The Passage/Characters

Amy Harper Bellafonte
A young girl with tragic origins and mysterious powers, she becomes an important figure who may be instrumental in saving the world.


 * A Child Shall Lead Them
 * Cute Mute
 * Creepy Child
 * Healing Factor
 * Living MacGuffin
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old
 * Daughter Of A Whore
 * The Quiet One
 * The Stoic
 * Waif Prophet
 * Walking the Earth
 * Wise Beyond Their Years
 * You ALL Share My Story
 * You ALL Share My Story

Bradford J Wolgast
A recently divorced and highly efficient FBI agent, Wolgast is recruited by Colonel Sykes for Project Noah. He is charged with procuring Death Row criminals as test subjects, but things change when he's instructed to retrieve Amy for the Project.


 * Badass
 * Dead Daughter
 * The Determinator
 * Guile Hero
 * Knight Templar Parent
 * Papa Wolf
 * Promotion to Parent: He's not related to Amy at all, but ends up being a father to her.
 * Heel Face Turn: He was never really an outright bad guy, but he was doing some very immoral things before
 * Heartbroken Badass
 * Heroic BSOD: After his
 * Hurting Hero
 * Noble Fugitive
 * The Men in Black
 * Not So Stoic
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right
 * Wouldn't Hurt a Child
 * Wouldn't Hurt a Child

Sister Lacey Antoinette Kudoto
Originally from Sierra Leone, Lacey Antoinette Kudoto is a nun in the United States who finds herself suddenly having to take care of the freshly abandoned Amy. They form a strong bond which pulls Lacey into extraordinary circumstances.


 * Action Survivor: At first.
 * Badass
 * Broken Bird
 * Older Than They Look
 * Hermit Guru
 * Rape as Backstory
 * Took a Level in Badass
 * Took a Level in Badass
 * Took a Level in Badass

Agent Phillip Doyle
A young FBI agent partnered with Wolgast. He's younger and much more gung-ho than his partner.


 * The Casanova
 * Chick Magnet
 * Just Following Orders
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right
 * Took a Level in Badass
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right
 * Took a Level in Badass

Dr Jonas Lear
""What strange places our lives can carry us to, what dark passages.""

A renowned scientist, he leads an expedition to solve 'the mystery of death itself'. Instead he discovers The Virus and is manipulated into adapting it.


 * Dead Wife
 * Despair Event Horizon
 * Heroic BSOD
 * My God, What Have I Done?
 * Engineer Exploited For Evil
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: By trying to 'solve' death and prevent loss...he creates a virus which ends the world.

Lawrence Grey
""I said to myself, Grey, you are having the worst dream in the world.""

A convicted paedophile who works as a 'sweep' in the Colorado facility, he slowly becomes subject to manipulations by Subject Zero.


 * The Aloner
 * The Atoner: Kind of. It doesn’t work.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Brainwashed and Crazy
 * Fat Slob
 * Punch Clock Villain: Literally.
 * Mind Rape
 * Rape as Backstory
 * Unwitting Pawn

Richards
One of the Project Noah overseers, Richards is technically a subordinate to Colonel Sykes. In reality, he's the one in charge.


 * Badass Normal
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Dragon Ascendant: For a short time, after
 * Dragon-in-Chief: Sykes runs the Noah Project, but everyone is aware that Richards is the one with the real power.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Very, very, very, very low standards. The extent of which is to briefly hesitate and feel almost-but-not-quite remorse following his murder of freakin' nuns.
 * Evilly Affable
 * Psycho for Hire
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * The Rival: to Babcock. Averted in that they don't get their final battle. Instead,
 * Omniglot
 * Villainous Valour: When
 * The Rival: to Babcock. Averted in that they don't get their final battle. Instead,
 * Omniglot
 * Villainous Valour: When

Colonel Sykes
""Nobody’s nobody. There’s always someone who’s interested.""

