1) The wording in her Hero Profile is just vague enough to imply she is a Talon agent at the time of the Retribution mission.
“The shadowy Talon organization had already been supporting her for years, aiding her experiments in exchange for utilizing the results for their own purposes.”
2) Moira’s interactions with Reyes during the Retribution point to her egging him on, pressuring him, or attempting to “get under his skin”. The most notable one involves Moira saying she wishes she could go to rhe masquerade (of Venetian Carnival). Reyes says he is surprised because she doesn’t seem like the kind of person to enjoy that.
Moira replies, “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
3) The major bosses utilize technology or “enhancements” that are originally from Overwatch agents.
The Heavy Assault Tank: uses Rocket Charge. Originally from the Crusaders. Canonically used by Reinhardt in animated shorts and comics.
The Assassin: uses what appears to be Blink and/or Recall. The chronal accelerator technology was specifically made for Tracer by Winston. If this is true about the Assassin, it also severely limited the time range of Retribution. Canonically appears in multiple shorts and comics (by Tracer).
The Sniper: uses a form of Shadowstep and/or Wraith. Canonically appears in multiple shorts and comics by Reaper.
The last one is the most interesting because it is unique to Reyes and his biotic “enhancements” that he accrued during SEP.
However –
There is one other person who has access to Reyes’ biodata – and the technical knowledge and ability to manipulate and recreate that in other ways (Biotic Grasp, Fade) – to make new technologies, enhancements, and abilities out of that.
Moira.
4) Related to Point 3, Moira has canonically stolen technology from Mercy. We are also told by Geoff Goodman during Moira’s Blizzcon panel that she took Wraith from “Reaper” and “improved” it. Moira has no qualms about taking other people’s research, property, or abilities and then redesigning or reworking them for her own purposes.
5) Moira is the only person who appears HAPPY during the intro video. The later statements she makes where she tells Reyes that he did the right thing by killing Antonio are shady as all hell.
Both of these appeared to be “coincidentally” tied to the sudden rise of Vialli and Maximilien, and Akande overthrowing Akinjide in the wake of Antonio’s death. This becomes significantly less “coincidental” if you consider that Moira may be a Talon agent, or be getting financial support from one (or all) of them.
6) During Reyes’ debriefing with Morrison, Amari, and Lacroix, there are images of two Talon operatives – a Trooper and a Heavy Assault tank.
The third image is of Moira.
(Comparison image)
Remember, Blackwatch continues to operate while suspended. Whatever occurs between Gabe, Jack, Ana, and Gérard during Gabe’s Retribution debriefing isn’t enough to make him leave, nor enough to make McCree leave in the immediate aftermath. Both Gabriel Reyes and Jesse McCree go on to help the Overwatch Strike Team by recovering intel on Null Sector during Null Sector’s Uprising. Genji stays on the team as well, and eventually helps arrest Akande Ogundimu, who is now the third Doomfist.
However, we do not know what happens to Moira after Retribution.
Speculation/Guess: in my opinion, the entire Retribution mission – and Gabriel’s motivations – make considerably more sense if you look at it like this:
The mission WAS intended to grab Antonio, run, and interrogate him later. It does not seem like Gabriel was lying here. In fact, MCCREE originally wanted to kill Antonio, but is told by Gabriel that they’re not going to do that.
However, Antonio reveals: 1) that he was anticipating this move by Blackwatch, 2) that he expected his “friends” to help him walk free from Blackwatch a week later, and 3) that he expected to hurt Blackwatch/Overwatch again.
This is the moment when Gabriel realizes –
He’s been betrayed by one of the three Blackwatch agents in the room with him.
(Note who else is “in frame” but out of focus during this moment).
This is not a sudden turn-about in motivations by Gabriel Reyes –
But instead, the clear and distinct realization that he has walked right into Antonio’s (and Talon’s) grasp.
And letting Antonio live is the LEAST of his worries.
The far bigger threat is the person IMMEDIATELY behind him.
