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|hair = Black
 
|hair = Black
 
|languages = English (native)<BR>Portuguese (beginner)<BR>Finnish (basic)<BR>Italian (poor)<BR> Russian (advanced)<BR> Spanish (conversational)<BR> Romansh (fair)<BR>French<BR>Yiddish<BR>Urdu(1 phrase)
 
|languages = English (native)<BR>Portuguese (beginner)<BR>Finnish (basic)<BR>Italian (poor)<BR> Russian (advanced)<BR> Spanish (conversational)<BR> Romansh (fair)<BR>French<BR>Yiddish<BR>Urdu(1 phrase)
|alias = Archer<br>'''Duchess''' ''(official [[ISIS]] code name)''<br>[[Chet Manley]]<br>Rando<br>Randy<br>Randy Magnum<br> Randy Randerson<br>Randy Randleman<br>Cyril Figgis<br>Pirate King<br>Bob Belcher<br>Lickbag<br>Dickbag
+
|alias = Archer<br>'''Duchess''' ''(official [[ISIS]] code name)''<br>[[Chet Manley]]<br>Rando<br>Randy<br>Randy Magnum<br> Randy Randerson<br>Randy Randleman<br>Cyril Figgis<br>Pirate King<br>Bob Belcher<br>Lickbag<br>Dickbag<br>Butler the Butler
 
|nationality = American
 
|nationality = American
 
|occupation = [[ISIS]] agent/Drug Smuggler/ Bartender/ Chef
 
|occupation = [[ISIS]] agent/Drug Smuggler/ Bartender/ Chef
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* "READ A BOOK!" - when Archer is knowledgeable about something and others do not show the same knowledge
 
* "READ A BOOK!" - when Archer is knowledgeable about something and others do not show the same knowledge
 
* "What's a gill?"
 
* "What's a gill?"
  +
* "I am commandeering this airboat!"
 
* "Ah ah ah Pam. I will end you.
 
* "Ah ah ah Pam. I will end you.
 
* "Seriously are we done with phrasing?"
 
* "Seriously are we done with phrasing?"

Revision as of 22:27, 28 November 2015

"Archer" redirects here. For the TV series, see Archer (TV series).

"I am the perfect gentleman."
—{{{2}}}

Sterling Malory Archer, better known simply as Archer, is the world's deadliest spy and the main protagonist of the eponymous show.

Background

Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) was born in a bar in Tangiers, in northern Morocco, Africa. He spent the first five years of his life being raised by Woodhouse and only seeing his mother a few times such as on Christmas. This made him have an extremely negative view of his motherhood as a young child. It got to the point that when she came home he stated he had no mother and said he hated her. At some point as a child, Malory moved without telling Archer's boarding school, leading to him taking the train home alone and eventually ending up in a police station. Malory had to pick him up and continues to view the situation as not her fault, stating that he could have picked up a phone. According to the episode Once Bitten, Archer celebrated his sixth birthday while his mother assisted in overthrowing the government of Guatemala. (In reality, the CIA overthrew Guatemala's government in 1954, putting his birth year around 1948). The man who might be his father visited him and gave him a stuffed toy alligator as a gift since at that time he loved them. This love would at some point become a chronic fear. Malory speculated in Lo Scandalo that Archer was conceived shortly before she participated in Operation Gladio, which began the same year. Woodhouse transported him to an OSS safe-house as a newborn; that organization's covert operations duties were transferred to the CIA in July 1948). Archer lost his virginity at age 12 to his female Brazilian au pair, who was seemingly unaware of the American age of consent. At his tenth grade sports banquet, Archer was caught having sex with his coach, Mrs. Mupherd. Malory considered this to be the most embarrassing thing Archer had ever done. Archer states that she came onto him and so it was not his fault.

He spent up to 15 years at boarding school, despite American schooling taking 13 years. His hobby was lacrosse and flashbacks have indicated he had few to no friends. At age 18, he was regarded as the most recruited lacrosse player in America, although an incident with a crazed stalker gut-shooting him cost him both his lacrosse career and a possible scholarship to Johns Hopkins University (although it is implied this would not have happened anyway because of his poor SAT scores). A picture of Archer in Placebo Effect shows him graduating from Georgetown University, implying he is at least smart enough to receive a bachelor's degree in an unknown major (although according to his mother, he flunked out of college).

