James Pierce

"James" redirects here. For other uses, see James (Disambiguation).

James Pierce
James Pierce in his Galactic Federation Power Suit
Species	Human
Homeworld	Unknown
Death	Face-trauma; killed by MB, aged 20.
Gender	Male
Hair	Dark brown.
Eye color	Brown.
Affiliation	Galactic Federation 07th Platoon
Voice actor	Aaron Thomas (English) Tsuguo Mogami (Japanese)

James Pierce (ジェイムス・ピアース, Jeimusu Piāsu) was one of Adam Malkovich's 07th Platoon soldiers in Metroid: Other M and the game's secondary antagonist.

Description

James was the team's Communications Expert and had a scar above his left eye. Adam ordered him to investigate the Control Bridge.

When the group reached the BOTTLE SHIP Control Room and encountered a Brug underneath a deceased Lab Worker, Lyle Smithsonian kicked it and shot it until James instructed him to stop.

As Adam ordered everyone to regroup at the Exam Center of the Biosphere, James was the first one to arrive, even though Lyle was first sent to the area. When discovered by Samus, he was seen working underneath a computer. In gameplay, he can be seen examining a table in the "containment room" with K.G. Misawa. As Maurice Favreau repaired the damaged files on a computer, he asked James to hack it if he could not bypass the security protocols, although James reassured Maurice that it will "take some time."

Afterwards, James' official status was clouded while he took on a much more sinister role as a two-faced traitor, called "The Deleter" by Samus, stationed within Adam's platoon to undergo a series of plans and operations handed down to him by massive conspirators within the Galactic Federation. (See below).

James was found dead in the Bioweapon Research Center's main room with his visor broken. Though the exact nature of his demise was not revealed, the amount of damage taken to his armor and body as well as the expression on his face hinted that his death was far more gruesome than that of his fellow soldiers.

The Deleter

A page from the confidential section of the Japanese Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M, which directly identifies James Pierce as the Deleter.

“	How can I trust you when your troops are willing to kill each other?	„
—A survivor

As Other M progressed, it was revealed that the 07th Platoon came with an assassin to kill all of the witnesses and destroy all of the evidence linking the BOTTLE SHIP to the Galactic Federation including his own team. Samus refered to this assassin as the Deleter.

While the game closed the subplot of the Deleter before it was solved, the Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M reveals that James Pierce was the Deleter. There was also overwhelming evidence in the game of his complicity.

First, James was the first to arrive at the Exam Center overlooking the virtual training grounds of the Biosphere, although Lyle was sent there first and was seen doing something underneath the computer. When Maurice analyzed it, it was discovered that the CPU "self-destructed" and they would need to reconstruct it. Later, Lyle's body was found and the building exploded. During the cutscene where the Deleter kicked a frozen soldier into the lava, a faded "07" could be seen on his helmet. James had the same faded "07". They also shared a small device on their left forearms. Finally, the Deleter was seen moving toward the Bioweapon Research Center, which Samus just left, making efforts to keep Samus from following him. Samus later returned and discovered James' body in the same area in which the Deleter confronted MB. James was the last member of the 07th Platoon to die excluding Anthony Higgs and Adam.

The Deleter shoots Maurice dead with his Freeze Gun.

The following was a list of known actions that James Pierce took as the Deleter supported by cutscenes, processes of elimination and plain evidence:

• Arrived first in the research building, possibly causing the computer to self-destruct.
• Destroyed the Exam Center to eliminate evidence linking the BOTTLE SHIP and the Galactic Federation.
• Killed Maurice with his Freeze Gun at point blank range.
• Attacked MB and Samus with the RB176 Ferrocrusher.
• Killed K.G. Misawa with his Freeze Gun and followed up by incinerating his body in a pool of lava. Due to the destruction of his body, K.G. was listed as MIA by the Federation as they never found his body which mistakenly caused some to suspect K.G. to be the Deleter.
• Disabled communications between Adam Malkovich and Samus by shooting Adam's communications earphone off.
• Led Samus from the Main Elevator to the Bioweapon Research Center.
• Confronted MB in the Bioweapon Research Center once Samus left, thinking that she was helpless, but ultimately underestimated her which caused his death.

James concept art in Gallery Mode.

