Editing John Forge

{{Era|UNSC|HCW}}
{{New Content|[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]}}
{{Disambig header|the Marine|the gameplay mode|Forge}}

{{Character infobox|variant=Human
|image=[[File:HW2 JohnForge.png|300px]]
|homeworld=[[Earth]]
|birth=[[2501|May 29, 2501]]<ref name="EVG">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 72''</ref><ref name="Waypoint">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/john-forge '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''John Forge'']</ref>
|death=[[2531#February|February 25, 2531]] (aged 29)<ref name="Waypoint"/>
|species=[[Human]]
|gender=Male
|height={{Convert|190.5|cm|ftin}}<ref name="EVG"/><ref name="Waypoint"/>
|mass={{Convert|97.5|kg|lb}}<ref name="EVG"/><ref name="Waypoint"/>
|hair= Brown
|eyes= Brown
|affiliation=[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
|rank=Sergeant<ref name="EVG"/><ref name="Waypoint"/>
|sn=63292-94758-JF<ref name="Waypoint"/>
|notable=Killed [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] in single combat<br>Destroyed the [[Etran Harborage]] [[Shield World]]
}}

{{Quote|The cocky grin on his face always made her smile. Even now, as a grown woman, he seemed larger than life. He'd been her hero, her protector, a rugged, capable kind of man, and marine through and through.|[[Rion Forge]] remembering her father<ref name="F304">'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', ''[[Into the Fire]]'', ''page 304''</ref>}}
'''Sergeant John Forge''' ([[service number]] '''63292-94758-JF''') was a veteran non-commissioned officer in [[Foxtrot Company]], [[13th Battalion]], in an unknown regiment of the [[UNSC Marine Corps]].<ref name="EVG"/><ref>'''Halo Wars'''</ref> Although he excelled in tactics and combat, Forge's repeated acts of insubordination caused him to receive three demotions, with infractions such as fighting with an officer, which resulted in 2.4 years in jail time, and striking a superior officer.<ref name="Prima">'''[[Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide]]''', Factions, UNSC Leaders, ''pages 22-23''</ref><ref name = "Viral">[http://halo.xbox.com/halowars/index.html?fbid=DJFJt_O2sq7 '''Xbox-Halo Wars''' - ''Accessed on 2009-02-02'']</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life and military career===
Born on [[Earth]] on [[2501|May 29, 2501]],<ref name="EVG"/> Forge's life revolved around the military. His [[Forge family|family lineage]] had been a part of the military for generations, dating as far back as World War II. He joined boot camp at the minimum age 16, where his superiors remarked there was "something special" about him.<ref name="Prima"/> Forge and his wife fathered a daughter, [[Rion Forge|Lucy Orion "Rion" Forge]], around [[2525]]. Although John's marriage was strained even before the birth of his child, he and Rion would always remain on good terms.<ref name="smoke">'''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]'''</ref>

Forge worked a stint as a [[military police|military policeman]] on [[Mars]] and did some "grunt work" on [[Epsilon Eridani IV]] during the [[Insurrection]]. However, he hated policing and jumped at the chance to be assigned to [[Fort Marshall]].<ref name="Prima"/>

Forge was arrested twice during his service. His first arrest was for directly disobeying orders and disorderly conduct. Even though his actions saved four members of his squad,<ref name="Prima"/> Forge spent a total of 2.4 years in prison, an infraction that removed any chance of moving through [[Officer Candidate School]] or even progressing beyond the rank of sergeant.<ref name="EVG"/>

His second arrest occurred around [[2530|August 17, 2530]]. Forge's then-five-year-old daughter, Rion, and her aunt [[Jillian]] were waiting for John in a bar when Lieutenant [[Prosser]] started making sexual advances on Jillian. When the lieutenant made a suggestive comment toward Rion, Jillian struck Prosser, prompting him to shove her against a wall.<ref name="smoke"/> At this point John arrived and confronted the lieutenant. They engaged in a fist fight, with charges brought upon the sergeant. However, Rion proclaimed her father as a hero and all charges were dropped, where he was later reassigned to the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} by [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] himself.<ref name="genesis"/><ref name="Prima"/> ''Spirit of Fire''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s commanding officer, Captain [[James Cutter]], came to trust Forge so thoroughly that he granted the sergeant a degree of authority significantly exceeding that afforded by his rank.<ref name="Waypoint"/>

