Luc Deveraux

Luc Deveraux
[[ |250px]] Jean-Claude Van Damme as Luc Deveraux in the original Universal Soldier (1992), Universal Solider Regeneration (2009) and Universal Solider Day of Reckoning (2012).
Character Information
AKA	GR44
Date of Birth	1948
First Apperance	Universal Solider (1992)
Last Apperance	Universal Solider: Day of Reckoning (2012)
Family	John Deveraux (father) Mrs Deveraux (mother) Hillary Deveraux (daughter NON-CANON)
Significant Other	Was married in Universal Solider: The Return (NON-CANON)
Status	Deceased
Portrayed By	Jean Claude Van Damme

"Now I'm alive"

Luc Deveraux is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Universal Soldier Series. He is most famously portrayed by Belgian actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme portrays Luc in the 1992 film Universal Soldier and its sequels Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) and Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009); he is portrayed by Matt Battaglia in the direct-to-video sequels Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms (1998) and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business (1999).

He first appears in Universal Soldier as GR44, a deceased Vietnam War veteran. Luc becomes a UniSol after being reanimated in a secret government project along with other previously dead soldiers. A recurring theme in the series is that he is also the only UniSol strong enough to break the barrier of his commands and become more human. He serves as the main antagonist in Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning.

Early life

Luc Devereaux grew up on a farm in Louisiana with his father John Deveraux and mother who's name is not known but his parents were Cajun. Much about Luc's early life remains a mystery but he was born in 1948 and when he was 21 he was deployed to Vietnam in 1969.

Vietnam and Universal Soldier (1992)

In 1969 in Vietnam, Luc Deveraux is nearing the end of his tour of duty in the Vietnam war, Luc's friend Sergeant Andrew Scott, went insane and began killing Vietnamese civilians and his own soldiers indiscriminately. After attempting to reason with Scott, Luc attempts to stop him from killing two villagers, resulting in the two soldiers shooting each other to death. Their bodies are recovered from the field and put on ice, and they are falsely listed as "missing in action."

Twenty five years later in 1994, The U.S. Government has the Black Tower or 'Universal Soldier' program commissioned Luc and Andrews bodies are chosen to be reanimated as UniSols. Luc rebelled when he met Veronica Roberts, a TV journalist who manages to break his conditioning. Having been essentially brain dead for over twenty years, Luc cannot properly function in civilization. The two attempt to find the source of the Black Tower program and help Luc regain his identity, while Scott and other UniSols are sent to kill them. In the end, he learns about the origin of the program and regains his memories. When he returns to Louisiana his aged parents are overjoyed to see him, reunion is cut short when Scott appears, taking Roberts and Luc's parents hostage. Luc and Andrew fight to the death, which ends as Luc impales Scott on the spikes of a hay harvester and eviscerates him with it

Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)

Ten years after the events of Universal Soldier, The US Government has replaced the Black Tower program with the White Tower program. Luc Deveraux has now become a decommissioned UniS whom the US Government placed to into stasis. In 2007 Dr. Sandra Fleming had Deveraux awakened so he could undergo rehabilitation therapy and rejoin society, and they both relocated to Switzerland. At the same time, the US Government shut down the White Tower program.

In 2009, Deveraux is forcibly taken back by the US military to participate in a mission to rescue the Ukrainian prime minister's children, held hostage by renegade Commander Topov in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which is rigged with a time bomb. To combat the terrorist's secret weapon, a New Generation UniSol (NGU) is deployed and Deveraux is reconditioned, geared up and sent to the plant, where he slaughters most of the terrorist forces. He searches the buildings further and sees the children cornered by a clone of his nemesis, Andrew Scott. Scott starts to have recollections of Deveraux telling him, "We have been through all this before." Scott charges towards the children with his knife, Deveraux attacks him, and a grueling fight ensues. In the end, Deveraux impales a lead pipe through Scott's head and fires a shotgun through it.

Deveraux then finds the children, but they are attacked by the NGU. Deveraux and the NGU take the fight to the site of the bomb, Devereaux jams the detonator in the back of the NGU's uniform as they both jump out the reactor chamber. The NGU pulls the detonator off his back just as it explodes, killing him. As the US military moves in, Deveraux leaves the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to start his campaign of freeing UniSols from their programming.

