#stranded snake

Clifford Unger and Neil Vana (AKA Stranded Snake) parallelism

Both Clifford Unger and Neil Vana are tragic victims of the Bridges organization — men whose humanity was exploited in the name of progress, and whose stories mirror one another across two generations.

Clifford Unger was a decorated soldier who gave everything to protect his country and, later, his family. After his wife Lisa fell into a coma while pregnant, Cliff entrusted both her and their unborn child to Bridges, believing they could save them.

Instead, his son was taken for cruel experiments as part of the Bridge Baby program. When Cliff discovered the truth, he tried to rescue his child, only to be betrayed and killed by the very people he once served. His soul remained trapped between life and death, endlessly searching for the son who had been stolen from him.

Neil Vana (alias The stranded Snake), years later, found himself in a similar position. A smuggler forced to work for Bridges after the Death Stranding, Neil was blackmailed into transporting brain-dead mothers used for BBs. Haunted by guilt, he sought therapy with Lucy Strand — Sam’s partner — and eventually helped her escape when she refused to surrender her baby to Bridges.

Their plan failed: both were shot by Bridges’ guards, Lucy’s baby (Lou) was taken, and Neil died trying to protect her. Even after death, his spirit lingered on the Beach, watching over Lou as if she were his own daughter.

Both men were manipulated, betrayed, and destroyed by an organization that justified its cruelty through science and survival. They were not soldiers or smugglers in the end — but fathers.

Cliff and Neil each fought to save a child from the machinery of Bridges, and both lost their lives for it.

In life they were betrayed by Bridges, but in death they found purpose.