Speculations on G-Man, Portal, and Episode 3

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A rather odd thing occured to me while playing through Portal and Episode 2. Many traits of the mysterious G-Man have manifested themselves in ways not directly tied to him, at least, not as of yet. The most glaring of which being this odd connection: Portal introduced a method to travel a tremendous distance instantly, a feature associated with the G-Man. In fact, to me the whole Aperture Science thing feels like it could easily have had a dash of G-Man. With parts of Episode 3 somewhat established, and Aperture Science's playing a large role, it seems inevitable the G-Man has a strong connection with the Portal tech.

Maybe he and GlaDOS had a secret love? Maybe the cake is for the Freeman?
Or quite possibly, the G-Man created this all in Dr. Freeman's head, and Gordon will wake from a dream, still being a student at MIT?

Only time, and Gabe Newell, can tell.

:sniper: = :p
 
I don't believe Gman is that rooted in Aperture Science. He's certainly not the Admin as some have suggested, I think.
 
I really feel Gman doesn't fit anywhere but on his own so far, he seems to be in good contact with every side.
 
Mutley said:
I really feel Gman doesn't fit anywhere but on his own so far, he seems to be in good contact with every side.
Click to expand...

Yes, Gman certainly is flying solo this time, and maybe last time. Who knows, maybe Gman has altered time and space already.
 
Uh, Portal was linked to whole Half Life universe the moment we saw Aperture logo on the Borealis.
 
If the Borealis is a vessel/instrument of Aperture, I would think there will be at least 1 new character in Ep3. Maybe not the Portal character (though I wouldn't be surprised) but someone from the Center that will fill in the history of the facility and aid in the operation(s) on the Borealis. I think any staff from Aperture would possibly know Kleiner, Magnusson, Eli, etc.
 
Black Mesa probably stole the portal technology from that other company and Gman has his own copy of those portal tools.
 
I'm fairly confident that the gman isn't even human, or even from our dimension. So all this talk of him using portal guns is, IMO, ridiculous; he can seemingly alter space, time, and reality at will. why would he need portal technology?
 
Why does he always have to have his briefcase with him then. I think it hides some special advanced technology that gives him his powers. Although in HL1 it just had some papers and a gun (but you didn't get to see that in the game)
 
Dan said:
Why does he always have to have his briefcase with him then. I think it hides some special advanced technology that gives him his powers. Although in HL1 it just had some papers and a gun (but you didn't get to see that in the game)
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He's an inter-dimensional being. The "gman" as we see him is just the way he appears to us. His physical manifestation, assuming he even has a physical body on earth. In short, he appears human because it suits his purposes. But that's not his true form. So the briefcase is just "decoration", essentially.
 
Well if we look at the attributes he possesses, there are three posibilities. He got his ability to teleport from one place to another from either Black Mesa, Aperture Science, or that he's some sort of being that can innately teleport.

If valve sticks with tried and true writing methods, they will explain character abilities with elements that are already part of the story. If he IS human, then the chances that he got his teleportation ability from some place we don't know about is extremely unlikely and somewhat silly. Considering that teleportion is a very big story element here.
 
Samon said:
If Gman has any relation to a Government body I'll cry.
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He probably does. Not directly, of course, but in the sense that he posed as one. I believe he did so at Black Mesa before the accident. He was walking around there with full access, monitoring the situation, talking to scientists and whatnot. So he probably had most of BM personnel believe that he's some extremely important government figure. It's not like he could introduce himself as an intergalactic agent of an alien civilization, or whatever the heck he is.
 
scotland1 said:
Because they can't be bothered re-modeling him?
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How ironic, considering he actually haven't been seen with his briefcase since HL2. He does not have it in ep 1 and he does not have it in ep 2. Most likely because Valve wanted him to do more hand movements, you'll notice he rests his fingers against each other, touches his mouth and waves his hand about when he talks about Alyx.

And also: I *really* doubt very much the G-man needed to borrow any portal technology from Aperture or BMRF. He's in possession of telepathic powers matching those of the Vortigaunts, he quite clearly has an observational ability that would border on being able to monitor the future or just being able to calculate Chaos Theory almost flawlessly and can appear anywhere without being harmed by aliens and humans alike (Xenians and Combine as well as US Marines ignore him during both games despite him walking through heavy combat-zones). That teleporting is out of his reach without help from us is kind of ridiculous, also partly because his teleportation ability is clearly more advanced than any of those we've seen so far.
 
