Magnusson

Dr. Arne Magnusson is survivor of the Black Mesa Incident, it is as of yet unrevealed what role he played at the Black Mesa Research Facility or how he escaped the disaster or its subsequent consequences. Dr. Magnusson is revealed in Episode Two to have a grudge against Dr. Gordon Freeman for destroying his lunch in a microwave, one of the injokes in the original Half-Life game.

How Dr. Magnusson escaped Combine supression is unknown, though it is presumed that he escaped similarly to Dr. Eli Vance and Dr. Issac Kleiner and aids the Resistance from his laboratory in the White Forest Rocket Facility. After the destruction of Black Mesa East and Dr. Kleiner's lab in City 17, the Resistance flee to the base in Episode Two, with Dr. Vance, Kleiner and later Gordon Freeman himself with Dr. Vance's daughter Alyx.

Dr. Magnusson appears to be a great aid to the Resistance in Episode Two, as he is needed to design a Rocket able to be launched to close a super-portal that appears above the ruins of the Citadel in City 17. However as the Combine Army reassembles and deploys itself to destroy the Resistance, soon White Forest comes under threat. Dr. Magnusson arms Freeman with his new 'device' which he has named; the 'Magnusson Device'. It is able to latch itself on to Striders and take them down with ease, which comes in handy during an invasion of Striders on White Forest in order to prevent the rocket's launch.

The Rocket is launched at the end of Episode Two and closes the super-portal, much to the elation of Dr. Magnusson; who appears to take credit fully for the rocket's success.

Dr. Magnusson wears a blue lab-coat, and appears to be younger than Dr. Kleiner; though his age is never disclosed. He appears to be very pompous and takes credit for most of the events in Episode Two; and usually undermines most people in the facility, including Kleiner and Eli.