A military colonel who oversees Project Noah (at first) and initially recruits Wolgast.


 * Authority in Name Only
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Motive Rant: Gives an impressive one to Wolgast when recruiting him.
 * Mr. Exposition
 * My God, What Have I Done?
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist

Dr James B Fortes
A member of Dr Lear's original expedition, he ends up working for Project Noah.


 * For Science!
 * Mad Scientist
 * Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate

Mark Cole
A government official who lays the initial groundwork for Project Noah.


 * Jerkass
 * Smug Snake: At least, how Richards viewed him.
 * Smug Snake: At least, how Richards viewed him.

Pvt. Derrick Paulson
""I am dreaming some crazy shit.""

One of the soldiers stationed at the Colorado facility, his sanity begins to slowly unravel.


 * Ax Crazy
 * The Bully
 * Brilliant but Lazy
 * Hannibal Lecture: Delivers one to a stunned Grey.
 * Kick the Dog: Every one of his appearances is a Kick the Dog, whether it's taunting Carter or scaring the shit out of Grey.
 * Sociopathic Soldier
 * Sociopathic Soldier

Peter Jaxon
The youngest Jaxon boy and a member of the First Colony, Peter is a good-hearted young man who has lived in his older brother's shadow all his life. He becomes the unofficial leader of the First Colony apostles after Amy approaches the Colony, changing the lives of everyone.


 * Badass Normal
 * The Determinator
 * The Hero
 * Hurting Hero
 * Oblivious to Love
 * The Unfavourite: Or so he thinks.
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right
 * Survivor Guilt

Theo Jaxon
Strong and silent, Theo is the well-respected brother of Peter. He's cynical and burdened following both a confession from Michael and the person he loves marrying someone else.


 * Aloof Big Brother
 * Badass Normal
 * Calling the Old Man Out: Posthumously. He goes on a bitter rant about the Jaxon father.
 * The Cynic
 * Heartbroken Badass
 * Heroic BSOD: Seems to be progressing through one, starting when Mausami marries Galen and intensified by
 * Knight in Sour Armor
 * Knight Templar Big Brother
 * The Unfavourite: But he doesn’t know it.
 * The Stoic
 * The Stoic

Alicia Donadio
An orphan of Dark Night, Alicia was adopted by the mysterious 'Colonel' at a young age. Impulsive and reckless, she's nevertheless a good person at heart with a soft spot for Peter.


 * Action Girl
 * Badass Normal
 * Later becomes
 * Big Sister Instinct: Towards Caleb, who's an orphan of Dark Night like her.
 * Blood Knight
 * Boisterous Bruiser
 * Determinator
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Jumped At the Call
 * The Ladette
 * The Lancer: to Peter, for a while.
 * Military Brat: was raised by the Colonel.
 * Rebellious Spirit

Michael Fisher
An intelligent and talented technician, Michael is the first to realize the Colony lights will eventually fail. He decodes the radio message from Colorado, thus beginning the long journey to find the source.


 * Adorkable
 * Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Alicia, a little. More pronounced on his end; in his private thoughts, he considers her 'striking'.
 * Butt Monkey: If someone's going to be non-fatally but painfully injured, it's probably going to be Michael.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Insufferable Genius
 * Genre Savvy
 * Mr. Fixit
 * Only Sane Man
 * Secret Keeper
 * The Smart Guy
 * Techno Wizard
 * Took a Level in Badass

Sara Fisher
Michael's older sister, Sara is a kind-hearted nurse with a secret love for Peter. She joins the Colony Apostles.


 * Adorkable
 * All Love Is Unrequited
 * The Heart
 * Pair the Spares
 * Promotion to Parent
 * The Medic

Hollis Wilson
One of the Wilson Twins, Hollis is a competent and level-headed fighter who leaves with the Apostles.


