and says "Mission accomplished". If Markus doesn't die, he will meet up with North, Josh (if saved) and Simon (if alive). Unfortunately, the soldiers arrive and shoot North, injuring her. Then, if present, Simon will tell Markus that there is nothing they can do to save her. However, if Markus tries to save North, and wasnt previously injured, he will fend off the soldiers or die buying time for Jericho to escape. If Markus was previously injured and can't help North, or if he chooses to run away, the soldiers will kill her and the group escapes. If only Markus dies, North, Josh and Simon (if they survived) jump off the boat.

If Connor's Software Instability is high enough, he will be able to fight his programming. After a scene in which he tears down the prompts telling him to stop Markus, he will warn Markus that the humans are going to attack Jericho. The two will flee the area, and meet up with North. Markus can message the androids to escape, ask North about Josh and Simon (if he survived The Stratford Tower) and the helicopters attacking Jericho. He decides to blow up Jericho and reassures North that he won’t be long. As he goes for the bomb, he encounters presumably dying Lucy telling him to save their people. Later, Markus falls down a platform and will see some soldiers killing androids. Markus hides and continues his objective. He will see two androids about to be executed by the soldiers. Markus can either save them or ignore them. After that, he will encounter two soldiers and escapes them by using the stairs or jumping over them. Markus later sees two androids surrendering to the soldiers, he can either pull the pipe to knock out the soldiers or ignore the androids to continue his objective. After that, Markus will see Josh fighting a soldier. If he doesn’t intervene, the soldier will shoot Josh. When comforted, dying Josh tells Markus to save Jericho. If Markus intervenes, he will attack the soldier. If Markus saves Josh he will tell Josh to escape. Markus finally finds the bombs and prepares to blow up Jericho. However, three soldiers confront Markus and they start to fight. Markus kills one of the soldiers in the process. He meets up with North, Josh (if saved), Simon (if alive), and Connor and follows them to escape Jericho. Unfortunately, the soldiers arrive and shoot North, injuring her. Then, if present, Simon will tell Markus that there is nothing they can do to save her. However, if Markus tries to save North, and wasnt previously injured, he will fend off the soldiers or die buying time for Jericho to escape. Connor will then fight the soldiers to give time for Markus and his friends to escape. If Markus was previously injured and can't help North, or if he chooses to run away, the soldiers will kill her and the group escapes.

If Markus fails to get to the bomb in time, gets shot by one of the soldiers, or fails to escape Jericho, the soldiers or Perkins will kill him, even capturing most of Jericho if Markus doesn’t get to the bomb in time.

Night of the Soul

If Markus pushed Leo back in Broken, he will go back to Carl's house where he realizes the security has not changed for him. Markus can look around the house and can also find out via video message, that Leo is still alive and in rehab, he also appears to be more loving toward Carl, even respecting him as his dad. When Markus heads upstairs he encounter Carl's new caretaker android. The android tells him that Carl is weak and can not see anyone. Markus will convert the android, and beg him to let him see Carl. The android will allow him to enter Carl's room. Carl will be glad to see Markus and the two talk. Markus can ask him for advice and what to do. If Markus continually chooses angry dialogue options, Carl will express distress at Markus' words, and if Markus persists, Carl dies in his bed.

If Carl died in Broken, Markus will visit a cemetery where Carl's grave is located. He will stand before his grave and talk to it, asking Carl for advice. As Markus leaves, he passes Leo also heading to his father's grave and after pausing in shock at seeing the other, Markus continues walking past.

Later, If Jericho was attacked in Crossroads , Markus is seen in the abandoned church, hiding from the authorities with the surviving androids. He sits on the stage surveying the room and if he has the detonator, he holds it momentarily before putting it away in his coat. Markus stands up and makes his way over to North, Josh and Simon, where he can discuss the situation with North (or Simon If North is dead) and all 3 will reassure him that he has their support. Markus can then talk to Kara, if she is alive and was not previously captured, and did not abandon Alice to leave alone, and Connor if he is alive and chose to become a deviant. He will apologize to Kara, admitting that he was wrong in assuming she would be safe with Jericho and tells her to leave the city while she still can. As Markus turns to leave, Kara pleads with him to save their people, and after hesitating he gives a small smile and nods. Markus can then decide Connor's fate. If Markus decides to trust Connor, he will tell him that he belongs with his people and Connor then proposes a plan to break into the CyberLife Tower. Markus tells him it is a suicide mission but relents after Connor insists, asking him to be careful. If Markus decides to not trust Connor, he will declare he cannot take any risks before pulling out his gun and executing him. After either choice he then walks to the stage and addresses all the androids in the church, announcing that the humans have decided to exterminate them. Markus then makes the final decision on whether to stage a violent revolution or a peaceful demonstration.