G-mans origins probably changed a lot since HL1. Valve probably keeps a tab on the prevailing theories. And tries to do something different then what people would expect.
 
I agree, there are a lot of his abilities that have not been accounted for.

Teleportation: Of course.
Scrying: Being see areas he wishes to teleport to so as to minimize contact with hostiles.
Hypnotic suggestion/Telepathy: Alyx, and his appearances to Gordon.
Transmission hacking: His appearance on video monitors.
Future reading and theoreticals: Able to see into the future events at any moment in time or space, and derive the over-reaching course of events. This is coupled with the ability to predict what any changes would do to the timeline, two, three or even many changes ahead, resulting in desired course of events. These predictions must take no fewer than a couple hours. (considering how fast he was able to adapt his plans to Alyx's survival of the citadel explosion)

Something about that last ability makes me wonder about Aperture labs' CEO Cave Johnson's supposed ability to see the future due to time running backward for him. Tho that's all just conjecture.
 
Let's also not forget that the G-Man can seemingly operate while ignoring normal rules of time. At the end of HL2, he apparently stop time. In Ep2, he gives his speech to you while you're healing Alyx with the Vorts. The G-Man talks to you and shows these different areas, yet the Vorts don't see you disappear, black out or anything - it's, again, as if the G-Man's speech didn't follow the rules of time.
 
Solver said:
Let's also not forget that the G-Man can seemingly operate while ignoring normal rules of time. At the end of HL2, he apparently stop time. In Ep2, he gives his speech to you while you're healing Alyx with the Vorts. The G-Man talks to you and shows these different areas, yet the Vorts don't see you disappear, black out or anything - it's, again, as if the G-Man's speech didn't follow the rules of time.
Click to expand...

That would probably fall within his telepathic abilities. He probably conveys all this information to Gordon in the blink of an eye, but it seems longer to Gordon. Which would make an interesting irony actually, come to think of it, seeing as how the beginning of HL2 comes a mere seconds after HL1 to Gordon but is actually 15 years later. But I would agree that he has some ability to manipulate your perception of time, but not directly stop it or go back in time or whatever. I'm growing more certain he's able to predict the future however.

EDIT* Although, come to think of it it's possible the Vortis were just standing there looking at Alyx through all of G-man's speech and didn't notice Gordon wasn't paying attention or whatever. They *were* "otherwise occupied".
 
I think that the instant HL1-HL2 transition, for Gordon, is because he was in stasis for these 20 years. You do step into that portal at the end of HL1 - the stasis just effectively puts a person into a very deep sleep.

As for the G-Man's messages, I'm under the impression that he does "locally" stop time to deliver them. For example, he froze the time perception of those Vorts to deliver a message to you. So you could say that a couple minutes of time did pass, but the Vorts didn't notice, as that time was "lost" for them.

I don't think it was as simple as Gordon not paying attention. Vorts said they needed a human to finish the healing process. Gordon had to be "in it". I'd also bet that Gordon looks very weird when getting those messages, making that quite hard not to notice.
 
Solver said:
I think that the instant HL1-HL2 transition, for Gordon, is because he was in stasis for these 20 years. You do step into that portal at the end of HL1 - the stasis just effectively puts a person into a very deep sleep.
Click to expand...

Yes I know, I'm just saying that contrary to Gordon sitting through an entire G-man speech while to everyone else it just happens in a second, to Gordon those 15-20 years just slipped by in a second.

And I still more prefer the idea that G-man either goes inside Gordon's head to screw around with him. Or I suppose some small "pocket" reality wich exists outside time or where time doesn't flow the same way, allowing for several minutes to exist in a few milliseconds in our reality. In wich case may as well be the same place the Vortigaunts call the Vortessence since we've seen Vorts interfere with g-man. And since the Vort's saved Alyx in Ep1, for whom time was not frozen throughout (she moved), I guess they did the same as g-man did, brought the top of the Citadel to some alternate reality and from there extracted Gordon. Cause otherwise that would mean both the Vortis and G-man can stop time. And I don't like that :p


...man, that was a lot of guess-work and talking out of my ass.
 
