Ian Mercer

Mercer is a fictional character in the sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, played by David Schofield. David Schofield also provided the voice of Mercer in the At World's End game.

Biography
Sometime in his life, Mercer joined the East India Trading Company, in service to Lord Cutler Beckett. Despite serving faithfully in his official capacity as a clerk, Mercer often executes Beckett's more sinister agendas as an assassin and spy.

Dead Man's Chest
Mercer arrived in Port Royal with Lord Beckett to arrest Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, and James Norrington. These three had helped an infamous pirate, Jack Sparrow, escape from custody. Beckett really only wanted to use these three to find Jack Sparrow to recover Sparrow's compass, so he could use it to lead him to the Dead Man's Chest, which contained the heart of Davy Jones. With this, Beckett intended to rule the Seven Seas and bring about the end of piracy. After the arrests, minus Norrington, Mercer helped Beckett set up his operations in Port Royal. Mercer watched as Beckett made a deal with Will Turner. Will would find Jack Sparrow's compass, and in return, Sparrow would receive Letters of Marque and become a privateer in the employ of England. Will and Elizabeth would in turn be pardoned, but if Will doesn't return with the compass, Elizabeth would be hanged.

When Beckett learned that Governor Weatherby Swann was sending his daughter, Elizabeth, to London in order to escape his plans, he sent Mercer to recapture his valuable pawn. Soldiers surrounded Governor Swann and his carriage. Mercer became frustrated when Elizabeth was not in the carriage, and even more so when Governor Swann pretended to not know who Mercer was looking for. Mercer had the Governor arrested and thrown in Fort Charles' prison. Elizabeth had broken into Beckett's office and stolen his Letters of Marque, so Beckett sent Mercer to head off at Elizabeth's most likely destination: Tortuga. Mercer found Elizabeth in the Faithful Bride after A bar fight, which Elizabeth herself ended. Beckett's other fugitive, James Norrington, was thrown into a pool of mud, and was escorted by Elizabeth to the Black Pearl, where he found Jack Sparrow. Instead of following them further, or hindering their departure, Mercer offered Norrington a deal on behalf of Lord Beckett and then returned to Port Royal with his report. After Mercer gave Beckett his report, Governor Swann was brought into Beckett's office. Mercer told the governor that Elizabeth had left with Sparrow and other fugitives from justice. Beckett told Swann that the Pearl would be pursued by his ships, and that all those onboard would be doomed. So in return for his daughter's safety, Swann gave Beckett his loyalty. Mercer then removed the governor's cuffs, and set out to find the Pearl.

During his search, Mercer found Norrington adrift at sea. Mercer returned to Port Royal and brought him before Beckett. Norrington had stolen Jack's Letters of Marque and, in return for his pardon, he gave Beckett the heart of Davy Jones, which he had acquired from Isla Cruces during a battle with Sparrow and Turner. With the heart now in his employer's hands, Mercer now had all new objectives to complete for Beckett.

At World's End
Once Beckett had the heart of Davy Jones, Mercer was sent to Singapore to find the crew of the Black Pearl. Accompanied by a detachment of EITC troops, Mercer patroled the streets and waterways of Singapore looking for the Pearl's crew, as well as the secret hideout of the infamous Chinese pirate, Sao Feng. Steng, Mercer's spy of Feng's operations, told Mercer where Feng's bath house was, and Mercer staged an ambush. Hector Barbossa and Elizabeth Swann were meeting with Sao Feng, and it was during the middle of this meeting that Mercer broke through the doors with dozens of soldiers and opened fire on the pirates.

During the battle, Mercer tried to shoot Elizabeth, but she was pushed out of the way by Will Turner. The shot instead lodged itself in the forehead of Park, one of Feng's twin bodyguards, and the battle raged into the streets of Singapore. While in a small storehouse, Park's twin sister, Lian, attempted to exact her revenge on Mercer. During the struggle, Mercer threw Lian onto the ground and shot her dead. As he was leaving the scene Mercer stumbled onto a deal being made between Turner and Feng, and learned that the crew of the Pearl was on its way to rescue Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker. Later, Mercer caught up with Feng and made his own deal. Feng could have the Pearl once it returned from the Locker. Feng agreed, and Mercer then returned to Beckett's ship, the HMS Endeavour, to deliver his report.

After Mercer gave his report to Beckett, the Endeavour went to survey the damage done by Davy Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman. Beckett had been using Jones to destroy pirate vessels in the Caribbean, but was frustrated that Jones never left anyone alive to interrogate. Mercer remarked that Jones was a loose cannon and that he might need further persuasion to follow Beckett's orders. He also told Beckett that Governor Swann kept asking questions about the Dead Man's Chest. Beckett suggested to Mercer that Swann's usefulness may have run its course. Soon after this, Governor Swann was murdered, presumably by Mercer, being Beckett's personal assassin. At the appropriate time, the men in Singapore, who had joined Barbossa for the rescue of Jack Sparrow, turned on Barbossa and his remaining crew, showing that their true allegiances lied with Sao Feng. Feng captured the Pearl, but defaulting on his deal with William Turner, pronounced the ship to be his, and the Endeavour soon appeared on the horizon to collect their prizes. He had dueled with Barbossa while the Pearl is being taken over from the EITC. Mercer sees his marines are mostly beaten, jumps ship, and is picked up by the Endeavor.

He is eventually put aboard the Dutchman to command the crew after the death of Admiral James Norrington in the hands of "Bootstrap Bill" Turner. The Dutchman eventually caught up with Beckett, and joined the rest of his armada to attack Shipwreck Cove, the meeting place of the Brethren Court. During the maelstrom battle, Mercer is shielded by Davy Jones from a cannon blast. Seeing several corpses of marines, Jones takes advantage of Mercer's distraction and strangles him, taking the key to his chest.

Game Terms
Mercer does NOT currently appear in Pirates of the Caribbean Online.