Aperture's Unseen Hero | Doug Rattmann | Full Portal Lore

Doug Rattmann is one of Portal's most underrated characters. Although he is never seen during Chell's exploration of the Aperture Science Enrichment Centre, his actions made had a huge impact on the future of Aperture.
How does Doug fit into the story? How did he help in taking down GLaDOS and how does his story end? In this lore episode, I explore the lore and story behind Doug Rattmann in Portal.
Comic page read order: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Rattmann Comic (Lab Rat):
www.thinkwithportals.com/comic/
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:41 Aperture & Background
05:24 The Fall of Aperture & Doug's Sanity
08:16 Hunted
13:12 Chell's Awakening
16:25 A Hero is Forged
20:04 Legacy
21:59 Closing Thoughts
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Standard Sources
Half-Life series playthrough research
Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
Half-Life: Alyx Playthrough
Portal/ Half-Life Fandom
Aperture Desk Job
Portal
Portal 2
Old Valve Forums
Marc Laidlaw's Twitter
Lab Rat Comic
AUDIO USED
Portal 2 OST: There She Is
#Portal #Cube #DougRattmann

[@robynstopped]

I love how Rattmann actually is a hero and basically Chell's savior despite her never seeing him. Having someone you can never thank but know that you owe your life too, adds so much drama and tragedy to Chell's experience.

[@charlodynatimberheart4860]

The sad part is she doesn't even know who he is, just that his murals exist.

[@measlesplease1266]

Like Jesus Christ

[@raul-aurelianserban8295]

@@measlesplease1266 get your religion out of my youtube vids find a better vid to talk bout god

[@measlesplease1266]

@@raul-aurelianserban8295 don't give a f u weiner

[@measlesplease1266]

@@raul-aurelianserban8295 cry more

[@identocidal]

it's crazy how a character you never see has such a large background.

[@Skyrionn]

He's so important to the story. He's one of my favourites too

[@identocidal]

@@Skyrionn i can understand how he is someone's favorite, he's such an epic character.

[@Boundwithflame23]

I love how Henry’s idea of safety first is telling Doug to use his non-dominant hand to reach through a set of gears and power on the morality core. Like “you _might_ lose your hand so we should make sure it’s not the one you write with”

[@jonathanjoestar_real]

Man I wish valve still made games, we gotta teach em to count to 3

[@terrorist3356]

@@jonathanjoestar_real nice one

[@clasy01]

I mean, how else will Doug file the written complaint?

[@Johnrichox]

@@jonathanjoestar_realfr I want portal 3,4,and 5

[@SerpentNight]

I'd like to think Rattmann was somehow still alive during Portal 2. Granted, if so, he would probably have been killed when Wheatley tore the facility apart but, still that's my thought.

[@me67galaxylife]

wasn't chell the sole survivor in long sleep ?

[@tpd1864blake]

If rattman is dead in Portal 2 then how do you hear incoherent muttering behind one of the walls in a rattman den? I think that’s proof that he was alive at that point after glados woke up. Still not proof that he was alive at any point after that, such as during wheatley’s regime Also, if you look at the Portal comic, he gets shot in the leg and puts himself into a sleep chamber, which means it isn’t far-fetched that he would survive the events between Portal 1 and 2

[@alexis_electronic]

Not to mention, the moon chart graffiti. She had to come out during a time a Full Moon would be near... in case a portal needed to be shot there. The graffiti constantly has moon charts.

[@saayonchatterjee234]

I think he woke up when the power was lost again.

[@ember-brandt]

@@tpd1864blake Well, I mean, the track IS called "The Ghost of Rattmann", implying he is no longer there/dead. My personal headcanon is that the muttering is more in Chell's imagination than anything else, because I'm sure it was very unsettling to find portraits of herself and dead former employees hidden in the facility. Lastly, the cryo-chamber that Doug crawled into was offline. Only Chell's was online. That's why Wheatley told you in the beginning that every other "smelly human" in cryogenic sleep was no longer alive (and guess why they smelled...). I so much wish Doug survived and escaped for real, I feel more for him than any other character in the franchise - but honestly, it's likely he passed after he laid down :( He was clearly losing a lot of blood to the point of already passing out, so he was already incredibly weak from blood loss (with no indication that it was ever slowing/stopped) by the time he crawled into the offline pod. It hurts my heart to say it, but he likely didn't make it :(

[@ArmoredarmadilloX]

The scary part, they honestly would've been in more danger outside. They probably dodged a massive, MASSIVE bullet with the word "combine" etched on it.

[@dennisthefivestarman8177]

@Xx-raZ0r_pup-xX God could you imagine how normal you would have been if you had a father figure

[@jgblkshot8375]

@@dennisthefivestarman8177 Try not to cut yourself on that edge there.

