Dr. Albert Wesker reached a biological state that could be considered the next stage in human evolution as a result of his infection with a unique variant strain of the t-Virus. This analysis covers the unnamed prototype virus Albert was infected with, here called "t-Wesker", in addition to Albert himself.
The Wesker Children
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Oswell E. Spencer, the most powerful man in the Umbrella Corporation, secretly planned to create a new world utopia. He would do so using the potential of the Progenitor Virus to remake lifeforms, the discovery of which being what turned his personal fantasy into a real possibility. His plan was twofold: wipe out the majority of the human race, and replace them with genetically modified superhumans (a "neogenetic human race"). The first part of his plan was to be accomplished with the t-Virus Project's bioweapons program, which involved the creation of a Progenitor strain able to infect and kill any person on the planet. The second part of his plan was to be accomplished via "Project Wesker": a eugenics project starting in the late 1960s, named after the researcher in charge of the project at the time of its inception. Accomplishing these two goals was the true purpose of the Umbrella Corporation.
The Wesker Project first involved Umbrella gathering several hundred very-young children born to "gifted" parents, with Spencer believing them to be more likely to carry advanced genes. The children were all given the surname "Wesker", and were collectively called the "Wesker Children". All of the children were to be indoctrinated to share in Spencer's ideologies and to be totally ambitious, so that they would be the ideal citizens to build Spencer's utopia in the ashes of the old world. All of the children were also mentally "programmed": they would not be able to harm Spencer, and carried an obsession with seeking him out later in life. This programming worked so long as they remained unaware of it. They were also subjected to genetic experiments of some kind. They were secretly monitored by Umbrella as they grew up, and placed in environments where they would gain the best possible education. |
The Wesker Children were eventually narrowed down to only 13 individuals, who were then sought out by Umbrella with offers of employment. Subject number 13, Albert Wesker, became an Umbrella executive, was a co-creator in the development of the mainline t-Virus, and went from head researcher at the Arklay Mansion to secret agent in the Intelligence Division. Subject number 12, Alex Wesker, was the only subject who became aware early on of Project Wesker, and Spencer was pleased enough with her to make her its new head researcher.
The next stage of the project required a strain of the Progenitor Virus that could put humans into an "evolved" state, both to make the Wesker Children become the envisioned utopians to replace humanity, and to weed out the children who were genetically unworthy. Spencer also needed a virus that he himself could adapt to, so that he could gain immortality and survive long enough to see his plan come to fruition. For this reason Spencer approved the G-Virus Project proposed by William Birkin despite the costs, much to the confusion of Albert.
Eventually, a "prototype virus" (t-Wesker) was discovered that could successfully screen the Wesker Children. Some were injected under various pretenses such as medical treatment or by the recommendation of close friends, while others were forcibly infected. Eleven could not survive infection, with Albert and Alex being the only survivors.
Albert injected himself with t-Wesker after receiving it from Birkin during the final day of the Mansion Incident in 1998 (an outbreak in Umbrella's primary t-Virus development facility). He then allowed the T-002 Tyrant to kill him. Minutes later, he came back to life as a superhuman. He did this as a part of his plan to fake his death and defect from Umbrella to pursue his own ambitions.
Albert injected himself with t-Wesker after receiving it from Birkin during the final day of the Mansion Incident in 1998 (an outbreak in Umbrella's primary t-Virus development facility). He then allowed the T-002 Tyrant to kill him. Minutes later, he came back to life as a superhuman. He did this as a part of his plan to fake his death and defect from Umbrella to pursue his own ambitions.
After Albert betrayed Spencer and left Umbrella with stolen research, Alex did the same in 2006. Spencer, alone and dying from age, arranged for his secretive location to be communicated to Albert, so that Spencer could gift his unfinished plans to Albert to inherit. Albert, as per his programming, sought Spencer out and invaded his estate. Spencer told Albert of his plans and of Albert's true nature, and with this the programming was broken. Albert killed Spencer and sought to usurp his ambition using the Uroboros Project. Uroboros was stopped in 2009 by Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, and Albert himself was killed.
Alex died several years later, marking the end of the Wesker Children. However, Alex managed to transplant a copy of her consciousness into the mind of Natalia Korda, allowing a successor of herself to live on in the girl.
Alex died several years later, marking the end of the Wesker Children. However, Alex managed to transplant a copy of her consciousness into the mind of Natalia Korda, allowing a successor of herself to live on in the girl.
t-Wesker
t-Wesker is a tentative name for the prototype t-Virus which was injected into Albert and Alex. This name is unofficial, albeit appropriate due to it being a t-Virus used to screen and enhance the Wesker Children.
