The Tumultuous Life and Unresolved Fate of Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke

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In the American Republic Sector of Earth, on June 5th, 2465, a man who would later be known as Isaac Clarke, an engineer for the Concordance Extraction Corporation, would be born. However, for fans of the chilling space horror series, Dead Space, he was simply “Isaac.” Making his silent entrance in the 2008 game of the same name, developed by Electronic Arts and EA Redwood Shores (later known as Visceral Games), Isaac Clarke has since become one of the most cherished horror heroes not only in the gaming world but across various media. Although the specifics of his end are still a mystery, players develop a strong emotional connection to Clarke as they navigate through his psychologically harrowing journey in the original Dead Space trilogy. This year, Isaac Clarke would be turning -440 years old, and we delve deep into the tumultuous life of this iconic character in the Dead Space universe.

Isaac Clarke’s Fractured Family and Childhood Explained

By the end of the 23rd century in the universe of Dead Space, mankind had expanded its presence to various planets and moons outside our solar system, Sol. As Earth’s population grew, the Earth Government Colonial Alliance found it difficult to procure sufficient resources to cater to humanity’s expanding needs and aspirations. This predicament led mining corporations like the Concordance Extraction Corporation to resort to a method called “planet cracking,” where large sections of planets were dismantled for resource extraction. Although this move benefited many Earth colonies, an escalating faction of humanity started looking for alternative sources of energy, not just for financial gains but also for spiritual reconciliation. This group was known as Unitology, and they pursued supposed divine relics called Markers.

In this cosmic setting, Isaac Clarke was born to parents Octavia and Poul Clarke within the vastness of the universe. Initially, their relationship was loving and stable, but over time, it started to fracture due to Poul’s prolonged absences caused by his renowned work as a ship builder. These extended departures pushed Octavia into a dark depression marked by self-harm and episodes of psychosis. Her condition eventually drew the attention of the Unitologists, a group resembling cultists, who persuaded her to dedicate her life to their Church of Unitology. Although it seemed like Octavia recovered mentally within the Church, Isaac continued seeking assistance from mental health professionals such as neuropsychiatrist Nicole Brennan for his mother’s welfare.

Isaac Clarke’s Engineering and Military Careers

Growing up, Isaac admired his father greatly and aspired to follow in his footsteps. As he matured into young adulthood, Isaac distinguished himself academically, ready to attend an elite engineering school. However, Octavia decided to give away most of their family wealth and Isaac’s savings to the Church, causing Isaac to develop contempt towards the institution. Instead, he enrolled in a more affordable engineering university. Nevertheless, Isaac graduated with honors and later joined the Galactic Union Merchant Marine Corp, earning a reputation for being clever and inventive.

The character from the game Dead Space, Isaac Clarke, bears the namesake of two renowned science fiction writers, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.

The Fall of the Clarke Family

As the expenses for Octavia’s medical care put a strain on the Clarke family’s finances, Brennan’s support seemed beneficial for her mental health. Gradually, Nicole and Isaac developed a romantic connection. The Church, due to its corrupt nature and high membership fees, was discouraged by Brennan. Since people were frequently forced into debt because of these fees, he advised Octavia to leave it. It was during this period that Poul reappeared in Octavia’s and Isaac’s lives, implying a permanent stay. For a short while, Clarke experienced a positive turn in his life with his family reconciled and himself finding love with Brennan.

Everything shifted when Brennan got promoted to Senior Medical Officer on the USG Ishimura, the first Planet Cracker-class ship ever constructed. Although Isaac was pleased and encouraged by Brennan’s promotion, it resulted in Nicole having to depart from the Clarke family for an extended duration. As soon as Brennan embarked on the Ishimura, Poul was summoned away for work again, which triggered Octavia to lose her sanity and commit a murder-suicide of her husband and herself. At this point, the Church seized the opportunity to take and preserve Octavia and Poul’s bodies for their supposed Convergence, denying Isaac the chance to properly bury his parents. Overwhelmed by rage and sorrow, Isaac attributed his parents’ deaths to Brennan, leading to a rift in their relationship that would remain unresolved.

Isaac Clarke’s Torment on the Ishimura

A couple of days following Clarke accusing Brennan of his parents’ deaths, Isaac got a heart-wrenching video from Brennan, expressing regret and revealing turmoil on the Ishimura, before ultimately taking her own life. This shattered Isaac deeply, leaving him grasping onto the idea that Nicole might still be alive on the Ishimura. In a bid to rectify his mistakes, Isaac joined a compact team working on the USG Kellion to fix a communication breakdown and aid those on board. However, what awaited Isaac within the Ishimura was something utterly unforeseen: a terrifying, shape-shifting epidemic of monstrous beings called Necromorphs.

As I navigated through the dark corridors of the derelict ship, the Ishimura, one by one, my fellow crew members were brutally slain by twisted, monstrous creatures – the Necromorphs, once human inhabitants of this vessel gone horribly wrong. In a desperate bid to repair our damaged ship and escape, I found myself battling these nightmarish foes, all while searching for Nicole, my friend and ally.

As I delved deeper into the ship, I started to uncover the truth behind this terrifying ordeal. It began when Unitologists from Ishimura retrieved a Red Marker from Aegis VII, which led to mass insanity among the crew – causing sleep deprivation, violent outbursts, and even transforming corpses into these Necromorphs.

