Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a41c4c730e9951a8

Jump to content

Illusive Man

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Illusive Man
Mass Effect character
The Illusive Man, as presented in Mass Effect 2.
First appearance
Mass Effect: Ascension (2008)
First gameMass Effect 2 (2010)
Voiced byMartin Sheen
In-universe information
Full nameJack Harper
AffiliationCerberus (Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3)
The Reapers (Mass Effect 3)

The Illusive Man, real in-universe name Jack Harper, is a character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise. 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, an anthropocentric 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 of 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 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. His room was designed to show the Illusive Man's control of both his surroundings and a vast amount of information. Narrative-wise, the Illusive Man was designed to represent both the worst and best traits of humanity, with the narrative team making the deliberate decision not to reveal much about his present. In the Mass Effect universe, the Illusive Man is depicted as a "human nationalist" who only communicates with his subordinates via hologram.[1] Aside from his initial appearance in Ascension, the character is also present in several Mass Effect comic series and novels.

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, and his appearance in Mass Effect 2 has earned 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. The Illusive Man has attained positive reception for his manipulative tendencies, influence, and secrecy within the series. His visual appearance in Mass Effect 3 and his relationship with the protagonist of the game, Commander Shepard, have been the subject of scholarly analysis.

Concept and design

[edit]

Visual design

[edit]

In designing the Illusive Man, the Mass Effect 2 art team made the early decision to use a catalog model as a reference for his face. Even though the Illusive Man was conceived as a smoker and a hard drinker in his fifties, the art team decided that he would not show any signs of aging due to in-universe medical advancements.[2]: 86 His bright blue eyes were created to make him look slightly inhuman,[2]: 86  although a later in-universe explanation would be given in the comic series Mass Effect: Evolution.[3] For his suit, the art team intended to design a garment that, while futuristic, did not ground itself in any particular decade's fashion and combined "an impeccable futuristic style" and "the casual swagger of a charming billionaire". It was decided that the Illusive Man's suit should be open, to give the impression he could do whatever he pleased.[2]: 86 [4] Producer Adrien Cho described the Illusive Man's final appearance as "almost perfect" and "very symmetrical".[5]

During the early stages of development on Mass Effect 3, the Illusive Man was envisioned as the final boss fight of the game, which would see him being turned into a Reaper-controlled creature. This idea was ultimately rejected for various reasons, one being that the game design team wanted to give the players "the satisfaction of fighting a character they know", with his final depiction implying that the Illusive Man's biggest weapon was his intelligence and not his strength.[2]: 154  In an interview with Eurogamer, producer Michael Gamble said the decision to discard the Illusive Man's boss fight was to make Mass Effect 3 separate from other games with similar endings.[6] Several iterations of the Illusive Man's face were created to establish the level of indoctrination, a process that turns organic individuals into brainwashed cyborgs that serve the Reapers, which the Illusive Man would be subject to. Some of those variations referenced the appearance of the main villain of the first Mass Effect video game, Saren Arterius.[2]

For the Illusive Man's main setting, his chamber, the art team developed very few concept art pieces. This room was designed to be mostly empty to keep the Illusive Man's location unknown, with illustrations depicting the Illusive Man staring at a dying star to create the illusion that he was in control of his surroundings. The chamber was conceived to exclude any phones or monitors, instead having the Illusive Man surrounded by holograms meant to show his connection to a vast amount of information.[2]: 87  Early concepts for this observation room in Mass Effect 3 featured the Sun visible in the background either in changing colors or in an eclipse. For its final look as presented in the game, the art team decided to make the dying star a hologram.[2]: 190–191 

Narrative design and voice acting

[edit]
A picture of the face of an old caucasian man wearing a black suit. His eyes are blue and his hair is short and light gray.
Martin Sheen provides the voice for the Illusive Man.