Screenshot taken from this video
There are two potential origins of t-Wesker. One is stated by Birkin himself, while another is implied later on, with the first explanation possibly being a lie:
- During the Mansion Incident, the Ɛ strain of the t-Virus mutated and a strain that created Crimson Head creatures appeared. William Birkin recovered this strain and used it to develop his own finished version of the t-Virus, "t-Birkin". During the development of t-Birkin, William discovered another mutant strain by accident: one of the "variant strains" (t-Wesker). This prototype virus was administered to animals in experiments, and it was discovered to be capable of fully reviving dead tissue and restoring organisms to their living state (without them becoming Zombies or monsters). Birkin could not devote more time to this virus due to his ongoing research with the t-Virus and G-Virus, but he gave a sample to his long-time colleague and rival Albert Wesker. What Birkin didn't know was that t-Wesker was highly lethal in humans. Luckily, Wesker was born with excellent genes compatible with Progenitor-based Viruses, allowing him to circumvent this problem by chance. When Spencer learned of this, he acquired the prototype virus and had the twelve other Wesker Children injected with it, to see who was as worthy as Albert and who was not.
- While Birkin claimed that he had discovered t-Wesker, it may have been that he was under orders from Spencer to give Albert the virus under a pretense. The fact that some of the other Children were given the virus "from the recommendation of close friends" could be implying this. In that case, t-Wesker may have been developed by Alex Wesker, who was performing superhuman research at the time on Spencer's behalf. If this was the case, Birkin may have been extorted by Spencer to betray Albert, either by threatening his family or the G-Virus project.
t-Wesker infection seemed to have two stages - initial infection, and V-ACT. In the initial stage, hosts would experience intense pain as the virus rewrote every cell in their bodies. This pain was enough to kill most people alone. Albert was only able to survive this stage not only due to his unique biology, but also due to his iron will. The virus took at least five minutes to fully permeate the body in this stage. Despite this genetic remodeling, the host would not change in appearance or gain any noticeable powers. Only those with genes compatible with the virus survived into and through the second stage.
In the V-ACT stage, triggered once a host sustained life-threatening injuries, the host would be placed in a state of suspended animation (the same state humans on the verge of becoming Zombies go into) for a short period of time while the virus swiftly repaired the body. The host would then reawaken with superhuman abilities. "Virus Activation" is a natural (albeit buried) trait of Progenitor-family viruses: it involves the virus "reactivating" in response to the host undergoing intense trauma. As a result of this activation, the virus acts to the fullest extent of its abilities, leading to more dramatic mutations. With V-ACT, the virus is more likely to create immortal creatures that inherit the best qualities of the virus.
In the V-ACT stage, triggered once a host sustained life-threatening injuries, the host would be placed in a state of suspended animation (the same state humans on the verge of becoming Zombies go into) for a short period of time while the virus swiftly repaired the body. The host would then reawaken with superhuman abilities. "Virus Activation" is a natural (albeit buried) trait of Progenitor-family viruses: it involves the virus "reactivating" in response to the host undergoing intense trauma. As a result of this activation, the virus acts to the fullest extent of its abilities, leading to more dramatic mutations. With V-ACT, the virus is more likely to create immortal creatures that inherit the best qualities of the virus.
Crimson Head post the V-ACT stage
Due to the timeframe in which t-Wesker was discovered and the fact Albert's death seemed to trigger the virus, it was likely an offshoot of the Crimson Head strain of the virus. The Crimson Head strain heavily utilized V-ACT. It is also possible that V-ACT was actually unrelated to the superhuman state in t-Wesker hosts, and that Albert sustaining heavy injuries had nothing to do with his gaining powers. However, according to Birkin, the "virus acts on things by overcoming the cause of death". t-Phobos also seemed to operate by the same V-ACT rule in adapters, which would support it also being the case in t-Wesker.
A t-Wesker adapter was very similar to adapters to Uroboros, t-Phobos, and other strains. This is because all of these viruses draw this symptom from the Progenitor Virus, which allowed ancient humans to achieve the same state. As t-Wesker was a t-Virus, adapters to it could be considered t-Humans. While these superhumans would have abilities far surpassing humankind, they would also be generally unstable. This is because t-Wesker was a mutant offshoot of the imperfected t-Virus, and lacked the refinement of some later strains. Aside from these defects, the effects of t-Wesker could be said to be otherwise the same in adapters as those of Progenitor itself. The perfected t-Virus developed in the 2000s was also capable of creating superhumans from rare individuals.
