Reaching the posthuman way of living is partially the physical advancements, but it is also a mindset. There is a particular philosophy behind the posthumanist movement that focuses on achieving 'lasting joy' through modification of the body and mind. It focuses on the effect of life-changing events to humans: "life-events have little long-term impact; the crests and troughs of fortune push us up and bring us down, but there is little long-term effect on self-reported well-being" (Bostrom, Transhumanist Values). Bostrom goes on to argue that, if modified, the mind can learn to value these lasting events and be used to create the 'lasting joy' that posthumanists crave.

Tico is an example of a posthuman that lacks the required mindset. He still thinks like a human, but continues to apply human thoughts to a posthuman situation. He is, arguably, not making the fullest of his posthuman abilities by adapting to a new level of thought. This jagged divide between body verses mindset is a common theme in Ellis's writing, especially in the Desolation Jones series.

A character like Michael Jones appears more posthuman than human. His body has been drained of melanin by the radical Desolation Test, turning him grey and unable to stand in direct sunlight for long. Science has modified his body to the point that he stands out amongst the near-future Los Angeles crowd, as many posthuman beings would do in today's world. However, the Desolation Test has transformed not just his body, but also his mind, as he describes:

Fig. 3: Desolation Jones, page 21.
Warren Ellis (W) and J H Williams III (I). "Made in England". Desolation Jones (Oct 4, 2006), Wildstorm [DC Comics].

This is fairly backwards from the posthuman. Posthumans value life. The goal of many posthumanism beliefs is to either delay or eradicate death all together by strengthening the human body. As Bostrom argues, the posthuman "position on ethics of death is crystal clear: death should be voluntary" (Transhumanist FAQ 37). This is because life is a valuable commodity--with extended life, the posthuman can continue to invent, experience, and live a prosperous life that would have been cut short by mortality.

What a character like Jones has is a mentality nearly like a posthuman but a body that "heals like an old man with scurvy" (Desolation Jones 100). His body is weak, still human by posthuman standards, as it will, inevitably, die on its own accord. However, Jones no longer fears fear, pain, or death. Though the Desolation Test sucked the life out of him, it gave him a further understanding of the human condition. He understands the fear of death. What it failed to do, however, is give him the appreciation of life. He takes it quite willingly, mostly to prove point or to extract vengeance. Jones openly murders two of Colonel Nigh's three daughters, right in front of him, after he discovers that Nigh was behind the Temple Farm experiments:

Fig. 4: Desolation Jones, page 130.
Warren Ellis (W) and J H Williams III (I). "Made in England". Desolation Jones (Oct 4, 2006), Wildstorm [DC Comics].

Despite what he believes, Jones has a heightened level of empathy for people, though specific. He can't stand to see people tortured in the same way he was, which is also depicted throughout the series in his affectionate relationship with another test subject, Emily. But he does not choose to use this compassion for a transcending posthuman cause, like developing new technology to fight against aforementioned torture agencies. Jones, instead, turns emotions against people who, in his eyes, do not deserve them. This lack of respect for life is what prevents Jones from becoming truly posthuman. He is close, but he remains one step under. But that, as Ellis depicts, is where he is designed to stay.

Warren Ellis's worlds have evolved beyond the needs of mere humans, yet they forget where they come from. In series like Transmetropolitan, Ellis takes these forgetful societies and inserts in one loud reminder. In this way, he creates protagonists are parachronistic to their setting. They stick out, as much as a journalist with a rocket launcher can. Desolation Jones is a reminder to posthumanists to consider the mind when adapting the body for greater and better things. Without the concern for humanity and the condition of being alive verses being dead, the posthumanist movement will fail.

Despite the heavy emphasis on posthumanism in his work, Warren Ellis does not want it. He doesn't even support it. Instead, he writes a word of caution.

He says: we need to fight for the right to be human. Ellis paints a picture of a future where humans have lost this war to their human dignity and allowed the posthuman condition to win over. He dreads the posthuman. He fears the posthuman. Ellis fears a day when the human loses its ability to be human, and urges you to be concerned, too.