I’m gunna throw my hat in on theories as to why McCree got so upset over Gabe shooting Antonio. Yes, it was McCree’s original plan in the comic. I don’t think he was joking around, either, because after Gabe told him no, he argued they needed to send a stronger message. Gabe again turned him down.
Then went and shot the guy point blank out of a window.
McCree wasn’t mad he killed the man, per say. He was upset for these reasons:
The whole plan was set up to be an arrest and to take Antonio with them. It would have operated differently than a “go in, kill him, get out” plan. For one, their way out was relatively easy– they wouldn’t be attacked with the man giving orders in their custody. They’d have a way better escape plan ready and worked out if the end goal was to assassinate a man. But Gabe went and messed all that up, so their easy way out was now blocked by a ton of enemies they thought they wouldn’t need to deal with.
Jesse was a delinquent turned Black Ops. Gabe, a former military soldier and strike team commander, probably put him through hell to get him disciplined to his liking. Jesse’s heard “no, we do it THIS way” a thousand times. And Gabe meant it. Then, suddenly, the rules don’t apply. And he’s mad as hell because DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO, doesn’t work here.
I’m also assuming they change plans up a lot. What they say in front of Jack and the other higher ups might change once it’s just the two of them discussing things. Because over the years, Gabe trusts him more than just about anyone. Maybe that’s why Moira and Genji didn’t react. They are used to being out of the main loop, but Jesse isn’t. He is used to Gabe telling him these things before they happen, trusting him with that information.
I don’t know if Gabe was planning to kill Antonio from the start. I think he was probably thinking about it way more than just a plan B scenario if they couldn’t take him in for whatever reason. But he knew his team’s capabilities. He knew they could get out. He also knew that telling them his very illegal murder plan put them as accomplices. So he didn’t tell them, not even Jesse. Plausible deniability.
I found McCree’s reaction to Reyes deciding to kill that man very interesting. It makes sense that he’d be angry because the consequences were so severe, but I think there was more to it than that.
I think all three of the team members’ reactions spoke about their backgrounds. Genji is used to seeing this kind of thing – he’s literally from one of the most dangerous and influential mafias in the world. He even agrees that Reyes made the right choice. Moira has always been an “end justifies the means” kind of person. She probably understands Reyes’ thinking, even if his choice put them all in danger. She’s a devil’s advocate.
But McCree. McCree didn’t like it because it “felt like an execution”. Considering his background in the Deadlock gang, you’d think he’d be used to seeing leaders make themselves the judge, jury, and executioner. But that’s probably why he was shocked and angry to see Reyes do it. Reyes, who picked him up out of the filth and offered him a chance to be more than just a common gang member. Reyes, who saw potential in McCree when most everyone else wanted him thrown in jail. Reyes, the man McCree trusted, followed, and admired. This seems like the first thing Reyes has ever done that betrayed that trust. McCree “didn’t sign up for this” – he didn’t sign up for just another gang killing to get what they want. He had deluded himself into thinking he could use his sharpshooting for justice while working for Blackwatch… But instead found more of the same. This event really was the thing that made everything fall apart.
I think that Blackwatch Retribution cutscene opening tell a lot about their characters at that phase.
While McCree is between surprised and angry at Reyes for shooting Antonio because he never acted differently for what their initial plan was before (at least, he didn’t do anything to put the entire team in danger), Reyes clearly wanted revenge for what happened at their headquarters and he knew he couldn’t do anything else in the situation Antonio presented him. He probably thought Antonio would attack them inmediately after being released, and Reyes swore to not let that happen again and not let anyone else die. Of course he knew McCree would react that way, and that is why he doesn’t confront him back. He understands why Jesse is disappointed on him, after all.
The fact that only McCree reacted that way is because Genji just follows orders. He is not interested in if what they are doing is morally right or wrong and is not surprised for assassinate the target they were supossed to capture. He accepts he is their living weapon and that is why he seems to be prepared to kill the instant the alarm goes off. And what to say about Moira?? She is morally gray since ever. She already does anything in the name of science and she seems to be more interested in the new plan Reyes decides to follow.
