He doesn't have flesh-ripping hooks for arms; he doesn't breathe fire; he doesn't howl at the full moon; he doesn't slobber acidic saliva. And yet, Command & Conquer's archvillain is one of the most vile characters you'll ever butt heads with in any PC game.

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We first saw Kane's cold visage in Westwood's Command & Conquer as the leader of the terrorist group Brotherhood of NOD with plans to shape mankind's destiny to his liking. No one knows exactly where he came from, although the belief is that he's the biblical Cain - forever banished to the land of Nod for killing his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy. That theory is certainly easy to swallow, as Kane is seen whispering in Stalin's ear during Red Alert, some 50 years prior to Command & Conquer, and then again in Tiberian Sun, 20 years after he was supposedly killed by a nuclear strike.

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Kane is as calculating in his decisions as he is impulsive in his actions. As a tactician, he manages to consistently keep NOD one step ahead of the Global Defense Initiative. As a leader, he is swift to strike down any opposition to his power. As a warrior, punishment meted out to those who fail him is merciless. Despite his brutality, Kane's fervent passion for world domination is echoed by thousands of followers. His anti-Western/antiestablishment propaganda and charismatic speeches captivate those who had suffered at the hands of the GDI and rally them to his cause.

It's no wonder most gamers chose to play alongside the Brotherhood of NOD instead of the Global Defense Initiative in the original C&C. It's also no mystery which side we'll heavily favor when Tiberian Sun comes out.
 

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