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|death=[[2552|April 22, 2552]]{{Ref/Marketing|Id=dh|HR|Deliver Hope}}{{Ref/Site|Id=kat|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=personnel&cid=24525|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo: Reach - Intel - Kat-B320 Profile|D=13|M=10|Y=2014|LocalArchive=Noble Team performance reports}}
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{{Quote|I'm not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled.|[[Carter-A259|Commander Carter-A259]] to [[SPARTAN-B312]] on replacing Thom on [[NOBLE Team]]{{Ref/Level|Id=actual|HR|Noble Actual}}}}  
{{Quote|I'm not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled.|[[Carter-A259|Commander Carter-A259]] to [[SPARTAN-B312]] on replacing Thom on [[NOBLE Team]]{{Ref/Level|Id=actual|HR|Noble Actual}}}}  
'''Thom-A293''' was a [[SPARTAN-III Program|SPARTAN-III commando]] and a member of the [[UNSC Navy]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. He served as a member of [[Noble Team]] under the call sign Noble Six until his death on [[2552#April|April 22, 2552]].{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}{{Ref/Reuse|kat}}{{Ref/Reuse|contention}}
'''Thom-A293''' was a [[SPARTAN-III Program|SPARTAN-III commando]] and a member of the [[UNSC Navy]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. He served as a member of [[Noble Team]] under the call sign Noble Six until his death on [[2552#April|April 22, 2552]].{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}{{Ref/Reuse|kat}}{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}


==Biography==
==Biography==
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===Death===
===Death===
During the [[Battle of Fumirole]] on [[2552#April|April 22, 2552]], Thom participated in an operation put together by [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Catherine-B320]] to destroy the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}, ''[[Sanctity of Purification]]'', maintaining position above a city.{{Ref/Reuse|Bnet}} However, Kat, who carried the [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon]] intended to destroy the Covenant ship, was incapacitated while on her way to the objective by an enemy [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshee]].{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}
During the [[Battle of Fumirole]] on [[2552#April|April 22, 2552]], Thom participated in an operation put together by [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Catherine-B320]] to destroy the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}, ''[[Sanctity of Purification]]'', maintaining position above a city.{{Ref/Reuse|Bnet}}{{Ref/Reuse|FictionFriday}} However, Kat, who carried the [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon]] intended to destroy the Covenant ship, was incapacitated while on her way to the objective by an enemy [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshee]].{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}


Thom was the first to arrive to where Kat was laying wounded, picking up the nuke for her and using his [[Series 8 jetpack|jetpack]] to fly into the battlecruiser's [[gravity lift]]. Once inside, he threw the nuke into a crowded [[Hangar bay|hangar]] and attempted to escape the ship before it went off, without success. The nuke detonated before Thom could safely make it out, destroying the ship and killing him.{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_082710|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update 08/27/10|D=13|M=10|Y=2014}}
Thom was the first to arrive to where Kat was laying wounded, picking up the nuke for her and using his [[Series 8 jetpack|jetpack]] to fly into the battlecruiser's [[gravity lift]]. Once inside, he threw the nuke into a crowded [[Hangar bay|hangar]] and attempted to escape the ship before it went off, without success. The nuke detonated before Thom could safely make it out, destroying the ship and killing him.{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_082710|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update 08/27/10|D=13|M=10|Y=2014}}{{Ref/Reuse|FictionFriday}}


