First Lieutenant Liam McMahon is the protagonist of the stories Deadeye SubZero, Intervention, and Revenge -a sub-series within the World of Saints and Sinners series- created by RD959.
Within the series, he is a central character overall; potentially the second-most important character in the series after SubZero. Liam appears in various other stories in the series as a side character/antagonist, such as Aftermath, Shinobi, and Pixel Boy. He is also mentioned briefly in Stories of War and The Rebirth Program as a figment of the past.
Synopsis
Following a near-fatal injury from a mugging, Liam McMahon discovered he had the ability to slow down his perception of time, essentially enhancing his own reflexes. He sought to live up to the legacy that the world's last superhero left in their wake, 9 years ago. His goal drifts very far off course, however, as he gets tangled in an internal conflict between his country Repton and a far-left espionage/mercenary faction called the CSO. He also happens to join the military just before the Third World War begins and all hell breaks loose. Following the war, Liam tries to live a proper life, but his battle with the CSO never ends.
The story focuses mostly on his hardships of violence, perseverance, and betrayal; after the war, he finds himself in a mental struggle, trying to keep his past away from his new present.
Background
"What kind of psycho do you have to be to shoot a kid?!" - Liam, trying to defend himself from the robber.
Liam was born in 2002 in Lethbridge, Alberta, before moving further north to Calgary only 3 years later. Having been born into a post-Soviet occupation era in Western Canada (which would become part of Repton in 2015), life was generally hard as most people struggled financially. Nevertheless, Liam lived a normal middle-class life, attending a public school and living in the suburbs.
A map of Repton and its surrounding area.
Author's Note: When making this character I avoided the subject of what happened to his parents and never came back to address it, so for the sake of alignment/relevance with the rest of his backstory, his mom passed when he was 17 and his dad died 2 years later.
One afternoon in 2017, while walking home from middle school, Liam was approached and confronted by a hooded man, who brandished a gun and threatened him with it. After exchanging pleads and insults, the man fired his gun, shooting Liam in the right eye. Liam miraculously survived with the bullet missing his frontal lobe and just barely skimming his temporal lobe- which had somehow enhanced his senses instead of damaging the sensory nerves inside. He was hospitalized for three months, but still continued school afterwards, getting his high school diploma and going to university at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
During university, Liam met a girl named Marie Warner. The two shared an intimate friendship, which developed into a romantic relationship; something that Liam describes as 'the best part of my life so far' when reflecting upon it. However, after getting out of university they broke up over a minor dispute, and never spoke again for a year.
Story
Deadeye SubZero
PrologueβNo. No. Iβm sorry. I canβt get into a relationship again. Itβs too much for me. I miss us too, but Iβve lost the will to date someone.β - to Marie Warner, about getting back together.
While at a shooting range with some of his friends in 2022, Liam discovered his perception ability and used it to land all of his shots on his target during a competition, leaving both his friends and himself in disbelief. His doctor dubbed this as Deadeye, claiming a number of people- primarily outlaws from the 19th century- had a similar condition. Following this news, Liam got the idea to try and use his power for the betterment of the world, following in the footsteps of the late superhero SubZero, who had sacrificed himself to save the world from a robot invasion in 2015 and was the main cause of the USSR losing their grip on North America and the eventual collapse of their continental puppet government in 2004.
Liam and Marie started talking again in late 2023, but when Marie expressed her desire about the two of them getting back together, Liam stated he can't date her again after what happened, saying it was still too soon. During one of their hangouts together Liam encountered Benjamin Zeck, an old friend of SubZero, who, moments after holding the two at gunpoint, invited Liam to his house for an opportunity for some dirty work.
-Part One-
After meeting at his house in Missoula, Ben gave Liam an M1911 pistol and explained his objective; to hunt down the CSO and destroy their bases across the West Coast. He requested the help of Liam to take down these bases in return for a huge payment. Liam accepted, and the two began to take out bases scattered around the western hemisphere and hunted down the Agents running them. During this phase is when Liam adopted the codename Deadeye SubZero, referencing both his ability, as well as his self-believed succession to SubZero himself."I- I hardly think I'm gonna need this." - to Ben Zeck, after being handed a gun.
The relationship between Ben and Liam began to quickly deteriorate as they severely differed on values. Ben often pursued his more murderous and mercenary-driven nature, killing his targets without hesitation, while Liam was bent against this, refusing to murder anyone in purely cold blood. This led to their fallout, and they distanced from each other for two weeks.
