Writing Charles Gunn: Things To Remember
by Kaz
So you want to write a Gunn-centric fanfic, do you? To keep Gunn in character can be a tricky thing as many people can't seem to get a handle on his motivations and reasoning. However, if one examines canon, it becomes far easier to keep Gunn in character and make the Gunn you write recognizable as the one we see each week on TV.
Gunn's background
We don't know too much about Gunn's life prior to meeting Angel. We know he had a younger sister, Alonna, and that he lived with his friends on the streets, making it his duty to fight vampires. In an ironically cruel twist, Alonna was turned into the very creatures they fought. The initial death of his sister affected Gunn strongly as he had always felt it was his duty to protect her and was unable to do so when the vampires took her. However, it shows that although he loved his sister, he was able to separate the girl he knew growing up from the demon she had become—he staked his sister, unable to let her go kill others and unwilling to be turned himself . Beyond Alonna, Gunn has never spoken of any living relatives, so we can assume with a fair degree of accuracy that he is the only member of his family left.
It is clear even from the first episode we see Gunn that he felt his friends (at the time that was his gang of vampire fighters) were his family. They had to work together to fight the evil that infested their neighborhood and that obviously made them quite close. In 'This Old Gang of Mine', it is evident that Gunn was one of the leaders prior to going to work for Angel. In fact, he is quite well-known in the demon-fighting circles as Gio came all the way from Miami to work on his home turf. His sense of responsibility for them was like that of an older brother looking out for his siblings and that continued until went to work for Angel, at which time he began to drift away from his old gang. He and Rondell (and thus the rest of the gang) made the final decision to go their separate ways, due to their separate viewpoints on what constitutes a demon in that 'This Old Gang of Mine'. It is then that Gunn 'cuts the apron strings' and truly goes out on his own (though the argument can be made that he did that long ago, I feel this is a turning point in Gunn's life.)
One should note, however, that Gunn while he was leading the gang, he sold his soul to get his truck ('Double or Nothing'). It is obvious by this drastic measure that 1) the truck was really needed to fight the vamps and 2) Gunn obviously didn't expect to live to see the time his soul would be taken. Although Gunn didn't have a death wish, he also didn't have a very optimistic view of his life during that time. If you're writing a fic during that period, you should keep this in mind.
Beyond these three things, his life before that is a tabula rasa and an author can create as he or she wishes.
Gunn and Angel Investigations
Gunn's life obviously changed drastically when he met Angel. He moved off the streets and began working for one of things he hated most: a vampire. Although he was able to separate Angel from the rest of the demon race, he still had (up until 'This Old Gang of Mine') certain rather narrow-minded opinions on demons in general. However, getting to know Angel and joining the AI staff created a different life for Charles Gunn. He was still fighting the good fight, but he was doing it from a far safer vantage point than he had previously.
He, like Wesley and Cordelia, felt very betrayed by Angel's abandonment during Season Two and it took him quite a long time to trust Angel again after that. (This would suggest, at least to me, that Gunn has abandonment and trust issues, but as it's not canon, don't take it as such.) During that time, he didn't try to take the reins of Angel Investigations, but rather left that to Wesley and continue on his role of muscle, rather than brains. When Angel was finally fully welcomed back into the fold, he continues in the role despite the fact that Angel still fulfills it quite well. It is more than likely that at this point Gunn begins to feel a bit superfluous, which leads to the next point.
Gunn the lawyer
Why did Gunn choose to have the entire breadth of the legal knowledge that Wolfram and Hart knew (along with Gilbert and Sullivan and some random demon languages) implanted in his brain?
Because he wanted to be useful. He was a great fighter, but they had Angel. He couldn't have visions like Cordelia, couldn't translate like Wesley and couldn't figure out physics like Fred. Gunn felt the need to do something different, to become special and have knowledge that no one else did so he could be helpful to the mission.
Gunn has always been needed – first as an older brother to Alonna and a leader to his gang. Then, when Angel abandoned AI, he was the primary fighter. Even in Seasons 3 and 4, when Angel was distracted by the goings on with Connor and Holtz, he was still needed as someone who was skilled in weapons. In Wolfram and Hart, his fighting abilities wouldn't be utilized. And thus, he chose to do something so he could be useful again and fill a niche that needed to be filled – he became a lawyer.
Plus, it's quite handy when there's a Gilbert and Sullivan trivia contest.
Gunn the man
All of the previous information has created a character that we know and love. However, let's take a look at Gunn himself, rather than what influenced him. What do we know?
He knows some fairly geekish things, which are at odds with his 'muscle man' exterior. He was able to quote a specific comic book in 'Supersymmetry' -- "Think Daredevil 181. I'm Bullseye, you're Electra. One wins, one dies. Get what I'm saying?" which argues for him being a fairly avid fan and has seen enough samurai movies that he can speak a little Japanese, as evidenced in 'Players' when he gets himself and Gwen into the party.
Gunn is extraordinarily devoted to the mission. Case in point: choosing Angel, a vampire over his old gang friends in 'This Old Gang of Mine' because Angel understood the mission, whereas his friends didn't. He is willing to work with a vampire, who he admits he doesn't like very much simply due to the fact that Angel *is* a vampire, simply because he knows Angel is focused on the mission. Whether this focus was before or after Alonna's death is questionable, though arguments can be made for both sides.
He is also willing to do the dirty work – this is clearly shown in 'Supersymmetry' when he kills Professor Seidel so Fred won't. He is unwilling to let someone he cares for do something that distasteful, even though prior to that he'd never killed a human being. It is also evident by his willingness to get knowledge put into his mind in Season 5 - he knew they needed a good lawyer and also knew he was the only one for the job. He didn't know what would really happen, yet he was willing to chance it (though this argument is tempered by the one in the above section.)
Gunn is African-American. Yep, that's right, he isn't white. I pause for your gasp of astonishment. On the show, his speech patterns differ from everyone else, just as his background is different. If you don't know how to get his dialogue just right, I'd suggest going back and reading transcripts of Gunn-centric episodes and getting a beta reader who specializes in Gunn characterization. He is also coming at everything from a different point of view. In 'There's No Place like Plrtz Glrb', Cordelia left Gunn to explain to Groo about emancipation and slavery. He has the background of a modern African-American man with all the pros and cons that entails. I'm sure he's been the focus of bigotry and racism at some point, which would also affect his viewpoints on many subjects. Just as I'm also sure he seems to be proud of his background. But forgetting this very key detail when writing Gunn is a mistake as his background has shaped the character we now know.
Gunn is a very complex character, as are all the characters on Angel: the Series. Many things created the man we watch every week on TV and to forget or overlook any of them is an injustice to the character and the development we've seen throughout the seasons. If you're having trouble getting Gunn just right, get a beta reader, or even two or three, to look it over for you. Go re-read transcripts if nothing else --they're a valuable tool. Good luck!
