Strider Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Faceas Clay (フェイサス・クレイ) is a character exclusive to the Strider Hiryu manga and its NES adaptation. He's the main antagonist alongside Matic and serves practically the same role in both manga and game with minor differences.

The president of Enterprise, Faceas Clay has carried out the ZAIN Project in total secrecy, aiming to control the destructive impulses and spirit of humankind[1]. Faceas Clay believes humankind to be a "defective product" created by God, and he's firmly determined to take God's place and complete his unfinished work[2]. As he explains to Hiryu, he compares the human brain to a computer that carries a programming glitch or "bug", which he refers to as "malice". He states "malice" to be the origin of all of humankind's destructive emotions like violence and jealousy, and he seeks to supress free will through ZAIN's mind control as a way to "debug" humankind[3]. Turning every human into completely loyal followers, he plans to lead them into the next evolutive step, a "Golden Millenium" (至福千年配) for mankind, suppressing wars and conflicts and distributing wealth equally.[3]

Faceas Clay is a cold-hearted and almost emotionless individual, who sees all the death and misery his ambitions has caused as small sacrifices required to fulfill his revolution[4]. He has no fighting ability, and relies completely in his machine defense system for protection, having discarded human guards entirely[4]. As Hiryu points out, this overconfidence in ZAIN and machines in general becomes his own downfall in the end.[5]

Story[]

Manga[]

ZainAdmin1

Faceas Clay (Manga)

Faceas Clay has been financing research of the ZAIN Project for at least the last 30 years, and has been following its development very closely. During an international conference with the Kazakh Institute Director, he's informed of the research of a new implant design, albeit the mind control is still not perfected. Faceas Clay is visibly disappointed in the lack of progress, as well as the recent news about Striders interfering with their plans. He ends the call by stating he'll look into the matter. Despite the institute's destruction a short time after, ZAIN's research continued, and it finally reached the final stage, with the Mother ZAIN undergoing upgrades that'd allow it to control every human being on the world.

During Hiryu and Kain's infiltration on Enterprise's headquarters, Faceas remains calmly on the Mother ZAIN's room at the top of the skyscraper, sitting on a throne covered by several of the machine's connection cables. When Hiryu reaches this chamber, Faceas confronts him with his ideals of becoming a god for humanity's sake. Hiryu is not amused, and Faceas laments losing talented people like him but then initiates the defense system to take care of him. Hiryu has a difficult battle against the defense robot Kali, but eventually destroys it. Shocked, Faceas Clay can't believe his defense system has failed, and can only scream at Hiryu to stop as he approaches and stabs him through with his Cypher, killing him instantly.

Strider (NES)[]

Claynes

Faceas Clay (NES)

Faceas Clay is the commander-in-chief of The Syndicate, which is responsible for the ZAIN Project and its many terminals. During Hiryu's travel through Africa, he finds a recording of Faceas Clay revealing a meeting with Matic in the company's headquarters in Los Angeles. With their hideouts' location revealed, Hiryu travels there to confront him as the possible mastermind behind the project.

After infiltrating the building, Hiryu finds a Transport Tube leading into the Strider Headquarters, and discovers Faceas Clay staying in one of its rooms. Clay is protected by a tempered glass shield that, as he claims, human power can't break. Unfazed, Hiryu proceeds to break the glass shield, shocking Faceas and prompting him to call Hiryu a monster. Hiryu proceeds to obtain the Level 5 Key off him, presumably killing him in the process.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 82. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
  2. Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 3, Pg. 83. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 6, Pg. 189. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 6, Pg. 191. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
  5. Wada, Tatsumi (November 10, 1989). Strider Hiryû. Chapter 6, Pg. 203. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
Strider Manga/NES Series
Main Articles Manga (Gaiden) • Strider (NES)Moto KikakuTatsumi WadaMasahiko Kurokawa
Characters AranaCommanderFaceas ClayHiryuKainKubiraKuramotoMaticPolice ChiefScientistSheena
Game only: BadgerDragon FiendFlash BladeKodiakRyuzaki
Manga only: Commander KeithDr. HoganFlower GirlDirectorMariyaMinor StridersRinYuriZangi Brothers
Stage Enemies BirdClawed StridersDobermanEgypt SoldierGiant RobotMachine CannonMechanical SnailRobot Arm
Robot ClawRobot FrongRussian InfantrymanScuba SoldierSharkmanSky WingSpark Machine
Turret/Laser TurretTwin Bats
Technology Assault RifleBootsCypherKaliKunaiPhantom TrainRescue AircraftShadow Tag BulletsStealth Chopper
SystemT-48Transport TubeZAIN Project (ZAIN TerminalZainsYggdrasil)
Locations AmazonKazakh Federation (KazakhMental Institute) • Los AngelesMongoliaStrider Headquarters
AfricaAustraliaChinaEgyptJapanRed Dragon
Techniques Acceleration JumpBoomerang ThrowCypher AttackPlasma ArrowSlide InTriangle JumpTricks
Groups EnterpriseKazakh Secret PolicePhantom UnitRebel ArmyStriders
Strider Matic UnitSpecial Forces
Advertisement