Eli Vance

Azian Vance: Beloved wife and mother of Alyx. Deceased during the Resonance Cascade. He still miss her, looking at the only thing he saved from Black Mesa: a family photo from that time.

Alyx Vance: Beloved daughter, who he really cherishes and will do everything to protect her. Build D0g for her.

Isaac Kleiner: An trusted and reliable colleague-scientist.

After assisting Gordon in the aftermath of the Resonance Cascade, Eli managed to escape the facility along with Alyx, although Azian perished in the Black Mesa Incident. Alyx, a family picture, and his wedding ring which he still wears were all he managed to carry out of Black Mesa.

After escaping, he relocated to City 17, where he contributed to founding the local Resistance and became the leader of Black Mesa East. During that period, he also lost his leg to a Bullsquid while helping Isaac Kleiner climb over a barrier in order to get into City 17.

During his work at Black Mesa East, he also raised Alyx and built Dog to protect her when she was a kid. He also designed the Gravity Gun, worked on teleportation with Kleiner and Judith Mossman and rebuilt with his daughter a Scout Car for the Resistance outposts located along the Coast, on which he mounted a Tau Cannon.

According to the Vortigaunts, Eli was the first human being to make peaceful contact with them ("The Eli Vance was our first collaborator."), quickly persuading the alien race to ally with humanity against the Combine invasion of Earth. Vortigaunts furthermore state that Eli earned their trust, is indispensable to the liberation and that he almost perceives the "All-in-One".

As survivors of the Black Mesa Incident, Eli, Alyx, Isaac Kleiner, and Barney Calhoun form the core of the Resistance who are attempting to overthrow the Combine who have taken over Earth after the Seven Hour War. The Vances have established a makeshift laboratory, Black Mesa East, on the outskirts of City 17. There, Dr. Judith Mossman assists them in their continuing research in the field of teleportation.