William Birkin was a researcher of the Umbrella Corporation and creator of the "G-Virus". He was gifted in science and displayed remarkable talent even in his early teens, whereupon he was invited to the Umbrella Research Center as a trainee and taught by James Marcus. At only 16 years old, he was appointed as a chief researcher of the Arklay Laboratory, where he advanced the research and development of the t-Virus. He would later succeed in creating a relatively stable strain of the t-virus that became the basis for creating a number of B.O.W.s such as the "Hunter" and the "Tyrant". During his time as a trainee, he met Albert Wesker and formed a competitive rivalry which later evolved into a partnership. Though a brilliant and capable scientist, Dr. Birkin was prideful, vain, and immature. His ultimate goal was the use of the G-virus as an evolutionary tool to create and breed "G-Humans", an evolved superhuman species. He fell into conflict with Umbrella executives and was fatally wounded, but injected himself with the G-virus and transformed into the first "G" organism. 1 2 34
History
Executive Candidacy (1977)
In 1977, at the age of 15 years old, Dr. Birkin displayed significant talent in science during his early teens, and his scientific brilliance was recognized by the Umbrella Corporation. He was invited as a trainee and executive candidate employee at the Umbrella Research Center in the Arklay Mountains. At the time, he was the youngest employee of the company. He caught the eye of the director, Dr. James Marcus, who took an interest in him and another trainee named Albert Wesker, and encouraged a rivalry between them. His nickname at the time was "Scholarly Will".
Chief Researcher (1978)
On July 29, 1978, the Umbrella Research Center was shutdown by Oswell E. Spencer, who appointed Dr. Birkin and Wesker as chief researchers at the Arklay Laboratory in charge of his own "t-Virus Project". Upon arriving on July 31, Dr. Birkin's attention was fixed on research documents about the Zaire ebolavirus. However, he had no intention of looking over the papers for the purpose of researching Ebola due to its many weaknesses. He was interested in Ebola because he intended to strengthen its characteristics by inserting the genes of the "Progenitor virus". After witnessing the test subject Lisa Trevor, Birkin, who was initially focused on the Ebola research papers, stood in awe and mumbled something. A sample of Ebola had been received by the laboratory, and Birkin and Wesker successfully combined it with Progenitor, producing their own "t-virus". 5
Jealousy (1981~1983)
On July 27, 1981, it was announced that the ten year old Alexia Ashford of the aristocratic Ashford family had been assigned as chief researcher of the Umbrella Antarctic Laboratory. Dr. Birkin, who held a large amount of pride over being the youngest chief researcher of the company at the time, became jealous. He began to remain in his laboratory for days on end, repeating experiments aimlessly. In the meantime, Dr. Birkin had managed to stabilize his t-virus and began development of the "Hunter" B.O.W. concept. On December 31, 1983, it was announced that Ashford had been killed as a result of a failed experiment with her "t-Veronica virus" which led to an outbreak of the virus. Dr. Birkin returned to normal, but vehementely opposed Wesker's proposal to acquire a sample of t-Veronica.
In 1986, Dr. Birkin fell in love with a fellow Arklay Laboratory researcher named Annette and fathered a child, named Sherry Birkin.
t-Virus Project - Third Stage (1988~1998)
In July 1988, Birkin and Wesker were ordered by Oswell E. Spencer to assassinate James Marcus and steal his completed t-virus for their own project. As his teacher lay dying, Birkin gloated that he was going to take over his t-virus research. Dr. Birkin played a breakthrough role in stabilizing the t-virus developed by Dr. Marcus, and under his direction, the Arklay Laboratory then went on to launch the "Tyrant Project" and develop the first Tyrant B.O.W. With this success, the Chicago branch and Umbrella U.S.A. gained significant influence within the corporate hierarchy.
With Dr. Marcus dead and Alexia Ashford presumed likewise, Dr. Birkin gained power and influence as the scientist responsible for creating and successfully mass-producing the Hunter and Tyrant B.O.W.s. Furthermore, Dr. Birkin's announcement regarding his next evolution in B.O.W. research called the "Creation of G-Creatures" enabled the Chicago branch to assume what essentially amounted to dictatorial control over the corporation. Dr. Birkin initially opposed Wesker's proposition to acquire a prototype sample of the NE-α Type ("Nemesis") parasite B.O.W. developed by the Umbrella Europe Sixth Laboratory. After administering the parasite to Lisa Trevor, Birkin discovered a mutated gene in her body which became the basis of a new virus.
In 1991, Dr. Birkin requested the approval of the "G-Virus Project" from Spencer and Umbrella Headquarters, and was accepted. In 1993, he was transferred to the Raccoon City Underground Laboratory and served as Umbrella's primary contact to Chief of Police Brian Irons. He continued to make periodic visits to the Arklay Laboratory, despite no longer having any association with it. On July 31, 1995, he met Wesker for the first time since 1991 at the Arklay Laboratory after they were both sent to kill Lisa Trevor. They remained for three days to confirm that her vital and life signs had stopped completely.
Between 1995 and 1998, Dr. Birkin became "Director of the Umbrella Chemical Plant" in Raccoon City, and continued his G-virus research alongside his wife Annette Birkin in the secret underground laboratory. On the fourth Friday of odd months, Dr. Birkin began to pass through the city sewers to the Chicago Laboratory in order to attend meetings and conduct training seminars with the Chicago branch. He became responsible for all of the research facilities in the city.
