Invictus (The Guardian)

"No biggie. We can always tweak the rules a bit..."

- Higgs

Higgs Monaghan, also known as the "Man in the Golden Mask", was a porter and a close associate of Fragile Express, until he met and was seduced by Amelie. Higgs acted as the figurehead of the militant separatist group known as the Homo Demens to maintain the independence of Edge Knot City on Amelie's behest.

Background
Higgs was raised by his uncle early in his life after both of his parents died. He grew up thinking the shelter was the entire world, and his uncle would beat him whenever he asked about the outside world or tried to leave the shelter. Higgs would eventually kill his uncle in self-defense with a knife and witness the body going necro. Higgs took the corpse out and felt the Beached Thing s slowly approaching, unknowingly gaining his DOOMS in the process. In time, he would find out that his powers were triggered by death.

To stay alive, Higgs became a porter, being the only job he could do to survive. One time, he delivered medicine to a prepper living close to him only to find that he had died. It was too late to take the body to an incinerator. Instead, he took it to BT territory, where he started feeling the BTs reacting to the corpse and began having visions of the Beach, leaving Higgs to wonder if he had DOOMS. Eventually Higgs begin to make a name for himself thanks to his hard work as a porter. He was offered a position in a delivery outfit out west that operated outside Bridges' sphere of influence, for expanding their operations.

The head of the outfit who recognized Higgs talents and sought him out was a woman who called herself Coffin. She told Higgs that Bridges plan for rebuilding America involved the sacrifices of unborn children. The so-called BBs were being carted to some factory by the boatload to be slaughtered. Higgs learned that Coffin and her crew were behind the spike of recent terrorism in the region, but trusting her words, he decided to follow her lead in secret.

Coffin, who begin to consider Higgs her son, would give him military training and transmit her ideas, which would be fundamental in the young man's future. In addition, his DOOMS ability would be of vital importance for the mobility and survival of the group in BT's territory.

The end of the group came when they attacked a facility that was blown up by the UCA, killing almost all the rebels in the explosion. The survivors suffered terminal cancer due to the high concentration of chiral crystals in the area. Before going their separate ways, Coffin gave Higgs a mission: to save the BBs and put a stop to Bridges, to go to west, play the good porter a little while longer and eventually help Coffin's daughter, should the two ever cross paths.

Leaving his life as a rebel behind, Higgs came to enjoy helping people, being an essential part of a community, defying his adoptive father's teachings about caring only about oneself. However, when he was unable to help one of his porter partners that was calling for help lost in the mountains, Higgs began to question his powers to detect BTs because he felt them dwindling. Simultaneously, Higgs began reading a book called Wisdom of the Egyptians, about how the ancient Egyptians' concepts of life and death seemed to predict the changes brought on by the Death Stranding. Borrowing from the old pharaohs' wisdom, he began to wear a golden death mask, "but one for living—for ruling".

With the increase of terrorist actions lead by the terrorist group in the region, Word is Demens, and rumors that Bridges was sending an expeditionary force out west to "facilitate the reconstruction of America", Higgs decided that is time to join up with Fragile Express, lead by Coffin's daughter Fragile, who also had great DOOMS powers. Together they planned to consolidate their operations throughout the whole continent, like what UCA planed. Higgs thought he was the only one suited for leading the people and bringing them a new free and united world.

Becoming a terrorist
Higgs eventually met Amelie, and he was seduced by her powers. Believing her to be the only one capable of uniting America, he became her herald. Amelie gave him a fake Bridge baby that would facilitate his entry to Amelie's beach and detection of BTs. She also taught him part of the truth of the Death Stranding. Seeing that the end was inevitable, Higgs shared her goal of bringing about the Last Stranding earlier than intended and, at the end of the first expedition, Higgs used his new powers granted by Amelie to create the tar belt to isolate Edge Knot City, giving Amelie an excuse not to return to the Bridges HQ.

