Harry from The Crossed is a well-rounded, tragic, and damn memorable character.
That guy with the destroyed, bandaged face who claims to be Prince Harry (the real one, son of Charles and Lady Di, heir to the throne, etc.) is pure Garth Ennis at his best: a mix of dark humor, absolute misery, and that "what if..." taken to its most disgusting and hopeless extreme.
Why it works:
The idea of the Prince of England ending up a mutilated, half-crazed soldier surviving in the hell of the Crossed is brilliant. It's not just a cheap gag; it actually has a strange weight to it. That "seemed too good to be true and we were never sure we could believe him" perfectly sums up the tone of the series: even royalty is reduced to rotting meat and distrust.
Visually, he's iconic. That helmet of bandages, the visible eye, the rifle... all convey vulnerability and threat at the same time. He isn't a hero, nor a pure villain; he's just another person trying to cling to an identity that no longer matters in a world where humanity has gone to shit.
Within the context of The Crossed (especially in the longer arcs) he serves as a reminder that nobody is spared: not the rich, nor the famous, nor the “special.” Everyone ends up just as screwed.
He's one of those secondary characters who stick with you more than many protagonists. He doesn't need an epic backstory or a redemption arc; just that image and the constant doubt if he really was who he said, or just another madman clinging to a fantasy to stay at least a little sane.
In short: I think he's a total win for the comic. Dark, absurd, sad, and perfectly in tune with the universe of The Crossed. Details like this are what make the series something more twisted and intelligent than just gore for gore’s sake.
Harry (the bandaged-faced guy who claims to be the prince) is practical, cold, and a real bastard when he needs to be.
He’s not a deep character with philosophical monologues or anything. He’s a competent survivor, military-trained (good shot, knows how to move, brings real value to the group), but with a real “numbers call the shots” mentality.
How he acts:
- Pragmatic to the extreme. When the pregnant woman (Anya) starts slowing the group down, he's one of the strongest voices for leaving her behind. He doesn't disguise it as morality: he simply thinks she's dragging everyone and endangering their survival. While others hesitate or feel bad, he insists.
- Cold and somewhat detached. He doesn't seem particularly emotional or supportive beyond what's useful. He's the kind to prioritize efficiency over empathy. That attitude gets another survivor to say something like: “Alright, now I believe you… you really are royalty.”
- Competent and useful. He’s neither useless nor crazy. He can fight, has military training, and it shows. The group accepts him quickly precisely because he's useful.
- Ambiguous identity. It's never confirmed 100% if he really is Prince Harry or just a guy who made up the story (the destroyed face doesn't help). But he speaks with the right accent, has the attitude and training, so the group (and the reader) is left in doubt.
In summary: he's not a hero nor a caricature villain. He's a guy hardened by the apocalypse who puts survival over almost everything, even a pregnant woman. He has that arrogance/detachment that fits perfectly with the idea of a "possible royal prince at the end of the world." That's why his end (chainsaw, half a body, and infection) hits so hard: he's a typical Crossed character who gets what’s coming to him.
He’s a secondary character, but very well used. He serves his purpose and sticks with you.
outbreak (C-Day, summer of 2008). The real Prince Harry was born September 15, 1984, so at that time he'd be 23-24 years old. The comic character is presented as young, an active soldier with recent training, fitting that age.
Height: Also not mentioned. The real prince is 1.86 m (6'1"). In Jacen Burrows's art he looks like a normal-tall, soldier-type build, nothing suggesting he’s especially short or tall.
Summary:
Approximate age → 23-24 years
Height → around 1.86 m (if he is who he says)
The comic deliberately leaves the doubt of whether he’s the real prince, so it doesn’t bother giving precise physical data. He’s just drawn as a young, red-haired soldier with a destroyed and bandaged face.
His appearance is one of the most disturbing and distinctive elements of this comic arc:
• Covered face (Human): For almost his entire appearance as a survivor, Harry keeps his head and face completely wrapped in bloody, dirty bandages, exposing only his blue (or light) eyes and small patches of burned skin.
• Hair: He has short, military-style, bright red hair, strongly reinforcing his supposed identity as the British royal.
