The single most important plot point in the series and the backbone of the Biohazard story, it is literally difficult for one to exaggerate the importance and potential of the Progenitor Virus. It can make, remake, and destroy all life, and all the fantastical science behind the monsters and mutations is only possible due to the unique nature of Progenitor.
Overview
Genesis and Primary Effects
The Progenitor Virus is an RNA Retrovirus, which is spherical in shape and unusually massive in size, which goes some way towards explaining its storage capacity for genetic material. For a basic understanding on how viruses work, please watch this very brief video;
Progenitor, as a virus, resides in the cells of a host organism. Upon infiltrating a cell, it rewrites the protein and nucleic acid synthesis program of cells based on its own nucleus, changing the very makeup of the cell. In this way viruses are capable of changing the very building blocks of life. The difference between Progenitor and normal viruses however is the severity of these changes. Progenitor is the agent responsible for the creation of life on Earth, and as such is capable of completely changing cells on the most basic level. This element is referred to as its "DNA Mutation Factor". Its potential here is completely unlimited, and if a virus based on Progenitor guides its mutations in a certain way, any result can be achieved (best seen in the C-Virus).
Viruses cannot infect just any animal. Its genetic makeup must be compatible with the host in order to affect its cells. Cross species infection is extremely limited, and it's completely unheard of for a virus to be capable of infiltrating the cells of both a plant and animal. Yet despite all this, Progenitor is capable of infecting all forms of life, be it bacterium, fungus, animal or plant. This is because all organisms on Earth are actually the result of Progenitor producing mutations in microbes long ago. It is responsible for biodiversity, and created life as we know it on Earth. As it mutated the original organisms, the diverse Progenitor Mutants bred and populated the planet, and this has actually been repeated with the G-Virus (see Virus Analysis: Golgotha). Progenitor essentially causes evolution.
As a vestige of this, modern hosts of Progenitor-based viruses will commonly develop traits seen in completely unrelated animals. Furthermore, it can facilitate the genetic combination of genes and DNA taken from different species, creating complex yet stable chimeras (like the Hunter).
Progenitor is capable of infecting cells from not only every animal, but from every bodily system of every animal (muscle, skin, bone, nerves, etc.).
Over time, as life spread and changed, organisms grew weaker and were no longer able to survive the drastic mutations caused by Progenitor. As the virus spread in the body, the rapid mutations caused cells to break down under the severe changes, resulting in cell death, AKA necrosis.
If a host somehow survived, it would be left in a weakened state. In order to survive, it's metabolism would drive it to consume the protein rich flesh of the uninfected. This is the Zombie mutation, which is inherent to Progenitor, not just the t-Virus. However, Progenitor became too lethal even to create Zombies, and it's unknown if "natural" Zombies ever got the chance to walk the Earth, beyond the test subjects created during Uroboros development.
Without hosts to establish itself in, all but a single known strain survived extinction (although Alexia's “Veronica” Virus and the Abyss could also be long lost strains). This strain was able to establish itself in one of the only remaining compatible hosts: The Stairway to the Sun flower, located in an underground area in West Africa. As the game developers chose this place due to the origins of humanity, and because the virus would only cultivate in this spot when Spencer and company discovered it, it could be where Progenitor first appeared in the first place, making the Sun Garden it rests in the birthplace of life. Garden of Eden? Originally the garden was supposed to be submerged in water, as life originated underwater.
Progenitor is capable of infecting cells from not only every animal, but from every bodily system of every animal (muscle, skin, bone, nerves, etc.).
Over time, as life spread and changed, organisms grew weaker and were no longer able to survive the drastic mutations caused by Progenitor. As the virus spread in the body, the rapid mutations caused cells to break down under the severe changes, resulting in cell death, AKA necrosis.
If a host somehow survived, it would be left in a weakened state. In order to survive, it's metabolism would drive it to consume the protein rich flesh of the uninfected. This is the Zombie mutation, which is inherent to Progenitor, not just the t-Virus. However, Progenitor became too lethal even to create Zombies, and it's unknown if "natural" Zombies ever got the chance to walk the Earth, beyond the test subjects created during Uroboros development.
Without hosts to establish itself in, all but a single known strain survived extinction (although Alexia's “Veronica” Virus and the Abyss could also be long lost strains). This strain was able to establish itself in one of the only remaining compatible hosts: The Stairway to the Sun flower, located in an underground area in West Africa. As the game developers chose this place due to the origins of humanity, and because the virus would only cultivate in this spot when Spencer and company discovered it, it could be where Progenitor first appeared in the first place, making the Sun Garden it rests in the birthplace of life. Garden of Eden? Originally the garden was supposed to be submerged in water, as life originated underwater.
The flower had outstanding endurance, and could grow underground. Even samples of the flower not containing the virus retained the enhanced vitality, due to permanent genetic changes that were passed on to offspring.