[@Leader7353]

@@dennisthefivestarman8177 lol what are you on about, being cringe like that

[@crylune]

@@dennisthefivestarman8177 Ironically, your comment reeks of lack of father figure much more

[@renzadz8899]

@@dennisthefivestarman8177 lmao sounds like you're projecting yourself u cringe ass edgy bitch.

[@myvividmemories]

Props to the cameraman for going to a deadly laboratory to film this 👍🏻

[@Skyrionn]

He really took one for the team. May be RIP.

[@manomaylr]

@@Skyrionn Well, the camera was mounted to Chell the whole time. The rest of it could well be a view through GLaDOS's CCTV cameras.

[@Kirbicle]

@@manomaylrClearly the cameraman just strapped a GoPro to Chell then left before GLaDOS noticed him

[@quaiacka]

I absolutely love the portal games. at first glance it's lighthearted fun playing with portals but the real story of aperture is so dark and full of tragedy, I loved plying through and piecing it together and finding out what really happened.

[@Skyrionn]

Portal is one of those great stories where it just gets darker the more you play and look into it

[@quaiacka]

@@Skyrionn Yes absolutely, they really did an amazing job with those games. and I love your videos! subscribed after the first one i watched👌

[@halogeek6]

It was the platinum age of games. Alot of classic hits were made during that time. Going maknstream was the worst thing to ever happen to the gaming industry.

[@kittygamer797]

If we ever were to play as Doug in a portal game I want to see how they incorporate his metal issues have the company cube talk to use, have Glados mock and gaslight us, show us how he sees the world

[@RJ-wx3fh]

@Xx-raZ0r_pup-xX there's a good few people who are happy to discuss their experiences based on videos I've seen. As well as the auditory hallucinations, could maybe throw in the occasional visual hallucination like a portalable wall that won't take a portal and disappears when you get closer, maybe other voices people or enemies. A g man Easter egg amongst those seems obvious , of course

[@kittygamer797]

@@RJ-wx3fh This is exactly what I'm talking about! Show us how this has affected him but do it right dont just throw in a bunch of miss information. Maybe even base it of the rat man comic that would be cool or show use how portal 2 effected him

[@theleonpasta7336]

A game focused on stealth and platforming set inside aperture would be so cool! Obviously most people's first instinct is to give him a portal gun, but it'd be interesting to see a game without them, plus they could definitely utilize some stationary portals or ones that you create by pressing buttons for platforming, and the gels would obviously work pretty well, they could even give him the paint gun, or hell a whole weapon wheel of different aperture inventions, maybe a rip off of the gravity gun (or prototype if they feel like confirming the theory that Black Mesa really did steal Aperture's ideas), or the camera from F-stop, I think they could definitely create something unique if they ever decided to revisit Portal....without portals lol, and obviously stealth would be a gameplay aspect with a character like Doug, but I think platforming similar to like Mirrors Edge could be really cool, the panels in the test chambers just seem perfect for being put at an angle and using them to parkour your way across a gap or to a higher area, not to mention the launchers and gels which would make running around the ruins of Aperture fun as hell

[@cs3k3]

@@RJ-wx3fh Hey, I'm late to the party, but I do have this sh-t, granted not a severe one. My case wouldn't be hard to recreate in a game. The voices always come from diagonally and from behind my back. Feels weird to explain, but they are really far away but aren't? Like listening to music with earphones - sort of. And for the visual part: It's always where you are not looking. For example let's say I go to the bathroom at 3am. I open the door, on my left is the toilet, on my right there is a window, front of me is a mirror. I would look at the toilet, but I can still see the mirror, and I see a human knocking on my window, but when I look at the window/mirror its gone. Programming that could be tricky tho. And to be honest I have no clue how a more severe one would looks/feels like.

[@kittygamer797]

@@cs3k3 1 your not late at all 2 programming some aspects of it could be harder than others but I think it could be done it's all about treating it seriously and respectfully

[@liljim_8845]

I love how the pictures get more scruffy and less smooth as the story goes on to show Doug’s deteriorating mind

[@mattwoodard2535]

I always wondered if GLaDOS didn't subconsciously avoid killing Doug and Chell. Of the researchers in Aperture Doug was the only one that didn't think abusing her was a good idea. And GLaDOS has some sort of connection to Chell from back when she was a Child when GLaDOS was first turned on as shown by the potato plant in Portal 2. Don't think we will even find out. sm

[@MatthewBester]

I remember finding one of Rattmans dens and when you could hear the mad ramblings it really freaked me out. I always considered him struggling to survive and not really helping but that comic really adda to his character.

[@highlander2319]

I mean, he left all those marks showing where to go so of course he’s helping

[@Gxaps]

Slight correction there: Doug's voice can be heard around *any* mural in the second game.