Yes, I've assumed the same things. The G-man can stop time in a pocket large enough to encompas himself and another person, possibly larger. He can teleport in and out to a pocket dimention in which time can stop entirely, or where those he puts into stasis can be put in a type of suspended animation by using the same means, stopping time for them.

The vorts seem to do much the same thing.

They have not mentioned anything to you, but it seems apparent that the vorts have had contact with him. In HL2, one of them was interfacing with a TV and there was an image of the G-man on it. Also, it just occurred to me that the G-man mentions the vorts in the cut scene during vortal coil. His tone was almost as if he was calling the vorts hypocritical. Apparently he's been having dealings with them too.

Focusing on Vorts in this regard, if you sit and listen to the vort babble in HL2, (when you continually look at one and he keeps punching out one-liners) they say some pretty interesting things. One of which is that you have a darker side, another face, and that you're somehow like them.... or some crap like that, I couldnt make much of it either way.

Some interesting stuff tho.
 
I'll bet he has a well hidden portal gun in his briefcase.
 
Stands to reason, he'd need some sort of local equipment to teleport around like he does. That is if he isn't some extradimentional being as some speculate.

I like to focus on the tech. My real question is regarding his 'chessgame' with the future. He's already had to change his plans once due to the vorts' interference. He seems to possess the ability to predict changes on the timeline, even over multiple changes perhapse. Barring some alien ability or supernatural power, this would require some sort of computer with enough power that it could predict chaos theory, not to mention see the future. That in itself is another can of worms. Maybe something that could see past the curvature of space time?

Lol.
 
I'm going to guess we get the portal gun in epsiode 3.

What else would we find on a ship with huge shipping containers labled "APETURE SCIENCE"?
 
Yeah, the Portal gun has to make an appearance. That empty weapon slot has been... empty since we lost the bugbait. Something has to go there.

But I'd like an explanation for the new flashlight system. How did the HEV suit magically get another power source during the train crash? That's the biggest mystery, to me at least.
 
But I'd like an explanation for the new flashlight system. How did the HEV suit magically get another power source during the train crash? That's the biggest mystery, to me at least
Click to expand...
I guess hitting the right spot really hard made the suit activate TEH POWERS that Kleiner installed before but forgot to turn on.
 
well the gman obviously isnt all-powerful, the vorts were able to stop him and take gordon away from him. i've always wondered though if he's like the vorts in that he exists here but can travel in this other "space" if you want to call it that, or if he exists "there" and has the ability to travel here, pretty much the opposite.

too bad eli chose to die before telling us anything ;[
 
Dr_Crowbar said:
I guess hitting the right spot really hard made the suit activate TEH POWERS that Kleiner installed before but forgot to turn on.
Click to expand...

That's the Valve explanation, if you listen to the commentary.
 
I just can't wait until that moment we actually stand face to face with G-Man in normal space. I think that time will come, and it will be epic
 
We're never going to face off against the Gman in a boss fight.

It'd ruin the character if we did. We're going to end the game after learning something about his motivations. He will then leave, to do his own thing, cryptically.
 
I really don't mean to be rude, but that is the most rediculous, non thought out theory I've ever seen on these forums, hand to god. (to OP)

^^

Cake?
 
And what is your theory?

I agree 100% with Narvi. It would really destroy the awesomeness that is G-Man if we had to fight him in some cheesy "boss" battle. It would be a true travesty.

No, G-Man will continue to do his thing, and should the series continue, I'll bet he'll be a part of it.
 
I don't think the G-Man stops time, but has access to places where time is effectively stopped. I think one of these places is Xen because just before you enter the Nihilanth's chamber in HL you can hear the scientists panicking over resonance cascade, as if no time has passed.
Either that, or Valve thought it'd be cool for the player to remember what had happened at the beginning and create a sense of finality with that last portal.

At the end of HL2 I think Gordon and the G-Man are back in the Xen void because the image of the G-Man fades in and out, as do the surroundings. He left Alyx there, but the vortigaunts rescued her. He can pluck the dust from Alyx's arm because he knows where she was.