The Illusive Man's narrative creation was the result of a mash-up of several ideas. The name "Illusive" came from a proposed name for Dragon Age: Origins' Eclipse game engine, which at one point was meant to be called "Illusive". This name was inspired by the use of the word "elusive" in a phrase by Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, but with the letter "E" swapped for an "I" to evoke "illusion". As a character, he was created by combining CNN reporter Anderson Cooper's ability to be at multiple places without looking tired with the idea of a character that represented the worst of humanity. Another major influence in his characterization came from Graem Bauer, Jack Bauer's brother in 24, a clandestine figure who worked behind the scenes.[7] Mass Effect 3's lead writer Mac Walters explained that the Illusive Man was conceived as a morally gray character that the player would not know much about.[8][9] Walters noted that the narrative team made the decision not to reveal much about the Illusive Man's present, but remained open to exploring his past through additional content.[9] Producer Adrien Cho described the Illusive Man as "a shadowy puppet master", regarding him as "a womanizer" who encompassed both the best and worst traits of humanity embodied in a single individual, serving as a foil to Commander Shepard.[5]

For his appearance in the comic series Mass Effect: Evolution, Walters stated the writing team wanted to explore the Illusive Man's identity and background, expressing special interest in how he came to hold the influence he holds in Mass Effect 2 and the justifications behind his ideology. John Jackson Miller, who penned the script for Mass Effect: Evolution, Invasion, and Redemption, personally viewed him as a searcher who saw a "darker side to some of the great things humanity's discovered".[9]

For the Illusive Man's voice acting in both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, BioWare cast American actor Martin Sheen.[10] According to former Mass Effect lead producer Casey Hudson, Sheen was very invested in his role. Hudson further stated that during the recording, the development team had to explain to Sheen that he had to do multiple takes of each line so that they could fit in with the different conversation options that players have. The thought of someone talking back to the Illusive Man confounded Sheen, who stated that the player "wouldn't say that".[11][12] In an interview with Joshua Lucht of Action News, Sheen said he would suck on a pen to simulate smoking when recording lines.[13]

Appearances

[edit]

Throughout his appearances in the Mass Effect franchise, the Illusive Man is depicted as a "human nationalist" and the leader of Cerberus, an anthropocentric organization dedicated to advancing humanity's role in the galaxy.[2][1] Originally introduced in the tie-in novel Mass Effect: Ascension, the Illusive Man almost never physically communicates with his subordinates, but rather via hologram in a separate chamber.[2][14][15][16]

In Mass Effect video games

[edit]

The Illusive Man makes his first in-game appearance at the start of Mass Effect 2, following the killing of player character Commander Shepard by an unknown ship. The Illusive Man commands Cerberus to recall Shepard to life. He debriefs and tells Shepard about how human colonists had begun to be mysteriously abducted and instructs them to investigate the matter.[17] The Illusive Man then tasks Shepard with building a team with whom to stop the colonist abductions. As the game progresses, he tasks Shepard with completing a series of missions that reveal that the Collectors, a mysterious and reclusive race of insect-like humanoids, are behind the abductions and the attack that killed Shepard.[18] Nearing the game's conclusion, the Illusive Man sends Shepard to the Collectors' base, where Shepard fights a Collector-created human Reaper. Once the mission is finished, the Illusive Man contacts Shepard, arguing that the technology encountered in the base could be used against the Reapers. It is then that the player has to decide whether to keep the base while killing the Collectors only or to destroy the base in its entirety, ultimately severing their connection with Cerberus.[19][14]

A zoomed in image of the Illusive Man's face, with visible bright blue and dark blue streaks running accross its sides and chin, as well as his neck.
The Illusive Man's appearance in Mass Effect 3, visibly deformed by Reaper nanotechnology implants

The Illusive Man returns in Mass Effect 3. He shows up at various points in the game, in which he argues that humanity should find a way of controlling the Reapers instead of destroying them.[20][21] Throughout the game, the Illusive Man is portrayed as a firm believer that technological augmentation is the key to securing human dominance within the galaxy, and actively seeks to use the advanced technology of the Reapers to elevate humanity's position and power. This leads the Illusive Man to conduct experiments with Reaper nanotechnology, ultimately implanting himself with it and becoming indoctrinated.[22] Towards the game's conclusion, the Illusive Man discloses to the Reapers the galaxy's ongoing efforts to locate the Catalyst, the final component necessary to complete the Crucible, a large-scale weapon theorized to be capable of destroying the Reapers. This allows the Reapers to take control of the Catalyst, which is revealed to be the Citadel, a massive space station and megastructure in the Mass Effect universe.[23] During the final mission aboard the Citadel, the Illusive Man encounters Shepard as well as Admiral Anderson, who is fatally shot. The Illusive Man subsequently attempts to convince Shepard that the Crucible can be used to control the Reapers. Shepard can then either shoot the Illusive Man or convince him to shoot himself.[23][24]

In other media

[edit]