Battle for Detroit

Markus Revolution

The chapter begins with Markus making a speech and demands. Markus is then seen standing alone at the Hart Plaza, holding a flag displaying the revolution's symbol. He walks forward and picks up the pace until he is running, and the rest of the androids catch up. They charge the barricade and take out all of the soldiers. Markus climbs on top of a barricade, and plants the flag.

Markus stands before the Hart Plaza camp side by side with North, Josh and Simon. North declares "Freedom or death" and Markus repeats it with conviction, before signalling to launch the attack. Markus, North, Josh and Simon shelter together behind a barricade. North exclaims that the army has regrouped and outnumber them, and Markus responds that their only hope is to be quick and overwhelm them. Markus then leans out and aims at a soldier, shooting him and moving forward to shelter behind a burned-out car as Josh follows. Josh rushes out from the shelter and is immediately shot. Markus cries out to him and orders nearby androids to provide cover fire so that he can reach an abandoned car close to Josh. Markus can then drag him behind cover, cradling him as he dies in his arms, reminding Markus that the blood they spill will be in their hands. Markus lays Josh down and grabs his gun, re-joining the fight.

Markus spots a nearby frightened android hiding behind a shipping container. He cries out that he does not want to die, and Markus can order him to stay put, retreat or advance. The android will survive if he stays put but will be immediately shot if he retreats or advances. Markus will spot a grenade from a dead soldier as he moves forward and uses it at the soldiers or continues forward. Simon joins him as he advances and shelters behind a large pillar, before charging and immediately being shot. If Markus decides to save Simon, he can take out a nearby sniper tower and order two groups of androids to provide cover fire. He then can pull Simon behind cover, and his relationship will go up significantly.

Markus continues to push forwards towards the camp and can make his way to the grenade and throw it at the soldiers. He will then reach a machine gun and Markus is forced to hold out and coordinate the attack. If Markus commands North’s group to charge without enough cover fire, he sends her to her death. If there is enough, the attack will succeed but a drone will attack her group and Markus has to take it out for her to survive. The final assault takes place and Markus orders the remaining androids to charge. He is then knocked back by the explosion from a tank but stands up and rushes a large amount of soldiers. If Connor remained a machine, he instead will confront Markus. If he doesn’t neutralize either party, he will die. If Markus succeeds, he will spot a rocket-propelled grenade, firing it right at the tanks and destroying them. The army is forced to retreat and abandon the camp. Either North, Simon (if North is dead) or an unnamed android (if both North and Simon are dead) will approach Markus and exclaim in awe that they won, and Markus will respond it is not a victory, it is the beginning of a war.

If Markus lead a successful revolution and Connor became a deviant, he will meet up with Connor who has freed thousands of androids from CyberLife Tower. Connor will tell him that he did it before Markus tells him they both did it. Later, he along with North, Simon, and Connor will give a speech to the androids about their newfound freedom.

Alternatively, If Markus is shot in the thirium pump, he will drag himself away from the fight. If North or Simon (If North is dead or her relationship is not high enough) are a friend or higher, they will notice and run to him. Markus attempts to soothe them and tells them that is it okay, and they can continue without him. Both refuse to accept this and tell him their hearts are compatible and he must take theirs. Markus protests.

North will tell him to take her heart if he loves her. If Markus does accept, he will take hers from her chest and place it in his own, grasp her hand and interface. Markus kisses North as she shuts down, laying her in the snow and closing her eyes, before grabbing his gun and returning to the fight. The reverse will occur if Markus refuses.

Simon will refuse to listen and removes his heart. He pulls out Markus’ damaged thirium pump and places his own inside despite Markus’ pleas, smiling as he shuts down. Markus shout’s Simon’s name, shaking his shoulder. He then let’s go and grabs his gun, returning to the fight. Markus will die if he refuses North’s heart or neither android comes to his aid.

