OOC: App. Information.
Character Name: Jack Harkness
Fandom: Doctor Who / Torchwood
Gender: Male
Age: a couple of hundred (plus 2000 spent in a hole), looks 40-ish.
Sexuality (if applicable): Omnisexual ;)
Original or Anomaly?: Original
Appearance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jackharkness.jpg
Personality: Jack is flirtatious and charming, not afraid to use his trademark disarming grin and sexual confidence, or indeed, to hide small laser pistols in bodily orifices. He is happy to quip, make innuendos and be physically affectionate with just about anyone… and anyone isn’t restricted to human beings. He struggles with the idea of sexual inhibition or shame, and is quick to tell stories about his sexploits.
Alongside this aspect of his persona, he is also darkly authorative. He’s spent time doing what was necessary for the greater good, making others do the same, despite personal and wider negative consequences. He will do whatever he has to in order to achieve that end, including violence, killing, and torture - although the look in his eyes sometimes shows he regrets what he’s had to do. He can be calm when the shit hits the fan, trying to adopt a benevolent demeanor, but anger will flare if he is questioned or challenged, particularly about his past or his decisions. His arrogance comes of experience, but he doesn’t always get it right.
He keeps many aspects of his past hidden, distancing himself (and those around him) from the horrors he’s seen (and those he’s committed), slowly dragging himself to a position where he can protect what he loves. That desire to protect is Jack’s most intense drive, although it’s in part based on his own fear of loss and can be overly paternalistic. Recognition of the damage his con in London was causing brought home to him that he did have a fundamental decency beneath the wide-boy exterior, even if it took a while to take hold.
Jack cares about people, although loving others brings with it risk of intense, personal pain and loss (he will outlive them all). He does not trust easily, is fundamentally lonely, and he responds to betrayal with anger. He may not show commitment, but he is fiercely loyal to his friends and his cause - expecting the same loyalty from everyone else.
One of the intriguing points of Jack’s character is his fondness for the 1940’s - although the war haunts him, he retains a style to his dress and his chosen firearm.
*HEADCANON - Jack’s loves.*
Jack is, and probably always will be in love with the Doctor. That’s not to say he doesn’t love Ianto, either - Jack views the relationships as different and independent of each other. Whereas the Doctor brought out Jack’s capacity for acting on a higher cause, and if not unaware of Jack’s ‘infatuation’ showed no sign of ever acting on it, Ianto (and Gwen, who he adores in part because she is so similar to someone he knew long ago) bring Jack to the more intimate morality of day to day existence.
History:
(Potted version, another version on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Harkness)
Early years: Jack was born in the 51st Century. (Whatever his real name was is unknown, he’s only ever known in the series by the name he takes from a pilot in ww2.) When his planet was attacked by unknown enemies, his brother Gray was taken. Jack searched fruitlessly for him (much later to find, and be attacked by, the bitter man).
The Time Agency: Jack grows up in the sexually liberal 51st Century, and joins the Time Agency, when he realised they had erased part of his memory he quit and became a con man, ending up running a scam in 1940’s London.
The Doctor & immortality: It was there he met the Doctor and Rose, people who were to have a significant effect on his life and outlook. He was killed fighting Daleks, but found himself resurrected and abandoned in the future. Using his Time Agency technology he went back to Earth to find the Doctor- ending up in Victorian times and discovering he had been made immortal.
Torchwood & 21st Century: He resolved to wait for the Doctor, and joined Torchwood, eventually becoming the leader of Torchwood 3, trying to reshape the belligerent organisation into something the Doctor would have appreciated. He becomes the lover of TW3 member Ianto Jones, despite being responsible for the death of Ianto’s (dangerous part cyberman) girlfriend, and, eventually reveals the fact he can’t die to his team, as well as recognition of the fact that he took his name from someone else.
