Corporal Dominic Santiago

If you're gonna be a badass hero or villain, common courtesy is that you got to have someone to watch your back, or have a sidekick. Chris Redfield had Jill Valentine (most of the time anyway). Mother Brain had Ridley. Tony Montana had Manny Ray.

And Marcus Fenix has his longtime best bud, Dominic Santiago.

Dom's Bio

Full Name: Dominic Santiago
Homeland: Tyrus
Date of Birth: 19 years before Emergence Day
Age: 34-35
Height: 6'
Weight: Unknown
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Family: Edward and Eva Santiago (deceased - killed on E-Day); Carlos Santiago, older brother (deceased - died at Aspho Fields) Benidicto Santiago, son (deceased - killed on E-Day); Sylvia Santiago, daughter (deceased - killed on E-Day)
Spouse: Maria Santiago (deceased - executed by Dom in a mercy killing on the 2nd day of Frost, 15 A.E.)
Notable Facts:
- 4th Generation Gear
- Hero of Timgrad
- Awarded the Embry Star for his actions during Operation Leveler

Dominic "Dom" Santiago was a COG soldier. Dom was the younger brother of Carlos Santiago and son of Eduardo Santiago and Eva Santiago. Born in a Pre E-Day Sera, he grew up listening to his father's war stories and going to school with Carlos and Marcus. Dom later joined the army as a commando and took part in Operation Leveler. Years later Dom freed his best friend Marcus Fenix from Jacinto Maximum Security Prison and recruited him into Delta Squad. His battlefield intensity is rivaled only by his loyalty to Marcus. Dom's friendly and outgoing nature lets him form relationships with factions throughout Sera, including the Stranded. He's always quick with a joke, but Dom's amiability masks an inner conflict that makes the war against the Locust far more personal.

Dom was born to Edward and Eva Santiago. He grew up in Ephyra city and went to school at Olafson Intermediate School, where his brother met Marcus Fenix. Dom met Maria Flores, who moved down two doors. They were both 11 when they met. Dom would spot Maria climb her front yard tree, and soon plucked up enough courage to talk to her. They both became good friends, then dated when teenagers, then became 16 year old parents. Maria became pregnant with a boy, so Dom and Maria decided to get married. Dom was forced to stay in school so he could give a better future for his kids, staying behind while his brother and Marcus join the army. His first son, Benedicto Santiago was born during Frost, 4 years before E-Day.

Dom later dropped out of school and joined the army, joining the experimental commando units with his trainee partner Georg Timiou. Dom passed his commando training and was subsequently part of Hoffman's commando team to take part in Operation Leveler. The day before the Battle of Aspho Fields, Dom's second child was born, Sylvia Santiago. Dom took part in Op.Leveler and was able to save many of the Commandos at Aspho Point and was awarded the Embry Star. After Aspho Fields, he stayed home to be with Maria and his kids. They stayed in their Lower Jacinto apartment for a couple more years until they got enough money to rent a house back in Ephrya City.

After the end of the Pendulum Wars, Dom and Maria rented their first house. One day, Maria sent the kids to her mother's so they can have a day to themselves (this day was in Dom's dream in his flashback dream after being swallowed from the Riftworm). Unfortunately, this day was Emergence Day. On that day, Maria's parents were killed along with Benedicto and Sylvia. Both Dom and Maria where able to evacuate back to their house in Jacinto while the Locust attacked the city. However, Maria was pushed over the edge of major depression with the loss of her children, her new life destroyed, and Dom's constant presence on the front line.

One year after E-Day, Dom and Maria continued to live their lives; Dom spent much of his time fighting the Locust, while Maria was prescribed with anti-depressants and stayed at home. She sobbed about her children and would still clean their rooms and go out for walks believing the kids are still alive. Even during the Hammer Strike she wanted to go out. She blocked out the truth about her children, and Dom became upset with her denial. One day, he didn't find her at the house: Adam Fenix had had her escorted to the Fenix Estate for her own safety a couple of days before the planned Hammer Strike on Sera.

Four years after E-Day, after the years of grief and depression, Maria left Jacinto and vanished, devastating Dom. This, along with the loss of his parents and children on E-Day, makes the war with Locust deeply personal.

