Q

Voiced by Len Carlson. Q is a mysterious figure, with a featureless facemask and a concealing overcoat. His real name and whether he's human or not or even a man is unknown. The CIA is searching for Q and have various pictures of him taken from all around the world. While he can be chosen as a playable character, he is a hidden computer-controlled opponent. Q can be seen in one of the backgrounds in Street Fighter ll.

Story
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). Officially, no story has been given to Q beyond what is seen in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, the only game in which he appears. In 3rd strike, Q is the only character that does not have his or her own stage. However, starting a two-player game with having both players selecting Q will take you directly to Dudley's stage (London).

In this 3rd Strike ending, Q is under the investigation of the CIA. His ending shows that "Q" was sighted around the world in various locations, possibly implicating that Q is just one of many, or referring to him being seen on the boat in Ken's stage in Street Fighter II. The end of the ending scene shows a note with a picture of a boat and the code "ROBODEKA-Q." This indicates that Q is perhaps in part robotic. 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 does not speak. His victory phrases are ellipses ("......"), "No" and "Why?", and " I am ... abomination". He is also only one of the two characters lacking any mid-boss or final boss conversation dialogue (the other being Akuma). When performing the grab version of his third Super Art, a mechanical tone seemingly distinct from his own can be heard saying "danger." The various bits and pieces indicates that Q is likely a mixture of man and machine.

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 which 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 (Robot Detective K).

Gameplay
Q appears as a hidden computer-controlled opponent in 3rd Strike. At the end of the 7th or 8th stage, Q challenges the player if the player has not lost a round, has had at least 2 SPs, and has had a certain number of super art finishes.

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. For example, one of his moves is known as in japanese as Kousokudo Renzoku Dageki (Kari) "High Speed Rapid Strikes (Assumed Name)." Q's most signature special moves include his "dash punch," a fast and useful attack that can cancel into super attacks, and his "capture and deadly blow," a command grab which sends the opponent into the air for a juggle.

Sprites


Q in Street Fighter 2