Template:Era
| “ | Every day, humans come one step closer to self destruction! I'm not destroying the world, I'm saving it! | ” |
Power-hungry, intelligent and cunning, Albert Wesker was a man who sought power and domination over the entire human race, all for his own gain. To this end, he was affiliated with the Umbrella Corporation, as one of its most promising researchers, and at the same time participated in illicit activities by going undercover as an officer in the RPD and the leader of S.T.A.R.S. in Raccoon City. Through the course of much betrayal of his allies to further his own plans, Wesker faked his death, gained superhuman powers from an experimental virus, and worked alongside both the mysterious "Organization" and Tricell, Inc. He would eventually enact a plot, originally created by Ozwell E. Spencer, to transform the human race into powerful superhumans like himself, and be a god to rule over them and a new age. He has had a role in more Resident Evil games than any character, and is the primary antagonist of the series.
Background
| “ | The only thing that can defeat power is more power. That is the one constant in this universe. However, there is no point in power if it consumes itself. I will enlist the help of an old friend against our common foe; I will use one pawn to eliminate the other, and emerge with the spoils for myself... | ” |
Early Life and Umbrella Career
Wesker with the members of the B.O.W. Development Team at Arklay.
Albert Wesker was born of parents with superior intellectual genes.[4] He and dozens of other children of his caliber were collected and raised as components of the Wesker children project by the Umbrella Corporation and given the surname "Wesker".[4] He showed particular promise over the other children, which pleased Umbrella's founder, Ozwell E. Spencer.[citation needed] Spencer saw in Wesker the makings of what his children needed.[citation needed] Obviously not coincidentally, Albert would eventually go into the service of the same company that molded him and become a close employee under the watchful eyes of his 'creator', Spencer, all the while unaware of the pharmaceutical president's true intentions and his origins.[citation needed]
Wesker joined the international pharmaceutical enterprise Umbrella at the age of 17[notes 1] and began working as one of its researchers.[citation needed] In 1977, Wesker was assigned to the Management Training Facility under Doctor James Marcus.[5] Wesker became friends with, and a rival of fellow trainee William Birkin, becoming colleagues and accomplices for years to come.[notes 2] Both Wesker and Birkin were regarded by Marcus as his best apprentices and the only people he trusted.[6] When the Training Facility was closed down on July 29, 1978, the two were personally transferred to the Arklay Research Facility (underneath the Spencer Estate) to continue their own tyrant virus research (while Marcus continued to work on his own), becoming the facility's chief researchers.[citation needed]
Wesker's and Birkin's research of the t-virus lasted over 13 years and three different stages.[citation needed] In 1988, when the research reached its third stage (the creation of the Tyrant Bio-weapon), Wesker and Birkin were then ordered by Spencer to assassinate their former mentor, Marcus and steal all of his research.[citation needed] Shortly after, Birkin's research yielded the discovery of the G-virus in the body of Lisa Trevor, a long time test subject of Wesker and Birkin's while at the Arklay facility.[citation needed] When Spencer approved his project in 1991, Wesker began having doubts about Spencer's intentions and requested a transfer to Umbrella's Intelligence Bureau that same year.[citation needed]
In 1996, Wesker joined the newly-founded S.T.A.R.S. division of the Raccoon Police Department, where he worked as a double agent for Umbrella, giving them information on any police investigations.[7] Two years after the formation of S.T.A.R.S., a series of cannibal homicides were reported near the Arklay region. While the public feared these deaths were the work of a local cult, only Umbrella knew the truth.[notes 3] In an effort to control the public outcry, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team was dispatched to the region to investigate the situation.[8] Wesker used the time they were gone as an opportunity to gather battle data by pitting the members of S.T.A.R.S. against Umbrella's B.O.W.s.[notes 4]
At the same time, Wesker and Birkin were ordered to reclaim the Umbrella Training Facility. Unfortunately, the resurrected Marcus destroyed any chance of reclaiming it.[notes 5] Forced to destroy the facility, Wesker realized this to be the perfect opportunity to leave Umbrella to pursue his own personal interests.[9] After destroying the escaped failed experiment: The T-001, Wesker encountered the head of Umbrella's paramilitary organisations: Sergei Vladimir, who was Spencer's trusted colonel.[10] He asked where Wesker was going, and Wesker simply said his next mission.[11] Sergei reminded him that the reclamation of the training facility was his mission.[11]
Wesker pointed out that the T-virus had escaped, infecting a great deal of the area.[citation needed] He told Sergei that his intent was to destroy the facility and dispose of it, as it was of no further use.[citation needed] Sergei reminded Wesker that he was not in charge of Umbrella and could not just do as he pleased without his superiors' consent, unaware of Wesker's intentions to leave Umbrella, anyway.[citation needed] He then unleashed his bodyguard, an Ivan against him in order to punish Wesker for his failure and as a reminder of who was in control.[11] Wesker saw the fight as a chance for some entertainment and battled the B.O.W..[11]
Just as the Ivan was about to attack again, an explosion occured in the training facility, above. Wesker gave a soft smile as the facility's charges detonated, and the blast caught Sergei and his Ivan off guard so they could shield themselves.[11] This gave Wesker enough time to slip away and escape the defunct facility, prompting Sergei to say "I guess he didn't like his lesson."[11] Wesker then prepared to dispatch the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team to the region.[12]
The Mansion Incident.