His relationship with his mother Malory--who is also his boss at ISIS--is often strained, never sympathetic, and sometimes bluntly abusive. Throughout seasons one and two it is implied that Malory cared for her dog Duchess more than her own son often lording this over Archer. In The Double Deuce it is implied that Malory overused "negative reinforcement" on him during his childhood, making him overly-dependent on her. She was absent for lengthy periods of his childhood and he was raised by Woodhouse, who had been with his family since assisting Malory at his birth. This lack of parenting is cemented by the fact that none of Archer's photo albums contain a photo of them together. Interestingly, Archer is often beside Woodhouse in the photos. Archer believed for most of his life that his father was a deceased, decorated Navy pilot, John Fitzgerald Archer. It was revealed in Dial M for Mother that his father may be KGB head Major Nikolai Jakov, ODIN director Len Trexler, or jazz drummer Buddy Rich. Later added to the list of possible fathers was an unnamed young Italian man who was gunned down in the streets of Italy and had "blue eyes, full lips and thick wavy hair".[1] In addition in Once Bitten, Sterling had a repressed memory that he met his father. Though because he was suffering from the snake's venom it's unknown if it was real or a hallucination. As a child he idolized Burt Reynolds, often dressing up as him and continually watching his movies.

Upon growing up, Archer attempted to join the army, but failed so, instead, he began work as a spy at his mother's agency, quickly climbing the ranks as their top spy thanks to both his genuine skill and his mother's preferential treatment. Archer has the less than masculine code name of "Duchess" (taken from his mother's beloved Afghan hound, though Malory Archer denies this) and had an on-again, off-again relationship with fellow agent Lana Kane for several years, which makes their working environment tenuous and difficult. When not on missions, Archer resides in an ISIS-owned penthouse in New York City, waited on by the elderly yet capable Woodhouse--whom he grossly mistreats to point of considering him a near slave. He developed a genuine friendship with Lucas Troy (who unknowingly was in love with Archer) but they broke off their friendship when Troy quit to work for ODIN. Troy secretly anally raped Archer while on a mission to tap a Cuban embassy. This would not come to light until Luke's deathbed confession many years later. It is unknown if the rest of the group is aware of this.

His physical capabilities are without compare and border on superhuman, constantly outclassing and out performing his opponents. His laid back and insulting attitude often deceives his enemies into underestimating him ultimately to their demise because Archer's high opinion of his abilities is well-earned through years of slaughtering his enemies with his bare hands. He has been shown to single-handedly fight and defeat six US trained air force guards, unarmed and without a single scratch. He murdered a pack of KGB agents with only makeshift weapons in under a minute while in the midst of an amnesic episode. He has taken straight punches to the face without blinking and has only been defeated by a few people, one of whom is a cyborg. He is able to out-run or out-fight almost every person in the series and is feared throughout the world for his deadly skills. He has personally dispatched numerous opponents alone and with his bare hands while they were armed at times with automatic weapons and rocket launchers. His agility is shown often and is incredible. He has jumped across fast moving cars, fought and won on top of a train, killed several men while jumping from snowmobile to snowmobile, and often runs for long periods without becoming winded. He is fully capable of withstanding severe torture without breaking and has personally been shot twenty-eight times so far and over three times by Lana on purpose without any adverse affects. He has fears that he might get lead poisoning by all the bullets.

Archer has over the course of the series been shot and grazed by bullets dozens of times, stabbed repeatedly along with once in the back, irradiated, blown up numerous times, had cancer, is a chronic alcoholic, infected with various STDs, raped, had a microchip drilled into his brain by an amatuer with no medical knowledge, drugged repeatedly, TAKEN drugs repeatedly, stabbed in the foot by a poop smeared stake, suffered poop related septicemia, broken dozens of bones numerous times, lost quarts of blood numerous times, suffocated, drowned on purpose, electrocuted numerous times, has suffered numerous concussions, and has overall come out with relatively few side effects and overall has not been adversely affected to the amazement of his fellow colleagues. He does suffer from tinnitus as a result of constant exposure to loud noise such as explosions and gunfire.

Personality

Archer is extremely self-centered bordering on narcissistic and almost entirely focused on himself and his needs and desires. His most defining and often commented on trait is that he is a "gigantic gaping asshole" to anyone and everyone he meets. If he aids someone else, it's always ultimately for his own benefit. He does insist on compensating anyone from whom he commandeers equipment or goods, although he doesn't always trade them items they want or need. Despite the fact that many consider him a fool and or idiot he is very intelligent having a wide variety of skills and knowing over six languages he also has a vast and diverse knowledge of obscure facts which is a recurring theme in the show. This knowledge is most likely gained because his lack of friends allows him the free time to read profusely. He is in many ways an above average person having been called an amazing human being by Lana which is one of the reasons she chose him as the father of their child.

Although he has numerous personality flaws, such as insensitivity, egotism, arrogance, foolishness, possibly slight narcissism, and nonchalance when putting others in danger, he is also undeniably an intuitively good operative with an extremely high degree of personal bravery. During his escape from Moscow, he showed great prowess and cleverness best displayed where he consistently outwitted and outfought the numerous soldiers dispatched to recapture him despite never having a functional firearm and having quote "three pounds of glass" in his feet. When he was finally cornered in an elevator, he blindfolded himself and fully intended his last words to be "F*** you, you douchebags." which displays his near complete lack of respect he has for his enemies. Interestingly he has never once lowered himself to begging for his life or showing any fear even when he literally had a gun to the back of his head.

