Soldier: 76 is likely one of the first Overwatch heroes we ever bought to see or play, and he’s all the time carried with him the notion that his ‘hero days’ have been up to now. We’ve identified for a while that his identify is John “Jack” Morrison, and now we all know his center identify. It’s Francis.
Overwatch’s lead author Michael Chu answered a fan’s query in regards to the center identify on Twitter this previous week. One of Soldier: 76’s legendary skins is the Rambo-esque Commando: 76, which shows a pair of army canine tags worn round Morrison’s neck. There’s the indication of a center identify on the tags, but it surely’s illegible if you take a look at the pores and skin in-game, and followers requested Chu what it’s meant to say.
“Francis,” he responded, with out going into any additional element.
So, Soldier: 76’s full identify is John Francis Morrison.
That might be the entire story, however I bought to questioning why Chu and the Overwatch writing workforce picked the identify. Soldier: 76 was a personality design by former Blizzard senior vp of story and franchise growth Chris Metzen, who explained last year that his inspirations for 76’s identify come from American Western actor John Wayne and Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors.
There aren’t a complete lot of well-known figures named Francis, and we will in all probability rule out Francis Bacon and Pope Francis as inspirations for the rough-and-tumble 76. However, it’s not like John Wayne and Jim Morrison are all that comparable, so doubtlessly any Francis or Frank may conceivably be who Chu and the workforce have been pondering of. But right here’s my concept.
Both John Wayne and The Doors are throwbacks to bygone eras – much more bygone by the point the occasions of Overwatch. One well-known Francis, who can be a transparent throwback to a selected period in American tradition, is Frankie Avalon.
Born Francis Thomas Avellone, Frankie Avalon rose to fame as a teen pop idol, first exhibiting up on community TV enjoying trumpet on a Jackie Gleason sketch in 1952. Later he landed some roles in motion pictures, together with – and right here’s the important thing hyperlink – the character Smitty in 1960’s The Alamo. It’s a movie in regards to the historic Battle of the Alamo, throughout which a small band of Texans sacrificed their lives in a hopeless battle towards a far stronger power. The actor who performed Davy Crockett in that movie? John Wayne.
Hey, there might be any clarification – or none in any respect – for 76’s center identify. But I feel this one suits the invoice fairly properly.
Top picture through ArtStation
Source
