Torque

Torque is the main protagonist of the horror-survival game, The Suffering and its sequel The Suffering: Ties that Bind. He was found guilty on one count of manslaughter and two counts of murder by a Baltimore County court and sentenced to death at Abbott State Penitentiary.

The Suffering
Torque was born in Baltimore and raised in Garvey's Children Home, where he met his future wife Carmen. They married and had two children together, Cory and Malcolm. Before the birth of Malcolm, Torque was allegedly set up for murder by the criminal ganglord, Blackmore, and spent an unknown amount of time in Eastern Correctional, a Baltimore prison. It was during a visit there that Carmen informed him of her intentions of divorce. It is apparent that they reconciled as they were living as a family at the time of the murders.

Torque has suffered from black outs his entire life. He alleges that some of the most heinous things he's done he does not remember doing and blames said blackouts.

In summer 2004, Torque's wife and his two children were found dead at their home in Baltimore. Carmen was found in the master bedroom bludgeoned to death, Malcolm was found drowned in the bathtub, and Corey had apparently fallen to death from the second story window of his bedroom. When police responded to scene, Torque was found unconscious in the main hallway of the house. Though he claims to have no knowledge of the events or how his family died. However, with no other suspects, the fact that Torque was at the scene and covered in his wife's blood, and through questionable practices on the part of the prosecutor, Torque's trial was fast-tracked. He was found guilty despite no witness testimonies and a severe lack of substantial evidence. However, shortly after his sentencing, the prosecutor of his case was indicted and Torque's trial was to be reheard.

Shortly after arriving at Abbott State Penitentiary on Carnate Island and Torque is escorted to his cell, an earthquake struck the island. Video surveillance of D-Block shows strange creatures killing all of the death-row inmates save for Torque. Torque's cell doors open, allowing him to escape and arm himself. Fighting his way through the prison, Torque learns about Carnate Island's horrifying past as well as what happened to his family during his black out. Ghosts from Abbott's past either help or hinder Torque, and human characters often need assistance to escape the island. The ghost of Dr. Killjoy, Abbott's former prison doctor, takes special interest in Torque and tries to cure him. Depending on the player's actions through the game, the mystery of Torque's family's death will be revealed in one of three endings.

Endings

 * Good and True Ending: Torque fights and defeats the final creature, which is a manifestation of Torque's haterd and raw fury. Torque finally remembering what happened to his family; they were murdered by two hitmen, one of whom told Torque 'the Colonel' sends his regards to him. Back in Eastern, Colonel warned Torque, but Torque didn't listen. They were told to leave Torque alive and only Torque. Torque heads to the docks and is picked up by the coastguard. On the boat, the captain recognizes him, and reveals that his case has been reopened after the prosecutor was indicted, and Torque will likely have a retrial. The game ends with the boat sailing away from Carnate Island.


 * Bad ending: after Torque defeats the creature, he remembers the murders, realizing that he was the one who killed his family; he smashed his wife's head in, drowned his youngest son, and threw his eldest son from the window. When the coast guard arrives, Torque transforms into his monster state and kills him, before running back into the woods of Carnate Island.


 * Neutral ending: after Torque defeats the creature, he remembers the murders. During an argument with his wife, he pushed her, and she accidentally knocked her head against the bedside table. Seeing his mother dead, Torque's eldest son, Cory, drowns his younger brother and then jumps from the upstairs window to his death, telling Torque that he took her away, so Cory is taking them away (including himself) from Torque. When the coastguard arrives, Torque knocks him out and commandeers the boat, sailing away from Carnate Island.

Ties that Bind
Ties that Bind begins five years prior to The Suffering, with Torque serving time in Eastern Baltimore Correctional. Having been served divorce papers by Carmen, he is playing chess with his inmate friend Miles, who believes their incarceration was orchestrated by a criminal mastermind named Blackmore. As they talk, they are confronted by Blackmore and his thugs, who are unhappy that Blackmore's rules are not being obeyed. As the gang begin to beat up Miles, a riot starts. Torque and Miles are separated, and Torque experiences visions of the creatures he would encounter five years later on Carnate Island.

The game then cuts to the end of the first game. Now, depending on the player's saved game, one of three opening cutscenes play:


 * Good ending: Torque is with the coast guard coming from Carnate Island. As they approach Baltimore harbor, they encounter an army of mercenaries. The coast guard hands Torque over, but Torque faints, and two soldiers approach him, with one saying "We need to get him inside ASAP. This guy's the prime."
 * Bad ending: Torque is in a semi-unconscious state on the shore of Carnate Island, with Dr. Killjoy berating him, telling him he thought he was cured, and warning if he thinks he has seen the worst of things, he is mistaken. With that, mercenaries arrive and place Torque on a helicopter, with one of them saying, "we have secured the prime target."
 * Neutral ending: Torque is driving the coast guard's boat (coast guard being knocked unconscious) when he has a vision of Carmen, who tells him that he went through so much and that's all because Torque could never control his anger. The boat is approached by a helicopter, which orders Torque to dock. He does so, but faints, with a mercenary saying "We need to get him inside ASAP. This guy's the prime."