Growing impatient of waiting for Amelie's plan to come to fruition, Higgs unified the terrorist group, Homo Demens, and became their leader, seeking the destruction of the UCA. Most of them were infected with Chiralium contamination. Higgs introduced many of his Homo Demens to Fragile Express, and began trafficking arms and bombs to the middle region of the country. They acquired thermonuclear bombs and Higgs tricked Fragile into delivering a nuke to Middle Knot City, which was completely obliterated. Fragile only survived by using her Beach to escape. After numerous terrorist attacks, Higgs then tried to do the same with South Knot City, but Fragile stopped the nuke midway. Higgs anticipated her knowing about his plan, and caught her with the nuke in her hands. He then gave Fragile the choice to either use her Beach and escape, leaving South Knot City to be destroyed, or to run in only her undergarments through Timefall to take the nuke to the Crater Lake, where it wouldn't affect anyone. Fragile managed to get the nuke to the Crater Lake in time.

Confronting Sam
Concerned by Amelie's obsession with her adoptive brother Sam, who was supposed to lead the second expedition to unite America, Higgs decided to confront Sam and his Bridges companions, causing a voidout that blew out the entirety of Central Knot City and the second expedition, minus Sam, who was a repatriate. At this point, Higgs learns the truth of the Death Stranding and Amelie confesses to him being an Extinction Entity, rather than a DOOMS sufferer. While confronting Sam in Port Knot City, Higgs reveals to him his understanding of the truth of the Death Stranding and hints at Amelie being an Extinction Entity, then he uses his powers to summon a BT that would defeat Sam and cause another voidout that would destroy the city, however Sam manages to defeat the BT.

Later on Higgs, disguised as a Bridges operative in Lake Knot City, tries to trick Sam into delivering a nuke to South Knot City, though Sam realizes his plan midway and Fragile helps him to dispose of the nuke once again in the Crater Lake. Despite being part of Amelie's plan, he questions her commitment to the Last Stranding, and is left to wonder the meaning of events like the supercells by himself. With Sam nearing the tar belt, Higgs visits Amelie's beach and takes her quipu, possibly so that she can't communicate with Sam through their dreams. After leaving Mama's Lab, Higgs appears once again before Sam and manifests a large, four-legged BT, issuing the deliveryman a challenge: avoid being eaten.

When Sam reaches the shores of Edge Knot City, Higgs is there to welcome him blocking and taunting him, while continuing to play the role of Amelie's jailer. When Sam finally connects the city to the Chiral Network, thus connecting all the nodes, Higgs summons a colossal BT and, with a "possessed" Amelie trapped inside, Higgs reveals to Sam the truth about Amelia, that she is an Extinction Entity, that she is the one who has to start the Last Stranding, and that she is the cause of the DOOMS and the nightmares that comes with the condition. While Sam is astonished, Higgs takes control of the colossal BT and confronts him, but is defeated again. However, Higgs kidnaps Amelie by taking her to the Beach, but not before damaging BB's pod and fatally wounding Sam, who then comes back to life as a repatriate.

When Sam arrives on the beach, Higgs is kneeling in front of Amelie, proof of his involvement, but as soon as he notices Sam's arrival, Higgs continues his act by blocking Amelie with his mask and trapping her in a "net". Knowing that the human race has little time left, Higgs tells Sam that they should become extinct like the species of the previous extinctions, and thus begins the last fight with the rival, first with his rifle, then with a knife, and finally at the Amelie's feet, a fist fight. After Sam defeats Higgs, Fragile arrives to the Beach herself and, in a last desperate effort, Higgs tries to control Amelie but fails. Realizing he was abandoned by the woman who gave him power, Fragile taunts him and punches him with her bare fist making him pass out.

Bound and without any power, Higgs is delivered by Sam to Fragile, thus keeping his promise. Fragile then gives him two choices: suicide or be stranded on the beach, possibly choosing the second option. While in Fragile's captivity, Higgs confessed that Amelie gave Higgs his powers, that she was the true leader of the Homo Demens, and that the terrorist unit always served under her.

Higgs later wrote about his defeat in his journal, before writing about his childhood, the meeting with Fragile and his descent into madness after meeting Amelie, leaving some the journal pages in the shelter of his stage name: Peter Englert on a memory chip, and others on separate memory chips found throughout the game.