I like the concept that Moira’s had her own agenda for…well… ever. And you can either help her with it, or you can stand aside, or you can be destroyed. And in a sense she did find a kindred spirit with Gabriel–Gabriel’s growing increasingly frustrated with the red tape holding Overwatch back, and no one seems to be willing to just… do what needs to be done. So Moira comes in like, “You need someone who isn’t afraid to turn you into a goddamn smoke monster. You need someone who won’t hesitate to suck the life out of someone to protect you, and here I am.” So in a lot of regards, he and Moira get each other, and both McCree and Genji get them to an extent, but I think McCree was aware for a long time that Moira is willing to go to lengths that he’s not willing to go to, and the “Retribution” mission sort of served as this turning point where McCree is forced to ask himself, “Is Reyes more like me, or Moira?”
This moment, right here. Gabe knows Antonio is right. He knows that they can bring him in, read him the riot act, interrogate him til their lungs are sore and still they will get nowhere.
Because Antonio has Talon at his fingertips. Sure, he could afford a hell of an attorney if he wanted to, but Gabe has already seen what this man can do – first hand. He knows what he is capable of, and he would almost certainly do it again. Why stop at one Overwatch facility? If he was brought into HQ, Talon would have themselves a goldmine. One way or another, Antonio would walk free again, and so many more lives could be lost.
Gabe knows this.
And so, even though it could cost him everything, he pulls the trigger. For Gérard. For the fallen agents. For the greater good.
A dumb realization about Scion Hanzo, And the Tale of The Two Dragon Brothers
So, there’s the theory about Hanzo staying with the Shimada after committing the “murder” on Genji. I can very well tell you that theory is correct. Scion Hanzo is Hanzo after he “murdered” Genji.
And this ties very closely into the good ol’ Tale Of The Two Dragon Brothers.
In the tale, the Dragon of the South Wind had triumphed over the Dragon of the North Wind. (Hanzo “kills” Genji)
“But, as time passed and he realized his solitude.”
From this one line of the tale, and correlating to Hanzo and Genji’s story says alot of things about what Hanzo did after the “murder” and how closely this tale really ties into the Shimada Brothers.
Hanzo never left the Shimada immediately after “killing” Genji. He stayed with them and went with business as usual. He tried to move on from the incident. But as time passed, he realized just how guilty and lonely he is from committing the “murder” and it broke him, driving him to leave the clan. I also suspect that the clan members, including the elders were also telling him to just forget about “that embarrassment to the Shimada Clan,” (some words I also suspect were thrown at him when they talked about Genji) And it only added more pressure, guilt, and even anger to Hanzo’s well-being.
I feel very dumb for not making this realization sooner.
I know a lot of people are reading this as “disapproving”, because Jack is turned away from Gabe, but I think it’s Not Insignificant that Jack is looking at the rows of fallen soldiers he just finished putting flags on. I don’t read this so much as “Jack is opposed to what Gabe is doing” as “Gabe is steadfast in his plan to operate off the books while Jack is left to reflect on how his tether to protocol is accomplishing nothing but racking up casualties.”
Especially how it’s juxtaposed with the text bubble talking about Overwatch’s limits, as well as how Jack doesn’t really at any point in the narrative disapprove of Gabe’s plan, just tells him he can’t “officially” sanction it. To me, at least, this doesn’t communicate a fight, it’s showing the mounting frustration and helplessness that led Jack to break international law and send troops into King’s Row a year later, and eventually become a masked vigilante smashing heads in alleyways after Zurich. I think it certainly communicates a divide, but I see it more as Jack concerned Gabe is going somewhere he can’t follow, and wondering if he wants to follow, than a gesture of hostility.
Stop talking and start doing: My Fallout Shelter for my Tumblr blog 