Jim Raynor

"James Raynor was the most decent man I ever encountered during the fall of the Confederacy. Everyone else, I can safely say, was either a victim or a villain or quite often both. At first glance, Raynor seems like a backwoods cowboy, one of those good old boys swapping lies about the days gone by. There's a cocksureness, an overconfidence about him that makes you bridle initially. Yet over time you come to see him as a valuable ally and -- dare I say it? -- a friend. It all comes from belief. Jim Raynor believed in himself and believed in those around him. And from that strength came the strength that allowed him and those who followed him to survive everything else the universe threw at him. Jim Raynor was a most decent and honorable man. I suppose that's why his is the greatest tragedy in this godforsaken war."

- Michael Liberty

James "Jim" Eugene Raynor was a terran marshal from Mar Sara, who became one of the major figures in the Koprulu Sector through his work to bring down the Confederacy and, later, in the struggle against the Confederacy's successor, the Dominion. Raynor is one of the few terrans to engage in a long-term alliance with the protoss.

Biography
Jim Raynor was born a farm boy on the Fringe World of Shiloh. In his youth, he was taught outdoor skills such as hunting and shooting by his grandfather, skills which would later prove useful as a marshal.

Raynor learned how to drive vehicles and became an expert demolition player for the Centerville team. His father taught him how to brawl, and to stand up to bullies. Raynor would later say that his father taught him where to draw the line, rather than to take a stand.

The Heaven's Devils
By 2488, the Terran Confederacy had been embroiled in the Guild Wars for three years. Resources were rationed, taxes were rising, and the military began to more aggressively recruit young folk, including Tom Omer, one of Raynor's friends.

While waiting in his truck for fuel, Raynor encountered Hank Harnack, a rival demolition player. Harnack cut him off, prompting Raynor to beat him up. Later that day, Gunnery Sergeant Farley helped convince Raynor to join the Confederate Marine Corps. His parents objected, but eventually relented. Unfortunately, he immediately ran into the bully Harnack again, who hassled him. Corporal Thaddeus Timson tried to keep them apart. The two exchanged beatings.

Eventually they (and Omer) ended up on the troopship Hydrus, where they would be shipped to the warzone planet of Turaxis II for basic training. During the journey, hundreds of convicts intended for a little-known Confederate reform program broke out and began fighting. Harnack called one a freak, prompting several to attack him. Raynor jumped into the fray and fought alongside Harnack, while Omer won money betting on them. Raynor and Harnack then became friends.

Raynor, Harnack, Omer and twelve other recruits rode in a dropship to the surface. However, it was shot down, killing the pilot and seriously injuring a recruit, Santhay. Raynor immediately took charge, helping move Santhay. Eventually they were rescued by Master Sergeant Hanson.

During training, Raynor was made a "training sergeant" and led the first squad of 2nd Platoon. Harnack was also in the squad, and so fell under his command. While on a punishment detail with Harnack, he made the acquaintance of Ark Bennet, an Old Family scion who had been kidnapped and sold to the military under the name "Ryk Kydd". They tutored him in a lifestyle away from the Old Families.

Immediately prior to graduation, Raynor, Harnack and "Kydd" got drunk and fell into a bar brawl. They tried to escape by stealing a vulture but got caught by the police. However, they were released from the drunk tank the next day without incident.

Upon graduation, Raynor, Harnack, Kydd and numerous others were sent to Fort Howe by truck, where they made the acquaintance of Max Zander. The convoy was attacked by Kel-Morian Hellhounds and scattered. Their driver called the nearby Firebase Zulu, which was also under attack. Raynor helped take command, talking Kydd and Zander into taking a sniper post and launching an attack which captured some Kel-Morian APCs. However, Raynor noticed Tom Omer suffering severe injury during the fight. Meanwhile, Raynor contacted Captain Senko at Zulu and kept him apprised of the situation. The Kel-Morians were driven off.

New Friends
At Fort Howe, Raynor was promoted to lance corporal for his leadership qualities. However, he and his squad were frequently given boring assignments, such as handling supplies at Supply Depot 7. A soldier ranked private, looking for equipment to resupply himself, was disappointed when Raynor told him to return hours later. The large soldier, recently imprisoned and demoted Tychus Findlay, tried to intimidate him, with little success. When he grabbed Raynor's shirt, Hank Harnack came to his rescue. Findlay had to admit defeat and leave.

Unfortunately for Raynor, Findlay had caught the attention of Howe's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Javier Vanderspool, who promoted him to sergeant and put him in charge of Raynor's squad. Findlay confronted them, but they were interrupted by Vanderspool's announcement of a Kel-Morian attack. Raynor suggested heading to the armory. There they noted Confederate marines loading civilian-driven trucks with valuable supplies. Raynor, Findlay and the others captured the trucks. However, Findlay took the opportunity to "pursue the enemy" out of the base; in practice, he intended to steal the loot, which he hid in Whitford. Findlay tricked Raynor into agreeing with a division of spoils, but consented to return the less valuable truck to keep up appearances.

The newly-promoted full colonel Javier Vanderspool, leader of the 321st Colonial Rangers Battalion, a mixed-force unit of marines and rangers, created within it a Special Tactics and Missions Platoon. Lieutenant Marcus Quigby was put in charge, and Findlay would lead the first squad within, which consisted of Hank Harnack, Ryk Kydd, Jim Raynor, Connor Ward, and Max Zander. Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy, a medic, became associated with the platoon, along with Hiram Feek, an engineer. Feek developed the CMC-230 "Thunderstrike" armor, designed to allow controlled descents from dropships. The platoon members were all expected to learn how to use the devices.

