Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin

"Who's afraid of a little thunder?"

- Volgin

Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin (Russian: Евгений Борисович Волгин), also known as Thunderbolt, was a Stalinist GRU colonel, as well as the strategic operations commander of the Soviet Union, who attempted to seize control of the Soviet Union by overthrowing Nikita Khrushchev and installing Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin in his place. Volgin was an extremely strong man, even for his large size. He combined his tremendous strength and skills with the psychic ability of electrical manipulation (electrokinesis), gaining him the nickname "Thunderbolt" in the West.

After Operation Snake Eater, his comatose body was taken to a research institute in Moscow where he was further experimented upon. Volgin's desire for vengeance against Big Boss kept him alive for many years and upon influencing Tretij Rebenok to accompany him, he gained pyrokinesis and began his rampage as the Man on Fire.

Early life and career
Volgin was born sometime during the mid 1900s to early 1910s, and later became a boxing champion as a young adult. During World War II, he took part in the Katyn Forest Massacre, in which the Soviets murdered over 20,000 Polish officers. During the massacre, he often removed the prisoners' blindfolds before beating them to death. He also placed the blame on a prisoner revolt to allay any fears. During this time, he was serving in the domestic branch of the Soviet Secret Police, NKVD, stationed at the rear of the Red Army, and charged with punishing deserters.

Volgin was involved in putting down the Uprising of East Germany on June 17, 1953 and the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. He boasted that he personally "disposed" of over 100,000 anti-communist activists.

Prior to 1964, Volgin learned of the Philosophers' Legacy following his father's death, and illegally inherited a microfilm containing records of the enormous cache of funds. Volgin later used the Legacy to construct the Groznyj Grad-fortress in the mountains of Tselinoyarsk. He also managed to procure the blueprints for the Objekt 279 tank, after the project was shelved for being too costly, and used the Legacy to build at least eight of them. Volgin then conspired with the Brezhnev faction and the military to overthrow the Khruschev regime and seize power. He also hired Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin to develop his designs for a walking tank when Khrushchev sided with Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov's Shagohod. However, after it became apparent that Granin's idea was not producing the results he desired, Volgin turned to Sokolov's Shagohod idea.

At some point, Volgin became acquainted with GRU major Ivan Raidenovitch Raikov, who became his favorite soldier, as well as his lover. In large part because of this, he protected Raikov from the hands of the Soviet military tribunal, regarding the latter's frequent abuse of the soldiers under his command.

Volgin, under the rank of Colonel, contacted The Boss on July 24, 1964 using a Philosophers' spy network suggesting that she defect to the Soviet Union in order to overthrow Khrushchev without endangering his position in GRU. The Boss accepted the offer, although he did not realize that this was actually intended by the U.S. Government in a plot to gain his Philosophers' Legacy, as well as inadvertently exposing the Shagohod's development, or at the very least large details of its development, to the government. A month later, he was present during the Virtuous Mission, where he supervised the formal defection of The Boss to the Soviet Union, and more specifically to his unit. He also ordered The Boss to kill Naked Snake to silence him because he saw his face, and because The Boss refused to let him join them. Unbeknownst to him, however, Snake survived from being thrown into the river. Two hours later, Volgin's forces attacked the Design Bureau and successfully seized the Shagohod. Volgin then surveyed his gifts from The Boss: A Davy Crockett launcher and one of the two shells, while celebrating his successfully getting the Cobra Unit to join his side. However, Ocelot then directed his attention to a woman onboard named Tatyana. Volgin then decided to keep her due to her being "quite a catch." He also forcibly confiscated a kiss of death from her, but gave it back to her as he viewed her as useful. Unfortunately, Volgin, in a move seemingly not anticipated by the U.S. Government, had shortly thereafter fired an American-made Davy Crockett at Sokolov's research facility, destroying it in a nuclear explosion as he felt they no longer had any use for it, and "framing" the U.S. for the whole ordeal. He also did this with the intention of making the intelligence agencies believe that The Boss was the one who launched the nuke at the Sokolov Design Bureau rather than himself. This sparked an international incident, and began Operation Snake Eater. He then forced Sokolov to continue with the Shagohod project, alongside several other scientists and engineers, forcing them to continue work for a week. He planned to use it to not only launch a nuclear strike against America, but also mass-produce the weapon throughout the Eastern Bloc, as well as orchestrate various uprisings throughout the world to fan the flames of war.

During the operation, Volgin was constantly enraged at Naked Snake's actions, and of the actions of a spy among their ranks. He was unaware that the spy he hated was in fact Tatyana, a woman he constantly abused. He also suspected Granin of being the spy in Volgin's ranks, and had him arrested and then tortured him by trapping Granin inside a drum can and then frequently punching and kicking it with his electrical and physical abilities, killing Granin in the process before he could talk, and discovered a transmitter inside Granin's shoes, meaning he was either the spy or that it was planted on him without his knowledge. He also ordered for a Hind helicopter and additional manpower to patrol Krasnogorje to heighten its defenses against Naked Snake infiltrating Groznyj Grad, and later sent Flame Troops to Krasnogorje to roast Snake alive as revenge for his killing off The Pain, The Fear, and The End.

