Origin
Faith is a runner, a person used to transmit messages while evading surveillance from a totalitarian government. One of two daughters of prominent doctor Abraham Connors and his wife Erika Connors, Faith was part of his father’s movement to stop a totalitarian government from having complete control of the lives of people in the City. The movement received a lot of support, however one of the protests escalated into a riot, and resulted in Erika Connors’ death and the end of Abraham Connors’ movement. Abraham fell into depression and developed a drinking problem, and Faith left home, deciding to live on the streets of the City and her sister, Kate, soon afterwards went into training to become a police officer.
In order to survive, Faith turned to thievery and she became proficient at running across rooftops and silently entering homes. During one of her robbery attempts she was caught by Mercury, a tracker (A person who guides runners away from well armed security) who had become sick of the government’s rule over the City. Instead of handing her over to police, Merc offered Faith a job as a runner and she accepted.
After rigorous training from Merc, Faith set out on delivering information that would otherwise be censored by government. However after obtaining a chip for a new security camera, Faith and other runners are chased by a private security firm. Soon after Faith loses the chip to the security firm and she receives a gunshot wound and is forced to stop running for a while.
Creation
Faith Connors originates from the video game series Mirror’s Edge produced by video games developer Electronic Arts. The games comic book adaptation is published by Wildstorm. Faith Connors first appearance in the comic book format was in Mirror’s Edge 2008 Convention Exclusive #1 written by Rhianna Pratchett with art by Matthew Dow Smith.
Major Story Arcs
The Mirror’s Edge
After being put out of action for quite some time, Faith returns to the City, where she trains with fellow runner Celeste and finds out that the City Protection Force (CPF, the law enforcement of the City) who once left runners alone as they couldn’t catch them, were now heavily armed and targeting runners. Curious as to what is going on, Faith listens on her sister’s radio and finds out that there have been several break ins at the building of mayoral candidate and family friend Robert Pope. Pope was running for mayor to rid the city of its heavy surveillance, trying to accomplish what him and Abraham Connors couldn’t do years before.
However, during one of Kate’s routine checks on Pope, gunshots are heard in Pope’s building. Faith, hearing the news rushes to the scene and finds that Pope is shot dead and Kate knocked unconscious. Realizing that Kate had been set up, Faith looks around and finds a document titled ‘Icarus’ and before Faith can find any more information on Pope’s desk, heavily armed security steps in and Kate tells her sister to escape. Faith takes the Icarus document up to Merc and Celeste, and they both tell him to look for an ex-runner named Jackknife, who may know something about why the CPF was so aggressive and the natures of the Icarus document. Faith tracks Jackknife down, and he reveals that the head of a security firm, an former wrestler named Ropeburn, had something big planned for the City and it involved the runners.
Faith infiltrates Ropeburn’s security building, and eavesdrops on his conversation with an unknown person, where she finds out that he is meeting with someone later on to discuss Project Icarus and the runners. Ropeburn’s meeting is with Lieutenant Miller, Kate’s superior. Faith confronts Ropeburn to try and get some answers on what Project Icarus was and what Lieutenant Miller had to do with this. He reveals that there was a meeting regarding Project Icarus at a new shopping mall, but before he can spill anything else he is killed by an unknown sniper. Faith goes to the New Eden Mall and finds Ropeburn’s assassin there, however the assassin escapes with the CPF’s help. With nothing pointing to Pope’s killer, Faith investigates the Pirandello Kruger Security firm, as she had encountered several of their agents and their logo had been stamped on several papers she obtained. Infiltrating their headquarters, Faith discovers the true nature of Project Icarus. Icarus is a government operation meant to eradicate the runner system by training a police unit in parkour to eliminate the runners. Faith encounters one of these ‘pursuit’ cops and decides to investigate Pirandello Kruger’s offices near a shipyard in the City.
Faith finds out that Pope and Ropeburn’s killer to be in the shipyard, and she goes to investigate. There she discovered that the killer is actually fellow runner Celeste. Celeste reveals that she had killed Pope because he did not trust the security firms, and that she had joined Icarus in an effort to stay alive and suggests that Faith does the same. Faith escapes after CPF units arrive, and it is unknown what happens to Celeste afterwards. Soon afterwards Faith finds out that her sister had been tried and found guilty for Robert Pope’s murder. With Merc’s help, Faith disrupts the CPF convoy bringing Kate to prison. Kate successfully escapes and is told to go to Merc’s hideout, however the place is raided, resulting in Kate’s recapture and Merc ending up mortally wounded. Faith arrives at the hideout, and just before he dies Merc tells Faith that Kate had been moved to the Shard, the tower housing the City’s security servers and the mayor’s office.
Faith visits the Shard, and with the help of Lt. Miller, who had been suspicious of the City’s security as well, finds her sister at the top of the building. Jackknife is there, and he reveals that he had been part of Project Icarus all along. Jackknife holds Kate at gunpoint and takes her to a helicopter to deliver Kate to prison. As soon as the helicopter takes off Faith jumps on and kicks Jackknife to his death. Both manage to escape and are soon labeled as wanted fugitives by the CPF.
Powers and Abilities
Faith is an expert runner. A master of free running or Parkour. Faith has high levels of agility, strength, endurance speed and stamina.
Other Media
Videogames
Mirrors Edge (2008)
Faith Conners is the starring protagonist in the original video game Mirrors Edge. A game focused on the subject of free running it incorporates innovate control schemes and gameplay engines.