When the time came to finish the last CSO base in February 2024, the two partnered up for the last time. This was when Ben's true motives were revealed, as he shot Liam in the back on the roof of the base. He explained he was actually a CSO Agent himself and all these bases they were taking down together were in fact rebelling from the CSO itself, and Ben was just using Liam to help with his job. Ben laid more emotional damage into Liam than physical, claiming he 'hated him from the start' and that Liam would 'never see his extravagant dreams come true', before leaving him to pass out from the blood loss and collapse off the side of the building.
-Part Two-
Liam managed to survive once again as Marie had found him passed out at the bottom of the building. He was meant to be in IC for about two weeks, but walked out the next day with two broken ribs. After getting back on his feet, Liam sought to take down the entire CSO, but primarily, serve a cold dish for Ben. He went on a revenge tour, tracking down multiple prominent CSO agents across the world. His hunt brought him to places like Nunavut, Munich, Washington D.C, and even right in his own city."I should've listened to you. That Ben guy we met? He fucking betrayed me." - to Marie Warner after she brought him to the hospital.
After raiding a CSO munitions warehouse in Edmonton, Liam became acquainted with Captain Adam Lee of the Repton Navy while raiding a CSO base in April. Adam explained the government was aware of the CSO's internal involvement, adding that the CSO was interfering in Russian elections to make it so the Communist Party would win. He also revealed the CSO's full name; the Communal Strike Organization. They had been around since the 1930s, secretly helping the USSR by producing arms. During the Cold War they became more of a spy organization, performing covert operations to hinder NATO and allow the USSR to win the Cold War. After the USSR collapsed, the CSO's bases remained in North America, and ever since then, they have been trying to revive the Soviet Union.
Adam expressed his concern for Liam's actions, claiming he was too young to be involved in all this chaos. Liam shot back, saying he can do what he wants, and won't stop until he sees the collapse of the CSO, to Adam's disapproval. Nevertheless, Adam put in a word for Liam to the president of Repton, Richard Nicholas. Due to this, Liam was appointed into the Repton Armed Forces instantly as a non-commissioned First Lieutenant, as the president saw potential in him and sought to use his skills for the better. For the most part he did not see frontline duty during his service; instead, he was more of a covert operative, being behind enemy lines performing operations to weaken the enemy.
-Part Three-
Some time after joining the army, Liam encountered Steven Smith, better known as Pixel Boy, another former ally of SubZero. All those years back, Steven had arrived in 2015 from the future in 2080 by accident, and SubZero helped him get back on his feet and defeat Virusmaster, the robot who had sent him back in time and was now invading Earth. He stuck around for some time, being the one who brought the CSO to the attention of SubZero. He was also present during the robot invasion of Montreal, but by SubZero's commands Steven returned to 2080 before the former's sacrifice was made. Steven had come to 2024 to find SubZero again, only to learn he had died ten years prior. He then asked Liam for help finding a robot body, for he had the idea to bring SubZero back with the body of an android. Liam accepted, and assisted Steven before he went to 2080 and presumably went on with his plan.βI really hate to break it to you, but his final battle was about four thousand kilometers that way.β - to Steven Smith, guiding him to SubZero's last battle in Montreal.
On a small street one day, Liam encountered a young man dressed as a ninja, who called himself the Shinobi. His real name was Jordan, and he was on a similar quest of taking down the CSO. The two engaged in a fight, however, as they thought the other was a CSO agent. Despite Jordan's agility and superior hand-to-hand skills, Liam managed to use his gun to halt the battle. Acting in haste and desperation, he shot Jordan in the chest and greatly wounded him, before the latter revealed his face and Liam realized his actions. They parted ways, with Liam leaving in regret for not thinking straight.
Shortly after, Liam was kidnapped by a CSO agent, who took him to Birmingham. The agent sought to claim his bounty, which had amassed to nearly $3.5 million. Liam managed to just barely escape and get a flight back to Repton, but lost his gun in the process. This event is what led him to purchase his iconic gun, the 7.5 FK BRNO pistol. He also modified it heavily himself, adding components such as a muzzle compensator, an extended magazine, a reflex sight, and a more complicated 'double ignitor system', which involved having a second ignition switch inside the barrel which further sped up the fired bullet, allowing for a much more dangerous weapon.