Wesker in S.T.A.R.S. uniform.
| “ | I will follow my initial plan and lure the S.T.A.R.S. members into the Mansion. Their superior combat training should make them perfect test subjects. | ” |
By the following day, all contact with Bravo team was lost and Wesker's Alpha team was dispatched to the site.[13] Upon arrival, Alpha team was attacked by a loose Cerberus pack[13] and then, abandoned by their pilot, Brad Vickers.[13] After the loss of member Joseph Frost to the dogs,[13] Wesker and the remaining members of Alpha team sought refuge in the nearby mansion, where Wesker had previously worked.[13] Initially ordering everyone to split up, Wesker disappeared and left the remaining members of Alpha team (Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Barry Burton) to fend for themselves.[13]
Of the nine S.T.A.R.S. operatives who entered the mansion (including Wesker himself), only four members of Alpha team, along with Bravo team's Enrico Marini and Rebecca Chambers, managed to survive against the various creatures and bio-organic weapons that infested the facility. In order to ensure the downfall of the other members, Wesker used extortion in order to convince Barry to do his bidding (luring the others to traps) by threatening his family. When Enrico uncovered evidence that implicated Wesker and Umbrella, Wesker murdered Enrico.[13] However, Chris and Jill learned the truth about Wesker and then proceeded to foil his plot by destroying the T-002 Tyrant, along with the facility itself.[13]
During the ensuing chaos, Wesker injected himself with an experimental virus given to him by his partner, William Birkin.[14] After allowing the Tyrant to "kill" him, the virus reanimated his body after the room became empty. This gave him superhuman strength, agility and regeneration, but at the severe cost of the loss of his humanity. The resulting mutation also gave him gold-red cat-like eyes (but these were not immediately noticeable, due to the sunglasses he always wore). Wesker was revived, while the remaining S.T.A.R.S. operatives were convinced that the Tyrant killed him. After reviving, Wesker realized the S.T.A.R.S. had destroyed the Tyrant and escaped with their lives. He then tried to steal the data from the laboratory and escape.
Wesker found that Sergei had downloaded the data to the Russian base and the Red Queen had locked him from the mainframe system. He swore revenge against the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members, Sergei, and the Red Queen. His plans foiled, Wesker resolved to escape the mansion before the self-destruct timer ended. He was forced into a battle with the remaining B.O.W.s on his way to the exit, and praised his new immense powers when his enemies were swept away with little effort. Wesker mused that he hoped Chris and Jill would live long enough for the three of them to have their "tear-filled reunion", laughing evilly at the thought of seeing them again. He also had to deal with Lisa Trevor, who first approached Wesker outside an elevator leading to the surface from the lab.
Wesker was not expecting Lisa's arrival, believing that S.T.A.R.S. had disposed of her in Jessica's tomb. He managed to incapacitate the creature, saying "Nobody's perfect, not even you, Lisa." He then went up in the elevator, heading back up to the mansion. However, after he left, Lisa rose up from the ground, still not dead. With what little of her mind was left, Lisa had no other goal but to take revenge on the man who experimented on and deformed her. She pursued Wesker up to the mansion, and approached him again in the main hall. Wesker noted that he needed to pick up his pace, as the 'hour glass' was running low. He resolved to find another route, not wishing to waste time with the stubborn Lisa, who he knew would pursue him tirelessly.