[@Omega-jg4oq]

You can actually hear what he says.. he talks about the ship and Cave Johnson and Chell.. It's so creepy that someone is starring at you and leaving his stuffs behind and you can never see him.. It's so creepy and lonely

[@Gxaps]

@@Omega-jg4oq His speech is far too ambiguous to draw any conclusions as to what he's saying.

[@badpiggies988]

I think that he got woken up at some point and survived at least until Wheatley started wrecking the facility with his stupidity since you can still see his dens on the new testing track (what would be the point of putting murals and advice in testing tracks other than Chell’s in the first game?), pointed her to the fallen single-portal device under the test where you were introduced to it, scribbled the warnings for the co-op bots to not give GLaDOS the discs revealing the location of a hidden test subject cryo-vault, and you can even hear him rambling behind a wall in one.

[@franzpanz]

I would love a survival horror Rattman Portal game set after or even during Portal 2. That would be amazing.

[@NorthEevee]

As someone with ADHD I have trouble memorizing a lot of information in the long term, so I'm really grateful you usually repeat a lot of storybeats of the lore in your videos. I know you probably do it so you don't alienate new viewers, but it does help me get a good grasp at this universe Valve has created. So yeah, thanks lad.

[@SECONDQUEST]

Yeah this is super helpful for me as well

[@Skyrionn]

Strangely enough - I've had this sort of comment a few times. I glad I can help in some way :D

[@thenexus8384]

ADHD brother/sister

[@badpiggies988]

I also have it, I rewind these videos all the time

[@justastranger101]

then how do you know that you have ADHD?

[@willropa4226]

I want to believe Ratman is alive somewhere since Portal 2 has something interesting I didn't know about. The Final Transmission achievement involves bringing a radio into one of Ratman's dens, afterwards an odd signal is sent through. As it turns out, the signal is an SSTV signal, a picture sent by audio. The picture is the companion cube sitting on the moon. Ratman's always stayed one step ahead of the Aperture AI.

[@Skyrionn]

I'd like to believe that too!

[@jojivlogs_4255]

i would say he's probably still alive because valve's writers know better than to kill off one of their most interesting characters

[@Darksaber268]

Portal 2 ends with a portal on the moon. Maybe Rattman was watching nearby and his companion cube got sucked through?

[@Stranger-gl6ie]

@@Darksaber268 i fell like we would see him fly into space

[@nyxcat3621]

This isn’t really lore related, but I have psychotic disorder (for people who don’t know what it is, it’s basically delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, that kind of stuff in a nutshell) from a yet unknown source (but due to family history and symptoms, likely schizophrenia). Rattman is the most true, realistic representation I’ve seen for someone who is psychotic and it’s really great, so much media likes to portray us as serial killers who don’t feel anything, or like unaware helpless people to be pitied. The portal comic does none of that, and I could really relate to rattman. So far, it’s the only media I’ve seen really that actually portrays people like me as, well, people. If that makes sense

[@PELTIER5]

God I remember Rattmann being the biggest thing me and my brother would talk about.

[@Skyrionn]

He really doesn't get enough attention. Absoutely brilliant character.

[@fuzzyalba5419]

Great video, but it missed one important point: in the developer’s commentary for the first game, it is confirmed that Rattman was, at some point, a test subject.

[@maxlosergor]

Weren’t all employees supposed to be test subjects?

[@KittyKatz547]

I always loved Rattmann’s story across both Portal games and the amazing Lab Rat comic. Even back in the first game, the presence of the dens added so much atmosphere and mystery to the situation. I think it would be really cool to see a spin-off game where we play as Doug, possibly a prequel similar to Half-Life: Alyx that could take place at different time periods before, during, and after Portal. As always, keep up the great work with your videos!

[@babygorilla4233]

Portal ratman where you play as him exploring the facility in a schizo version of system shock could be cool. You could really lean into the survival horror parts and flesh out aperture lore a lot.

[@blueraspberrycat1283]

I feel like Rattmann's schizophrenia is a realistic representation of the actual mental illness. Granted I'm not an expert, nor do I have schizophrenia; but I think it shows how you can still be a functional human being with schizophrenia, and also different ways it affects one's life without just amping up the "crazy person" stereotype, which is usually how it's represented in media.

[@royliber3824]

Awesome video man! I wish we could see more of Doug Rattman. If not in actual Portal game, I would at least want more easter eggs in later instalments. Both his hidden rooms in Portal 1 and Portal 2 were quite interesting to see, how everytime he didn't took his pills he decended more and more into insanity. We know Doug is the one who draw the picture of Chell in the start of Portal 2 as soon as she gets the portal gun, and we know about all his drawings warning Chell about GLaDOS... But I don't think it should end in a way where Doug simply got into a pod and went for a long sleep. If Chell survived after all this time in the relaxation chamber, can't see why Doug couldn't have survived it either. I bet even his bullet holes could have potentially be "healed" by the pod itself and the time that has passed by. Also, we know in Portal 2 how really big the facility is and that even Wheatley wasn't able to fully take down the facility... So Doug probably still sleeps somewhere within the walls of Aperture. I would even take a guess and say he is in the chamber that GLaDOS opened thanks to P-Body and Atlas in the finally of the co-op campaign. If we are going to get a proper goodbye from this franchise, I don't think its justified to leave Doug out of this.