The truck thieves, including Raynor, arranged to sell the loot. The deal went through fine, but shortly afterward they were attacked by hijackers, which the squad defeated.

Quigby was unpopular with the platoon, especially Cassidy. She drugged his water, causing him to embarrass himself in a demonstration in front of his father. She was unofficially punished for this act, while Quigby was transferred elsewhere. This put Findlay in charge, at least temporarily.

Zander used his earnings to buy food and give it away to refugees. Ward and Feek accompanied him to Finner's Crossing. While there, they were kidnapped by Silas Trask's gang, although Feek was able to escape and warn Raynor. Findlay and the others were drawn into the rescue attempt. Raynor suggested the countryside wasn't as empty as it appeared, so people would know about the captures. Raynor and Findlay bribed Hurley, a bar proprietor, for a map. While there, Raynor and Findlay exchanged life philosophies.

Raynor's plan worked: Trask was killed and his gangsters defeated. Realizing Hurley had ratted them out to the gangsters, Findlay nearly beat him to death. Raynor was forced to pull him off.

The Heaven's Devils' Legend Begins
"Try to hide, if you can. Find spider holes in your mind, and crawl into them."

- Cole Hickson mentors Jim Raynor on resisting torture

Colonel Vanderspool planned an attack on a Kel-Morian military base, Kel-Morian Internment Camp-36 where hundreds of Confederate prisoners of war were being kept. He invited a former P.O.W., dropship pilot Clair Hobarth, to the briefing, where she gave them information about the camp and its commander, Overseer Hanz Brucker (aka "Brucker the Butcher").

The platoon was to train at "Camp Crash" for the assault. Raynor wasn't particularly skilled in the use of his Thunderstrike armor.

Feeling guilty about the truck theft, Raynor came up with a plan to help with the assault. Believing the P.O.W.s would be weak and slow, Raynor would infiltrate the camp and organize them. He would disguise himself as a captured Kel-Morian Hellhound pilot, Ras Hagar, and memorized as much information about him as he could. Vanderspool agreed to drop him off a day early.

"Hagar" met Brucker at his dinner, where numerous starving P.O.W.s were forced to watch and play music. Brucker realized that Raynor was a fake, however, and left the room to get help. Raynor took the opportunity to warn the prisoners. Brucker stormed back into the room with guards, who imprisoned Raynor. He was interrogated first about the upcoming attack by Brucker and Dr. Moller, and then about neural resocialization, something Raynor knew nothing about. Cole Hickson, another Confederate soldier from a different unit, was tortured alongside him and also questioned about resocialization. Hickson taught Raynor to "hide" in "spider holes" within his mind. Raynor believed he would have died or gone insane if it wasn't for Hickson.

Eventually the two were tied to posts outside, in front of the other prisoners. This made it easier for the Thunderstrike-equipped platoon to rescue them. However, the rescue mission went awry when the Kel-Morians chased off the extra dropships. Raynor suggested stealing Kel-Morian ground vehicles and driving into the disputed zone instead. A saber command car was stopped, and Overseer Brucker was wounded and captured. While administering medical treatment, Lisa Cassidy poisoned Brucker.

A large convoy of vehicles left the camp, carrying the former prisoners. Raynor, high on stimulants provided by Cassidy, led the way in a vulture. They were attacked by the Snakehead Kommando but were able to defeat them with help from Confederate reinforcements. The attack was considered a great victory, but at the cost of about half the platoon.

At Three Fingered Jack's, Hobarth declared the platoon the "Heaven's Devils". Raynor and the others got tattoos to commemorate the name.

The Battle of Polk's Pride
Colonel Vanderspool intended to capture a strategic resource depot in Polk's Pride, formerly the second most populated city on Turaxis II. The city was divided by the Paddick River into a north section (now dominated by the Kel-Morian Combine) and a south section (controlled by the Terran Confederacy). The Confederacy had tried to invade the northern section twice previously, but each time failed to cross the river.

The Heaven's Devils platoon, now led by Lieutenant Samantha Sanchez, would follow right behind a large number of neurally resocialized troops led by the battalion's senior NCO, Master Sergeant Rockwell. Vanderspool devised a plan for crossing the river which worked. However, the Kel-Morians put up stiff resistance. Raynor watched as large numbers of resocialized troops were killed off.

Sanchez was killed by an enemy sniper. Sniper Ryk Kydd vowed revenge but needed his friends to draw fire for a little while. Raynor did so, and was nearly killed by a shot to the head. Kydd took the opportunity to finish off the other sniper.

At the repository itself, Master Sergeant Rockwell sent a large number of resocialized marines to their death. When he criticized their uselessness, Raynor lost his temper and punched him out. The combined Confederate forces, meanwhile, achieved victory. UNN reporter Mas Speer took their picture.

Devils' End
Raynor was arrested, demoted to private and jailed for a month for assaulting Rockwell. While serving his sentence, Hiram Feek frequently visited him. One day, he warned him of Colonel Vanderspool's treachery; the Devils' suits had been sabotaged. Feek discovered and fixed the suits. Feek also promised him a black, skull-faced suit. Meanwhile Vanderspool plotted a theft of ardeon crystals from Korsy's train system, with the collusion of Errol Bennet (father of "Ryk Kydd") and Kel-Morian Overseer Aaron Pax. Kydd and Max Zander brought the information to Tychus Findlay, who plotted to steal the crystals from Vanderspool.

