Soldier 76

Currently the target of an international manhunt, the vigilante known as Soldier: 76 wages a personal war to expose the truth behind Overwatch's collapse.

Due to his genetic enhancment, Jack Morrison possesses physical capabilities exceeding those of a conventional soldier's, as well as other augmentations that make him a peerless combatant. He can heal wounds and acclimatize much faster than a normal human. In addition, he utilizes a cutting-edge arsenal, much of it stolen in raids on Overwatch installations. He is said to have perfect aim. He was a fan of Indiana University basketball and was also a fan of Westerns...at least until he met Cole Cassidy. He is of Catholic faith. He has a smile that he uses to get himself out of trouble, though is usually taciturn. He is well-read, showing interest in historical generals, and is a chess player, apparently admiring Bobby Fischer. He is also good at cards, and is a fan of American football.

Morrison has always been a light sleeper.[7] The mask he wears distorts his voice. Jaded by his experiences, he considers pacifism to be foolish.

Jack Morrison grew up in Bloomington, Indiana. The Morrisons were a farming family, and the young Morrison has been described in many different ways. He was a rambunctious youth. A humble, salt-of-the-earth farmer's son. But those asked all agree that Morrison was never destined to live out his days in the land of rolling plains and deep blue skies. He spent time working on the farm, where he would get up at the crack of dawn to help his father muck stalls. After work, he would relax with his friends at the local ice cream shop. Otherwise, he could be found on the football field; the other great passion of his life alongside his friends. However, while Jack enjoyed his life, he couldn't wait to get away from it, and planned to enlist in the US military as soon as he turned eighteen.

As a child, his mother once took him to New York. A visit to a museum was his favorite part of the trip; part of the visit involved running around the transplanted ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple.

Morrison went on road trips as a child.

Following in the footsteps of his family, Jack learnt how to play chess from a young age. His uncle often told him about how, in 1997, Deep Blue had beaten Gary Kasparov in a chess tournament. His uncle often talked about it like a moment where innocence was lost.

“ Most of them died. I made it. But it wasn't a pleasant journey. Injections, unbelievable pain. I think I had a surgery at one point, when some of my organs were rejecting the changes...I was in and out of a coma for a few weeks. I'm not sure I'll ever know the full extent of what was done, or what it might do to me over time. „ ~ Morrison, in regards to his time in the Soldier Enhancement Program

At the earliest opportunity[15] upon turning eighteen,[16] Morrison enlisted in the United States Army.[4] Despite the concerns of his parents, he packed his bags and left for the nearest recruitment facility, intending to put the strength and discipline he'd gleaned from his athletic interests into protecting his country and the people he loved.[13] Morrison planned to serve a brief stint in the armed forces and then return home to the family farm but his work ethic and courage caught the eye of the military brass.[14] Morrison quickly climbed the ranks, coming to the attention of commanding officers who recognized him for the asset he was. They encouraged him to keep improving his skills and general educational foundation. Morrison was known for his easygoing nature and magnetic personality, and his peers viewed him as earnest, fun, and grounded—qualities that made him naturally suited for leadership.

By the time the Omnic Crisis broke out, Morrison had achieved the rank of first sergeant,[4] and was still a member of the US Army.[13]

While still a member of the US Army, Morrison met and fell in love with Vincent.[13] The two engaged in a relationship,[7] and Morrison often expressed hope that the war would end quickly, and that he could return to a normal life.[7] However, the conditions of war made it impossible for a long-term committment to occur.[13]

Prior to this, Morrison had already been targeted for inclusion in the Soldier Enhancement Program, which had been formed three years before the start of the war. It was with the start of the Crisis however, that Morrison was formally approached. He quickly agreed to participate, but his enrollment was delayed by his commanding officers, who were concerned about the chances of survival for those who would be subjected to the SEP's genetic conditioning. Basically, the military saw Morrison as too valuable to lose.[13]

Morrison eventually joined the SEP regardless, but his late enlistment resulted in a high candidate number (Candidate: 76). Many of his fellow candidates saw this as a sign of hesitation on his part, and hazed him for it. One candidate who didn't join in on the hazing was Candidate: 24, otherwise known as Gabriel Reyes. Reyes recognized Morrison's quiet determination,[13] and despite their different backgrounds, Reyes and Morrison became fast friends,[14] and Reyes provided Morrison with emotional support as they both endured the seemingly endless barrage of medical experimentation. The process was gruelling. Of the hundreds of soldiers who volunteered, most of them died, but Morrison survived the ordeal. He endured the injections, the pain, even had surgery as some of his organs rejected the changes heaped upon them. He went in and out of a coma for weeks, and was left in the dark as to the full extent of what had been done to him.

Military scientists had shaped Morrison and other inductees into the perfect soldiers, blessed with superhuman speed, strength, and agility,[14] and he and Reyes emerged as the first two (and only acknowledged) members of the program. In fact, they vacated the Wheeler Facility 24 hours before they were cleared for release, as they wanted to get back to the fight as soon as possible.[13]

Morrison and his fellow augmented soldiers would soon put their abilities to use as the United States was devastated by the conflict.[14] He became something of a a legend: the golden-haired hero who appeared out of nowhere to save the day, along with the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers.[14]

As governments tried and failed to neutralize the omnics, the United Nations was busy forming an international task force called Overwatch. This small, experimental group would bring together the best and brightest from around the world to wage asymmetrical warfare against the robots. Overwatch's short list of prospective agents included two members of the soldier enhancement program: Morrison and Reyes.[14] Morrison and Reyes were approached simultaniously, though technically, Morrison was the second person recruited into the strike team. This was due to a quirk of paperwork, as Victoria Naughton had provided Gabriel Adawe a list of surviving SEP members, and as such, 24 came before 76. However, Reyes was chosen to be Overwatch's strike-commander regardless, as he was older and more experienced.[14]

Morrison and Reyes joined Overwatch together.[14] While leadership fell to Reyes, Morrison would have a greater impact on the group in the long term. He brought out the best in the people around him and helped mold Overwatch's diverse (and sometimes conflicting) agents into a cohesive fighting force.[14] Morrison was happy to join Overwatch.[4]

That Morrison and Reyes were the first two members of the strike team and were both American did not go unnoticed, and accusations of American favouratism were levied at Gabrielle Adawe. Morrison met the accusations stoically, and in a few carefully worded interviews stated that he remained a loyal American, but also intended to be an objective and reliable member of an international organization. With the recruitment of Ana Amari as the third strike team member, the accusations died down, even if they didn't completely disappear. Not long afterwards, the strike team gained its fourth and fifth members in the form of Reinhardt Wilhelm and Torbjörn Lindholm respectively.[13]

Because of his biological enhancements, Morrison was set apart from his comrades. However, due to those same enhancements, he was their physical superior.

Morrison and Vincent were romantically involved while Morrison fought in the Omnic Crisis. Morrison spoke about Vincent often, and dreamed of returning from war to live a normal life with Vincent. However, Morrison's focus on military duty above all else eventually fractured their relationship.[2]

Some time later, Vincent married. Morrison has kept a photo of himself and Vincent, which he viewed at Christmas[3] and which was later discovered by Ana.