about Alyx Vance

Alyx Vance, age 25 at her first appearance in Half-Life², is a scientist, hacker and a rebel, working side by side with her father Eli Vance, Dr Kleiner and Judith Mossman, as their equal. Alyx has a close relationship to her father and Dr Kleiner.

Alyx, born 1995, lived and grew up at the Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico, where her father Dr. Eli Vance where a scientist. Her mother was Azian Vance. The Vance family lived in and on the Black Mesa compound. Alyx mother, Azian, was killed in the Black Mesa incident in May, 2000 and her father lost one of his legs. Eli Vance survived, leaving Black Mesa, rescuing only his daughter Alyx and a family photo.

Alyx' father makes a four-foot high robot pet for her, named Dog, when she is a child. Alyx grows up adding parts to Dog, who becomes her protector and playmate, in the alien infested world, she grows up in. At the point of Half-Life², Dog is ten-foot high, a formidable and powerful protector.

Eli Vance and other survivors of the Black Mesa incident, moves to eastern Europe. Eli becomes a front figure for the rebellion against the alien overlords, the Combine and their appointed ruler of Earth, former administrator of Black Mesa Research Facility, Dr. Wallace Breen.  Eli and Alyx Vance establishes a laboratory in the outskirts of City 17, named "Black Mesa East", also serving as a rebel base.

Miss Vance grows up to become an emotional young woman, showing happiness and fear, being angry, afraid and yet with a good sense of humor, joking with Gordon about both him and the combine. Despite her emotional side and strong relationship with her father, Dr. Kleiner, Barney Calhoun and later, Gordon, she is still able to control her emotions when needed.

Growing up around scientists and in a world conquered by aliens, she works with her father and his colleagues, both with science and the resistance. She develops proficiency with weapons and handles a pistol, shotgun and a sniper rifle as well as she manages in unarmed combat, with her martial arts skills.

Alyx Vance is also a hacker able to infiltrate combine computer systems, disable combine forcefields and open doors. She has also learned how to reprogram rollermines, to attack their creators.

Events

Early in Half-Life², Alyx Vance meets Gordon Freeman for the first time. She doesn't previously know him, but she knows of him. Alyx first encounter with Gordon is in a building in City 17, Gordon still unarmed without his HEV suit and crowbar, beaten unconscious by combine forces. She revives and rescues Gordon and takes him to Dr. Kleiner and Barney Calhoun, who provides him with his HEV suit and the crowbar.

Alyx and Gordon work together through Half-Life². Alyx protecting and arming Gordon, not least with the Gravity Gun. Alyx also shows up from time to time, opening doors and hacking through combine security. Gordon and Alyx also have some fighting together where they protect each other. During the game, Alyx can die, if not protected by Gordon, thus ending the game.

Alyx father is captured by the combine forces and taken to Nova Prospect. Alyx and Gordon later destroys the Nova Prospect, a signal that starts a widespread uprising of the citizens in City 17, taking the rebellion forward in overthrowing the combine rule. Eli Vance is not found at Nova Prospect, but the destruction establishes Alyx Vance as a prominent figure in the resistance, taking her fathers place in his absence.

Dr. Judith Mossman, that has worked with Alyx father receives a cold treatment by Alyx, probably because Edith is showing interest in her father, Eli. At Nova Prospect, Alyx finds out that Edith has betrayed the resistance movement and becomes openly hostile with her.

During Alyx and Gordon's fight through City 17, the Coast and Nova Prospect, Alyx seems to develop a "thing" for Gordon. Gordon and Alyx are almost the same age, since Gordon didn't age while being in stasis for 20 years. When Gordon stops and stares, trying to interact with Alyx, she sometimes is flirts back.

Eventually Alyx Vance is captured by combine soldiers and brought before the Administrator of Earth, Dr. Wallace Breen in the Citadel at the center of City 17. Her father, Eli Vance is also summoned. Gordon Freeman has entered the Citadel, as well, and him too is brought to the Administrator by Judith Mossman. With everybody gathered in Breen's office, Edith finally turns on Breen, freeing Gordon, Alyx and Eli. Dr. Breen, escapes with the help of his combine overlords. Eli and Edith also escapes the Citadel in an combine advisor pod. Alyx then comes to peace with Judith Mossman.

Alyx and Gordon, manages to destroy the core in the Citadel. In the end game of Half-Life², the Citadel core is exploding. Gordon is saved from the blast by G-man, putting him back into stasis, leaving Alyx in the blast. This ends Half-Life².

The story continues in Half-Life²: Episode One, from the very point where Half-Life² ends. G-man leaves Alyx, but the Vortigaunts come to her rescue and saves her, shortly after putting her back on the ground, outside the severely damaged Citadel. The Vortigaunts also snatch Gordon from his employer G-man, and pulls him out of the stasis he just was put into.

The Citadel is very unstable and about to blow. Alyx gives Gordon much help, when re-entering the Citadel to stabilize the core enough to rescue the citizens from City 17, before the Citadel incinerate the city.

Alyx stays by Gordon's side through most of Half-Life²: Episode One. She plays an important role, assisting both Gordon and Barney Calhoun, sending rebels and citizens of City 17 on outbound trains. She also is very important to Gordon, when stabilizing the Citadel core.

In the end Alyx and Gordon themselves, among the last of the rebels, escape from City 17 on an outbound train. This is where the story will continue in Half-Life²: Episode Two.

An unknown destiny

Little is known about Alyx future destiny, yet to be reveled in Half-Life²: Episode Two. It seems as the train, on which Alyx and Gordon leave City 17, crashes shortly after. Alyx will survive the crash but at some point she is hurt, becoming unconscious.

Gordon, Alyx and the Rebel Forces congregates in the forests outside of City 17. This is where the fight continues against the Combine Forces,  for control of Earth.

She will have a role in Half-Life²: Episode Two, indicating she will survive, but it will not be as prominent as in Half-Life²: Episode One. Alyx will be seen with scars and torn clothes and blood from her chest, indicating some injuries, but will otherwise appear to be fit for fight.

It is also indicated that the relationship between Alyx and G-man grows. Glimpse from future events, shows Alyx lying unconscious in a dark room, with G-man leaning over her, uttering "You're not supposed to be here".

Behind and beside the character Alyx Vance

All over the internet, there is a lot on Alyx Vance. She is one of the most popular game characters in recent years. This has lead people to create sites, and game mods with variations of the original Alyx. As with any woman, real or not, you can add the word "nude". So it is with Alyx, too. In a version from Garry's Mod, Alyx is shown in her birthday suit.

An other example is the picture, top of this page, where the original Alyx look has been much improved, yet not loosing any resemblance.

The looks and movements of Alyx Vance is based on a real live person, the American actress and television host Jamil Mullen, who spent several days in a studio, recording various running, crouching, and combat movements, which were used as a basis for her in-game animations.

The voice of Alyx Vance is that of Merle Dandridge, an American stage actress, that also performed for roles in television. Merle Dandridge also appears as Alyx mother Azian, in the family picture, shown in the beginning of this article.

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