Vanderspool's force, including Raynor's platoon and a large number of neurally resocialized troops under the command of Lieutenant Fitz, disguised themselves as Kel-Morians and landed at Korsy's small starport. Raynor's platoon swept the western part of town, freeing citizens held captive by the Kel-Morians. They linked up with Vanderspool's force at the train station, and were ordered to stand in front. The train arrived, but Pax had double-crossed Vanderspool. His ripper force nearly won the battle, but Hank Harnack's flamethrower turned the tide. The train rushed away, taking away all the treasure, but Pax remained with some rippers. Vanderspool tried to kill the Devils by locking down their suits, but due to Feek's counter-sabotage, the move failed. Fitz was ordered to take Cassidy prisoner. Raynor and company managed to escape, steal several of Vanderspool's vehicles, and use their vehicles to pin them and the Kel-Morians inside the station.

Kel-Morian sloths cut off the platoon's retreat toward the starport. During the battle, Connor Ward was killed, while Vanderspool escaped with some troops and personally slew Max Zander. At the starport itself, Harnack was killed when he set a lake of fuel on fire.

Vanderspool arrived, but not under his own power. He and Cassidy had been captured by Overseer Pax. A firefight broke out, resulting in the deaths of both Pax and Cassidy and the wounding of Vanderspool. The colonel begged for his life, even offering to reunite Ryk Kydd with his father, to no avail. Vanderspool tried to take Pax's gun, but Raynor stepped on his hand, breaking it. Then Raynor shot him dead.

Outlaws
Raynor and Findlay abandoned the military thereafter and the duo was charged with manslaughter in absentia.

Following the war, Raynor and Findlay became outlaws, conducting a series of heists over the years all across the Koprulu Sector. During one such exploit, the authorities captured Findlay, but Raynor was able to escape.

Civilian Life
Jim Raynor married Lidya and tried to settle down into a quiet life as a civilian. After their son, John was born, Jim Raynor struck a bargain with the local magistrate in 2496 – if he would become the local marshal and enforce the law, the magistrate would erase his army record. The magistrate knew of Raynor's shady background but saw it as an advantage. The new marshal's reputation was such he never had to shoot any criminals. Lidya made Jim promise to always stand up for what he believed in.

John was considered "gifted" with psychic powers by the Tarsonis Institute of Health and Research and requested the Raynors hand over their son. Jim didn't like the idea, but Lidya believed Jim's distrust of the Confederacy was unwarranted. Months later, they received a letter from the institute saying John had been killed in a shuttle accident. Lidya, blaming herself, died of grief.

Jim Raynor buried himself in his work to escape his losses. He learned how to describe plots for potential colony use as well.

Raynor was 29 years old when the protoss attacked his world's neighbor, Chau Sara.

The Great War Begins
"Howdy, boys. I'm Jim Raynor, Marshal of these parts."

- Raynor introducing himself to the Mar Sara colonists

In December 2499, in the wake of the protoss attack on Chau Sara and the beginning of the zerg incursion on Mar Sara, Raynor received orders from the Office of the Colonial Magistrate to escort the core Mar Saran colonists to the outlying wastelands. Here he was partnered with the local Magistrate, with whom he would share a close working relationship.

While safeguarding the colonists, the evacuation base received a distress signal from Backwater Station. Alpha Squadron commander Edmund Duke ordered the colonials to ignore it, saying that Alpha Squadron would handle it. However, Raynor believed that Confederate forces would be unable to respond in time, and set off to relieve Backwater in defiance of orders, the Magistrate sending in some militia as support. During a lull in the battle, he rescued Universe News Network reporter Michael Liberty at Anthem Base, who then joined the party. Arriving at Backwater they successfully drove the zerg from the immediate area and destroyed a nearby infested command center. However, this put them at odds with Duke. Raynor and his men were subsequently arrested for destroying government property and taken to the prison ship Merrimack. He would not remain imprisoned for long.

The Sons of Korhal
"Ah, Marshal Raynor. Michael apparently thinks very highly of you and your men. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me in a small matter."

- Mengsk to Raynor after the latter's rescue.

Michael Liberty and a Sons of Korhal task force boarded Merrimack and rescued Raynor and the Mar Saran militia. Thoroughly dissatisfied with the Confederacy, and with the protoss sterilization of his homeworld imminent, it did not take Arcturus Mengsk much to persuade Raynor and the militia to join the dissident group. Raynor was awarded the rank of captain and assigned to lead the newest unit of the Sons of Korhal, unofficially named "Raynor's Rangers". He became acquainted with young Matt Horner, then second-in-command of the Cormorant, a Sons of Korhal merchantman which had assisted in the evacuation of Mar Sara.

Raynor led a raid on the Jacobs Installation to access the Confederate network and retrieve what he believed to be weapon designs. Inside he discovered live zerg in captivity and was horrified when he realized that the Confederacy had known about the zerg but decided to keep that knowledge secret. In the aftermath, Raynor was ferried to the Hyperion, where he watched the protoss bombard the planet. He was sickened at the sight.

Antiga Prime
"James, on the other hand, is all courage and honor looking for a place to explode."

- Arcturus Mengsk explaining to Mike Liberty how he manipulated Raynor

The Sons of Korhal then withdrew to Antiga Prime, a border world whose colony was on the verge of revolt but effectively suppressed by Alpha Squadron. Together with Mengsk's second in command, Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan (albeit with mutual resentment), Raynor freed the colony by destroying the local Confederate detachment.