 * Angsty Surviving Twin
 * Badass Normal
 * Badass Beard
 * Beard of Sorrow
 * The Big Guy
 * The Lancer
 * Pair the Spares
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic

Mausami Patal
The daughter of Sanjay Patal, she's in love with Theo but still marries someone else in an unwise attempt to spurn him into action. She later becomes pregnant with his child.


 * Hot Mom
 * Pregnant Badass
 * Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: In a way. Her father, Sanjay, isn't a scientist or much of a villain, but he's certainly antagonistic toward Peter and absolutely hates Theo.
 * Sympathetic Adulterer

Sanjay Patel
The overseer of the Colony and father of Mausami, Sanjay is mostly an efficient leader but strongly dislikes the Jaxon family due to their perceived responsibility in his brother's death. He's one of the first to be manipulated by Babcock, having had dreams of him since he was a child.


 * Imaginary Friend
 * Not-So-Imaginary Friend
 * Hearing Voices
 * Hidden Depths
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Overprotective Dad: Although considering Mausami got pregnant with another man's child while married, maybe he should've been a little better at being overprotective.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Unwitting Pawn
 * Sanity Slippage
 * Wasteland Elder

Caleb 'Hightop' Jones
A teenage orphan in the Colony, he's blamed for letting Amy past the gate and subsequently joins the First Colony Apostles.


 * Butt Monkey
 * Break the Cutie
 * Chew Toy
 * The Ditz
 * Skilled but Naive
 * Tagalong Kid
 * Tagalong Kid

Galen Strauss
Mausami's loyal but not well-respected husband.


 * Butt Monkey
 * Dogged Nice Guy
 * Love Martyr: Kind of. Mausami isn't exactly unlikable or severely disturbed, but Galen is well-aware that she loves Theo instead of him.
 * Romantic Runner-Up

Ida 'Auntie' Jaxon
The oldest member of the Colony, she lives alone and records her memories in books. It's unclear if she's senile or more aware than everyone else.


 * Hermit Guru
 * Obfuscating Insanity
 * 108
 * Only Known by Their Nickname

Old Chou
One of the oldest members of the Colony and a member of the Household. He was once in charge of the Colony, and his word still carries a great deal of weight.


 * by...
 * Hearing Voices
 * The Patriarch
 * May-December Romance: with his young wife.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Team Dad

Elton
A blind, overweight Colony member who works with Michael.


 * Dirty Old Man
 * Fat Slob

Colonel Niles Coffee
A mysterious member of the Colony and Alicia's guardian.


 * Badass Grandpa: The man had a necklace of vampire teeth.
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Death Seeker
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran

Arlo Wilson
Hollis' twin brother.


 * Badass Beard
 * Big Brother Mentor: was this to Hollis.

Walter Fisher
Sara and Michael's uncle and member of the Household.


 * The Alcoholic

Gloria Patel
Sanjay's wife.


 * Beware the Nice Ones
 * Stepford Smiler

Soo Ramirez
The Captain of the Watch.


 * All Love Is Unrequited
 * The Captain: of the Watch.
 * Covert Pervert: She loves her trashy romance novels.
 * Despair Event Horizon
 * It's All My Fault

Jimmy Molyneau
A member of the Watch.


 * All Love Is Unrequited
 * Sanity Slippage
 * Sanity Slippage

Ian Patel

 * Bad Boss
 * Stupid Boss
 * Tyrant Takes the Helm: He's not exactly a tyrant, but he's completely unable to maintain any control as a leader.

Demetrius 'Demo' Jaxon
Peter and Theo's father, who disappeared on one of the 'Long Walks'.


 * Disappeared Dad: to Peter and Theo.
 * Posthumous Character

Anthony Lloyd Carter
""Man…said I got a job. Said it was important. Said…I special.""

The twelfth and final Death Row convict to be subjected to human tests at the Colorado facility. Unlike the other convicts, he's innocent of his crime and merely lacks the ability to make a coherent defense. Of course, people stop pushing him around when he becomes the twelfth viral...