In his fortress of Groznyj Grad, Volgin found and captured Naked Snake, however, when Snake disguised himself as Volgin's lover, Raikov, in order to find Sokolov (he deduced that he wasn't Raikov because Raikov and Naked Snake's testicle sizes were different ). After discovering Snake, he proceeded to beat him to a pulp for attacking Raikov. After Snake was knocked unconscious, Volgin took Snake to an interrogation cell. He then proceeded to interrogate Sokolov over who Khrushchev's "lapdog" was and who he gave the Shagohod data to, but apparently killed him from the beating (in actuality, Sokolov faked his death from a fake death pill supplied to him by The Boss). He then arrived for Naked Snake's cell, took him to the interrogation room, and proceeded to torture him through electrocution and beatings. While torturing Snake (which was proving ineffective, as Snake was mentally trained as a FOX operative and The Boss's protégé to resist physical torture), a transmitter fell out of Snake, and he discovered that The Boss had planted it in him, supposedly to have the Cobra Unit find him easier. He told her to cut out his eyes to prove that she wasn't the spy in his ranks. Tatyana intervened, which prompted Ocelot to threaten her by juggling his pistols and firing. Snake saved Tatyana by kicking Ocelot, but the bullet he fired grazed his eye blinding him in that eye. Satisfied with Snake losing at least one eye, Volgin departed, and Snake was taken back to his cell. As Volgin intended to continue his torture of Snake at a later point, he also allowed Snake to retain his medical kit so he could dress up his injuries, as well as his radio for unknown reasons. For the same reason, he also threatened the stationed guard, Johnny, with execution should Snake die before he could continue his torture. Snake, however, escaped his prison cell.

When Volgin discovered that Snake escaped from his cell when arriving at the prison, he also ordered a full lockdown of the base, forcing Snake to jump off a waterfall from the sewers to escape the GRU forces, as his planned escape route was sealed as a result of the lockdown. Snake, surviving this, continued his mission to destroy the Shagohod. After the Shagohod was completed, Volgin granted the scientists and engineers the rest they needed. However, it was believed that he was also planning to execute all of them after the phase 2 trials to ensure that they didn't expose the Shagohod's existence.

Following a tip from Ocelot, Volgin's forces apprehended EVA as she attempted to steal the Philosophers' Legacy microfilm from the underground vault of Groznyj Grad, revealing her true identity as the spy. Shortly thereafter, he discovered Snake's infiltration of the Shagohod hangar, with the assistance of Ocelot and The Boss, and captured him. With an unconscious EVA present, Volgin expressed dismay that his "precious, little pet" was a traitor, and planned to have her executed. Entrusting the microfilm to The Boss, who left to deal with EVA, Volgin prepared to face Snake in personal combat, while Ocelot observed. He also briefly fired a bullet at Ocelot to ward him off, after the latter protested at being denied the chance to fight Snake.

Despite Volgin's extraordinary electrical abilities, Snake proved to be an able opponent. Anticipating that the battle may shift in Snake's favor, Volgin ordered Ocelot to shoot him. However, when his subordinate refused to obey (citing a promise he had made to The Boss), Volgin responded with an electric attack, which Ocelot evaded. When an announcement over the hangar's PA system alerted him to the discovery of Snake's C3 explosives, Volgin instead ordered Ocelot to locate them, which he reluctantly left to carry out. Resuming the fight with Snake, Volgin proceeded to use his electric abilities to levitate and ignite several bullets around him and fire in a circle, challenging Snake to dodge the attack. In defiance of Volgin's onslaught, Snake successfully exploited openings in the Colonel's attacks and defeated him, with Volgin forced to his knees, coughing up blood.

Although the C3 explosives successfully detonated, bomb disposal personnel had managed to drain the fuel tanks to which they had been planted, preventing the Shagohod's destruction. Commandeering the vehicle, Volgin escaped the burning hangar and pursued Snake and EVA on their motorcycle. As the chase proceeded through Groznyj Grad, Volgin laid waste the base in an attempt to kill them, even going as far as to shoot down his own men with the Shagohod's machine guns, and ram into both a Mi-24 Hind and a WiG aircraft. After reaching the base's runway, he activated the Shagohod's booster rockets in an attempt to crush Snake and EVA, almost frying Ocelot behind him as revenge for his earlier disobedience.

After the Shagohod was almost destroyed on a C3-laden rail bridge, Volgin piloted the remaining front section to face Snake and EVA. Even when the Shagohod failed completely due to Snake's RPG attacks, Volgin refused to give up, powering it with his own electricity. In the end, however, Volgin fell to Snake's continued assault as EVA distracted him. Standing atop the ruined machine, Volgin was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning, which set him alight and caused the ammunition in his bandoliers to discharge, with Snake calling it "a fitting end." Snake then caught a glimpse of The Sorrow, who had accompanied the thunderstorm's arrival.

