James Burton was the lead character in the MSX Nemesis series and the original pilot of both Vic Viper and Metalion spacecrafts. He was born in 6641 in Gradius, being one of few survivors from the Northern Cross War, where he lost his parents while he was still 3 years old younger. In 6645, James and the other surviving wreeks are housed by the Imperial Government and enlisted in the Space Agency, but in 6653, at the age of 12, he leaves his agency and enlists into the Department of Defense to join the Imperial Space Air Force to exact revenge on the Bacterians who killed his parents. Due to his efforts in fighting the Bacterians and Venom, James was crowned Emperor Lars 18th. As Emperor, one of his most recognized actions was to reconstruct the seven planets affected by the war against Venom. James died in 6718 at the age of 77, and in the next year the Imperial government built "James Hill" in his honor.