Shortly afterward, General Duke's command ship, Norad II, crash landed after a zerg attack in orbit and was then besieged by zerg forces on the ground. Raynor, under orders from Mengsk, unenthusiastically rescued the general, an act that directly precipitated General Duke's and Alpha Squadron's defection to the rebellion. It was at this point that unease began to swell within Raynor. Although he believed in Mengsk's cause and felt indebted to him for his rescue from the Merrimack, he was uneasy at what Mengsk was asking of them.

Over the next six months Raynor took part in the three way fighting on Antiga Prime between the Confederacy, zerg and rebel forces. Things took a drastic turn however, when the Sons of Korhal used a psi-emitter to lure a wave of zerg to attack the Delta Squadron detachment sent to retake the colony, the same type of device which had led to the infestation of Raynor's homeworld.

Biting the Bullet
With the Sons of Korhal preparing to evacuate the planet, Raynor led a force to rescue the remaining colonists. During the battle, the protoss and Executor Tassadar arrived and made contact with the terrans, even providing timely assistance.

Push toward Tarsonis
Raynor and the Sons of Korhal escaped from Antiga Prime and made their way to Tarsonis. The protoss then sterilized the planet.

Departing the planet, Raynor was disturbed, courtesy of Mengsk's hunger for power and his growing lack of scruples. Kerrigan was faring little better, haunted by her role in drawing the zerg to the planet. Despite his past history with telepaths, Raynor possessed genuine sympathy for her. Sympathy gave way to mutual friendship and they "drew close".

Tarsonis
"Don't go following causes. They'll just break your heart. When idealism meets reality, it's rarely reality that backs down."

- Michael Liberty to Raynor

Prior to their invasion of Tarsonis, the Sons of Korhal held a conference. Raynor remarked that he was "impressed" by Duke's strategy of frontally assaulting the central of the three primary orbital platforms, although he may have been being sarcastic. Once above the Confederate capital, General Duke led the attack to break through to the surface. Raynor, alongside Kerrigan and Liberty, found himself fighting tooth and nail in the streets of Tarsonis City. The means with which the rebellion would defeat the Confederacy became clear when Mengsk ordered Duke to activate psi-emitters on the secured space platforms. Raynor and Kerrigan protested the unleashing of the zerg on the Confederate capital but were coldly rebuffed by Mengsk. Raynor later brought his objections personally to Duke and Mengsk, coming to blows with the former. Anticipating trouble, he began gathering his men together. Raynor was angered and frustrated when Kerrigan was dispatched to defend the primary zerg hives at New Gettysburg from the pursuing protoss; Mengsk feared the protoss would prevent the zerg from delivering the fatal blow to the Confederacy. Raynor could not convince Kerrigan to refuse the order and later regretted not accompanying her.

Raynor's Raiders
"The protoss and the zerg aren't going to give a rat's ass that Mengsk is running things now. They don't care about human wars or human leaders. They're battling throughout humanspace. It's not over."

- Raynor after his defection.

With Kerrigan's mission a success, the zerg suddenly began to attack her forces. To Raynor's disbelief, Mengsk ordered the Sons of Korhal to withdraw, abandoning Kerrigan and her troops instead of evacuating them.

Raynor refused to obey orders, and he and Michael Liberty gathered the Rangers for a rescue attempt. They were intercepted on Hyperion by General Edmund Duke, and neurally resocialized marines using their StimPacks. Duke was prepared to arrest Raynor for mutiny, but was surprised by Liberty who injured the general with a needle gun. Duke's marines let the Rangers pass as they bore an unconscious Duke to a medical center. Matt Horner was one of the first men to join Raynor as he left.

Raynor attempted to rescue Kerrigan with a dropship but could not locate her. With the situation on the ground deteriorating, he instead evacuated a number of human troops. Mengsk's callousness led Raynor, the Commander, Liberty, and the remnants of the Mar Sara Colonial Militia to sever their ties with the megalomaniac Mengsk and the Sons of Korhal.

Raynor was picked up by the former Confederate battlecruiser, the Thunder Child, on his way from Tarsonis. Raynor's Rangers, now known as Raynor's Raiders, had become a rebel movement of their own. The Raiders fought their way from Tarsonis, destroying the Ion Cannon, before escaping out of the system.

Although Liberty and the Commander left the Raiders, Raynor did not find himself without company. He had originally expected to be down to a handful of troops. Instead, virtually every member of his unit followed him, and even a few from outside it. Raynor soon found himself the head of a small army. But an army required transport, so to obtain it, Raynor led a raid on the Dylarian Shipyards, obtaining a number of transport vessels and the Hyperion itself. In the aftermath however, Raynor found himself without direction. While he'd made a few strikes against the forces of the Terran Dominion, he was at a loss as to how to proceed, especially with so many looking up to him.

And the recurring dreams he was having wasn't helping matters...

Protoss Friendship
"Heh. If I ever meet this Raynor fellow, I'm gonna shake his hand and thank him for being such a good ambassador."

- Rosemary Dahl after hearing about Raynor's history with the protoss.