There is no doubt that Archer possesses the natural talent for being a spy as he is recognized as great threat to other agencies who sometimes try to recruit him into their cause. Jokingly he is as great a danger to his own allies as to his enemies which is a continual pun throughout the series and has at points been proven true. He has at least once killed spies on his own side accidently. It is revealed in Fugue and Riffs that he briefly assumed the identity of Bob Belcher from the show Bob's Burgers (which voice-over actor Benjamin also works on). The reason for this sudden life change is that he entered a fugue state (stress-induced amnesia) following Malory's wedding to Ron Cadillac. Even when believing himself to be someone else he still managed to singlehandedly defeat a group of armed KGB agents and was able to notice holes in Lana Kane's story as she spoke to him. Even in his amnesiac state he was able to recognize a mixer by its sound and wield guns with great skill.

As seen in Stage Two, he is not totally compassionless. When he believes that he may die from breast cancer, he demonstrates considerable regret at his treatment of his ISIS co-workers: buying roses for Pam and Cheryl, apologizing to Brett Bunsen for horribly beating him while he was making amends to his co-workers, thanking Woodhouse for raising him and promising to treat him better and later stating to Lana Kane that he still loves her (also, in the season 4 finale he gives Lana the last set of scuba gear and tells her he loves her before drowning, later being resuscitated). Archer also bonds with "the wee baby Seamus" over the course of the episode as he considers him the closest that he will ever get to having a child, going so far as to have "Seamus" tattooed on his back in recognition of that affection. Additionally, he establishes a friendship with fellow cancer patient Ruth and even visits her in the hospitol.  She can be considered his second friend he has ever had after Lucas Troy . He later takes vengence for her death by decimating the local Irish mob responsible for the fake chemo drugs even going so far as to coldly execute the disabled wheelchair bound Boss of the gang right in the face. Honeypot offers another example: when Archer finds himself in a bar that hosts cockfights, sitting next to him is a big Dominican man who is weeping over the death of his slain rooster; the next time we see Archer, he's covered in dirt and carrying a shovel, and when asked where he's been, he says he was in the Everglades helping a giant Dominican guy bury his rooster. This becomes even more heart-warming in hindsight after the second-season reveal that alligators are one of Archer's three biggest fears. In Heart of Archness: Part 1, he saved Rip Riley from being attacked by a shark by pulling him out his destroyed seaplane (although Archer is the one who destroyed Rip's seaplane), bandaging his head and giving him CPR, even abondoning liqour bottles he was holding. In Coyote Lovely he refused to leave two border patrol officers to die in the desert even when being presented the chance of sleeping with a beautiful woman. In The Holdout he was kind enough to track down the wife of a former Japanese soldier who hasn't talked to his family in decades and even told the impatient CIA officers to give them a minute as he watched the soldier tearfully talk to his family.

Archer's compassionate, more-selfless side began to emerge during Lana's pregnancy: he extensively researched human pregnancy and possible complications, and he even got certified as a doula. He also began to display a desire to help Lana raise her child, knowing personally what not having a father figure in one's life can potentially do to a child's development, even though he believed at the time that the child was someone else's. This display of intense personal loyalty is what slowly begin to mend the rift between him and Lana created by years of arrogent assholeshness on his part. He also expressed hope that Lana would be a better mother to her child than Malory had been to him so that the baby would turn out to be less dysfunctional. He also displayed great care and concern by helping to get Lana settled while she gave birth, and even tried to handle observation of the baby's crowning when left alone through use of a mirror. Lana later revealed that the baby, Abbiejean, is Archer's biological daughter: Lana used his frozen semen at the sperm bank.

