- "My name is Alexander Kessel."
"You say that like I should know it."
"And now that you do, you will never forget it." - —Kessel to JJ Collins
Alexander John Kessel Jr is a charismatic-yet-crooked mercenary who seeks to take down the SBX-1 interceptor base.
History[]
Early History[]
Born into a wealthy family, Alexander Kessel Jr was named after his father. As he grew up in a luxurious lifestyle that included extravagant vacations, Kessel felt unappreciated by his father, while also feeling dissatisfied about the privileges that Kessel Sr enjoyed as a result of his trust funds and not his own effort. By the time Kessel Sr was assigned to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Kessel had become contemptuous of his father, recognising him as being "utterly unqualified" for the role.
Kessel joined the United States Army upon reaching enlistment age, becoming a military intelligence operative and specialising in Russian back-channels. He later moved on to psychological operations, which saw him become an expert in torturing enemies for intel. A psychiatric report on Kessel noted that had an extremely high I.Q., but he was also recognised as being borderline sociopathic. The higher-ups were not concerned by this initially, as his lack of empathy suited his role as a torturer.
In 2010, however, Kessel was investigated when two prisoners he was torturing died during his interrogations. While he was ultimately cleared of any charges, he was discharged from the Army. Kessel became even more disenfranchised with United States' policies after this, believing that he was the result of a broken system that only rewarded those with money. He eventually went on to establish himself as a mercenary-for-hire, and formed his own team of contractors.
In the mid-2010s, Russian terrorists who sought to destroy several cities across the United States in a nuclear attack contracted Kessel and his team to assist them in taking down two interceptor bases in order to render America defenceless. While he would relegate the task of bringing down the U.S.'s primary interceptor base - Alaska's Fort Greely - to some sub-contractors, Kessel spent six years planning an operation to infiltrate the secondary outpost known as SBX-1, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. During the planning stages, Kessel decided that he and his team would pose as idealists who saw America as self-destructive and in need of cleansing, believing that this fitted with his own perceptions and refusing to recognise that he was also in it for the money.
Eventually, Kessel's mercenaries were able to forge the necessary paperwork to get themselves onboard SBX-1, posing as janitors so as to allow them to learn the in-and-outs of the facility without drawing attention to themselves. From within SBX-1, Kessel reviewed the psychiatric files of the people stationed onboard to identify potential threats to the operation. In addition, Kessel approached Corporal Beaver Baker - who had also become disenfranchised with America's ideals - and offered him $10 million to assist his team once the operation was underway. Before the operation was to take place, Kessel had the terrorist's leader bribe the crew of the K-83 Danilov to lurk in the waters around SBX-1, so that they could move in once the base's command center was under the mercenaries' control and extract them once the operation was completed.
A few days before Kessel and his mercenaries were ready to begin, Kessel learned that Captain JJ Collins had been reassigned to SBX-1 after a stalling in her career, and would arrive on the day of the mercenaries' operation. While Baker warned Kessel that Collins would be trouble and that he should kill her at first chance, Kessel read her file and believed that there was a chance that he might be able to turn Collins to their side given her history, though he took precautions by having an associate travel to Scottsdale where her father lived to use as leverage should the need arise.
Interceptor[]
On the morning of the operation to take down the interceptor bases, as Fort Greely was taken out by Kessel's sub-contractors and the Russian terrorists stole the nuclear missiles they needed from Tavlika, Kessel and Zhang watched from an external platform as the chopper transporting Collins to SBX-1 approached. After exchanging a glance, the pair headed back inside to finish preparations for the hijacking.
As Lieutenant Colonel Clark Marshall and Collins made their way to SBX-1's command center in response to the report on Greely's attack, Kessel and his team began moving to take out the rest of the staff on site, leaking nerve gas into the air conditioning system to put those stationed outside the command center to sleep and allowing the mercenaries to start executing them with ease. Kessel joined Mikael and Wade as they were finishing setting up in the corridor adjacent to the command center, just as Marshall and Collins were exiting. Locking eyes with Collins and seeing that she had figured out the possibility that there were infiltrators onboard SBX-1, Kessel ordered his people to move.
Taking a concealed gun from the nearby rubbish cart as Wade felled Marshall, Kessel and Mikael opened fire on Collins as she dispatched Wade, with Kessel using the nearby corner as cover from her return fire. When Kira and Nikolai joined them, Kessel ordered his team to grab Marshall's key-card, knowing that they would need it to access the command center. Unfortunately, Collins was able to snatch the key-card first and retreat into the corridor, and only Mikael being able to follow her through before she sealed the blast door, with Kessel narrowly missing his chance to get into the command center.
