Illusive Man
The Illusive Man is a character in BioWare's Mass Effect francise. Initially presented in the tie-in novel Mass Effect: Ascension, the Illusive Man makes his first video game appearance in Mass Effect 2, where he is depicted as the leader of Cerberus, a pro-human organization with the goal of advancing humanity's role in the galaxy. The character returns in Mass Effect 3, where he implants himself with a set alien technology that ends up controlling him and making him aid the Reapers, the game's main antagonistic force. The Illusive Man is voiced by American voice actor Martin Sheen.
The Illusive Man was designed as a morally gray character with few signs of aging, a set of inhuman eyes, and a futuristic open suit designed to give an impression of authority. At one point in the development of Mass Effect 3, a Reaper-controlled Illusive Man was intended to become the game's final boss. In the Mass Effect universe, the Illusive Man is depicted as a "human nationalist" who only communicates with his subordinates via hologram. The character makes an appearance in several Mass Effect comic series and novels. The Mass Effect: Evolution comic series reveals the character's origin story as Jack Harper, who worked to defend humanity during an ongoing conflict against the turians known as the First Contact War.
During Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, a propaganda video appropriating audio excerpts from Martin Sheen's performance of the Illusive Man, was shared on Trump's social media before being taken down for copyright infringement. The Illusive Man has been received well, with his appearance in Mass Effect 2 earning multiple accolades, with IGN naming him best character of 2010. Martin Sheen's performance was also received positively, earning a nomination for best male performance at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards. His appearance in Mass Effect 3 and his relationship with the protagonist of the game, Commander Shepard has been the subject of scholarly analysis.
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