Lance Vance

(Redirected from Quentin)
Character
Lance Vance
Lance Vance in GTA Vice City.
Lance Vance in GTA Vice City.

Lance Vance in GTA Vice City.
Appearances GTA Vice City
GTA Vice City Stories
Full Name Lance Vance
Aliases Quentin, Q
Gender Gender::Male
Date of Birth 1958
Date of Death 1986
Age at Death 28
Nationality American
Home Vice City
Family Janet Vance (mother)
Unnamed and deceased father
Victor Vance (brother)
Pete Vance (brother)
Aunt Enid (aunt)
Main Affiliations Vance Crime Family (1984 - 1986)
Mendez Cartel (1984)
Ricardo Diaz (1984 -1986)
Tommy Vercetti (1986)
Bryan Forbes (1984)
Earnest Kelly (1986)
Vehicles White Infernus
Biker Angel
Black and Yellow Maverick
Stallion
Businesses Cocaine Trade
Voiced by Philip Michael Thomas
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So, what am I? A handicap, huh? Your dumbass, lowlife, no-good brother?

Lance to Vic Vance.


Lance T. Vance[1] is a character in the 3D Universe appearing in Grand Theft Auto Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He is the co-leader of the Vance Crime Family with his brother Victor Vance. He is a cocaine dealer who soon becomes the partner-in-crime of protagonist Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Character history

Childhood and early years

Lance T. Vance was born in 1958 to a Caucasian mother (Janet Vance) and an unnamed father who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. He and his two brothers, Victor and Pete, grew up in poverty in an unspecified location. Because their mother had a drug addiction, they were raised by their Aunt Enid who, especially Lance, sees as their sole maternal figure. Lance was often teased about his name in school, which he is still very sensitive about (when he works with Ricardo Diaz, an extremely powerful, important drug lord, he lies and says his name is Quentin). According to Vic, he was also kicked out of the Boy Scouts in his youth, although this is possibly a joke or sarcastic response to Lance saying "Yeah, well, at least I'm not the one that got kicked out of the army". Vic always undermined Lance's capabilities because Lance would get them both in trouble, patterns that continued well into their adult lives.

1984
Lance Vance's during the first half of GTA Vice City Stories.

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, set 2 years before the events in GTA Vice City, Lance is first mentioned by Vic (telling Jerry Martinez, his sergeant, that Pete is sick with asthma, and Lance is sick in a psychological way), as well as messages from their Aunt Enid.

Lance arrives from his home (which is not stated) and slowly ushers Vic into drug trafficking. They work with Bryan Forbes, before he reveals he's an undercover cop with VCPD and the brothers take him hostage. Forbes often attempted escape and tried to trick the brothers, even leading them to a gay bar called White Stallionz (ironically, all the homosexual men in the bar were dually part of a violent biker drug ring and attacked the brothers).

Lance then suggests stealing a large shipment of drugs from Jerry Martinez. After Vic calls Jerry to mock him, Jerry reveals that he was allied with the Mendez Brothers, two powerful drug lords who then attempted to kill the Vance brothers.

Lance also becomes addicted to his own cocaine, as does Vic's girlfriend Louise Cassidy-Williams who both hide their habit from Vic. Lance often blamed the missing drugs on their addict mother (which did happen to be true) or a biker gang. When Vic discovers Lance and Louise getting high, he accuses them of an affair, which they respond that they only get high as friends and Lance becomes angry with Vic after Louise storms out of the house.

When Louise is kidnapped and killed by the Mendez brothers (who they briefly attempted to make peace with before a second war), Lance shows little feelings for her and tries to console Vic by saying family is more important (namely himself). He only becomes involved with the Mendez war after his car gets blown up. At the end of the game, Lance arrives at the Mendez penthouse to back up Vic, but he arrives after the shootout is already over. Vic, however, is too ecstatic after his victory, and after briefly reminding Lance not to sell any more drugs, leaves Vice City with him by helicopter. The two end up laying low in Panama and sit on two keys of cocaine until they lose any unwanted heat. Meanwhile the Vance Crime Family slowly begins to diminish in Vice City.

1986
Lance Vance in GTA Vice City.

Two years later the Vance brothers finally decide to get back into the game when they come in contact with the Don of the Forelli Crime Family, Sonny Forelli in Liberty City. Against his better judgment, Vic ends up joining Lance in the deal. Lance flies with Victor to the cocaine deal with recently released mobster Tommy Vercetti, and Forelli members Harry and Lee. Just as the deal is concluded, Victor, Harry, and Lee are gunned down by three hitmen ambushing the deal. Lance, still in the helicopter, flies away unscathed, while Tommy had managed to dive into the window of his lawyer's Admiral and escape unharmed as well.

Lance meets Tommy a couple days later, when Tommy kills a cook/hitman named Leo Teal who knew something about the deal, by beating him to death for his phone. They agree to help each other get revenge, though Tommy is slow to accept Lance, who tells him to drop the "lonely tough guy crap".