As he watched Mikael and Collins fight through the door's window, Kessel banged on the door to get his comrade's attention, urging Mikael to open the door, but Collins persistently kept Mikael from doing so, and ultimately ended up killing him, to Kessel's dismay. Kessel eyed Collins through the window, and after she turned to notice him, Kessel glanced back at Marshall's body and then raised his eyebrows at Collins indifferently. In response, Collins made sure Kessel saw her drop Marshall's key-card into the pool of acid to ensure he wouldn't be able to use it, to his mild amusement.
After the second blast door was shut, Kessel accessed the intercom on his side and contacted the command center. When Collins answered, he spoke to her while watching through the windows, asking if she wanted to talk about the situation. Collins suggested that he escape with his life, to which he retorted that she might keep hers if she let him in. Confirming that he and his people were in league with the instigators at Greely and the thieves from Tavlinka, as well as the lengthy period he had been planning his operation. Collins taunted that things weren't going well for him, though Kessel merely mused that no plan ever went off without complications. Kessel proceeded to identify himself, remarking that she would never forget his name when she questioned if it was meant to mean anything to her.
As Kira and Nikolai returned with blowtorches, Kessel pointed out that they were already at an impasse, and warned Collins that he and his people had already killed or contained everyone else on SBX-1, but that he would let her live if she let him into the command center to disable it. Collins refused, so Kessel - as Kira and Nikolai started cutting through the first blast door - reminded Collins that any help would be too far away to reach her in time before they breached the command center. Though Collins doubted he could have killed SBX-1's crew already, Kessel revealed his use of nerve gas, and that he and Collins wouldn't be conversing if the command center shared the same A/C system.
Kessel had Ivan being the captured Captain Lou Welsh brought to him, then contacted Collins in the command center again. Revealing his captive, Kessel revealed that Welsh had a family, and threatened to execute his unless Collins opened the blast doors. Collins refused, and Kessel gave her one final chance as he put his gun to the back of Welsh's head, and pulled the trigger when she continued to refuse. Collins proclaimed that Kessel could kill anyone he wanted but that she would still not concede; to this, Kessel grotesquely drew a frown on the window with Welsh's splattered blood.
A short time later, Kessel pinged the intercom and displayed a provocative photo of Collins that had been shared around the Army. She retorted that he's not the first to throw that in her face, and the two went back and forth on who had the upper hand before she pointed out that for all the years he'd spent planning for every outcome in his operation, Kessel couldn't have planned for her since she had only been reassigned to SBX-1 the previous night. Kessel conceded that she had been unexpected, but was not unbeatable, revealing that he knew about Collins' troubled history of the last three years. While she was perturbed by his knowledge, Collins valiantly pointed out that she still wore the Army's uniform in spite of everything and claimed that this war wasn't yet over. Kessel pressed on and tried to convince Collins that they should be working together, offering her $30 million in exchange for opening the doors and pointing out that the Army didn't care about her, though Collins didn't bother answering him.
Soon, Kessel's teammates finished cutting through the first blast door, and he led them forward to the second door leading to the command center, where he made one more request for Collins to take his offered money. Though she pointed out that she still had time before he cut through the final door, Kessel stated that she didn't, at which point Baker (who had inadvertently been rendered unconscious during Collins and Mikael's fight) regained consciousness, took down Collins and Rahul Shah and opened the door for Kessel. As Kira began hacking the systems, Kessel took out his satellite phone and contacted the Russian terrorists to report that his team was in control of SBX-1, giving them the new bank account number he wished to be paid in and requesting that they tell the Danilov to move in. Kessel then sat next to the injured Collins, reminding her that he had given Collins choices before having Baker and Nikolai zip-tie her and Shah to chairs.
Kessel casually made himself a coffee as Baker explained his reasons for turning on them, being visibly amused as Collins headbutted his ally, but kept Baker from retaliating against her. After Kira had hacked into the EBS system, the White House's Situation Room made contact, with Kessel assuring them that Collins and Shah were alive. General Dyson questioned how Kessel and Baker could betray America, and Kessel merely responded that he didn't want anything from them when asked what he wanted. He then noticed a good luck card to Collins from her father, and sardonically remarked to her how nice it must be to have a proud father. As the EBS system began broadcasting across the U.S., President Wallace attempted to threaten Kessel against firing any of his missiles, though he cut her off and asserted that he was taking control.
