Resident Evil 2 (1998) Zombies~ My view on them

[T-Vaccinated Kid]

lol @ KennedyKiller/Capcomplicated

I know I've had debates about this before but I still think that Crimson Heads eventually become Lickers, and Lickers only come about by mutating from Crimson Heads. The only official info I've read about how Lickers come about (which comes from Darkside Chronicles) says that they "evolve" from zombies. To contrast, the Umbrella Chronicles file on Crimson Heads says they are mutated zombies. Now of course Lickers would also be mutated zombies since biological evolution can only occur through successive generations. But by using the word "evolve" they must be implying a process that is longer than a single mutation.

You have to remember that Lickers were introduced in the series years before Crimson Heads. Resident Evil 2 introduced Lickers in 1998 but Crimson Heads weren't introduced until REmake came out in 2002. So even if Capcom originally intended the Lickers to be the only mutant form of zombies, once they introduced Crimson Heads the game changed. I know the hypothesis that zombies mutate into Lickers if they are starving (I say hypothesis because there is nothing mentioned in the games about this) but if this were true wouldn't Raccoon City literally be crawling with Lickers by the time Jill woke up after being cured of her infection?

It makes more sense (to me anyways) that once the V-ACT (Virus Activation) process begins in a zombie, the virus begins mutating more and more of its genes. This means making the zombie a more efficient predator. At first the changes are minimal, an increase in speed and strength and more deadly weapons than just the bite. But who's to say that the resulting Crimson Head is the end of the mutation? It still has mostly human genes and now a large ammount of T-Virus in its cells. And thanks to the degenerative effects of the virus its senses would be a lot weaker than a humans. I'm guessing that they mostly depend on sound to locate prey. So then it develops a very lengthy tounge so as to be able to smell prey from a distance. But this form, the so called Regis Licker, is still not very resiliant to attacks from resisting prey. So not only is the final Licker sturdier, but it is quicker and more agile as well making it superior to all previous forms.

Now I am not saying the other theory about different strains of the virus causing different versions of the V-ACT process isn't likely and I'm not saying that theory needs more evidence to back it up (although more evidence is always a good thing) I'm just saying that the theory that Lickers "evolve" from Crimson Heads makes more sense to me. Besides I try to ignore the fact that there are various strains of the T-Virus (not of course when they have noticably different effects though like in the case of Marcus's version and Birkin's version). I mean the T-Virus is highly mutagenic. The mutation rate must be extremely high. And when you use that rate and the number of infected people and try to calculate the number of mutations, there must be dozens, maybe hundreds of strains of T-Virus in just Raccoon City alone. How many people did they say died? 100,000! Thats a lot of possible mutations.

 

[Professor X]

lol @ KennedyKiller/Capcomplicated

I know I've had debates about this before but I still think that Crimson Heads eventually become Lickers, and Lickers only come about by mutating from Crimson Heads. The only official info I've read about how Lickers come about (which comes from Darkside Chronicles) says that they "evolve" from zombies. To contrast, the Umbrella Chronicles file on Crimson Heads says they are mutated zombies. Now of course Lickers would also be mutated zombies since biological evolution can only occur through successive generations. But by using the word "evolve" they must be implying a process that is longer than a single mutation.

You have to remember that Lickers were introduced in the series years before Crimson Heads. Resident Evil 2 introduced Lickers in 1998 but Crimson Heads weren't introduced until REmake came out in 2002. So even if Capcom originally intended the Lickers to be the only mutant form of zombies, once they introduced Crimson Heads the game changed. I know the hypothesis that zombies mutate into Lickers if they are starving (I say hypothesis because there is nothing mentioned in the games about this) but if this were true wouldn't Raccoon City literally be crawling with Lickers by the time Jill woke up after being cured of her infection?