Fending off the remaining B.O.W.s, Wesker had several confrontations with Lisa, who continued to note as stubborn and at one point humorously saying "She must like me." He saw why she had been called immortal after all the weaponry he emptied into her and she still got up. Eventually, Lisa unexpectedly turned away from Wesker and walked away, and it seemed she had given up. However, when returning to the main hall, Wesker again saw her, this time hiding behind columns in a corner. She approached him one final time, and Wesker, tired of her stalking, said he would grant her wish for eternal rest. Using his new abilities, Wesker matched the persistence of Lisa, jumping high into the air to avoid her more damaging attacks.
Wesker shot the chandelier above them loose, and lured Lisa under it. She was crushed when it fell, and as Wesker walked out of the main hall, he said "Be a good girl and stay dead this time." He then quickly sprinted through the forest, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the mansion before it exploded. When it finally did, taking Lisa with it, Wesker looked back at the burning rubble triumphantly. The scenario served as a metaphorical representation of Wesker's proclaiming of being reborn "like a phoenix emerging from the flame." He saw a new horizon stretch out before him, and thought of how he had risen beyond the human race and "cheated death itself", leaving nothing to oppose him in his quest for power.
Time With The "Organization" and the Raccoon City Incident
With the combat data and bio-weapon research data he acquired from the the mansion, Wesker was able to secure a high-ranking employment position within one of Umbrella's mysterious rivals known only under pseudonyms like "The Organization" and "The Agency".[notes 6]
Still holding the illusion of his death, Wesker avoided showing himself and instead took to being the contact between spies and the Organization.[15][notes 7] When Raccoon City suffered a t-virus outbreak, Wesker sent an agent by the name of Ada Wong to retrieve the G-virus sample in the (unknowing) possession of William's only daughter Sherry Birkin, hidden within her pendant.[16] Ada managed to retrieve the sample, much to Wesker and the Organization's pleasure.[15]
Rockfort Island/Antarctic Lab Incident
Wesker in his H.C.F. uniform
| “ | Sure I'm not human anymore, but just look at the power I've gained! | ” |
After months of hiding in the shadows, Wesker and the H.C.F. -a heavily armed assault force- attacked the Umbrella facility on Rockfort Island, intent on retrieving a sample of the T-Veronica virus by one of Umbrella's chief researchers Alexia Ashford. The t-virus was released in the process when armed conflict with Umbrella's guards took place.
The attack succeeded, especially when the T-virus samples and captive B.O.W's in the laboratory section of the facility broke containment and contaminated the Island. However, Wesker and his men failed to find the missing Alexia. Wesker then went to the Antarctic Research Facility, which had also suffered a T-virus outbreak from infected Rockfort employees fleeing to the facility.
It was here Wesker encountered his former subordinate Chris Redfield (who had arrived seeking his missing sister Claire). Wesker failed to gain a sample of the virus from Alexia, especially when he tried to use his own abilities to force her to surrender one, only to be driven back by Alexia's own abilities. Wesker then left Chris to fight Alexia, and secured a sample of the virus from the retrieved corpse of Steve Burnside. The base started its self-destruct sequence, but Wesker engaged Chris in combat, eager to settle the score. Wesker quickly used his immense strength and speed to gain dominance, with Chris refusing to allow Wesker an easy kill. Wesker was poised to deliver the finishing blow, only for an explosion, caused by the priming self-destruct, to knock a flaming pillar in between the two. Wesker, vowing Chris was lucky and next time they met he couldn't count on luck again, escaped the base as it began to crumble and explode around them. Wesker reached an Organization Submarine and sailed away. While the flaming pillar had badly burned Wesker's face, his burns healed sometime later due to his superhuman regenerative capabilities. It would be eight years later following this incident in which Wesker and Chris would meet each other for a confrontation once again.
Operation: Javier
Four years later, in the year 2002 Wesker was later contacted by the leader of the South American drug cartel "Sacred Snakes", Javier Hidalgo. Apparently, a former researcher of Umbrella supplied Javier with the t-virus in an attempt to save his wife, Hilda Hidalgo, with disastrous results. As his daughter, Manuela Hidalgo, had also contracted the same illness as her mother, he requested Wesker's help. Wesker supplied him with the Veronica virus in exchange for a large sum of money as well as a share in his dealings. He also gave him specific instructions to utilize the T-Veronica virus, mirroring the samples created by Alexia Ashford. He later saw the rest of the mutated carcass of Javier Hildago from afar with his binoculars.