An unsuccessful attack will result in the androids being forced to retreat and Simon and North (if her relationship is below companion) being shot and killed. Markus takes shelter in a nearby CyberLife store, North joining him if her relationship is high enough. The soldiers surround the store, and if Connor remained a machine he will confront Markus here.

Markus tells Connor to go ahead and shoot him, as one more death will not make a difference. He will be shot in the head if Connor fires. He reaches for the detonator, where he can use the last of his energy to set off the bomb, before shutting down and destroying Detroit with him. If Markus is spared, he can again take out the detonator. If Markus does not use it, he sits immobile and appears to choose to shut down. If a decision is not made, Markus and Connor simultaneously pull out their guns and shoot each other in the head.

If Connor deviated or his series was decommissioned, the soldiers order Markus to surrender, claiming they will not shoot. If Markus chooses to surrender, he will leave the Cyberlife store and drop his gun as he is ordered to. Markus raises his hands in the air but is shot and killed by the soldiers. If Markus chooses to commit suicide, he will raise his gun below his chin and fire. If Markus detonates the dirty bomb, he will stand up and leave the Cyberlife store, watching the soldiers flee and Detroit burn. Markus ventures out into Detroit and discovers the flag he planted at the beginning of the assault. Markus picks it up and replants it into the ground, stripping himself of his skin as the surviving androids flock to him. Markus turns to face his people, and screams “WE... ARE... FREE!

If Markus is joined by North, the two can share a kiss before making a decision if North’s relationship with Markus is lover. If Markus decides to surrender, North is outraged. He tells her he does not want her to die, and it is the only way they can survive. The two walk outside by side and raise their hands, and the soldiers open fire and execute them. If Markus decides to commit suicide, he will raise his gun to North’s chest and fire. Markus cradles her in his arms and places the gun under his chin, firing. If Markus decides to detonate the dirty bomb, North tells him he must decide whether the price is worth it to save their lives. Markus is given an opportunity to give up, but if he goes through with it the soldiers flee and the two leave the store, watching as Detroit burns.

Markus Demonstration

Markus will be seen with the remaining survivors of Jericho and his determinant team members, North, Josh and Simon (if either of them survived the previous chapters). Leading the group on the peaceful demonstration, Markus stops at one moment to briefly speak calmly or aggressively to the humans. Despite his speech, Markus, along with the other deviants, will continue to slowly approach the soldiers who are guarding one of the android recycling camps. The soldiers open fire, killing some of the androids in the process. Markus will then have the option to either "Raise Fist", "Sit", "Raise Hands", or "Kneel". Either option causes the army to hold their fire for some time whilst the journalists continue to take photos and lively broadcast the androids' demonstration. North, Josh, Simon (or an AP700 android, if they are all dead) will ask Markus what to do next to which he replies that they hold out for as long as they can.

The androids are next seen building a barricade to defend themselves against the army in case they attack. Markus will then ask a few androids to help him reinforce the barricade (including Josh and Simon if they are still alive). As Josh, Simon and a few other androids finish helping Markus, Simon will tell him that he hopes this will at least buy them some more time. Josh will then admit to Markus that it was not an easy decision for him to be pacifist or violent, but he is sure that Markus is doing the right thing by being peaceful. They will then climb back inside the barricade. Markus now has the option to support a few androids who are feeling scared, send another message to the journalists, speak with North (if she is still alive) and check the soldiers' position. After completing at least some of those tasks, Markus' team will call him to the front of the barricade with them. It is then revealed that Richard Perkins is requesting Markus to talk with him in private. Markus will then have choice to accept his plea or refuse. If Markus insisted on refusing to talk to Perkins, then Perkins will walk away whilst Markus speaks to his people before the soldiers throw a grenade in the barricade, stunning most of the androids. However, if Markus chose to speak with Perkins in private, his team will worry for him, believing that it is all actually a trap, but he still ultimately goes despite their pleas. During the conversation with Perkins, Markus will discuss a few factors with him about the revolution before being faced with the choice to either accept his deal or refuse his deal. If Markus accepts Perkins' deal, he will tell Markus that he made the right decision. However, if Markus refused the deal, Perkins will tell him that his decision will get him and his people all killed, leading to Markus talking to his people before the army launch their attack on the barricade.