Post-Snake Eater
Despite Volgin's defeat, his desire to have Khrushchev ousted from power and replaced with Leonid Brezhnev nonetheless came to pass. In addition, contrary to reports made as a result of Operation Snake Eater, Volgin had actually survived his battle with Snake, albeit with serious enough injuries to leave him in a comatose state. His body was later recovered by Soviet scientists and taken to a research institute on the outskirts of Moscow that focused on paranormal abilities in individuals, where it was kept alive for scientific preservation and presumably experimentation. Ultimately, the only thing keeping Volgin alive was his desire for revenge against Naked Snake, which also had the side effect of turning him into a figurative "demon."

Six years after Volgin's presumed death, his defeat at the hands of Naked Snake had spread across the Soviet Union, making Snake somewhat of a hero to the Soviet people, as well as in America. Sokolov, while using the pseudonym "Ghost," thanked Snake for "taking care of" Volgin years before when he first called him, giving him a hint to his potential identity. In addition, the Soviet government could now deliver justice to Major Raikov's abuse of his rank, as Volgin's influence prevented them from doing so beforehand. Because of Snake's role in Volgin's supposed death, Raikov was initially reluctant to join Snake and Campbell's resistance against Gene when he was rescued, although he eventually relented.

The Phantom Pain
Nineteen years after Operation Snake Eater, around the time when Venom Snake had awoken from his coma, Volgin's body became active, beginning his rampage as the "Man on Fire." On February 26, he burned the entire institute that housed his body to the ground and ended up meeting with the psychokinetic child known only as Tretij Rebenok. Volgin's rage against Naked Snake influenced Tretij Rebenok's mind, and using the child's psychic abilities, his body was revitalized, having gained pyrokinesis along with his electric powers.

Since then, Volgin began seeking out his vengeance against Naked Snake with Tretij Rebenok. It was because of Volgin discovering Big Boss's survival and coma that Big Boss and Ocelot were forced to accelerate their plans for a decoy. Having recently awakened from a coma, Venom Snake was being escorted to safety by Ishmael when they briefly encountered Tretij Rebenok in front of an elevator, shortly before it exploded. From the flames emerged the "Man on Fire", which advanced towards the duo until the emergency sprinklers activated, forcing him to retreat. He later reappears at various points of the hospital in trying to prevent Venom Snake's escape, killing XOF forces led by Skull Face every time they posed as an obstacle. After being subdued by Ishmael outside the hospital, Volgin would recover and give chase to Ocelot and Venom Snake (whom he mistook for Big Boss) while riding on a demonic unicorn-like apparition with Tretij Rebenok. During the chase, Ocelot briefly recognized Volgin and commented about him being "back from the dead." Ultimately, his prey had eluded him at the bridge, and he was ultimately forced to let them escape due to both their being separated by the river and an oncoming rainstorm.

At some point, Skull Face would find use in both Tretij Rebenok and Volgin, adopting them both as weapons to fend off Big Boss. During a later mission, when Venom Snake came across Skull Face at the Ngumba Industrial Zone, the latter ordered Tretij Rebenok and the "Man on Fire" to kill Venom Snake. Volgin then nearly pinned down and strangled Venom Snake during the ensuing confrontation, but was forced to let him escape temporarily after Tretij Rebenok ended up using his powers to smother Shabani in smoke, resulting in Volgin being left paralyzed long enough for Venom Snake to escape his grip. Volgin chased Venom Snake which resulted in the two engaging in battle. He was later subdued by being doused in large amounts of water, thereby allowing Venom Snake to escape.

During the climactic confrontation between Venom Snake and Skull Face's forces in the Metal Gear hangar bay, Skull Face revealed the true nature of the "Man on Fire" and had ordered Tretij Rebenok to pit him against Venom Snake one final time. Unbeknownst to either Venom Snake or Skull Face, Tretij Rebenok found himself favoring Eli's intense hatred over Skull Face or Volgin's, allowing himself to be used as a conduit in order to hijack Metal Gear Sahelanthropus for Eli. As Sahelanthropus' loading platform rolled forwards Eli had Volgin walk into the wheels, crushing himself. Nonetheless, he survived, and some Soviet personnel retrieved the body and placed it at the Yakho Oboo Supply Outpost. Ocelot suspected the true identity of the Man on Fire from one of Skull Face's statements about men becoming demons and reanimating the dead due to residual desires for revenge.

Venom Snake would later retrieve his body during a separate mission in Afghanistan. Before being extracted, Volgin's burned body came back to life once again as the "Man on Fire", causing his fiery horse to appear, knocking down Snake in the process. He pinned down Venom Snake and met him face to face. Mysteriously, Volgin momentarily reverted to his original appearance, in which he then stopped his assault - somehow, he realized that Venom Snake was not actually the Big Boss he thought he had been hunting. His anger quelled, he fell backwards to the ground, dropping several bullets just like he used to, and finally died. Volgin's corpse was then taken back to Mother Base and put in one of the Quarantine platform's cages. Ocelot then took the time to look over Volgin's corpse, reflecting that Skull Face must have used his desires for revenge against Big Boss for his goals.