Russian Facility Incident
Wesker during his initial attempts to remake Umbrella.
| “ | Chris, it appears our fates are forever intertwined... | ” |
One year later, in February 2003, Wesker infiltrated the Russian Umbrella Facility around the same time that Chris and Jill, his former S.T.A.R.S. subordinates, arrived for the purpose of destroy T-A.L.O.S., Umbrella's final B.O.W., and bring Umbrella to justice. Wesker made his way through the bowels of the facility teaming with all of its B.O.W.s, until reaching the sub-levels and encountering Sergei Vladimir once again, who claims that all the problems Umbrella went through over the years only made him stronger. Wesker told Sergei to step aside, and in response, Sergei sends his two Ivan bodyguards to dispatch Wesker. Using his superhuman abilities, Wesker defeated the two Ivans effortlessly, and continued deeper into the facility, where he met and confronted Sergei in the control room at the same time Chris and Jill fought T-A.L.O.S.. While they managed to eliminate Umbrella's final B.O.W., Wesker himself managed to defeat and kill Sergei Vladimir, who had mutated into a monster as a result of infecting himself with the T-virus. Wesker then took Umbrella data from the Red Queen, before deleting the computers memory, shutting down the facility. Shortly thereafter, finally having strong evidence against Umbrella, he brought his findings to the court. With information from Wesker (who operated under the pretence of being a personal friend of the CEO), Umbrella was found guilty and officially shut-down, its top officials suffering legal troubles and an international manhunt began for Ozwell E. Spencer. With the accumulated Umbrella Archives in hand, Wesker had what he needed to create a new Umbrella of his own. Wesker then took the archives and uploaded them to the system within his operations center, having accessibility to all of Umbrella's history and files at his fingertips. He vowed to one day meet Spencer again and succeed him as the one destined to usher in the new future of the world, which Spencer's vision, whatever it had been, failed to accomplish.
Soon after the raid on the Caucasus Facility, Wesker contacted Tricell; another pharmaceutical corporation, and with the wealth of information and resources collected from Umbrella, allowed Tricell to establish a secret bioweapons division, for which Wesker was greatly compensated. He decided to secretly work with them, as they were another valuable asset, and began further independent activities kept secret from his Organization superiors. A particular interest of Wesker was Excella Gionne, an employee of Tricell and descendant of its founders. Her intellect and ambitious nature, matching Wesker's own, caught his eye. He decided that she would serve as a high-level asset, and with his resources provided, he helped her climb through the ranks of Tricell. Excella found Wesker intriguing as well, to the point of romantic attraction. Due to his callous personality, Wesker did not return this affection, seeing Excella as a mere tool. However, he did not outright let her know this, playing along with her to an extent.
Los Illuminados and Las Plagas
Wesker circa 2004
| “ | Our goal is to retrieve the sample. Take out anything that might interfere with our plans... | ” |
Following the fall of Umbrella, Wesker soon proved to be a problem for his Organization superiors. Wesker had always cherished a desire for power, prominence and domination over others, and, seeing Umbrella as power incarnate, used it to hide behind while he made plans of his own. He established a secret organization of his own, using Umbrella's infrastructure retrieved from the Umbrella Caucasus Research Facility, and began recruiting agents such as Jack Krauser into it. When Umbrella folded, and the sanctuary and protection it provided ruined by the surviving Umbrella leaders' constant power struggles, Wesker decided that bringing his new Umbrella to complete fruition was his most necessary goal. He would need to amass much wealth and resources. In order to achieve this, Wesker planned to go down the list of Umbrella's other top rival corporations, sell them samples of Umbrella's viruses they desired, and finance his personal empire. He would keep this agenda secret from his Organization superiors, though they were suspicious.
Wesker began his plot with TriCell (disguised with the name "S"), who had been interested in acquiring a sample of the newly discovered Las Plagas parasitic organism, preferably an advanced Control Plaga developed by Los Illuminados cult leader, Osmund Saddler. Wesker contacted Tricell and struck the deal. He commissioned Ada Wong, his old partner, to once again aid the field portion of the operation, while Wesker himself remained at his hideout and kept in touch with her via digital video feed. All the while, he contacted her for reports and updates in the objective. Wesker was apparently on a deadline to retrieve the sample, and made it his and Ada's most important goal. He also sent Krauser in to help Ada, though they were at conflict. Krauser thought that Ada would betray Wesker and said that neither of them trusted her, and Ada noted in her report that she wondered if Wesker had sent her to keep an eye on Krauser. Nothing suggests which of the two Wesker trusted more, though he considered them both expendable pawns.