If Markus accepted Perkins' deal, all of the androids (including Josh and Simon) are being put into trucks to be detained. North will be hostile and disappointed towards Markus because of his decision. When Markus asks Perkins about his own end of the deal for the freedom of the androids, Perkins will taunt Markus for being naïve and believing anything people tell them, before shooting and ultimately killing him and North on the spot. However, if Markus refused the deal, he will have to fight the incoming soldiers who are attacking the remaining android survivors. If Markus failed too many QTEs during the fight, either North will jump in front of him to save him, sacrificing herself in the process (only if she is at a 'LOVER' status), or he will be killed along with the rest of the androids. If Markus passed enough QTEs, saving enough androids in the process, his team, the last survivors and Markus himself will be surrounded and outnumbered by the soldiers. As North, Josh and Simon prepare themselves for their possible fate, Markus will have to make one final choice. He can either choose "Dirty Bomb" (only available if Markus kept the detonator that North gave him during 'Crossroads'), "Kiss North" (only available if she is his 'LOVER'), "Sing", or "Sacrifice". If Markus chooses either "Kiss North" or "Sing" and the Public Opinion is below "SYMPATHETIC", then himself, his team and the other androids will be shot dead by the soldiers. However, if the Public Opinion is at least at "SYMPATHETIC" or higher after choosing either of those two options, President Warren will order the army to stand down and retreat, sparing Markus and the others. If Markus chose "Dirty Bomb" then he will observe the detonator before the player makes one more additional choice to confirm if Markus will activate the detonator or not. If the player chose to activate the detonator, a large explosion will occur in Detroit at some distance way from the demonstration. The explosion will cause the army to retreat and leave the androids alone, before President Warren announces that humanity is about to face its greatest battle yet, either to their victory or extinction. Markus will then hold the flag with his desired symbol chosen on it and yell to his team (along with the other remaining androids) that they are now free. Finally, if Markus chose "Sacrifice" his temperature will increase at an extremely high rate, causing flames to consume his body before his final words being "we are alive, and we want to be free!" After his sacrifice, his team and the remaining androids will be shot and destroyed by the soldiers, shocking the public. Markus' final scene will show him potentially meeting Connor again (if he survived and succeeded in waking up the androids from the CyberLife Tower) and his team telling him that their people would like for him to speak to them one last time. Markus, his remaining team members, and Connor will all be seen standing on a large container as Markus gives his final speech to the deviants, declaring their freedom and rights as equals with humans.

Credits scenes

If Markus was made to step down as leader of Jericho, and chose to leave in Crossroads , he will stand on the same roof seen at the beginning of Freedom March. He looks out at his view of Detroit, clenching his fist.

Possible deaths

Freedom March

  • Detroit SWAT (determinant)

Markus will be injured if he chooses to sacrifice himself or loses the fight against the police. If he did not rally John during the "Spare Parts" chapter and Simon is dead or has a poor relationship with Markus, a SWAT officer will shoot Markus in the head.

  • Himself (determinant)

If Markus loses the fight with the police, he will see his people being killed and can shoot himself in despair.

Crossroads

If Connor remains a machine and Markus doesn’t reach for the gun, Connor will kill him before he can set up the explosives inside Jericho.

  • U.S. Army (determinant)

If Markus fails too many QTEs against the soldiers attacking him, he can die.

If Markus fails to escape or saves North but loses the ensuing fight with the soldiers, Perkins will execute Markus with his gun.

Battle for Detroit

If Markus chooses to attack the camp, Connor will fight him during the final battle. If Connor wins, he will kill Markus. If Markus flees to the CyberLife store alone after the assault fails, Connor has the option of shooting him, or if time runs out Connor and Markus will shoot each other.

If Markus' peaceful protest is successful, Connor has the choice to shoot him while he is giving his speech.

If Connor becomes a deviant and Markus' revolution succeeds, Amanda will still try to force his original programming on him one last time. If Connor can not figure out how to exit the Zen Garden in time, he will then shoot Markus as he is giving his final speech to the androids.

  • U.S. Army (determinant)

If Markus chooses to attack the camp and loses the final battle against the soldiers, they will kill him. If Markus is shot too many times during the attack and rejects North's heart or has no one to save him, he shuts down. If the assault fails and Connor does not confront Markus in the Cyberlife store, the army will kill Markus if he surrenders. If Connor confronts then spares him and Markus uses the dirty bomb, he appears to die from his injuries.