This strain of Progenitor was isolated due to its lethality, but some potential human hosts with a particular genetic makeup could survive the infection process of Progenitor. These hosts could subdue the lethality and drastic mutations of the virus and would only acquire beneficial mutations. This is called adaption, and human adapters are called Progenitor Humans.
Progenitor Humans possessed some degree of biological immortality, meaning they no longer aged, along with enhanced speed, strength, reflexes, endurance, healing, and intelligence. The series has also dabbled with the idea of adapters possessing mind powers like telepathy. They would retain their human appearance, except for a mutation in the eyes causing them to take on a red reptilian appearance, and to be capable of bioluminescence (glowing) when the host experiences intense emotion.
This strain of Progenitor was isolated due to its lethality, but some potential human hosts with a particular genetic makeup could survive the infection process of Progenitor. These hosts could subdue the lethality and drastic mutations of the virus and would only acquire beneficial mutations. This is called adaption, and human adapters are called Progenitor Humans.
Progenitor Humans possessed some degree of biological immortality, meaning they no longer aged, along with enhanced speed, strength, reflexes, endurance, healing, and intelligence. The series has also dabbled with the idea of adapters possessing mind powers like telepathy. They would retain their human appearance, except for a mutation in the eyes causing them to take on a red reptilian appearance, and to be capable of bioluminescence (glowing) when the host experiences intense emotion.
History of Evil
The flower was eventually discovered by the Ndipaya people, who placed great significance on it and associated it with their sun god. They performed a ritual involving the oral consumption of the flower, where survivors would become Progenitor Humans and be crowned king. While adaption was rare, kings could reign for hundreds of years. The enhanced intellect granted by the virus led to the technological superiority of the Ndipaya.
It was around this time that Progenitor (I believe) created Las Plagas, which the Ndipaya used to create primitive B.O.W.s (living weapons). These B.O.W.s eventually destroyed their sprawling underground kingdom, and the ruins (including the Sun Garden and Progenitor) were sealed away and protected by the Ndipaya survivors.
During the expeditions of Henry Travis in the Age of Discovery, he recorded the Ndipaya legends surrounding the flower and its abilities in his Natural History Conspectus.
While it was discredited and dismissed by most, a rare copy found its way into the possession of lord Oswell E. Spencer. He, fascinated by the possible implications of the story, went on an expedition with his friends lord Edward Ashford and Dr. James Marcus to Africa in search of the flower. They discovered the virus in the year 1966, and began to research it. Marcus discovered that the virus was capable of producing life, and deduced it was responsible for life on Earth. With this discovery, he named it accordingly: The Progenitor Virus.
The three eventually founded the Umbrella Corporation, which would use the virus for both medical and military purposes. In order to use the virus, it had to be weakened to allow hosts to survive infection. Since the Ndipaya days, Progenitor had grown even more lethal in humans, and no human on the planet, even Albert Wesker, could hope to survive long enough to adapt. The t-Virus project aimed to create a strain thousands of times weaker.
The three eventually founded the Umbrella Corporation, which would use the virus for both medical and military purposes. In order to use the virus, it had to be weakened to allow hosts to survive infection. Since the Ndipaya days, Progenitor had grown even more lethal in humans, and no human on the planet, even Albert Wesker, could hope to survive long enough to adapt. The t-Virus project aimed to create a strain thousands of times weaker.
The founders planned to use the subsequent virus research to become immortal, and Spencer wanted to create a new world utopia after killing off the unworthy (which led to the Wesker Project). Spencer also had Edward infected with Progenitor, killing him.
Before Umbrella was founded, Spencer hired researchers and conducted Progenitor experiments at his mansion in Arklay. He created the first weakened strains (Type A and B) and performed experiments on plants and the Trevor Family. Lisa Trevor partially adapted and gained immortality, but at the cost of severe necrosis and brain damage.
Marcus performed his own experiments at the Umbrella Executive Training Facility. He discovered that arthropods and annelids had more success with the virus, and Leeches in particular were capable of adapting, like the flower. They developed into a new animal far removed from regular leeches, and the recombinant virus it carried (the t-Virus) was weak enough to begin infecting many other animals, including humans.
Alexia Ashford used Progenitor to create t-Veronica. Lisa's strain became the prototype for the G-Virus.
In order to maintain a monopoly on Progenitor, all cultivation was conducted at the secret Africa Laboratory where the Sun Garden was located, and the t-Virus became the default base for many new strains. While reproduction of Progenitor in a lab setting eventually became possible, it was not produced in any other location.
After the Raccoon City Destruction Incident in 1998, Umbrella's illegal virus research was revealed to the public. In 2003 Umbrella folded, and Spencer buried the Africa Lab's existence to preserve the location of Progenitor. He had all employees who knew of its existence killed, except for Carlos M., who was interrogated by Albert Wesker (a former Umbrella researcher turned bioterrorist who killed Spencer in 2006) and the multinational conglomerate TRICELL to discover its location. TRICELL recovered Progenitor and used it to create the Uroboros Virus, along with the Licker Beta and the drug P30.