Personality
Highly meticulous and malicious, Higgs has no qualms nor moral boundaries when orchestrating ruthless acts of slaughter and gleefully participates out of fun and personal enjoyment. Holding an aura of unshakable confidence, charisma, and sarcasm, he rarely loses his cool and consistently maintains a composed and collected personality. He has no hesitation when engineering voidouts killing thousands to instill fear in the cities guided and united under the UCA Alliance, and to facilitate the extinction of humanity.

Higgs has a layer of dark humor when confronting Sam and Fragile as well as overall. Musing about death and destruction of the last POTUS, and noting that Amelie wasn't cut out for a similar role. He has no restraint over his men and sees them as infallible and loyal. Highly egotistical and arrogant, Higgs views himself as greater than humanity, yet also has accepted the inevitability of the sixth extinction event. In his dealings with other humans, especially Sam Bridges, he uses his chiralium control as demonstrations of his superior nature.

Higgs has also been shown to have a bit of a perverted side and makes no attempts to hide it nor is he above using it to intimidate his enemies. In particular, he is shown to be attracted to Fragile, licking her face and forcing her to strip down to her underwear before having her run out into the rain. It should also be noted that in an encounter with Sam, in which he removes his mask for the first time, he does much the same. Whether this insinuates a similar attraction towards Sam or if licking his enemies is just a weird intimidation tactic is left unclear. Later, after beating Sam in a gunfight, as he's carrying off Amelie he noticeably gropes her butt likely as a way to further taunt Sam.

Despite his violent behavior, Higgs demonstrates a very high intellect and understanding of various concepts prior to Sam and Fragile. Higgs displays his worst traits through an affable exterior that hides his more evil intentions. He once believed in the preservation of the UCA and actively supported their cause.

Due to him meeting Amelie, he finds out the truth about everything and becomes a hyper-fatalist hellbent on bringing about a mass extinction of humanity, the Sixth Extinction. He implores Sam to realize his apparent inevitable destruction. His philosophy is heavily influenced by his realization of extinction entities and their purpose. As noted above, he accepts this fate without pause, and even manipulates Sam into helping the acceleration of the 6th Extinction Event.

Physical description
Higgs wears a black gas mask that covers the entirety of his head. Over that, he wears a golden skull mask that covers the lower portion of his face as well as a black hooded cloak pulled up onto his head, the lining of which is striped blue and gold. The cloak covers his shoulders, coming down into two points at the back. On the cloak right shoulder is the Homo Demens Egyptian style symbol in white, with 'VOID OUT' in text. On his torso, he wears a black bullet proof vest on top of a dim greenish-yellow suit. Attached to his front is his BB as well as 3 smoke grenades. Higgs has a 3-pronged flower-shaped odradek attached to his back. He wears long black gloves with golden plates on the hands. He has black boots and dark green cargo pants, held up by a belt with many pockets. He wears Amelie's gold Quipu necklace. He also has two more Quipus worn on him, one larger one by his lower right torso side, and one on his left upper thigh.

Behind Higgs’ masks his face bears stubble but lacks both eyebrows, the removal of which resembles the practices by Egyptian priests. Four lines of text, the Higgs Boson equations, are inscribed (presumingly tattooed) upon his brow, two in the place of his eyebrows. Higgs’ blue eyes are encircled by thick black eyeliner inspired by the ancient Egyptian style makeup, which sometimes runs as a result of a chiral allergy.

At the end of chapter 3 he also dresses in disguise as a Bridges employee, complete with a Bridges hat, headphones, gloves, and jumpsuit uniform.

Abilities
With his golden mask, Higgs is able to summon Hunter BTs in the form of chiralium, and subsequently a Catcher BT to attack Sam. Furthermore, he is shown to be able to control the weather in the form of timefalls; Higgs points his hand upwards to the sky in the shape of a gun, and fires off a blast into the clouds, triggering the timefall almost immediately afterwards.

Highly Advanced Chiralium Control: Higgs has the greatest control of Chiralium of any individual within the entirety of the storyline save Amelie herself, who granted him the ability. There is no apparent limit to his power, and he can subsequently create any object he desires out of Chiralium, as well as amplify his weaponry and attacks. Creating monstrous beasts and a variety of specialized creatures each with their own design and capabilities to attack Sam, he displays total control over any and all forms of BTs, wielding them with absolute ease while maintaining perfect and total control over said BTs.