It makes more sense (to me anyways) that once the V-ACT (Virus Activation) process begins in a zombie, the virus begins mutating more and more of its genes. This means making the zombie a more efficient predator. At first the changes are minimal, an increase in speed and strength and more deadly weapons than just the bite. But who's to say that the resulting Crimson Head is the end of the mutation? It still has mostly human genes and now a large ammount of T-Virus in its cells. And thanks to the degenerative effects of the virus its senses would be a lot weaker than a humans. I'm guessing that they mostly depend on sound to locate prey. So then it develops a very lengthy tounge so as to be able to smell prey from a distance. But this form, the so called Regis Licker, is still not very resiliant to attacks from resisting prey. So not only is the final Licker sturdier, but it is quicker and more agile as well making it superior to all previous forms.

Now I am not saying the other theory about different strains of the virus causing different versions of the V-ACT process isn't likely and I'm not saying that theory needs more evidence to back it up (although more evidence is always a good thing) I'm just saying that the theory that Lickers "evolve" from Crimson Heads makes more sense to me. Besides I try to ignore the fact that there are various strains of the T-Virus (not of course when they have noticably different effects though like in the case of Marcus's version and Birkin's version). I mean the T-Virus is highly mutagenic. The mutation rate must be extremely high. And when you use that rate and the number of infected people and try to calculate the number of mutations, there must be dozens, maybe hundreds of strains of T-Virus in just Raccoon City alone. How many people did they say died? 100,000! Thats a lot of possible mutations.

Agreed!

It makes more sense as a whole for the process to go as the following:

Human > Zombie > Crimson Head > Crimson Head Elder [?] > Regis Licker > Licker > Super Licker. (found in the laboratory in Resident Evil 2)

The above theory makes the most sense, so why people go through loads of trouble to disprove it is beyond me.

 

[T-Vaccinated Kid]

Agreed!

It makes more sense as a whole for the process to go as the following:

Human > Zombie > Crimson Head > Crimson Head Elder [?] > Regis Licker > Licker > Super Licker. (found in the laboratory in Resident Evil 2)

The above theory makes the most sense, so why people go through loads of trouble to disprove it is beyond me.

I had forgotten about the Super Lickers. Thats another good point. But I don't think the Crimson Head Elder is part of the process (although it may be, who knows?) because he was the very first Crimson Head. Its possible since he was the progenitor of the V-ACT strain his genetics were what caused the creation of said strain. And if that is the case then he would be unique.

Now it is also possible that this form of Crimson Head is part of this process. He is after all sturdier than all other Crimson Heads in the game. And theres also the fact that he was frozen inside that coffin not long after the initial V-ACT mutation. This would most likely pause the V-ACT process and prevent him from becoming a Regis Licker.

 

[Professor X]

I had forgotten about the Super Lickers. Thats another good point. But I don't think the Crimson Head Elder is part of the process (although it may be, who knows?) because he was the very first Crimson Head. Its possible since he was the progenitor of the V-ACT strain his genetics were what caused the creation of said strain. And if that is the case then he would be unique.

Now it is also possible that this form of Crimson Head is part of this process. He is after all sturdier than all other Crimson Heads in the game. And theres also the fact that he was frozen inside that coffin not long after the initial V-ACT mutation. This would most likely pause the V-ACT process and prevent him from becoming a Regis Licker.

So everything, yet again, falls into place somehow, whether the Crimson Head Elder is part of the process or not.

So if the Elder were say, not trapped in a coffin, but locked in the chamber in which you fight him, would he essentially be a Licker by the time Chris/Jill reach the Spencer Mansion?

Good work, T-Vaccinated.

 

[bruno]

Agreed!

It makes more sense as a whole for the process to go as the following:

Human > Zombie > Crimson Head > Crimson Head Elder [?] > Regis Licker > Licker > Super Licker. (found in the laboratory in Resident Evil 2)

The above theory makes the most sense, so why people go through loads of trouble to disprove it is beyond me.