After the discovery of the Sun Garden by the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) in 2009, its fate is unknown. But dozens, if not hundreds of artificial viruses carry its DNA mutation factor to this day.
In order to maintain a monopoly on Progenitor, all cultivation was conducted at the secret Africa Laboratory where the Sun Garden was located, and the t-Virus became the default base for many new strains. While reproduction of Progenitor in a lab setting eventually became possible, it was not produced in any other location.
After the Raccoon City Destruction Incident in 1998, Umbrella's illegal virus research was revealed to the public. In 2003 Umbrella folded, and Spencer buried the Africa Lab's existence to preserve the location of Progenitor. He had all employees who knew of its existence killed, except for Carlos M., who was interrogated by Albert Wesker (a former Umbrella researcher turned bioterrorist who killed Spencer in 2006) and the multinational conglomerate TRICELL to discover its location. TRICELL recovered Progenitor and used it to create the Uroboros Virus, along with the Licker Beta and the drug P30.
After the discovery of the Sun Garden by the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) in 2009, its fate is unknown. But dozens, if not hundreds of artificial viruses carry its DNA mutation factor to this day.
Symptoms and Other Effects
Modern Progenitor has a number of secondary effects in hosts which carry over into other viruses:
- Extraordinarily high metabolism, due to heightened energy requirements in both enhanced and damaged hosts. These high energy requirements lead to hosts commonly becoming stuck in a state of constant starvation.
- Necrosis, leading to pale skin, darkened veins, and exposed tissue. This is caused by both host cells being unable to withstand intense, rapid mutations, and by a heightened metabolism causing the host to “devour itself”.
- Aggression due to hormonal changes, constant starvation, and new carnivorous dietary requirements. This symptom is the most universal.
- An intense itching sensation, along with fever.
- Size increase due to an increase in growth hormone. This is most noticeable in arthropods, but is also commonly seen in mammals and reptiles.
- Eyeball growths are most common in G, but may come from Progenitor.
- Claw development, with bone growth at the tips of fingers.
- A change in fertility. Arthropods generally become more fertile, while mammals become infertile. The latter may be why Ndipaya kings did not rule by birthright, and was rectified in G.
- Brain damage. Like infertility, the virus either enhances the host's mental capacity or damages it.
- Red eyes, due to damage caused to blood vessels. The iris also commonly develops into a reptilian slit, and/or glows.
- Heart expansion, to the point it emerges from the torso.
- An autoimmune response, which essentially means the body damages itself while trying to fight the virus. This commonly leads to death. Infections created by such a response also leads to inflammation, causing many, many B.O.W.s to have blackened, enlarged veins.
Progenitor is also capable of repairing damaged tissue. This can actually lead to excessive cell development, creating cysts/tumors and abnormal body proportions. Even long dead cells can be revived, with Progenitor being capable of creating an entirely new nucleus in host cells. The virus' regenerative potential borders on the supernatural, with entire bodies being reconstructed from nothing but a tissue fragment. It can also cure disease, like cancer.
According to Spencer, viruses derived from Progenitor have the capacity to eliminate the ageing process by halting telomere shortening. Progenitor Humans as such could remain young for hundreds of years, or possibly forever.
Bodily tissue is commonly strengthened, giving hosts strength, agility, speed, and reflexes far exceeding natural animals. Strengthened muscle fibers allow enlarged arthropods to sustain their bodies without collapsing. Tissue such as bone and skin can be strengthened to the point it becomes bulletproof, and even highly resistant explosions or chemical damage.
According to Spencer, viruses derived from Progenitor have the capacity to eliminate the ageing process by halting telomere shortening. Progenitor Humans as such could remain young for hundreds of years, or possibly forever.
Bodily tissue is commonly strengthened, giving hosts strength, agility, speed, and reflexes far exceeding natural animals. Strengthened muscle fibers allow enlarged arthropods to sustain their bodies without collapsing. Tissue such as bone and skin can be strengthened to the point it becomes bulletproof, and even highly resistant explosions or chemical damage.
Progenitor Mutants
Very few mutants exist in modern times that were directly created by Progenitor, due to its sheer lethality. Instead, it has been used to create weaker variants capable of creating stable B.O.W.s that survive infection. Yet some creatures were created using Progenitor itself:
Lisa Trevor
Lisa Trevor partially adapted to the Type B strain, one of the first weakened strains of Progenitor. While technically not injected with vanilla Progenitor, her strain was still extremely lethal, and its artificial modifications were minimal compared to the t-Virus. She suffered brain damage and necrosis, which led to facial disfigurements and blackened veins. An increase in growth hormone caused her limbs to extend, and she gained unnatural strength. She also developed an eye growth on her back.
Lisa's most prominent mutation was her increase in vitality and regenerative potential. Being strengthened by the virus gave her a resistance to other viruses, and she was almost completely immortal. Her unique biological status could mean she is a natural adapter like Wesker, and the two are meant to parallel one another.