Abilities
Volgin had incredible strength which made him a deadly foe in battle, his blows being powerful enough to send an opponent flying as well as make them vomit, breaking the opponent's bones in the process. In addition, he was capable of not only lifting, but also wielding with ease, a Davy Crockett launcher by hand (Davy Crocketts weigh about 300 kilograms combined with the launcher and the Davy Crockett itself, and personnel using it generally utilize a tripod). He was also skilled with guns, using his Makarov sidearm to shoot Sokolov in the kneecaps after deducing Major Raikov was Naked Snake in disguise. Colonel Volgin then turned the Makarov on Snake, but the gun was disarmed from him with Snake's quick CQC skills. It was attempted to be used on Snake again once The Boss overpowered him, and The Boss did a similar disarming maneuver to render him bare-handed.

Volgin's body possessed a physical anomaly that allowed him to generate and manipulate 10 million volts of electricity at will, and he specialized in electric shock attacks. Soviet scientists hypothesised that his electrical abilities were possibly a form of psychic power (electrokinesis). To protect himself from being injured by this exceedingly high voltage, having caused the numerous scars to his face, Volgin wore a rubber suit during combat. While wearing it, he could generate his maximum level of voltage, using it to enhance his strength to superhuman levels. He demonstrated this by punching through the solid metal of the Shagohod's armor, which even the RPG-7's shaped-charge warhead was unable to penetrate directly. Volgin was also known to perform an attack that did damage on three levels; to hold four 7.62x54R rifle shells between his knuckles, punch a person, and drop the shell casings in an intimidating manner. The manuever worked three-fold: A punch, igniting the cartridge's gunpowder for a "gunshot" effect, and using the metal of the shells to conduct an electricity shock on the opponent. He first showcased this ability on a concrete wall after learning from The Boss that The Pain had been killed by Naked Snake. He then performed it on Granin, who was imprisoned inside a metal drum.

During his battle with Naked Snake in Groznyj Grad, Volgin demonstrated the ability to electrify metallic objects to his own specifications (for example, he was able to create a steady band of electricity across the floor) and project steady beams of electricity forward. Instead of using a firearm, he could hold 7.62x54R cartridges in his hands and use his power to ignite the propellant. He used this ability in several ways, including a barrage attack, a machine gun, and to increase the damage from his punches. He used a similar attack on Ocelot to force him to not attack Snake, prior to his and Snake's fight in the hangar. The bullets presumably came from a bandoleer of 7.62mm rifle bullets, which he always wore on his rubber suit. He could also use it to create a shield that could temporarily protect him from gunfire. He also had the ability to channel his own electricity, as shown when he was able to revive and power the Shagohod after it was nearly destroyed by Naked Snake's RPG. In addition, he could also absorb electricity from other electrical sources such as switchboards, as was shown during his fight with Naked Snake. He also had some degree of durability, as evidenced by his surviving an RPG blast from Naked Snake shortly before his being struck by lightning.

Nevertheless, his electricity was subject to the same physics as regular electricity. It was attracted by metal (which he used to his advantage to stop Naked Snake from using a gun by igniting all the bullets in the magazine at once), and Russian Glowcap mushrooms (which interfered with his electrical abilities, causing him to hate the mushroom species). His powers could also be temporarily weakened if he came into contact with water. Likewise, his electrical abilities can also be disrupted with chaff-based weaponry. Although he can wield electricity, he is not invulnerable to it; as evidenced by his scars as well as his being hit by a bolt of lightning late in Operation Snake Eater, although he would ultimately survive this, albeit at the cost of being rendered comatose.

Volgin's body would undergo experimentation by Soviet scientists. His desire for vengeance against Big Boss would go on to influence Mantis and he would gain pyrokinesis while assuming the identity of the "Man on Fire." It is implied that the catalyst behind his pyrokinetic abilities was derived from his fiery defeat during Operation Snake Eater, causing him to become a figurative "demon". As the "Man on Fire", Volgin employed similar tactics in terms of attacks, combining his electric abilities with his newfound fire abilities. He was capable of absorbing bullets with little to no visible damage and possessed the ability to fire them out of his body as projectiles; similar to how he previously ignited and fired bullets via electricity. Beyond this, he was capable of conjuring massive pillars made out of flames to surround his target in an open area. His durability was such that he could even take a direct hit from heavy-grade weaponry such as air to surface missiles and tank rounds with no visible damage other than cosmetic, as well as survive being run over by heavy vehicles such as an ambulance or a tank, and not even being crushed by Sahelanthropus' platform was enough to kill him. It was implied that he could also lift and throw various vehicles and rubble as projectiles, as demonstrated when Ishmael and Venom Snake were fleeing the hospital. Though he often walked, he could move swiftly in spurts and was able to teleport by manifesting himself out of one of his own pillar of flames. Similar to his original self, Volgin could be weakened by water to the point where heavy amounts temporarily incapacitated him. He was also able to summon a flaming horse that allowed him to chase Venom Snake.

