- Doomsday - Volume One: Gods and Monsters

Chapter 4: The Overwatch Strike Team

— Excerpt from a biographical novel written about the early years of the Overwatch Strike Team, detailing the members who originally founded the team and important milestones, Overwatch: Origins (Harold Wilson, 2070)

"During what is considered the lowest point in Humanity's history, it was believed that the only way in which the nations of the Earth could survive this new Omnic threat was to pool together their resources and build an elite peacekeeping taskforce, in order to stave off the mechanical hordes. But how did we get to the point in which every nation felt the need to surrender national sovereignty over military expenditures and allow a semi-autonomous band of soldiers to do as they wished, in the name of freedom? Well it should be stated that not all nations of the Earth joined in and got the benefits of the Overwatch program. The most obvious example of this being Russia, who decided against joining the United Nations program. Rather, they used their own strength and industry, including the newly constructed Svyatogor to fend off the Omnics within their own national borders."

"Nations like Germany and the United States, for example, implemented their own responses to the Omnic threat, including the Soldier Enhancement Program and the J08 produced 'Crusader' armour. If these responses would have been more effective in dealing with the Omnics within their own nations, there is some doubt that Overwatch would have even been created in the first place. However, it was decided that together, not alone, would humanity survive and bare the Omnic threat, with the concept of an international strike force having been put forward before the United Nations."

"The original line up for the Overwatch Strike Team had quite a colourful and dynamic roster of candidates, all believed to be the very best of the best in their respective nations. And the roster did indeed mean international, international if you only include western nations, with the group including two Americans, a German, and a Swede with an Egyptian and a Singaporean. The two Americans, Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes had previously made quite a name for themselves in the US military, being some of the most successful participants of the Enhanced Soldier Program and boasting incredibly successful track records, in combat and in leadership. There is no doubt when considering that both leaders of Overwatch had been these two men''.

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— Audio extract from a confidential, but leaked, tape recording an interview with Gabriel Reyes, before he was made the leader of the Overwatch Strike Force (US MILITARY, 2046)

Interviewer: "Reyes, your progress before the Enhancement program was already incredibly high, yet the further advancement made is startling!"

Reyes: "Thanks ███████, that means a lot."

Interviewer: "The men who have watched you in combat situations, live and tests, have always described you as a 'straight shooter', always taking the most straightforward path to get the mission finished, as efficiently as possible."

Reyes: "Well, I don't know necessarily about what my fellow soldiers have said about me but I would agree, yes. If there is a way in which the mission can be completed in a more efficient way, then that's the path I will take."

Interviewer: "Interesting, but not only that, from interviews with many of the men who have served together and under you, they have described you as a soldier who never leaves a man behind, what would you say?"

Reyes: "One-hundred percent, my main aim in any altercation is to make sure that I can bring back as many of my men as possible."

Interviewer: "Good, good. One last question. What is your general feeling towards Omnics?"

Reyes: "The robots? I don't care much for them, but I wouldn't go out of my way to hunt one down, but if that's the mission, then I wouldn't refuse."

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