Lisa, in her mentally damaged state, often became confused in the presence of women, who she identified as people imitating her mother. Lisa, who believed these women stole her mother’s face, would kill them and peel away the facial skin. Lisa would wear these faces, both to keep them safe for when she was reunited with her mother, and to hide her own disfigurements, indicating shame over what she had become. Lisa’s aggression became so strong she treated all others with hostility.
After surviving infection with countless Progenitor strains, infestation with the Nemesis parasite (the absorbing of which caused Lisa to develop tentacles from her back), being disposed of by Umbrella (with vital signs so low they were undetectable, for three days), and being shot many times by the RPD’s S.T.A.R.S. unit, Lisa eventually attempted suicide by jumping into a pit, having lost the will to live upon discovering her mother’s remains. Lisa survived this attempt, being unable to even ender her own life.
Lisa’s despondency was replaced with rage, and she relentlessly pursued Albert Wesker, one of the people responsible for her misery. Wesker, using newly obtained powers, managed to repeatedly repel Lisa, before pinning her under a chandelier. Trapped, Lisa was subsequently obliterated by a large explosion.
Lisa, in her mentally damaged state, often became confused in the presence of women, who she identified as people imitating her mother. Lisa, who believed these women stole her mother’s face, would kill them and peel away the facial skin. Lisa would wear these faces, both to keep them safe for when she was reunited with her mother, and to hide her own disfigurements, indicating shame over what she had become. Lisa’s aggression became so strong she treated all others with hostility.
After surviving infection with countless Progenitor strains, infestation with the Nemesis parasite (the absorbing of which caused Lisa to develop tentacles from her back), being disposed of by Umbrella (with vital signs so low they were undetectable, for three days), and being shot many times by the RPD’s S.T.A.R.S. unit, Lisa eventually attempted suicide by jumping into a pit, having lost the will to live upon discovering her mother’s remains. Lisa survived this attempt, being unable to even ender her own life.
Lisa’s despondency was replaced with rage, and she relentlessly pursued Albert Wesker, one of the people responsible for her misery. Wesker, using newly obtained powers, managed to repeatedly repel Lisa, before pinning her under a chandelier. Trapped, Lisa was subsequently obliterated by a large explosion.
Blobs
Blobs were creatures created by Spencer's butler Patrick, who was attempting to create an immortality virus in a desperate, last ditch attempt to avoid Spencer’s death after Alex Wesker betrayed him. Prisoners kept in a dungeon beneath the Spencer Estate were injected with an unidentified strain(s) of Progenitor, causing the captives to either become Zombie-like, or to become Blobs.
Blobs had faces totally enveloped by a large lamprey eel mouth, covered in a hood. They had a gigantic growth on the back, which was heavy enough to force them into a hunched position. The growths sported a single eyeball growth, and were filled with an acid-like pus and would squirt out and harm living things. They carried around anchors as weapons (demonstrating incredible strength), recovered from a nearby harbor, and either escaped on their own or were directly or indirectly freed by Albert Wesker.
At one point in Lost in Nightmares, a piano is heard playing, but upon investigating it no one is in the room. As noted by USSCommand, on higher difficulties a Blob will sometimes appear in or outside of this room. This could imply the Blob was playing the piano, which in turn would imply Blobs retain a sizable amount of intelligence, memory, and coordination. If they are aware of their lost humanity, their hoods could be an attempt to hide their appearance, for shame at what they have become.
Despite their movements being slowed by their anchors, Blob agility and motor control seemed unharmed, and they could even leap great heights. Despite having no discernable eyeballs, they had no problem chasing down prey, indicating that their other senses were enhanced, or that their eyes were simply obscured by their hood.
Exactly what virus was used to create the Blobs is unknown, only that it was a Progenitor variant. There are many possibilities, but the following seem the most likely:
Blobs had faces totally enveloped by a large lamprey eel mouth, covered in a hood. They had a gigantic growth on the back, which was heavy enough to force them into a hunched position. The growths sported a single eyeball growth, and were filled with an acid-like pus and would squirt out and harm living things. They carried around anchors as weapons (demonstrating incredible strength), recovered from a nearby harbor, and either escaped on their own or were directly or indirectly freed by Albert Wesker.
At one point in Lost in Nightmares, a piano is heard playing, but upon investigating it no one is in the room. As noted by USSCommand, on higher difficulties a Blob will sometimes appear in or outside of this room. This could imply the Blob was playing the piano, which in turn would imply Blobs retain a sizable amount of intelligence, memory, and coordination. If they are aware of their lost humanity, their hoods could be an attempt to hide their appearance, for shame at what they have become.
Despite their movements being slowed by their anchors, Blob agility and motor control seemed unharmed, and they could even leap great heights. Despite having no discernable eyeballs, they had no problem chasing down prey, indicating that their other senses were enhanced, or that their eyes were simply obscured by their hood.