Personality and characteristics


Volgin was shown to have a ruthless, brutal, and power-hungry personality, as one of the reasons why he desired to overthrow Khrushchev and install Brezhnev and Kosygin in his place was so he could secretly control the Soviet Union. He was also extremely sadistic, as evidenced by his love of torture (even though most of the times he tortured people he also killed them before they could even reveal any intel), as well as his frequent abuse of EVA/Tatyana, and his boasts of killing people in the Katyn Forest Massacre, the Uprising of East Germany, and the Hungarian Revolution. In addition, during the aforementioned massacre at Katyn Forest, he removed the blindfolds before beating them to death. Futhermore, after Snake urinated on himself while being repeatedly electrocuted, Volgin remarked "Now that's what I like to see," suggesting that Volgin also enjoyed seeing people experiencing terror or pain before death. In addition, Volgin recalled several despicable and low class things he did or witnessed, to which he frequently laughed about it.

This trait was apparent shortly before he attempted to execute Tatyana when discovering she was the mole leaking information to Snake, where he laughed to himself. He also had little regard for his own men, as evidenced by the fact that he killed many of them while using the Shagohod. These traits likewise made him feared in the Soviet Union, to the extent that his alleged death and Big Boss's role in it resulted in the latter being viewed as a hero to the Soviet military despite the latter being American.

Volgin often failed to interrogate any of his victims successfully during Operation Snake Eater, as most of them died before they could reveal any information. In one egregious example, Volgin not only failed to learn the details behind Naked Snake's mission; he actually achieved the opposite by informing Snake about the true nature and location of the Philosophers' Legacy. This was in part due to Volgin's sadistic nature and his failure to control it, often 'getting off' on it. Taking into account that Ocelot discovered his fascination with torture by watching him interrogate Snake, Volgin's failure to show the benefits of torture awakened a sadistic side in Ocelot. Volgin himself also claimed that he was a "very patient man" regarding his charges breaking under the interrogation.

Volgin was an extremely arrogant megalomaniac, believing that his position in Groznyj Grad meant that he should dismiss any arguments from his underlings, that they should obey him without question. These traits were especially apparent with his interactions with Ocelot; when Ocelot scolded Volgin about his methods, Volgin sternly responded that he didn't need Ocelot's approval in regards to his methods as he was in command, as well as getting angered at Ocelot's refusing orders to kill Naked Snake because of his promise to The Boss. In the latter instance, he attempted to attack Ocelot and proclaim his command. Ocelot calmly emptied one of his revolvers into Volgin's oncoming lightning jolt to deflect it, admonishing, "Fight like a man, Volgin!"

He also had a tendency to destroy or kill anything or anyone who no longer served any purpose to him - as evidenced by firing the Davy Crockett at the OKB-754 research facility, his indifference to Granin's dying from torture before he could reveal the identity of the spy within his ranks, his shooting and later attempted manslaughter of Sokolov when the latter was tortured by him, and the rumors of his intending to murder the scientists and engineers after the Shagohod tests were completed.

Volgin usually wore a unique variation of a Soviet officer's uniform that resembled a cross between an officer's uniform and a longcoat, wearing it over his unique rubber suit. However, this outfit was destroyed just before he fought against Naked Snake by the unleashing of his full-strength electrical powers.

Despite his negative qualities, Volgin mentioned that his primary reason for trying to take control of the entire Eastern Bloc was to reunify the Philosophers, who had split apart and began warring amongst themselves, and essentially end the Cold War.

Volgin was bisexual, and often described as being "a man of broad tastes," as evidenced by his relationships with both Major Raikov and EVA (he knew her as Tatyana). He seemed to legitimately care for Raikov; after Snake stole Raikov's uniform and impersonated him, Volgin was enraged and brutally beat him unconscious in retribution. He also, shortly after discovering that EVA was the spy in his midst, remarked that, despite his abuse towards her, he "valued her as a pet and cared for her" when about to execute her, as well as it almost "paining him" to kill her.

Volgin showed a deep sense of respect (and to a certain extent, even fear) for The Boss. For instance, despite showing an extreme force of power in torturing Naked Snake in Groznyj Grad, Volgin backed away in fear when The Boss stepped toward him and starkly questioned his trust in her. Despite this, he still showed defiance when he ordered The Boss to cut Naked Snake's eyes out. Later, he implied that he had at least some respect for Snake as well, mentioning that fighting him would be a "once in a lifetime battle."



Due to meeting his defeat at the hands of Naked Snake, Volgin's desire for vengeance grew so much that it kept his comatose body alive; essentially acting as the fuel and drive behind his relentless pursuits as the "Man on Fire". This feeling of hatred was strong enough to influence Mantis to accompany him in his pursuit of vengeance (though Eli's hatred for Big Boss proved greater to the point of supplanting Volgin's own influence over Mantis). As the "Man on Fire", Volgin primarily remained silent aside from occasionally grunting and roaring in anger. His face was obscured in what seemed like a layer of skin that fused/covered his mouth and his eyes glowed a fiery yellow. His body was burnt all over and it was laden with bullets, most of which are patterned in the same way as how Volgin previously wore a bandolier of bullets. His head was heavily embedded with multiple bullets, in which they were positioned in such a way that he possessed a set of horns, thus creating a demonic visage. Every time Volgin was active, his body would glow internally while becoming engulfed in flames.