 * Anti-Villain
 * Beware the Nice Ones: It isn't the batshit insane Babcock or manipulative Fanning who
 * Book Dumb
 * Butt Monkey
 * Chew Toy
 * The Dog Bites Back
 * I Am Legion
 * From Nobody to Nightmare
 * Nigh Invulnerability
 * Scary Black Man: Somewhat subverted. He’s kind, gentle and the only innocent in the death row inmates. However, he can't control himself.
 * Tragic Monster
 * Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds

Giles J Babcock
""I am Babcock. One of Twelve.""

An insane killer from Death Row that is subjected to human testing at the Colorado facility. He becomes a viral and later serves as the Big Bad of the first book.


 * Abusive Parents
 * Ax Crazy
 * Big Bad: Of the first book.
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Horror Hunger
 * I Am Legion
 * Informed Attribute: He's frequently described as not being able to shut up, and is always doing his little vampire clicking noises. But he never utters a single coherent sentence in the entire book.
 * From Nobody to Nightmare
 * Madness Mantra: In the form of a memory of something his mother said. "That boy isn't just dumb. He's been struck dumb."
 * Mommy Issues
 * Nigh Invulnerability
 * Talkative Loon: See Informed Attribute.
 * Tragic Monster: Abused severely from a young age, sentenced to be executed despite being clearly mentally incompetent, and then subjected to brutal experiments that turn him into a vicious, uncontrollable beast.
 * Tragic Monster: Abused severely from a young age, sentenced to be executed despite being clearly mentally incompetent, and then subjected to brutal experiments that turn him into a vicious, uncontrollable beast.

Tim Fanning/Subject Zero
""I was called Fanning.""

One of the original scientists on Dr Lear's expedition, he's infected and becomes Subject Zero.


 * Chick Magnet In his human life.
 * Hidden Villain: After he and the other virals break out, he isn't seen again for the rest of the book.
 * Horror Hunger
 * Madness Mantra: "I was called Fanning."
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Mind Rape
 * Monster Progenitor
 * Nigh Invulnerability

Olsen Hand
The leader of the Haven, a mysterious Viral-free community.


 * Authority in Name Only: He appears to be the leader at first, but Jude Cripp is the real leader of the Haven. And even he answers to a higher power.
 * Dark and Troubled Past: He mentions that Mira wasn't his only child.
 * I Did What I Had to Do
 * Wasteland Elder
 * Wasteland Elder
 * Wasteland Elder

Mira Hand
The young daughter of Olsen Hand.


 * Broken Bird
 * Fille Fatale
 * The Haven Leader's Daughter

Jude Cripp
A member of the Haven.


 * The Dragon: to Babcock.
 * Dragon-in-Chief: Babcock is far too removed from humanity, too solitary and too batshit insane to do anything that doesn't involve eating everyone. Jude does most of the busywork.
 * Faux Affably Evil
 * From Nobody to Nightmare: Started off as a referenced-once 'sweep', one of Project Noah's resident lowest-level butt monkeys. A few hundred years later, he's a Complete Monster Dragon to Babcock who's extremely difficult to kill.
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars: After being
 * Older Than They Look
 * Hannibal Lecture: He loves giving these to
 * Nigh Invulnerability
 * The Renfield
 * Smug Snake

Billie
A doctor living in the Haven.


 * Dr. Jerk
 * The Medic

Gus
A mechanic living in the Haven.


 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Mr. Fixit: Although he needs Michael's help.

Major Greer

 * A Father to His Men
 * Badass Normal
 * Field Promotion
 * Number Two: to Voorhees.

General Curtis Voorhees

 * A Father to His Men
 * Colonel Badass
 * Dark and Troubled Past
 * Honor Before Reason
 * Knight in Sour Armour
 * Reasonable Authority Figure

Muncey

 * Class Clown
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Deadpan Snarker