John Torque

John Torque
John Torque as he appears in Vigilante 8: Arcade
Name:	John Torque
Age:	32
Appearances:	Vigilante 8 Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Vigilante 8: Arcade
Vehicle:	V8: Jefferson V8: 2nd Offense: Thunderbolt V8: Arcade: Jefferson
Special Weapon:	V8: Bass Quake V8: 2nd Offense: Wheel O' Fortune V8: Arcade: Bass Quake
Alignment:	Vigilante

John Torque is a fictional character in the vehicle action series Vigilante 8.

OverviewEdit

John Torque was a down on his luck gambler who lost more money than he was taking in. It is hinted that he owed money to some shady people, but had a terrible gambling problem. His reasons for joining the Vigilantes is a mystery, but Sid Burn was a nationally wanted terrorist, so the reward money was most likely the reason. Despite this being the case, it didn't affect his friendship with Convoy.

Prior to the events of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, John Torque had eliminated Sid Burn and used his money to buy a new vehicle, a new wardrobe, and then gambled the rest away. Bored out of his mind without the thrill of taking down the Coyotes, John Torque became a bounty hunter and decided to track down a notorious weapon smuggler named Nina Loco, who turned out to be an old flame of Sid's. While on Loco's trail, John decided to pay a visit to his old mentor, and was horrified to find Convoy and Houston missing, and their home burned to the ground. Torque immediately grabbed a few machine guns from Convoy's backyard and set off to search for them.

EndingsEdit

In his V8 ending, John takes Sid Burn's money and gambles it away at a roadside casino. He then reveals Sid Burn bound and gagged in the trunk of his car as he drives off to an unknown destination.

In his V8: 2nd Offense ending, he finally catches Nina Loco and heads to the nearest jailhouse to collect reward money. He opens his trunk, which shows Nina tied up, but John has a change of heart. Then he and Nina drive off together, the two falling in love with each other.

In his V8: Arcade ending, John Torque defeats Boogie and uses his money to (presumably) gamble in Vegas.

Vehicles & StatisticsEdit

In V8, John drove the 1969 Jefferson, a white pimp-mobile that was decently armored and had moderate speed.

Top Speed:	IIIIIIIIIIII
Armor:	IIIIIIIIIIIII
Avoidance:	IIIIIIIIII

In V8: 2nd Offense, he traded the Jefferson for the Thunderbolt, a Pontiac Firebird-like car that wasn't as well armored as the Jefferson, but was faster.

Acceleration:	IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Top Speed:	IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Armor:	IIIIIIII
Avoidance:	IIIII

In Vigilante 8: Arcade, John Torque returns in the 1974 Jefferson, a slightly different style from its 1969 counterpart with a rusty-white paint job. It also has good radar evasion, but low strength.

Strength:	Low
Acceleration:	Average
Top Speed:	Average
Radar Evasion:	Good

Special WeaponsEdit

In V8 and V8: Arcade, John's Special Weapon was the Bass Quake, a giant stereo mounted on the trunk that sent out a damaging shockwave that caused all nearby environment to tremble.

In V8: 2nd Offense, John's Special Weapon was the Wheel o' Fortune, a revolver like weapon that did moderate to high damage, depending on if the shot was supercharged (this happens randomly).

TriviaEdit

• In Vigilante 8: Arcade, it's stated that John Torque's favorite car accessory is double deck poker cards.
• According to an article on IGN, John Torque is considered an example of positive influence on African-American culture.
• John Torque's character is based on Richard Roundtree's original Black action hero, John Shaft. The line "shut your mouth", heard in the main theme song of the game, is a reference to the main theme of the movie Shaft, in which the eponymous character stars in.

QuotesEdit

Vigilante 8:Edit

• "You ready to roll the dice, bro!"
• "Bassquake!"
• "Deuce!"
• "You gambled and you lost, the house wins!"
• "Somebody's dealing dirty cards! Shoot man, I should have bet on red!"

2nd Offense:Edit

• "The cards have been dealt!"
• "Your luck's about to change!"
• "Always bet on black!"
• "Place your bet!"
• "Snake eyes!"
• "This ain't bingo, chump."
• "You should learn when to fold!"
• "The odds were against you, fool!"
• "Easy come, easy go."
• "I won't be taking that to the bank."
• "Shoot! This has got to be fixed!"

Arcade:Edit

• "Ah yeah, place your bets, scumbags!"
• "Torque's the name and action's the game!"
• "Hmm, time to double down, brother!"
• "Bass Quake!"
• "Augh! (Cough)"
• "Augh! Come on! Tilt!"
• "Ka-ching! Haha!"
• "Yeah! Crank it up!"
• "Haha! Luck of the draw, my man!"
• "Yeah, huh, game over."