Tar Manipulation: Tar is a viscous black liquid that manifests along with aggressive BTs, Higgs has shown the ability to create tar from apparently nowhere and creating tar-like strings.

Weather Manipulation: Due to the complexity and capabilities that Higgs has bestowed upon him by Amelie, he is shown to create Timefall whenever and wherever he pleases. He also chooses and can freely manipulate what will and what won't be affected, as well as the intensity of the rain and time to take effect. Due to his mastery, he is unaffected by the effects of Timefall and may wear armor solely to stay connected to his BB.

Telekinesis: Higgs was able to levitate displaying an ability for telekinetic flight, as well as telekinetically lift several boulders while standing on one of them, pull Fragile's umbrella out of her hand from a distance, and telekinetically lift move Amelie.

Clairvoyance Senses: Higgs has demonstrated limited clairvoyance, since only "smelling" directly to Sam could tell that Bridget was dead and that Amelie would take over as President. However, it isn't known if it's really is a power of Higgs, or he already knew this information because of being controlled by Amelie.

Precognition: Wrote about his defeat and loss of power in his journal and a mail he sent to Sam before it happened. While he appeared spiteful and self-deprecating in the journal, he was resigned in the mail indicating he accepted what is going to happen.

Teleportation: Higgs has the ability to teleport anywhere he wants as many times he wants to. This may be due to his direct connection to Amelie and her beach.

Nigh Immortality: It is heavily implied by Higgs that he may be a repatriate like Sam, when he says that if either of them die on the beach, they won't be able to go back. That it'll be the end for one of them.

Episode Appearances

 * Prologue: Porter
 * Episode 2: Amelie
 * Episode 3: Fragile
 * Episode 5: Mama
 * Episode 8: Heartman
 * Episode 9: Higgs

In-universe

 * Higgs carries a portable tank with a fetus-shaped figure inside. Rather than emitting an orange-yellow glow when activated, as the bridge baby's pod does, his portable pod emits a red one. The bottom casing of Higgs' pod is also green, rather than orange like the bridge baby's.
 * Underneath his golden mask, Higgs wears another black mask.
 * Both he and Sam began as porters. Higgs' successes and admiration from the communities inflated his ego but made him susceptible to a fall to madness after he met Amelie. Sam managed to remain humble and remember the purpose of helping connect others and chose to carry on living even after learning of Amelie's true nature.
 * He mails Sam under the pseudonym Peter Englert. Each mail is about delivering a pizza, claiming to be Sam's greatest fan, and pleasing a (non-existent) relative.
 * Based on the stacks of pizza boxes and scrawling of "Hot Pizza Forever! Cold pizza is for the dogs!" in his hideout, Higgs seems to have strong opinions on pizza.
 * Right before his final battle against Sam, we can see Higgs kneeling in front of Amelie, showing respect to the Extinction Entity. When Sam sees this Higgs quickly attacks her to cover up the situation.

Out-of-universe

 * Higgs first appeared in the TGA 2017 teaser trailer, pointing out to Sam and the Corpse Disposal Team 6 operatives the presence of BTs. He again appeared in a short TGS 2018 trailer. His name was officially revealed in the 2019 release date reveal trailer.
 * Both Troy Baker and Satoshi Mikami previously voiced Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain; however, according to Kojima, their voicing the same character again was merely a coincidence.
 * Higgs is fully modelled after the likeness of Troy Baker, whose credited roles rarely have him portraying characters with his likeness.
 * Higgs shares his name with one of the equations of Sam's necklace, namely the equation.
 * "The Particle of God" is a nickname often given to the in popular media outside the scientific community.
 * The final mail message from Peter Englert, signed "I have the honor to be your obedient servant," references a song from the play Hamilton, in which the titular character's foil, Aaron Burr, begins a chain of antagonistic letters with falsely polite final lines, precipitating their final duel.
 * One of his diary entries paraphrases a section from Act 5, Scene 5 of Macbeth.