The G-Man

G-Man Alyx Trailer — Every now and then, the G-Man would conduct various "interviews" of potential "candidates" that Old Gray foresees a potential use in the future. This would lead to the G-Man pulling these individuals into an unknown, black void where he speaks to them to determine rather or not this particular "candidate" should be "employed" by his "Employer".

"Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman. Rise and shine. Not that I wish to imply you have been sleeping on the job. No one is more deserving of a rest. And all the effort in the world would have gone to waste until... well, let's just say your hour has come again. The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So, wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes. "

―The G-Man, as told to Dr. Gordon Freeman when he was reawakened in 1470 just before the state of the Golmar Uprising

The G-Man is a mysterious and enigmatic character encountered several times before, during, and after. Referred to as a "sinister interdimensional bureaucrat", he is known to display peculiar behavior and to wield powers far beyond those of a human. His identity and motives remain completely unexplained.

He plays the role of an overseer and eventual employer, watching over Gordon Freeman and other individuals in the Multiverse, at times helping or hindering them. Later on, it turns out, that he works for an even more mysterious and enigmatic individual by the name of Old Gray and that he is over 69,000 years old being born on an earth long since destroyed

AppearanceEdit

Physically, the G-Man appears to be a middle-aged Caucasian male with a tall, thin physique, pale skin, a prominent widow's peak, black hair styled in a crew cut, and pale green eyes. In all appearances, he is seen dressed in a gray-blue suit and is almost always seen carrying a briefcase.

The G-Man speaks in a slow, commanding manner, with a certain accentuated low-key moroseness to his tone, bordering on the cryptic. Most notably, he has an odd habit of placing unusual stress on syllables, stressing the wrong parts of words, making unnecessary pauses, and awkwardly changing the pitch of his voice. He also has a tendency to elongate consonants, especially the "S".

Personality and skillsEdit

The G-Man is an almost complete enigma. In many ways, he is referred to as follows: "The cryptical bureaucrat, a mystery man with a briefcase. He appears in the shadows, disappears when you chase him down dead-end corridors. He leads you into danger and guides you to safety, as the whim strikes him. His motives remain mysterious, but at the Black Mesa Incident, when Dr. Freeman have extinguished an alien civilization, he offers him a job with whoever it is he works for."

The G-Man possesses a calm, almost disinterested demeanor, particularly apparent in the ruined and alien-infested Black Mesa facility. He can often be seen calmly straightening his tie or brushing his suit lapels with his hands, regardless of whatever chaos may be surrounding him. Even when angered, he maintains a decidedly restrained demeanor. He also has demonstrated a dry sense of humor.

He has stepped in directly and rescued Adrian Shephard and Alyx Vance before the destruction of Black Mesa, suggesting that he is capable of mercy, though it is more likely that he merely did this for his own interests. The G-Man seems to occasionally take an interest in certain individuals, using his powers and skills at manipulation to guide them down certain paths.

He has made pawns of Gordon Freeman, Alyx Vance, and Adrian Shephard, as well as perhaps countless others. It is also implied that he orchestrated the Black Mesa Incident, meaning Dr. Breen was also under his influence. The G-Man mentioned to Adrian that he has great respect for people who can survive against incredible odds, citing that such people remind him of himself.

His message to Eli mentioning "unforeseen consequences" and the subsequent revelation about the threat to humanity posed by the Combine acquiring the technology onboard the Borealis could imply that the G-Man might secretly be sympathetic to humanity and its fight for survival. Alternatively to these actions may be more self-serving in some unknown way than sympathetic. Although, this was proven wrong as he give that phrase as both as sympathy and to do a job given by his overseer.

The G-Man appears quite skilled with technology and is capable of operating a very wide range of machinery, ranging from simple cell phones and sealed steel doors to complex nuclear weapons (although for the latter there are instructions inside the cap) and experimental teleports and portals.