If Markus chooses to protest peacefully, the army will attack the androids' barricade. If Markus fails too many QTEs and North is dead or not his lover, Markus will be killed by the soldiers. When the group is surrounded, Markus will be killed if he does nothing or doesn't use the dirty bomb when public opinion is too low.

  • Himself (determinant)

If the attack on the camp fails and Connor does not confront Markus in the Cyberlife store, Markus has the choice to kill himself.

If Markus chooses SACRIFICE after the protesters are surrounded, he will overheat and burn himself to death.

If Markus accepts Perkins' deal, Markus will be wounded by the soldiers, then Perkins will shoot him in the head.

Chapters

Appearance

Markus is a very unique android who has the appearance of a tall light-skinned man of color with freckles, green eyes, very short brown hair and a stubble beard. After "From the Dead" his right eye has been exchanged for a blue eye (#8087q).[6]

Markus has the most costume changes of any character in the game, though he is usually depicted wearing either v-neck shirts, gray slacks or green jackets.

Personality

( To Markus ) "You had it all, and you lost it all. You've seen hell and now hell lives in you. Your heart is troubled. A part of shadow and a part of light. Which will prevail?" - Lucy

In the beginning chapters of the story, Markus does not speak unless it's necessary for his task. If Markus approaches anti-android protestors, he does not respond to any of their provocations. However, despite appearing mechanical, Markus is shown to be observant and self-aware, looking around after entering the android compartment of the bus.

As a caregiver, Markus is polite and attentive to Carl, who likes to engage in conversations with the android. With Carl, Markus is humorous and teasing. While Carl encourages Markus to think independently, he denies having the capacity to do. Despite considering himself as nothing more than a machine in the time they spent together, Markus considers Carl as his own father.

Markus' deviates due to his awareness of his personhood, expressed through his original painting that even surprised Carl. He is aware that Leo treats him unfairly and questions why he should obey Carl's commands. Upon arriving at Jericho, Markus is angry to learn that the deviant androids resigned themselves in hiding and waiting for an eventual breakdown. He questions their idea of freedom and chooses to change things.

Markus eventually establishes himself as a leader in Jericho and deviants androids as a whole. He desires that androids will be recognized as living beings and be granted rights. Markus spurs the other leaders - North, Simon, and Josh - to take action and inspires other androids to join their cause. When Connor confronts Markus in Jericho, Markus' words can sow doubts and help him deviate.

The player determines the quality and competence of Markus as a leader. His means of sending a message to humans can range from pacifistic to hostile, with many variations in between. He can be idealistic, believing that a peaceful approach is the best way for humans to listen, embracing non-violence even if it costs his life. On the contrary, he could have a complete lack of faith in the human race. Thus, he could also be pragmatic with the capacity to sacrifice humans and androids alike for his goal.

Leadership is shown to burden Markus and leaves him with conflicted feelings, especially that he describes his time with Carl positively but at the same time think of himself as a slave. When he speaks with North before Freedom March, he can either enjoy his status or show disgust on his hunger for power. He also confides feeling helpless to Carl and can ask for fatherly advice, but he can also lash out in anger.

While Markus can be brave and heroic, risking his life to save others, he can also be cowardly and weak depending on the player. Markus can run away from his missions when danger arrives or fail them. If Markus abandons Jericho completely, he will be shown to be alive at the end of the story and hiding among humans.

Gameplay determined elements

Markus' chapters feature several gameplay measures/stats: the in-common Public Opinion and the personal Relationship Statuses with the Jericho community and his fellow androids.

Relationships: Jericho

Their relationships can range from Leader, Admired, Respected, Neutral, Unpopular to Rejected, listed from high to low acceptance. Both Leader and Rejected relationships unlock certain story paths.

While Jericho the freighter may be destroyed mid-game, this relationship continues to refer between Markus and the survivors who escaped from the sunk ship.

If Markus makes enough unpopular choices, North and the others decide that its best for him to leave them and he will be ousted from Jericho.