[@cactusgamingyt9960]

But Doug rerouted the spare power to Chell's relaxation vault, leaving none for his cryo-pod. So he would have died in his sleep.

[@SonicMaster519]

His was offline, while Chell's was online. Unfortunately, he's dead.

[@maguc5906]

I remember my first time playing portal I was around 13-14 and the Rattman's dens freaking me out so much. Later on reading his story and learning more about the lore of the universe, became one of my favorite characters. I like to think he survived. We know that Aperture turrets aren't actually shooting bullets like a normal gun, but more of a spring-lock thing ("We fire the whole bullet. That's 65% more bullet, per bullet"). It explains why Chell can survive being gun down for entire seconds and then walk it off just fine. One bullet from a turret would probably be very painful, especially with Rattman's pretty weak physique from starving and being in hiding, but I seriously doubt it would actually kill him. Hopefully he does make more appearances, although I do wish they continue with his appearances being shrouded in mystery

[@boney2982]

Even if the bullet wound didn’t kill him his unpowered pod would’ve he routed all power to chells so she would live as long as possible he’s definitely dead by portal 2 or best case scenario he’s really old and frail

[@viper1757]

“See? People with brain damage are the *real* heroes.”

[@ImmortalAbsol]

I never noticed the HEV suit charger in Henry's lab, not just there for study but actually installed on the wall by first-aid.

[@devilwarr1or]

This could be made into a movie, there's enough there to make this a classic.

[@XxShadow101xX]

I wonder how Rattman would have reacted to the Combine invasion... Especially if he lived to the second game, where GlaDos mentions the situation. Great video!

[@ppghuman90]

i honestly think he did survive, there is an achievement where you get a strange transmission by bringing a radio in one of the rattman dens, it translates to a picture of a companion cube on the moon, he is known for his love for the companion cube, so it could be considered his symbol, and the moon relates with the ending of portal 2, so it could be trying to tell you he is still alive, an around murals you can hear his voice

[@TexVisser]

The extra effort you make to also show, not only tell, makes this one of the best “lore channels” I’ve come across so far. Keep up the good work! I look forward to see you branching out to other games as well. Have you ever considered Psychonauts? Just a purely personal suggestion out of self interest.

[@Skyrionn]

Wow, thank you! I have never played Psychonauts but I can absolutely look into it. I'm doing my best to introduce new series to the channel every now and then so it could happen :D

[@paragonrobbie9270]

Doug basically helps embody one of my favorite feats that makes a true hero, something that while I wish I had the heart to do, I don't know if I could: risking everything without anyone ever knowing it. He may have created amazing murals and helpful messages scrawled across the facility, but nothing that would tell his story or who he was. There was only a chance Chell would stay alive on that life support, and little to no chance that she'd know she was ever saved by Doug in the first place. Knowing you were dying for a cause that nobody would remember you for is a concept that terrifies and humbles me.

[@ZavierFray]

at the end of portal 2 during the turret orchestra you can see a shadowed figure hopping across the floor with a cube on their back just something you forgot to add in the lore of this video

[@Darnk715]

It’s simply a Frankenturret

[@Laxhoop]

What a shame, that despite all his effort, he did succeed in saving all the test subjects, but all but Chell died in the end, anyways.

[@retr0productions]

I dont remember chell dying...

[@syvvieon]

@@retr0productions they said all but chell

[@retr0productions]

@@syvvieon i see i see. It has appeared that I have missed the "all" part of that sentence

[@syvvieon]

@@retr0productions tis fine! everyone makes mistakes, haha

[@sevendrills4326]

Well there are alot of test subjects in storage in the cooperative testing program ending so those were probably saved though they were under the hands of GlaDos

[@exek3010]

Amazing video, I recently came back to Portal 1/2 and a lot of stuff, like Doug warning you of Glados's true intentions seem a lot clearer now than when I played those games as a kid. I have one question that bothers me though, If Glados could "ignore her conscience" the first time she received the morality core, why couldn't she ignore it the second time during the fight?

[@sileudies]

She could, her dropping the morality core was purposeful so that she could get chell to incinerate it using reverse psychology.

[@exek3010]

@@sileudies Yeah, That I understand, but as far as I know she didn't drop the morality core before, right? She tricked them with the "Bring your cat to work day" thing but still, she could technically use neurotoxin without issues (and without removing the core) Unless the neurotoxin supply was cut off after her attack, that would explain why she "reactivates" it during the fight

[@sileudies]

She didn't drop it before because the lab people would just reattach it after shutting her down again. They, at the time, knew what the morality core did and they even believed that the morality core worked, so dropping it in front of the scientists would not do anything. Chell though, didnt know what it was and glados pretended like she didnt know either and that it was a vital part of her.