This isn't right. The V-ACT strain is different from the Licker strain. You can tell by the huge differences between a Licker and a Crimson Head.
The "Super Lickers", or more accurately, the "Enhanced Lickers"/"Evolved Lickers", were BOWs created in Birkin's laboratory, they're not the results of secondary infectants.
So it goes like this:
Human + t-virus (V-ACT strain) > Zombie [+ incapacitation > Crimson Head]
Human + t-virus (Birkin strain) > Zombie [+ extreme hunger > Licker]
Human + t-virus (Birkin strain) + [some kind of treatment] > Improved Zombie + [more treatments; induced mutation] > Evolved Licker

The improved zombies can be seen in the Underground lab, they're like the naked zombies but have more degradation. They are test subjects, so it is plausible to assume they were used for the development of the BOW "Evolved Licker".

 

[Professor X]

This isn't right. The V-ACT strain is different from the Licker strain. You can tell by the huge differences between a Licker and a Crimson Head.
The "Super Lickers", or more accurately, the "Enhanced Lickers"/"Evolved Lickers", were BOWs created in Birkin's laboratory, they're not the results of secondary infectants.
So it goes like this:
Human + t-virus (V-ACT strain) > Zombie [+ incapacitation > Crimson Head]
Human + t-virus (Birkin strain) > Zombie [+ extreme hunger > Licker]
Human + t-virus (Birkin strain) + [some kind of treatment] > Improved Zombie + [more treatments; induced mutation] > Evolved Licker

The improved zombies can be seen in the Underground lab, they're like the naked zombies but have more degradation. They are test subjects, so it is plausible to assume they were used for the development of the BOW "Evolved Licker".

How is the Lab Zombie "evolved" from a regular Zombie when the LZ looks worse off? It's more decayed, looks like a weakened form of the original Zombie, so not very enhanced, ect.

Not stating your wrong, but it makes little sense. To me, an enhanced Zombie is the Crimson Head. Makes sense.

Damn it, Capcom, capcomplicating (lol) things with your multiple strains of the T/G virus'.

 

[hogwartskid7]

How is the Lab Zombie "evolved" from a regular Zombie when the LZ looks worse off? It's more decayed, looks like a weakened form of the original Zombie, so not very enhanced, ect.

Not stating your wrong, but it makes little sense. To me, an enhanced Zombie is the Crimson Head. Makes sense.

Damn it, Capcom, capcomplicating (lol) things with your multiple strains of the T/G virus'.

But that's good. That's one of the things that makes RE unique and epic. It can't be copied, cuz it's so specific.

 

[Professor X]

But that's good. That's one of the things that makes RE unique and epic. It can't be copied, cuz it's so specific.

I guess that could be one good thing to come of this, but anything can be copied.

Having said that, I still wish the cycle simply went Zombie > Crimson Head > Regis Licker > Licker.

I like how easily it pieces together, like a neat jigsaw puzzle.

Wait, wait, wait... Guys, what IS the Regis Licker, then?

It wasn't mentioned in Bruno's cycle regarding evolved Zombie's and such...

 

[bruno]

How is the Lab Zombie "evolved" from a regular Zombie when the LZ looks worse off? It's more decayed, looks like a weakened form of the original Zombie, so not very enhanced, ect.

Not stating your wrong, but it makes little sense. To me, an enhanced Zombie is the Crimson Head. Makes sense.

Damn it, Capcom, capcomplicating (lol) things with your multiple strains of the T/G virus'.

I call them improved because i think they suffered some kind of treatment, in order to create a specific BOW. This means they are improved in terms of research, doesn't mean they are better as a BOW themselves. It's the name they are usually given, not invented by me.

I understand. I guess that could be one good thing to come of this, but anything can be copied.

Having said that, I still wish the cycle simply went Zombie > Crimson Head > Regis Licker > Licker.

I like how easily it pieces together, like a neat jigsaw puzzle.

Wait, wait, wait... Guys, what IS the Regis Licker, then?

It wasn't mentioned in Bruno's cycle regarding evolved Zombie's and such...