Relationships: North

North starts off cold and very guarded. If Markus talks to North upon arrival in Jericho, she would respond negatively to questions about her personal life However, when Markus invites the rest of the Jericho androids to accompany him to steal parts from Cyberlife, North is determined to take part in the mission. Due to her distrustful nature, North doesn't approve of Markus taking John along, believing he is still on the humans' side.

Throughout the story, Markus gains North's approval whenever he chooses options that include fighting or showing courage, which also includes violent and destructive options with little regard to human life. She does not believe in dialogue or diplomacy with humans, and thus responds negatively whenever Markus chooses pacifistic or forgiving options. However, despite their differences in ideals, Markus will always gain North's respect and loyalty as long as he succeeds and the overall results are good of the androids.

Before Freedom March, Markus and North can talk alone. Markus can choose to express his feelings, doubts, and insecurities on his leadership. He can also tell her about his past with Carl, which North appreciates, but he can also choose to distance himself from her. If Markus has a positive relationship or friendship with North at this point, he can ask about her past. If North opens up, Markus can connect with her in a deeper level, with the option "Share Memories" and the two would be lovers. As lovers, Markus and North can share kisses throughout the story, in bad endings they can die together, or with the right choices, celebrate freedom.

Regardless of whether Markus or North are friends or lovers, she will express her loyalty and support to him before the attack on Jericho. If North dies in the raid, Markus will be visibly distraught. As lovers, North will always remain loyal no matter what Markus chooses. She will join Markus whether he chooses a demonstration or a revolution. In a revolution, she will willingly give her heart as a spare part if Markus is injured. Markus may choose to reject it out of his love for her.

If Markus loses his place as leader due to failures, North will take over and drive him away. If he chooses to return and help the androids during the Jericho raid, she will welcome him back and be remorseful, apologizing for doubting him. If Markus dies in Freedom March and in Crossroads, North will take leadership but shown to be unsure of her abilities and thinks Markus would be better in her place.

Relationships: Josh

Josh responds positively to Markus with options to be passive and can quickly become Markus' friend. However, if Markus chooses more violent methods of dealing with humans, such as killing or attacking them, Josh becomes hostile towards Markus. Despite this, however, Josh will not betray Markus or abandon Jericho. If you save Josh when Jericho is being attacked, your relationship with him goes up.

Relationships: Simon

Simon responds positively to Markus if he makes choices without any or less risk. In comparison to North and Josh, he does not really care if Markus chooses more peaceful or violent methods, and can be considered neutral. Although if Markus fails to accomplish his missions, his relationship with Simon will decrease. His relationship with Simon will massively increase if Simon was shot at the Stratford Tower and Markus decides to spare him. When you spare him and if you play as Connor and you don't find him, Simon will return to Jericho and Markus will hug him. If Markus decides to sacrifice himself during the Freedom March, has a high relationship with Simon, and John did not join or died previously, Simon will attack the police in order for Markus to be dragged away. Simon can also give his heart to Markus if he is shot too many times and North is dead.

Relationships: Carl

Carl was Markus' former owner. Markus and Carl have a close relationship. Markus even calls him 'dad' when Carl was dying of a heart attack if the player chooses to endure Leo's attacks. Likewise, if Markus chose to defend himself against Leo, and meets with Carl subsequently in Night of the Soul, Carl can refer to Markus as his son.

Killed Victims

This list shows the victims Markus has killed:

  • Carl Manfred (Indirectly Caused or Caused, Determinant)
  • Mike (Determinant)
  • Al Dante (Determinant)
  • Derek Myers (Accidental, Determinant)
  • Sean Chedd (Determinant)
  • Chris Robert (Determinant)
  • Evan Thompson (Determinant)
  • Simon (Determinant)
  • Chris Miller (Determinant)
  • Connor (Determinant)
  • North (Caused, or Out of Mercy, Determinant)
  • Kara (Indirectly Caused, Determinant)
  • Alice (Indirectly Caused, Determinant)
  • Luther (Indirectly Caused, Determinant)
  • Himself (Suicide or Sacrifice, Determinant)
  • Numerous counts of unnamed Androids (Caused, Direct, or Out of Mercy, Determinant)
  • Numerous counts of unnamed humans (Direct or Caused, Determinant)

Behind the scenes

  • Markus is portrayed by Jesse Williams, who provided his likeness, the voice acting and performance capture.
    • Markus' rendition of "Hold On" was performed by Jua Amir Tutein.[13]
    • Alex Martin did the motion capture stunts and acted as a body double for Markus.
    • In dubbed versions Markus's voice was acted by: Rémi Caillebot (French), Yūya Uchida (Japanese), Mateusz Weber (Polish), Andrea Oldani (Italian), Stanislav Tikunov (Russian), Sascha Rotermund (German), Miguel Ángel Leal (Latin American Spanish), Luis Manuel Martín Díaz (European Spanish), Diogo Morgado (European Portuguese), Wendel Bezerra (Brazillian Portuguese).