-Part Four-
After gathering himself back up again following the kidnapping, he managed to track down Ben, who was stationed in Sapporo. He decided to end this once and for all, and flew out to Japan to hunt him down. After a long fist fight on top of a skyscraper, Ben lost his footing and slipped off the side, barely hanging on. While expressing his false remorse and apologies, Liam made the decision to finally exact his revenge, stepping on Ben's fingers, making him plummet to the ground. This would mark the first person Liam had killed, unaware he had become the very thing he was hell-bent against."However this turns out, you'll deserve ten times worse than what I give you." - to Ben Zeck.
Following this, Liam paid a visit to Ben's wife, Christina, another former ally of SubZero. She revealed her and Ben had two kids together, but shared her dislike of Ben's ways, explaining he had spiraled downwards into mental crisis after SubZero's death, and was roped into the CSO when at his lowest.
Liam's first mission with the government was to hunt down the head agent of the CSO, Andrei Morozov. Him and Adam traveled to Petrograd in a newly formed Eurasian Socialist Union; the successor to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They pursued Andrei and his bodyguards through the city, and after a long destructive battle through the streets and the metro, Andrei was killed second-degree, being hit by an oncoming train.
This- branded as a terrorist attack by the ESU- along with a subsequent fighter jet skirmish in Siberia between Liam and Adam commandeering SubZero's old jet, further increased tensions between the Soviet Union and Repton.
Repton intelligence revealed a Soviet operation in planning to invade Vancouver Island and start a war between Repton and the ESU. Liam was told to travel to one of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea and destroy the ships that would supposedly be involved in the operation and hopefully disrupt the plan. This mission is where he developed proficiency with a sniper rifle, using a Remington Model 700 rifle to shoot directly down the barrel of an AA gun on a battleship from over a kilometer away in order to blow it up. After an ensuing battle between Liam and invading soldiers onto the island, he made his escape with his Filipino contact on a small boat.
In June 2024, the Eurasian Socialist Republic declared war on Repton and NATO whilst bringing in their own allies, sparking the Third World War.
-Part Five-
Liam was dragged into fighting in the war, as Soviet troops, despite the major setback, immediately launched the planned naval invasion of Vancouver Island and were crossing the bay into the city. Liam was assigned to hold the line in Vancouver and played a major role in the battle for the city, having saved a large group of civilian hostages, and subsequently taking out a tank all by himself by throwing a grenade down the barrel."This is it. What now?" - to Adam Lee as they watched Victoria being sieged.
Once the Soviets were pushed off the island, Liam was reassigned further south to Seattle, where a large uprising instigated by the CSO had sent the city into turmoil. While in Seattle, he was also ordered to meet a South Korean diplomat who had satellite imagery of a Soviet nuclear silo somewhere in Siberia with intent to launch it, which would break the anti-nuclear treaty signed in 1983 during the 'Cold' War that banned using any ballistic nuclear warhead for offensive purposes. He also encountered Jordan again, and this time the two teamed up to defeat a mad scientist with an armored suit, who had attempted to track down Liam to find the root of his power and harness it, after having failed to do the same to Jordan.
Liam additionally was present in the Battle of Los Angeles, where nearly 200,000 Soviet soldiers made landings across Santa Monica, Long Beach, and the majority of Orange County. The battle lasted eight months before the American Army, with Reptoner reinforcements, were able to push out the invaders. Liam remained in the city for two months afterwards to help rebuild.
In 2028, Liam participated in the Battle of Beijing as part of the 12th Airborne Infantry Battalion, helping storm the Chinese government building from above to find and capture the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Wu Sheng. While having Sheng as hostage, the team was forced to kill him after an altercation between them and a group of Chinese soldiers went awry. Wu Sheng's death, along with the sieges of Beijing and Shanghai, dealt a massive blow to the PRC and was the beginning of the end for the Communist League.
-Part Six-
Two years later, NATO forces had entered pure Russian soil, and the ESU began to get desperate; having seen their largest ally, China, collapse, and enemy troops nearing Moscow. Thus, the first nuclear weapon in 47 years had finished development, and the Soviets were ready to use it."God can't help us all. He chooses wisely about who to save." - to Vladimir Smirnov.
It was revealed to American intelligence that the staging post was a previously abandoned silo in Siberia. Additionally, the leader of the Eurasian Socialist Union, Vladimir Smirnov, was visiting this site to witness the first launch. The US Secretary of Defense, John Kimball, contacted Liam and ordered him to infiltrate the silo and stop the missile from launching; and, if possible, kill Smirnov.