The Illusive Man features in several Mass Effect tie-in novels. He was first introduced in the already mentioned Mass Effect: Ascension, which follows his attempts to infiltrate the Ascension project, an ongoing human initiative to expand their capacity to use biotics, a form of telekinesis in the Mass Effect universe. The Illusive Man tasks his operative Paul Grayson with retrieving his adoptive daughter Gillian from the project so that Cerberus could personally train her, with Grayson ultimately betraying the Illusive Man to protect her.[14][15] The Illusive Man returns in Mass Effect: Retribution, in which he orders the kidnapping of Grayson to perform experiments on him with the technology of the Reapers, causing Grayson to succumb to indoctrination, running rampant across the galaxy and prompting the Illusive Man to order his assassination.[14][15] He also appears in Mass Effect: Deception, in which he orders the retrieval of Grayson's body and is targeted by a now adult Gillian.[25]

The Illusive Man also makes an appearance in multiple Mass Effect comics. His real in-universe name, Jack Harper, is revealed in the 2011 comic miniseries Mass Effect: Evolution, which explores an early encounter with Saren Arterius while Harper was fighting as a mercenary in the First Contact War, a background conflict between humanity and the Turians.[3][14] Mass Effect: Invasion sees the Illusive Man involved in a conflict with the leader of Omega, a massive space station built in the crust of a metallic asteroid that makes an appearance in Mass Effect 2 and the Mass Effect 3: Omega downloadable content.[26] In the fourth section of the comic series Mass Effect: Homeworlds, the Illusive Man contacts Liara T'Soni to exchange information on the Reapers.[14] The Illusive Man also shows up in the tie-in comic Mass Effect: Foundation.[27]

Reception and analysis

[edit]

Donald Trump propaganda video

[edit]

In April 2016, a propaganda video promoted on various social media channels attracted media attention for its appropriation of audio assets from Mass Effect 2, which included the voice performance of the Illusive Man by Martin Sheen, in an ostensible show of support for the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump.[28] The original video, which was uploaded on YouTube and had stylistic similarities to a promotional trailer for Mass Effect 2, was liked and shared on Donald Trump's Twitter and Instagram accounts shortly before it was taken down due to copyright infringement claims by publisher Electronic Arts, with an issued statement condemning the use of their intellectual property for political campaigns, though the video was still briefly visible on Trump's Twitter account before it was permanently removed.[29][30] Former BioWare staff member Manveer Heir, who had worked on the video game series, expressed bemusement over the propaganda video and said that he "love[s] the idea that Trump may think he's the Illusive Man, who is verifiably the bad guy in the game".[28] Sheen himself was a vocal critic of Trump throughout his tenure as US President.[31][32]

Reception

[edit]

The Illusive Man was received well, earning accolades for his appearance in Mass Effect 2. IGN named him the Best Character of 2010, calling him "[a]n enigma, a crusader, an agent of calm in a vortex of chaos".[33] In Giant Bomb's Game of the Year 2010 Awards, the Illusive Man earned "Character We'd Most Like To Party With", with the site describing him as someone who prioritizes results over ethical considerations and commending his "singular vision" and "strong personality".[34] The Illusive Man has also been featured in several "best video game villain" lists, receiving praise for his uniqueness when compared to other video game antagonists and his manipulative tendencies.[35][36][37] Martin Sheen's performance earned him a nomination for Best Male Performance at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.[38][39] Seth Schiesel from the New York Times singled out Sheen's portrayal as an example of BioWare's superbly evocative and believable voice acting and direction, alluding to the perceived similarities between the Illusive Man and Sheen's character Captain Benjamin L. Willard from the film Apocalypse Now as "a wonderful, delicious riff".[40] Andy Burt of GamePro also complimented it, declaring that Sheen "could've sleepwalked through the role [...] and many players wouldn't have noticed".[41]

The Illusive Man drew favorable attention for his influence and secrecy. Andy Burt of GamePro noted that his "business-like mannerisms" set him apart from other characters in the Mass Effect series. Burt praised the Illusive Man's underlying sinister nature when presenting himself as an ally, comparing him to "a mastermind right out of a James Bond flick" and adding how the player gets the sense that he is "manipulating all the events" while directing Commander Shepard.[41] In a magazine published in 2010, Game Informer Staff named the Illusive Man one of the "30 characters who defined a decade". They explained that, even if he did not possess the same physical abilities as Shepard, the Illusive Man's influence and control over a great number of resources made him as dangerous as Shepard and "a very intriguing character". They further praised the Illusive Man's mysterious nature and moral ambiguity, observing how he was always "one step ahead" of Shepard, making him an unpredictable and ambitious figure who had attempted to turn the galaxy's greatest hero into a puppet.[42] When discussing earlier works that may have inspired the Mass Effect series, IGN's Christopher Monfette compared the character to the Smoking Man from The X-Files.[43]