Addressing the American people, Kessel informed them of the situation and ordered one of the 16 missiles fired as a demonstration, revealing that its target was Los Angeles, and the intended targets for the subsequent 15 missiles, inciting widespread panic. Kessel proceeded to claim that America had become the greatest lie ever told and had never held the exceptionalism it had had in the days of the founding fathers, pointing out that the United States had never truly being united, and that these flaws were slowing bringing America to ruin. Kessel told the American citizens that his actions would help the U.S. start over so that those left could do things right next time.
Kessel attempted to demonstrate his point by noting how people like Shah were mocked for their faiths and subjected to unfair persecutions, inviting Shah to share such incidents he'd endured. Shah instead insulted Kessel by claiming his obsession with missiles stemmed from insecurities in the showers; Kessel didn't rise to the bait and called Shah's attempt pathetic, then allowed Baker to punch Shah unconscious. Kessel instead turned to Collins and revealed her story to the watching Americans, deriding the treatment she had received and praising Collins' integrity in spite of it and his financial offer. Before he could continue on, Collins kept talking after he asked her an idle question, luring Kessel closer before she suddenly dislocated her thumb and slipped out of her restraints.
Kessel and Collins grappled over the gun he had left unattended, during which Kessel accidentally let loose a shower of bullets that killed Nikolai. Collins then used Kessel as a shield against Baker before launching a kick that forced both men back into the corridor. After Collins let loose some shots at Ivan when he came investigating the commotion, she turned the gun back at Kessel and Baker and attempted to open fire on them, only to find that the gun was out of bullets, and so quickly sealed the blast door again to lock the assailants out, to Kessel's fury.
Kessel and Baker proceeded to watch through the window as Kira, the only mercenary left in the command center, fought with Collins in order to try to reopen the door for the pair. When Kira had Collins pinned, Kessel saw that the L.A.-bound missile had five minutes left before it reached the point where it couldn't be stopped, and demanded that Kira hold Collins in place long enough or just kill her. Unfortunately, Collins managed to bring down Kira long enough to fire an interceptor and destroy the missile, to Kessel's dismay. After killing Kira, Collins turned to see the glaring Kessel watching her, and gave him the finger.
Attempting to remain composed, Kessel tried to calm Baker's fretting and claim that this was only a setback, as they had 15 missiles left and that he had backup plans in place. Kessel then called his operative in Scottsdale and had him invade the home of Frank Collins and take Collins' father hostage.
When his associate had succeeded, Kessel contacted Collins on the intercom, claiming to her that he was a monster born out of a failed society that only rewarded money, such as how his father became a U.S. Ambassador through political donations. Collins questioned whether or not he was acting out because of "daddy issues", though Kessel claimed she wouldn't understand. At that point, he began talking about Collins' father before revealing the hostage situation. Collins pleaded for his release, but Kessel reminded her of her earlier statement that he could kill anyone he wanted, and had his operative to cut off one of Frank's fingers, telling Collins that she could stop further torment if she opened the door for him. Though he allow Collins to speak with him, Frank defiantly encouraged his daughter to never stop fighting in defiance, and so Kessel decided to order him killed, with a gunshot being heard before the feed was cut.
Furious that his gambit to manipulate Collins didn't work, Kessel went to Marshall's body and used his fingerprint to open Marshall's laptop and gain access to the facility's main network. Overhearing Shah wonder how Kessel could have gotten someone in place at her father's home when the order to reassign Collins to SBX-1 was only made the previous night, Kessel sneered about how Collins' pariah status meant that the decision to reassign her had actually been made three days earlier than what she had believed. Kessel then claimed he would be just as committed to seeing his mission through as Collins and activated the facility's scuttling protocol, which would leave him free to fire his remaining missiles once SBX-1 had sunk.
After Baker reported seeing Shah drop down the command center's lower hatch, Kessel realised Shah would attempt to close the ballast valves to halt the sinking, and though he ordered Ivan to take care of him, Baker volunteered to go instead. Kessel then called his Russian contact to report that he'd activated the HVAR protocol, which would sink the facility in 12 minutes. Kessel was then apparently informed that the Danilov was not yet close, so he questioned how far away it was. Soon Baker eliminated Shah and resumed the sinking process, and Kessel commended Shah's bravery to Collins, admitting that he had dismissed him as a non-threat because of his psychiatric evaluation and so hadn't bothered to put anyone onto Shah's family.
Moments later, however, Collins pressed a slip of paper containing the digits for his bank account number up against the window and ordered him to cut the EBS feed. Kessel tried to bluff that the numbers meant nothing to him, but soon relented and relinquished control of the EBS. Collins scoffed that Kessel was no fanatic and simply a mercenary-for-hire, but as he tried to claim that it was his operation and that he was in charge, Collins started covering the glass window on the blast window with duct-tape so that he couldn't see into the command center. Kessel asked her to stop taping the window up, but as she continued demeaning him, his composure began to slip. Once Collins thanked him for showing her his weakness in that he desired to leave alive, Kessel angrily began to threaten her, but after she had finished taping the window, Collins muted the intercom.
