The Consul

{{Article|hl2|good}}
{{Cut}}
{{Youmayd|the early character|his successor|Wallace Breen}}
{{Character Infobox
|name=The Consul
|image=Consul bust.jpg
|imagesize=
|homeworld=Earth
|birth=
|death=
|rank=Consul
|species=Transhuman
|gender=Male
|height=
|weapons= 
|equipment=WikipediaPublic address|PA Breencast|system
|vehicles=
|hair=None; bald
|eyes=
|cyber=Combine artificial life-support system
|era=Combine occupation of Earth|Combine occupation
|types=
|notable=
|affiliation=Combine
|voice=
|model=
|entity=
|designer=*Dhabih Eng (appearance)
*Ted Backman (appearance)''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''
|voicesample=Filec17pa4.ogg|220px
|hideb=
|hidep=
|hidec=
|hideg=
}}
{{Quote|They call him the Consul now. It worked fine for him. He speaks for the Combine; he shares in their power. As for the rest of us...|Eli Maxwell|Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar}}

'''The Consul'''Playable Development of Half-Life 2 game|''Half-Life 2'' leak files is a character cut from ''Half-Life 2''. He is the predecessor to Wallace Breen|Dr. Breen's character.

==Overview==
FileConsul transformed.jpg|The transformed Consul.|left|thumb|150px

In the early stages of the game's production, Breen was not known as the "Administrator", but rather as the "Consul", who was a slightly different character,WC mappack more in the vein of WikipediaBig Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother from the novel ''WikipediaNineteen Eighty-Four|Nineteen Eighty-Four''. He would have first been seen on posters plastering the train during the original opening sequence with propaganda phrases such as "The Consul says... relax" and "The Consul says... report". On these posters, he is described as having an owl-eyed solemn face that watched over the passengers. He would later be formally introduced in Eli Maxwell|Eli Maxwell's slideshow, shown in an image standing at the foot of a radio tower, wearing a headset, hands raised high to Combine Dropship|Dropships as he proclaimed Earth's surrender. During the course of the game, only the Consul's face would be visible to the player on monitors throughout the city, eventually leading to a reveal at the end in which it is discovered the Consul had sacrificed much of his body to begin the process of becoming immortal through Combine artificial life-support technology.

In the playable Development of Half-Life 2 game|''Half-Life 2'' leak files, the only models being identified as that of the Consul models are a giant statue and a bust, which actually appear to be Wallace Breen. Quotes 2 leak|Sound clips for the early Breencasts can also be found in the files, in the folder /sound/C17/. Sound clips for the final Citadel confrontation can also be found in the folder "/temp/alyx/". In these lines, Alyx Vance lectures the Consul about him being "just another cog in the Combine machinery" and not a part of humanity anymore. The sound clips for the other characters in this scene are not present. In the WC mappack, a prototype of his Citadel office depicted in concept art by Viktor Antonov can be found in the map "proto_citadel_consul".WC mappack

The Consul statue might be inspired by that of WikipediaVladimir Lenin|Lenin that was to stand above the never completed supertall skyscraper WikipediaPalace of Soviets|Palace of Soviets in WikipediaMoscow|Moscow. The Skyscraper is also inspired by Stalinist architecture, being based on the WikipediaPalace of Culture and Science, Warsaw|Palace of Culture and Science in WikipediaWarsaw|Warsaw. His name may be a reference to the WikipediaRoman consul|consul title used in the Roman Republic and Empire.

==Gallery==

===Consul===


FileConsul2.jpg|The Consul pressing a red button.
FileGordon consul gunpoint.jpg|The Consul tapping on something while being held at gunpoint by Gordon Freeman while Helena Mossman is holding Alyx Vance.
FileConsul statue.jpg|The Consul statue.
FileConsul greater good poster.jpg|"It's great to be part of the greater good" - Consul / Metropolice propaganda poster, partially based on the black and white concept art bust portrait.


===Early Breencast===


FileBreencast compound eyes.jpg|Concept art for a Breencast device variant with cluster-like compound eyes. 
FileBreencast c17 04.jpg|Concept art for another Breencast device variant.
FileConsulcast arcade.jpg|Fixed map of the same early Breencast, located near the Manhack Arcade.
FileTv screen consul 1.png|Monitor image for the early Breencast, based on the black and white concept art bust portrait and used in the previous concept art.
FileTv screen consul 2.png|Ditto.
FileTv screen consul 3.png|Ditto.


===Consul's office===


FileConsul office.jpg|Viktor Antonov|Viktor Antonov's concept art of the Consul's office.
FileProto citadel consul fixed0021.jpg|The same area in the early prototype map "proto_citadel_consul".
FileProto citadel consul fixed0009.JPG|Ditto.
FileProto citadel consul fixed0013.JPG|Ditto.
FileProto citadel consul fixed0011.JPG|Ditto.
FileProto citadel consul fixed0000.JPG|Hallway leading to the office.
FileProto citadel consul fixed0010.JPG|Ditto.


==List of appearances==
*''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar'' {{1st}} {{Nc}}

==References==
{{Quotecat|Breencast/Quotes}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Characters}}
{{Combine}}
{{DEFAULTSORTConsul, The}}
CategoryCombine
CategoryHalf-Life 2 (pre-release)
CategoryHalf-Life 2 Raising the Bar
CategoryCharacters
CategoryCut characters
CategoryEnemies
CategoryCut enemies
CategoryTranshumans
CategoryReferences to Nineteen Eighty-Four