Richter is an unemployed man of Eastern European Jewish descent who lives in Miami, completely dedicated to caring for his ailing, elderly mother, Rosa Berg. Unlike other operatives who act out of extreme patriotism or bloodlust, Richter is a highly reluctant participant. The jingoistic terrorist organization 50 Blessings targets him with cryptic phone calls, eventually torching his car and threatening his mother's life if he does not comply. Forced into submission, he dawn's his signature rat mask to execute brutal, single-handed guerrilla assaults on the Russian Mafia to keep his mother safe. Richter flees to Hawaii and reunites with his mother. He is tracked down by investigative reporter Evan Wright. Richter agrees to tell Evan the entire truth about 50 Blessings in exchange for a plane ticket to get his mother to safety. In December 1989/1990, while sitting with his mother, the enigmatic entity "Richard" appears to him to signal that his time is up. Richter calmly accepts his fate just as a retaliatory nuclear strike obliterates Hawaii, killing them both instantly.