Six weeks after the fall of the Confederacy, Raynor's dreams led him to the planet of Char. The Raiders established themselves on Char, avoiding conflict with arriving Dominion forces led by Duke, but were overrun by the zerg led by, much to Raynor's surprise and shock, a very much alive and newly "hatched" Infested Kerrigan. She'd been calling to him via her telepathy, but now possessed no desire to return to her former life. Kerrigan allowed Raynor to flee but the psychic connection between the two remained. However, Raynor and the surviving Raiders were temporarily stranded on Char when Kerrigan attacked the Raiders' ships. Hyperion was able to escape by making a risky emergency jump. Tassadar's forces arrived and began destroying the "infested" ships including escaping shuttles and escape pods. Raynor kept this knowledge from his men.

Raynor used his tracking skills to find Tassadar (and his force) and, later, Zeratul. Despite initial animosity the three decided to cooperate out of necessity and fight the zerg together, aided by Raynor's psychic connection to Kerrigan; the mutual respect and friendship resulting from the alliance would be pivotal in the continuing struggle. Through the events that followed, Raynor gained an intimate knowledge of the zerg command structure, as well as of the history and differences in ways that binded together the Khalai and the Dark Templar.

However, the motley force of Templar, Dark Templar, and Raiders were soon forced onto the defensive, with Tassadar's forces and Raynor ending up surrounded. There they awaited reinforcements which came in the form of a protoss fleet from Aiur sent to arrest Tassadar. The newcomers opted to join Tassadar instead. With the return of the Hyperion, the Raiders accompanied their protoss allies back to Aiur.

On Aiur they were joined by Fenix who was rallying forces to resist the zerg invasion. Fenix would become another of Raynor's close friends. Raynor refused to be idle when Tassadar was arrested by the Conclave, and brought the Raiders into battle to help free him. The rescue succeeded with the timely intervention of Zeratul's Dark Templar. . Raynor's Raiders joined Tassadar in the final assault that destroyed the Overmind.

The Brood War
The death of the Overmind caused the zerg to rampage, killing 70% of Aiur's population. The only realistic option was for the protoss and the terrans to leave the planet through a to Shakuras. Raynor and Fenix remained behind covering the retreat, and for a time both were thought lost by their comrades. The two survived, with a small group of refugees on Aiur. They managed to establish an enclave on Aiur near a warp gate. Kerrigan contacted Raynor and Fenix there, warning them about the new Overmind and the UED's plan to control it. Raynor begrudgingly rescued Terran Dominion Emperor Arcturus Mengsk from the United Earth Directorate, traveling through the warp gate, which then self-destructed. They did so at the request of Infested Kerrigan, who contacted them again on Shakuras. Assembling on Tarsonis, the four forged an uneasy alliance against the UED. Together they rescued the remains of the Dominion fleet from the UED.

Raynor helped Kerrigan destroy the UED's Psi Disrupter and retake Korhal for the Dominion. After the victory on Korhal, Kerrigan promptly turned on her puppet allies. Fenix's death at Kerrigan's hands dashed Raynor's hopes that she had "reformed." Enraged, and convinced of her treacherous nature Raynor vowed to one day kill Kerrigan in righteous vengeance. In the aftermath of the Brood War, a grieving Raynor said his farewells to Zeratul on Shakuras, then vanished.

Dark Times
"It may not be tomorrow, darlin'. It may not even happen with an army at my back. But rest assured: I'm the man who's going to kill you some day. I'll be seein' you."

- Raynor's vow of vengeance against Kerrigan

Raynor continued his activities against the zerg after the Brood War. On Braxis, he personally took part in a mission alongside protoss forces led by Praetor Taldarin in order to de-infest the resurrected Alexei Stukov.

At some point Raynor became affiliated with the Alliance, rising to the point of general and taking part in a mission on Dylar IV, though his time at a desk job did not do his physical state any favors. In the end however, exhausted and disillusioned, Raynor knew that his chances of achieving vengeance against Kerrigan were slender at best. He returned to terran space to lead the Raiders against the spreading power of the Dominion.

Freedom Fighter
"I heard all about you becoming a big time freedom fighter while I was away. What happened Jimmy? The war for truth and justice get too much for ya?"

- Tychus Findlay

Raynor networked and struck alliances with various anti-Dominion groups, including the Kel-Morian Combine, which he and his "mob" visited c. 2502. The Combine became very protective of this friendship. Raynor would frequently hide out on zerg-infested worlds.

The War Pigs
In 2502 the director of the Dominion Internal Security Division, Tamsen Cauley, targeted Jim Raynor for assassination. Cauley believed this would increase his power, and contracted the outlaw War Pigs to do it. En route, the War Pigs' minds were read by Dark Templar. The Dark Templar warned the outlaws not to harm Raynor, before delivering a warning to Raynor about the impending attack. Raynor's Raiders were hiding on Urona Sigma, a zerg-infested world, within a water-access-only tunnel system. The protoss believed the planet to be lost, and the Raiders planned to leave before the purification.

The War Pigs were captured by the forewarned Raiders. The War Pigs were led by Cole Hickson, Raynor's old friend. Raynor still trusted Hickson and left himself open to attack. Unknown to Raynor and the War Pigs, Hickson was altered by a subconscious form of neural resocialization to kill Raynor. As Raynor explained his relationship with Hickson, Hickson tried to shoot Raynor with a pistol. Raynor recognized Hickson's resocialization. The assassination was interrupted by a zerg attack. Raynor, separated from his crew, was forced to team up with the War Pigs. Together they escaped to the surface, with the War Pigs sealing the way behind them. However, Hickson ambushed Raynor again. Raynor made Hickson remember his sanity-saving techniques and the resocialization procedure. Hickson, overcome with stress, fell to the ground screaming. At that moment, the protoss began the purification of Urona Sigma. Raynor and the War Pigs were trapped on the surface, away from the Raiders' dropships and the War Pigs' transport vessel.