Archer's personality completely flips around his daughter becoming almost unrecognizable. He is a genuinely caring parent as constantly thinks of her well-being protecting and caring for her and is always aware of her needs. He is stubbornly protective of her in the face of his mother shielding her from the childhood he endured under her care. He also begins to speak out against his mother's critiques regarding his and Lana's parenting style. He has several times gone against her in regards to raising Abbiejean such as her saying Abbiejean was fat.  He takes offense at her statements about Abbiejean seeing her as unworthy of giving advice. One instance being when he threatened to have Malory arrested if she gave baby A.J. diet pills in response to Malory commenting on how fat she was (and not for the first time, either).  He is forced to leave his baby with Malory on several occasions though he regrets doing so. This shows an increasingly independent side to Archer, who no longer seems to fear his mother's wrath and a slow fading of his reverence for her.  Over time he recognizes how his mothers parenting has severly affected his life and has sworn several times to be a better parent to Abbiejean along with promising to help Lana raise her. He has on several occasions completely stonewalled Malory when she tried to parent A.J. . He is a good if unexperienced father often grudgingly taking Lana's advice on caring for his daughter. Archer's largely half-assed and laid back demeanor when dealing with life-or-death situations changed drastically to a far more serious tone. When he believed Abbiejean to be in legitimate danger, he became grounded, serious, and downright murderous toward the man who threatened to harm her, even stating that for threatening his daughter he would personally beat him to death with his bare fists right then and there.  This statement firmly cementing his attitude toward his child.   Though it turned out to be an extremely elaborate ruse by Lana, Archer showed a fiercely protective and paternal side to his personality that made him take far less risks and his daughter's safety his number-one priority which shows how much he has changed.  

The end of Season 6 saw this new attitude go in a new direction. As the team was fired by the CIA and now penniless, Malory wants to find a way to work for them again. Archer responds with an inspiring speech about how they have been outsiders by nature and should hold true to that, especially since their last mission with the CIA left Ray mortally wounded. The others could be seen supporting him, and even smiling when they hear he knows how they can make money in this next stage, leading to speculation that Archer will lead the team in their new lives in Season 7. This shows how his attitude towards his teammates has almost completely flipped from season one.

Relationships

As with all of the characters in the show, Archer clashes frequently with his co-workers, yet has his moments with each.

Lana Kane

Argument

Archer and Lana.

Despite having a great disdain for Archer in season one, Lana shares the closest connection with him of all the characters. They're frequently partnered together on missions, and despite all the emotional abuse he put her through, she still considers him a friend (Heart of Archness: Part III). All this aside it is obvious to any Archer addict that Archer and Lana care for each other deeply. She is the only other character aside from Abbiejean that makes Archer become completely serious when she is in real peril. This being said he does joke around a little bit though it is offset by the fact that he often goes on a murder rampage to get to her.

During a firefight, both Archer and Lana reveal they are each other's beneficiaries should they die. Lana stated she was going to change that, but it's unknown if she did (Skorpio). Lana showed great concern for Archer when he was diagnosed with breast cancer (Stage Two) and spent the night with him out of pity (he originally believed they had sex, but they did not). After Archer found out his cancer medication was fake, Lana begrudgingly accompanied him in his "rampage," serving as his cameraman and chauffeur (Placebo Effect).

When Archer's car gets stolen, Lana, along with Cyril and Pam, aids him in getting it back from the Yakuza, whom they believed to have been the thieves. After a chase, it's revealed that Malory stole the car to teach Sterling a lesson about taking care of his things, similar to her taking his bike as a child. But it turns out she never gave the bike back, rendering the lesson pointless and Lana shocked (Drift Problem). Archer and Lana help Malory dispose of the body of the Italian prime minister after she called them. Despite constantly disagreeing, they initially agreed that making it look like self-defense was her best option. They instead partake in a dinner party charade when an NYPD detective comes to look around. After the detective has left, Lana makes Archer realize that Malory's story is a lie and that Malory had killed the prime minister. Archer is shocked but still finds himself craving Italian food. He invites Lana out for a slice (Lo Scandalo).

Lana began contemplating having a baby in Season 4. After Archer saves her from falling to her death when she slips off a building, she decides to ask him to be the sperm donor, but she changes her mind once he begins acting like his typical self (The Honeymooners). During a mission to stop a radical environmentalist marine biologist from blowing up Sealab, Lana discloses that she is pregnant, angering Cyril because he isn't the father and prompting Archer to sacrifice his scuba gear and drown so that they could escape. He tells her he loves her before he passes out, and she replies "I know." Lana rushes to get him to the surface and is ecstatic when he starts breathing again (Sea Tunt: Part II).

Nice moment

Lana has a vulnerable moment and hugs Archer for comfort in House Call.

When ISIS is disavowed and the group turns to selling cocaine, Lana is still pregnant. Archer reads extensively on the complications of pregnancy, showing that he is concerned for her. As Agent Holly sweeps the mansion for illegal activity, Lana contemplates going into Witness Protection, but Archer reveals that once the baby is born it will be taken away, causing her to start crying. He tells her to run, but she tells him she can't leave him, hugging him (House Call). Archer goes to great lengths to get Kenny Loggins to perform at Lana's baby shower even enduring an extensive fight, but in the end she reveals that she isn't really familiar with him which renders him speechless. Woodhouse then covers for Archer and presents her with Archer's old crib, making it look as if it were his idea. Lana starts crying and states that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her (Baby Shower). Archer is angry and shocked, but quickly cover it up hugging Lana though stating that he ordered Woodhouse to get it because he owns him.