[@exek3010]

@@sileudies What I meant is Why did she drop the morality core during the fight if she could ignore it like last time? I guess it makes it easier for her to control the neurotoxin, but I'm already looking too deep into this Thanks for answering!

[@sileudies]

@@exek3010 She always could ignore it, but it still took some effect. The morality core may not have worked as you can ignore your conscience, but getting rid of the conscience altogether will set her completely free. Imagine it as a house arrest, in that you are free to do most things but are still restricted.

[@vlearnx2883]

He is the real hero.

[@Skyrionn]

A true hero

[@raforther]

A real human being.

[@vlearnx2883]

@@raforther Would you have gone back? I probably not.

[@AMHarbinger]

I can't imagine, you escape a living hell, losing your mind in the process, and go back knowing you're going to die just to do the right thing. Doug was a chad.

[@Skyrionn]

100%

[@Jiten87]

You have an uncanny ability to into depth about a half life subject but not blab about irrelevant information, good work!!

[@TheHomelandJedi]

thank you for this lore, it really helps me a lot.

[@Skyrionn]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment!

[@ClassicShocker]

If there was ever a portal movie I would want it to be about Rattmann

[@Chiefshielda]

God, i remember being 12 and listening to theories about Doug Rattmans rambling. Every video that tried to translate the audio into coherent words changed my views on the situation but there was always one thing i felt while listening to clip. Psychological Fear. I seriously believe Portal and Portal 2 to be my first case of video game paranoia. Some times i even had to turn the video off and go do something else, uncomfortable with the thoughts and ideas that my brain had concocted. Eventually, i grew out of that weird little phase and moved on to other games and media but... Watching this video awoke that disturbed but curious side of me again. Watching this video reminded me of how much i love Portal and its lore + the theories behind it. Thank you, truly. I still think back to the Portal Turret orchestra "Still Alive" video and see the zoomed in views showcasing the creature crawling in the vents during one of the wide shots. Still creeps me out to this day.

[@chinad34th]

When I first read this comic I didn't quite understand what was going on, maybe because my English wasn't that good back then, or perhaps it's indeed confusing. Your explanation was incredible man, not only it was very clear and entertaining, but now I praise even more this universe created by Valve. Thank you, that video was great.

[@elyg6531]

I like to think ratmen escaped the facility and is now surviveing in a wasteland somewhere probably fighting headcrabs and bullsquids

[@QuantumLeapCosplay]

Wow, this has been so fascinating. Valve sure did an excellent job writing their stories; they were full of tragedy and emotion, to say the least, yet you have to dig very deeply to find it. Genius.

[@ek8710]

Loved this, please keep it up, it's clear a lot of love and effort goes into making these

[@Skyrionn]

Thank you so much! A lot of work does go into them but I really enjoy it!

[@Shendrift]

Maybe Rattmann should have looked for help when he got out, rather than go back inside. Of course, even if everyone got out of aperture, The events of Half Life would probably be unchanged

[@Skyrionn]

He'd probably run into a Combine soldier haha

[@Bananappleboy]

@@Skyrionn Or worse. *_*extremely loud backrooms bacteria roaring, equipped with a 120 millimeter combine ordinance AR7 pulse cannon_**

[@pyro7358]

@@Bananappleboy roleplay sucks

[@CEOofPhoneCo]

@@Bananappleboy ¡i

[@sevendrills4326]

Well if he went outside people might go into the aperture facility.... And lead the Combine straight there

[@4.0.4]

Considering HL: Alyx does not break Valve's rule of "never number 3", we can have Portal: Doug, can't we?

[@Skyrionn]

I would LOVE a Portal: Rattmann

[@ImmortalAbsol]

I'd like to think he's alive, but he was in short term cryo that he hadn't wired into reserve power. If he hadn't already he probably died when the other 1400+ subjects died under Wheatley's care when the main power ran out.

[@codymcgrath2.3bviews3secon7]

So happy to see a new video. Bringing some light to my day.

[@Skyrionn]

I'm glad you could help in some way. It's great to see your name popping up consistently Cody :D

[@codymcgrath2.3bviews3secon7]

@@Skyrionn Spoiled with the replies mate ha! You have a great channel love your lore perspectives. Very engaging and immersive and love the wide variety of topics you touch on.