===Replacement===
===Replacement===
Both [[Commander]] [[Carter-A259]] and Lt. Commander Kat took responsibility for Thom's death, unable to admit that his death was his own decision. The team's commanding officer, [[Colonel]] [[Urban Holland]], asserted that Thom died because he chose to attack Covenant forces without waiting for backup.{{Ref/Reuse|Bnet}} Thom was replaced on Noble Team by [[SPARTAN-B312]] in July 2552, only days prior to the [[Fall of Reach]].{{Ref/Reuse|actual}}
Both [[Commander]] [[Carter-A259]] and Lt. Commander Kat took responsibility for Thom's death, unable to admit that his death was his own decision. The team's commanding officer, [[Colonel]] [[Urban Holland]], asserted that Thom died because he chose to attack Covenant forces without waiting for backup.{{Ref/Reuse|Bnet}} Thom was replaced on Noble Team by [[SPARTAN-B312]] in July 2552, only days prior to the [[Fall of Reach]].{{Ref/Reuse|actual}}
==Personality and traits==
Thom-A293 served in Noble Team, and was considered to be youthful and humorous individual, who served as the "heart" of Noble Team during his service.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=FictionFriday|Halo|1624120215628877824|Halo|Quote=CHARACTER DATABASE - THOM-A293<br>The former Noble Six, who sacrificed himself to destroy the Covenant battlecruiser Sanctity of Purification in April 2552. For his youthful exuberance and humor, we honor him as the stalwart heart of Noble Team. #FictionFriday|D=11|M=02|Y=2023}} Even during high-stakes firefights, he displayed a joking attitude and a pensiveness for ribbing his fellow teammates.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}} As such, his death hit the remaining members of NOBLE hard, with both Carter and Kat blaming themselves for his death{{Ref/Reuse|Bnet}} - resulting in his position in the team being something several personnel felt uneasy about replacing only a few weeks later.{{Ref/Reuse|actual}}


==Equipment==
==Equipment==
During Operation: OFFSET EYE, Thom wore [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V MJOLNIR armor]], with green-orange colouration and up-armored with the [[UA attachments|D0-01-CCR Breaching Kit]] and a [[Mark V(B) MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|Mark V[B]]] helmet with a [[UA attachments|UA/Type O5 attachment]]. He wore a [[HAZOP-class Mjolnir|HAZOP]] shoulder pad for his left shoulder and a UA/Multi-Threat shoulder pad for his right shoulder. Thom also had a [[SRT Universal Global Positioning System Device|SRT UGPS]] wrist piece on his wrist, the [[TAC attachments|M10 Tactical Soft Case]] attached to his thigh, and UA/Type KT knees guards.{{Ref/Game|HI|Armor customization (Halo Infinite)|Armor Hall|Detail=Thom-A293 Kit}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=contention|Winter Contention}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Colours|haruspis|1623762754946404359|Alex Wakeford|Quote=Both his Halo Infinite coating (based on the original Halo: Reach concept art) and the "default grey" we see him sporting in the Deliver Hope trailer are canon 🙂|D=08|M=02|Y=2023}}
During Operation: OFFSET EYE, Thom employed a [[CQS48 Bulldog]] shotgun and wore [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V MJOLNIR armor]] with green-orange colouration. The suit was up-armored with the [[UA attachments|D0-01-CCR Breaching Kit]] and a [[B-class Mjolnir|Mark V<nowiki>[B]</nowiki>]] helmet with a [[UA attachments|UA/Type O5 attachment]]. He wore a [[HAZOP-class Mjolnir|HAZOP]] shoulder pad for his left shoulder and a UA/Multi-Threat shoulder pad for his right shoulder. Thom also had a [[SRT Universal Global Positioning System Device|SRT UGPS]] wrist piece on his wrist, the [[TAC attachments|M10 Tactical Soft Case]] attached to his thigh, and UA/Type KT knees guards.{{Ref/Game|Id=kitdescription|HI|Armor customization (Halo Infinite)|Armor Hall|Detail=Thom-A293 Kit}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=WC|Winter Contention}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Colours|haruspis|1623762754946404359|Alex Wakeford|Quote=Both his Halo Infinite coating (based on the original Halo: Reach concept art) and the "default grey" we see him sporting in the Deliver Hope trailer are canon 🙂|D=08|M=02|Y=2023}}


During the [[Covenant]] [[Battle of Fumirole|attack]] on [[Fumirole]], Thom wore gray Mark V MJOLNIR armor and a Mark V[B] helmet with a UA/Type B1 attachment, and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/FJ/PARA variant|FJ/PARA]] knee guards. He was also seen with a [[Series 8 jetpack]] on his back.{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}{{Ref/Reuse|Colours}}
During the Covenant attack on Fumirole, Thom wore gray Mark V MJOLNIR armor and a Mark V[B] helmet with a UA/Type B1 attachment, and [[FJ/PARA attachments|FJ/PARA]] knee guards. He was also seen with a [[Series 8 jetpack]] on his back.{{Ref/Reuse|dh}}{{Ref/Reuse|Colours}}