Lana's water breaks after she, Archer and Cheryl are captured by rebel forces fighting Gustavo Calderon (the rebels are revealed to be Agent Holly and the CIA). She's initially enraged with Archer when Holly says that Archer knew all about the scheme. Archer denies knowing and attempts to act as a doula before Malory arrives and ejects him from the room. Lana gives birth to a daughter named Abbiejean. In a heart-to-heart conversation, Lana tells him she still loves him and reveals that she had stolen the sperm he stored during his cancer scare and used it to become pregnant, making Archer the father of her daughter (Arrival/Departure).

After Abbiejean's birth, Archer and Lana are still separated and pursuing sexual interests with other people, behaving much as they did prior to Lana becoming pregnant. Despite this, the two share a genuine concern for their daughter's well-being, actively making sure she will be well cared for. However, all this changes following a painfully elaborate mission by Slater, where after spending the entire mission trying to seduce the mother and son of a foreign country, the pair finally snap and give into the years of sexual tension that had been building between them (Pocket Listing). Following this, Lana and Archer begin officially dating, while both comment on how deeper the feelings are running, and how neither of them wish to mess it up a second time. This however is put to the test when the ISIS group, tired of their happiness, hire Katya to seduce Archer. While Archer rejects her due to his feeling for Lana, they still suffer a short bit of problems due to Lana finding Katya's detachable robot vagina in the bathroom sink. (Reignition Sequence).

In a Top Gun homage trailer for the fifth season, Archer and Lana assumed the roles of Maverick and Charlie, respectively. In the film, they are love interests.

Malory Archer

The relationship between mother and son is quite strained, with both constantly bickering and blaming one another for their problems. Malory raised Archer in an extremely emotionally and physically abusive environment which has deeply scarred him and is a primary factor behind his treatment of women. She generally dumped Archer either on Woodhouse or one of their housekeepers. For fifteen years Archer was made to attend boarding school since Malory did not want to bother raising him. This only added to his abandonment issues. Her parenting is a constant theme in many of the episodes often shocking the other ISIS agents. Malory used negative reinforcement to ensure that Archer overly depends upon her for guidance. Her long absences and general lack of interest in Archers life left Archer with a deep seated need for her approval no matter how much he hates her on the surface. As a child Archer used to imagine Malory as not his real mother perhaps as an attempt to shield himself from her constant derisiveness (Honeypot). Due to his lack of parental care growing up (he didn't have a father and Malory was frequently absent for extended periods), Sterling holds a rather disturbing obsession with his mother. When Krenshaw reveals himself to be a KGB mole, he takes Malory hostage. When Krenshaw describes how he's going to kill her, Archer becomes sexually aroused (Mole Hunt). As the series has gone on Archer and Malory both have revelations about their relationship and have managed to admit how much they actually care about each other, though in a roundabout manner.

After the birth of his child Archer has taken a far sterner stance towards his mother even going so far as to threaten her with jail when she suggested feeding Abbiejean diet pills. Malory for the most part has taken this change in her son badly, however, she generally does as he and Lana say whenever she has to take care of their baby.

Malory tends to alternate between being deeply concerned for his safety and being uncaring, allowing him to struggle for himself (Midnight Ron). This alternation constantly infuriates Archer whenever he finds out.

Cyril Figgis

Overall Archer views Cyril as not a true man since Cyril cannot do what Archer does in the field. This may stem from Archers view of a true man as a James Bondlike man who sleeps with beautiful women, drinks fancy liquor, and fights bad guys. It may also stem from Archers hatred of weakness of any kind through his lack of a father and abuse by his mother. Archer may see in Cyril what he secretly fears most, failure as a man and relentlessly demeans Cyril for his shortcomings. Interestingly he and Archer have much in common. They are almost reflections of each other in a way. If they both seriously examined their lives they would see how much they are alike. They both have serious father issues, are emotionally dysfunctional, addicted to sex though in different ways, constantly battle self image issues, are secretly insecure about their masculinity, have serious rage issues, are looked down on or hated by coworkers, hate Malory for different personal reasons, are constantly demeaned by Malory and Lana, have banged most of their female coworkers, they even had sex with many of the same women at one point even minutes apart, they are able to have sex with numerous women though Cyril does so with dysfunctional women, destroyed their realationships with Lana by cheating on her, and are in love with Lana. If they thought about it they would see how they really are the two most similar characters on the show. This may in a twisted way fuel their mutuel hatred of each other.