Throughout my journey, I began to have visions of Nicole guiding me in my fight against the Necromorphs and helping me return the Red Marker to Aegis VII. However, as I came to understand, those visions were merely illusions cast by the Marker. In a heart-wrenching twist, Kendra Daniels informed me that Nicole had passed away long ago, leaving me alone in this terrifying struggle for survival.

The Aftermath of the Ishimura

Isaac successfully prevented Daniel from returning the Red Marker to inhabited space and destroying a Necromorph Hivemind on Aegis VII. However, his mind was plagued with disturbing memories of Nicole, who had perished. Later, Isaac was rescued and transported to EarthGov’s Titan Station on Saturn’s moon Titan. Here, he along with other survivors from the Ishimura ship and agents affected by the Red Marker were subjected to experiments for three years. In this drug-induced state, Isaac and his fellow subjects had their mental images of the Marker extracted, which were later used in building a massive Marker on the station. Simultaneously, Titan Station personnel retrieved and docked the Ishimura ship at the station.

In the majority of the Dead Space series, Isaac Clarke is portrayed and designed based on American actor Gunner Wright. However, it’s interesting to note that in Dead Space 1, he was modeled after another American actor named Max Shippee instead.

Isaac’s Crusade Against EarthGov, Unitology, and Necromorphs

By the year 2511, Isaac found himself awakening from a trance as Titan Station faced another Necromorph infestation. He was compelled to battle deranged Unitologists, EarthGov soldiers hiding the outbreak’s truth, and resurrected bodies of station residents. All the while, the new Marker tormented him with disturbing hallucinations of Nicole and Ishimura’s past horrors. Yet, Isaac didn’t fight alone; he had Nolan Stross and Ellie Langford by his side. Despite Stross falling victim to the new Marker’s insanity, Langford helped Clarke eliminate the new Marker, thus freeing Isaac from his tormenting nightmares of Nicole.

Following the Titan Station epidemic, Isaac and Ellie sought refuge in the New Horizon Luna Colony on Earth’s moon, where they eventually developed romantic feelings for each other. However, their relationship was strained due to contrasting goals: while Isaac preferred a quiet life, Ellie aimed to eradicate the Markers’ danger forever. This led to a temporary separation. By 2515, Ellie believed she had found the Markers’ origin planet, Tau Volantis, which might hold the solution to ending the Markers’ menace. However, she was trapped on an aged Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces vessel. This predicament forced Ellie’s new lover Robert Norton and EarthGov soldier John Carver to rescue Isaac from Luna, as another Necromorph outbreak had been triggered by a radical Unitologist group called The Circle.

The Nightmare of Tau Volantis

Ultimately, Clarke, Norton, and Carver successfully saved Langford and her remaining crew members, then ventured to the surface of Tau Volantis to uncover how the SCAF had quelled a Necromorph danger centuries prior. Yet, suspicious of his own life and disturbed by Clarke’s bond with Langford, Norton steered The Circle towards the planet, compelling Isaac to terminate him. This act initially angered Langford, but the group persevered to learn that the Markers aimed to instigate Convergence events, leading to the creation of Brethren Moons – immense masses of flesh intent on devouring all life in the cosmos. The ancient inhabitants of Tau Volantis and the SCAF faction thwarted Convergence events by freezing the planet and a neighboring Brethren Moon.

The Unresolved Fate of Isaac Clarke

In this narrative, Jacob Arthur Danik, the head of The Circle, successfully resurrected Volnatis’ Brethren Moon as Langford fled in a ship. However, Clarke and Carver opted to stay behind, facing the Lovecraftian beast. With Langford assuming Clarke to be deceased, he departed from the system. In the Dead Space 3 Awakened DLC, set following the base ending of Dead Space 3, Isaac and John regained consciousness. Together, Clarke and Carver battled the deranged survivors of The Circle, but discovered that a cluster of Brethren Moons had tracked down Earth’s location and were en route to devour the planet. The DLC concludes with Clarke, Carver, and Langford’s final destinies left uncertain as they reach Earth’s orbit, witnessing three Brethren Moons devastating the planet, presumably meeting their own end soon after.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve always wondered about the untold tale of Dead Space 4 that never saw the light of day. Initially, Visceral Games had envisioned this fourth installment with Ellie Langford as the lead character instead of our beloved Isaac Clarke. However, the sales figures didn’t impress EA executives enough to greenlight the project, thereby putting Dead Space 4 on indefinite hold and leaving the series in a state of suspended animation for eight long years. The tragic news came in 2017 when Visceral Games was shut down by EA, effectively ending any possibility of the original developers revisiting this cherished franchise. In a surprising twist, Motive Studio announced and released a remake of Dead Space 1 in 2023, which received rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Yet, despite the enthusiasm, there’s been no word on a Dead Space 2 remake or a new Dead Space 4 project.

A Potential Endgame for Isaac Clarke

It’s an exciting period for survival horror game enthusiasts, with the recent releases of titles like Alan Wake 2, remakes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill 2, paving the way for a potential comeback of Dead Space and its protagonist, Isaac Clarke. For over a decade, fans have been eagerly waiting to learn more about Clarke’s ultimate destiny, and it’s high time that his story receives a fitting conclusion beyond the abrupt cliffhanger it was left with. There are two possible ways EA could approach this:

1. They could remake the entire Dead Space trilogy, concluding the series in a definitive manner with Dead Space 3.
2. Alternatively, they could utilize the concepts developed for Dead Space 4 by Visceral and create a new Dead Space sequel featuring an entirely different protagonist who uncovers Isaac’s fate as part of their own harrowing journey through the nightmarish universe.

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2025-06-05 13:26