Kessel stood fuming in the corridor with Ivan until Collins spoke to him over the intercom, daring them to continue their attempts to get inside since Kessel's partners would likely kill him for failing. Radioing Baker, Kessel questioned how far his companion was from using the lower hatch to reach the command center, and urged Baker to hurry. Baker soon reported that he was inside, but that there was no sign of Collins, telling Kessel that she had fled onto the roof before letting him and Ivan into the command center.
Believing he was firmly in control of the base, Kessel called the Russians and ordered them to fire all of the remaining 15 missiles. As he watched the warnings flare up about the missile launches, Kessel ordered Baker to go after Collins and kill her. Kessel then re-established the EBS feed and had Ivan damage the interceptor controls with acid before telling the American people that the missiles were on the way. Baker then radioed to report that Collins was no where in sight, leading the mercenaries to realise she was hiding somewhere in the command center and began sweeping it. Unfortunately, Kessel was too late to notice Collins had hid in a hazmat suit as she slit Ivan's neck, and was forced to flee further into the facility as Collins opened fire on him with Ivan's gun.
Kessel emerged onto the roof moments after Collins had successfully launched interceptors at the nuclear missiles, and so turned back in annoyance, even as the interceptors successfully destroyed all of the missiles. Kessel moved back through the main facility and into the command center, from which he climbed up to the roof again and spied Collins near her jury-rigged launch controls. Kessel congratulated her for fucking up his day, but pointed out that he had brought America to the brink of destruction and pledged to do so again before moving to attack her.
As he and Collins traded blow, Kessel boasted that she had only won the battle and not the war, but despite his confidence and her multiple injuries, Collins was able to deal several blows upon Kessel as she stated that their war wasn't over. Within seconds, Collins, declaring retribution for his killing of her father, had Kessel beaten and broke his knee. They were suddenly interrupted by the Danilov surfacing nearby, and Kessel laughed that his ride had arrived and that there was no room for her, confident that he would be able to escape with his life.
Kessel struggled back to his feet and smiled at the Russian Captain who emerged, but Captain merely stepped aside to allow a sniper to take aim and and shoot Kessel in the chest, the Russians having decided to kill him for failing. The mercenary could only barely look down at the fatal wound in dull surprise before collapsing.
Personality[]
To Be Added.
Skills[]
- Expert Combatant: As a former intelligence operative in the United States military, Kessel has been trained in several forms of hand-to-hand combat. Though he was a formidable opponent for her, Collins was able to outmaneuver Kessel during their final fight, and even in spite of Kessel having avoided serious injury throughout the day, and was ultimately bested by her.
- Expert Marksman: As a mercenary and former soldier, Kessel is an accurate marksman and capable of using a variety of different firearms.
- Genius-Level Intellect: Kessel's file notes that he possesses an extremely high I.Q. and has a high aptitude for learning and applying new skills. This provides Kessel a wealth of historical and classical knowledge, and has allowed him to learn quickly when being taught psychological operations to examine and exploit others to get what he wants.
- Master Tactician: Kessel is a highly-skilled strategist, being able to formulate carefully-planned out long-term strategies with multiple contingencies to suit his goals. He can also quickly process both expected and unexpected situations and formulate new strategies in response. This makes him highly effective in his role as the leader of a group of mercenaries.
- Psy-Ops Specialist: Having formerly served in the U.S. Army's Psychological Operations division, Kessel has been trained to manipulate and torture people in order to get the information he wants. Kessel is able to determine how best to get under his enemies' skin and push their buttons, so as to exploit weaknesses to make his targets react in certain ways in the hope of achieving his goal. After failing to convince Collins to open the blast doors by threatening Welsh's life, Kessel later had her father's home infiltrated and showed live footage of this to Collins to further try to goad her; when this only led to her begging for her father's life, Kessel ordered him killed, knowing that this would severely traumatise Collins.
- Expert Torturer: During his time working for the U.S. Army's psy-ops division, Kessel was trained to torture captured enemies as a part of enhanced interrogation, in order to force them to spill their secrets. While Kessel excelled at this, he took the torture too far on at least two occasions, resulting in the deaths of two prisoners.
Equipment[]
To Be Added.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Kessel is the first main antagonist for a Matthew Reilly-related film.