Wesker gave Ada assignments to deal with people in the area, including Luis Sera and Leon S. Kennedy. Luis was a contact of theirs, and he was making attempts from inside the cult to steal the Control Plaga sample. Wesker made it important for Ada to watch over Luis, but he was soon killed by Saddler, and the retrieved sample was lost. Wesker was not concerned, simply saying "There will be another time...", and didn't pity Luis. Wesker also saw Leon as an extra obstacle and ordered Ada to kill him, though she insisted he was of no trouble. She was quite reluctant to carry out Wesker's order, as she had formed a bond with Leon in Raccoon City. When Wesker later asked if she had gotten a chance to kill him, she lied and said the opportunity had not come. Wesker decided to let Leon live for the time being and allowed him to serve as further distraction for Saddler's followers. He later informed Ada of the Illuminados' panic due to Leon's actions, and decided to have Krauser kill Leon instead. Ada saved him, not playing by Wesker's rules.
Ada falsely reported Krauser was dead to Wesker, who found it interesting how easily Leon could avoid death. This implies that Wesker was suspicious of Ada and quite aware that she had let Leon live, and that Krauser was alive as well. He decided to let Leon take care of Saddler himself, and told Ada to eliminate either one still standing when the fight ended. He reminded Ada that he was running the show, and required her to put a halt to whoever could stall their plans, including Leon. Krauser himself was later killed for real by Ada, who said that she didn't want to fill out a large amount of paper work should Krauser return alive. Ada later helped Leon destroy Saddler and stole the sample without killing him, though Wesker may have been aware of this. It was revealed that Ada was not at all loyal to Wesker, but still to the Organization, whom Wesker had gone against. She sent him a false Control Plaga sample on their orders (actually a Modified Subordinate Plaga), and brought them the real sample.
This, however, only stalled Wesker's plans temporarily. Tricell still compensated Wesker greatly for the different sample he provided, as they managed to put it to use. Wesker left the Organization shortly afterwards, apparently no longer needing them. Ever since his faked death, Wesker managed to hide himself in the shadows flawlessly, and it was no trouble for him to avoid his vengeful superiors.
Final Encounter with Spencer
| “ | The right to be a god... That right is now mine. | ” |
–Wesker to Spencer before killing him. | ||
Wesker, circa 2007.
Wesker had built a vast array of wealth and resources, and had obtained a sample of every known parasitic and viral agent. However, Wesker's hunger for power did not allow him to be satisfied with material possessions. In conjunction with this, he continued to be flooded with questions regarding Spencer's true motivations regarding B.O.W's. In 2006, he discovered the whereabouts of Spencer, his European castle, from Ricardo Irving who had been told by Patrick, and arranged a meet with Wesker through Ada. Wesker traveled there on the first, stormy night of autumn to find answers, killing all of Spencer's bodyguards. Wesker, not knowing that Spencer had arranged the location leak, fully expected Spencer to be surprised by his arrival, but much to his shock, the old man seemed to actually expect Wesker to arrive. It was then Wesker realized that Spencer had been in control of everything from the start, including Wesker's own actions. Spencer revealed that the development of B.O.W's was only a part of achieving his goal of forcing human evolution through viruses. With the birth of a superior human race, Spencer would make himself a god. Spencer required three things to accomplish his dream: the Progenitor virus as a primary viral base, the Umbrella Corporation for funds, and people who would share his ideals when an advanced race came to be. Much to the surprise of Wesker, Spencer revealed Wesker to be the result of the third necessity.
