Zachary Hale Comstock

Lore & Background

Comstock founded Columbia with United States government funding in the 1890s, intending it as a display of American exceptionalism. After the city independently intervened in the Boxer Rebellion, tensions rose until Columbia seceded and disappeared into the clouds. Comstock transformed the city into a theocratic police state where he is worshipped as a prophet. He established a society rife with institutional racism and elitism, creating an underclass of minorities to serve as laborers. The city became divided between his ruling Founders and the rebel Vox Populi, led by Daisy Fitzroy, who fought for the rights of the marginalized. Comstock's rule was maintained through fear and religious dogma, with the city on the verge of civil war by 1912.

In Their Own Story

In July 1912, Booker DeWitt arrived in Columbia as a "False Shepherd" prophesied to corrupt Elizabeth and overthrow the city. Comstock had obtained Elizabeth from another reality after becoming aged and infertile due to frequent exposure to Tears. To hide the truth of her origin, he killed his wife and the Lutece twins, framing their deaths as assassinations. He then isolated Elizabeth in Columbia, constructing a large Siphon to control her power while guarding her with Songbird. When Elizabeth escaped and joined forces with Booker, Comstock's conspiracy was exposed. As Booker pursued him to his airship, Comstock demanded an explanation of Elizabeth's past. Enraged by this confrontation, the conflict culminated in Comstock's death as Booker drowned him.

Reader's Guide

Zachary Hale Comstock acts as the primary antagonist and ideological foil to Booker DeWitt throughout BioShock Infinite. As the founder of Columbia, he embodies extreme nationalism and religious zealotry twisted by time travel paradoxes. His arc reveals a desperate man who stole a child from another reality to secure his legacy after becoming infertile through exposure to Tears. Comstock commands the robotic creature Songbird as a guardian and warden for Elizabeth. Key moments include the founding of Columbia, the kidnapping of Anna DeWitt, and the final confrontation where Booker must end his existence. Unlike other enemies, he does not rely on superpowers but uses his authority over the city's defenses and the Siphon to maintain control.

Did You Know?

• Comstock became aged and infertile as a result of his frequent exposure to Tears.
• Columbia was founded by Comstock in the 1890s with United States government funding as a floating world's fair.
• After intervening independently in the Boxer Rebellion, Columbia seceded from the United States and disappeared into the clouds.
• Comstock killed his wife and the Lutece twins to hide the truth that Elizabeth was obtained from another reality.