Agent 47

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First appeared in: Hitman (2000)A silent weapon for the International Contract Agency (ICA), Agent 47 - a name derived from the last two digits of his assigned number - is the perfect killer clone: a deadly mix of speed, intellect and strength. Originally conceived by IO Interactive as a disgruntled and bearded old guy, he was later transformed into the barcode-tattooed, snappy dresser who has si... read more

In the Hitman game series and the Hitman novel, 47 is a genetically-enhanced clone and the culmination of decades of secret research into gene augmentation. His creation was funded by a group of investors who donated their own DNA to the project. In the first Hitman game, five men of various nationalities served in the same unit of the French Foreign Legion. After their stint was finished, four of those men returned to their respective countries and founded their own criminal empires, becoming 4 of the biggest criminals in the world. The remaining one, Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer, ran a mental institution which he used as a cover for genetic experiments. In exchange for research funding, Ort-Meyer provided his former comrades with donor organs harvested from clone bodies, which significantly extended their longevity. In Hitman: Codename 47, each of Ort-Meyer's accomplices are said to be 60–70 years old but appear 10–20 years younger.

The men whose DNA contributed to 47's creation are often referred to within the series as the "Five Fathers", consisting of Dr. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer himself, Lee Hong, Pablo Ochoa, Frantz Fuchs and Arkadij Jegorov. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer is a discredited German scientist living in Romania, whose radical theories were deemed insane by his peers.[3]

Ort-Meyer believed that genetic recombination and human cloning could be used to produce a perfected version of the human species, superior in strength and mind and unburdened by conscience. His ultimate goal, unbeknownst to his associates, was to create an army of flawless and unquestioningly obedient supermen as his personal army.[4] When Ort-Meyer's associates become suspicious of his motives, he employs 47 to systematically eliminate each of them. When 47 discovers Ort-Meyer's plans, he manages to eradicate his latest series of clones, known as the Mr. 48s, and snaps Ort-Meyer's neck.
Lee Hong is a Chinese crime lord. Hong eventually rose to the head of the Red Dragon Triad, becoming a powerful ganglord in Hong Kong. 47 weakens Hong's influence before assassinating him.
Pablo Belisario Ochoa is a notorious Latin American drug dealer and formed his own drug cartel by violently eliminating his rivals. However, his methods earned him great animosity, and he was eventually forced to flee to a compound deep inside the Colombian rainforest. Pablo appears to be heavily-inspired by fictional character Tony Montana from the film "Scarface".
Franz Fuchs is a former member of the Hitler Youth, apparently resenting the collapse of fascism. He developed a career as a professional terrorist-for-hire, organizing attacks such as the attempted chemical bombing of the G7 leadership. He works closely with his brother and partner, Fritz (therefore making Fritz 47's "uncle"). He also kills Fabian Fuchs, the youngest brother and "uncle". It isn't clear whether or not Fuchs is based on the real life Franz Fuchs, who was also a terrorist.
The final person who contributed to 47's DNA was Arkadij "Boris" Jegorov. Jegorov was a staunch anti-communist who became a worldwide arms dealer and smuggled weaponry for his older brother, Russian mafia boss Sergei Zavoratko (making him another of 47's "Uncles").[5] At the time of his death, Jegorov was attempting to traffic nuclear weapons.

Ultimately Ort-Meyer managed to perfect the process enough to produce an assembly line of genetically augmented clones, including Mr. 17, the antagonist of the second Hitman video game. 47 belonged to Ort-Meyer's fourth series of clones, possessing a 47th chromosome which, combined with DNA harvested from the world's most dangerous criminals, endowed him with levels of strength, speed, stamina, and intelligence significantly above the human norm. In Hitman: Blood Money, it is explained that American interests had repeatedly attempted to replicate Ort-Meyer's success, but were largely unsuccessful. 47 represents the most successful result of Ort-Meyer's research. Other clones produced by Ort-Meyer were plagued by medical problems such as albinism and extremely short lifespans (before 47, other test subjects lived only 18 months). Ort-Meyer's research was distributed among many covert cloning labs, but is insufficient; a sample of 47's bone marrow is needed to fill in the DNA gaps, making him an extremely valuable specimen.