The protoss only purified the area away from Raynor and the War Pigs (which was also the area of heaviest zerg concentration). While Raynor and the War Pigs prepared for the end, Romy Pyrius took his "best" drugs. Lars Trakken, unable to contain his hatred of Cole Hickson, descended to the surface with a dropship full of Cerberus heavies. He offered to take Hickson but leave the rest of the War Pigs. Raynor noted the odd behavior – Trakken could have just let the purification kill them – and proposed a ruse which would enable them to steal the dropship. They pretended to hand over the unconscious Hickson. While Trakken was distracted expressing his rage, Hickson awoke and began grappling with Trakken as Raynor and the War Pigs began killing Cerberus troopers. Then the zerg appeared on the battlefield. Pyrius rescued Hickson and injured Trakken, causing the latter to fall to the zerg. However, Pyrius was killed during the escape.

Raynor and the surviving War Pigs made it to the General Lee, where Raynor revealed he believed the protoss were not attempting to kill them, but instead knew what was coming and had simply let the situation play out.

Prelude to the War
Raynor's fight against the Dominion did not go well, Mengsk utilizing the state-controlled media, oratory and propaganda to marginalize Raynor's efforts. With Raynor and his faction viewed as a terrorist organization and "public enemy number one," Mengsk took steps to keep Raynor and his followers constantly hunted and harried and deny them any chance to gain a respite and build their strength. While Mengsk refused to have Raynor assassinated in fear of turning him into a martyr, he forced Raynor to take up mercenary work to make the cut. That a price of 500,000 credits had been put on his head for crimes of mass murder, terrorism, sabotage, rebellion, incitement, grand larceny, piracy and sedition didn't help matters either. He was especially unpopular amongst Dominion marines, who would use his visage for target practice on firing ranges. Recruitment drives demonized him in a similar manner.

Four years after the, Raynor was still active in the Sector, though had begun losing faith, drinking heavily and blaming himself for Kerrigan's being taken by the zerg. His hatred for Arcturus Mengsk became a festering wound. Raynor's first officer, Matt Horner, still believed in him and in the revolution even though some of Raynor's doubts were spreading to his crew. Horner did a lot to keep things going over the years, always having faith that Raynor's innate heroism would resurface and lead the rebels to victory.

Return to Mar Sara
Raynor returned to his old home on Mar Sara, digging up mementos and reminiscing about his wife and child. He then turned up at Joeyray's Bar, where he watched a news report about the Terran Dominion annexing Mar Sara. Raynor admitted to the bartender that he kept fighting the Dominion because of a promise he had made.

Raynor listened to a UNN newscast by Kate Lockwell as Arcturus Mengsk described him as a terrorist. An angry Raynor shot one of the TV screens, then told his adjutant he would begin a rebellion here.

Raynor personally led an assault on Backwater Station, where the Dominion was enslaving civilians and forcing them to work in a mine.

Jim Raynor reunited with his old friend, Tychus Findlay, at Joeyray's Bar. His companion offered him a business proposition to "liberate" alien artifacts from the Dominion to sell to the. After some bargaining, Raynor agreed. They were successful in recovering an artifact. Not long after this however, the zerg launched an invasion of Mar Sara. Raynor and Findlay escaped on the Hyperion, but learned from Horner that the invasion of Mar Sara was simply part of a wider zerg offensive against the Dominion. Caught up in the conflict, Raynor was presented with the choice of answering a distress call from Agria or retrieving another artifact located on Monlyth.

Out and About
After successfully evacuating Agria, Raynor took the colonists to Meinhoff. However, that world too had been taken by the zerg, with many refugees and buildings becoming infested. Raynor rescued them again and took them to Haven, where the colonists again suffered an outbreak of plague. A Daelaam Protoss fleet led by Executor Selendis arrived, intending to destroy the colonists. Raynor had to choose between fighting the protoss or fighting the plague.

Gabriel Tosh contracted the Raiders to retrieve jorium-rich minerals from Redstone III and then terrazine from Bel'shir, a move which aggravated the Tal'darim forces present on the world. Afterward, Matt Horner received a transmission from an unknown source, explaining terrazine's uses to enhance ghosts into spectres and accusing Tosh of being a threat to Raynor. Tosh admitted to being a spectre, but claimed the transmission came from the Terran Dominion in an attempt to divide them. Raynor agreed to let the matter pass, but wasn't sure if he could trust Tosh. Finally, Tosh tried to hire Raynor for a new mission: rescuing prisoners from New Folsom Prison. However, Nova, a Dominion ghost, contacted Raynor and told him Tosh wanted to rescue former spectres and turn them loose. They would invariably turn into psychopaths. She offered to turn over ghost technology to Raynor if he would instead attack Tosh's operation. Raynor had to choose which he trusted.

Matt Horner told Raynor about an opportunity on Tarsonis&mdash;the Terran Dominion was excavating old Confederate technology there and moving it via lightly-defended trains. They planned a train robbery, giving them access to a Confederate adjutant. The adjutant considered Raynor a criminal and would not give up information, but Raynor knew of an old contact of his, Orlan, who was an expert at decrypting computers. However, Matt Horner's "wife", Mira Han, knew that Orlan had double-crossed him. She offered the services of her mercenaries, but only if Raynor could meet her price before Orlan did. Raynor was able to do so, and the combined mercenaries and Raiders force defeated Orlan and captured him. He was forced to hand over the adjutant, which had recorded a conversation between Arcturus Mengsk, Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan when he betrayed her.