Biohazard (May-September 1998)
On May 11, 1998, the t-virus leaked throughout the Arklay Laboratory. The railway line for carrying-out primary research materials from the annexed mansion laboratory was heavily used before the intervention of S.T.A.R.S.. Dr. Birkin and his wife escaped with materials by using the sewer system, which was a transport passage. They moved to the underground laboratory from the laboratory, and many contaminants flowed into the sewer, causing a small-scale biohazard.
The Chicago branch was slowly losing control over Dr. Birkin, who began to disagree with company executives over the direction of the G-virus. They began plotting an assassination to get rid of him. Dr. Birkin, who had already become distrustful of the corporation, figured that he would eventually be held responsible for the t-virus leak in the Arklay Laboratory, which led to the exposure of sensitive research data. He expected that an elite team of agents would be sent into Raccoon City under the guise of hunting down S.T.A.R.S., with the true motive to kill him and steal the G-virus. In June, Dr. Birkin preempted this assault by increasing the levels of toxic waste generated from the underground laboratory to such amounts that it overwhelmed the waste incineration plant, creating a state of biohazard. These biohazard conditions unleashed the t-virus, zombifying the employees and researchers working within. But the damage didn't end there as the virus slowly began spreading throughout the city.
In July 1998, Birkin and Wesker were charged with leading the "Reclamation Project" aimed at investigating the abandoned Umbrella Research Center for potential re-opening. They were placed in charge of two investigation units deployed to the facility. However, both units were wiped out by the B.O.W.s infesting the facility, and the two soon became aware of the "revival" of James Marcus. In response to the t-virus leak, Wesker informed Dr. Birkin of his plans to leave the company. Dr. Birkin resolved to continue development of the G-virus to completion and declined to follow Wesker. Before they parted ways permanently, Dr. Birkin supplied Wesker with the Prototype virus secretly developed by Spencer for the "Wesker Project", along with a memo detailing it. 6 It is unknown whether Dr. Birkin himself knew about the true nature of the virus, although he informed Wesker that it was a mutant strain of the t-virus.
On Friday, July 24, Dr. Birkin was scheduled to attend a meeting with the Chicago branch and announce the combat data recorded in the Arklay Laboratory. Following the incident, in an attempt to restrain the growing influence of Umbrella U.S.A., the Umbrella Europe Sixth Laboratory in France decided to utilize the "Nemesis Project" after ten years. After the discovery during the Mansion Incident that the Tyrant B.O.W. was uncontrollable, the laboratory began importing several mass-produced Tyrant (T-103 Type) models. The research team implanted them with the NE-α Type, successfully creating the "Nemesis-T Type". Disturbed by the European "threat", the Chicago branch placed enormous pressure on Dr. Birkin to complete the G-virus, but this only resulted in increasing his displeasure with the corporation.
At the beginning of August, Dr. Birkin instructed Chief Irons to monitor S.T.A.R.S. In the middle of the month, he transferred a bribe of 10,000 dollars to the chief and ordered him not to allow any of the S.T.A.R.S. members near the chemical plant as the G-virus neared completion.
Death (September 23, 1998)
Having refused to follow Wesker and join the rival company of Umbrella, Dr. Birkin continued to develop the G-virus. While advancing his research, he came into contact with United States military authorities and high ranking officials in the government requesting protection in exchange for providing the G-virus and its research data, planning to monopolize the virus for himself. The U.S. military jumped at the chance, seeing no purpose in purchasing bioweapons from Umbrella with Dr. Birkin and the G-virus in their possession.
In mid-September, Umbrella executives sent several spies into the city in order to obtain the in-development G-virus. The spies failed and the virus was completed soon after. Dr. Birkin directly refused to hand the virus to Umbrella, preparing instead to be extracted by a U.S. Army Special Forces team. The order for his assassination was passed, with Christine Henry of the France branch granting the "U.S.S." (Umbrella Security Service) authorization to attack the laboratory and seize the G-virus. Meanwhile, Albert Wesker, concluding that he owed Dr. Birkin, planned to rescue him and allow him to join the rival company of Umbrella. However, the U.S.S. reached Dr. Birkin before Wesker's plan could be put into action.
The U.S. Army Special Forces team sent to extract Dr. Birkin was misled through misinformation spread by Umbrella spies in the U.S. government, causing them to take the freight train to the wrong facility where they ended up at the Umbrella incineration disposal plant. Meanwhile, the U.S.S. successfully penetrated the laboratory, captured Annette, and confronted Dr. Birkin. He resisted and received fatal injuries while the U.S.S. stole a case containing samples of both the G-virus and t-virus. He realized he couldn't avoid death and administered the one sample of the G-virus he still had with him. He was reduced to an unknown organism simply called "G", losing his sense of self as his body mutated.
Dr. Birkin became the first "G-Creature". The virus never properly stabilized within him, and he was unable to become a G-Human. After mutating, he tracked down and killed almost all members of the U.S.S. in the laboratory and sewers. In the process, he destroyed part of the laboratory and prompted the t-virus leak into the city. He later wandered the police station connected to the laboratory in search of Sherry and caused many more casualties such as Chief Brian Irons and Ben Bertolucci, implanting one of them with a G-Embryo. He repeatedly mutated upon being defeated by Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, eventually reaching a final form with an ugly appearance that vanished in the explosion of the laboratory.
Footnotes
- 1. biohazard archives (Page 152)
- 2. INSIDE OF BIOHAZARD THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES (Page 023)
- 3. William Birkin Profile
- 4. William Birkin Notes
- 5. Wesker's Report II (1978.7.31(mon) "FEMALE TEST SUBJECT"
- 6. Virus Memo