Lance on the surface appears cool and collected, but is very impulsive. His quest for vengeance against Ricardo Diaz, the boss who betrayed them even after their friendship in 1984, results in his capture and torture by Diaz's men, and he is only saved in the nick of time by Tommy. Lance redeems himself by supplying them with M4 Carbines, and attacks Diaz's mansion to finish him off and take over his gang. Lance personally shoots Diaz in the head with a pistol, shouting "This is for my brother!"

Not long after forming a partnership with Tommy, Lance complains about being treated like a little kid (such as after Cop Land) and becomes irritated by Tommy's attitude and dominance in the gang. Tommy, who frequently berates Lance for his mistakes and rarely gives credit to Lance's contributions, attempts to console him but continues to act as if the criminal enterprise as solely his.

Tired of being shunned for the last time, Lance betrays Tommy to his old boss, Sonny Forelli, revealing that the cash payment was counterfeit, which prompts Sonny to come prepared bringing a large number of gunmen to the Vercetti Estate. Lance and the Forelli mobsters attack Tommy on the roof of the Vercetti mansion but are all killed. After finishing of Sonny and the Forelli mobsters, Tommy mutters to Ken Rosenberg with a hint of regret, "That stupid prick, Lance..."

VCBI record

The Vice City Bureau of Investigation has a file on Vance[2]:

  • Recently arrived in town with his brother.
  • Asks a lot of questions.
  • Trained helicopter pilot
  • Believed to be in narcotics trade
  • Heard mouthing off in a lot of nightclubs.
  • Believed to get aggressive or needy when he drinks. Possibly emotionally insecure.

Lance Vance Dance

The Lance Vance Dance from White Lies in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

The Lance Vance Dance is the infamous dance performed by Lance Vance immediately indicating when he is excited. It has become a very iconic action for Lance. Although it was mentioned three times (once by Lance [3] and twice by Tommy[4] [5]) in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, he is never seen doing it. He is, however, seen doing it during Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Trivia

  • The player can play as Lance in GTA Vice City by inputting cheats.
PS2: CircleL2D-Pad LeftCrossR1L1CrossL1
PC: looklikelance
Xbox: BWhiteD-Pad LeftARight TriggerLeft TriggerALeft Trigger
  • In a PC World article, Lance was voted as #17 of the top 47 "most diabolical videogame villains of all time."
  • In GTA Vice City, Lance wears no glasses. In GTA Vice City Sories however, he is seen wearing large circular glasses.
  • Lance Vance owns a white Infernus (VC and VCS) and after Taking the Fall he owns Biker Angel.
  • There is an age discrepancy between Victor and Lance Vance on who is older. In GTA Vice City, it is been stated that Lance is the older, being 32 years old as of 1986. However, in GTA Vice City Stories, Victor is portrayed as the older one, being 28 as of 1984 and 30 in 1986, and explicitly stating Lance is the younger one. The two brothers are two years apart in age. As a result, Lance would be 26 in GTA Vice City Stories and 28 in GTA Vice City. It is possible GTA Vice City Stories retconned the discrepancy, so that Victor is the older sibling.
  • Lance shares something with Salvatore Leone: they betray and are then killed by the protagonists in the original games, (GTA III and GTA Vice City), however, they are very close to the protagonists in the prequels, GTA Liberty City Stories and GTA Vice City Stories.
  • Lance Vance is voiced by Philip Michael Thomas, the co-star of Miami Vice.
  • He can be seen as an action figure at Zero RC along with Tommy, James Earl Cash, and Piggsy from Manhunt.
  • During the final cutscene of Last Stand in Vice City Stories, he is seen flying a unique Black and Yellow striped Maverick.
  • In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Lance Vance look-a-like appears on a billboard in Los Santos.
  • There is also another Lance Vance look-a-like in GTA San Andreas. There is an image of Lance on a card while playing Blackjack in the casinos. But instead of being dressed in a purple and white suit, he is dressed in a purple suit with black stripes.
  • If the player views Lance's face when he is dressed as a cop close up in GTA Vice City, his eyes seem to be closed. However, if the player uses a sniper rifle's scope to look closely at his face, his eyes are actually open.
  • The artwork of Lance Vance appears on a magazine cover on the coffee table in the Ocean View Hotel.

Mission appearances

GTA Vice City
GTA Vice City Stories

Murders committed

  • Ricardo Diaz (killed by him and Tommy Vercetti to exact revenge)

Gallery

Reference

  1. From the mission Caught as an Act:
    Lance Vance: "You're a freaking cop! You think you can mess with Lance T. Vance, you punk?"
  2. Vice City Crime Tree. Rockstar Games. official GTA Vice City website
  3. From the mission Supply & Demand:
    Lance Vance: "It's time for the Lance Vance Dance!"
  4. From the mission "Supply and Demand":
    Tommy Vercetti: "Okay Mr Lance Vance Dance!"
  5. From the mission "Keep Your Friends Close...":
    Tommy Vercetti: "This is the last dance for Lance Vance!"