Hot Coldman

Hot Coldman was the CIA Station Chief of Central America during the 1970s, who headed the development of the Peace Walker Project in Costa Rica. He had previously been responsible for planning the mission to eliminate The Boss in 1964, during Operation Snake Eater.

Cold War hero
As a director in the CIA, Coldman was involved in planning the death of The Boss due to fear of the renowned U.S. soldier's influence. During the Virtuous Mission, The Boss was allowed to "defect" to the Soviets in order to locate a massive cache of funds lost in World War II, providing GRU colonel Volgin with two Davy Crocketts as proof of her supposed sincerity. Volgin subsequently launched one of the miniature nuclear shells at the OKB-754 research facility in Tselinoyarsk, sparking an international incident. Coldman then planned the follow-up mission Operation Snake Eater where FOX agent Naked Snake assassinated The Boss in order to "clear" the United States of any wrongdoing. Despite being regarded as a hero during the height of the Cold War, Coldman was later removed from his director's position and instead sent to manage the CIA's Latin America operations.

Peace Walker Project
Coldman planned to use the CIA mercenary group Peace Sentinel and the Peace Walker Project to regain his status as a power player in Washington. At some point, Coldman used one of his Agency contacts to procure blueprints for Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin's bipedal weapon "Metal Gear" from Langley. In 1973, Coldman recruited doctors Huey Emmerich and Strangelove to commence the development of the Peace Walker Project in Costa Rica: a mobile, fail-deadly nuclear deterrent system capable of striking from anywhere and eluding pre-emptive nuclear attacks, which, if mass-produced, would grant the United States exemption from mutually assured destruction. Coldman convinced Emmerich to participate by claiming that their work would end the use of nuclear weapons, and by providing him with Granin's Metal Gear designs, but planned to blackmail the doctor for his use of stolen Soviet designs should he later resist. Coldman provided the names for four of the AI weapons developed for the project, after the initials of the four U.S. Presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore.

In 1974, Coldman's Peace Sentinel kidnapped Costa Rican Paz Ortega Andrade after she accidentally stumbled upon a shipping facility, after which she was inflicted with several cuts on her arms. Peace Walker was an AI-controlled nuclear-armed bipedal tank, which Coldman would use to maintain the policy of nuclear deterrence. However, Coldman believed that, in order to prove that it was a perfect deterrent, they should actually launch a nuclear weapon, to demonstrate its power to the world.

Upon learning the true nature of Peace Walker's development, the wheelchair-bound Huey was disgusted to the point that he was unwilling to work on the project anymore, even if it meant sacrificing any chance of "walking tall" among his colleagues. Coldman then decided to dispatch his former accomplice by shoving him down some stairs. He then departed from the base by helicopter, airlifting the Peace Walker frame away, and leaving the Pupa AI weapon to deal with an intrusion by Big Boss (Naked Snake).

Shortly thereafter, Coldman had Peace Walker transported to a remote underground base for the final stages of testing. He was then alerted to the presence of Snake by Peace Walker's AI, and captured him, after the latter had been distracted by the AI, which had been modeled after his deceased mentor The Boss. Coldman told Snake of his involvement in The Boss's death, the mission to Tselinoyarsk in 1964, and his belief in how the world's heroes shall only be machines, believing that The Boss's beliefs were bankrupt. Coldman then ordered for him to be detained and executed, and hinted at wanting Snake's Militaires Sans Frontières wiped out as well. He relented to Strangelove's suggestion that he hand Snake over to her, only so that she could acquire information on The Boss from him, to complete the AI. However, he told her that she should not take too long, as he had received word that the SALT-II talks were on schedule, hinting that he intended to demonstrate Peace Walker's capabilities while the U.S. President and his cabinet were in Vladivostok.

Coldman later managed to recapture Paz Andrade, holding her hostage and threatening her life should the Militaires Sans Frontières interfere with his plans. Encountering Snake again, after his escape from imprisonment, Coldman revealed that the MSF's Mother Base was to be the initial target for Peace Walker; not only would the MSF be wiped out, but the radioactive fallout would poison the crops and fishing supplies in Central America, creating "free hands" for the mass production of Peace Walker. Before that, however, he would show the White House that Peace Walker could travel in a versatile manner. He again proclaimed his belief that Peace Walker was the key to true peace, through the control of nukes.

After Snake fought with Peace Walker and eventually defeated its bipedal form, Coldman then directed Peace Walker to the Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border, towards a U.S. missile base in the neighboring country. Afterwards, Coldman input the final data into Peace Walker in the base's control room. Reaching Coldman's location, Snake learned that the falsified trajectory data would fool military intelligence, causing Peace Walker to analyze the threat level, and launch a retaliatory strike.

However, Coldman was betrayed by his KGB ally Vladimir Zadornov, who planned to have Peace Walker launch at Cuba instead, which would cause anti-American sentiment amongst the international community, thus allowing the Soviets to win the Cold War. Zadornov then tried to get Paz to kill Coldman, reminding her of what he did to her, causing Coldman to apologize to her. However, despite what he did to her, Paz simply could not kill him, not having the heart to do so. Coldman was then shot in the chest by Zadornov but deliberately missed fatally shooting him in order to get Peace Walker's access code from him. However, Zadornov's plot was undone by the Sandinista group led by Amanda Valenciano Libre after his own former allies realized they're being used.