Along with Adam and his Russian insider, Niko, Liam was airdropped nearby via helicopter and snuck into the base disguised as a Soviet soldier in order to find a way to deactivate the missile. He subsequently found out that the nuke the Soviets had built was destined to strike Washington D.C, and allowing it to launch would instantaneously turn the tide of the war in the ESU's favor. Liam broke into the control room to find the soldier operating it take his own life as to not reveal how to turn it off, and added insult to injury by starting the countdown just before. Panicked, Liam tried to find a new solution, and ultimately decided he would make the sacrifice to close the silo hatch before the nuke launched, containing the blast. All the soldiers inside were now aware of Liam's presence, so he had to fight his way across the base to reach the hatch controls, which were separate from the missile controls. Just before he pulled the lever, Niko and Adam arrived in the helicopter, allowing Liam to get on and escape before the hatch closed. The silo exploded behind them, and Niko was able to keep control and fly away. Liam, albeit just barely surviving, was reminded of his other task, and insisted that they go back to the town to find Smirnov. The other two, aware of Liam's injuries, reluctantly turned back.
Liam found Vladimir Smirnov in a church, claiming he was making one last prayer before he died. However, as Liam approached, Smirnov attacked him with a bust of Jesus, hitting him across the head and nearly knocking him out. The ensuing fight lasted several minutes, with Vladimir eventually knocking over a chancel pole and setting the church on fire. Smirnov eventually caught one of Liam's bullets in the chest, and the two exchanged sympathy for the other, as Liam realized if he killed Smirnov he would be no better than him- for he was just a politician, not a soldier or a killer.
Liam walked out of the church and Niko arrived to bring him back home; leaving Smirnov's fate unknown. What is definite is that the following day the ESU surrendered as British troops had taken Moscow. The Treaty of Saint Petersburg was signed the week after, with Russia being divided up into several oblasts monitored by NATO, and mainland China being reclaimed by Taiwan's Kuomintang. The rest of the countries on the side of the ESU were either replaced with a new, NATO-aligned government, or annexed fully.
Epilogue
A post-war party was held in the Kremlin in Moscow, where many world leaders had gathered together to celebrate and honor the war effort. Liam was present as Richard Nicholas' right-hand man/bodyguard. As Nicholas gave a speech, Liam noticed a man in the front row with a pistol. He covered Richard, taking a bullet to the back for him, and proceeded to pursue the assassin. It was revealed that the man was Andrei Morozov's son, Mikael. After being cornered at the edge of a building by Liam, Mikael proceeded to presumably kill himself, leaping off the top of the building in the name of Russian glory.βThatβs the man from the party. What the fuck is he doing there? I thought he was dead- I mean, I watched the bastard jump off a building!β - after seeing Mikael Morozov on the TV.
Following the war, Liam was rewarded personally by Richard; both for his participation, and for saving his life. He was given a new home in the richer part of Calgary, and was paid in reparations summing up to nearly $1.5 million. After realizing he was finally at peace, Liam decided to start anew with his life, and contacted Marie again. The two managed to get back together, and Marie moved in with him.
Shortly after, Richard informed Liam of a familiar face on the TV, while watching a football (soccer) match in Brighton. Upon closer examination Liam realized it was actually Mikael Morozov, who had survived the jump off the Kremlin and was now disguised as a referee. He, along with a dozen more Russians, began a mass riot which led to the deaths of 34 citizens. The event shook people worldwide, and was known for years to come as the Brighton Massacre.
Liam met up with Richard, and the two pieced it together, confirming the CSO was still alive and was operating in the shadows, right under their own noses.
Pixel Boy
Chapter 11
Liam and Marie got married in 2032, and spent their honeymoon in Paris. This was disrupted, however, as a powerful flying man attacked the city. The man was revealed to be Steven Smith, having come back once again, but he was different this time. He had been possessed by a demonic force, and showed no recollection of having met Liam before. The two fought through the streets, wreaking havoc. The demon attempted to possess Liam, only for his and Steven's subconscious to be merged. Within Steven's mind, Liam managed to use a holy cross from the recollection of Steven's childhood orphanage to banish the demon and in turn destroy Steven Smith's mind. After the fight, Liam apologized deeply to Marie for having her end up involved in this, and upon returning to Repton he told Richard Nicholas that he cannot be in the army any more, and is resigning."You owe me a peaceful honeymoon, Steven." - to Steven Smith, after encountering him in the wrecked streets of Paris.