His role as an antagonist has also attracted coverage, with praise going for its complexity. Megan Logan of Inverse commented on the Illusive Man's role as the leader of Cerberus, arguing that the core of the idea behind his creation of the organization was not "inherently evil", noting that it was its execution that was flawed. Logan concluded that the perceived complexity regarding whether the Illusive Man was malevolent or simply blinded by his desire to advance humanity made him a "compelling antagonist".[44] Paz Boris of IGN Spain regarded the Illusive Man as the franchise's best developed antagonist, commending how the writers had the Illusive Man aid Shepard throughout the games, while not showing his true intentions until the very end. Boris also approved the decision to not have the Illusive Man as a boss battle in Mass Effect 3, as that would have undervalued his depth and already established attributes.[45]

In an article written for The Escapist, Elijah Beahm regarded his backstory as Jack Harper in Mass Effect: Evolution positively, arguing that the comic captures the Illusive Man's most iconic traits. Beahm further described the Illusive Man as one of the few characters truly central to "the Mass Effect mythos".[3]

Analysis

[edit]

The Illusive Man's use of Reaper nanotechnology and his contrasting relation to series protagonist Commander Shepard have been the subject of scholarly analysis. Sarah Stang discussed how the Illusive Man's technological augmentations affected his physical appearance and acted as a visual indicator of "ruthlessness and evil", similarly to how Shepard's physical appearance changes when making morally evil decisions. Stang labeled the color change in his skin as "cyborgian skin disease", arguing that Mass Effect 3 ties morality to how "normal" a character looks.[22] Stephanie Farnsworth pondered the Illusive Man's usage of Reaper augmentations on members of his political organization, arguing that by ensuring that his subordinates turn into husks, a Reaper-controlled cyborg in the Mass Effect series, he leaves them without an opportunity to turn against him. Farnsworth further commented on the Illusive Man's indoctrination later in the game, noting how it reflected elements of a biopunk narrative.[46] Craig Hayden argued that the confrontation between Shepard and the Illusive Man in Mass Effect 3 represents two competing political models in tension: Shepard's inclusive, alien coalition-based approach against the Illusive Man's human-only exclusionary approach. Hayden continued that this conflict touched on the general themes of the Mass Effect series, raising questions about whether "the boundary conditions of identity are essential, necessary, or contingent".[47]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 BioWare. Mass Effect 2. Codex – Cerberus: The Illusive Man: The reclusive tycoon calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council regards him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hudson, Casey; Watts, Derek (February 2, 2012). The Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 978-1506721637.
  3. 1 2 3 Beahm, Elijah (August 27, 2021). "The Secret Origins of the Illusive Man". TheEscapist. Archived from the original on March 18, 2026. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  4. ↑ Mass Effect 2: Collector's Edition Artbook. Prima Games. p. 6.
  5. 1 2 "Mass Effect 2 – Adrien Cho Video Interview". IGN. December 18, 2009. Event occurs at 02:06. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  6. ↑ Phillips, Tom (December 12, 2012). "BioWare: Mass Effect 4 due "late 2014 to mid-2015"". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ Gelinas, Ben (2020). BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development. Dark Horse Comics. p. 178. ISBN 9781506718798.
  8. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (January 27, 2012). "How BioWare Writes A Mass Effect Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 George, Richard (July 15, 2010). "SDCC 10: Mass Effect: The Origin of the Illusive Man". IGN. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ryckert, Dan (January 31, 2012). "BioWare Announces Voice Cast For Mass Effect 3". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  11. ↑ Crecente, Brian (January 14, 2010). "Martin Sheen Dares You To Talk Back To Him (In Mass Effect 2)". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  12. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (January 14, 2010). "Martin Sheen really got into playing "The Man" in ME2, says BioWare". VG247. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  13. ↑ Sheen, Martin (September 10, 2011). "Martin Sheen Confirms His Return As The Illusive Man For "Mass Effect 3"" (Interview). Interviewed by Lucht, Joshua. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blomquist, Gregory Carl William (2023). "The Ludic Nature of Transmedia Storytelling in Mass Effect". University of Alberta. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 Lowry, Brendan (January 17, 2018). "The 8 best Mass Effect books you can't miss". Windows Central. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ Winter, Jerome (2023). Bioware's Mass Effect. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-031-18878-7.
