Malachi Constant is the main character throughout the novel, taking on at least four different identities over the course of the story.
Constant is the wealthiest man in the world, owing to the fantastic success of the company he has inherited from his father, called Magnum Opus. He is a playboy, partying his way through life in the wake of his seemingly incredible luck in making money. As his financial fortune crumbles, however, Constant finds that he has nowhere to turn.
This begins the second phase of his character, that of Unk, the disobedient Martian soldier who has had his memory cleared out several times but still manages to recall aspects of his former life. Unk is resourceful, insightful, and intelligent. It is interesting that these qualities do not seem to surface in the character until.....