As for his portals, it seems he has no trouble aiming precisely where he intends to go. All the portals seem a bit random with their targeting and stability, yet the G-Man is always in the right place and vanish whenever he wants.
 
G-Man has the vortigaunt ability to stop time/teleport. The vortgaunts frequently mention that Gordon is like them. The g-man says he is restricted from interfering too directly with Gordon.

The G-Man is Gordon from the future.
 
Alexander_Q said:
G-Man has the vortigaunt ability to stop time/teleport. The vortgaunts frequently mention that Gordon is like them. The g-man says he is restricted from interfering too directly with Gordon.

The G-Man is Gordon from the future.
Click to expand...

Even if Valve had intended that at any point, the prevalence of this theory means they would undoubtedly change it.

The Gman is not Gordon from the future.
 
My theory:
I think its pretty clear that Black Mesa and Aperture Science where rivaling research facilities like some already said. Both facilities where trying to develop portal technology and Aperture Science managed to get it working. At the same time Black mesa was getting close to doing the same and Aperture Science didn’t like that of course. So they have send someone to Black Mesa to sabotage their Portal research; G-Man (hl1). G-Man goes to Eli and threatens him with something. He probably tells Eli he will save Alyx if he co-operates, if not "prepare for unforeseen consequences". Eli does what the G-Man tells him to do: send in the wrong sample. We all know what happens next; it goes terribly wrong. The G-Man expected the sample to give negative results or something but instead it opened portals to other dimensions (Xen). G-man messed up and the people he works for; Aperture Science (it has always been clear he works for someone or something) tell him to fix it. He tries to take control over Xen to stop them from invading Earth and he also sends the army to Black Mesa to destroy the evidence. He fails again, he can’t stop the portal storms and the combine invade Earth. A couple of years later the G-man gets one more chance to fix it all and sends Gordon to City17(hl2). I think this explains why G-man works against the system in HL but helps humanity in HL2, something I can't explain otherwise. In hl2 Alyx starts to play an important role and the G-Man is more than happy to let here die in the citadel explosion at the end of hl2 because he already saved here in Black Mesa(as part of the deal) and has no use for here. In the beginning of Ep2 you see that the vortigaunts save Alyx instead, the G-Man isn’t happy about this.
I think its clear now why Eli was so afraid when Alyx said "prepare for unforeseen consequences" and why he tells you to destroy the Borealis. This ship is probably from Aperture Science, and that’s why Eli says "please, not again".

About 'Portal':
Portal is clearly an Aperture Science experiment, and I think they used it to find new employees like the G-man. Yes, I think G-Man did the same tests ones and was selected; people who are not selected are killed to prevent any information about Aperture Science to leak. I think the briefcase the G-man has with him is a teleport device he uses to travel from place to place and learned to use in the Aperture Science experiments.
When the combine started to invade Earth the research at Aperture Science stopped and GLaDOS killed all the 'normal' employees to prevent any information to leak. They just saved the daughters of the researchers so they could still do some future research if needed (Take you Daughter to Work). Chell is one of those ‘girls’, GLaDOS talks about here as being an infant, and at the end she gets a cake so that clearly shows that she is still handles as a little girl and grew up in the Aperture Science laboratories

In Ep3 we should finally get some answers and Chell is probably the one who will give it to us. Chell escaped the Aperture Science laboratories(in Portal) , she probably knows important information about Aperture Science and probably knows who the G-Man is.
 
is it just me, or when you kill glados at the end, her voice screws up and she says something exactly in gman's voice?
 
Betelgeuze said:
About 'Portal':
Portal is clearly an Aperture Science experiment, and I think they used it to find new employees like the G-man. Yes, I think G-Man did the same tests ones and was selected; people who are not selected are killed to prevent any information about Aperture Science to leak. I think the briefcase the G-man has with him is a teleport device he uses to travel from place to place and learned to use in the Aperture Science experiments.
Click to expand...

No. Sorry, but no.
I refuse to even consider that Valve could come up with such a boring and mundane explanation to g-man. Also, it doesn't make sense.
 
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