When Torque awakens, he is strapped down in a warehouse guarded by mercenaries, and introduced to Jordan (voiced by Rachel Griffiths), leader of an organization called "The Foundation", who tells him the Malefactors (the creatures) are her life's work. However, when the building's power suddenly cuts out, Jordan leaves, and Torque is released, hearing Foundation soldiers say the 'specimens' have broken loose. Seeing a vision of Carmen telling him he must return to their apartment, he heads into the sewers, where he has visions of Copperfield, an infamous slave hunter (no record of his existence present), and The Creeper, a pimp turned serial killer (believed to be nothing more than an urban legend until now). Upon reaching his apartment, he finds a letter from Carmen asking for a divorce, a letter from Miles saying he is learning more about Blackmore, and a letter from Blackmore advising Torque to forget about Carmen. He has a vision of Carmen, who mentions Blackmore goes by the moniker of "The Colonel," and sees Killjoy on the TV, who reminds him Blackmore hired people to kill his family. As Torque leaves his apartment, he sees the malefactors have broken lose onto the streets of Baltimore.

He encounters a drug addict named Keith (Scott Menville), who is convinced Torque is his father, and together, they head to a crack house, passing the gazebo where Torque and Carmen first met. Torque has a series of flashbacks to his early dates with Carmen, his initial employment by Blackmore, and the conflict between them over his loyalties. Heading to Miles' bar, he experiences a flashback to the incident for which he was arrested; a man threatened his children and called Carmen a whore, prompting an enraged Torque to murder him seconds before the police arrived. Miles then contacts Torque via radio, telling him they have to kill Blackmore.

After being separated, Miles tells Torque to meet him at the harbor, where they will interrogate Jordan and find out where Blackmore is. Torque returns to the warehouse, and encounters an imprisoned Consuela Alverez, who is a wife of Ernesto, a CO from Carnate Island. He releases her, and helps her get a boat to Carnate where she plans to search for her husband and children. Torque is then ambushed by Foundation soldiers. However, a truck driven by Jordan rescues him. She explains her men have betrayed her, and are working directly for Blackmore, who has been funding the Foundation for years. She is taking him to Eastern Correctional Facility, Blackmore's location.

In Eastern Correctional, Torque encounters a dying member of Blackmore's gang, who says "the things you did in here. I mean, you sure made your mark, but why would you hire someone to..." With that, the lights go out; and when they are turned back on, the man is dead. Torque is contacted by Miles, who angrily tells him How long Torque has been 'making a mockery of everything'. He then encounters Warden named Elroy (James Patrick Stewert), son of the infamous warden Raymond Elroy, who took sadistic pleasure in torturing inmates through manual labor and solitary confinement. Elroy tells Torque the prison has descended into chaos since the appearance of Malefactors, and asks for help in restoring order. After much difficulty, he is able to convince the guards and prisoners to work together, and with Torque's help they are able to escape, although Torque remains behind.

He finally meets up with Miles, only to have Torque blacked out, and when he awakens, Miles is dead. Blackmore then contacts Torque, telling him to come to the drowning pool beneath the prison's factory. As Torque heads there, he is suddenly attacked by Foundation soldiers backed up by a helicopter piloted by Jordan, who was lying about her men betraying her. Torque defeats the soldiers and kills Jordan.

In the drowning pool, Killjoy, Copperfield and The Creeper assess Torque's moral actions. Torque fights and defeats Copperfield. (if playing neutral or evil path Toqque has to fight against The4 Creeper as well) However, Blackmore leaves, compelling Torque to follow him. They return to where Torque grew up; Garvey Children's Home. Inside, Torque remembers meeting Blackmore for the first time. However, in his memory, Blackmore is an adult, Torque is a child, and none of the staff can see or hear Blackmore. Blackmore then confronts Torque, telling him that the ties that bind them can never be cut. Torque realizes the truth:

Blackmore is Torque's alter ego.

When Torque blacks out, Blackmore's personality takes over, but now, Blackmore wants to take over Torque's mind and body for good: they possess only one body and Blackmore is tired of sharing. He transforms into a monster, and he and Torque fight their seemingly last battle.

Endings

 * Standard Ending: with Torque defeating him, Blackmore disappears. In order to see the true ending player must begin the game with good ending opening and play the good path throughout the game.


 * True Ending: with Torque defeating him, Blackmore disappears, and Torque is approached by Carmen, who tells him she never wants them to be apart again.


 * Bad Ending: numerous things are different throughout the game if the player is following evil path. For example, the letter from Blackmore is to Carmen, not Torque, warning that Torque can't be trusted with the safety of their children. During the scene when Torque sees Killjoy on his TV, Killjoy reminds him that even though he killed his own family, Blackmore had convinced him that Carmen was planning on taking the children away. Later in the game, Jordan meets Torque prior to his arrival in the drowning pool and joins him on his way there. When the helicopter attacks, it is piloted by Blackmore, and Jordan helps Torque fight the Foundation soldiers and soldiers' betrayal of Jordan is real. In the drowning pool, instead of fighting Copperfield, Torque fights and defeats The Creeper. In the final battle, Blackmore defeats Torque, and absorbs Torque into him. If the player has kept Jordan alive throughout the game, she then approaches Blackmore, asking if Torque is gone. Blackmore says he is gone for good, and they kiss.


 * Neutral ending: again, numerous things are different throughout the game if the player is playing as a neutral character. For example, the letter from Blackmore is to Cory, not Torque, telling him Torque doesn't really love him. During the scene when Torque sees Killjoy on his TV, Killjoy reminds Torque that Blackmore had manipulated Cory. When the helicopter attacks, it is piloted by Jordan, and in the drowning pool, Torque fights Copperfield. Later, Blackmore reveals that he gave Cory spiked drugs prior to Cory's murder of Malcolm and subsequent suicide. In the final battle, neither Blackmore nor Torque is able to win, and when they approach one another they are repelled away from touching. Blackmore begrudgingly points out they are going to have to play the game a while longer: since neither can eliminate one another. The ties that bind will keep the two connected, but apart. And Blackmore vows to Torque that he will always be standing over Torque's shoulder.