Han had another tip for Raynor: the Dominion was testing a new weapon of war, the Odin, at Valhalla. Raynor and Horner decided to steal it; they could use it to deliver the Confederate adjutant's information to the Dominion citizenry. The mission was successful; Tychus Findlay stole the Odin and used it to destroy five Dominion bases. The Dominion was unaware of the nature of the attack and had no idea their weapon had been subverted. Finally, the Odin was transported to Korhal, where Findlay took it on a rampage. During the battle, the Raiders uploaded the adjutant's information to UNN towers. This prompted Dominion civilians to revolt.

Artifact Hunt
On Monlyth, the protoss present, the Tal'darim, refused to turn the artifact over to Raynor and to make matters worse, the Zerg Swarm had arrived with the intention of retrieving the artifact as well. The Raiders managed to retrieve the artifact, prompting an annoyed Infested Kerrigan to contact Raynor. She would not forget his perchance for resourcefulness a second time.

Raynor once again encountered the Tal'darim on Xil, a world that housed a xel'naga temple, succeeding where the failed and retrieving the artifact inside. Findlay was pleased with the catch and the pay it would bring, but Raynor was less enthusiastic, wondering if retrieving the artifacts was worth his men's lives.

Tidings of Doom
"James Raynor, I bring tidings of doom. I have pierced the veil of the future, and beheld only oblivion. Yet one spark of hope remains. You will hold her life in your hands, and though justice demands that she die for her crimes, only she can save us."

- Zeratul warns Jim Raynor

One protoss who wasn't interested in achieving vengeance on Raynor was Zeratul, who confronted the rebel on the Hyperion. He warned of an impending disaster and how Kerrigan was the key to preventing it. He gave Raynor a crystal which contained memories of his encounter with the Queen of Blades and allowed Raynor's understanding, and subsequently departed.

A Dangerous Game
Infested Kerrigan attacked the base at Tyrador VIII, intending to learn the location of the artifacts. However, Dr. Emil Narud hired Raynor's Raiders to destroy their data cores before Kerrigan could get to them. Afterward, Raynor suffered from a depression, blaming himself for what had happened to Kerrigan.

Raynor pressed on, capturing yet another artifact from a burning world. When he took the Hyperion to the meeting coordinates, they instead encountered a large Dominion fleet led by Bucephalus, Mengsk's flagship. Against Horner's advice, Raynor ordered Hyperion alongside for a boarding action. Raynor and Tychus Findlay led the charge. The rebel leader broke into Mengsk's chambers intending to execute his long-time nemesis, and his pistol was loaded with a single bullet for the purpose. However, Raynor was surprised to find Prince Valerian Mengsk, and not Emperor Arcturus Mengsk. The prince revealed he owned the, and the Raiders were unwittingly working for him. Furthermore, Valerian offered an alliance against the zerg; he believed a device could be created from the artifacts to deinfest Kerrigan. Raynor agreed to work with Valerian. This action provoked resentment from both Findlay and Matt Horner, the former wishing Kerrigan dead, the latter thinking Raynor's emotions were clouding his judgment.

Raynor still pressed ahead, acquiring the final artifact from a xel'naga worldship defended by the Tal'darim Executor. He regained the respect and loyalty of the crew by beating a fully-armored Findlay in a bar fight, and convincing them that a successful revolution also required the zerg to be dealt with. The crew were particularly impressed by the resurgence of Raynor's determination

Valerian Mengsk intended to invade Char, a dangerous proposition. He took half the Dominion fleet with him, along with General Horace Warfield. Arcturus Mengsk contacted him and told him he was in over his head. However, Prince Valerian stood beside Raynor, telling his father he would deinfest Kerrigan, something his father could never do.

Raynor's forces landed on Char, establishing a foothold. They also managed to rescue Warfield, whose battlecruiser had crashed onto Char's surface. Afterward, they had to decide which method they would use to weaken Kerrigan's reinforcements; Raynor proposed assaulting tunnels that he was familiar with, destroying the nydus network. Warfield preferred to attack a massive space platform over Char instead.

After weakening Kerrigan's forces, Raynor moved forward, taking the artifact near Kerrigan's primary hive. The artifact's power enabled it to destroy massive numbers of zerg, but Kerrigan's forces were still numerous and she herself attacked Raynor's base. Eventually the artifact completely charged up, unleashing its power, killing vast numbers of zerg and deinfesting Kerrigan.

Raynor and Findlay found Kerrigan, apparently deinfested. While Raynor was amazed to see her human again, Findlay, under orders from Arcturus Mengsk, tried to kill her. Raynor stopped Findlay's attempt and shot him with his revolver. He then carried Kerrigan out of the hive cluster.

Battle.net
As of October 9th 2005 the classic battle.net web site contained a hidden image of Infested Kerrigan saying "Help me Jim Raynor...you're my only hope!". The animated GIF image and the text can be found at the bottom of the main page. In order to reveal them the user has to click the round object above the Blizzard image (this doesn't work with all browsers).

StarCraft Maps
In Round-Up, Raynor faced Edmund Duke in a game of zergling round-up.

When the Zergrinch attacked Planet Christmas, Raynor sent troops to intervene.

StarCraft: Ghost
Robert Clotworthy was hired to voice act for Raynor in StarCraft: Ghost. Other StarCraft characters such as Infested Kerrigan or Zeratul were not projected to play an important role in the game.

