Frenchman

Context

The Frenchman appeared in the tenth issue of Global Frequency, “Superviolence”, published in 2003. This entry has S P O I L E R S for it.

Global Frequency (written by Warren Ellis) only ran 12 issues from 2002-2004. But it remained one of my all-time favourites until we learned things about Ellis.

This writeup should be read after the Miranda Zero character profile, wot explains the Global Frequency.

Background

Powers & Abilities

As Aleph not-entirely-helpfully mentions, the Frenchman is “into that biofeedback thing”.

Biofeedback is using tech to monitor certain biological indicators such as an ECG. Then using concentration exercises to change those. It is primarily explored to compensate for damaged biological functions.

But in the real world, consistently establishing efficacy has proven a challenge.

Nous, on pensait que ça pouvait être un traîneau.

Here, the biofeedback techniques are used to bolster the body to superhuman levels :

The Frenchman is nigh-impossible to stop using ordinary means. Even solid hits using handguns or thrust daggers would delay him for but 30 seconds or so.

He once tore a bullet free from his chest (presumably to avoid infection).

(The way biofeedback is “comicbookified” here is reminiscent of the exaggerated version of NLP in another Warren Ellis book, Fell.)

Le train de tes injures roule sur les rails de mon indifférence

His foe Mr. Wellfare, who used similar techniques but at a lower level, could slay a five-person Global Frequency kill team.

Since this occurs off-panel for worfingWhen a powerful fighter gets defeated solely to establish that the menace-of-the-week is a threat. purposes, these operatives likely weren’t as tough as the likes of Jia Lau, Lightning and Pommie Girl, or Mister Grushko. But they still had to be competent enough to be on the Frequency.

The Frenchman doesn’t normally bother carrying weapons. During the “Harpoon” case, he’s seen holding a small arm, perhaps a shotgun.

Alors une, tu poses mon bouquin d’exercices isométriques tout de suite !

The closing words of “Superviolence” are that the Frenchman was out for blood because Mr. Wellfare had stolen his girlfriend’s book on biofeedback.

This may have been intended to convey that the Frenchman is scary and weird.

But it also suggests a scenario where :

Soundtrack

Lessee, what was on the French billboard in 2003… oh lawdy. This is awful.

Mmm, digging way down, Mickey 3D is cool – but you have to sling the lingo.

Ah yes, Kaolin’s first single is suitable. C’est pas mal, in a grunge rock way.

History

The Frenchman is only ever called that. His actual name might be difficult to pronounce for Anglophones.

He’s been on the Frequency for years. One past case (rescuing a VIP from a burning building in Lisbon) was mentioned.

His foe Lionel Wellfare, using similar biofeedback techniques, clashed at least once with the Global Frequency. He killed at least five agents, but was eventually reported dead.

The Frenchman is also known to have attempted to kill Wellfare once. That was in Algeria, in unchronicled circumstances.

D’ailleurs, il faut pas rester debout, asseyez-vous, mettez-vous à l’aise.

In 2003, Wellfare turned up alive. He had been hired by Nagelmacker Security (NS) to raid a US biowarfare lab.

He was to kill everyone within and start a minor biowarfare agent release. This would make NS’s competitor protecting the lab look incompetent, and allow for a new round of bidding on these lucrative security contracts.

Miranda Zero immediately had the Frenchman flown from Paris to Texas. She insisted that no-one else was to enter the lab, which her operative also preferred.

The Frequency reacted quickly enough that when Wellfare broke into the lab, the Frenchman was there waiting for him.

The Frenchman engaged Wellfare in exceptionally brutal and gory close combat. Though Wellfare did have the upper hand at some points, it seems that his opponent was holding back to prolong his suffering.

When the Frenchman decided that enough was enough, he ripped Wellfare’s arm from its socket and killed the merc by jamming it down his throat.

Monde de merde.

The Frenchman also took part in the “Harpoon” operation.

He was on Miranda Zero’s kill team, along with John Stark, Mister Grushko, Alice April and “Avigail”.

During this deployment, the Frenchman was the rear security operator.

Description

The Frenchman is a White dude with a light brown circle beard.

He wears rugged outdoors clothing. Dark grey fatigues and T-shirt, robust leather boots, an unbuttoned floral shirt, a tough leather jacket, and a black woolen hat.

His general appearance was somewhat reminiscent of Jean Reno’s character in The Professional, albeit without sunglasses. And with a Max Payne sartorialHaving to do with clothes vibe.

He’s frequently seen smoking cigarettes, and doesn’t speak much.

He’s generally fluent in English, but this is clearly a second language. He tends to exclaim in French, and his English grammar can be a bit off.

Personality

A strange, scary man. He is completely devoid of fear, ignores pain, and fights with unbelievable brutality. If angry, he’ll go to the ends of Earth to pursue his vendetta with maximal prejudice.

However, it seems that Wellfare particularly offended him – and that the Frenchman isn’t usually a slaughter engine. Plus, he chose to work with a rescue organisation.

Both the Frenchman and Wellfare sought to eat their opponents’ body parts, even during combat. For instance the Frenchman enucleated Wellfare’s right eye then gobbled it up. It may be part of their conditioning to ignore visceral reactions of disgust.

Quotes

(Kicking Wellfare in the boy parts) “Death to the purple-headed womb broom.”

“Connard !”

(Laughing) “It is like your Yankee wrestling television for children, hein ?” (picks up a nearby metallic folding chair, starts bashing Wellfare with it).

“Not what I meant. My English is not so good sometimes.”

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Global Frequency Vol. 1 #10.

Helper(s): Darci.

Writeup completed on the 20^th of November, 2018.