During the following years, Liam noticed his Deadeye ability was degrading due to his older age, and began to come to terms with himself, accepting he is getting weaker and is past his peak. Additionally, Marie tried many times to convince Liam to leave all the past behind and cut off contact with the government, but he remained tied to them despite his early retirement.
Intervention
In 2039, Liam helped with the Repton time travel project, working with Walter Smith; the eventual father of Steven Smith. In August of the same year, the laboratory had perfected time travel, and used Liam as their guinea pig to go on the first mission of the Agency of Time Preservation and Stability (ATPS). This agency had the goal to keep the timeline safe, by preventing time travellers from going back in time and disrupting the already unstable timeline."Ich kann nicht zulassen dass du den abzug betΓ€tigen, Herr Fraser." (I can't let you pull that trigger, Mr. Fraser.) - to Derek Fraser, threatening him with a gun.
The first major spike they noticed in the timeline was back in 1939, where a time travelling assassin was trying to kill Adolf Hitler before he declared war on Poland- which would spark WW2 and set the course for the modern era. Despite his reluctance in having to save such an evil and horrible man, Liam was reminded that the entire timeline was at stake, and travelled back 100 years disguised as an SS officer to Berlin, where Hitler was giving a speech.
Liam managed to track down the assassin and interrogated him. Upon finding out the man, named Derek Fraser, was actually a CSO agent, Liam executed him, leaving his wife over the intercom in devastation and telling her to "tell your boss Deadeye sent you"; an action that would have major repercussions in the near future.
He also ran into Hitler while trying to escape, who recognized Liam, and to the latter's confusion, explained that the Nazis had already discovered the formula for time travel, but did not use it due to their awareness of the effect it would have on the timeline.
Liam returned back to 2039 very confused, with more questions than anything else.
Revenge
Meanwhile, in Vladivostok in 2041, a broken and dismayed Catherine Fraser mourned her husband Derek, and vowed to hunt down and kill the man who shot him in the face. After gathering herself up again, she got to work, finding out who this "Deadeye" was. She managed to piece together that this man was none other than the feared Lieutenant McMahon. He was well-known among the CSO and the mention of his name struck fear into most agents. He was the culprit of the near collapse of the CSO, as well as the killer of their greatest leader Andrei Morozov. Despite having heard of his feats and superior skill, Catherine stayed true to her goal and continued to track him down."I tried to put all that behind me; I really did. But I canβt just forget my past and act like a goddamn saint!" - to Marie McMahon, about giving up the past he once lived.
She first interrogated Walter Smith, beating him until he caved in and told her the work he did with Liam. Next, she travelled to Taipei with her boss Agent 32 and two other agents (Agent 96 and Agent 4) to hunt down his comrade Adam Lee. They tortured him for hours, and Agent 32 took a violent turn, stabbing Adam in the eye with a pencil compass. After getting nothing out of him, Catherine took his phone and left.
Adam died in the hospital just an hour later, to which Liam was made aware by Richard Nicholas. The two met in Victoria at Adam's grave, and Liam expressed his fear that he might be next. He says that he can't die since he has something to lose now; his wife, who he just learned was pregnant a month before. He continues, stating the kind of life he lived isn't the one he wants for his child to grow up in, and that his past choices are what led the CSO to be after him now. Richard expresses little emotion, but understands Liam's feeling as he was also a soldier at war in the late 90s.
A week later, Liam reveals what has happened to Marie, to whom he was gatekeeping it from as he didn't want to talk about it. This leads to some tension between the two of them, as Marie gets mad that Liam still hasn't left his military life behind. He then retorts with the fact that one can't simply give up their past, and that it is hard to act like it never happened.
Catherine, on the other hand, has assembled 4 squads to take down Liam, using a sabotage on a military airfield in Airdrie to divert the army.
One day, Liam receives a text from Richard, saying they have to meet urgently in the Hayes Tower, an old skyscraper in downtown Calgary. When Liam arrives, he quickly realizes it was a set up, and is assaulted by an attack helicopter with machine guns. He manages to escape the building and flees on his motorcycle. An APC follows in pursuit. He pieces it together and realizes this is it; the CSO are finally coming after him.