==Production notes==
==Production notes==
*Thom was originally intended to play a larger role in ''Halo: Reach'' as a living member of Noble Team, and was described to be "cowboy-like". However, like [[Rosenda-A344]], he was ultimately cut from the game and only mentioned in the [[Noble Team performance reports]] as a now-deceased former member.{{Ref/YouTube|1aOb6Nn8egA|CMNeir|PAX 2010: *Bungie Panel|Quotee=Marcus Lehto|Quote=And yes, originally, there were seven SPARTANs. A little trivia for you guys; Rosenda and Thom were two Spartans that didn't make the cut...}}
Thom was originally intended to play a larger role in ''Halo: Reach'' as a member of Noble Team, as a part of the team's original roster of [[seven]] members alongside [[Rosenda-A344]]. Ultimately, the team was cut down to six members, with Thom being replaced with a [[SPARTAN-B312|custom player character]] and Rosenda cut from the game entirely. Both Spartans were retained in ''Halo'' canon, with Thom's death taking a central role in the ''[[Deliver Hope]]'' trailer for ''Reach'' and Rosenda referenced offhandedly in the [[Noble Team performance reports]] as a potential replacement for [[Emile-A239]].{{Ref/Reuse|Bnet}} During development, Thom was designed to have a "cowboy-like" personality, and concept art produced by [[Isaac Hannaford]] depicts him in yellow-orange and blue MJOLNIR armour with a nondescript machine gun.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=PAX|1aOb6Nn8egA|CMNeir|PAX 2010: *Bungie Panel*|Quote=And yes, originally, there were seven Spartans. A little trivia for you guys; Rosenda and Thom were two Spartans that didn't make the cut...|Quotee=Marcus Lehto}} "Thom" remained one of the name options for customized [[loadout]]s in ''Halo: Reach'', along with the names of the members of Noble Team and several [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan-IIs]].{{Ref/Game|HR|Custom Games|Detail=Gamemode loadout settings}}
*The manner of Thom's death, ensuring the detonation of a bomb within a Covenant ship, is remarkably similar to the deaths of [[Samuel-034]] and [[Jorge-052]]. However, in Samuel and Jorge's cases, they chose to stay behind due to Samuel having to stay in the Covenant ship due to an armor breach and Jorge having to manually detonate improvised Slipspace drive "bomb", while Thom could not get out of the battlecruiser in time.
 
*A concept image of Thom's face bears a remarkable resemblance to [[Jason Jones]], one of the co-founders of [[Bungie]].
While Thom was kept nominally in canon via his depiction in ''[[Deliver Hope]]'' he remained outside of the spotlight for over a decade except for a brief mention by [[Catalog]] confirming his service tag of A344 - something first associated with the [[license plate Easter eggs]] in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''. In ''ODST'', the license plate "''KNT 293T''" was long assumed to stand for "Thom-293, Noble Team". Catalog confirmed his tag several years later in addition to identifying him as a member of Alpha Company.{{Ref/Reuse|catalog}}
*Thom's name and service tag are seemingly a reference to [[Tom-B292]], another SPARTAN-III.
 
*"Thom" is one of the name options for customized [[loadout]]s in ''Halo: Reach'', along with the other members of Noble Team and several SPARTAN-IIs.{{Ref/Game|HR|Firefight}}
Thom was given her first major spotlight since his introduction in ''Deliver Hope'' in [[2023]], in the [[Noble Intention]] event for ''[[Halo Infinite]]''. The event features an [[Armor customization (Halo Infinite)|armour kit]] based on Thom's original concept art (alongside one for Rosenda), with the original concept art colouration as opposed to the grey-white suit depicted in the live action trailer.{{Ref/Reuse|kitdescription}} The ''[[Winter Contention]]'' short story released to celebrate the event centred on Rosenda and Thom, and fleshed out their characters and history with NOBLE team.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*In the ''Deliver Hope'' trailer, Thom's armor is very similar to SPARTAN-B312's armor before Bungie decided to depict B312 with fully default armor in promotional materials. It is likely that Bungie gave this image to Thom to help associate the image with his successor S-B312.
 