Ancient Human worshipping the Sonnentreppe flower at the Stairway of the Sun
It is unknown if those who failed to survive infection with t-Wesker became Zombies or other mutants. It may be that, like Progenitor, the damage it caused in failed adapters was too severe to allow the host to survive even in a Zombified state. Animal test subjects were much more tolerable of t-Wesker, much like how non-mammalian animals infected with the t-Virus experienced less necrosis and brain damage than mammals did. 70% of the animals infected with the virus by Birkin and then killed would revive with an enhanced muscular and cardiovascular system. 20% of the animals would revive with no further improvements, and 10% would not revive at all. It is possible though that Birkin lied to Wesker about these tests and percentages, if he was truly acting on behalf of Spencer.
Alex Wesker
Alex had greater genes than most people, but not great enough to fully adapt like Albert. She survived infection, but failed to gain powers, like the 20% of animals Birkin supposedly tested the virus on. She also developed a sickness that slowly destroyed her body over the course of the next decade. The virus was essentially killing her slowly, instead of instantly. It's also possible her sickness existed before her infection with t-Wesker, and she actually failed to adapt due to it weakening her immune system. The full nature of her illness was unknown, other than the fact it was fatal and involved coughing fits.
Despite this, Alex may have been strengthened in other ways, like how Zombies are simultaneously weakened and strengthened by the virus. When t-Phobos was triggered inside her body before shooting herself in the brain, it's possible her previous infection with t-Wesker not only allowed her to survive t-Phobos (which is fatal in women), but both viruses together allowed her to survive shooting herself and transformed her into a monster.
Despite this, Alex may have been strengthened in other ways, like how Zombies are simultaneously weakened and strengthened by the virus. When t-Phobos was triggered inside her body before shooting herself in the brain, it's possible her previous infection with t-Wesker not only allowed her to survive t-Phobos (which is fatal in women), but both viruses together allowed her to survive shooting herself and transformed her into a monster.
Albert Wesker
He has been known as a capable, calm and composed individual since his time as S.T.A.R.S. Captain and makes cool-headed judgments, but he now possesses superhuman strength and speed in addition to being more ruthless than before. There is no way of knowing by what means he was able to survive when he says he is "A ghost resurrected from Hell." But behind his sunglasses shine gold eyes and thin pupils reminiscent of reptiles, clearly showing that he has already abandoned being a genuine human and has begun walking as a truly alien life unworthy of the natural world.
Albert Wesker was born with an extremely rare genetic makeup. He possessed genes that allowed him to produce antibodies that were effective at resisting various strong viruses. These antibodies were especially effective against Progenitor-family viruses. Albert's biological son, Jake Muller, inherited these genes. Some viruses were eliminated outright by the antibodies, while others were only weakened by them. These antibodies could also be used to strengthen viruses by forcing them to evolve in response to being attacked.
Because of his antibodies and the nature of t-Wesker, Albert was able to avoid most of the negative symptoms associated with the virus such as dramatic mutation, brain cell rejection, and necrosis. The virus remained in his body however, in a weakened and regulated state, allowing him to obtain all of the advantages of the t-Virus (unlike most B.O.W.s, which normally only inherit some of these qualities while lacking others). This included strengthened body tissues, enhanced senses and reflexes, and a boosted healing factor.
Because of his antibodies and the nature of t-Wesker, Albert was able to avoid most of the negative symptoms associated with the virus such as dramatic mutation, brain cell rejection, and necrosis. The virus remained in his body however, in a weakened and regulated state, allowing him to obtain all of the advantages of the t-Virus (unlike most B.O.W.s, which normally only inherit some of these qualities while lacking others). This included strengthened body tissues, enhanced senses and reflexes, and a boosted healing factor.
The only change to Albert's appearance came in him developing orange/golden reptilian eyes, a symptom inherited from the Progenitor Virus. His vertically-slit pupils may have given him improved low-light vision, something underutilized due to his wearing sunglasses at all times. His eyes glowed red (another common virus symptom) whenever Albert experienced intense emotion. The phenomenon of living things producing light is called "bioluminescence", and is triggered by a special chemical response.
