KMC Forums - The Zombie and the Crimson Head

(Reaches for a deflilibator) CLEAR! (revives the thread)

I did the thread on the Zombie a while back and on one did not even post in it...or at least I think nobody did. So...not only this thread recognizes Resident Evil's most tenacious enemy (aside from the Plaga-infested humans).

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From RE1 to the Umbrella Chronicles, the zombie has been a staple enemy in the series. Once the zombie spots you, they basically act as a crude homing missile until they get their hands (and teeth) on you.

There has been several famous (or infamous) zombies in the RE universe. They include:

1. Edward Dewey (whom Rebecca executes in RE0)
2. Forest 'One Deadly Zombie' Speyer (RE1)
3. Brad Vickers (killed in RE3, reanimated and killed by Claire in RE2)
4. Marvin Branagh (killed by Claire in RE2)
5. Yoko Suzuki, Alyssa Ashcroft and David King (RE Outbreak 1 and 2)

A Zombie refers to most humans that have succumbed to the tyrant virus (either, through contaminated water supply or via bites from a virus carrier).

The researchers at Umbrella Chemical, Inc. nicknamed them Zombies due to their slow pace and mindless nature. The Zombies were the icons of the entire Resident Evil series, until they were replaced in Resident Evil 4.

Infection and Symptoms

The incubation period for the virus has many variables.

One variable is depending on how strong the person's immune system is. An average human will eventually turn into a zombie some time after the initial exposure to the virus; this can be a week in some cases though it is generally within a few days. This usually depends on the means of infection and the overall strength of the immune system.

The most notable symptom prior to mutation is the itchiness that results from the carrier's increased metabolism, sometimes accompanied with nausea, constant vomiting, and in some cases, insanity. As the virus progresses more obvious signs such as insatiable hunger and sporadic bursts of antipathy begin to show, sources such as the Keeper's Diary also show that necrosis starts before the infected becomes a zombie. This form of infection takes days for the infected to turn.

Interestingly, this has only been mentioned as happening to those who were infected via water.

Those who were infected through direct contact with a carrier, such as Marvin Branagh and Jill Valentine, will become tired and rest. This form of infection shows no symptoms at all until they finally succumb.

Interestingly enough, the t-virus appears to be able to reanimate even tissue that is already dead, as is evidenced by the dead rising from their graves on Rockfort Island following the initial attack by Wesker's forces. It is obvious from the tombstones and the rotted or nonexistent clothing on the zombies rising out of the graveyard that they had been buried some time before the attack, and it is unlikely that they had been buried already infected by the t-virus and animate in their graves. Therefore the t-virus must have somehow leeched through the soil and infected the dead lying in their graves. The use of Embalming fluid may have been used on the corpses, which would have kept the dead tissue from decomposing long enough for reanimation to remain available after several weeks.

Characteristics

Zombies are persistent, tough, and frightening. A zombie has lost any sense of reasoning and is driven completely by instincts, most notably the urge to feed. Interestingly, while zombies consume human flesh and blood, they don't require it for their survival.

It is possible that Zombies consume living tissue in order to repair their bodies. Nutrients from a newly deceased victim may aid the Zombies body, allowing reproduction of the reanimated tissue. The repairing of the body may reactivate the brain. This theory may also explain how Edward Dewey could take more bullets than a normal Zombie, upon consuming a recently deceased man. Another example would be the strength of Marvin Branagh after becoming a Zombie. Brad Vickers does not go with this theory because he was infected with the NE-T virus, rather than the normal strain.

A zombie will pursue its target until it is rendered immobile by blood loss, decapitation or complete destruction of the brain. Not being able to feel pain, a zombie can resist several gunshots from a typical 9mm handgun before falling down, but can be easily killed with either a well-aimed shotgun blast to the head or a high-caliber magnum revolver. Thankfully, due to the necrosis throughout their bodies and the degradation of their nervous system, zombies move very slowly and awkwardly, leading to their signature shuffling gait and their easily avoided lunges. However, there are also rare hyper zombies (not to be confused with �Crimson Heads") that will approach their prey very quickly and are more resistant to projectile weapons.

A zombie will continue to pursue its prey even after losing its limbs or lower half of its body. Zombies that have lost the use of their legs (either through deterioration or damage) will instead crawl after its prey until they can bite their target's legs. They can easily be stopped with one good stomp or kick to their head. Other zombies will lay dormant on the ground due to their lack of nutrition, but will bite anything that comes to their direction. Some zombies are even intelligent enough to pretend to be dead, only to rise up after a determined period has passed. The only way to determine a zombie's death is by checking whether there's a pool of blood under their body.

Zombies that play dead can be easily spotted, as their heads usually move in coordination with a character's movements, watching potential prey and waiting for the right moment to attack. This is a basic hunting technique developed within the reptilian part of the brain.

Variation of Infection

Since virtually anyone can become a zombie, they can come in different varieties depending on the location where an outbreak occurs. This ranges from ordinary civilians and police officers to workers and researchers that were experimenting on the virus. Some zombies were even created within Umbrella's facilities as a result of experiments. Individuals that have turned into zombies includes Edward Dewey, Forest Speyer, Marvin Branagh, Murphy Seeker and Brad Vickers, among others. Capabilities of a zombie vary as factors are dependent on the carrier. A zombie can also mutate into a Licker or a Crimson Head after prolonged exposure, depending on the circumstances and chance, as only very few zombies are actually resilient enough to evolve into a Licker or Crimson Head naturally; most of these are the result of artificial gene manipulation.

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Chuck Norris learned his trademark move, along with his sense of duty and justice, from Jesus after watching Him roundhouse kick a money changer out of the temple.