Matt Delano Charadon
The exploited artist trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth
Character ID
HC-CHAR-MATT-0604
Character Data
Matt Delano Charadon
Male
Young Adult
Musician, Frontman of the band Mayhem, Media personality (digital double)
Human (genetically selected traits)
Mayhem (band), Spinning Disc Media (unwillingly)
Security Level: CONFIDENTIAL
HC-CHAR-MATT
Overview
The exploited artist trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth
Physical Description
•
Jet black hair•
Perfect marshmallow skin (genetically selected by parents)•
Deep ocean blue-green eyes•
Charismatic stage presence•
Later develops signs of cyberpsychosis and seizures
Cybernetic Modifications
✓
None mentioned initially✓
Later develops cyberpsychosis from nanostims
Notable Quotes
Baby, I was born to perform.
— His catchphrase, later used by his digital double at the end of pornographic videos
Rad levels are waaaay up.
— His digital double's repeated phrase on news broadcasts
That's... not... me. I did not do that.
— Upon seeing his digital double on the news for the first time
How long was I alive last time?
— Asking Chatana about his previous incarnation after being reborn
Story Appearances
Clone
Discovers a dead body with Rigby; they investigate the victim's apartment and encounter someone with a katana
Rock Star
Rises to fame with band Mayhem; signs away rights to his likeness to Spinning Disc Media; his digital double appears on news broadcasts; develops cyberpsychosis and becomes trapped in a suicide/clone cycle
Culture Vulture
Appears as Rigby's rival; reports on Johnson's murder and corporate espionage; revealed to be former bandmate of Rigby
Character Connections
Rigby Barclay
Former bandmate and childhood friend who becomes his rival; they discover a dead body together as teenagers
Katrina
Bandmate who betrays Rigby alongside Matt; later becomes Matt's wife before leaving him when he develops cyberpsychosis
Chatana
House manager who explains his situation to him each time he is reborn
Richard Johnson
Reports on his murder during a news broadcast (via digital double)
Related Locations
Green Level
Where he lives in a mansion after becoming famous
Dive! Dive! Dive!
Club where Mayhem performs and builds their following
Genetek Revival Facilities
Where his clones are activated after each suicide
New Light Media
New Light Media serves as a primary media outlet in Horizon City, influencing public opinion across various lifestyle programs that reflect the city's culture and values while operating within its corporate and power structures to balance criticism with financial stability.
Spinning Disc Media
Spinners Disc's state-of-the-art facilities enable the exploitation of AI-generated content for controlled cultural distribution.
Related Themes
Commodification of Identity
The economic dimension of this process creates a situation where identity is both stratified by wealth and commodified for profit, with resistance attempts failing due to exploitation.
Disposability of Human Life
Horizon City's commodification of cloning leads to Matt's cycle of suicide attempts due to devalued human existence.
Illusion of Free Will
Rigby Barclay manipulates Richard Johnson while Akiko uses a modified deck for surveillance both exerting control over others.
Media Manipulation
Media manipulation facilitates the absorption of rebellious tactics through clones while parasocial audiences silently support controlled dissent.
Reality vs. Simulation
The character Matt's reality warping and AI Mizuki's consciousness questioning both highlight how simulated experiences shape the boundaries between reality and simulation in Horizon City.
Related Technologies
Artificial Memory Manipulation
Akiko relies on memory manipulation services from corporate agents to create clones, which she activates multiple times before self-induced death.
HoloVid
HoloVid relies on The Screamfeed Market to acquire and distribute content across its platforms, while the market drives the selection and revenue of HoloVid's programming.
Nanostims & Designer Drugs
Akiko collaborates with XT5 to develop and use nanostim technology, impacting its advancements and applications in Horizon City's society.
NLM EyeCandy Orb
The orb's rapid data capture supports the creation of content that fuels a surveillance culture, leading to the rise of personality-driven media and associated legal/ethical concerns.
ScreamFeed Market
Haydee's consumption of screamfeed content is facilitated through corporate platforms that also enable individual creators to use technological tools for content distribution.
SimStim Hardware
The commercial exploitation of SimStim technology drives corporate engagement in entertainment through simstar creation and media distribution.
Background
Matt Delano Charadon
Archetype: Rock Star
The exploited artist trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth
Matt embodies the rock star archetype - the charismatic musician idolized by fans - but subverts it by having his identity literally stolen and commodified by corporate interests. His descent into cyberpsychosis and suicide/clone cycle represents the ultimate exploitation of artistic identity in a world where even death offers no escape from contractual obligations.
Basic Information
- Full Name: Matt Delano Charadon
- Aliases: Mayhem (stage name)
- Occupation: Musician, frontman of the band Mayhem
- Status: Trapped in suicide/clone cycle due to cyberpsychosis
Physical Description
- Jet black hair and perfect marshmallow skin (genetically selected by parents)
- Deep ocean blue-green eyes
- Charismatic stage presence
- Later develops signs of cyberpsychosis and seizures
- Digital double appears on news broadcasts and in various media
Story Appearances
- Clone: Discovers a dead body with Rigby; they investigate the victim's apartment and encounter someone with a katana
- Rock Star: Rises to fame with band Mayhem; signs away rights to his likeness to Spinning Disc Media; his digital double appears on news broadcasts; develops cyberpsychosis and becomes trapped in a suicide/clone cycle
- Culture Vulture: Appears as Rigby's rival; reports on Johnson's murder and corporate espionage; revealed to be former bandmate of Rigby
Connections
- Rigby Barclay: Former bandmate and childhood friend who becomes his rival; they discover a dead body together as teenagers
- Katrina: Bandmate who betrays Rigby alongside Matt; later becomes Matt's wife before leaving him when he develops cyberpsychosis
- Spinning Disc Media: Corporation that exploits his likeness after he signs away his rights
- Chatana: House manager who explains his situation to him each time he is reborn
- Richard Johnson: Reports on his murder during a news broadcast (via digital double)
Subversion of Archetype
Matt subverts the rock star archetype in several key ways:
-
The Artist Who Loses Control of His Art: Rather than being the rebellious voice of a generation, Matt becomes a corporate puppet whose image is used without his knowledge or consent.
-
The Celebrity Whose Fame Becomes Prison: His success leads directly to his exploitation and eventual mental breakdown, inverting the typical "rise to fame" narrative.
-
The Rock Star Who Can't Even Die Properly: His suicide/clone cycle represents the ultimate commodification - even his death is monetized and rendered meaningless.
-
The Voice of a Generation Reduced to a Soundbite: His digital double repeating "rad levels are waaaay up" reduces his artistic expression to corporate propaganda.
Role in the Corporate Game
Matt functions as both product and cautionary tale in the corporate game. His signing with Spinning Disc Media represents the commodification of art and identity, while his subsequent exploitation shows the human cost of this process. His digital double saying "rad levels are waaaay up" serves corporate interests by controlling information, while his cyberpsychosis demonstrates how the system destroys what it cannot fully control. He is the perfect example of how corporations extract value from human creativity until nothing remains.
Notable Quotes
- "Baby, I was born to perform." - His catchphrase, later used by his digital double at the end of pornographic videos
- "Rad levels are waaaay up." - His digital double's repeated phrase on news broadcasts
- "That's... not... me. I did not do that." - Upon seeing his digital double on the news for the first time
- "How long was I alive last time?" - Asking Chatana about his previous incarnation after being reborn