Exactly what virus was used to create the Blobs is unknown, only that it was a Progenitor variant. There are many possibilities, but the following seem the most likely:
- Blobs may have been the result of injection of Progenitor Type B, or a variant of it. This same strain was the original virus injected into Lisa Trevor, and Blobs resemble Lisa in multiple ways (in particular the back eye growth). Spencer may have wanted to replicate Lisa, who was the closest, earliest instance of an Umbrella test subject receiving immortality.
- Spencer could have managed to weaken Progenitor itself into a new strain - a sort of “Type C”.
- Besides resembling Lisa, Blobs also were similar in appearance to multiple G-Virus mutants. G-Birkin developed a lamprey eel mouth, while G Adult Bodies had massive growths with an eyeball on them. This could imply Blobs were created using the prototype G-Virus discovered in Lisa. The further developed G-Virus could not be finished without Birkin, so Spencer "started from scratch" so to speak. This is supported by the fact G was supposed to grant immortality, and by the fact that Lost in Nightmares (where Blobs appear) is based on RE3.5 content, which involved Spencer experimenting with the G-Virus at his castle. This would mean the prone Zombie-like beings at the Spencer Estate might be primitive G-Zombies.
- Blobs could be the result of an amalgamation of many different viruses, like Lisa eventually was.
Licker β
Like Lisa, the prior infection of Lickers (evolved Zombies created by the t-Virus) made them resistant enough to survive Progenitor injection. Their mutation into the Licker β (Beta) was limited due to Lickers being an "evolutionary dead end", and there wasn't much room for improvement. They still lacked eyesight, but their other senses were enhanced. Their muscle mass increased further, including tongue length and heart size (their hearts expanded to the point of emerging through their bodies, creating an additional weakness). Their claws developed further, but their teeth were not as large as some ordinary Lickers (although they were healthier-looking and more even).
The most significant development in the Licker β was that they acquired the ability to breed with one another due to Progenitor's effects on reproduction, which negated the need for cloning. The fact they now had families further enhanced their already significant social nature, and they hunted in large packs.
(Strange this detail is so glossed over - the idea of Lickers making whoopie then giving live birth is the single most disturbing detail in RE5.)
Licker βs were distributed on the black market as a replacement for regular and enhanced Lickers. Licker βs were used by rebel guerillas in the Eastern Slav Republic’s civil war.
(Strange this detail is so glossed over - the idea of Lickers making whoopie then giving live birth is the single most disturbing detail in RE5.)
Licker βs were distributed on the black market as a replacement for regular and enhanced Lickers. Licker βs were used by rebel guerillas in the Eastern Slav Republic’s civil war.
Marcus Leeches
Leeches were the most compatible known non-plant organisms to be able to adapt to Progenitor. Marcus' Leeches are a great example of Progenitor-created, stable new organisms totally different from the host species.
The leeches injected by James Marcus at first resorted to cannibalism due to their heightened metabolism. Over time however, they developed a social nature unheard of in simple parasites or annelids. They would fight and move in perfect unison, and operated together as a single organism. They would even imitate the behavior of others, mainly Marcus, who supplied their food, which is a sign of extremely high intelligence.
Aside from intellectual developments, their breeding capacity was enhanced severely, like the Licker β or T-infected arthropods. They could lay hundreds of eggs that hatched in hours, as seen on the Ecliptic Express.
Each infected leech grew to 20 centimeters in length, developed a seeing organ growth on the back (possibly an eye growth, like those seen on G), and sharp teeth on the underside Instead of sucking blood, the leeches used their teeth to tear flesh, leaving severe injuries on their prey. Even more dangerous than their mouths was the thick liquid they secreted containing their weakened Progenitor strain (t-Marcus). When a leech tore into its prey, this liquid would be subsequently injected into the wound. Contact with this liquid almost guaranteed infection, and concentration of the virus was so high in the liquid that the host would very quickly fully transform into a Zombie.
The leeches were covered in a layer of transparent cuticles (its “skin”), which were highly permeable, allowing their virus-carrying liquid to pass through them. However, as a result of this permeability, the leech cells possessed little protection from ultraviolet rays (sunlight), making them nocturnal. Furthermore, their bodies were especially susceptible to chemical-based weapons, which could pass through their permeable skin. This gave them a fatal weakness to fire and acid.
The leeches injected by James Marcus at first resorted to cannibalism due to their heightened metabolism. Over time however, they developed a social nature unheard of in simple parasites or annelids. They would fight and move in perfect unison, and operated together as a single organism. They would even imitate the behavior of others, mainly Marcus, who supplied their food, which is a sign of extremely high intelligence.
Aside from intellectual developments, their breeding capacity was enhanced severely, like the Licker β or T-infected arthropods. They could lay hundreds of eggs that hatched in hours, as seen on the Ecliptic Express.
