Significance of Icarus

[MixMasterNut]

ICARUS - IN-GAME

Al has named our make-shift glider plane, Icarus

I've Completed the aircraft's schematics, using only components that I know can be found within the grounds. However. everything hinges on gaining the trust and help of some of the facility's most notorious residents.

They may make fun of me sometimes, but they know I can do anything if I set my mind to it. I've planned enough jobs for them in the past to know that I can convince them to join me as Icarus takes flight.

Speaking of Icarus, same old story. The Editor defaced my art, scrawling nasty comments on every page.

When I get out, I'll show him how wrong he is...

There is a lot of significance in naming the plane glider Icarus.

ICARUS - GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Icarus was the son of Daedalus, a talented craftsmean at the time of King Minos (Minotaur). They were both imprisoned in the minotaur's Labyrinth named Crete. Daedalus created a set of wings for both himself and his son, made of feathers and glued together by wax. Icarus was given his set of wings with strict orders not to fly too close to the Sun, or the sea. One day, when they both took flight, Icarus was overcome by the feelings of freedom the sensations of flying created. Deciding to ignore his father's warnings, Icarus flew higher into the sky, closer and closer to the Sun. Slowly but surely, the wax holding his feathered wings together started to melt away and Icarus fell into the sea and drowned.

Video showing artwork of the Icarus (Greek Mythology)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus

STORYLINE SIGNIFICANCE

Just like in the Greek mythology for Icarus, our crew is trapped on a prison, and must craft a way to fly to freedom with the unconventional materials made available to them. Daedalus and Icarus risked death for thier chance at freedom, and now our crew must do the same. The story of Icarus ends in tragedy. Will our crew meet the same fate on their crafted "Icarus"? The big EE achievement for this map might give a clue:

No One Escapes Alive: In Mob of the Dead, execute the escape plan.

I'm liking how in BO2 Zombies, there are pieces of the story that parallel to a previous historical/mythological events. For instance the Tower of Babble achievement in Tranzit closely paralleled the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. And it's no mistake that Die Rise is sub-named "The Great Leap Forward".

SOMEBODY HINTED ICARUS TO US

I wonder if the somebody01 posts on the activision forums just gained traction with this new Icarus connection:

http://www.nextgenupdate.com/forums/sho ... ?p=4900880

http://callofdutyzombies.com/forum/view ... 3&p=253351

[soundcloud][/soundcloud]

Did a "community troll" just grow wings?

- Mix

[InfestLithium]

This is some juicy information, friendo! I knew we'd have yet another allusion to go by, but at least we have a very direct story to compare the mode to. Judging by how you presented the legend and Achievement, it seems that we (the characters) will meet our fate upon leaving the island.

In the legend, Icarus' demise comes from disobeying his father's orders by getting closer to the Sun. I wonder in what way the new crew could do the same; perhaps by flying to high into the air as they crash somewhere? They have to stop at some point since the cycle must be repeated (electric chairs?).

[Electric Jesus]

I always thought "execute the escape plan" was a pun. Execute means to carry out, or to be killed in a systematic fashion. So by carrying our this "escape" plan we carry out a sequence of events which ultimately results in our own demise.

Nice job with the info!

Edit: maybe the fact that it is systematic (like I said above) is somehow relevant to this mysterious cycke we've heard about? Like a cycle of death and resurrection. Just thought I'd mention that since it seems relevant.

[InfestLithium]

Edit: maybe the fact that it is systematic (like I said above) is somehow relevant to this mysterious cycke we've heard about? Like a cycle of death and resurrection. Just thought I'd mention that since it seems relevant.

Hm, it could very well be that. The cycle must repeat itself, and we already know that our crew beings their first revolution of the cycle prior to us even fully beginning the game.

[Baez le Piplup]

So you die to restart?

[Tac]

I still find it odd to name the craft you've made "Icarus" given the history above, but Mix did explain it to me rather well on Skype.

It is the wings to get off an island prison and a story about risking death for freedom.

Very well done Mix, like usual, great read and makes tons of sense.

In the legend, Icarus' demise comes from disobeying his father's orders by getting closer to the Sun. I wonder in what way the new crew could do the same; perhaps by flying to high into the air as they crash somewhere? They have to stop at some point since the cycle must be repeated (electric chairs?).

I am thinking that execute literally implies the Electric Chairs. We make our makeshift Icarus, send it into flight and find ourselves high into the sky, and crash into the Golden Gate Bridge. Either by hitting some wires or just naturally crashing there due to distance, I'm not sure. You can survive as long as you want on the bridge, spend as much time there as you wish, but eventually you must execute yourself and send yourself to Purgatory mode back on the island, thus completing one cycle.

[Mattzs]

This may be a stretch, but do you think that there is any significance that two of the characters (I think Billy is) are Italian and the map is filled with these Greco-Roman Classical references?

Now, I understand the Italian Mafia was highly active during Prohibition Era, hence the Italian characters in Alcatraz. But, since this era pre-dates our Samantha-Edwardo timeline, it could have easily been omitted from the zombie storyline and we wouldn’t have ever put much thought into a connection to the Prohibition Era- Great Depression. The zombie’s team could have easily chosen any other time period to continue the story and they specifically chose the 20s-30s.

I find it interesting that we have Italian Characters with references to the Classics. Will there be Latin or Greek Phrases on this map?

I hope I am making sense, it has been a long day.

Also could it be possible that,

Brutus is an allusion to the Minotaur

and

Alcatraz is an allusion the Minotaur’s Labyrinth

[BizBloodshot]

Anybody try "Icarus" as the cipher?

[MixMasterNut]

So I was watching Ali-A's tutorial on how to build the Icarus plane...

And I noticed that once you've actually finished building the plane and fly off, you then get caught in the storm during ascension and crash onto the Golden Gate bridge. The only way to escape the bridge is to kill yourself using the electric chairs.

I find this final part to be once again all too similar to the events in the Icarus mythology. Our Icarus flew too high.

- Mix

[MixMasterNut]

I recently found another ingame connection to Icarus.

In this part of Al's Journal, he is refering to this comic book sketch found in pieces around the map

Props to PTG for finding this

Did Al name his flying super-hero "Icarus" as well?

I want to point out one of the Editor's notes at the bottom that reads

"A FLYING MAN - DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE A MAN CAN FLY?"

I think we all know the answer to that one

- Mix