A chase ensues throughout the city, and when the CSO agents finally catch up to him, his Deadeye kicks in once more, and he kills 4 of them in a split second. He then uses the APC's turret to gun down the helicopter, killing off 4 more agents.
Fleeing to an abandoned parking lot, Liam calls Marie and apologises for the argument they had the other day, and explains he might die soon. Marie offers to help by driving over and picking up Liam to help him escape, but he rejects, saying if she comes, they both will die anyways.
The remaining 8 Agents storm the lot, and they engage in a shootout with Liam. He manages to kill 5 of them before being stabbed in the liver by Agent 96. The latter is then shot in the head, leaving Agent 32 and Catherine. 32 is fatally wounded, but manages to shoot the gun out of Liam's hand when he eventually holds Catherine at gunpoint. The two resort to a fist-fight, in which Catherine is superior due to Liam's wounds. Catherine eventually loses her temper and ruthlessly beats Liam to the ground, landing kicks to his head and then shooting him in the chest.
Barely breathing on the ground, Liam tries to reason with an enraged Catherine, revealing that his wife is expecting, and that Derek knew what the consequences would be for choosing the side he chose. He convinces Catherine that him and the ATPS were in the right for stopping Derek, to which Catherine begins to realize her actions. She starts to tear up, and turns her back on Liam.
Liam took his final breath at 3:26 PM, on the 15th of February, 2042, after succumbing to his wounds and bleeding out.
The results of his death
A devastated Marie and a concerned Richard met at Liam's funeral. Marie began to vent out on Richard about how Liam was unable to run away from the past that Richard had essentially set him into.
Richard, distraught from the fact he had lost both of his best men in the matter of weeks, took to a path of alcoholism and smoking, and passed away from lung cancer in 2045; this event led Repton to a more democratic future, implementing a proper election system.
Catherine, deeply regretful of her actions, left the CSO after the mission and returned to her house in Vladivostok. She began to lapse on her views of the world, and realized that Derek might have been in the wrong the whole time, along with the rest of the CSO. She still kept in touch with Agent 32, who had made a full recovery and stepped down from his superior agent position in the Organization.
Marie gave birth to her and Liam's son in October 2042, and named him Isaac. She would go on to care for the child by herself, and eventually became a successful author, writing a bestselling biography of Liam's life.
Marie tried her best to ensure Isaac lived a safer life than his father, but against her wishes Isaac ultimately joined the army during the Iraq War in 2067, fighting alongside a young Steven Smith. Unlike the volatile relationship his father and the eventual Pixel Boy had, Isaac and Steven had a close bond throughout the war, even keeping in touch afterwards. Following the war, he settled down and became an analyst for the ATPS. He would attend Marie's funeral in 2081 and pass away himself at the age of 74, in 2116.
Stories of War
As Isaac McMahon is one of the two protagonists of Stories of War- the other being a younger Steven Smith before he became Pixel Boy- Liam is mentioned many times. He is noted as the reason Isaac joined the army, and Liam's signature pistol is used by Isaac during the Iraq War. Liam is only mentioned by name later on in the story when Isaac expresses his deeper thoughts. His name is recognized by Isaac's superior, who had heard of Liam's feats as a child.
The Rebirth Program
Over 70 years after his death, Liam is still mentioned in the Rebirth Program, when protagonist Karl Weaver travels to SubZero's old base in the remnants of Repton following an altercation on an extraterrestrial planet between him and a clone of SubZero, created by German scientists to be used as a weapon in the imminent war for Mars. He speaks to SubZero's computer, who incorrectly identifies Karl as Liam McMahon, believing him to have returned to the base after about 80 years. Karl inquires about the mistaken identity, and learns about Liam's life. Other than this brief scene, Liam is not mentioned again for obvious reasons.
Appearance
Liam is of Irish descent, though it does not show much due to him being born in Canada. Indicators of his ancestry are shown by his hazel-green mixed eye color and faint freckles, but more prominently his name, and the hint of an Irish accent and slang in his speech.
As a teenager he sported a very average physique, but as he got older he gained a large amount of muscle (mostly from army service). He also has short dark-brown hair, messily parted in the middle and swept to the right; paired with his short stubble, as he preferred to keep it as close to clean-shaven as possible.
Clothing-wise, Liam normally wears casual attire, such as a T-shirt and jeans. During his work in the army, he wore attire that was different from that of a soldier in the Repton Armed Forces, instead wearing a jet-black bomber jacket with white streaks down the body, and dark-grey cargo pants.
