Read those many years ago, and the bit that stuck with me was the hero's Japanese valet. Yes, he's a stereotype as presented here, but after getting separated from the hero he turns up months later at the gates of their secret launch facility on the other side of the continent and rejoins the party.
Their secret launch facility.
On the other side of a continent that's currently being torn apart by pre-Collision weather disasters, earthquakes and social chaos beyond comprehension.
Across which he presumably walked, since they mentioned that there were no more planes, and organized transport had failed.
Quietly bad ass. Possibly the real hero in the book... You could totally run with that for Pulp Alley (the League in which the serious leader is actually the "hero's" man-servant)