Ian Mercer

Mercer was the loyal personal assistant of Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company. Despite serving faithfully in his official capacity as a clerk, Mercer also carried out some of Beckett's more sinister agendas as an assassin and a spy.

Biography
Mercer was known to be a cruel, calculating, and ruthless employee of the East India Trading Company, and would stop at nothing to aid his employer's pursuit of power. Despite his official position as a clerk for Lord Cutler Beckett, Mercer was also an assassin and spy for the company. He murdered Captain Hawkins to prevent Weatherby Swann from escaping Port Royal with his daughter. Mercer had Weatherby arrested and brought to Lord Beckett, though Elizabeth escaped. He shortly after tracked Elizabeth to Tortuga, where he also came across James Norrington. Mercer returned to Port Royal to give the news to Beckett.



Mercer later met with former Commodore James Norrington after a search party rescued him at sea. Norrington, in possession of the heart of Davy Jones, presented it to Beckett in exchange for Norrington's reinstatement in the Royal Navy.

Mission to Singapore
Prior to the rescue of Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker, Mercer traveled to Singapore to search for the Pirate Lord Sao Feng. He placed a spy, Steng, in Feng's bath house, and led an attack on the building with his soldiers. Mercer shot one of Feng's Asian Twins in the head during the fight&mdash;although he was actually aiming for Elizabeth Swann&mdash; he later killed her sister (and it is assumed she went after Mercer, judging by her reaction when her sister died earlier) as the battle progressed, though his victim managed to stab a steel chopstick into his shoulder before Mercer shot her dead. It was here that Mercer overheard a conversation between Feng and William Turner, the latter promising Feng he would be given the chance to strike a deal with Beckett.



It was presumed that Mercer caught up with Feng after the departure of the Hai Peng, and offered him a deal with the EITC. He reported everything to Lord Beckett, also referring to Sao Feng as his 'friend.'

Feng's men turned on Jack Sparrow and his crew following Sparrow's rescue, and Feng handed Jack over to Beckett aboard the Endeavour. Mercer boarded the Black Pearl but became embroiled in a duel with Hector Barbossa when Feng and Barbossa joined forces. Mercer ended the duel shortly after he was kicked between the legs by Barbossa, and dived into the water to escape, from where he returned to the Endeavour.

Aboard the Flying Dutchman
"The Dutchman is in my control now." "For now."

- Mercer and Davy Jones

During one of his conversations with Lord Cutler Beckett aboard the Endeavour, Mercer remarked he thought Davy Jones was a loose cannon, due to the Sea-Legend's disregard for capturing prisoners and causing mass destruction on the seas, as well as mentioning Weatherby Swann's interest in the Heart of Davy Jones. Beckett agreed and later stationed Mercer aboard the Flying Dutchman. There, he likely murdered the governor himself. He was also in position to take control of the Dead Man's Chest in case of the death of Admiral James Norrington, but even before then was Beckett's main agent aboard the vessel. After Norrington's death, Mercer stated to an enraged Davy Jones that he was in command of the Dutchman. During the battle around Calypso's maelstrom, Mercer remained with Jones at the wheel of the ship and was seen giving various orders. He asked Jones if he was mad, when the Dutchman first entered the Maelstrom, showing fear for once.

After a cannonade from the Black Pearl, Davy Jones jumped to cover, knocking Mercer down. While many of Mercer's men had been killed or maimed by the blast, Mercer was unscathed, due to Jones covering him. While Mercer came back to his senses, Jones turned on Mercer during his rare moment of weakness, blocking Mercer's throat with his tentacles and suffocating him to death, as well as snapping his neck.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End