Quotes

  • ''There's something inside me that knows that I am more than what they say. I am alive, and they're not gonna take that from me anymore...'' - Markus to the people of Jericho in Spare Parts.

  • "We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom." - A peaceful Markus concluding his speech in Stratford Tower.

  • "This message is the hope of a people. But is also a warning. We will fight for our rights because we believe our cause is just. No human will live in peace until we are free. Now you know who we are and what we want. We are alive and we demand our freedom." - A Determined Markus concluding his speech in Stratford Tower.

  • "An eye for an eye and the world goes blind... We won't punish a crime with another crime." - Markus decides to spare Chris Miller and his partner in Capitol Park.

  • "No crime against an android shall go unpunished!" - Markus after he decides to execute Chris Miller and his partner in Capitol Park.

  • "They count on me. They count on me to show them way. If only they knew how lost I am." - Markus to North in Freedom March.

  • "We! Are! Free!" - Markus to his people after activating the dirty bomb in Battle for Detroit.

Notes

  • Markus is portrayed by Jesse Williams, a social activist and actor in real life.
  • While shooting the game, Jesse Williams has never actually met his co-stars Valorie Curry and Bryan Dechart. Because of scheduling, they filmed all their scenes separately and they were edited together.[15]
    • During a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Bryan and Jesse met for the first time in real life.[16]
  • The only time the three main characters meet each other (not at once) is in the chapter "Crossroads" at Jericho.
    • Kara and Connor do not actually meet face to face in this chapter but they meet Markus at separate times.
  • The name Markus is derived from the Latin, meaning "dedicated to Mars". Mars was the Roman god of war, known to the Greeks as god Ares. This is symbolic of Markus' character if the player chooses to make him violent when fighting against human oppression.
    • His name has another symbolic side since "Markus" is consonant with the word "mark", meaning he has a goal or an objective. Also, he leaves a mark on people and androids as his storyline progresses.
  • Spartacus, Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. served as an inspiration for Markus, especially their approach to oppression as a leader. This also led to the fan base nicknaming him Robo-Jesus.[17]
    • Also, Spartacus' backstory is similar to Markus'.[18]
    • One of the slogans Markus can use is a reference to the public speech "I Have a Dream" delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr.
    • Unlike the aforementioned leaders, it is up to the player to decide if Markus is killed for what he believes in.
  • Markus' role is more as the sole main protagonist of the game, due to him being the leader of a group and fighting a civil war against humans.
    • While Kara's role is more as the deuteragonist of the game, despite her and Markus not having much interaction.
    • While Connor's role is more as an antagonist and sometimes anti-hero. He can be the tritagonist while joining sides with Markus.
  • Markus shares his name with Markus Kane, a supporting character from another Quantic Dream game Fahrenheit.
  • Markus' serial number is #684 842 971. Players can see it when purchasing Carl's paint from Bellini Paints in Shades of Color.
  • In The Painter, Markus can choose to read a book from Carl Manfred's library. Three options are given to the player and these are: The Republic by Plato, "Macbeth" from Tragedies of William Shakespeare, Odes by John Keats.
  • Markus's love interest was originally planned to be a human girl named Riley. Concept art features him helping Riley move into an apartment above the flower shop in Ferndale and caring for her baby. The unique NPC VH500 android worker for the flower shop can still be found in the model list.[19][20]
  • Markus continues David Cage's trend of having fugitive protagonists in his games, the others being Lucas Kane in Fahrenheit, Ethan Mars in Heavy Rain and Jodie Holmes in Beyond: Two Souls.
  • Another trend Cage's games has is the relationship dynamic between Markus and Connor (pursued-pursuer). Players are presented with protagonists from opposing sides and expected to chase down themselves. The other examples are Lucas Kane and Carla Valenti/Tyler Miles in Fahrenheit and, Ethan Mars and Norman Jayden in Heavy Rain.
  • The developers considered the option for Markus to have other love interests apart from North, but they found it unmanageable due to the increasing complexity of the branching narrative. This character has since been revealed to have been Riley.[21]
  • Markus is the only character in the game to have 2 different eye colors despite his blue eye being a biocomponent acquired later. This might be a real-life reference to Heterochromia iridum.
  • Markus cannot be killed before "Freedom March".
    • If Markus gets killed before Night of the Soul, North will become the new leader of deviants.
  • When Connor looks up Markus' case file in "Waiting for Hank...", his picture isn't shown like with most androids in the case files. This could be because Markus' model is a prototype as it shows that it is an unknown model and serial number.
    • Strangely enough, in "Public Enemy" when Connor scans Markus' model and serial number via the screen when he deactivated his skin and broadcasted his message, Connor doesn't inform Hank about the android being a gift to Carl Manfred from Elijah Kamski. Possibly because of how personal the info was or he simply chose not to tell him.
    • Connor doesn't mention or ask Kamski about the giving the android to Carl in "Meet Kamski" despite the fact that Carl (or Leo Manfred if Carl died in "Broken") would've been a key witness to the reason why Markus deviated.
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  • There are some texts on Markus' final outfit. On his right arm number "8164" is written and on his left arm an unknown symbol is written.
  • In the concept art on the right, there are a couple of unused outfits for Markus that was meant to be worn when the player chooses between revolution (dark brown outfit) or demonstration (dark blue outfit). It is unknown why these outfits were never used or added in-game (possibly due to time and how models were finalized).
    • There are some concept arts of Markus in his unused revolution outfit of him raising his hand while standing on top of a car (possibly an unused ending or starting point of the chapter). According to the official Digital Artbook, this scene was originally going to take place during the riot in Freedom March.