Slowly succumbing to his injuries, Coldman managed to activate Peace Walker, despite its new launch target of Cuba. The false trajectory data was also transmitted towards NORAD, forcing the U.S. military to decide whether to launch a retaliatory strike, since most of the White House cabinet were absent due to the SALT-II negotiations. Although he maintained his belief that they would never retaliate due to their human nature (which he viewed as a weakness), he also implies that he wouldn't care if they did launch, as by the time the decision is made, he'll have already died from his injuries. He also did this with the intention of dying before he could reveal the abort code, of which he was the only one who knew about the abort code.

After death
In contrast to his views, Coldman never lived long enough to see his plans end in ultimate failure.

Although Coldman himself died, his beliefs about machines ruling over humanity hadn't, as they were later implemented by the Patriots' AIs. Like Coldman, the AIs managed to eliminate every trace of The Boss's final will by the time of Liquid Ocelot's Insurrection in 2014.

Personality and traits
Hot Coldman generally displayed a calm, manipulative demeanor. He demonstrated his cunning when he planned Operation Snake Eater, as well as using several factors, including his own death, to ensure that his own plans for Peace Walker would be carried out. In addition, Coldman was indifferent towards the suffering that his planned nuclear launch would cause to the people living on the Caribbean Coast, merely seeing them as a future source of labor following the destruction of their crops by radiation. He remained entirely confident in his belief that nuclear deterrence by humans was flawed, and that his actions would not cause an all-out nuclear war.

Coldman was entirely devoted to carrying out the Peace Walker Project, and was willing to kill all those who stood in the way of its progress, including innocent bystanders and members of his own team. When Huey Emmerich refused to cooperate with him further, Coldman shoved the wheelchair-bound scientist down a stairway. Dr. Strangelove feared that she herself would be "rubbed out" following the project's conclusion. Coldman also would have had Cécile Caminades killed, after she stumbled upon one of the AI tests in the jungle, though this was concealed from him by Strangelove. Coldman later commented that he should have "taken care" of Paz Andrade when she was captured at Puerto del Alba.

Coldman had a tattoo on the back of his head with the image of a wolfman holding a Peace symbol, and the words "Homo Homini Lupus", which translates to "Man is a wolf to [his fellow] man." The tattoo in question was mistaken as a coyote by Snake when they encountered each other. Coldman corrected him saying, "Lobo is the name," which means "Wolf" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Coldman's designs on Central America caused Amanda and several Nicaraguans to compare him to William Walker, a United States filibuster who managed to gain control of Nicaragua in 1856. He was overthrown a year later and was executed by the government of Honduras in 1860.

Behind the scenes
Hot Coldman is one of the main antagonists featured in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. He is voiced in Japanese by Mugihito, who also portrayed Sigma in the Mega Man X series; another former hero who fell from grace, and caused a catastrophe involving missiles. In addition, his physical appearance also bore some slight similarities to Sigma, including a completely bald head. Unused character designs of Coldman, included in a promotional art booklet, feature him wearing a black coat and a black fedora, while holding a briefcase, with a rubber glove on his left hand. The aforementioned artwork was also included in the Official Art Works book for Peace Walker, in addition to another unused artwork depicting Coldman with a significantly different appearance, with a full head of hair and a moustache.

In an issue of Famitsu that revealed some parts of Peace Walker, Coldman claimed that he had found the perfect deterrent. The Boss's AI then says that it is Jack, to which Jack, blushing, most likely out of anger, says "From now on, call me Big Boss!" This was not included in the final version.

In Peace Walker, Coldman personally reveals to Naked Snake that he had planned the operation to eliminate The Boss. Because of this, fans assume that he is the "deviously cunning strategist" that Gene mentions in Portable Ops (an individual whom fans had previously believed to have been either Ocelot, Zero, or the DCI from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater), though it is never explicitly confirmed.

What type of director Coldman was during the events of Snake Eater is never revealed though it's possible he was a "Director of Operatons" like Brian McBride who appeared in the non-canon game Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

Coldman's statements about how "the age of heroes was over, buried along with The Boss's bankrupt beliefs," and that "machines will rule the world," foreshadows the rise of the Patriots' AIs and their elimination of The Boss's final will, through the implementation of the war economy in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Due to his demise during Chapter 4, Coldman is the only major character in Peace Walker other than Naked Snake who cannot be recruited or placed onto Mother Base's staff. Conversely, Zadornov, though never actually recruited, is featured in Mother Base's staff, due to being a prisoner during Chapter 5.

According to conceptual storyboard images included in the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Official Arts book, Coldman was originally intended to have been directly murdered by Zadornov by a shot to the head, with Paz being absent entirely. In addition, shortly beforehand, he would have originally had Snake captured shortly after Snake witnessed Paz and Zadornov conversing in a room near Peace Walker (in a manner similar to Solid Snake eavesdropping on Liquid Snake and Revolver Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid).

Hot Coldman later appeared in Versus Battle.

"STRENGTHS: Shrewd Plotter of Snake Eater, Peace Walker WEAKNESSES: Underestimating Mankind? FEATURED FACT: A cunning former CIA head, Hot Coldman was a twisted Cold War hero who would manipulate & sacrifice millions in the name of nuclear deterrence FEATURED GAME: METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION"

- Hot Coldman's bio on Versus Battle

Coldman is one of only four main characters from Peace Walker to not be included as an officer in the Mother Base development game on the Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes'' companion app (the others being Chico, Paz Ortega Andrade, and Zadornov).

Appearances

 * Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
 * Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (trading card)
 * Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (mentioned)