Archer tends to find Cyril to be a joke, annoyed with the fact he dated Lana throughout Season 1, even attempting to sabotage his efforts to make it as a field agent to get Lana to dump him (Training Day). Cyril is secretly jealous of Archers ability as a spy and wishes he could be like Archer in order to impress Lana. This jealousy fuels Cyril's hatred of Archer throughout the series. Archer often lords his skills over Cyril mocking the fact that Cyril is incapable of measuring up to Lana as an agent and viewing Cyril as Lanas attempt to make him jealous. Archer views Cyril as incapable of being a true match to Lana as Cyril could never be what Archer was to Lana. He continually heaps abuse on Cyril and often completely ignores Cyrils advice no matter how good it is. When Lana was believed to be captured, Archer, albeit in a teasing and mocking manner, attempted to calm Cyril down, but was using it as a way to break them up. But, when Archer left to go save Lana, it is shown Cyril doesn't trust her and is led to believe Lana and Archer will have sex (Skorpio). This fuels more suspicion of the two as Cyril snuck onto the Excelsior in an effort to spy on her (Skytanic). Ironically, it turned out that Cyril was the one being unfaithful with Cheryl and the constant spying actually drove Lana into Archers arms. Archer viewed the whole affair as a gigantic joke and relentlessly tortured Cyril with his continual partnership with Lana fueling Cyril's fear.

When Archer was labeled the father of Trinette McGoon's son Seamus, Archer initially attempted to alter the blood tests and switch his out with Cyril's. Cyril mocked Archer for allegedly fathering a child with a whore though Archer turns the joke right around on Cyril. The test somehow identifies Archer as the father, unable to "ever contest the results". Archer realizes, after remembering Trinette complain about candy bars, that Cyril is indeed the biological father (Blood Test), because ODIN thought that Cyril's blood sample was actually Archer's (due to Archer previously breaking into the vault where it was being stored and replacing his blood with Cyril's). Archer assists Cyril after the latter inadvertently uploaded a virus into ISIS's data banks, after being duped by George Spelvin into thinking this was him proving to be the hero instead of Archer (Tragical History). After getting detained on a trip to Vegas with Woodhouse's brother Dicky, he uses Cyril's name and causes him to get arrested and prepped for an extradition to Nevada which led to Cyril being beaten by the police. When informed the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes, Archer breaks down and laments how badly he treated everyone, and told Cyril he'd take care of his problem (initially believed to inform the police it was him. Another call from the doctor caused him to switch to getting Cyril a new identity.) (Stage Two).

In (Once Bitten) Cyril finds himself having to race to save Archer (and Ray) after they got bitten by a poisonous snake and pulled their back, respectively. Cyril ends up saving Archers life and reveals that he doesn't want Archer dead as much as he claims to. When ISIS was hired to do surveillance at a high top restaurant, Archer took great pleasure in bossing Cyril around due to him being guised as a sous chef and Cyril a kitchen boy (Live and Let Dine). Cyril once again spied on Archer and Lana when they went undercover as newlyweds (Cyril and Lana having resumed dating after a nasty split in Job Offer). When a shootout broke out, Cyril ran in and assisted in the fight (getting punched purposely by Archer in the process). Lana questions why he was there, and when he answers, she decides to not use him in her "big decision" (revealed to be asking for a surrogate) and walks out (The Honeymooners). As a result of his anger when learning Lana was pregnant and didn't tell him, he was quick to declare Archer dead after he sacrificed himself, and advised against attempting to resurrect him (Sea Tunt: Part II).

Cyril and Ray accompany Archer to South America in a doomed from the start attempt to sell cocaine to La Madrina. She turns out to be a deep undercover police officer and arrests the three (Smugglers' Blues). The two of them have to work together to get a fake paralyzed Ray back home, and Cyril shoots Archer in the leg in an attempt to subdue some narco transporters (The Rules of Extraction). Later on Archer shoots Cyril as a distraction to the fact that he had sex with Julianna (Palace Intrigue: Part II). Cyril then puts Archer in jail after Archer tried to call dibs on being the dictator of San Marcos (Filibuster). At the end of season 5 Archer punches Cyril after Lana's baby is born (Arrival/Departure).

Pam

Pam and Archer share a fairly amicable relationship compared to others in the series. In the beginning Archer and Pam were far more hostile stemming from Pam having counseled Archer and Lana during their rocky relationship. Archer ended up beating Pam with her stuffed dolphin and breaking his watch on her head. Pam got three stitches in her head and held a grudge against Archer for it.

Autism

Numerous hints throughout the series suggest that Archer has Asperger syndrome: he is often the only character to count bullets during gun fights, including multiple automatic weapons; this coupled with his ability to identify the make and model of firearms allows him to ascertain when enemies are reloading. He is able to identify the make and model of a blender in Fugue and Riffs just by hearing the sound it makes through the phone, and he has an unusual affinity for animals and is able to 'converse' with Babou and Kazak. Archer also shows an inability to pick up on social clues and a lack of empathy on the cognitive level, rather than being void of it entirely, and seems to be unable to dress himself without help from Woodhouse. Another characteristic is his voice, which stays very monotone and changes only in response to strong emotions, particularly rage. The possibility of Archer being on the autism spectrum is directly addressed in the episode Coyote Lovely; when asked if he is autistic, Archer seriously considers the possibility.