In a plan called the Wesker Plan, Spencer collected hundreds of children from parents of superior intellect throughout the world. These children were all given the surname Wesker after the project's chief researcher, and Spencer used indoctrination and manipulation to install his values into these children. They were then put in controlled environments all over the world under Umbrella's watchful eye. These unaware children would continue to live their lives and received advanced education with the help of Umbrella. One of these children was eventually sent to Umbrella's training facility. That child was Albert Wesker. Spencer then gave all the Wesker children an experimental virus, Albert's being received through Birkin. However, all but one of Albert Wesker's "siblings" were killed due to the virus. Albert was the only one who was confirmed alive at that point in time, as the location of Alex Wesker was unknown, as he had betrayed Spencer. Unfortunately, now that the truth was revealed, the only thing impeding Wesker's ascenion to Godhood was an old, dying man. Wesker killed Spencer by thrusting his arm through his chest, claiming the right to be a god was now his. He then released his 'creator' and allowed his body to topple over and bleed onto the floor. He looked down upon the corpse of Umbrella's founder and pondered how arrogant Spencer had been for believing he, a weak old man, could be a god.
Wesker declared that only one with the true capability of being a god could ever deserve that right. Wesker then stood at the window of Spencer's castle and further pondered this new revelation. Spencer's own arrogance manifested into Wesker himself, who decided to carry out his former master's vision of shaping the world with an new and advanced race of humans. Wesker saw that the influence of a pharmaceutical corporation was not true power and insufficient to bring about the godly status he sought. He therefore discarded Umbrella's inferior power and decided to take over the very plan Spencer himself started, with another pharmaceutical company as his base for enacting the plan. Just then, Wesker's old enemies, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, entered Spencer's hiding place. They had been hunting Spencer and Wesker, the last of Umbrella's leadership, under the command of the BSAA, and were given a reliable tip to Spencer's whereabouts. They infiltrated the castle, hoping Spencer would lead them to Wesker, but instead found a dead Spencer with a smiling Wesker. The villain took their sudden arrival as a sign: "The weak would always resist the will of the Chosen." A battle immediately ensued. Using his powers, Wesker overcame the two of them combined, outmatching their gun fire and hand to hand skills.
Tossing aside Jill after she failed to turn a knife on him, Wesker sought his revenge on Chris once and for all. However, before he could deal the finishing blow, Jill sacrificed herself by tackling him out of the window, causing the two of them to fall into the chasm below. The BSAA searched for the bodies for months, but were never successful in recovering them, and the two were marked as deceased. In fact, the two survived and Jill was captured by Wesker. After giving Jill the medical treatment she required, Wesker went back to his alliance with Tricell.
Africa and Tricell
| “ | A new Genesis is at hand, and I will be the creator! | ” |
Wesker circa 2009
While putting Jill in a cryogenic sleep with the intention of turning her into a weapon against Chris, Wesker continued his activities. Wesker again worked with Tricell, and formed a complete partnership with Excella Gionne, who shared his vision for a new world. Wesker prepared to exact his own variation and perfection of Spencer's plan. He continued to help Excella gain higher positions of power within Tricell, and she soon became the CEO of the entire African division. With this partnership, the old Umbrella Africa Research Center was reopened, along with the source of the Progenitor virus. Wesker used the founder of every single viral agent to create the most powerful virus yet, the Uroboros virus. With Uroboros, he planned to spur the next step in human evolution. Although the virus proved to be too poisonous for humans to be of much use, Wesker found a way to make it less poisonous. In Jill were powerful antibodies that were made from her previous infection with the T-virus. Using these antibodies, Wesker was able to perfect Uroboros to suit his needs. He also commissioned an immense Tricell tanker at a dock built behind the facility. He placed a specialized stealth bomber below the boat's deck, planning to launch it at sea as part of his plan.
Using the newly discovered chemical called P30, Wesker attached a device on Jill's chest that would continuously inject Jill with the chemical. With this, he was able to bend Jill to his will and enhance her abilities. By doing this, not only would Jill continue to assist him and Tricell, but she would also serve as a method of revenge against Chris. At the same time, Wesker began placing the Uroboros virus into missiles with the plan of releasing it by jet into the Earth's atmosphere, causing a global outbreak. While preparations were being made for a large Tricell ocean tanker to take off from the Umbrella facility, Wesker and Gionne waited inside the stronghold, which they added to by digging further into the ground to make the facility bigger over the years. As Progenitor research was continued by Tricell scientists, everything previously owned by Umbrella was branded with the Tricell logo. The pair would also use the newly developed Type 2 Plagas and Type 3 Plagas to create an army of Majini from the natives of Kijuju to serve them, including the Ndipaya Tribe. While Las Plagas had been so successful and had secured Excella's position at Tricell thanks to Wesker, she desired a higher position with more power.