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012)

Three years after the events of Universal Soldier: Regeneration, the US government has replaced the White Tower program with the Third Program. Luc Deveraux has been on the run from the military ever since the day he left the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and has shaved off his hair. Luc has returned to the United States and is now living in an underground bunker. He has enlisted another clone of Andrew Scott, his former nemesis, to recruit wayward UniSols, thus establishing a violent cult of enhanced soldiers aiming at a new world order. Because Deveraux's existence is a political threat, he is targeted for termination by the US government.

In the backstory of the film, the head of the Third Program puts UniSol sleeper agent "John" on Deveraux's trail. John eventually finds Deveraux, but fails to kill him. Instead, Deveraux frees John from government control and hires him to perform tasks for his separatist organization, such as assassinating key people of the UniSol program and shipping stolen high tech equipment to his bunker. However, after becoming romantically involved with a woman, John deserts Deveraux and goes missing.

In the main story arc, the US government activates a clone of John, who differs from the original in that he is motivated by false memories of a happy family life, which ended when Deveraux murdered his family and left him for dead. John is surreptitiously led to follow his predecessor's footsteps. As he learns about his own true nature, John eliminates a brainwashed UniSol that Scott had sent after him, and also finds and kills the original John. He then reaches Deveraux's underground bunker, killing his ally, Scott, and most other UniSols in the process.

In the final confrontation with Deveraux himself, John is nearly defeated, but realizing John's potential as his worthy successor, Deveraux concedes to him. John finally kills Deveraux and takes over his organization, motivated by the grudge he harbors for the US government that caused his pain. John then kills the FBI agent who had manipulated him into hunting down Deveraux and has him replaced with a clone, thus infiltrating the government and initiating the counterattack Deveraux had planned.

Characteristics

In the fictional Universal Soldier universe, Luc was first 'GR44 a UniSol used only for the U.S. government. When the vision of the tortured Vietnamese people who Scott killed in the 1960s returns to him he loses control and breaks free from the government's control.

Unlike the Terminators from the Terminator franchise, Luc has more human attributes than others. He has basic human emotions, handwriting, reading and etc. He is the most human of the other UniSols like SETH, Andrew, or the NGU. He has changed from a confused misfit, witty government agent, and a worried middle-aged man. He is still good in hand-to-hand combat even in his old age.

Personality

In Universal Soldier he is a Vietnam veteran tired of war and wishes to go home. He is then turned into a UniSol. After breaking free he is confused and believes he is dead. When Veronica convinces that he is still alive he gets more emotional and more "human". In Universal Soldier: The Return, he is more human and has more of a sense of humor. He is serious about finding the villain, SETH. In Universal Soldier: Regeneration he is worried and confused, much like the original portrayal from the original 1992 film.

Powers and abilities

He possesses an enhanced level of strength - an essential tool for any UniSol - and durability to enable him to carry out his missions (any bone fracture is painless to a UniSol and will not negatively affect their flexibility). This makes them highly resistant to most conventional attacks (such as stabbing weapons and gunfire) as well as the effects of poison; however, they are still susceptible to explosives and corrosive agents.

Most UniSol have limited intelligence, which is mostly because of their command chips and other mechanical parts that allow the government control. Luc's proficient use of hand-to-hand combat was a result of his experiences prior to his 'death'. He also, unlike most UniSols, retained many of his human attributes, such as complex emotions, memories, and senses (i.e. smell, touch, and hearing).

See also

• Universal Soldier
• Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms
• Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business
• Universal Soldier: The Return
• Universal Soldier: Regeneration
• Jean-Claude Van Damme
• Matt Battaglia
• Dolph Lundgren

Appearances/Actors

• Universal Soldier (First appearance) - Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kristopher Van Varenberg (Young Luc Deveraux only)
• Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms - Matt Battaglia
• Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business - Matt Battaglia
• Universal Soldier: The Return - Jean-Claude Van Damme
• Universal Soldier: Regeneration - Jean-Claude Van Damme
• Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning - Jean-Claude Van Damme (appears to be a villian)