The handbook that was made for the game goes into detail that explains the origins and background of each. A few of the characters are based on historical figures and legends. Thugg (20,000 B.C.) – A large, very powerful prehistoric caveman who wields a stone axe, having emerged from beyond "The Edge". He led a fierce and bloody battle against a reptilian alien race known as the Troglodytes, who were harvesting humans as cattle for food and slavery. Leif (829 A.D.) – An adventurous Viking who carries a large battle axe. He was a constant thorn in the side of the mysterious and undead legions of the Black Army, led by Black Thorn, who aspired to take over the world. It is most likely that he is based on Leif Erikson. Lord Wülf (1202 A.D.) – A heroic knight from the medieval ages who uses a broadsword. His family was murdered by Count Morbid, who tried to conquer England before he was destroyed by Wülf. He is supposedly based on King Arthur, even hailing from Camelot, England and wields the legendary sword known as Excalibur. Musashi (1455 A.D.) – A samurai who fights with a pair of swords. Musashi is a brilliant strategist and the finest general in Japan who lost his once-undefeated army to a horrifying dragon. Musashi himself was protected by the dragon's scale he wore and traveled for many years to find it and avenge his loss. Supposedly based on Miyamoto Musashi. Rancid (2024 A.D.) – A streetwise punk from New Chicago who carries a chainsaw. His forehead is marked with an X-shaped scar from a battle he had with a man who had committed a series of murders and framed him for them. He managed to kill the man before disappearing. The scar may be a reference to the Fist of the North Star character "Hyo". Orion (2885 A.D.) – A space hero of sorts who was supposedly grown in a test tube and loves riding in the vastness of space. He became a fugitive after escaping from police out of fear when he tried to report an alien attack that left no traces of evidence and now journeys to locate the aliens responsible. He fights with an electric sabre. Matrix (3297 A.D.) – A female soldier with a bionic arm in place of a limb she lost in a battle, giving her the ability to tap into the commands of cybernetic foes as a result.