Continuing to show her romantic attraction to Wesker, Excella asked if she had proven herself worthy to be Wesker's partner in ruling the world. Wesker said she may have but coldly turned down her romance. While Excella believed Wesker would be her king in the new world and she would be his queen, Wesker had other thoughts in mind. He saw himself as a god who would share his power with no one, though he did not outright express this to Excella and still went along with her romance to an extent. Eventually, the BSAA would dispatch Chris and his new partner Sheva Alomar to capture and interrogate Ricardo Irving, who had been selling B.O.W.s on the black market and was actually working for Tricell and presumably the one who provided Las Plagas to Wesker and Gionne in the first place. After defeating Irving, Chris and Sheva continued to pursue a mysterious woman who had been helping Irving, unaware it was in fact Jill, disguised in a hooded cloak and bird mask. The brainwashed Jill soon reported to Wesker and Gionne that Chris and Sheva had arrived at the facility. Excella "sensed concern" from Wesker about Chris, but he simply told her he would not accept delay while the plan was nearing its final stages.
Excella left with Jill to deal with Chris and Sheva while Wesker stayed on his own in the facility command room. He pondered all that he had accomplished and remembered back to his encounter with Spencer. Though he had killed his creator, Wesker thanked the dead Spencer for providing him with a greater vision for the future and the means to be the god Spencer could never be. While Excella and Jill went to meet Chris and Sheva, Wesker went to the Monarch Room to wait for them to arrive and prepared for his final battle with Chris, knowing that the agent had much time over the years to train for such an encounter. Gionne introduced the pair to the very virus Tricell had been working on in the form of an advanced creature. While the agents fought off the aggressive monstrosity, Gionne and Jill went back to Wesker and waited with him in the Monarch Room. Eventually, Chris and Sheva would catch up to Excella. After a fight with the cloaked Jill, Wesker came in and described the encounter as "one big family reunion". He told Chris he expected him to be "happier to see us". Chris, confused, had no idea what he meant by "us", and Wesker revealed the hooded woman to be Jill, the one Chris and Sheva had been searching for the whole time.
The mind controlled Jill and the superhuman Wesker fought the pair in a two-on-two battle. Excella left for the dock where the tanker was getting ready to leave, and after seven minutes of his spare time, Wesker recieved a phone call from her. He abandoned the fight to finish his plans, leaving Chris and Sheva to deal with Jill. But Chris and Sheva were able to remove the device from Jill's chest and free her from Wesker's control. Leaving Jill at her insistence, they chased the two onto the carrier ship. Wesker would soon betray Excella, infecting her with Uroboros, which killed her. After Chris and Sheva defeated the monstrosity that resulted, they received a call from Jill. According to Jill, Wesker needed to inject a special serum, PG67A/W (A Progenitor-based solution) into himself in order to keep the virus inside of him stable. If too much was injected, it would weaken him. In a previous encounter with Gionne, Sheva had obtained vials of the serum which Gionne had dropped from an open briefcase. With this new knowledge, Chris and Sheva confronted Wesker in a hanger below the deck which contained Wesker's bomber jet. Chris realized that Wesker intended to release Uroboros into the atmosphere using this jet.
They fought through the last of Wesker's Majini forces and confronted him on a platform as he overlooked the jet, savoring that his plans were all falling into place. Throwing the two onto the ground below the jet, Wesker prepared for the final battle as the hanger rose up to the deck of the ship, almost ready to launch the jet. As he engaged the two, Wesker revealed his plan to rule over the newly created world as a god. Working together, Chris and Sheva managed to insert the serum into Wesker, taking advantage of the darkness by turning off the lights around the platform. Weakened, but not defeated, Wesker fled on board the jet, but Chris and Sheva managed to board it before it took off. In a tense battle, they fought Wesker as the jet continued to fly higher into the sky. Tossing Chris aside, Wesker pulled out a hidden 92F pistol and shot at Sheva while she took cover behind a metal pillar. Chris shot at Wesker as he walked toward him, but Wesker used his concentration and reflexes to dodge Chris' fire and shoot at Sheva at the same time, gloating that his plans would soon create his new world. He then aimed his Samurai Edge at Chris, having saved the handgun after his time in S.T.A.R.S. as a devious way to kill his former comrade.
