Hammer

Archetype: Monster

The cocksure up-and-comer who literally comes up

Hammer embodies the monster archetype - the physically transformed threat that embodies primal fear - but subverts it by beginning as a cocky, ambitious criminal who "comes up" in the most literal and horrific way possible. His transformation from small-time criminal to monstrous creature represents a twisted version of upward mobility in Horizon City.

Basic Information

• Full Name: Unknown (goes by "Hammer")
• Aliases: None known
• Occupation: Criminal, fence, later transformed into a monster
• Status: Unknown (last seen as the monster that killed Jim)

Physical Description

• Small black man, barely reaching five feet tall
• Ebony skin and diminutive features
• Large hammer-shaped scar running the length of his face through his right eye and across his cheek
• After transformation: Monstrous creature with exceptional strength and resilience
• Described as having "too many teeth" and inhuman features after transformation

Story Appearances

• Clone: Recently released from prison; working with Richard/Richard Johnson on some kind of deal
• Corpie: Acquires paydata for Johnson in exchange for information about Constant Cloning; wants to get "chipped" with cyberware
• Ripper Doc: Captured by Tim and subjected to horrific experiments that transform him into a monster
• Judge: Appears as the monster that kills Jim during the raid on Tim's lab

Connections

• Richard/Richard Johnson: Claims Johnson spoke at his parole hearing and offered him work; delivers paydata to him
• Tim/John Doe: Captured by Tim and subjected to experiments that transform him into a monster
• Jim Alexander: Kills Jim after transformation into a monster
• Judge Preston: Indirectly connected through Jim's murder and the subsequent investigation
• Hookie: Frequents the Shitcan bar; has a friendly relationship with the bartender
• Big Pappa: Big Pappa wants to track him through the Sinners and Tim

Subversion of Archetype

Hammer subverts the monster archetype in several key ways:

1. The Up-and-Comer Who Literally "Comes Up": Begins as an ambitious criminal trying to rise in the underworld, but his "rise" becomes literal and horrific as he's transformed into something inhuman.

2. The Confident Criminal Reduced to Instinct: His cocksure attitude and street smarts are stripped away, leaving only primal rage and violence - a commentary on how the system reduces individuals to their most basic functions.

3. The Human Weapon Who Becomes an Actual Weapon: Starts as a metaphorical "tool" in criminal operations (hence the name "Hammer") but becomes a literal weapon through Tim's experiments.

4. The Victim Who Becomes the Threat: Transitions from being victimized by Tim to becoming the monster that threatens others, blurring the line between victim and perpetrator.

Role in the Corporate Game

Hammer functions as a pawn transformed into an unintended consequence. His initial role as a small-time criminal serving larger interests (delivering paydata, making connections) is perverted when he becomes the subject of unauthorized experimentation. As a monster, he represents how the system creates its own threats, which then justify increased control and violence. His transformation serves as both warning and distraction from the true monstrosities of corporate power.

Notable Quotes

• "Fuck you, asshole! Nah, I ain't saying I'm a street sam overnight or nothing, just enough to make the typical klepto think twice before taking a swing at me." - Discussing his plans to get cyberware with Hookie in Corpie
• "Getting the guns loaded, wired reflexes, kevlar dermalweave, and a pain editor." - Telling Hookie what cyberware he plans to get in Corpie
• "Yeah, well, let's just say he owes me big after what happened, and now it's my time to come up." - Referring to Johnson in Corpie
• "I'm no stranger to trouble, Doc, but I always land on my feet." - Speaking to Tim in Ripper Doc