• Extreme disfigurement: The reason for the bandages is he survived a helicopter explosion that destroyed his facial features. When he removes the bandages or is finally turned into a Crossed, it’s revealed his face is completely skinned, covered in severe burn scars, necrotic tissue, and exposed raw flesh.
Voice and tone of Harry (from The Crossed):
He has a British English accent, specifically upper-class / posh (the classic royal or someone privately educated in English boarding schools). The comic itself confirms this: the other survivors note he speaks exactly like the real Prince Harry, with that distinctive accent.
How he sounds and speaks:
- General tone: Direct, blunt, and practical. He’s not someone who rambles or sugarcoats things. He talks like a trained soldier: short, clear, survival-focused sentences.
- Speaking attitude: Cold and a bit arrogant when needed. When arguing about leaving the pregnant woman, he doesn’t mince words or show empathy. He insists firmly and bluntly, leading another character to basically say, “Now I believe you really are royalty.”
- Register: Formal-military mixed with posh English. He doesn’t talk like a regular infantryman or a random civilian. He’s got that “educated yet hardened” style.
- Volume and energy: He isn’t described as someone who shouts or gets worked up. More the type to speak with controlled calm, even when suggesting harsh actions. When he becomes Crossed, of course, he shifts to the typical screaming and laughing of the infected.
In summary:
Posh British accent + dry, practical, and somewhat cold/detached tone.
He sounds like someone from a privileged background who’s seen too much hell to keep pretending with unnecessary niceties.
Harry’s group comrades:
The whole group:
Name
Role / Description
Ian Cowley
Narrator and protagonist. Ex-bookstore employee. He’s the thinker and reflective one.
Harry
The bandaged one (claims to be Prince Harry). Competent marksman.
Anya
The only woman. She’s pregnant and the main “burden” of the group.
Mark
Anya’s older brother. Very protective of her.
Ricky
Ex-paramedic. Most useful for medical issues and can also fight.
John
The oldest in the group. Ex-oil rig worker. Practical and tough.
Rob
One of the group’s two “jokers.” Spends time joking around with Alec.
Alec
The other joker. Brave but a bit dumb.
Pat
The group’s useless fat guy. Contributes almost nothing.
Group dynamics:
There are 9 people in total.
Harry is one of the most useful due to his marksmanship and sniper rifle.
The group’s main conflict centers around Anya: whether to leave her behind, since she slows them down a lot.
Ian is the one who hesitates and reflects most, while Harry is the coldest and most pragmatic in proposing to abandon her.
The Crossed virus (commonly called the "Crossed Outbreak" or C-Day infection) is not a traditional zombie disease. It doesn’t revive the dead or remove rationality; instead, it attacks the human psyche in the darkest way possible.
The virus’s biological and psychological characteristics are as follows:
🧠 Psychological effect: Absolute Evil
The virus completely destroys the frontal lobe of the brain, erasing empathy, morality, compassion, guilt, and human inhibitions.
• Conscious sadism: The infected (called "Crossed") retain 100% of their intelligence, memories, and prior skills (they can talk, use weapons, drive vehicles, and plan ambushes), but now their sole purpose is to commit the greatest atrocities possible.
• Pain-seeking: They feel extreme pathological pleasure inflicting physical and psychological pain on survivors—and often on themselves.
🩸 Physical symptom: The Cross
The only definitive external physical symptom is the sudden appearance of a cross-shaped rash (cross) marked in red or purple on the face, across the forehead, nose, and cheeks. It appears just seconds after contracting the virus.
☣️ Transmission and speed
It’s one of the most aggressive and efficient infections in fiction:
• Vectors: Spread through the exchange of infected bodily fluids. This includes bites, direct blood contact with open wounds, saliva to the eyes, or deliberate tactics from the Crossed, who often coat their weapons with their own fluids to infect others.
• Instant incubation: The transformation process takes just 10 seconds to a minute. There’s no fever period or agony; a person goes from normal to grinning psychopath in a matter of seconds.
🛡️ Immunity and treatment: None exists
In the comic universe, the virus has a 100% infection rate.