Personality
Liam takes a moral viewpoint on the world, only really killing when it is necessary for the greater good, or in self-defence. Preferring not to acquaint himself with those he considers untrustworthy, he highly values and relies on the loyalty of those close to him.
His arrogance and sarcasm were his biggest weakness in his youth, with him sometimes getting too cocky and thinking he's better than he is. As he got older he became more self-conscious about himself and his violent past, realizing the life he used to live wasn't right for him. He is also acceptant of the fact he is getting weaker with his old age and cannot do the things he used to.
Liam's fatal mistake that eventually led to his death was his constant pursuit of the CSO, even after the war when they had been reduced to very little. If he had let it go, he could have lived a normal, peaceful life.
Overall, Liam is a relaxed and laid-back person outside of his work life. He likes to hang out with his friends, but on multiple occasions has backed out when it got too heated or intolerable. His naturally charismatic personality along with his aforementioned use of sarcasm is what makes him such a likeable person to be around, excluding those who either are unaware of his sarcastic comments, or find them annoying.
Hobby-wise, Liam enjoys 90s music and driving, claiming that when he is the driver he enjoys the "freedom of movement". He took up Marie's hobby of writing while they were dating, and at one point tried to write a book himself, but to no avail as he stopped working on it after they had broken up. This hobby was rekindled in a way, as it is implied that the entirety of Deadeye SubZero is Liam's recollection of events through a journal.
Skills
Liam possesses a high intellect, with an IQ around 160. He speaks fluent Spanish and German, along with an average understanding of Russian. His smartest topics are technology and human behavior; more subtly, he is also proficient in planning tactics and improvisation.
After the robbery that changed his life, Liam began practicing improvised kickboxing for some time. Thus, he is experienced in hand-to-hand combat, as well as exceedingly proficient sharpshooting with both handguns and scoped sniper rifles; which mostly came from his Deadeye ability. He is also a self-trained traceur who can perform parkour moves similar to that of an intermediate professional.
Despite all these unique skills and having been in deep water multiple times, Liam cannot swim.
Trivia
- Liam's ability to slow his perception of time is called Deadeye throughout the series, bearing the same name and features as the mechanic in the Red Dead Revolver/Redemption series, in which the main characters (Red Harlow, John Marston, Jack Marston, and Arthur Morgan) can slow down time and "mark" the spots they will shoot, then fire all the bullets in a split second.
- The main characters of the Red Dead series are mentioned when Liam's doctor explains Deadeye, claiming it was first named and seen within outlaws from the 19th century.
- Liam's version is more of a basic Bullet Time ability, similar to that of Max Payne's power in the series of the same name.
- In his early adolescence (i.e. the pre-war half of the story), Liam drives a 2018 Ford Fusion; after the war, as part of his reward from Richard Nicholas, he is given a 2029 Dodge Charger.
- Some years later he also purchases a Kawasaki Ninja 400, and uses it during his final fight with the CSO in Revenge.
- Deadeye SubZero is 223 pages long, Intervention a short story with only 17 pages, and Revenge, while still WIP, currently has 37 pages.
- Deadeye SubZero takes place between 2023 and 2030, Intervention is entirely within 2039 and 1939 via time travel, and Revenge is set from 2041 to 2043.
- Revenge is split between the perspectives of 4 characters; Catherine Fraser seeking vengeance for her husband, Liam McMahon realizing the costs of his actions, Marie McMahon after Liam's death trying to pick up her life again, and Richard Nicholas also after his death tying up the loose ends. During the final fight sequence it is fully told from Liam's POV.
- Deadeye SubZero takes place between 2023 and 2030, Intervention is entirely within 2039 and 1939 via time travel, and Revenge is set from 2041 to 2043.
- Despite SubZero being the central character in the series, Liam is the most developed character and has the most total pages featuring himself.
- The unofficial 'theme song' I have thought of for Liam would be the song, "Burning Bridges" by the Naked Eyes.
- It is implied that Liam has played or knows about Fallout New Vegas, as he sarcastically calls himself Mr. New Vegas (the in-game radio host) to a questioning CSO agent.
- He contrasts a specific quote from the radio host, saying "You're listening to me, Mr. New Vegas, and you look extraordinarily punchable right now." As opposed to "...and you look extraordinarily beautiful right now."
- Liam has been to 10 countries, as shown by the map below.