===Reclamation of Harvest===
{{Main|Harvest campaign}}
{{quote|Well, well. Lookee here, the Covenant built themselves a little base.|Forge discovering a Covenant base<ref name="RA"/>}}
In February 2531, ''Spirit of Fire'' was sent to assist the crippled {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}} {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}} in the [[Epsilon Indi system]]. Captain Cutter ordered the ''Prophecy's'' navigation database and survivors to be recovered, sending Forge and multiple Marine [[fireteam]]s on board the vessel while ''Spirit of Fire'' engaged several Covenant ships. Forge's [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican dropship]] was hit by enemy fire and crash landed on the ''Prophecy'''s hull. Forge and [[Team Lima]] breached and boarded the ''Prophecy'', whereupon they were attacked by [[Kig-Yar Ranger]]s. Forge's ankle was broken during the engagement. With the guidance of [[Serina]], ''Spirit of Fire''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s AI, he was able to find the a terminal to recover the ship's black box and wipe its navigation core while the rest of Team Lima rescued the ship's survivors. Serina warned Forge that the ''Prophecy''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s AI may "act peculiar" due to high radiation levels.<ref name="genesis">'''Halo Wars: Genesis'''</ref>

Upon [[Retinal scanner|scanning his retina]] to gain access to the terminal, Forge was halted by the ship's AI, [[FitzGibbon]], who explained he could not allow him to enter due to the latter's poor [[Career Service Vitae|service record]]. Forge reminded the AI of the [[Cole Protocol]], stating that he was aboard the vessel to ensure the protocol would not to be violated. FitzGibbon then reluctantly allowed Forge into the terminal room and enabled radiation repair routines. Forge purged the navigation database and returned to the Pelicans as FitzGibbon activated ''Prophecy'''s self-destruct sequence, which soon scuttled the ship. After the Marines and Forge escaped with the survivors, they were taken to ''Spirit of Fire''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s medical bay. When Forge asked how the survivors were doing, Serina told him that they would all soon die due to all of them suffering extensive radiation poisoning. Forge was angered by the AI's indifference towards the survivors and comforted them in their final moments, believing that even if they would soon be dead, they were still people and so deserved better.<ref name="genesis"/>
[[File:Anders and Forge in the Relic.png|thumb|250px|Professor Ellen Anders and Sergeant Forge in the Relic on Harvest.]]
Forge was sent to the surface of [[Harvest]] on his first mission to scout out Covenant activity in the northern polar region of the planet. He drove through [[Quadrant 4]] to find a battalion of Sangheili that an [[AV-14 Hornet]] squadron had spotted earlier.<ref name = "Viral"/> Reporting the Covenant activity to his superiors, as to how the aliens had found a [[Relic|a Forerunner structure]] buried within the ice, he returned to the overrun UNSC [[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]], and helped organize scattered Marine units along the way.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Alpha Base (level)|Alpha Base]]''</ref> Forge and his rag-tag assault force were able to retake Alpha Base a short-time later. Before the Relic was demolished by the Covenant, the Forerunner site is captured by Forge and Marine forces. [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]] was then sent to the planet's surface to personally investigate the relic, and Forge reluctantly escorted her inside.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Relic Approach (level)|Relic Approach]]''</ref> He was present when Anders activated a Forerunner holographic projection of a star map, and protected her when they were ambushed by a team of Sangheili warriors. ''Spirit of Fire'' then evacuated most of her ground troops, including Forge, and set course for [[Arcadia]], a UNSC colony planet to which the star map had pointed.<ref name="RA">'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Relic Interior]]''</ref>

