Alyx Vance

Alyx Vance is a prominent figure in the Resistance against the rule of the alien race called the Combine and their human representative, Dr. Breen. She is a human woman in her early to mid twenties. Like many of the human Resistance leaders based at Black Mesa East, she is a former resident of the original Black Mesa Research Facility. Alyx was a child at the time of the Black Mesa Incident.

She first appears in Half-Life 2.

Family
Alyx is the daughter of Dr. Eli Vance, who appeared briefly in the original Half-Life.

Alyx's mother, Azian Vance, can be seen in a family photograph in Black Mesa East with the face of Alyx's voice actor, Merle Dandridge. Azian lived in the facility's dormitories with Alyx, but died during the Black Mesa Incident.

Personality and skills
Alyx wields an electronic multitool that uses an electric charge in order to bypass security systems, open locked doors and, in Episode One, re-program Rollermines to attack Combine Troops and Stalkers. She is also very proficient with a pistol and in unarmed combat, and helps fight alongside Gordon briefly during both the Entanglement and Anticitizen One chapters of Half-Life 2. In Episode One, Alyx accompanies the player for most of the game and demonstrates fighting skills previously unseen, such as kicking a headcrab zombie in a fight.

Despite Alyx's friendly nature she shows some hostility towards Dr. Mossman because of Mossman's somewhat patronizing attitude towards her, as well as Mossman's interest in her father. At the end of Half-Life 2, this hostility has seemingly vanished, when Dr. Mossman helps to free Alyx and her father from the clutches of Dr. Breen.

At several points during Half-Life 2 it is suggested that there is a growing relationship developing between Gordon Freeman and Alyx. Continuing this theme, Episode One contains many situations where this relationship is developed. Alyx hugs Gordon when her robot, Dog, finds him (and becomes clearly embarrassed afterwards), and at one point she jokingly asks Gordon if there is room for two in Gordon's H.E.V. suit. Barney Calhoun additionally mentions that Gordon is a "lucky dog" to travel alongside Alyx. The game commentary that is given during the "elevator scene," in which Gordon waits for the elevator that would take him down to the core, verifies that such a relationship was intended. Alyx also has a good sense of humour, as evidenced by the jokes she makes about various things, including the Combine and Gordon's silence. An example of this can be seen in the Lowlife chapter of Episode One, where she and the player navigate a series of zombie infested tunnels. During lulls in combat she makes noises like a zombie to scare the player, upon finding out it's her she will say "Hah, gotcha!".

Appearances
Alyx helps Freeman more frequently and directly than any other character in Half-Life 2. In the first chapter (Point Insertion), Alyx saves Gordon from Civil Protection forces when he is unarmed and not yet wearing his protective HEV suit. Later, in Black Mesa East, she gives Gordon a gravity gun and demonstrates its use. During the chapter titled Entanglement, she helps search Nova Prospekt for her captured father. She fights alongside Gordon through a section of City 17 during the armed uprising in Anticitizen One, and provides indirect assistance to Gordon during the final confrontation with Dr. Breen in the final areas of the Citadel in Dark Energy.

In Black Mesa East, Alyx argues heatedly with Dr. Judith Mossman. Alyx's hostility towards Mossman is seemingly justified: Freeman and Alyx learn in Entanglement that Mossman has betrayed the resistance and given away the location of their hidden facility. Nevertheless, in Dark Energy, Dr. Mossman explains her actions and the two women finally make peace.

In the ending scene of Half-Life 2, Alyx is with Gordon Freeman at the time of the dark energy explosion. While the G-Man saves Gordon from the enormous blast, Alyx is apparently left behind, frozen in time with one arm shielding her eyes.

Alyx manages to survive, being rescued by Vortigaunts, who also free Gordon from the influence of his employer, the G-Man; after being teleported away to just outside the Citadel and briefly revisiting it, Alyx and Gordon stick together for most of Episode One, finally getting to the exit from City 17 and jumping on the last resistance train wagon heading out of the City just as the Citadel explodes.

Weapons
In Half-Life 2 and most of Episode One, Alyx is seen with her unique weapon, an automatic pistol, known simply as "Alyx's Gun" (from its entity name, ). This gun is not available to Freeman, although the player can obtain it via the cheat console, and it is also an available weapon to the player in the Japanese made Half Life 2 modification "Smod". However, late in Episode One, Alyx grabs a shotgun (identical to the one available to the player, which resembles a Franchi SPAS-12) and wields it throughout the hospital in Chapter 4. At one point, she also uses an Overwatch sniper rifle, although she is not actually seen when sniping (neither are Combine snipers), and twice in the game she uses mounted Combine machine guns to provide cover fire for Gordon.

Alyx's fate


Although the official teaser trailer for Episode Two shows Alyx hanging above a cliff and calling on Gordon for help, before presumably losing her grip, it has been confirmed that she will at least play a part in the episode.

Later in the teaser, a Vortigaunt is seen carrying Alyx while a vortigaunt is heard saying "This is more than anyone can bear, but we will persevere" (which is also a random piece of Vortigant speech in Half-Life 2). Her body, however, is free of any injuries consistent with a traumatic fall from a cliff; aside from being limp and unresponsive in the Vortigaunt's arms, there is no apparent sign of any trauma whatsoever. Therefore, two possibilities are most likely: either Valve is not revealing some key information about the form of Alyx's death, or that Alyx is not dead but merely unconscious.(Note: The second trailer showed similar footage of Alyx, and different footage of Hunters and environments).

Whether she suffers any serious injury from her fall or was actually killed and is then revived is currently unknown. However, according to the Episode Two preview article in the August 2006 issue of PC Gamer magazine, Alyx will be available as a gunner in a new vehicle, which suggests that she survives. In the June 2007 edition, Pc Gamer playtested Episode 2, and she is very much alive, spending "the entire episode" by Gordon's side.

Also note, that the picture given to the right, in the background scenery, is parts of a train wreck, which was basically featured at the end of Half-Life 2: Episode One, and at the beginning of Episode Two. Despite skepticism prior to the launch of it, players completing the game, will concur that Alyx is in fact with you the majority of the game, aside from a small near-death-experience, thanks to Gordon Freeman, and the help of the Vortigant's, is revived.

In a new trailer for Episode Two released recently, we see Alyx, presumably unconscious, lying in the darkness; the G-Man walks to her and says "You're not supposed to be here", bending to take a look at her and continuing his speech telling Alyx (or possibly the viewer, which is the same as to say Gordon Freeman) to "forget about all this".