Albert's physical strength was greatly enhanced to an inhuman degree. He could rip through bones, bend steel, stop a rocket mid-flight, and throw large aircraft missiles like javelins. He could also compete in battle with two Tyrants at once. Despite his physical capabilities, Wesker's muscles did not visibly increase in size or definition. This suggests that his normal muscle tissue was improved so dramatically that it far exceeded that of any natural animal. This is comparable to insects and spiders enlarged by the t-Virus being able to sustain their bodies with improved muscles without changing their natural shape. Despite this strength Albert still carried firearms, as he considered most of his human victims unworthy of him expending physical effort. His ability to use weapons, along with his military training, also gave him an advantage against other super-organisms like B.O.W.s.
Thanks to his improved musculature, Albert's movement speed increased to a point that exceeded that of both natural animals and B.O.W.s. Albert could break into a maximum speed in a fraction of a second, and in short bursts could move faster than the processing speed of the human eye, creating the illusion to observers that he was teleporting (which could suggest his own vision was improved). This was sometimes called a "Shadow Dash". Albert's augmented agility allowed him to contort and flip his body to avoid bullets, and he could jump distances many times his own height with minimal effort. Albert could pursue a target up a long ladder with a single leap, or transverse a vertical shaft by jumping from wall-to-wall. His cardiorespiratory system was also strengthened, allowing him to perform many superhuman feats without tiring himself.
Thanks to his improved musculature, Albert's movement speed increased to a point that exceeded that of both natural animals and B.O.W.s. Albert could break into a maximum speed in a fraction of a second, and in short bursts could move faster than the processing speed of the human eye, creating the illusion to observers that he was teleporting (which could suggest his own vision was improved). This was sometimes called a "Shadow Dash". Albert's augmented agility allowed him to contort and flip his body to avoid bullets, and he could jump distances many times his own height with minimal effort. Albert could pursue a target up a long ladder with a single leap, or transverse a vertical shaft by jumping from wall-to-wall. His cardiorespiratory system was also strengthened, allowing him to perform many superhuman feats without tiring himself.
Albert's body was capable of sustaining more trauma than normal humans due to his strengthened tissue. His body was hardened to such a degree that hitting him in the face caused Chris Redfield (a man unusually adept at hand-to-hand combat with monsters) to hurt his own hand. Gunfire and even explosions were not fatal to Albert- even a rocket going off in his hands only momentarily stunned him. By the mid 2000s, Albert complimented his durability by wearing a coat made of a unique carbon fiber capable of repelling bullets, similar to those worn by Tyrants. This meant that his clothes would also remain intact if he was attacked. While this coat was surprisingly lightweight, Albert's strength may have also compensated for any additional burden it would otherwise be to a normal human.
Wesker's Clothing from Resident Evil 5
While he technically could still be damaged, he more than compensated for this with his outstanding healing factor. Albert's regenerative capacity was greater than most, if not all other t-Series mutants. His body was able to recover from any wound, be it dismemberment, brain damage, or burns. Skin grazed by bullets or knives would actually heal over completely in a fraction of a second, with a small spray of blood being the only indicator he was ever hit in the first place. Burns on his skin would heal over without leaving scar tissue behind.
According to Birkin, "Even in death, as long as only a tissue fragment remains, the virus will regenerate by reconstructing bodily tissues." This is one of the greatest instances of the power of Progenitor-family viruses. It is possible that the metabolic improvements Birkin made to the V-ACT strain of the virus when creating t-Birkin were applied to t-Wesker as well, and that it fully harnessed the regenerative potential of the virus.
While Wesker could likely regrow lost limbs, this would take a large amount of time and energy - a much faster alternative for Albert was simply holding a misplaced limb back onto his body until his cells around the limb managed to reattach it and render it functional once more. Albert was even capable of resurrecting from a total death state, which actually happened on two separate occasions: during the Mansion Incident, when his organs were ruptured and his brain smashed after being flung by the T-002 Tyrant; and during the Caucasus Facility incident, when Monster Sergei tore him apart and caused him to suffer total brain death (in the novelization version of the The Umbrella Chronicles).
According to Birkin, "Even in death, as long as only a tissue fragment remains, the virus will regenerate by reconstructing bodily tissues." This is one of the greatest instances of the power of Progenitor-family viruses. It is possible that the metabolic improvements Birkin made to the V-ACT strain of the virus when creating t-Birkin were applied to t-Wesker as well, and that it fully harnessed the regenerative potential of the virus.
While Wesker could likely regrow lost limbs, this would take a large amount of time and energy - a much faster alternative for Albert was simply holding a misplaced limb back onto his body until his cells around the limb managed to reattach it and render it functional once more. Albert was even capable of resurrecting from a total death state, which actually happened on two separate occasions: during the Mansion Incident, when his organs were ruptured and his brain smashed after being flung by the T-002 Tyrant; and during the Caucasus Facility incident, when Monster Sergei tore him apart and caused him to suffer total brain death (in the novelization version of the The Umbrella Chronicles).
Wesker's torso in Remake after being impaled by the Tyrant
As a perfect adapter, Wesker avoided any and all brain cell erosion, allowing him to keep his intelligence, emotions, personality, senses, and fine motor control. While ancient adapters to the Progenitor Virus and at least one adapter to the t-Virus experienced an actual increase in intelligence, it is unknown if Albert had any such enhancement, due to him having a genius-level intellect prior to his infection. Albert's reflexes and reaction time were improved to such a degree that he could anticipate and avoid live gunfire even at nearly point-blank range.
It is unknown if Albert became infertile following infection (he sired a single son prior): even though he perfectly assimilated with the t-Virus, infertility is a universal effect of the t-Virus in mammalian hosts. This may not be the case for adapters, however, in much the same way Albert managed to retain his sense of fear, unlike most t-Series mutants.
In the novelization for The Umbrella Chronicles, Albert also acquired psychic powers. In the world of Resident Evil, the fallacy that humans only use 10% of their brains is factual; it may be that with the help of the virus, Albert managed to unlock the rest of the potential of the human mind, or had it magnified to noticeable levels. Albert could read the thoughts and memories of other infected creatures, and send his own thoughts to them. This not only allowed him to communicate with other t-Humans and even B.O.W.s, but allowed him to enforce his will on others. In this way, Albert could control infected creatures, to a much lesser extent than Alexia. This required tremendous effort on Albert's part, and it was easier for him to eliminate t-Series threats than to try and control all of them. Albert having these powers is never depicted outside of the novel, except for in the non-canon minigame "Wesker Mode" in Resident Evil 0 HD. In this mode, Wesker's mind powers manifested as a "Death Stare", where he could charge and discharge energy from his eyes to destroy enemies.
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Wesker's metabolism, durability, and ability to evade almost all attacks made him practically invincible. Despite him almost being the perfect organism, Wesker was not truly immortal. Due to the unstable, prototype nature of his virus, Albert had several imperfections when compared to other virus adapters. For one thing, despite his vitality, Wesker continued to age - by 2006 he had begun to develop wrinkles on his face.
An even more pressing threat to Albert came in the virus itself, which remained active in his body. This activity presented various unknown problems for him; if he continued the way he was, he would eventually lose some of his abilities (like Mary Gray), die, or randomly mutate. Wesker was also concerned what effect his mental state could have on the virus and on his body. In order to keep his virus stable, he needed regular injections of a special serum called PG67A/W. The "PG" likely stood for Progenitor (supported by the fact it seemed to have been produced by the TRICELL corporation), while the "A/W" probably stood for Albert Wesker. If he took too much of the serum, it acted as a poison and weakened his abilities. It is unknown when Albert started needing this serum, but it is likely it was somewhere from 2006-2009 (2006 was when Albert and TRICELL discovered the Progenitor Virus, and 2009 is when he was first shown to use the serum). |
When Albert later created the Uroboros Virus, part of his goal in so doing was to achieve a truly immortal state. Uroboros would not only stop the ageing process, but it would likely eliminate the instability in Albert's body.
Aside from these glaring issues, Albert had a number of other minor weaknesses:
Aside from these glaring issues, Albert had a number of other minor weaknesses:
- Compounds capable of doing damage on a chemical level could damage him, like fire, although he could later recover from even severe burns.
- As he resisted the damaging effects of the virus on his brain, Albert retained all of his senses, including the sense of pain. This meant that even if an opponent could not mortally wound him, he could still be stunned or even incapacitated by damage to his body.
- While his capacity for regeneration seemed limitless, there was a point where Wesker could potentially run out of energy. This happened to him on at least one occasion, leading to his temporary death. Wesker still managed to recover from this, however.
- Other superhumans (like Alexia Ashford or Sergei Vladimir) and some of the more powerful B.O.W.s could potentially hurt Albert.
- As Wesker wore sunglasses over his eyes at all times, his night vision was limited.
Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar used Albert's various weaknesses against him - in 2009, they managed to circumvent his advanced speed using darkness and his durability using his pain sensation, and when he was momentarily incapacitated they injected him with PG67A/W, putting him into an overdosed state. When overdosed, Albert suffered intense pain, inflammation, and blurry vision. Wesker attempted to overcome his weakened state by infecting himself with Uroboros, but he failed to recover before being killed by the duo, who plunged him into a live volcano and decapitated him with two RPGs.