*Thom-A293's armor configuration during the [[Defense of Concord]] is available in ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' as an [[Armor customization (Halo Infinite)#Mark V (B) core|armor kit]]. The appearance of his armor differs from its appearance in ''Deliver Hope'', as the kit is based on [[:File:HR_Thom-A293_Concept.png|his ''Halo: Reach'' concept art]].
While Thom's appearance in ''Halo Infinite'' and ''Winter Contention'' is based on his original armour design, both iterations remain fully-canon, with [[Alex Wakeford]] later clarifying that they are simply the result of Thom changing his suit between missions.{{Ref/Reuse|Colours}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:HR_NobleTeam_Concept_2.jpg|Concept art of NOBLE's full originally-intended roster, including Rosenda and Thom.
File:HR_ThomFace_Concept.png|Early concept art of Thom for ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
File:HR_ThomFace_Concept.png|Early concept art of Thom for ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
File:HR_Thom-A293_Concept.png|Concept art of Thom in his MJOLNIR armor.
File:HR_Thom-A293_Concept.png|Concept art of Thom in his MJOLNIR armor.

Revision as of 10:31, February 11, 2023

Thom-A293
Thom-293 Profile.png
Biographical information

Died:

April 22, 2552[1][2]

Personal details

Species:

Human

Gender:

Male

Hair color:

Brown

Eye color:

Brown

Political and military information

Affiliation:

Service number:

S-A293[3]

 

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled."
Commander Carter-A259 to SPARTAN-B312 on replacing Thom on NOBLE Team[4]

Thom-A293 was a SPARTAN-III commando and a member of the UNSC Navy during the Human-Covenant War. He served as a member of Noble Team under the call sign Noble Six until his death on April 22, 2552.[1][2][5]

Biography

Childhood and training

Thom was orphaned in the early years of the Human-Covenant War when the Covenant glassed his homeworld. He was identified as a potential candidate for the first class of the SPARTAN-III program at a young age and, after "volunteering" for the program, was taken to the classified world Onyx for training under Lieutenant Kurt Ambrose and SCPO Franklin Mendez in late 2532. Thom was identified by Ambrose and Mendez as one of a handful of exceptional specimens within the SPARTAN-III Alpha Company and was extracted from the group before the disastrous Operation: PROMETHEUS. He and a small number of other Spartans were given MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and were assigned to smaller special operations units and eventually NOBLE Team.[6]

Operation: OFFSET EYE

Main article: Operation: OFFSET EYE
Help.png This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Death

During the Battle of Fumirole on April 22, 2552, Thom participated in an operation put together by Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 to destroy the Ket-pattern battlecruiser, Sanctity of Purification, maintaining position above a city.[6][7] However, Kat, who carried the Fury tactical nuclear weapon intended to destroy the Covenant ship, was incapacitated while on her way to the objective by an enemy Banshee.[1]

Thom was the first to arrive to where Kat was laying wounded, picking up the nuke for her and using his jetpack to fly into the battlecruiser's gravity lift. Once inside, he threw the nuke into a crowded hangar and attempted to escape the ship before it went off, without success. The nuke detonated before Thom could safely make it out, destroying the ship and killing him.[1][8][7]

Replacement

Both Commander Carter-A259 and Lt. Commander Kat took responsibility for Thom's death, unable to admit that his death was his own decision. The team's commanding officer, Colonel Urban Holland, asserted that Thom died because he chose to attack Covenant forces without waiting for backup.[6] Thom was replaced on Noble Team by SPARTAN-B312 in July 2552, only days prior to the Fall of Reach.[4]

Personality and traits

Thom-A293 served in Noble Team, and was considered to be youthful and humorous individual, who served as the "heart" of Noble Team during his service.[7] Even during high-stakes firefights, he displayed a joking attitude and a pensiveness for ribbing his fellow teammates.[5] As such, his death hit the remaining members of NOBLE hard, with both Carter and Kat blaming themselves for his death[6] - resulting in his position in the team being something several personnel felt uneasy about replacing only a few weeks later.[4]

Equipment

During Operation: OFFSET EYE, Thom employed a CQS48 Bulldog shotgun and wore Mark V MJOLNIR armor with green-orange colouration. The suit was up-armored with the D0-01-CCR Breaching Kit and a Mark V[B] helmet with a UA/Type O5 attachment. He wore a HAZOP shoulder pad for his left shoulder and a UA/Multi-Threat shoulder pad for his right shoulder. Thom also had a SRT UGPS wrist piece on his wrist, the M10 Tactical Soft Case attached to his thigh, and UA/Type KT knees guards.[9][5][10]