Though unrelenting in his pursuit against Venom Snake, to the extent that Ocelot even noted he was a "persistent bastard" before recognizing his former commanding officer, it was heavily implied that Volgin later realized that Venom Snake was not the true Naked Snake/Big Boss during their final confrontation, and having come to this realization, his body was finally able to die. While Volgin maintained a consistently demonic visage as the Man on Fire, his appearance mysteriously reverted during his final confrontation with Venom Snake, albeit with some notable burns laced across his body while the bullets embedded on his torso remained; similar to his appearance as the "Man on Fire".

Volgin possessed some knowledge of Japan, having knowledge of Japanese sports such as Judo as well as at times reciting the Japanese nursery rhyme "Kuwabara, Kuwabara." Similarly, he also had some knowledge in regards to American history, remarking "Remember the Alamo" shortly before firing the Davy Crockett at the Sokolov Design Bureau (the Davy Crockett was named after the legendary American hero who died during the Texan War of Independence defending the Alamo from the Mexican Army, which the phrase "Remember the Alamo" was derived from).

Volgin would chant the phrase "Kuwabara, Kuwabara", meaning "mulberry bush," whenever it was raining. In Japanese mythology, lightning did not strike mulberry bushes (its use is similar to the nursery rhyme "Rain Rain Go Away"). Ironically, one of the rare times that Volgin did not utter this phrase, he was struck by a bolt of lightning.

Unconfirmed history
One of Volgin's motives for trying to overthrow Nikita Khruschev was because the latter was liberal in his politics.

Behind the scenes
Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin (エヴゲニー・ボリソヴィッチ・ヴォルギン) is the main antagonist of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. His last name is a common Russian surname that derives from the Volga River, while his first name is the Slavic version of the name Eugene. During production for Metal Gear Solid 3, Volgin was also given the nickname by the English staff of "Colonel Kuwabara" due to his trademark of reciting the nursery rhyme whenever it rained, something Hideo Kojima also learned.

In a leaked voice casting sheet, there was apparently some indecision in regards to whether Volgin was to hold the rank of Colonel or Major, although it was eventually decided that his rank was a Colonel in the final version.

Volgin's actions on board the Hind were intended to be similar to Carl Weathers' role as the CIA Agent George Dillon from the film Predator (specifically, his acting overjoyed with the success of the operation to steal the Shagohod), under Hideo Kojima's request.

After Volgin is defeated, when EVA is about to hug Snake, holding R1 will allow the player to see The Sorrow floating behind her and smiling. Some fans have speculated that he may have caused the lightning bolt that defeated Volgin, although he often appears whenever thunderstorms occur in the game.

Volgin's Japanese voice actor, Kenji Utsumi, had also formerly voiced three characters who, like Volgin, were military dictators. The first was Commander Red, the leader of the Red Ribbon Army from the Dragon Ball anime, the second was Raoh, the main antagonist of Hokuto no Ken who, similar to Volgin, possessed martial arts skills and supernatural powers, and the third was M. Bison (known as Vega in Japan), the leader of Shadaloo in the Street Fighter franchise, more specifically the anime Street Fighter II V, who similar to Volgin was also skilled at martial arts and special powers (in Bison's case, psycho power). His motion capture actor, Mark Musashi, had previously done the motion capture work for Liquid Snake in the GameCube remake for Metal Gear Solid, The Twin Snakes, and had auditioned because they wanted a hentai colonel role, a role that most other motion capture actors backed away from. He also enjoyed the experience since it allowed him to undergo extreme emotions.

In the non-canonical Secret Theater film Die Hard, after Volgin is launched into the stratosphere, he explodes, suggesting that Volgin carried a microbomb. In another film, Metal Gear Raiden: Snake Eraser, Volgin encounters a time-traveling Raiden on several occasions: he briefly mistakes him for Raikov and assaults him in the Groznyj Grad prison; he beats him in Groznyj Grad's West Wing while a Raikov-disguised Naked Snake slips away; and he expresses confusion when Raiden flees within a drum can just after he torturing and killing Dr. Granin. Volgin also briefly appears in the film "The Joy," where he is puzzled as to The Boss's motives, after she jumps from a bridge to evade a swarm of hornets.

A leaked character model for the Fox Engine revealed a male character who resembled Colonel Volgin in appearance, who Kojima stated was a killed character. However, Kojima revealed in a Twitter post that the character was not Colonel Volgin.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database erroneously state that Snake killed Volgin instead of the latter being struck by a bolt of lightning.

Cut content
Commentaries on Metal Gear Solid 3 by Kojima revealed several scenes involving Volgin that were to be featured in the game, which were ultimately cut or altered for the final version.

