Gideon Gordon Graves

"This is Gideon. When will it be convenient for you to die?"

- Gideon

"Who do you think you are Pilgrim? You think you're better than me? Well, I'll tell you what you are, A PAIN IN MY ASS! Do you know how long it took to get the Evil Exes contact information to form this stupid league? Like 2 Hours, 2 HOURS! (*cough*) You're not cool enough for Ramona, You're a zero, You're nothing. ME?! I'M A TIP, I'M WHAT'S HAPPENING, I'M BLOWING UP RIGHT NOW!!!"

- Gideon's anger towards Scott

Gideon Gordon Graves is the main antagonist in the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series and its film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. While being the seventh and last ex-boyfriend of subspace fighter "Ramona Flowers", Gideon is an evil, knowledgeable mastermind with a plan of conquering the world, as well as being the leader and founder of the League of Evil Exes, created after he met Ramona's other exes on the Internet.

Books
In the books, Gideon only reveals himself in the end of Volume 3, but ever since Volumes 1 and 2, Gideon is hinted as spying on Scott and Ramona from Scott's subspace, manipulating his memories and associating his own image with Simon Lee, Kim Pine's ex-boyfriend and Scott's first enemy. He is then seen in Volume 3 during the battle with Todd Ingram, when the vegan has a flashback showing Gideon telling him to "use his vegan powers or whatever", and again after Todd is defeated, leaving the show completely not impressed with Scott's abilities. At the end of Volume 5, Gideon finally calls Scott on the phone, taunting and asking him when a convenient time would be for him to die.

In Volume 6, after defeating Nega Scott, Scott goes to the Chaos Theatre to stop Gideon once and for all. However, Gideon effectively steals the Power of Love sword that Scott had and impales him with it, killing him. However, Scott uses the 1-up he gained after defeating Todd to return to life and face Gideon again. Gideon reveals that he is keeping six of his previous ex-girlfriends on capsules on the ceiling and keeping them under some sort of mind control, enabling him to date them again anytime, and he wishes to include Ramona on the final capsule. To make matters worst, Gideon uses an ability called "The Glow" to make Scott and Ramona argue with each other, causing her to attempt to leave through Subspace, but Gideon impales her with his sword and calls Scott into the portal, as he follows through another gateway in Ramona's purse. There, he defeats Gideon's god form as Ramona takes the Power of Love sword from him, healing her wounds.

Once they return, Scott realizes how similar he is to Gideon and gains the Power of Understanding sword, as he and Ramona face-off against Gideon in a final battle, after he draws his pixel katana and engages both of them. After taunting them with the truth, Ramona disarms him and leaves him at their mercy, but Gideon states they can never truly destroy him, as both Scott and Ramona are their own worst enemies. Both agree that Gideon is much worse and finish him with a cross slash, making him burst into $7,777,777, which painfully rains down upon the crowd, putting an end to the League once and for all.

Film


In the film, Gideon is hinted to be Ramona's boyfriend prior to Scott. After defeating the Japanese twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi, Scott sees him close to Ramona, just like if they were still together. Gideon reveals himself as the manager of Scott's band (the "Sex Bob-omb"), G-Man, and tells them he will offer a recording contract, which the whole band, sans Scott, immediately signs. Ramona breaks up with him shortly after and Scott goes home and falls into a deep depression, only to be called by Gideon on the phone, asking him to come to the Chaos Theatre, to show there are no hard feelings. At the Theatre, Scott challenges him to a fight, while Gideon asks him why he is risking his life for her. When Scott professes his love for Ramona, he gains a new sword and engages Gideon in a fight, until another girl named Knives (who desperately likes Scott on the same level he loves Ramona, even though he dumped her) enters the chamber and fights Ramona over Scott. He stops his fight with Gideon to stop theirs and admits he cheated on them with each other, giving Gideon the opportunity to kill him. He is sent into a Limbo and talks to Ramona, who reveals that she broke up with Gideon because he ignored her all the time, but still kept her around with a microchip implanted in her head, which made her fall in love with him against her will. Scott then remembers he has an extra life and uses it to return to the theatre. He again engages Gideon, this time fighting for himself, granting him another sword. He knocks Gideon unconscious and apologizes to both girls, but when Graves tries to kill him again, Scott and Knives activate "two-player mode" and finally deal a fatal blow, destroying Gideon, who explodes in a shower of 7,000,000,000 game coins that rain all over his theatre.

In all adaptions, following his defeat at the hands of Scott, he respawns back at his home, having learned his lesson. He also finally begins to leave both Scott and Ramona alone and presumably drops his grudge against the two.

Video Game
In the game, Gideon is the final boss of the appropriately named "World 7" (like the movie's "Level 7"), appearing in three forms. The first form, Super Gideon, is a more buff and brutish version of him, relying on brute strength to attack Scott.

He then turns into Gigadeon Graves, a giant form covered in the other exes' faces and with visible heart and veins.

His final form is a robot version of his normal self, and when defeated, Gideon himself shows from behind a simulator, begging for mercy on his knees. One final hit defeats Gideon for good.

Personality and Powers
Gideon is arrogant and ruthless, but calm and outspoken, almost looking like someone worth trusting. His methods are discreet, but still highly efficient, much different from the rest of the League. While he does act friendly, he hides a cold and calculating behavior inside, willing to do everything to defeat Scott. He has a huge variety of powers, especially psychic ones. One of them, "emotional warfare", can trap the enemy inside his own mind, forcing him into facing his issues and problems. His other powers involve the usual agility and levitation, as well as excellent sword handling, and in the games, shape-shifting. Gideon's weapon of choice is a katana made entirely out of pixels, which he can easily handle in battle by literally fighting with one hand behind his back. Gideon is seen fighting like that in the comics, and in the movie.

References to popular culture

 * The way Gideon begs for mercy in the game is reminiscent of the way Dr. Wily does in Megaman 2.
 * His final boss form is similar in design to Kefka Palazzo's final form in Final Fantasy VI.
 * The Chaos Theatre is a reference to an area in EarthBound with the same name.
 * His moves while in Super Gideon form are similar to Gill from Street Fighter III.
 * Before battling Scott in the second round, he makes seven jutsu-like movements that are similar to the ones from the anime Naruto.
 * The screening that happens before his fight is a nod to the intro of the first Ninja Gaiden game. The same happens before the fight with Lucas Lee.

Numerology

 * Every score gained with Gideon or his henchmen's defeats are either sums resulting in 7, or numbers beginning with 7.
 * Gideon's own score is 7.777.777 (seven sevens) after his defeat (7.000.000 in the movie).
 * Gideon's first, middle and last names all begin with "G", which is the seventh letter of the alphabet.
 * Before battling Scott in the second round, he makes seven jutsu-like movements with his hands to summon his sword.
 * The stats that appear with the sword are all "+7".
 * He has 7 life bars.
 * In the comics, Gideon reveals that he keeps his six previous girlfriends in cryostasis. If he did manage to do the same to Ramona, he would have seven ex-girlfriends in cryostasis.
 * The last level of the book/movie is Level 7 (World 7 in the game).
 * When Scott makes him swallow his gum, he states it's going to be in his digestive track for seven years.