===Arcadia===
[[File:HW Anders captured.png|thumb|250px|Forge aiming his handgun at [[Ripa 'Moramee]], who is taking Ellen Anders hostage.]]
{{Main|Battle for Arcadia}}
{{quote|Why don't we put the lady down and talk about this ''man'' to ''freak''?|Forge to Ripa 'Moramee}}
After arriving at Arcadia, Forge was among the first UNSC troops to set foot in the besieged capital of [[Pirth City]], where he aided the evacuation of civilians aboard three [[Unidentified civilian cargo ship|cargo vessels]]. When the civilian transports took off, Forge and his men abandoned the besieged city and fell back to the outskirts.<ref>'''Halo Wars''',campaign level, ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref> There, he took part in the destruction of a nearby Covenant base, assisted by [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] teams [[Red Team|Red]] and [[Team Omega|Omega]].<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Arcadia Outskirts]]''</ref> He also participated in the battle to destroy a Covenant energy dome<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Dome of Light]]''</ref> which was protecting an unfinished [[Type-29 Scarab]]. After a short battle, the UNSC forces succeeded in destroying the Scarab.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Scarab (level)|Scarab]]''</ref> While he and Anders were surveying the area, [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] ambushed them. Forge was swiftly defeated and was about to be killed, until Anders stopped the Arbiter by agreeing to go with him without incident. After Spartan Red Team's unsuccessful attempt to stop the Arbiter from escaping, they immediately retreated back to the ''Spirit of Fire''. ''Spirit of Fire'' then made a [[slipspace]] jump in pursuit of 'Moramee's retreating vessel.<ref name="monsters">'''Halo Wars''', ''cutscene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAwbJN6DzL4&feature=player_embedded "She is Not My Girlfriend"]''</ref>

===Etran Harborage===
{{Main|Battle of the Etran Harborage}}
{{quote|Son, I've a feeling before this is over, we'll need every last Spartan in the fight. I can do this. Report back to the ship.|Forge informing Jerome-092 of his intention to stay behind<ref name="monsters"/>}}
After Spartan [[Jerome-092]] recommended destroying 'Moramee's ship and killing Anders rather than let classified information fall into Covenant hands, Forge confronted the Spartan. The altercation resulted in a broken chair, a seal malfunction on a bulkhead and a stern interruption from [[Serina]]. From then on, Forge and Jerome always ate together in the mess hall.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events]]'''</ref>

Upon arriving at a [[Etran Harborage|mysterious planet]], Forge was sent to the planet's surface, where he and his forces encountered the [[Flood]]. Forge aided Red Team in killing the [[Proto-Gravemind]] that commanded all of the Flood forces.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Anders' Signal]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[The Flood (level)|The Flood]]''</ref> It was soon discovered that the world was not a planet at all, but a Forerunner [[shield world]]. Immediately following this revelation, Forge was put in charge of the evacuation of the ''Spirit's'' ground troops<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Shield World (level)|Shield World]]''</ref> and the decontamination of Flood from the ship's dorsal surface.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Cleansing]]''</ref> He then led teams in protecting the ship from Covenant forces during repairs to the power core after it collided with the [[CPV-class heavy destroyer|''CPV''-class heavy destroyer]] ''[[Proclamation's Tithe]]''.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Repairs]]''</ref>

Shortly after arriving in the shield world's interior, Forge located Anders who had managed to escape by [[translocation grid|teleporting]] from the [[Apex Site]]. Forge saved Anders from three [[Flood infection form]]s and escorted Anders to a Pelican for evac. Under Cutter's orders, Forge proceeded to destroy four [[Covenant citadel]]s and build [[firebase]]s in their stead, establishing a beachhead in the shield world's interior.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]''</ref>

Following Anders' rescue, she revealed that the Covenant had used her to activate a fleet of [[Forerunner]] {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}}s. To stop the Covenant from using the ships, Anders decided that they must destroy Etran Harborage by using the reactor from the ''Spirit of Fire's'' [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] to induce a [[supernova]] in the shield world's artificial sun. To this end, Forge was assigned to escort the reactor to the [[Apex Site]] where an elevator existed that led into the sun. After two Pelicans were shot down while carrying the reactor, Forge was ordered to escort the reactor up a series of ramps using an [[M312 Elephant]] to tow the reactor to the Apex Base Site. Forge's target was a teleporter pad that could send the reactor to the Apex Site. Despite heavy resistance from Covenant and Flood forces, Forge succeeded in sending the reactor to the Apex Site.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Reactor]]''</ref>

[[File:HW Ripa is killed.png|thumb|250px|Forge after killing [[Ripa 'Moramee]].]]
Joined by a Marine lieutenant and Red Team, Forge attempted to move the reactor onto the elevator only to come under attack by the [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] and several [[Stealth Sangheili]]. Forge ordered Red Team to take care of the other Sanghelli while he dealt with the Arbiter himself. Forge put up a good fight, but lost his weapons and was ultimately defeated by the Arbiter. Forge challenged the Arbiter to kill him face to face and once the Arbiter picked him up, Forge stabbed the Sangheili in the neck with his prized [[combat knife]], "Lucy." With the Arbiter stunned by the attack, Forge impaled the Arbiter through the stomach with the Arbiter's own [[energy sword]], killing him. His body was then rolled off the platform by [[Alice-130]].