I don't think the Regis Licker is a transition between a Zombie and a Licker. It's very weired that the Lickers in the Apple Inn formed a kind of "hive", and the Regis Licker was like their queen, they were trying to protect it. There's a lot of possibilities for the Regis Licker (for example, it couldn't mutate completely, the virus that infected her had suffered mutation, etc.). The weired part is that Lickers had a hive behavior, that's very hard to explain since they were made from humans...

 

[Professor X]

I call them improved because i think they suffered some kind of treatment, in order to create a specific BOW. This means they are improved in terms of research, doesn't mean they are better as a BOW themselves. It's the name they are usually given, not invented by me.

I don't think the Regis Licker is a transition between a Zombie and a Licker. It's very weired that the Lickers in the Apple Inn formed a kind of "hive", and the Regis Licker was like their queen, they were trying to protect it. There's a lot of possibilities for the Regis Licker (for example, it couldn't mutate completely, the virus that infected her had suffered mutation, etc.). The weired part is that Lickers had a hive behavior, that's very hard to explain since they were made from humans...

Okay, that makes sense. (about the Enhanced Zombies)

And I agree that it's interesting that the Lickers in the Apple Inn had a hive mentality. So what we need to ask ourselves, regarding Lickers, is what logical, possible explanation could there be for Lickers to protect a female Licker?

I don't believe they're capable of mating... Hm. I just looked up the meaning to "Regis", and apparently it's a Latin name meaning "To a King" or "Belonging to a King"... Maybe that has something to do with it..

 

[KennedyKiller]

lol true, but i would just assume it was richard simmons and get the **** out of dodge anyways.

Richard Simmons! Lol...you, my friend, have been crowned funniest person of the day lol...

 

[T-Vaccinated Kid]

This isn't right. The V-ACT strain is different from the Licker strain. You can tell by the huge differences between a Licker and a Crimson Head.
The "Super Lickers", or more accurately, the "Enhanced Lickers"/"Evolved Lickers", were BOWs created in Birkin's laboratory, they're not the results of secondary infectants.
So it goes like this:
Human + t-virus (V-ACT strain) > Zombie [+ incapacitation > Crimson Head]
Human + t-virus (Birkin strain) > Zombie [+ extreme hunger > Licker]
Human + t-virus (Birkin strain) + [some kind of treatment] > Improved Zombie + [more treatments; induced mutation] > Evolved Licker

The improved zombies can be seen in the Underground lab, they're like the naked zombies but have more degradation. They are test subjects, so it is plausible to assume they were used for the development of the BOW "Evolved Licker".

But again I ask where does that info come from? It seems like your getting everthing from projectumbrella articles. Not that those guys aren't smart, but they have made some pretty obvious mistakes, e.g., not knowing the difference between an arthropod and an anthropoid.

I've never played Outbreak so I didn't know about the other Lickers protecting the Regis Licker. This behavior would of course debunk the hypothesis that Lickers are superior to the Regis Licker. But like Silverback said, Lickers don't breed so what incentive would they have to protect a female?

But their hive behavior, I think, is another reason to believe that these creatures are more evolved towards their own species rather than just being mutants. It proves that far more mutant genes are present in Lickers than in Crimson Heads. So why then would an incapacitated zombie going through a period of extreme viral activity have less dramatic changes than a zombie who is simply starving? It makes sense that an unconcious zombie goes through this V-ACT process because viruses are only concerned with infecting cells. So the cells are vulnerable during this period of less cellular activity. But when a zombie is starving their cells actually get more active as they make compromises to try to maintain their metabolism. It just doesn't make sense to me that mutation caused by starvation could have more drastic effects on the genome than mutation caused by inactivity. If you ask me a starving zombie would eventually run out of energy and become incapacitated, then go through the V-ACT process. And then we are back to the separate strains theory. Maybe you could tell me where it says that the strain from the Arklay Facility is different than the strain from the Raccoon City Outbreak. I know that the source of the Raccoon City Outbreak was Birkin's personal samples, but how do we know it was a different strain? I don't feel like going through all the files on projectumbrella.net which is neccessary for me since the titles aren't helpful. Maybe you're more familiar with them.