  17. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad (December 17, 2009). "Mass Effect 2: The Truth About The First 90 Minutes". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Mass Effect 2 – Freedom's Progress Colony". Prima Games. June 7, 2010. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ Neltz, András (April 12, 2013). "The Most Defining Decisions You Have To Make In Mass Effect". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  20. ↑ Kollar, Phil (February 2012). "Game Informer – Issue 226: Mass Effect 3 The Beginning of the End". Game Informer. p. 66.
  21. ↑ Metz, Joseph (March 28, 2022). "How To Persuade The Illusive Man In Mass Effect 3". TheGamer. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  22. 1 2 Stang, Sarah. Empey, Julia A.; Kilbourn, Russel J.A. (eds.). Feminist Posthumanism in Contemporary Science Fiction Film and Media: From Annihilation to High Life and Beyond. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 101 – 102. ISBN 9781501398407.
  23. 1 2 Hamilton, Kirk. "A Beginner's Guide To The World Of Mass Effect". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  24. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (March 12, 2012). "Why Mass Effect 3's Ending Was So Damn Terrible". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 18, 2025. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  25. ↑ Dietz, William C. (January 31, 2012). Mass Effect: Deception. Del Rey Books. ISBN 978-0345520739.
  26. ↑ Cobbett, Richard (March 2, 2012). "Mass Effect: The Stories So Far". Eurogamer. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  27. ↑ Eakin, Jon (December 13, 2013). "Mass Effect: Foundation Trade Coming Soon". GameInformer. Archived from the original on September 19, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  28. 1 2 Kyle Orland (April 5, 2016). "EA trumps Trump ad, takes down supporter's retweeted Mass Effect video". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  29. ↑ Donovan Slack (April 3, 2016). "Trump promotes perhaps the most over-the-top campaign video in American history". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  30. ↑ Phillips, Tom (April 5, 2016). "EA lambasts Donald Trump for using Mass Effect audio in campaign ad". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  31. ↑ Rosanna Greenstreet (March 18, 2017). "Martin Sheen: 'Which living person do I most despise? Yellow Hair'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  32. ↑ Melinda Henneberger (October 28, 2020). "'West Wing' star Martin Sheen: Donald Trump gets away with more than any TV president could". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Best Character (PC)". IGN. Archived from the original on June 5, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Giant Bomb's Game of the Year 2010: Day Four". Giant Bomb. December 30, 2010. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  35. ↑ Boo, Bernard; Byrd, Matthew (March 9, 2024). "25 Best Video Game Villains Ever". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
  36. ↑ Loveridge, Sam (June 18, 2025). "The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate". Gamesradar+. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
  37. ↑ Lowry, Brendan (November 21, 2018). "Top 10 Xbox video game villains". Windows Central. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
  38. ↑ Leahy, Brian (November 17, 2010). "Spike Video Game Awards Nominee List Released". Shacknews. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  39. ↑ "Spike TV Announces the "2010 "Video Game Awards"". IGN. November 17, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  40. ↑ Schiesel, Seth (February 2, 2010). "Dragging Out a Galaxy Rescue". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  41. 1 2 Burst, Andy (March 2010). "GamePro – Issue 258: Who Is the Illusive Man?". GamePro. p. 48 – 51.
  42. ↑ Game Informer Staff (December 2010). "Game Informer – Issue 212: The 30 Characters Who Defined A Decade". Game Informer. p. 60.
  43. ↑ Monfette, Christopher (January 26, 2010). "Films That Inspired Mass Effect". IGN. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  44. ↑ Logan, Megan (April 15, 2016). "'Mass Effect Cerberus': The Real Key To the Network". Inverse. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  45. ↑ Boris, Paz (June 7, 2014). "Mass Effect: el camino para salvar la galaxia" [Mass Effect: the path to saving the galaxy]. IGN Spain (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 3, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
  46. ↑ Farnsworth, Stephanie (January 2025). "A Mass Effect Study of Morphed Humanity, from Individuals to Populations in a Biotechnological Futurist Society" (PDF). University of Sunderland. p. 258 – 259. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  47. ↑ Hayden, Craig (June 18, 2016). "The Procedural Rhetorics of Mass Effect: Video Games as Argumentation in International Relations". Oxford Academic. p. 14. doi:10.1093/isp/ekw002. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Illusive_Man&oldid=1376834925"