Q

Q is a character in the Street Fighter series. He first appeared in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and is voiced by Len Carlson.

Story
Not much is known about Q, except that he appears at different places around the world, and may be linked to various disasters. No one knows his real name, if he's human or not or even if he's a man. The CIA is searching for him.

Who is Q?
Q is a mysterious figure. His real name and whether he's human, machine or some combination of the two is unknown. An interesting characteristic of Q is that when he is shocked in-game, instead of showing the skull and skeleton of the character, Q shows his muscular system and an indistinct head. Q only grunts when being hit in combat and only speaks one line after defeating his opponent, and it is completely unintelligable. His victory phrases are ellipses ("......"), "No," "Why?", and "I am ... abomination." He is also one of only two characters lacking any mid-boss or final boss conversation dialogue (the other being Akuma). When performing the grab version of his "Total Destruction" Super Art, a female computerized voice, completely distinct from his own, can be heard saying "danger". Also adding to the theory of being mechanical is his loss animation for when he is beaten by chip damage, where he begins to twitch, and slowly struggle to grab the opponent, but ultimately "shuts down," with his arms still stretched out, face looking down, but still standing. Also, his being sighted around the world by the CIA possibly implicates that Q is just one of many. To the contrary of these points, there is some evidence that he may simply be a man in a mask. This official artwork depicts Q having a small visible tuft of blonde hair at the bottom of the back of his "mask", at the nape of his neck.

Q's identity is often debated by Street Fighter fans, with people speculating him to be anything from a computer controlled cyborg to a 'fallen' SFII character like M. Bison or, taking his height into account, Sagat, although he doesn't fit the physical frame of either. It is also speculated that Q may be an homage to the superheroes The Question and Mr. A, due to Q's extremely similar appearance, and the name 'Q' (question, 'A' for answer).

Appearance
Q sports a hat and trench coat, stereotypical of spies and detectives. His head is engulfed in a metallic shell-like mask which surrounds his entire head. The mask has yellow eyes of varying brightness. Q's neck is the only portion of his body that is visibly made of flesh and skin. The design for Q is believed to be based on similar-looking characters such as Robotto Keiji K (Robot Detective K). Although not a robot, the trenchcoat, fedora and gloves are similar articles that H.G. Wells' "Invisible Man" wears.

Gameplay
In 3rd Strike, Q is noted as a defensive character due to his large stamina and low speed. His stamina (health) can be increased by taunting, up to a maximum of over twice the stamina of Akuma. With three taunts, Q has by far the highest stamina of any character in 3rd Strike. However, because of his slow speed and the lack of high priority moves, he is considered to be a low tier character in competitive play.

Techniques
Q's techniques resemble that of a brute force brawler, through one appearing physically contained, as opposed to a refined martial artist. Most of his move names are descriptions of his actions rather than proper nouns referring to a move name. Q's most signature special moves include his "Dashing Head Attack," a fast and useful attack that can cancel into super attacks, and his "Capture & Deadly Blow," a command grab which sends the opponent into the air for a juggle. His super attacks include a series of quick punches while he moves forward, as well as a move that punches the enemy in the stomach, then an overhead blow with both arms at once upon their head. He also has a move reffered to as "total destruction." When activated, Q can choose to either punch or grab his opponent, depending on the situation, which emits a small explosion.

Stage Theme
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Trivia

 * In 3rd Strike, Q is the only character that does not have his own stage. However, starting a two-player game with both players selecting Q will take you directly to Dudley's stage (London).


 * While he can be chosen as a playable character, he is a "hidden" computer-controlled sub-boss that can only be battled after meeting specific requirements.


 * It is rumored that Q can be seen in Ken's background in the original Street Fighter II series. However, "he" was removed from the redrawn and redesigned stage in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.


 * Q bears several similarities with Eagle, though he is most likely not Eagle. Both wear similar clothing (long grey pants, white gloves, dress shoes, red tie), and as stated above, when 2 people select Q, they are taken directly to England, where Eagle originates from. Also, in a piece of official artwork, Q is shown to have a small, but visible, tuft of blonde hair at the tip of his neck, the same hair color as Eagle. Though they do share some similarities, it is highly unlikely that they are the same, as Q is more than a foot taller, and weighs in at a lot more than Eagle, though things may have happened to Eagle since we have last seen him...