Enemies

When Sterling and Cyril are being chased and shot at by Lana in his car in Training Day, he lists some of his enemies. They include but are not limited to:

Bucket List

  1. Going to an event where they make a huge food item, eating a piece, and then laughing because he murdered Cyril[2]
  2. Murder Cyril
  3. Bang Joe Frazier (though in the same episode he also says if he ever slept with a man it would be one who remembers to bring gum, and also black.)
  4. Taking a dump on Turkmenistan

Archer also revealed in the season six episode "The Archer Sanction" that "Be in an avalanche" was on his bucket list. He, however, did not number it.

Biggest Fears

Young sterling and gator

Sterling's fear of alligators may stem from an event revealed in Once Bitten.

  1. Alligators[3]
  2. Crocodiles[3]
  3. Brain Aneurysms[3]
  4. The Bermuda Triangle[4]
  5. Brain Embolisms[5]

Cyborgs and Predator were also things he's said to be afraid of, though he hasn't given them an official numbered position on the list.

Trivia

  • Jason Fitzgerald served as the model for Sterling.
  • Archer also resembles Bond-actor George Lazenby.
  • Archer slightly resembles the actor John Travolta.
    • Coincidentally, John Travolta played a FBI agent in Face/Off, whose last name is "Archer"
  • Frequently uses a red ping pong paddle during intercourse. His mother used to spank his bare bottom with a similar paddle. Some famous sadists, such as the Marquis de Sade and Aleister Crowley, were also severely beaten on their bare buttocks in their formative years, which some (including themselves) theorized as being influential in their later fetish for this behaviour.
  • Though highly proficient with multiple types of guns, Archer's preferred firearm is the Walther PPK, which he has needlepoint accuracy with. He has an odd habit of carrying it everywhere he goes, even into a bath.
  • As of Archer Vice: The Rules of Extraction, Archer has been shot 27 times, although technically 28 including being shot with a bean bag round.
  • His ringtone is usually "Mulatto Butts", but in The Wind Cries Mary he has personalized calls from Lana Kane to play "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, a reference to his recurring joke on her that she is in the "Danger Zone" because of her obsession with him, as well as it being one of his favorite songs.
  • Is fond of creating elaborate voicemail pranks, in which the recording is designed to trick people into believing he has answered his phone.
  • He is abusive to anyone of lower social status or rank than him (such as Woodhouse). This is probably taught by his mother, who is even more derisive than he is toward such people (except to Woodhouse, to whom she does show respect based on their prior history).
  • Archer was shipped off to boarding school by Malory as early as kindergarten, and remained for as long as fifteen years (two years longer than grades would allow). This apparent abandonment by his mother is often a sensitive topic for him, which he tends to colour as a more positive experience than flashbacks and recollections tend to portray.
  • He was shown to have spent time in the United States Marine Corps.
  • In his adult life he continues to have very few friends. In Heart of Archness: Part III, he tells Lana she is his only friend. The only other close relationship shown is with Lucas Troy, whom Archer did not know had raped him while harboring a homosexual attraction to him.
  • Archer favors the use of Nightvision goggles during missions, despite being repeatedly blinded by them due to exposure to bright light.
  • He is known to faint. Malory has remarked: "You would think he was a half fainting goat". His condition could possibly be due to Vasovagal Response, which is known to cause fainting episodes in stressful situations; as seen in the episodes Dial M for MotherStage TwoThe Man from Jupiter and Skin Game.
  • Archer frequently uses the name "Randy" for his assumed personas in the field, only changing to "Rando" when the frequency of his usual choice was called into question.
  • The acronym AJTTOTD he uses on his Twitter account is "Archer's Just The Tip Of The Day," which was a recurring joke in Mole Hunt.
  • He has $480,810 in his ISIS 401(k), though he was unaware of it.[6]
  • In the first episode, Mole Hunt, he had multiple scars on his chest and body. These have since disappeared, with the exception of the bullet wound through his foot.
  • Archer is rarely shown drinking non-alcoholic drinks. He has an incredibly strong tolerance to alcoholic intoxication rivaling that of Pam Poovey, managing to for the most part avoid hangovers altogether. This builds his liver to such a point that some drugs, such as tranquilisers, barely affect him, although not to the extent of his mother's ability. [7] This does not mean he is incapable of intoxication however, as he has appeared deeply intoxicated and hung over on few occasions.
  • The freelance spies and spies from other agencies consider him the "World's Most Dangerous Spy." Notable as they don't state that he is even a good spy, just most likely to kill them[8][9][10]
  • Archer is an excellent Lacrosse player, having played it extensively in his boarding school days.
  • Archer had breast cancer that is currently in remission (Stage Two, Placebo Effect) due to his careless behavior around radioactivity. He was also told that family history and a history of alcoholism were potential risk factors. Malory had been diagnosed with breast cancer as well (although this was later shown to be a false positive), and both of them show symptoms of alcoholism.
  • Archer has two tattoos: one on his right shoulder blade reading "Seamus," and one on his left shoulder blade reading "Dicky"
  • Archer has developed minor tinnitus due to his fellow agents firing guns near his ears. As the show progresses, he continues to have guns fired next to the same ear and is exposed to multiple explosions which cause further damage to his eardrums and worsen his tinnitus.
  • He has written How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written.
  • His hero since he was a small boy is Burt Reynolds. Archer makes a strong effort to imitate Reynolds' various movie and television personas in his daily life. In particular, Archer favors Reynolds' performances in White Lightning and Gator, and constantly expresses his wish to see a third movie to the series.
  • He has a surprising fondness for cats, such as Babou the Ocelot and a captive tiger in El Contador. He also claims to love dogs (with the exception of his mother's dog). However, despite this supposed love for dogs, he has a firm "No Dogs" policy regarding his apartment (as seen in the Pilot).
  • Always refers to Malory as "Mother," never "Malory" or "Mom."
  • Archer is an avid reader of novels, movies and political fiction, and constantly references them in conversation. He seems to have an extensive knowledge of trivia, particularly film, television, and literature.
  • He is known to have had sex with many of his female co-workers, including Lana, Cheryl and Pam, the last of which he had a brief friends-with-benefits agreement with.
  • He knows a lot about mixing drinks, and is somewhat of a snob about them, constantly criticizing bartenders. He is pretty good at mixing them himself and improvising drinks in odd situations, although at home he generally has Woodhouse make drinks for him. He usually has bloody marys for breakfast.
  • Archer is highly skilled in hand to hand combat, as well as fighting with improvised weaponry.[10][11][12] He is also an expert escape artist. In particular he can fight in handcuffs[7] or get out of them.[12]
  • He often wears black turtleneck sweaters on missions, a style which he claims he invented, and becomes extremely annoyed when he sees other spies, especially ODIN goons, trying to wear them.
  • Archer was for a short time married to Linda Belcher, during his amnesia-induced time as Bob Belcher. He proposed twice to former KGB agent Katya, though both times ended without them being married. He proposed to a pregnant Lana in White Elephant, though she blew him off.
  • In Arrival/Departure, Lana gave birth to their daughter, Abbiejean Kane-Archer, who Lana made possible by using Archer's sperm.
  • He appears to be the only one to notice the mish-mash timeline the show goes through, frequently asking "What year is this?!" and receiving no answer from the person asked. When around others who note the same thing, he replies with "Right?!"
  • Nightcrawler AKA Kurt Wagner is his favorite creature with a prehensile tail, his second favorite being Didelphis Virginiana, more commonly known as the Virginia Possum.  
  • It's mentioned multiple times that he seems calm and seems to enjoy needling his co-workers or antagonize his enemies, possibly worsening the situation. Finally, in "Drastic Voyage Part II" he explicitly states that he honestly believes he can't die, showing an unnerving lack of concern for mortality.  