About ten years after E-Day, Dom testified in Marcus's favor during his trial, when Marcus was charged for Dereliction of Duty in the face of danger, and was sentenced to death. Dom saved his friend from execution by testifying that day, but Marcus still went to the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison (the Slab). As a result of his testimony, Dom lost the trust of many people, and cost him the chance of being promoted by his superiors because they believed he had more loyalty to Marcus than to the COG, even though many respected him for not abandoning his friend.

At the beginning of Gears of War 1, Dom rescues his friend when the Locust take over Jacinto Maximum Security Prison, and he helps him escape the jail. Afterwards, Marcus joins Dom in forming Delta Squad. They are ordered to retrieve the Sonic Resonator to deploy in the Locust tunnels. They fight through several parts of Ephyra, rescuing the remnants of Alpha Squad (who originally possessed the Resonator) and narrowly survive a brutal Berserker ambush. Marcus is promoted to sergeant when Lieutenant Kim dies at RAAM's hand, and Dom then offers his assistance in leading the team to Franklin's Outpost.

Upon arriving at the Stranded outpost, Dom calls in a favour he is owed in order to borrow a Junker called Laverne from Franklin. The Laverne would be used to safely transport Delta Squad to the Lethia Imulsion Facility, where they would deploy the Resonator. Marcus and Dom must leave Cole and Baird behind as added defense for the local Stranded while Dom and Marcus secure the Junker from Chap's Gas Station. They form Delta One, and fight through several waves of attacking Locust, all the while sustaining attacks from the vicious Kryll. They eventually reach the station, and begin to fuel the Junker. When Locust forces attack the Gas Station, they narrowly escape back to outpost to pick up Delta Two. After one last massive firefight at the HQ, the combined team finally heads for Lethia Imulsion Facility.

The entrance to the factory is blocked, and the team must once again split into their two teams. Upon discovering an entrance, Marcus and Dom travel through the Lambent Wretch infested facility, and head into the underground caverns. After facing many Locust, including a Corpser and several elite Locust known as Theron Guards, they successfully deploy the Resonator, and escape The Hollow in the nick of time. With the Resonator activated, their mission was complete.

However, soon after the team makes it outside, they learn that the Resonator has failed. Upon discovering a geobot with massive tunnel data, however, they find that the focal point of the data is Marcus's old house. Dom and the rest of Delta Squad are picked up by King Ravens and transported to East Barricade Academy, the site of Marcus's old home. The team splits up once more, as Cole and Baird stay behind at the Contemporary Fighting Center in order to tend to wounded Gears, so Marcus and Dom go on ahead. After fighting through the defensive posts of many Locust that infested the campus, Dom and Marcus finally reach the house. Delta Two is able to link up, but quickly departs to repair an APC in the back of the house. Once inside, they gather all the information needed and barely escape a massive Brumak onboard the APC.

Delta Squad hurries to Timgad Station where the train which carries the Lightmass Bomb will soon pass through. Dom and Marcus board the train, but Baird and Cole reach the train too late. Separated, Delta Two radios that they will wait for King Ravens to pick them up. Delta One receives intel saying that the bomb is at the front of the train and that they must start heading there now. As the lone pair heads to the front of the train in order to activate the bomb, they are confronted with yet another Berserker, Locust Reavers, and Lambent Wretches. At the front of the train, they encounter General RAAM guarding the Lightmass Bomb. Dom lays down suppressing fire, while a King Raven provides air support and Marcus takes pot shots at the general. Marcus loads the targeting data and deploys the Lightmass Bomb into the tunnels, narrowly escaping as the bomb detonates. The bomb annihilates multitudes of Locust, scoring a much-needed victory for the humans. Dom jumps onto the King Raven and is just barely able to pull Marcus onboard, with the help of Colonel Hoffman.

