Alden Tate

Alden Tate was the leader of the Dust Men, one of the three factions that assumed control in Empire City after the Blast. A powerful mentalist from birth, Alden had incredibly powerful telekinetic abilities, strong enough to lift a city bus and toss it on top of a building with next to no effort. The lord and master of the poor Warren district of the city, Alden was yet another obstacle in Cole's quest to obtain the Ray Sphere.

Biography

Early life

Alden was the heir to the First Sons, but was deposed along with his father Richard Tate by Kessler, and sent into exile. Alden was cast out into the streets as a young boy, where he enhanced his own superpowers. He survived and developed his abilities, always living in fear and cursing Kessler for taking away his birthright. After the activation of the Ray Sphere, his psychic abilities are greatly enhanced, granting him exceptionally powerful telekinetic abilities.

With these powers at his command, and the city trapped in the quarantine, Alden assembles the poor, homeless and downtrodden citizens of the Warren into the Dust Men, effectively gaining control of the district. His mental abilities grew strong enough that he could create Golems out of scrap and junk, such as the crablike constructions and the massive Scrap Monster that destroyed most of the bridge linking the Warren and the Historic District.

Post-Blast

After claiming the Warren, he began building a tower from scrap metal and junk at some point during his control of the Warren, which had the name of Tent City. Alden was able to send several Dust Men to claim the Ray Sphere for him from John White. Alden put many operations into action, and rivaled Reapers and First Sons. Alden soon attacked the Warren Hospital, using his powers to lift a bus, with Trish Dailey in it, to the roof, also acting as a warning to Cole to not interfere with his plans. After the police attempted to arrest Alden, he drove them back with his powers.

Shortly after this however, the police tried again and Alden was arrested sent to the Eagle Point Penitentiary. With their leader imprisoned within the local penitentiary, the Dust Men launched a massive attack upon the prison. While this happened, Alden was being tortured in the prison for answers on the Ray Sphere. Alden managed to escape however, when the Dust Men took down the generators powering the restraints in his cell, and Zeke Dunbar's absence from his post meant that Alden was able to slaughter the officers guarding him and escape. Rallying the Dust Men together after their victory, Alden fortified his base and retreated to the top of his tower along with the Ray Sphere.

But, despite the assistance of his Dust Men and Scrap Golems, however the device was stolen by Zeke and Cole. Zeke, jealous of Cole's powers which he lusted for, attempted to activate the Ray Sphere, even knowing that it might kill thousands. When nothing happened, Kessler, who had also arrived by helicopter, took advantage and assured Zeke he knew how to correct the Ray Sphere's. Zeke took the Ray Sphere and escaped with him. Alden, enraged at losing the Ray Sphere, went into a rampage and destroyed most of the bridge linking the Historic and Warren districts with his Dust Men.

Defeat

"Alden no longer seemed like a threat to anyone... just some old guy howling about how Kessler had stolen his First Son birthright."

— Cole, after Alden's defeat.

Tearing across the bridge, Alden was soon confronted with Cole. Alden claimed he was doing what his father wanted. Alden then fought with Cole on the bridge using a large, psychokinetically-built construct made of scrap metal. However he was defeated. Alden fell from the machine and screamed about how Kessler has stolen his birthright. Cole then went to finish him off. Afraid, Alden offered his assistance in disposing of their common enemy, Kessler, but Alden jumped into the river below during this moment of indecision. Knowing full well what Alden is capable of, Cole concluded that he would survive the fall.

Capture and death

Alden: "You've unleashed hell!"

Moya: "I said shut up!"

―Alden and Moya before Moya knocks him out

After he fell into the harbor, Alden was captured by Moya Jones and sent to one of DARPA's facilities for experimentation. He tried to fight back despite the restraints using his power, but was knocked out by Moya. She then orders her men to "cut that bastard open", despite not being properly sedated. Alden's fate remained unknown after this, however, Alden would have died when Cole activated the Ray Field Inhibitor in New Marais regardless if he survived the experiments.

Appearance and personality

Alden was an extremely smart man and a natural leader, being able to bring together the weakest of Empire City's citizens (homeless people) and turn them into a powerful and organized army with him as it's leader. However, despite his natural leadership skills and intelligence, Alden was very delusional, as he believed he had some kind of destiny to fulfill and was destined for greatness. Alden also loathed Kessler for driving him away from his home and stealing his rightful place as the First Sons' leader, suggesting he still longed to lead the First Sons despite commanding the Dust Men.

Alden would also constantly shout about how he despised Kessler. Alden also appeared to have much respect and love for his father, Richard Tate, as he believe everything he was doing would make his father proud of him. Alden was prone to enraged outbursts, when he lost all control of a situation.

As a child with the First Sons, Alden wore a small suit and had brown hair combed back. After being forced onto the streets, Alden wore a baseball hat, a green tattered coat, and had a cast around his left leg. As an elderly man, Alden was bald, blind in one eye, and has a large stitch across his head. He continued to wear a dark green trench coat and had fashioned several pieces of scrap metal as armor, placed around his neck and left shoulder. Alden used a cane to help him walk better as well as a metal crutch around his left leg.

Powers and abilities

Groomed from an early age as a mentalist, Alden possessed a considerable amount of power. After his removal from power, and after the blast, Alden was able to combat his fear, and managed to maximize the use of his powers.

Telekinesis: Alden possessed a very powerful form of Telekinesis, as he was first seen by Cole, lifting a bus with his powers. Alden was also able to manipulate several forms of scrap metal with his power, and utilize them to his liking. He would sometimes use it as a defensive resort, by forming an armor out of it (similar to how Golem Conduits utilize their powers), and also as an offensive resort, collecting the smaller pieces of scrap metal and then launching them out his system, similar to a turret's fire. In the boss battle, he also has the ability to launch flaming heaps of scrap from his construct's mouth. He may also be able to give some of his creations some form of artificial intelligence, such as the scrap crabs.

Durability: Alden, as a conduit, had super human durability for example he was able to survive a fall from a bridge when a normal human would die.

Trivia

• The Trophy the player earns for beating Alden is a Bronze Trophy. Interestingly, the trophy earned for beating the previous boss is a silver one. This may be due to Alden's attack pattern being more regular than Sasha's, alternating between throwing debris (easily deflected with an Electromagnetic Shockwave) and a salvo with his heavy machine gun (allowing the player to replenish their energy using Cole's Polarity Wall).
• It is theorized, based on John White's Dead Drops, that Sasha and Alden were conspiring to overthrow Kessler. In one Dead Drop, John stated that he was ordered to escort Sasha out to the Warren to meet an unidentified old man; while he did not hear or mention the particulates, it can be easily determined that the old man was Alden and Sasha made it clear she didn't want anyone to know of the meeting. This is further supported by the fact that, while Alden and Sasha still had their fights, their relationship is still better than either of their relationships with Kessler.
• Almost every mission involving Alden begins with his name: Alden Strikes, Alden in chains, and Alden's Rampage. The only missions to not include his name are The Arrest and The Ray Sphere, though the former does not feature Alden in person, simply his "echo".
• In the final battle with Alden, he screams at Cole that "You and Kessler are one of the same." This can imply that he knew that Kessler and Cole were the same person.