Each infected leech grew to 20 centimeters in length, developed a seeing organ growth on the back (possibly an eye growth, like those seen on G), and sharp teeth on the underside Instead of sucking blood, the leeches used their teeth to tear flesh, leaving severe injuries on their prey. Even more dangerous than their mouths was the thick liquid they secreted containing their weakened Progenitor strain (t-Marcus). When a leech tore into its prey, this liquid would be subsequently injected into the wound. Contact with this liquid almost guaranteed infection, and concentration of the virus was so high in the liquid that the host would very quickly fully transform into a Zombie.
The leeches were covered in a layer of transparent cuticles (its “skin”), which were highly permeable, allowing their virus-carrying liquid to pass through them. However, as a result of this permeability, the leech cells possessed little protection from ultraviolet rays (sunlight), making them nocturnal. Furthermore, their bodies were especially susceptible to chemical-based weapons, which could pass through their permeable skin. This gave them a fatal weakness to fire and acid.
The liquid secreted by the Leeches also acted as an adhesive, which in conjunction with their permeable outer skin allowed multiple leeches to fuse together. After fusing, this liquid allowed them to change their outward color and texture while clumped together. A mass of leeches could take the form of a human being, an excellent ambush technique. The Mimicry Marcus creature is an example of this. The mimicry could maintain its disguise as long as it remained motionless, but excessive movement caused it to lose its camouflage, and it only retained a roughly human shape. It would use its “arms” as whips, and would attempt to “bite” prey using a mouth formed where a human mouth would be. It is possible whatever leech possessed this mouth would share any nutrition gained with the other leeches somehow, like by exchanging fluids.
Excessive damage to the conjoined colony, especially if the “arms” and “head” were destroyed, caused the Mimicry to apparently inflate, then explode, showering the area in the remaining leeches from the colony. This explosion could be the result of infected leeches gaining autothysis, an ability used by some insects to defend the collective by self-destructing. Setting a Mimicry Marcus on fire would quickly devastate the entire colony, destroying all leeches before they could practice autothysis. Exposure to sunlight would cauterize the cells of the leeches, causing them to lose their adhesiveness and come apart.
The Mimicry Marcus’ encountered in 1998 were too young to ever actually encounter the person they were imitating. It's possible the leeches pass down their genetic memories to their offspring, making their behavior hereditary. It's also possible they were “told” to what shape to take by the Queen Leech, or were actually imitating the Queen itself.
The Mimicry Marcus’ encountered in 1998 were too young to ever actually encounter the person they were imitating. It's possible the leeches pass down their genetic memories to their offspring, making their behavior hereditary. It's also possible they were “told” to what shape to take by the Queen Leech, or were actually imitating the Queen itself.
Queen Leech
Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn Schacabao say, that happy is the tomb where no wizard hath lain, and happy the town at night whose wizards are all ashes. For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.
Excerpt from the Necronomicon, from The Festival by H.P. Lovecraft
Credit to Ridley for providing the above Concept Art
The unique Queen Leech was technically created with the t-Virus, but that strain was created by injecting Progenitor into leeches, so its mutation didn't involve any outside influence besides Progenitor. The Queen had the unique ability to incorporate other organisms into its own biology, and possibly to absorb the genetic memories contained in human DNA. By entering the corpse of Marcus, it fused itself to his body, repaired his cells, and gradually turned itself into a copy of him, perhaps in order to enhance its ability to camouflage itself and hunt more efficiently. The Queen adopted his memories and personality, and believed it was the real Marcus. Unlike Mimicry Marcus, the Queen was a single creature, not a colony, and was comprised of both human and leech DNA, making it a chimera (comparable to a Brain Sucker, a creature created by a flea feeding on an organism infected with the virus and gaining attributes from said organism).
The Queen could control other infected leeches using its voice, in addition to possibly using olfactory (smell) chemicals (like pheromones). It could be the leeches it controlled were its offspring (perhaps implied in it being called “Queen”), or it simply used its intelligence to manipulate its less gifted brethren. The mechanisms it used to issue “orders” were probably the same used by lesser leeches to communicate with each other. The Queen used an army of Leeches to launch an assault on Umbrella.
The Queen had greater control over its appearance, and could shift itself to look like Marcus as a young man or as his elder appearance when he died. These abilities were greater when compared to a Mimicry Marcus, likely due to either enhancements Marcus made to this particular Leech, the long period of time it spent to adapt and mutate in the wild (ten years), or simply a result of fusing with a human. In addition, the Queen was not comprised of multiple leeches, so it could move without losing its disguise.
The Queen Leech was a hermaphrodite, and so its name referred only to its position as head of the leech hierarchy. Its diet consisted of lesser leeches, making it a sort of cannibal.
When it finally dropped its disguise, the Queen appeared as a large, human-shaped leech with whip-like tentacles and multiple large mouths. After it was damaged in a battle with Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen, it experienced V-ACT and mutated. It grew over ten times its previous size and lost its humanoid shape. Its size increase was fueled by consuming many lesser leeches. In this form it could spray digestive acid at prey, and it was almost impervious to conventional damage.