There was originally to have been a scene at the Ponizovje warehouse, where Volgin looks dirtily at Tatyana's hips (which are seen through her skirt) while she is out of it, causing her to straighten out her skirt when she realizes this. The scene, had it been used, would have explained why Tatyana's skirt was straightened when standing up despite Volgin's earlier electric shock attack.

The scene that the photograph was taken with Volgin and Raikov by EVA had Volgin reaching for Raikov's crotch, but this was cut off from the photo.

When Volgin tortures Snake, the sequence was originally to have contained some button prompt sequences similar to previous games, where Snake would struggle and swear. Even though the dialogue had already been recorded, this concept was not utilized.

While not cut from the game, Kojima admits that it was difficult to get across the meaning behind Volgin's breaking into laughter, after he expressed pity at the thought of killing EVA in the Shagohod's hangar. The reason for this was because he was remembering several "despicable and low-class" things he had carried out. When EVA attempts to kill him with the Kiss of Death, Volgin was originally to have destroyed it with his electricity, with the resulting discharge forcing the bullet into the ceiling. Just prior to fighting Snake on the elevator, he was also to have pressed a button to lower it, but this concept was changed during development to him using his electricity instead.

It was originally intended that Volgin had killed his father, and that there were originally supposed to be images of gold, silver, and paintings that the Nazis stole, images of World War II, Volgin's father, as well as a still of Volgin murdering his father. However, this was cut from the final version, with the Nazi Treasures and World War II images being replaced with texts and blueprints, and Volgin murdering his father being left out entirely. Whether he had killed his father for the Legacy, had it been kept, was unknown, although Volgin's comment about having learned of its existence and his role in it after his father's death would make this motive unlikely.

Volgin's final battle with Snake with the Shagohod was also slightly different: Originally, he was to have piloted an escape mode for the Shagohod that was quick in its movements. After being beaten, Volgin will burst out with his rubber suit largely damaged, with the top portion completely destroyed, as well as largely covered in his own blood, especially on the face. Because of his suit being damaged, he was also discharging electricity as if there was a malfunction. After noticing a storm, he effectively says "Hmm, thunderstorms mean nothing." And smiles at Naked Snake and EVA (hinting that he is about to kill them at that moment) before being hit by lightning. The final version had Volgin merging with the wiring of the Shagohod to repower it, and likewise upon defeat attempt to repower the Shagohod shortly before being struck by lightning.

Gameplay
Major Raikov will reveal hints that Volgin is weak against water, if interrogated. Similarly, again Raikov will also imply that Volgin doesn't like the Russian Glowcap mushrooms species under the same interrogation.

Volgin's remarks about Snake's endurance prior to the torture varies depending on how many serious injuries the player has endured during both the Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater (not counting wounds received in cutscenes). If Snake received minimal injuries, Volgin will remark that his skin is as soft as a "newborn baby's", although it soon wouldn't be. For moderate amounts of injuries, Volgin will admit that Snake has seen his fair share of battles, but tells him that he should consider himself so lucky, as what Snake would go through next would be "Hell." If Snake received a huge amount of injuries, Volgin will be impressed at how much he has endured, as a lesser man would have been long dead by then.

If the player wears the Raikov mask during the boss fight with Volgin, Volgin will slowly walk towards while shaking to snake, and say "Ivan...?", thus allowing a free hit on Volgin. However, this can only be done only once (afterwards, he would have wised up), and if the player took the opportunity to hit him, he has to get out of the way, as Volgin will charge at him at an even faster rate than before, shouting out loud "How dare you!! You will pay for what you did to Ivan!!" Also, waiting too long will have Volgin realize that Snake is not Raikov at all. and do the above action. In a radio call to Para-Medic, she'll also briefly hint that Snake try to use that technique to land a free hit, although she'll stop herself when Snake expresses confusion as to why it would work. Also, acting on the advice that Volgin doesn't like water, the player can shoot the pipes in the arena. Similarly, the player can also toss out some Russian glowcap mushrooms (if they player has them in their possession), which will absorb Volgin's electric attacks. If the player manages to bring a live tree frog with them and throw it, Volgin will jump away in fear upon getting close to it, uttering in anger "Kuwabara!, Kuwabara!" before attacking the frog. This references a myth related to the belief that lightning will not strike a mulberry bush.

In the HD Collection, if the player defeats Volgin, they'll gain an trophy/achievement named "Grounded," referring to the concept of electrical waves being dampened by towering objects such as lightning rods to prevent short-circuiting of electronics.