[@zachmadness]

I am addicted to your videos keep up the good work

[@Hervoo]

Ive would love to see Ratman as main character of Portal 2, somehow he survived and GLaDOS found him by sending pbody and atlas to random missions, so he could become her test subject as she always wanted

[@johntrains1317]

These videos are low-key ASMR. Super relaxing and really cool. I love Half Life & Portal. Ratteman was always so interesting and i stumbled onto his existence completely by accident since it was so well hidden 😅

[@user-vf1cl7zj2r]

There are different kinds of schizophrenia, doug seems to have the more functional version.

[@squidneysoup]

This is an excellent video, I have so much nostalgia for the Portal games. They’re so good

[@IvoryMusical]

Another great video! I have never played Fable so the videos I’ve watched on your channel seem to all evolve around companies with morally ambiguous scientific research (Fontaine futuristics, black mesa, aperture). The theme of science gone wrong would make this channel an investigative journalism channel in another reality 😄

[@b0sch0]

Man your videos are awesome and on top you're covering the lore of some of my favorite games

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks! That's kind :D

[@irlkitsune]

i wish that valve would consider how great this series was and that if they did a prequel game to tie the lore of both portal games and also half life it would actually be so good

[@Elite-kj6zo]

Another fantastic video, thank you.

[@Skyrionn]

That's very kind. Thanks for watching!

[@Sycorix9]

I remember really getting in to the Easter eggs and hidden story plus little theories. There was that bit in the turret orchestra at the end of 2 where people speculated that hobbling figure behind the light sheet/walls might have been ratman. Maybe it wasn't but it would be good if he did survive it. A good game and it had mysteries to unravel and things to connect outside of the fun puzzles.

[@saifshaikh3191]

Love your Lore videos man. Keep it up

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks, will do!

[@unfortunate1313]

Another portal video?! Love listening to you explain the lore of portal, lol.

[@Skyrionn]

I'm glad you enjoy them! I really enjoy putting them together :D

[@unfortunate1313]

@@Skyrionn it's always interesting in the world of portal. Thanks for the reply, you made my day! Also, would like to see an explanation of Booker (from bioshock) or Atlas's lore too.

[@TacticaLLR]

Great vid!!

[@violentbuns]

rattmann is hands down my favorite portal character i love the lore behind his story

[@ragadoodle]

Had chell and Rattmann managed to escape successfully they'd probably come across the combine head on so its best that they stayed in. And since chell slept in stasis during portal 2 for 999999 years (according to the p.a. system) she never got to saw the combine reign on earth.

[@savin0279]

Dude, phenomenal video. I love the use of in-game material, and the portal comic to piece together the story of Rattman, additionally these titles you use to praise characters who never really got much light in the grand scheme of things, when they did have significance to the story. Second, in the "Chell awakening" Chapter. I imagine you use Garry's mod for some of these segments, if that's the case, does that mean the player model you used for Chell was the one I made? If so, I'm really flattered to know you found it good enough to put in your video, thank you very much for your time, and have a lovely day!

[@granthaber1341]

Yes, I had fun trying to find all of Ratman's dens in the portal games

[@sethhayes7169]

You did an awesome explanation. Im going to make a fan game called portal 3 with rattman, not as a joke, cus it’s not, but because you inspired me.

[@silverblank1139]

Portal:blue shift

[@Skyrionn]

I'd play it

[@sethhayes7169]

Well now I have to make it 😉

[@luminen4051]

please do we need more good fan games

[@thecruelfool12]

have you done it yet

[@ericdaigrepont1874]

Playing as Rattmann is an interesting idea. Would break the mold a little, but could be very interesting to actually start before the chaos, where you can interact with people. Actually, that wouldn't even be as bad as it initially sounds as Rattmann's ostracization would support a limited need to set up dialogue actions and player-NPC interactions. A dose of schizophrenia thrown in with false whispers and visions sneaking into our ears and peripheral vision, both before and after the chaos, adding a cerebral horror aspect. Maybe a touch of Stanley Parable thrown in. .......The simple promise of interacting with Cave Johnson, mocap'd by J.K. Simmons, would sell massive copies to existing fans. ...A bowl of lemons on his desk. ...A moon rock sample in a display case in the corner. ...A nostalgic shower curtain advertisement framed on one of the walls. Best of all, he can slam his shoe down squashing an insect before exclaiming, "Darn spiders! Man, I hate them all! That's why I feed them to my praying mantis!" motioning to an insectarium.

[@Gresekjr122]

Awesome Narration. I really enjoy your voice. Keep up the good work. Have a wonderful day Skyrionn.

[@Skyrionn]

Thank you kindly! I did have a good day. I hope you're having a great day!

[@Cerialos]

dont care how many times ive heard it i love the portal lore so much

[@Skyrionn]

It's the best kind of lore

[@guymanuel4260]

I love the comic valve made for this. Also I know there's longing for half life 3 but what about what happened to Chell after she left aperture laboratories? What is the timeline? Are Portal and HL based in the same universe where the resonance cascade happened or an alternate one? God these questions keep me up at night.