The Queen, like the lesser infected leeches, developed a weakness to ultraviolet rays. After being harmed by a ray of sunlight, the Queen Leech was gunned down by Billy, who used a special magnum revolver designed by Umbrella for anti-B.O.W. use. The Queen was subsequently incinerated by the exploding treatment facility.
The Queen could control other infected leeches using its voice, in addition to possibly using olfactory (smell) chemicals (like pheromones). It could be the leeches it controlled were its offspring (perhaps implied in it being called “Queen”), or it simply used its intelligence to manipulate its less gifted brethren. The mechanisms it used to issue “orders” were probably the same used by lesser leeches to communicate with each other. The Queen used an army of Leeches to launch an assault on Umbrella.
The Queen had greater control over its appearance, and could shift itself to look like Marcus as a young man or as his elder appearance when he died. These abilities were greater when compared to a Mimicry Marcus, likely due to either enhancements Marcus made to this particular Leech, the long period of time it spent to adapt and mutate in the wild (ten years), or simply a result of fusing with a human. In addition, the Queen was not comprised of multiple leeches, so it could move without losing its disguise.
The Queen Leech was a hermaphrodite, and so its name referred only to its position as head of the leech hierarchy. Its diet consisted of lesser leeches, making it a sort of cannibal.
When it finally dropped its disguise, the Queen appeared as a large, human-shaped leech with whip-like tentacles and multiple large mouths. After it was damaged in a battle with Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen, it experienced V-ACT and mutated. It grew over ten times its previous size and lost its humanoid shape. Its size increase was fueled by consuming many lesser leeches. In this form it could spray digestive acid at prey, and it was almost impervious to conventional damage.
The Queen, like the lesser infected leeches, developed a weakness to ultraviolet rays. After being harmed by a ray of sunlight, the Queen Leech was gunned down by Billy, who used a special magnum revolver designed by Umbrella for anti-B.O.W. use. The Queen was subsequently incinerated by the exploding treatment facility.
Other Mutants
Uroboros test subjects created with Progenitor became "proto zombies". Too weak to walk, they relied on playing dead like T-Zombies and waiting for prey to come to them. The outward signs of decay were not as dramatic as T-Zombies, but they were less formidable due to Progenitor's lethality.
Some species of plants, like the Stairway to the Sun and the plant George Trevor stumbled upon, were still capable of surviving Progenitor infection. These plants would either gain incredible vitality, or grow monstrous in size.
P30
The above image and text is provided by BSAArklay
During the development of Uroboros, some TRICELL researchers experimented with using Progenitor to create new B.O.W.s and to improve old ones. While Progenitor was too lethal to create suitable products itself, it was used to improve Lickers (see above). It was also used to create a special “ancillary chemical” drug called P30 ("P" likely being short for "Progenitor"). This was not a full name, and was likely a placeholder used by the researchers.
P30 was capable of granting superhuman abilities to users while also putting them in a highly suggestive mental state. Essentially a mind control steroid.
User speed, reflexes, agility, and strength were all enhanced by P30 to levels beyond that of a human, although not quite as impressive as the abilities of a host who perfectly adapts to the virus itself. P30 users also experience no increase in vitality or regenerative potential.
Users of P30 lose their sense of free will, becoming highly susceptible to commands. This is done without reducing intelligence, although aggression seems to increase while other emotions are suppressed. While controlled, P30 users maintain awareness, even as they perform actions against their will. This means the host can also resist control to a degree, but larger doses of P30 and prolonged exposure can stifle this.
Despite these advantages for military applications, P30 had a severe weakness in that its effects were temporary. Once P30 is fully metabolized by the body (which happens very quickly), the user loses all enhanced abilities and regains free will. To counteract this, TRICELL invented a device capable of constantly administering new doses of P30, in order to keep a user under its influence constantly. This device was to be placed over a user’s chest, likely to administer P30 near the center of the circulatory system, and drilled into the user’s bone. Tubes in the center of the device would administer P30, and the size of dosage could be controlled remotely.
As P30 did not grant permanent abilities, it was considered worthless in regards to the Uroboros Plan. Instead, P30 research was continued alongside the “Plaga Project”, as a means to create obedient soldiers. A prototype of the P30 device was attached to Jill Valentine, to test if P30 had any lasting side effects on users after constant, prolonged use of the drug. Jill was eventually liberated of the device’s influence thanks to the efforts of Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar.
As P30 was only a drug, and as its effects were temporary, it can safely be assumed it did not cause mutations in the user. Instead, it likely effects the user’s balance of hormones. Progenitor Viruses both cause strengthening mutations and hormonal changes, so P30 granting similar yet lesser abilities is understandable. Injection of P30 caused intense pain, likely due to strain on the body.
While P30’s effects were considered too short term, the fact it left no side effects was an attractive selling point. However, it was unknown if prolonged usage would cause physical or mental damage, and determining this was the primary reason for the P30 trial with Jill. It is unknown if Jill suffered any permanent damage.