After the death of the Arbiter, Forge and Jerome discovered that the reactor had been damaged and would need to be manually detonated. Forge chose to undertake the suicide mission himself, stating that he believed they would need all the SPARTANs they could get before the war was over. After exchanging a nod of respect with Jerome, Forge ascended in the elevator. Forge would then contact Captain Cutter to state his estimate of thirty minutes until he reached the detonation site. After getting into the sun, Forge reported that he would give the ''Spirit of Fire'' ten minutes to escape before detonating the reactor.

After being informed that the ''Spirit of Fire'' had succeeded in opening the exit portal, Forge detonated the reactor, sacrificing himself but causing the shield world's sun to go supernova. While the ''Spirit of Fire'' managed to escape, Forge's sacrifice destroyed Etran Harborage, all Covenant and Flood forces upon it and the Forerunner ships, thus depriving the Covenant of a major advantage in the ongoing war.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Escape]]''</ref>

===Legacy===
''Spirit of Fire'' was declared lost with all hands on [[2534|February 10, 2534]],<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 71''</ref> though many bereaved family members refused to accept the official statement. On his deathbed, Forge's father encouraged Rion to keep up the search for the truth regarding the ship's disappearance. Rion spent the ensuing years seeking closure for her father's disappearance, eventually becoming a scavenger. In [[2557#January|January 2557]], she followed a series of leads that pointed to the log buoy ''Spirit of Fire'' had dropped at Arcadia, which in turn took her to the remains of Shield World 0459. There she encountered what remained of the former caretaker of the facility, a fragmentary [[ancilla]] she later dubbed "[[Little Bit]]", which provided her the trajectory ''Spirit of Fire'' had followed when escaping the shield world.<ref name="smoke"/>

==Personality and traits==
{{Quote|He’s the guy you want in the foxhole next to yours ... but you’d never introduce him to your sister.|Common saying among Marines under Forge's command<ref>'''Halo Wars''' ''instruction manual''</ref>}}
Although not particularly physically gifted, Forge was strong for his size and weight. He displayed desire and toughness in nearly everything he did and was incredibly competitive and driven to succeed. These qualities made him a lifetime member of the Marine Corps. His training and discipline had left him with a "unique" personality and method of getting things done. Those under his command trusted him greatly, despite the fact that he failed his last psychological exam.<ref name="Card">'''[[Halo Wars: Limited Edition]]''', ''Forge leader card''</ref>

Forge was a born warrior but had difficulty coping with life outside the military. Though his wife remained a distant shadow in his mind while he was on deployment, his daughter Rion never gave up on him. Forge was decorated numerous times for valor and gallantry on the battlefield, though he received just as many demerits for insubordination, conduct unbecoming, and striking a superior officer.<ref name="Prima"/><ref name="EVG"/>

In combat, Forge appreciated a strong ground force able to turn a messy situation around,<ref name="Card"/> and had a special fondness for the [[M850 Grizzly]] tank. In what [[Serina]] described as his "pet project", Forge arranged for an unusually high number of Grizzlies to be added to the ''Spirit of Fire'''s complement. The means by which he accomplished this were convoluted and known only to Forge himself.<ref>'''Halo Wars 2''', ''[[Phoenix Logs]] - Grizzly''</ref> During engagements, he would insist that Grizzly tanks be requested when [[M808B Scorpion]]s fall short, and a supply of [[HRUNTING Mark III Cyclops]]es be available via any [[Firebase|command center]] for demolition of enemy structures.<ref name="Card"/>

Forge wore an Ace of Spades playing card (which Rion insisted he take with him after a game of [[Wikipedia:War (card game)|War]]) on his left shoulder pauldron. <ref name = "Viral"/> He also carried a [[combat knife]] which he called "Lucy",<ref name="gd">[http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/halo-wars-character-profiles-forge-and-the-arbiter/?page=8 '''GameDaily''' - ''Halo Wars Character Profiles (defunct)'']</ref> presumably after his daughter's given name.<ref name="smoke"/> His breastplate was painted with nine Sangheili skulls arranged with combat knives in a skull-and-crossbones motif.