He finally hooks up with the Doctor again, devastated to learn that the now regenerated Time Lord abandoned him because of his immortality. He, however, refuses to abandon the Doctor when they are captured by the Doctor’s old best enemy, the Master- and spends an entire year being tortured. That year is erased from time for all but a few people, and the Doctor offers to have Jack with him - although Jack ralises how important his team are to him, chosing to return to Torchwood. However, he says nothing about his experiences to the rest of his team.
More Torchwood: Jack intensifies his relationship with Ianto, despite the reappearance of fellow time agent and former lover, John Hart. Jack’s brother is still alive, and is using John to exact revenge for Jack ‘abandoning him’. This revenge costs the lives of two of Jack’s team and sees Jack himself buried alive for almost 2000 years, something Jack sees as penance for letting go of Grey’s hand as a child.. He does manage to escape and stop Gray, forgiving him, but unable to kill him ( a tendency Jack undoubtedly learned from the Doctor) he seals him in cold storage.
More Doctor: When Daleks invade Jack runs to help the Doctor again, despite his devotion to Ianto and the team.
Strengths: Jack is brave- it’s simple to say it’s easy to be brave if you can’t die- but Jack won’t turn away from pain or hard decisions. He was made a ‘fact’ by the power of the Space Time vortex- his body heals ordinary injuries at the normal speed, but if he dies, the energy heals and resurrects him.
He’s smart and has a broad knowledge of technology and history. That technology includes weapons, particularly firearms (he’s an excellent shot,) piloting skills, and some understanding of Time Travel mechanics.
He also possesses some psychic training - it’s standard in Torchwood, but canon suggests he may have a more sophisticated hold on his thoughts than others (Greeks Bearing Gifts).
Weaknesses: The suffering of others, particularly if he can’t do anything about it .
Jack’s also arrogant and cocky, managing to irritate people he comes to butt heads with. It’s coupled with a fear of losing control and of seeing people hurt.
The Doctor - Jack is likely to drop everything if the Doctor needs him. Not that he won’t argue, or challenge him.
Jack’s preparedness to solve problems with a gun - although he is able to negotiate, his first response is usually to fight.
Fandom: Doctor Who / Torchwood
Gender: Male
Age: a couple of hundred (plus 2000 spent in a hole), looks 40-ish.
Sexuality (if applicable): Omnisexual ;)
Original or Anomaly?: Original
Appearance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jackharkness.jpg
Personality: Jack is flirtatious and charming, not afraid to use his trademark disarming grin and sexual confidence, or indeed, to hide small laser pistols in bodily orifices. He is happy to quip, make innuendos and be physically affectionate with just about anyone… and anyone isn’t restricted to human beings. He struggles with the idea of sexual inhibition or shame, and is quick to tell stories about his sexploits.
Alongside this aspect of his persona, he is also darkly authorative. He’s spent time doing what was necessary for the greater good, making others do the same, despite personal and wider negative consequences. He will do whatever he has to in order to achieve that end, including violence, killing, and torture - although the look in his eyes sometimes shows he regrets what he’s had to do. He can be calm when the shit hits the fan, trying to adopt a benevolent demeanor, but anger will flare if he is questioned or challenged, particularly about his past or his decisions. His arrogance comes of experience, but he doesn’t always get it right.
He keeps many aspects of his past hidden, distancing himself (and those around him) from the horrors he’s seen (and those he’s committed), slowly dragging himself to a position where he can protect what he loves. That desire to protect is Jack’s most intense drive, although it’s in part based on his own fear of loss and can be overly paternalistic. Recognition of the damage his con in London was causing brought home to him that he did have a fundamental decency beneath the wide-boy exterior, even if it took a while to take hold.
Jack cares about people, although loving others brings with it risk of intense, personal pain and loss (he will outlive them all). He does not trust easily, is fundamentally lonely, and he responds to betrayal with anger. He may not show commitment, but he is fiercely loyal to his friends and his cause - expecting the same loyalty from everyone else.
One of the intriguing points of Jack’s character is his fondness for the 1940’s - although the war haunts him, he retains a style to his dress and his chosen firearm.