Even though most of his actions are definite and seen on-screen, there are many things hinted at and only hinted at to happening off-screen. Because of his role as the Communications Expert, the all-pervasive electronic interference may have been his own doing in order to keep his teammates from contacting others in times of need or informing others about who the assassin was. Because he would never have expected Samus Aran to join the team, it explained why her comm system still worked (At least until he shot Adam's device off). It was known that the Deleter was sent to eliminate all of the evidence including the witnesses of the BOTTLE SHIP's connection to the Galactic Federation. When James was first found in the Exam Center, he was seen working underneath a large mainframe by Samus. When accessed by Maurice, the memory was fragmented. While this could have been James, it may have also been an automatic function in case of emergency. Instead, James may have been planting explosives from the start in order to wipe his team out in one swoop. Unfortunately for him, Samus arrived early. Also, Samus speculated in her monologues that Madeline Bergman must have been the one who set the facility's system to self-destruct. This implied that James was not responsible for that. He was probably planting explosives when Samus first saw him under the system.

As Samus and the 07th Platoon are rushing to the site, they may have completely overlooked Lyle's body, the Demolitions Expert of the team. It would explain why Lyle, the first person sent to Sector 1 was not the first to arrive. James may have killed Lyle for his explosives and tossed his body into the shrubbery so no one would immediately notice it. By coincidence, Little Birdie would find a snack and cover up James' work by turning Lyle's body into rags. Interestingly enough, when the rest of the 07th Platoon arrived in the Exam Center after Samus, James asked "Where's Lyle?" yet none of the members revealed who they are.

The guidebook confirmed that James was ultimately killed by MB which was an action that she would be capable of due to her superhuman strength. Before Samus battled MB, she was seen holding a Freeze Gun which she most likely took from James after killing him.

Official data

Concept art for the RB176 Ferrocrusher, featuring the Deleter.

Credentials

"James Pierce [Communications]
<Battle Code Number>
104
<Service Record>
Galactic Federation Acedemy,
Training Base #6
Federation Central Information Agency,
Intelligence Group 2
Galactic Federation, 07th Platoon
ID: 3721-07:74425"

Characters

Beginning

"Investigating the BOTTLE SHIP under Adam's command after receiving the distress signal."

After Brug Mass

"Currently investigating the Control Bridge under Adam's command."

After King Kihunter

"Currently heading toward the Exam Center in Sector 1 under Adam's command."

After first Exam Center cutscene

"Currently investigating the Exam Center under Adam's command."

After Mystery Creature

"Currently investigating the BOTTLE SHIP interior under Adam's command."

After Rhedogian battle #2

"Currently heading toward the Geothermal Power Plant in Sector 3 under Adam's command."

After Main Elevator cutscene

"No information available. Details unknown."

After return to Bioweapon Research Center

"Discovered killed by something in the Bioweapon Research Center."

Trivia

• Interestingly, one of the Desbrachian pods was missing from the room where James' corpse was found. Due to MB's ability to control bioweapons with her psychic powers, it was possible that she may have used the Desbrachian against James.
• James had a scar on his left brow. This was more apparent in his concept art than in-game.
• When disabling the communications link between Adam and Samus, a shell weapon was fired, although none of the 07th Platoon's handguns are ever unholstered on-screen. His handgun was fired again, off-screen when the screen went dark after confronting MB.
• Samus once assumed that Anthony Higgs was the Deleter as he aimed his Plasma Gun at her in the Geothermal Power Plant, but Anthony yelled at her to get out of the way as he was actually aiming for Ridley. After the battle with Ridley, Samus was regretful for accusing Anthony for betraying her.
• Even though K.G. Misawa was clearly incinerated (because of the other deceased soldiers' corpses being accounted for), many people including Samus may have been led to believe that he was the Deleter based on his MIA status on her personnel screen.
• In the post-credits sequence, James's corpse was not present. It is possible that the Galactic Federation took his body along with Maurice Favreau's and Lyle Smithsonian's bodies to be given a proper burial.

Gallery

Samus and James in the Exam Centre.

James, Anthony, Maurice, K.G. and Samus gather to read a message recovered from Madeline Bergman in the Exam Center.

The Deleter with the faded "07" on his helmet.

The Deleter running into the Navigation Booth from the "H-shaped corridor".

James killed, most likely by a Desbrachian or MB.

James' body.

Portrait shown in the Characters menu.