The story of Johnny Silverhand

28 dec 2020 at 7:29

                                                                                                                — Wake up, samurai. It's time to burn this city!

The Story of Johnny Silverhand.

Johnny Silverhand, born as Robert John Lindner, is a very famous and influential artist in Night City. A former U.S. military veteran who shaped the rockerboy movement into what it is today. He was the lead vocalist of the band Samurai and one of the most prominent figures who fought against the corrupt U.S. government and megacorporations.

Johnny directs much of his anger towards Arasaka Corporation for kidnapping his girlfriend, which led to her presumed death, which may or may not have been his fault. He is charismatic and very charming. However, Johnny is also known as an irrational, impulsive manipulator, often referred to as a terrorist. Johnny is hot-tempered and always seems on edge, mainly due to his history in the Central American conflict. His determination and ambitions are what drive him, but ultimately, he doesn't care much about the people around him as long as they are used to achieve his goals. In 2077, Johnny remains as ambitious as ever. He has his own agenda that he wants to fulfill, and he plans to use V to reach it, depending on whether or not they can trust Johnny.

Biography

2000s:

Robert John Lindner was born on November 16, 1988, and then enlisted in the U.S. Army at a young age, and it didn't take him long to see some action. The Central American conflict began in the 2000s, and the conflict was devastating as it was a war ruled by a corrupt and manipulative government. However, when their secrets were exposed, many American soldiers abandoned their banners as they fought back, deserting from the army. The government used its influence to create a powerful propaganda campaign to make the American public hate deserters. John was also one of those people who decided that he would not fight in a corrupt war, which ultimately led to him losing his hand.

He returned home to Night City and started his life anew. The war had forever changed his life, and to forget the past, he even changed his name to Johnny Silverhand. His surname would symbolize the cybernetic hand that replaced his missing limb. Johnny began his mission of uprising to expose corruption by forming a group.

The Samurai Band

Translation:

Johnny founded this group together with his friend Kerry Eurodyne, initially playing only in backstreet clubs. In 2003, while playing at the Rainbow Cadenza bar, they were discovered by a producer named Jack Masters, who signed them to a contract with Universal Recording. Samurai consisted of co-founders Johnny and Kerry, as well as Denny, Nancy/Alt Cunningham, and Henry/Black Ice. Their music became revolutionary, launching the rockerboy movement and turning them into a nighttime sensation. They quickly rose to the top of the American charts with their band. However, despite their success, the Samurai struggled when personal problems surfaced. Keyboardist Nancy reached a point where she couldn't tolerate the abuse anymore and pushed her abusive boyfriend out of a window. After the police discovered the body, she was arrested and taken to prison. Without her, the Samurai struggled and eventually disbanded in 2008.

Johnny Silverhand remained one of the most popular musicians of the time. He planned to use his star reputation to start a solo career and continue promoting his anti-corporate and anti-government message. DBS Music wanted to sign a contract with him so desperately that they blackmailed him, threatening to expose his true identity as a deserter from the Central American conflict. Instead, Johnny Silverhand re-signed with Universal Music and released a whole album called "Sins of Your Brothers," admitting to being a deserter and exposing all the horrific things ordered by the government. The album was a massive success and changed the public perception of what it meant to be a deserter.

In 2013, after a concert, Johnny went for a walk with his girlfriend, Alt Cunningham, when she was suddenly kidnapped by thugs hired by the megacorporation Arasaka. Alt was drugged and told by Toshiro that she was a valuable asset for the corporation. They wanted her to develop a program called Soulkiller, which could upload the mind of any netrunner. It was dangerous software that would kill anyone whose brain they wanted to upload, something she had previously developed for her employer, ITS.

Johnny, wanting to save her, devised a plan that required precise timing. He assembled a strike team to infiltrate Arasaka's office and rescue Alt. Additionally, he asked for the assistance of all the members of his old band. The Samurai gathered together and put on a completely free show. The show took place right in front of Arasaka Tower in Night City. This led to a riot at the tower, and troops were called in to control the situation. In a panic, Toshiro used Soulkiller on Alt while the attack was happening.

Johnny and his team, consisting of his former girlfriend Rogue (Bes Isis), and media reporter Thompson, infiltrated the tower while Alt was still trapped in cyberspace, trying to return to her body. When Johnny's team reached Alt, it was too late. In a fit of rage, he killed Toshiro and rushed to Alt's body, examining it and assuming she was dead. He lifted her still warm body from the couch, disconnecting her from the computer. On the other side of the monitors, a disembodied Alt was shouting something, but Johnny couldn't hear her.

In 2014, Johnny continued his rebellious campaign, this time in a Japanese city during his famous free charity concert, aiming to draw attention to the brutal methods NCPD used to suppress the homeless riots that same year.

From 2020 to 2023, Johnny, along with Rogue, Morgan Black hand, Shaitan, Thompson, and Spider Murphy, led the Militech strike team at Arasaka's American headquarters in Night City with the intention of ending the Fourth Corporate War by destroying the tower with a bomb. Johnny had another reason to return to the Arasaka building; he wanted to find Cunningham, but there were many obstacles in his path. The biggest obstacle was Adam Smasher, a former man who was now more machine than flesh. Johnny was believed to be dead, shot by Smasher. His body was never found due to the bomb that destroyed the Arasaka building, or so everyone thought.

In the game Cyberpunk 2077, we learn that Johnny managed to survive the explosion. He was taken to Saburo Arasaka's apartment, where he was "reset." His consciousness was previously loaded into an engram, which would later be uploaded into a chip.

After Johnny's disappearance, which left a strong impression in the memory of Night City's inhabitants, people began to mourn him. Graffiti asking "Where's Johnny?" and similar expressions could be found throughout Night City. Even after decades, people continue to hope for his return.

Author: tiny_chick
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