Dom, along with Delta-One, took part in the Evacuation of North Gate. Dom met Bernadette Mataki during the Ambush at Sovereigns Boulevard. She joined Delta and took part in the evac of North Gate Agricultural Depot, getting all the supplies out of the deport. She later told him about the death of Carlos and he showed her the pictures of his children. Some time after the evac Dom took part in the Mission to the Pirnah Badlands, on a search and rescue mission for missing gears. The mission was a failure, and afterwards Delta had a week to leave. Dom, however, couldn't stand staying one week in Jacinto knowing Maria was out there. He was more then eager to get back to the field. On the Mission to Montevado, Dom and the rest of Delta were shot down over Locust territory. Dom and Delta made it to Montevado on foot, but as soon they entered the city it was sunk by the Riftworm. Barley surviving the sinking, Delta was attacked by Bloodmounts in the sinkhole. Dom was ordered by Marcus to escape with Jace Stratton. All the members of Delta except for Michael Barrick made it out of Montevado. In the month after Montevado in a Battle near Jacinto, Dom remembered what he was fighting for and hoped one day he could have Maria back.

Dom along with the rest of Delta with members from Sigma-One and Foxtrot, were sent to the city of Jilane. After a distress call, they traveled to the old birthing farms there. Dom hoping to find Maria there but was told by Alex she was better off somewhere else, decided that the city was the best shot to find her. After entering the city Delta was split into two groups, Jace, Cole and him set off looking for any survivors. Only to find dead fetuses and evidence of a massacre. While Fenix, Alex and Baird came under attack from the Jilane survivors.

Six months after the Lightmass Offensive, the Siege of Jacinto is tightening. Dom was getting conflicting reports on Maria, including a sighting at Jacinto Med. Not finding her at the Hospital, Dom felt he had lost her again. Dom, along with Marcus and Benjamin Carmine, took part in Op.Hollow Storm and fought their way to Landown. After entering the Hollow, Delta fought their way though various Locust hardpoints and eventually ended up in the newly sunk Ilima sinkhole, finding Cole and Baird on the way. During extraction, the King Raven they are on was swallowed by the Riftworm. After cutting the arteries around the Riftworm's three hearts and killing it, Delta cut their way out. However despite requesting pickup they are dispatched to investigate the New Hope Research Facility.

At the facility, Dom and Marcus reconned the buildings. There they discovered the Sires and clues that led them to Mount Kadar, where they reentered the Hollow. Upon finding a small ground of Stranded, Dom also discovered Maria's location. Dom immediately set off to rescue his wife. Marcus initially objects to this, wanting to continue on with their mission but Dom convinces him to help after reminding him he did the exact same thing for his father. Dom and Marcus infiltrate the camp and eventually find the pod that contains Maria. Upon opening the pod, Dom, apparently delusional, sees his wife in perfect health. However, he quickly recovers from this and comes to see Maria is malnourished, scarred and has been mentally broken from the torture of the work camps and the deaths of her two children. Dom desperately tries to remind Maria who he is but all she can do is gaze emptily at him, showing absolutely no recognition of who Dom is. Devastated, Dom decides to euthanize her, telling Maria how sorry he is that he couldn't find her in time and how much he loves her. Marcus walks away, and in the distance he hears a gunshot; Dom later appears and Marcus apologizes for his loss. Dom and Marcus continued to infiltrate Nexus, the Locust capital, again meeting Cole and Baird on the way. After killing the Locust high priest Skorge, but failing to kill the queen, they return to Jacinto. There, they discover that in order to place a Lightmass bomb that will sink Jacinto but flood the Hollow with water, they must return underground. After hijacking a Brumak and using it to clear Locust from the area, Jacinto sunk and the Hollow flooded. Flying away from the ruins of the last bastion of humanity, Dom is left to an ambiguous future.

In memorial of his wife, Dominic had his "Maria" tattoo reworked to add an angel. He also has grown a beard and accepts death without a thought.

Dom gets my respect; I'm down with him. Dude's been through a lot of shit.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
Dom gets my respect; I'm down with him. Dude's been through a lot of shit.

I agree. Poor Dom. Spent all this time trying to find his wife, only to find an empty shell. Can't really blame him for being ripshit pissed at the Locust. He's probably one of the more tragic characters in GoW.

If you have not played Gears of War 3, then don't look at this.

Dom went out like a true badass. At least he's now reunited with his wife ad kids in the afterlife.

YouTube video