Quotes

  • "I swear, I had something for this." - many episodes
  • "That is classic her." - many episodes (referencing Malory's overly selfish/sexual behaviour)
  • "Do you not?"
  • "BOOYAKASHA!"
  • "WOOOO!!!"
  • "Lana. Lana! LANAAA!!!"
  • "...danger zone!" (often whispered)
  • "F*** you, Space!"
  • "F*** you, Switzerland!"
  • "Phrasing!"
  • "Just the tip!"
  • "Duh, and/or hello!"
  • "Can't, or won't?"
  • "Well, obviously!"
  • "Obviously, the core concept."
    • Katya: "Does she hate what I am?"
    • Archer: "What you are meaning the one woman who can free her child from the psychological prison she spent a lifetime erecting?!" - Skin Game
  • "A little of Column 'A', a little of Column 'B'."
  • "Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants."
  • "READ A BOOK!" - when Archer is knowledgeable about something and others do not show the same knowledge
  • "What's a gill?"
  • "I am commandeering this airboat!"
  • "Ah ah ah Pam. I will end you.
  • "Seriously are we done with phrasing?"
  • "Because I wouldn't be caught dead in a sweater vest."
  • Variations of "dammit" and "goddammit!"
  • "Keep it loose"
  • "Literally"

Gallery of Images

There are 467 images of Sterling Archer on this Wiki, visit the Sterling Archer gallery to view all the images and screenshots.

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Videos

External links

References