| “ | In bunkers deep beneath the earth, in a Red Zone in Russia and South East Asia, a sleeping army awaits your call. They are the Marked of Kane. They are devoted to the Prophecy and sacrificed their minds and bodies to our cause. Half human, half machine, they have been dormant since the end of the Second Tiberium War. They need but one thing: Someone to give them purpose! Someone to give them life! - Kane, detailing the Marked to LEGION, 2052 |
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The Marked of Kane are a highly advanced cybernetic army that became activated by LEGION in the aftermath of the Third Tiberium War. Upon their "awakening", they overran the Global Defense Initiative's finest defenses in the Rocky Mountains Complex and retrieved the Tacitus for Kane. The Marked represent a playable subfaction of the Brotherhood of Nod in the expansion pack Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath.
Overview[]
| “ | We bear the Mark. - The "Enlightened" cyborgs |
” |
The Marked of Kane first were "awakened" by LEGION in 2052. A vast army of cyborg warriors being controlled via cyber-neurological implants linked to control nodes across the globe,[1] they obey their AI master without a shadow of doubt or remorse. In Kane's eyes, the Marked represent the "redeemed" of the Brotherhood's soldiers: the 'deathless' and the 'enlightened'. In the aftermath of the Third Tiberium War, they superseded the Black Hand as Nod's core forces and became the physical embodiment of LEGION's will. The Marked of Kane are supreme in unconventional warfare, and are enhanced with state-of-the-art Tiberium-based technologies.
Typical for the Brotherhood of Nod, the sub-faction's name appears to be a reference to the biblical Mark of Cain.
History[]
| “ | Behold, for I shall open the vaults and cause them to arise onto the land... and they shall be LEGION. My prophecies are as true for you are now one with the Marked of Kane. They are the physical embodiment of your will. An army of the deathless, the enlightened, the redeemed. Take them, use them! - Kane to LEGION as the Marked of Kane are "awakened" |
” |
The Marked are a result of experiments authorized personally by Kane to create a completely loyal army of cybernetically and Tiberium-enhanced soldiers, utterly devoid of doubt or fear. According to intel files, Kane pondered the Brotherhood's defeat after the First Tiberium War for decades, studying the events of the war and why he lost. Eventually, the failure of the war was placed on emotion. While feelings of fear, empathy, anger, and camaraderie influenced people to join Nod, they could also cause them to doubt or even betray Kane's will. Realizing this, Kane set forth plans to create a truly dehumanized force.[2]
One of the "Awakened" relentlessly marches over the corpse of a Zone Trooper
In underground labs in the Red Zones of Central Asia and Russia, the Marked were covertly researched. Researchers on the project were fanatics obsessed with Tiberium technology, using corpses of Nod soldiers in their terrifying experiments.[2] The project's existence was hidden from the Brotherhood, lest it should cause internal strife with the horrific memory of CABAL and the Firestorm Crisis still fresh in the minds of many. Rumours of necromantic practices persisted, however, mostly due to the experiments carried out by Nod in relations to the Reaper project, where comatose mutants were transferred to research divisions for further experimentation.[3]
First reports of the Marked came from rumours of nomadic travelers and various Nod splinter colonies. Despite the remote location of the vaults, a few managed to stumble upon the project, however, Nod followers dismissed these tales, while the Brotherhood's command officially denied the existence of any necromantic experiments.[4]
The Marked of Kane originally had been scheduled for completion near the end of the Second Tiberium War, yet due to GDI's victory, they remained deactivated until recently.[2] Because of humanity's troublesome experience with cybernetics in the past, many of the Brotherhood's own soldiers have expressed distrust and fear towards the Marked, despite the revenant army's absolute obedience and devotion to Kane.
Finally, in 2052, the Marked were "awakened" by LEGION, CABAL's successor, in order to reclaim the Tacitus from the Global Defense Initiative's heavily fortified Rocky Mountains Complex. They succeeded in their task, and through the Marked of Kane's victory over ZOCOM, Kane would finally fulfill the Brotherhood of Nod's prophecy of "Ascension".
Military Assets[]
| “ | Cyborgs, man... they freak me out! - Anonymous Nod soldier during the recovery of the Marked of Kane |
” |
Due to their significant Tiberium-based enhancements, the basic infantry of the Marked of Kane, the Awakened cyborgs, are nearly as powerful as GDI's most elite infantry units; with the even more advanced Enlightened cyborgs functioning as their support. Replacing the Black Hand troops in their role are the Tiberium troopers, cybernetic warriors carrying a liquid Tiberium sprayer.
New upgrades include regenerating fields of magnetic mines that slowly damage and impede the mobility of enemy vehicles unless repaired, and cybernetic legs which drastically increase the speed of Marked infantry. Additionally, due to the highly advanced Tiberium-based technology the Marked are imbued with, they use extremely powerful particle beam weapons.
The Marked of Kane do not have access to Flame Tanks. However, they can construct Disruption towers at a much lower cost.
Arsenal[]
| “ | Souls of steel. - The "Awakened" cyborg infantry |
” |
The "Awakened" are the core of the Marked of Kane cyborg infantry
The Awakened: The core Marked of Kane infantry which come in small numbers for a high price, but are substantially more powerful than Militants and can decimate GDI's rifle squads with ease. In addition, the Awakened are armed with powerful EMP technology which temporarily disables enemy vehicles and structures. The Redemption support power, available only to the core Nod faction, can even "Awaken" dead Militants into these cyborgs upon death, giving the main Nod faction a periodic and situational access to these powerful base units.
Tiberium Trooper: This result of Kane's incautious Tiberium research has led to the creation of a cybernetic soldier designed to withstand liquid Tiberium vapors. Their liquid Tiberium spray weaponry annihilates all enemy infantry units (fully including the Scrin's), and can also severely slow down enemy vehicles. Tiberium Troopers are completely immune to the effects of Tiberium exposure.
The Enlightened: The most advanced cyborg warriors among the Marked, the Enlightened are the embodiment of Kane's will—and fury. They are equipped with Tiberium-charged particle weaponry that can burn through nearly anything. They also carry a far more potent version of the Awakened's EMP cannon, which features both a greater area of effect and a longer duration. The Enlightened can be upgraded at a Secret Shrine to gain substantial increases in their mobility, causing these infantry units to match or even surpass the speed of most vehicles.
Trivia[]
| “ | Kane's will made flesh. - The "Enlightened" |
” |
- During the Kane's Wrath mission titled "Will Made Flesh", Kane mentions that some of the Marked 'walk among the living, completely unaware of their secret destiny'. This hints at the existence of "sleeper cyborgs", which are outwardly indistinguishable from regular humans, but who are not yet aware of their own true nature. Kane's remark is a reference to the "Redemption" support power, which the main Nod faction has gained access to in the expansion pack.
- Strangely, the Marked of Kane cyborgs take damage when exposed to Tiberium, unlike the otherwise far more primitive ones seen during the Second Tiberium War and the Firestorm Crisis, who healed themselves when in contact with Tiberium. Whether this was intentional game design or an oversight by Electronic Arts was never elaborated on.
References[]
- ↑ Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod Weaponry, "The Awakened".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod Background, "Marked of Kane - Origins".
- ↑ Cyborg Reaper. C&C Frontpage. 2010-04-15.
- ↑ Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Nod Field Recon, "Unconfirmed Reports of Cyborg Activity in Central Asia".