As to how P30, a chemical drug, could be derived from a virus, and how it could mind control users, the first Biology of Evil speculates:
P30 was capable of granting superhuman abilities to users while also putting them in a highly suggestive mental state. Essentially a mind control steroid.
User speed, reflexes, agility, and strength were all enhanced by P30 to levels beyond that of a human, although not quite as impressive as the abilities of a host who perfectly adapts to the virus itself. P30 users also experience no increase in vitality or regenerative potential.
Users of P30 lose their sense of free will, becoming highly susceptible to commands. This is done without reducing intelligence, although aggression seems to increase while other emotions are suppressed. While controlled, P30 users maintain awareness, even as they perform actions against their will. This means the host can also resist control to a degree, but larger doses of P30 and prolonged exposure can stifle this.
Despite these advantages for military applications, P30 had a severe weakness in that its effects were temporary. Once P30 is fully metabolized by the body (which happens very quickly), the user loses all enhanced abilities and regains free will. To counteract this, TRICELL invented a device capable of constantly administering new doses of P30, in order to keep a user under its influence constantly. This device was to be placed over a user’s chest, likely to administer P30 near the center of the circulatory system, and drilled into the user’s bone. Tubes in the center of the device would administer P30, and the size of dosage could be controlled remotely.
As P30 did not grant permanent abilities, it was considered worthless in regards to the Uroboros Plan. Instead, P30 research was continued alongside the “Plaga Project”, as a means to create obedient soldiers. A prototype of the P30 device was attached to Jill Valentine, to test if P30 had any lasting side effects on users after constant, prolonged use of the drug. Jill was eventually liberated of the device’s influence thanks to the efforts of Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar.
As P30 was only a drug, and as its effects were temporary, it can safely be assumed it did not cause mutations in the user. Instead, it likely effects the user’s balance of hormones. Progenitor Viruses both cause strengthening mutations and hormonal changes, so P30 granting similar yet lesser abilities is understandable. Injection of P30 caused intense pain, likely due to strain on the body.
While P30’s effects were considered too short term, the fact it left no side effects was an attractive selling point. However, it was unknown if prolonged usage would cause physical or mental damage, and determining this was the primary reason for the P30 trial with Jill. It is unknown if Jill suffered any permanent damage.
As to how P30, a chemical drug, could be derived from a virus, and how it could mind control users, the first Biology of Evil speculates:
“We suspect P30 is a modified version of a chemical or protein synthesized by the Progenitor Virus in a host. This chemical may be one of several master substances which alter the hormonal balance in the host, increasing metabolism. Like some known trophic hormones, this substance could affect the production of a wide variety of other hormones, up-regulating some and down-regulating others.
However, Progenitor is known to cause aggression, while P30 blots out free will. We are not neurochemists, but it’s possible that aggression, reason, and decision-making depend on similar chemical signals. We submit that the master chemical from which P30 is derived may also be the trigger for increased aggression in Progenitor hosts. If P30 were modified to increase aggression, these modifications might have unintended consequences, and may actually reduce an individual’s ability to use reason or to make decisions for himself or herself.
P30’s remarkably short half-life may be due to the action of a plasma-borne peptidase, suggesting P30 has a natural human analogue to which such a peptidase might be specific.”
Dr. Wunderbar, one of Biology of Evil’s writers, later expanded on this:
“It [P30] would not be a component of the virus itself, but the virus may have a gene that has a particular effect in the body - a gene to make infected cells produce a particular protein or hormone or enzyme. Acting in the pituitary gland, such an enzyme could have a wide range of effects, increasing the host's metabolism, increasing muscle growth, making the host quicker to anger, and reducing behavioral inhibition, higher-order reasoning and cognition, and willpower - particularly as an adjunct to increased rage. Wesker's research could have allowed him to mass-produce that chemical and to modify it to enhance its effect on the will.
That's still a possibility, but I was never quite comfortable with Progenitor affecting the will in that way, or even with using its effect on emotion to allow researchers to make the leap to an effect on the will. Although in retrospect, suppression of ego and superego might help to explain why the T-Virus, a product of Progenitor research, reduces humans to the most atavistic impulses.
Since P30 is an "ancillary chemical," it's also possible that it has no direct connection to Progenitor, but was instead during attempts to modify the behavior of Progenitor subjects with drugs. Perhaps in trying to control Progenitor-based B.O.W.s, they found something that zeroes out any cognitive or emotional opposition to a command.“
The mental effects on P30 users is similar to the mental state of J’avo, B.O.W.s created by a Progenitor Virus variant. P30 could possibly be used to control B.O.W.s as well as humans.
A common misconception is that P30 caused Jill to become blonde. This was actually caused by the t-Virus in her body, not P30.
A common misconception is that P30 caused Jill to become blonde. This was actually caused by the t-Virus in her body, not P30.