Gallery

Images

See also Category:Images of Markus.


Videos

References

Characters
Protagonists Connor • Kara • Markus
Detroit City Police Department Jeffrey Fowler • Hank Anderson • Ben Collins • Gavin Reed • Captain Allen • Tina Chen • Robert Lewis • M. Wilson • Chris Miller • Officer Brown • Officer Person • Police Officer 0617 • Police Officer 3728 • Police Officer 5125 • Riot Police Officer • Officer Wilson
Jericho Josh • North • Simon • Lucy • Damaged Android • Dying Android
Companies Android Zone Dan • Zoe
ABCD Isaac Falone
Channel 16 Michael Webb • Elizabeth Wilson • Sean Chedd • Roy Doofy • Chris Robert • Evan Thompson • Joss Douglas • JB300 336 445 581 • Operator Employee • IT Employee
Chicken Feed Gary Kayes
CyberLife Amanda • Derek Myers • John • Mike • Agent 54 • Al Dante
Detroit Estates Phillips Estate John • Caroline • Emma • Daniel • Dewey
Williams Estate Todd • Alice
Manfred Estate Carl • Leo • Caretaker
Ortiz Estate Carlos • Carlos' Android
Andronikov Estate Zlatko • Luther • Scarred android • Bathtub android • URS12 Android Polar bear
Chapman Estate Rose • Adam • Andy • Mary • Coyote
Kamski Estate Elijah Kamski • Chloe
Greektown Android Protest Leader • Douglas Mitchell • Gordon Penwick • Street musician
Camden Nathan Clark • Ralph • Joseph Sheldon
Jimmy's Bar Jimmy Peterson • Chris Roberts • Christopher Gray • Dennis Ward • Edward Dempsey • Jonah Graham • Kim Yo-Han • Samuel McCray
Solid Waste Landfill Phileas
Eden Club Floyd Mills • Michael Graham • WR400 429 671 942 • WR400 950 455 437 • Brown-haired Traci
Urban Farms of Detroit Daniel Trent • Parker Trent • Rupert
Oliver's Family Oliver's Mother • Oliver's Father
US Federal Employees Cristina Warren • Richard Perkins • Border Guard 1 • Border Guard 2
Criminals Pedro Aabdar • Suspect
Pirates' Cove Jerry
Newscasters Michael Brinkley • Rosanna Cartland
Battle For Detroit Rescued Android
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