 

[Professor X]

T - Vaccinated, you put me to shame with your long, informational and well drawn-out posts. lol

I think I agree with everything you've said.

Theres more simplicity in a starving Zombie starving to the point of incapacitation, then becoming a Crimson Head. This ordeal with the multiple strains just doesn't seem neccesary.

And also, Regis Licker was never known for being a B.O.W. which means she must be one of the accidental creatures to have been created during the Outbreak. She/It appears in form to be the bridge between Crimson Head or atleast Human and Licker.

She's either a Human turned Licker, or a Crimson Head turned Licker. She isn't a B.O.W.

 

[KennedyKiller]

T - Vaccinated, you put me to shame with your long, informational and well drawn-out posts. lol

I think I agree with everything you've said.

Theres more simplicity in a starving Zombie starving to the point of incapacitation, then becoming a Crimson Head. This ordeal with the multiple strains just doesn't seem neccesary.

And also, Regis Licker was never known for being a B.O.W. which means she must be one of the accidental creatures to have been created during the Outbreak. She/It appears in form to be the bridge between Crimson Head or atleast Human and Licker.

She's either a Human turned Licker, or a Crimson Head turned Licker. She isn't a B.O.W.

Well, technically she is a BOW, just an accidental one...not intentionally created in a lab...

 

[Professor X]

Well, technically she is a BOW, just an accidental one...not intentionally created in a lab...

By that logic the typical Zombie is a B.O.W.

 

[KennedyKiller]

By that logic the typical Zombie is a B.O.W.

Which is actually true...they've called zombies BOWs...anything infected by the T/G/T-Veronica/ect. is a BOW...

 

[Professor X]

Which is actually true...they've called zombies BOWs...anything infected by the T/G/T-Veronica/ect. is a BOW...

If Capcom dubbed them that, then they've lost me.

"Bio Organic Weapon" was originally (back in '98) given to monsters that were intentionally created, not creatures that came about by accident, with no intention of them being created.

In my opinion, if they're not *used* by Umbrella, as weapons, then they are not B.O.W's. They came about by mistake. They are accidents.

 

[KennedyKiller]

If Capcom dubbed them that, then they've lost me.

"Bio Organic Weapon" was originally (back in '98) given to monsters that were intentionally created, not creatures that came about by accident, with no intention of them being created.

In my opinion, if they're not *used* by Umbrella, as weapons, then they are not B.O.W's. They came about by mistake. They are accidents.

But do they still bring harm to innocent people...are they still a weapon...yes...and by the way they were created, by a man engenired virus that affects organic tissue...they are by deffiniton BOWs, wheather you admit it or not...

 

[T-Vaccinated Kid]

Which is actually true...they've called zombies BOWs...anything infected by the T/G/T-Veronica/ect. is a BOW...

Actually I don't think that's true. A B.O.W. has to be designated as a weapon. Zombies could be used as B.O.W.s but they wouldn't be very effective ones since they will attack anybody. Most zombies are accidental, being infected by mistake. Lickers are also accidental. So while they could be used as B.O.W.s, they are more natural creatures created by the T-virus. Unlike the Licker Beta's which were created as B.O.W.s.

 

[KennedyKiller]

Actually I don't think that's true. A B.O.W. has to be designated as a weapon. Zombies could be used as B.O.W.s but they wouldn't be very effective ones since they will attack anybody. Most zombies are accidental, being infected by mistake. Lickers are also accidental. So while they could be used as B.O.W.s, they are more natural creatures created by the T-virus. Unlike the Licker Beta's which were created as B.O.W.s.

When it comes to a man made virus, like the T-Virus, there is no such thing as natural...the T-Virus itself is a weapon in a way, and if you captured zombies and set them loose in an Al Queda base for example, they'd be a damn good weapon...Zombies are not natural, as nature CANNOT produce zombies...also, the brain is the greatest and oldest weapon, and zombies have a brain...though barley functioning...i'm sure if i were a lawyer i would win this one on technicality at the least...sorry guys, but i win...