Fan Casting Cocky Surface Scholar in John Carpenter's Fallout

The Cocky Surface Scholar is Vault 13's resident expert on the old world—or so he believes. Armed with book knowledge of pre-war firearms and an unearned confidence, he challenges the Hero's leadership at every turn. His arrogance masks a deep insecurity: outside the vault, his theories are useless. Humiliated by the wasteland's brutality, he betrays the group to Dekker and the Master, trading his companions for weapons and water chips. When tortured, he breaks instantly, surrendering Vault 13's location. Dipped in the FEV, he becomes the Scholar-Mutant—a twisted reflection of his former self—leading the siege against his own home. The Hero ultimately crushes him beneath a subway car. He is the tragic fool who thought intelligence was the same as wisdom.