==Trivia==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gameplay=yes}}
*Forge is voiced by [[Nolan North]] in ''Halo Wars'' and ''Halo Wars 2'', who had previously voiced Marine NPCs in ''Halo 3'' and who later voiced [[Kojo Agu|Kojo "Romeo" Agu]] in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.
*While on foot, Forge will occasionally shout "Yipee-kai-yay!" in reference to protagonist John McClane's catchphrase from the [[w:Die Hard (series)|''Die Hard'' film series]].
*Forge's death was notably similar to that of Spartan [[Jorge-052]]. Both died by manually detonating slipspace drives that had been converted to bombs in order to end a Covenant threat, having to stay behind because the bomb was damaged and would not detonate autonomously at the right time. They both voluntarily gave their lives to save a Spartan: Jerome-092 in Forge's case and [[SPARTAN-B312]]'s in Jorge's. This similarity has been noted on ''[[Halo Waypoint]]''.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/herosacrifice/46c5c9b9-8ca9-404b-b948-60840e167d5f '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Hero-Sacrifice'']</ref>
*Jerome-092 occasionally addresses Forge as "Sir" in cutscenes despite outranking the sergeant by three grades.<ref name="Waypoint"/><ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/jerome-092 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Jerome-092'']</ref> Its possible that this is merely a sign of respect by Jerome.
*''Halo Wars'' lead writer Graeme Devine once described a brief outline of how the story of ''Halo Wars'' would have continued under [[Ensemble Studios]]: The core of Shield World 0459 transported Forge to another location, thus saving him from the shield world's destruction. Anders, who had programmed to release herself from her cryo chamber shortly after Cutter entered cryostasis, followed Forge's signal and directed ''Spirit of Fire'' to his location. After three years and 107 days, Cutter was awakened by Serina, Anders, and Forge.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/HaloWars/comments/2nro3o/halo_wars_ama_with_graeme_devine_is_here/ '''Reddit''': ''Halo Wars - Halo Wars AMA with Graeme Devine is here!'']</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HW - Sergeant Forge.jpg|A render of Forge used in marketing for ''[[Halo Wars]]''.
File:Forge in EVA.png|Forge in ''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
File:HW-SgtJohnForge-FullBody.png|A full body render of Sgt. John Forge in his armor in ''Halo Wars''
File:IMG_0001.jpg|Front of John Forge's Leader Card
File:IMG_0002.jpg|Back of John Forge's Leader Card
File:Sergeant Forge on Harvest.png|Forge inside the Relic on Harvest
File:Anderssignal2.png|Forge and Anders at the ruin site on Arcadia
File:HaloWars-Forge-Shotgun.jpg|Sgt. Forge wielding an M90 Shotgun.
File:ForgeM6C.jpg|Forge wielding an M6C Magnum Pistol.
File:ForgeM6.jpg|Sgt. Forge firing his M6C sidearm.
File:Anderssignal1.png|Captain Cutter, Sgt. Forge, and Jerome-092 discuss how to proceed after Professor Anders' abduction.
File:Hw-prima-blog-01-01-crop.jpg|Sgt. John Forge with [[Red Team]]
File:HM-Forge&Anders.png|John Forge with Ellen Anders in ''[[Halo Mythos]]''
File:HW2 Blitz Forge's Warthog.png|Forge on his Warthog in a [[Blitz]] card.
File:HW2 Forge Symbol.png|John Forge's leader symbol as it appeared in ''Halo Wars 2'' message of the day.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo: Fractures]]''
**''[[Into the Fire]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{C|Non-canonical appearance}}
*''[[Halo: Renegades]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Humans|Forge, John]]
[[Category:UNSC Marine Corps enlisted personnel|Forge, John]]
{{HW Leaders}}