*HEADCANON - Jack’s loves.*
Jack is, and probably always will be in love with the Doctor. That’s not to say he doesn’t love Ianto, either - Jack views the relationships as different and independent of each other. Whereas the Doctor brought out Jack’s capacity for acting on a higher cause, and if not unaware of Jack’s ‘infatuation’ showed no sign of ever acting on it, Ianto (and Gwen, who he adores in part because she is so similar to someone he knew long ago) bring Jack to the more intimate morality of day to day existence.
History:
(Potted version, another version on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Harkness)
Early years: Jack was born in the 51st Century. (Whatever his real name was is unknown, he’s only ever known in the series by the name he takes from a pilot in ww2.) When his planet was attacked by unknown enemies, his brother Gray was taken. Jack searched fruitlessly for him (much later to find, and be attacked by, the bitter man).
The Time Agency: Jack grows up in the sexually liberal 51st Century, and joins the Time Agency, when he realised they had erased part of his memory he quit and became a con man, ending up running a scam in 1940’s London.
The Doctor & immortality: It was there he met the Doctor and Rose, people who were to have a significant effect on his life and outlook. He was killed fighting Daleks, but found himself resurrected and abandoned in the future. Using his Time Agency technology he went back to Earth to find the Doctor- ending up in Victorian times and discovering he had been made immortal.
Torchwood & 21st Century: He resolved to wait for the Doctor, and joined Torchwood, eventually becoming the leader of Torchwood 3, trying to reshape the belligerent organisation into something the Doctor would have appreciated. He becomes the lover of TW3 member Ianto Jones, despite being responsible for the death of Ianto’s (dangerous part cyberman) girlfriend, and, eventually reveals the fact he can’t die to his team, as well as recognition of the fact that he took his name from someone else.
He finally hooks up with the Doctor again, devastated to learn that the now regenerated Time Lord abandoned him because of his immortality. He, however, refuses to abandon the Doctor when they are captured by the Doctor’s old best enemy, the Master- and spends an entire year being tortured. That year is erased from time for all but a few people, and the Doctor offers to have Jack with him - although Jack ralises how important his team are to him, chosing to return to Torchwood. However, he says nothing about his experiences to the rest of his team.
More Torchwood: Jack intensifies his relationship with Ianto, despite the reappearance of fellow time agent and former lover, John Hart. Jack’s brother is still alive, and is using John to exact revenge for Jack ‘abandoning him’. This revenge costs the lives of two of Jack’s team and sees Jack himself buried alive for almost 2000 years, something Jack sees as penance for letting go of Grey’s hand as a child.. He does manage to escape and stop Gray, forgiving him, but unable to kill him ( a tendency Jack undoubtedly learned from the Doctor) he seals him in cold storage.
More Doctor: When Daleks invade Jack runs to help the Doctor again, despite his devotion to Ianto and the team.
Strengths: Jack is brave- it’s simple to say it’s easy to be brave if you can’t die- but Jack won’t turn away from pain or hard decisions. He was made a ‘fact’ by the power of the Space Time vortex- his body heals ordinary injuries at the normal speed, but if he dies, the energy heals and resurrects him.
He’s smart and has a broad knowledge of technology and history. That technology includes weapons, particularly firearms (he’s an excellent shot,) piloting skills, and some understanding of Time Travel mechanics.
He also possesses some psychic training - it’s standard in Torchwood, but canon suggests he may have a more sophisticated hold on his thoughts than others (Greeks Bearing Gifts).
Weaknesses: The suffering of others, particularly if he can’t do anything about it .
Jack’s also arrogant and cocky, managing to irritate people he comes to butt heads with. It’s coupled with a fear of losing control and of seeing people hurt.
The Doctor - Jack is likely to drop everything if the Doctor needs him. Not that he won’t argue, or challenge him.
Jack’s preparedness to solve problems with a gun - although he is able to negotiate, his first response is usually to fight.