Old Bio
Raynor's original bio differs significantly from current accounts of his actions in the Guild Wars. According to early accounts, he first met Tychus Findlay in the brig of Camp McIntyre on Mar Sara. Their first meeting was in the brig at Camp McIntyre while serving 30 days apiece for insubordination. Both men were listed as missing in action for almost nine months after a reconnaissance mission into Kel-Morian territory in the latter stages of the fighting on Mar Sara. Raynor succeeded where Findlay failed and escaped incarceration, eventually landing a position as marshal.

World of WarCraft

 * Main article: Lord Marshal Raynor

A character similar to Raynor appears in World of Warcraft.

Failoc-alypse
Jim Raynor stars as one of the heroes of Failoc-alypse, killing failocs as they rush by BlizzCon. As he gains levels he can fire more shots. In addition to the abilities of the other heroes (jumping and eventually double jumping, and dashing) he can charge up his rifle with energy; depending on how long he does this, he can clear the screen of failocs by firing a massive red energy beam. He can call upon Grunty the murloc marine for assistance.

Collector's Edition
The Collector's Edition of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will include a USB key which replicates Raynor's dog tags.

StarCraft
Jim Raynor appeared in each episode of StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War as one of three unique units.

In Episode I he was first depicted piloting a hover cycle, and later as a  during the raid on Jacobs Installation.

In Episode II he was seen as a vulture pilot once more, after Infested Kerrigan's rebirth and her defeat of his forces.

In Episode III he was represented by the  Hyperion.

In Brood War he also appeared in all three forms but was rarely a playable character. During the first mission of Episode IV Raynor was playable as a vulture, and was also notable for being the only time players could command an invincible hero. He reappeared in the secret mission Resurrection IV as a marine. Backed up by and capable of using a StimPack, he made a formidable hero.

StarCraft II
Jim Raynor appears as a hero in Liberation Day, Piercing the Shroud and Belly of the Beast missions.

Abilities
Raynor has special abilities in Piercing the Shroud and Belly of the Beast.

In Belly of the Beast, Raynor can use a Mk 12 Penetration Round, which deals damage in a line, with a 20 second cooldown.

Quotations

 * See: Jim Raynor Quotations


 * "Guess you wouldn't be a Confederate if you weren't a complete pain in the ass." (Jim Raynor to Edmund Duke in Backwater Station, upon being arrested by the latter.)


 * (Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk discuss General Duke joining the Sons of Korhal.)
 * Jim Raynor: "I can't believe you're really going to trust this snake!"
 * Arcturus Mengsk: "Don't worry, Jim. He's our snake now."


 * (Raynor to Infested Kerrigan after she kills Fenix)
 * Raynor: "It may not be tomorrow, darlin'. It may not even happen with an army at my back. But rest assured: I'm the man who's going to kill you some day. I'll be seein' you."


 * (Jim Raynor to Matt Horner in Ghosts of the Past)
 * Raynor: "About time we kick this revolution... into overdrive!"


 * (Jim Raynor to Arcturus Mengsk discussing their "alliance" with Kerrigan)
 * "Shutup, Arcturus. If I wanted your damn opinion I would have beaten it out of ya."

Inspiration and Personality
Jim Raynor was created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney. He is based on the undercover police officer of the same name in the film Rush. Metzen and voice actor Robert Clotworthy based his character in part on an image of a space cowboy riding a hover cycle.

Clotworthy describes Raynor as simple, honest, direct and passionate. He does what is right, even if it's the difficult choice. He won't go looking for trouble, but he won't run if it comes looking for him. Clotworthy gave him a quiet, raspy voice to signify that he is a "badass"; it is up to the others to shut up and listen to him.

Chris Metzen describes Raynor as an "honest cop in a universe full of demigods walking around." He has no superpowers and isn't the brightest guy, but he's just a cool cat and doesn't give up. He is the "loneliest person in the universe and his journey for redemption and rocky relationship with Kerrigan makes up the heart of the StarCraft universe in his mind.

Raynor developed good leadership and excellent tactical acumen through practical experience; a lack of formal training allowed him to avoid the preconceived notions of "accepted" knowledge. Rather than plan in depth, Raynor is an excellent improviser able to achieve victory by using what is on hand. Zeratul recognized Raynor to be highly resourceful, and even Arcturus Mengsk considered Raynor a grave threat. Raynor developed a very close relationship with Tassadar, Zeratul and Fenix. His close relationship allow many protoss to consider him like a brother. From there he was one of the few terrans to gain widespread trust and respect amongst the protoss, to the point of some considering him a hero as well. The protoss help Raynor when feasible.

Raynor is one of the very few major terran characters in StarCraft to be fundamentally good throughout the game. Even when he assisted Infested Kerrigan, it was to overthrow the UED, which he suspected would enslave all three races in the sector (in essence, he chose what appeared to be the lesser of two evils).

However, he may drift towards "morally gray" following the Brood War. In Wings of Liberty, the player has the choice of bending Raynor towards good (by taking missions from certain characters such as Ariel Hanson) or evil (by taking missions from characters such as Tychus Findlay and Gabriel Tosh).

"Noobz"
The BlizzCon 2009 grab bag includes "noobz", Blizzard-inspired vinyl toys. One is of Jim Raynor. It stands at 6.25 inches tall.

Statue
DC Direct announced a Jim Raynor collectible statue at Comic Con 2010, expected to be released Q2 2011.