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Antoine Le Clerq is the main antagonist of the 2015 action-thriller film Hitman: Agent 47. He is the chairman of an international terrorist organization called "The Syndicate International".
He was portrayed by Thomas Kretschmann, who also played Alfredo Grossi in The Stendhal Syndrome, Eli Damaskinos in Blade II, Timothy Cain in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Professor Zündapp in Cars 2, Flemming in Hostel III, Wolfgang von Strucker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lorentz Vogelmann in Dragged Across Concrete and Colonel Weber in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
History[]
Activating the Syndicate International and First Fight with 47[]
Antoine Le Clerq dedicated Syndicate International’s resources to creating enhanced operative with the goal of creating an unstoppable army. Under his leadership, the organization had limited success by experimenting with Subdermal Titanium Body Armor and heightening nervous systems which led to the creation of operatives like John Smith. Le Clerq was still unsatisfied with the results of these experiments and determined that the only way to truly replicate the Agents program is to find Dr. Peter Aaron Litvenko, the Program's creator. Le Clerq became so obsessed with restarting the agent program that he invested all of his wealth and resources into it putting his own future in jeopardy. His position and attempts to restart the agent program made him a target and he had to work in a sealed panic room with an around-the-clock security detail. 14 agents all tried and failed to kill Le Clerq. Syndicate member Dr. Albert Deleriego is on the brink of locating Litvenko when he and his security detail are attacked and killed by Agent 47, that tasked with stopping the Syndicate from getting their hands on Litvenko.
Pursuing Katia van Dees[]
A now adult Katia van Dees, Litvenko's daugther, lives in Berlin as she works tirelessly to find her father, and is plagued by overwhelming anxiety and acute awareness everything around her, even being able to see and hear things well outside a person's normal sensory radius. Katia is approached at a subway station by John Smith, who claims that 47 is on his way to kill her, and offers her protection, while alluding that he has information about her father. 47 finds the pair and attacks them, who are able to escape, but not before that 47 grazes Katia's arm with a sniper bullet. Smith and Katia hide out in a local hotel, where Katia shows him a map for finding her father. As she is just able to determine that Litvenko is in Singapore, 47 bursts through the door, shoots Smith in the chest, and knocks Katia unconscious. Elsewhere, Diana Burnwood contacts another Agent about a contract. Once Katia awakens, 47 explains her that they are part of the same program and she is actually called Agent 90.
Capturing Litvenko[]
Later, he shows her how to use her heightened senses in combat, as the two fight against Syndicate forces. They are confronted by Smith, who reveals to have a genetically engineered internal body armor, allowing him to have survived being shot by 47. Smith demands to know Litvenko's location. After a brief fight, 47 and Katia manage to escape and head to Singapore. Once there, they find Litvenko, who is now dying of lung cancer and frequently needs an inhaler to breathe. He apologizes to Katia for abandoning her, saying that he only wanted to keep her safe. He refers to 47 as her "brother", saying that he had left her with family after all. Just then, Syndicate assassins attack the group and they are forced to flee. During the escape, Litvenko is captured by the Syndicate.
Final Showdown and Death[]
At inside Syndicate International headquarters, Le Clerq left the safety of his office and tortures Litvenko but the scientist still refuses to reopen the Agent program. 47 infiltrates the headquarters disguised as a firefighter, while Katia crashes a helicopter into the building. The two fight their way through Syndicate security forces, and 47 is once again confronted by Smith. With Smith being impervious to bullets, 47 defeats him by electrocuting him.
On the rooftop, 47 and Katia fight their way through the last of the Syndicate's security, but not before LeClerq escapes in a helicopter with Litvenko. Litvenko then detonates an explosive-rigged inhaler given to him by 47, ensuring that the Syndicate will not come after Katia. 47 calls Diana and confirms his first target (Le Clerq) has been eliminated.
Trivia[]
- Avengers: Age of Ultron and Hitman: Agent 47 came out in 2015, and Thomas Kretschmann starred in both as a villain.