Ignatio Mobius

Actor: Richard Smith – Rene Auberjonois

Name: Dr Ignatio Mobius*Alternative forms:* Ignatio Moebius, R. H. Mobius*Nationality:* German*Affiliation:* Global Defence Initiative (GDI)*Role:* Scientist and leading expert on Tiberium*Specialisms:* Physics, chemistry, genetics*Daughter:* Sydney Mobius*Related project:* Human Genome Project*Enemies:* Brotherhood of Nod, Black Hand*Conflict:* Tiberian Dawn*Appearances:* Command & Conquer, Command & Conquer: Renegade
Status: Deceased following Tiberian Dawn.Dr Ignatio Mobius was one of the greatest scientists of his time and the world’s leading expert on Tiberium. Initially fascinated by the possibilities offered by this extraterrestrial substance, he gradually discovered its extraordinary danger and from then on devoted his research to understanding its mutations and protecting humanity from its spread.

A child prodigy

Born in Germany, Mobius showed exceptional intelligence from a very early age. He entered university at just eleven years old, received part of his education in Vienna and Paris, and went on to specialise in the natural sciences, physics, chemistry and genetics.

He went on to become one of the key figures behind the Human Genome Project and was awarded a Nobel Prize. However, his career took a controversial turn when he gradually abandoned this research to study the effects of Tiberium on genes.

Condemned by part of the scientific community, Mobius continued his work thanks to private funding and the protection of the GDI.

The discovery of Tiberium

Mobius is officially credited with the discovery of Tiberium near the Tiber, from which he is said to have derived its name. This account is, however, disputed by Kane, who claims to have discovered the substance independently and to have named it after Tiberius Drusus.

Initially, Mobius regarded Tiberium as an extraordinary discovery with the potential to transform the world. His research, however, gradually revealed its toxic and mutagenic properties.

During the First Tiberium War, he notably set up a field hospital for victims of contamination. Direct observation of the crystal’s effects on humans, animals and vegetation radically changed his view.

Mobius eventually came to regard Tiberium as one of the greatest threats ever faced by humanity.

A priority target for Nod

His knowledge naturally made him a prime target for the Brotherhood of Nod.

The Black Hand eventually captured Mobius at a GDI Tech Center in Guatemala. He was transferred to Peru and then to a European Nod stronghold, along with his daughter Sydney Mobius and Dr Elena Petrova.

Nod then forces the scientists to take part in the ReGenesis project, a programme led by Gideon Raveshaw aimed at harnessing the mutagenic properties of Tiberium to create genetically enhanced Soldiers. A significant part of the project relies directly on Mobius’s research.

The Rescue by Havoc

Captain Nick “Havoc” Parker is sent to find the scientists.

He locates Mobius in a secret Nod facility after confronting Raveshaw. Sydney, however, has already been taken elsewhere. Havoc therefore frees Mobius and must escort him through a complex overrun by mutants that have spiralled out of control.

Mobius then retrieves a combat suit specially designed for him and plays a direct part in their escape.

Once returned to General Adam Locke, he explains the true nature of the ReGenesis project to the GDI and reveals that Nod is using his research to bring about artificial genetic acceleration through Tiberium.

Havoc then pursues Nod to the Temple where Sydney is being held.

Following the destruction of the Black Hand’s facilities and the definitive failure of ReGenesis, Mobius is finally reunited with his daughter. He subsequently continues his scientific career and remains a leading authority in the study of Tiberium.

His legacy endures long after the First Tiberium War. In particular, a scientific facility subsequently built by the GDI near a Threshold Tower is named the Mobius Research Station.

Death

Sources provide two different accounts of Mobius’s death.

Information presented during the Third Tiberium War suggests that he perished along with his team when a bolt of lightning caused by an ion storm struck their shelter. This disaster subsequently led to the development of shelters specially protected against ion storms.

The novel Tiberium Wars offers another version in which Mobius is aboard the GDSS Philadelphia when Nod destroys the station in 2047.

The first version is therefore the one directly presented in the game, whilst the second comes from its novelisation.

Personality

Mobius is an eccentric and extremely absent-minded scientific genius. Absorbed by his research, he can neglect his surroundings and even basic safety rules, to the extent that he has risked his life more often than some Commandos without actually serving on the front line.

His relationship with Tiberium undergoes a profound change. Initially fascinated by its scientific and evolutionary potential, he is horrified when he realises the full extent of its biological consequences. From then on, his aim is no longer merely to understand the crystal, but to find ways to protect and treat contaminated human beings.

However, his work attracted the attention of terrorist groups – including the Brotherhood of Nod – who saw Mobius as a tool in their quest for world domination, despite the fact that Kane often regarded Mobius as “a madman”. He was eventually captured by the Black Hand at a GDI research base in Guatemala, following the failure of an initial operation to apprehend him. From there, he was transferred to the Nod airbase in Peru. Eventually, he was sent, along with his daughter, to a Black Hand research laboratory in a European Nod stronghold.He was almost rescued when Captain Parker arrived on the scene, but was recaptured following the explosion caused by Carlos Mendoza and was moved, along with Elena Petrova, to another research centre in Egypt. After being rescued by Captain Parker, Mobius resumed use of the Mobius armour and assisted Parker during their escape from the research facility. He subsequently pursued a distinguished scientific career.Some sources indicate that Dr Mobius was killed, along with his research team, during an ionic storm; others suggest he died in the destruction of the Philadelphia.