Metal Gear Solid V
In early trailers of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, an apparition appeared that bears some resemblance to a demonic version of the then-long deceased Volgin. He wore a bandolier of bullets on his chest and a tattered suit very similar to the ones worn by Volgin in the latter stages of Operation Snake Eater (when his coat had been removed). The positioning of the bullets between his knuckles also confirmed the Man on Fire's identity. The March 2014 issue of Game Informer confirmed that the phantom was intended to be Volgin. A Play Arts Kai action figure based on this character was shown on July 23, 2014 at the San Diego Comic Con. The action figure was showcased under the name of Man on Fire. The RedCode site also uncovered some code that was during the hospital scene, where the character on the horse is explicitly referred to as Volgin. The unveiled covers for the UK versions of Official PlayStation Magazine and Xbox: The Official Magazine also makes the connection between the Man on Fire and Volgin even more explicit, showing the apparition wearing a slightly damaged version of Volgin's Soviet GRU uniform/trenchcoat. The Man on Fire's identity was later confirmed to be Volgin in a leaked Italian game guide, which also revealed that, besides the prologue, he is fought in Episode 20, and also revealed that he is invulnerable to any conventional attacks. Various trailers also showed the apparition being in close proximity to Tretij Rebenok, suggesting there was a connection between the two. This was further supported by GamesRadar during E3 2015, where they described him as a "flaming psychic projection." A leaked Italian gaming guide, however, revealed that the Man on Fire was in fact Volgin and not an apparition, explaining that he had become brain-dead after the events of Snake Eater and was experimented upon after Soviet scientists recovered his body.



Even though the Man on Fire was explicitly shown to have revived himself when Snake arrived to retrieve the body at the Yakho Oboo Supply Outpost in the end-side op 144 cutscene before perishing for good, the Man on Fire (Corpse)'s key item description simply states that his death was due to being crushed by Sahelanthropus.

Aside from his appearance in The Phantom Pain, Volgin also appears in the Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Companion App as an officer type for the Mother Base builder. He is unlocked by getting 60k points or more on Hard difficulty with the main mission, while connected to the app the Companion App is on.

The player can also attempt to extract the Man on Fire via Fulton during the boss fight with him in Episode 20: Voices. This requires defeating him before the tunnel is destroyed and is best done by knocking Tretij Rebenok out beforehand. Doing so will have Miller express shock, and Ocelot agreeing to the plan, thinking it would give them the opportunity to find out who or what the Man on Fire was. Using the Fulton device on him, however, will result in the fulton extraction failing off-screen, with Ocelot and Miller reporting that the Man on Fire had destroyed the bonds for the Fulton balloon and escaped, with Miller stating it was a good thing (implying alongside his earlier reaction to his being extracted that he did not want Man on Fire back at Mother Base after witnessing his destructive actions). If the player manages to take out Tretij Rebenok first or before he could revive the Man on Fire, Miller will call in and note that the boy's presence is what causes the Man on Fire to be mobile before congratulating Snake on his method of disabling the Man on Fire. Doing so completes an objective for the mission.

Other appearances
Volgin was mentioned several times in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. The first mention of him was by Jonathan, after learning that Snake was actually Big Boss. The second time was by Ghost when first contacting Big Boss. The third time was during the recruitment of Raikov, and the final time was when Gene explains that the United States, and more specifically a "deviously cunning strategist" had manipulated various factors to ensure that The Boss did not come home alive.

Volgin was referenced by Big Mama to Old Snake in Act 3, when recounting Operation Snake Eater, the event that resulted in the formation of the Patriots. He was also briefly seen on a painting in Act 3 when first entering the hideout, which was itself based on Noriyoshi Ohrai's artwork for Metal Gear Solid 3.

Volgin was given three slight references in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. He was mentioned by The Boss AI during the climax of Chapter 4, which was itself a repeat of what The Boss herself told Big Boss, then known as Naked Snake, shortly before their duel in Rokovoj Bereg. The second time was when Big Boss told Dr. Strangelove that he was "used to shock therapy." The third time was in Peace Walker HD, with the trophy achievement "Kuwabara, Kuwabara" received upon using the radio near a ghost, referring to what Volgin frequently says when it is raining.

Volgin doesn't appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but he is indirectly referenced three times: The first reference was in EVA's sticker granting whoever wears it a 30% resistance to electric attacks, referring to EVA's undercover position as Colonel Volgin's female lover, as well as Volgin's electrical abilities. The second reference was in Naked Snake's trophy, which shows him bandaged up and wearing an eyepatch, referring in part to Volgin's torture of him, and Snake's loss of the use of his eye during the torture. Finally, the third reference was with the Naked Snake sticker having the second highest flinch resistance (being bested only by The Boss's sticker by one point), referring to Naked Snake's unflinching resistance to Volgin's torture.

Volgin is erroneously referred to as a KGB colonel in cards featured in Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2.

He also has several cards in the smartphone game Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops.

He also appears in the Versus Battle on the series official site.

WEAKNESSES: Water, Chaff, Poor Interrogator FEATURED FACT: Also known as Thunderbolt, the giant Colonel Volgin can generate up to 10 million volts of electricity with which to decimate opponents FEATURED GAME: METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION ''"
 * "''STRENGTHS: Sadistic High Voltage Herculean Power
 * -Volgin in Versus Battle

Appearances

 * Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
 * Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (Secret Theater; non-canon)
 * Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (mentioned and flashbacks)
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (flashbacks)
 * Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (indirectly mentioned)
 * Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (trading card)
 * Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain