Some important information (SPOILERS)
THE PROTOTYPE:
The Prototype is the result of genetic experimentation and manipulation. He spends much of his time in Human Disguise (identical to the physical form of Alex Mercer, but without many memories) and can instantly shift to powered form: a shape-shifting being of nearly limitless potential and powers.
What happened to Alex Mercer is a mystery, even to the Protoype - a mystery to be solved. In his human disguise, the prototype is a quiet, intense, oddly imposing figure. He's easily overlooked in the crowd, but when he makes himself known he's hard to miss.
The look of superiority in his eyes often betrays his true nature. He's not fearful of alarms that would send the average man running; He projects a quiet sort of confidence through his actions, rather than words. When he speaks, it is profound, shocking, or displays a wry, biting sense of humor. It's not unusual for people to mistake his silence for not paying attention, a "skill" he often exploits. He's mistrustful of most people, and views the world through the eyes of a predator.
He's a creature motivated by what is missing- a history, a life, a clear chain of events leading up to the present. He will do anything to recover and restore these memories. He feeds on his past, it's his lifeblood, But such "food" is often overwhelming; strong memories cause him to enter a state where the real world fades out, momentarily replaced by only memories. In this state, he is eminently vulnerable.
To the world at large, the Prototype's powered form is terrifying. Despite his incredible strength and near indestructibility, the Prototype is a brute. He's capable of exceptional feats of intellect. This intellect grows as he consumes people, memories, and skills. The Prototypes body is his weapon. In fact, it's an of weapons. Every portion is under conscious control. If he want's claws, he grows claws, if he needs to be bulletproof, he grows armor. He is a repository of genetic ability, capable of instantly mixing the best of any creature into a single, super-effective form.
The Prototype is seen as a treat, and pursued by any number of forces, from the local authorities all the way up to the American military. Each wants him for a different reason, It's the Prototype's job to hunt down those responsible for his creation; They are poised to stop him from uncovering the who,what,why,when and where of his past. He represents the ultimate security risk; someone who collected the minds of all responsible for the conspiracy and use their knowlegde to expose it.
His " origin" is linked to the secretive projects that have given rise to other creatures with exceptional abilities like the Prototype, all based on similar Top Secret genetic principles. Some of these "Kin" fear him, others pursue him to steal his power for their own, and others still have deeper and more complex plans. One of those beings, Elizabeth Greene, released onto an unsuspecting world just as the Prototype came to consciousness. This creature plans to use her abilities to unleash a plague, and as such, feels compelled to stop her. She also seems linked to his origins; he cannot escape the feeling that whatever past he has lies with her.
The following information has not been confirmed as canon:
ALEX MERCER PhD:
Alex Mercer was the identity of the Prototype before his transformation. The Prototype understands the basics of this past-that his name was Alex Mercer, that he was a scientist-but recalls nothing more. Before his infection, Alex Mercer PhD was the head of a biotech project at Gentek called Blacklight. Everyone working at Gentek knew their work was classified. It involved cataloging government biological samples recovered from far-flung war zones, looking for weaponized viruses.
Alex worked in special projects on the other end of the spectrum: Project Blacklight-engineering weaponized viruses from odd samples received from the government. These samples did amazing things, like mimic and store genetic information from infected organisms and more. With Alex’s help, they were soon infecting and duplicating copies of their host’s genetic structure. Alex’s insight and ability to manipulate these viruses made him a unique asset; his work was years ahead of his nearest competitor.
Alex was an impatient, dark, tortured person, subjected to a brutal childhood spent in abject poverty. He spent his fi rst nine years in foster care, and was returned to his mother after her release from prison when he was 10. For Alex, foster care was better. His propensity for science was his way out, and when he left, he left everything behind. The past was dead and the future was his payback, what he deserved for all the time spent suffering. He trusted no one, had no friends, cared less and less what others thought of him and found solace only in his work. By the time he came to Gentek, Alex was teetering on the border of sociopathy. He knew this, and didn’t care.
His past made Alex morally ambiguous enough to get the job done. When work called for ethically questionable behavior, he never hesitated. He got the job done, but often managed to burn bridges along the way. Recently, questions began to be asked in closed sessions on Capitol Hill. Blackwatch decided to cover it all up. Alex, forever paranoid, drew his sister into the mix- using her journalistic skills to track what his bosses were up to. After weeks of investigation, it was clear to Alex that some sort of purge was coming.
Alex took out insurance-he smuggled a vial of Blacklight virus, and mailed a laptop with classified documents to his sister. But Blackwatch was too quick for him. While attempting to escape the city by train, Alex was caught in Penn Station. After Alex purposely released the virus, he was shot and collapsed on the viral sample, becoming infected as he died.
Credit: From the official game guide.
The Prototype is the result of genetic experimentation and manipulation. He spends much of his time in Human Disguise (identical to the physical form of Alex Mercer, but without many memories) and can instantly shift to powered form: a shape-shifting being of nearly limitless potential and powers.
What happened to Alex Mercer is a mystery, even to the Protoype - a mystery to be solved. In his human disguise, the prototype is a quiet, intense, oddly imposing figure. He's easily overlooked in the crowd, but when he makes himself known he's hard to miss.
The look of superiority in his eyes often betrays his true nature. He's not fearful of alarms that would send the average man running; He projects a quiet sort of confidence through his actions, rather than words. When he speaks, it is profound, shocking, or displays a wry, biting sense of humor. It's not unusual for people to mistake his silence for not paying attention, a "skill" he often exploits. He's mistrustful of most people, and views the world through the eyes of a predator.
He's a creature motivated by what is missing- a history, a life, a clear chain of events leading up to the present. He will do anything to recover and restore these memories. He feeds on his past, it's his lifeblood, But such "food" is often overwhelming; strong memories cause him to enter a state where the real world fades out, momentarily replaced by only memories. In this state, he is eminently vulnerable.
To the world at large, the Prototype's powered form is terrifying. Despite his incredible strength and near indestructibility, the Prototype is a brute. He's capable of exceptional feats of intellect. This intellect grows as he consumes people, memories, and skills. The Prototypes body is his weapon. In fact, it's an of weapons. Every portion is under conscious control. If he want's claws, he grows claws, if he needs to be bulletproof, he grows armor. He is a repository of genetic ability, capable of instantly mixing the best of any creature into a single, super-effective form.
The Prototype is seen as a treat, and pursued by any number of forces, from the local authorities all the way up to the American military. Each wants him for a different reason, It's the Prototype's job to hunt down those responsible for his creation; They are poised to stop him from uncovering the who,what,why,when and where of his past. He represents the ultimate security risk; someone who collected the minds of all responsible for the conspiracy and use their knowlegde to expose it.
His " origin" is linked to the secretive projects that have given rise to other creatures with exceptional abilities like the Prototype, all based on similar Top Secret genetic principles. Some of these "Kin" fear him, others pursue him to steal his power for their own, and others still have deeper and more complex plans. One of those beings, Elizabeth Greene, released onto an unsuspecting world just as the Prototype came to consciousness. This creature plans to use her abilities to unleash a plague, and as such, feels compelled to stop her. She also seems linked to his origins; he cannot escape the feeling that whatever past he has lies with her.
The following information has not been confirmed as canon:
ALEX MERCER PhD:
Alex Mercer was the identity of the Prototype before his transformation. The Prototype understands the basics of this past-that his name was Alex Mercer, that he was a scientist-but recalls nothing more. Before his infection, Alex Mercer PhD was the head of a biotech project at Gentek called Blacklight. Everyone working at Gentek knew their work was classified. It involved cataloging government biological samples recovered from far-flung war zones, looking for weaponized viruses.
Alex worked in special projects on the other end of the spectrum: Project Blacklight-engineering weaponized viruses from odd samples received from the government. These samples did amazing things, like mimic and store genetic information from infected organisms and more. With Alex’s help, they were soon infecting and duplicating copies of their host’s genetic structure. Alex’s insight and ability to manipulate these viruses made him a unique asset; his work was years ahead of his nearest competitor.
Alex was an impatient, dark, tortured person, subjected to a brutal childhood spent in abject poverty. He spent his fi rst nine years in foster care, and was returned to his mother after her release from prison when he was 10. For Alex, foster care was better. His propensity for science was his way out, and when he left, he left everything behind. The past was dead and the future was his payback, what he deserved for all the time spent suffering. He trusted no one, had no friends, cared less and less what others thought of him and found solace only in his work. By the time he came to Gentek, Alex was teetering on the border of sociopathy. He knew this, and didn’t care.
His past made Alex morally ambiguous enough to get the job done. When work called for ethically questionable behavior, he never hesitated. He got the job done, but often managed to burn bridges along the way. Recently, questions began to be asked in closed sessions on Capitol Hill. Blackwatch decided to cover it all up. Alex, forever paranoid, drew his sister into the mix- using her journalistic skills to track what his bosses were up to. After weeks of investigation, it was clear to Alex that some sort of purge was coming.
Alex took out insurance-he smuggled a vial of Blacklight virus, and mailed a laptop with classified documents to his sister. But Blackwatch was too quick for him. While attempting to escape the city by train, Alex was caught in Penn Station. After Alex purposely released the virus, he was shot and collapsed on the viral sample, becoming infected as he died.
Credit: From the official game guide.