[@Skyrionn]

I'm sure many of these will be answered in a future Half-Life/ Portal game if they ever happen! Unless then, we'll just have to wait sadly

[@royliber3824]

Based on what GLaDOS said in the boss fight of Portal 1... "I have an infinite capacity of knowledge, and even I don't know whats going out there", she also mentioned she is the only thing that keeps her and Chell safe from "them". We could assume she means the Combine forces and/or Xen creatures from finding and entering the facility. What we know tho, Doug most likely would have REALLY hard time to survive the outside world, thats if ofc he is still alive and wether the Combine still rule earth by the time Chell got out of Aperture. I think it's debateable wether Portal 2 was a proper ending to this short series... I don't think they can leave Doug out of the true ending of Half Life/Portal universe. I hope we get to see Doug once more.

[@LunaticWithALicense]

Yes portal and half life take place in the same universe. Half Life happens in Russia, portal happens in a giant salt mine in Michigan USA.

[@mackandelius]

We know they exist in the same universe, see the Borealis. And Valve did heavily hint that Portal 2 took place many years in the future, so by the time Chell left Aperture the Combine will either have lost or won. However, I find that there is enough evidence around that the Combine were eventually defeated, the most important being that Aperture had portal tech, which the Combine really wanted and if they had outright won then they wouldn't have left the facility untouched. And the scenery we see during the ending cutscene of Portal 2 is normal which I don't think it they had won and stripped the earth of resources, like water.

[@guymanuel4260]

@Elly van den Brink I didn't think about that, that really is awesome.

[@oha_der_erste9353]

You are one of my Favorite Half-Life/Portal KZbinrs. Keep up the great work!

[@Skyrionn]

That is very high praise when there are so many others! Thank you :D

[@LostSoulsParadoxicalDoctrine]

Imagine a TV miniseries that follows Doug and Caroline, child Chel and other personnel of the facility... Set after Cave's demise, and concluded with the first activation of Glados...(the final part is of Chel being put into stasis, Doug going full "Rat-Man", and of Caroline being forced into the machine screaming "I will kill you all!"... then Glados starts up for the first time, snarky and pissed.)

[@wentoneisendon6502]

amazing video. great summary

[@Skyrionn]

Brilliant. Thanks for watching

[@jd_kreeper2799]

If anything I'd like to see a game where you play as Rattman but during this, as we already have a story for that. It starts with cutscene of his flashbacks before you find yourself as Rattman in the maintenance rooms as you solve puzzles to evade Glados and navigate your way to some sort of computer, which, when interacted with, shows a cutscene of Rattman putting Chell at the top of the test subject list, with regular conversations between Rattman and the Companion Cube. Occasionally, Glados does locate Rattman and attempts to kill him, where the player must help Rattman evade these death traps until he can re-enter a safe space. In the event Rattman is discovered, the Cube alerts the player. Rattman would never see Chell during her testing just as Chell never saw Rattman in the observation rooms. If absolutely necessary, we can have Rattmann hack into a camera and observe a test chamber, though I'd like Chell's exact actions to not be directly seen, with the only thing Rattmann can directly observe is the time it takes for Chell to play through the game, taken from the average time spent for a player. This is because not only can various test chambers can be solved in different ways, but no playthrough is the exact same. I don't want any arguments on what actions Chell makes in the original Portal games are canon, rather I'd make it impossible to find out except for the timing, which again, is taken from the average amount of time it takes players to finish the game. An interesting way to do this would be to make two parts, one taking place before and during Portal 1, following the exact story featured in the Lab Rat comic, and a second game taking place shortly before Chell wakes up, with Rattman being woken up significantly before Chell did and does some stuff, and continues navigating his way though the facility after she does wake up. Again, Chell and Rattman will never encounter each other in this game as well, but you will receive news of certain notable events, such as Glados being awoken (the facility becomes active again), Glados being swapped out for Wheatly (Wheatly does stupid shit and breaks stuff) and when Glados is put back in charge (problems are fixed). I also think, throughout Wheatly's rule of Aperture, Rattman will postpone the destruction of the facility, such as preventing the meltdown of Aperture's reactors, until Glados is put back in charge, with Rattman and the cube arguing and eventually agreeing that, despite Glados being evil and killing everyone, she at least can run the facility, unlike Wheatly. Edit: Another mechanic I think would be interesting is for Rattmann's delusions are a mechanic in the game. The player will have to decide what's real or not, similar to how Rattmann decided that Chell was real as the turrets were targeting her. Also, if you stand next to the cube, everything would look somewhat normal, but as you move away from the cube, the delusions will become more real, weather they are hostile or helpful. You will be forced to move some distance from the cube at times as the cube will have to be placed somewhere for some of the puzzles. The delusions slowly get amplified throughout the playthrough of each game, explained by his schizophrenia getting worse the longer he goes without his meds, with his final two pills resetting this at the end of the first game, and the same cycle happens in the second game where he wakes up with everything normal. I think that some actual schizophrenics should be hired to make this as accurate as possible, so that this game brings awareness to schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, not stigmatize them.