During the Covenant attack on Fumirole, Thom wore gray Mark V MJOLNIR armor and a Mark V[B] helmet with a UA/Type B1 attachment, and FJ/PARA knee guards. He was also seen with a Series 8 jetpack on his back.[1][10]

Production notes

Thom was originally intended to play a larger role in Halo: Reach as a member of Noble Team, as a part of the team's original roster of seven members alongside Rosenda-A344. Ultimately, the team was cut down to six members, with Thom being replaced with a custom player character and Rosenda cut from the game entirely. Both Spartans were retained in Halo canon, with Thom's death taking a central role in the Deliver Hope trailer for Reach and Rosenda referenced offhandedly in the Noble Team performance reports as a potential replacement for Emile-A239.[6] During development, Thom was designed to have a "cowboy-like" personality, and concept art produced by Isaac Hannaford depicts him in yellow-orange and blue MJOLNIR armour with a nondescript machine gun.[11] "Thom" remained one of the name options for customized loadouts in Halo: Reach, along with the names of the members of Noble Team and several Spartan-IIs.[12]

While Thom was kept nominally in canon via his depiction in Deliver Hope he remained outside of the spotlight for over a decade except for a brief mention by Catalog confirming his service tag of A344 - something first associated with the license plate Easter eggs in Halo 3: ODST. In ODST, the license plate "KNT 293T" was long assumed to stand for "Thom-293, Noble Team". Catalog confirmed his tag several years later in addition to identifying him as a member of Alpha Company.[3]

Thom was given her first major spotlight since his introduction in Deliver Hope in 2023, in the Noble Intention event for Halo Infinite. The event features an armour kit based on Thom's original concept art (alongside one for Rosenda), with the original concept art colouration as opposed to the grey-white suit depicted in the live action trailer.[9] The Winter Contention short story released to celebrate the event centred on Rosenda and Thom, and fleshed out their characters and history with NOBLE team.[5]

While Thom's appearance in Halo Infinite and Winter Contention is based on his original armour design, both iterations remain fully-canon, with Alex Wakeford later clarifying that they are simply the result of Thom changing his suit between missions.[10]

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e Halo: Reach marketing, Deliver Hope
  2. ^ a b Bungie.net, Halo: Reach - Intel - Kat-B320 Profile (Retrieved on Oct 13, 2014) [local archive] [external archive]
  3. ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Catalog Interaction (Page 51): "Query Answer: Human naval records list requested individual as Thom-A293." - Catalog (Retrieved on Oct 13, 2014) [archive]
  4. ^ a b c Halo: Reach, campaign level Noble Actual
  5. ^ a b c d Winter Contention
  6. ^ a b c d e Bungie.net, Halo: Reach - Intel - Personnel (Retrieved on Oct 13, 2014) [archive]
  7. ^ a b c Twitter, Halo (@Halo): "CHARACTER DATABASE - THOM-A293
    The former Noble Six, who sacrificed himself to destroy the Covenant battlecruiser Sanctity of Purification in April 2552. For his youthful exuberance and humor, we honor him as the stalwart heart of Noble Team. #FictionFriday"
    (Retrieved on Feb 11, 2023) [archive]
  8. ^ Bungie.net, Bungie Weekly Update 08/27/10 (Retrieved on Oct 13, 2014) [archive]
  9. ^ a b Halo Infinite, Armor Hall: Thom-A293 Kit
  10. ^ a b c Twitter, Alex Wakeford (@haruspis): "Both his Halo Infinite coating (based on the original Halo: Reach concept art) and the "default grey" we see him sporting in the Deliver Hope trailer are canon 🙂" (Retrieved on Feb 8, 2023) [archive]
  11. ^ YouTube - CMNeir, PAX 2010: *Bungie Panel*: "And yes, originally, there were seven Spartans. A little trivia for you guys; Rosenda and Thom were two Spartans that didn't make the cut..." - Marcus Lehto
  12. ^ Halo: Reach, Custom Games: Gamemode loadout settings