[@hal3907]

Wake up honey new portal lore just dropped

[@Skyrionn]

I hope it was worth the wait :D

[@Artofficial1986]

Damn, I'm so glad you told this story because I didn't really get it while playing. Doug is the real hero of Portal.

[@Likemea]

YESSS this is amazing!

[@Skyrionn]

Very high praise! Thank you ☺

[@501stcloneboi2]

Nice job as always. Would you consider making a revised lore video on either the HECU or Black Ops?

[@challengingyou212]

Finally the mighty algorithm has graced me with great content

[@Roux36Prod]

22:44 Very convenient that you mention that, because I actually just started thinking about making a Portal 2 mod that goes something along the lines of this a few days ago. XD

[@Skyrionn]

Sounds interesting.

[@SaucemanorionIRL]

damn i think i gotta go through the portal series again just to find all the ratman lore

[@matheusdyonisio7098]

Hey, did you see the new official game about Aperture Science? It actually was 2 months ago, but don't mind. Here we see that Cave Jonhson still alive as a robot. The name of the game is "Desk Jobs", and it is free in Steam.

[@Skyrionn]

I did and I've played it ☺ The video is focused on Doug Rattmann so I didn't go into Caves lore ☺ I did make a Cave video couple months ago though where I covered his lore.

[@matheusdyonisio7098]

@@Skyrionn Thanks bro :)

[@ridge_daddy]

Yall dont gotta believe me but its pretty cool to see my dads comics in a video i randomly came across. Especially after playtesting P2 while he was working on the comics

[@randommemeyboi2366]

great video :)

[@Drakey_Fenix]

I almost fell asleep listening to your calming voice reading me this amazing story.

[@Skyrionn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Empyreal81]

Great Video again C:

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks again! I'm glad you liked it!

[@robertsdzelzkalejs4255]

I love you're vids!!!

[@Skyrionn]

I love that you watch them

[@user-vf1cl7zj2r]

I wish i was able to connect more with the companion cube and rattman, but my brother played pretty much the only levels with his writing and the cube, i had to incinerate it though, i was more sad that i didnt feel sad about it, but luckily, i loved those frankenturrets

[@AnonYmous-lk9qy]

What an incredible story

[@shiddy.]

a playable Rattmann DLC would have been awesome

[@yourgenerickid1109]

If Portal 3 is actually released (not that they would make it),I hope to see Doug.

[@grimreaper63151]

Okay I always wondered how we’d even get a third portal game. IF valve even decides to make one. And I guess we could play as rattman maybe. If he’s still alive. Not really sure how it’d go tho

[@justinlindfors8512]

He is alive and is making his escape in the closing credits.

[@blueraspberrycat1283]

There's out-of-game dialogue somewhere- I'm not sure if it's canon or not- of Cave and Caroline arguing about putting Caroline into a computer

[@steamsoldier]

well done!

[@Skyrionn]

Thank ye for watching!

[@galmax2000]

Finally about him!!!

[@Skyrionn]

I took my time but got there!

[@machuga14]

My like is left, and my thoughts are such that the algorithm should be boosted.

[@Burntn00dles]

Another toss up of a question, do you think the events of portal 2 take place after half life episode 2? Or even during/after epistol 3, when freeman is on the island? I know Glados was keeping “them” out, but how long would it take for the combine to get deterred after being unable to break into a decrepit facility, glados knowing of the combine doesn’t mean she’s a reliable source on their current status. I only ask this because it would be interesting to know that Chel and Gordon could potentially be the last members of humanity and their respective titles. It peaked my curiosity because Half life one is set in the early 2000’s or 90’s I thought, and Doug being employed in the 90’s and having an ambiguous ending after saving chel in portal 1, it’s making me question where on the time line portal 2 would reside. Either 20 years after half-life one, or 9999 years. If the combines still around in the latter that’s a grim conclusion for Freeman.

[@ragdolsaboveaverage]

Beautiful

[@Skyrionn]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@wandereringshadow8658]

I like to think by some miracle Doug survived and got to see a better day.

[@NoahGooder]

for a long while I thought the way that Apature labs got the moon rocks was via the portal gun.

[@m1st3rn1ceguy]

I never actually concidered a Portal: ratman game until now, but it would actually make a lot of sense! The mental illness could be a super interesting gameplay feature. Never really beeing sure about what is safe or even real. I only really saw something like this in Psychonauts, but theres a lot of room for a completely different take on this. This concept could also work great with proceduraly generated levels (something Valve has been known to look into), which would keep the game unique every playthrough. Too bad modern Valve is likely to develope such a game these days if any...