With serum in hand however, Chris and Sheva were now more evenly matched against Wesker, and he was injected by an enraged Chris, who said that he was "just another one of Umbrella's leftovers". Chris managed to open the jet's underside hatch, causing the jet to lose pressure and crash inside an active volcano. Miraculously, Chris and Sheva survived the crash, but Wesker, who had survived as well, wasn't finished yet. He revealed himself again to the duo when walking out to the front of the crashed bomber's roof, his coat and shirt completely removed. He stated he should have killed Chris years ago, to which his nemesis said that was his mistake and that his plans were over. With a menacing chuckle, Wesker walked forward further while saying "Over?... I'm just getting started!" He then turned to a damaged Uroboros missile and smashed into it with his fist. He then deliberately absorbed his creation, and seemed to have a great deal of control over its infection of him.
Transformation/Death
Wesker's transformation
Wesker used Uroboros in a last ditch effort to kill his nemesis. The tendrils wrapped around several shards of metal and circuitry before spreading to most of Wesker's upper body, giving him a large, deadly, tentacle like appedange. Endowed by the virus, Wesker attacked Chris and Sheva, all the while exaggerating about natural selection, superior DNA, war and pestilence, and his loathe of the current state of the human race. All of this demonstrated that Wesker's calm, collected, and refined exterior had been completely dissolved, along with the last of his sanity. He made repeated attempts to kill both Chris and Sheva, swinging his large arm in a deadly circular manner and lobbing projectiles forged from his tentacles at both of them while they were separated by the breaking ground of the volcano. After taking much fire from Chris, Wesker's other arm succumbed to the growing infection rate of Uroboros and was also absorbed by the virus. Despite this, he somehow managed to keep the rest of his body intact. Eventually, the fight came to the last surviving platform at the center of the lava river. With a feral shout of Chris' name, Wesker jumped to the platform and prepared for the final portion of the conflict. Wesker was then engaged in battle as both Sheva and Chris impaled him on both parts of his weak points.
Wesker's demise
However, despite his incredible powers, Wesker was held off by Chris and Sheva, until the ground gave way from under him, causing Wesker to fall into the lava. While Wesker screamed in pain, a helicopter piloted by Jill and Josh Stone came in to rescue Chris and Sheva. They barely managed to climb the ladder Jill threw to them as the ground under them also gave up and sank into the lava. When they were safely aboard, they looked down upon the sinking Wesker, who became enraged and shouted Chris' name for one last time. Refusing to acknowledge his own mortality, and obsessed with killing Chris Redfield, he used his tentacle-consumed left arm to grab hold of the helicopter and viciously tugged at it in hopes of taking them with him. However, Chris and Sheva fired a pair of RPG-7 rockets at him as he screamed in anger and pain. The rockets went straight through his head, decapitating him, and the resulting explosion sent out a wave of lava that rocked the helicopter and consumed Wesker's mutated remains. Albert Wesker, the diabolical villain hell-bent on world domination, was finally gone forever, and Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine were free of his influence once and for all.
Appearances
Originally a supporting character in the first Resident Evil, Wesker appeared in the game as the captain of the S.T.A.R.S. unit and leader of its Alpha team division. Wesker disappeared early in the game and only makes one sporadic appearance through the course of the story. Near the end of the game, the player (as either Chris or Jill) discovers that Wesker is a double agent working for Umbrella and either witnesses the death of Wesker at the hands of the Tyrant (in nearly all the endings) or finds his decapitated body inside the power generator next to the self-destruct module (in Jill's best ending in the original version). It should be noted, however, that in the remake of Resident Evil for the GameCube, Jill's best ending allows Wesker to escape completely, as his body is not found in the Power Room.
Wesker made a surprise return in Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica, having been revived with new superpowers and apparently working for one of Umbrella's competitors. He later appeared as a supporting character in Resident Evil 0 and an incidental role in Resident Evil 4 (which is explored further in the PlayStation 2 and Wii version, due to the inclusion of the Separate Ways scenario and Ada's Report). He was also the narrator of the fictional documentary, Wesker's Report, a DVD which covers the events of the previous installments and was released as pre-order bonus with Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (an updated version of the original Code: Veronica). It was followed by an Internet sequel, titled Wesker's Report II.
From both Wesker Reports, it is learned that Wesker is a Machiavellian schemer who's had a hand in the events of nearly all the games in the series, except Resident Evil: Survivor and Resident Evil: Dead Aim, where the entire scenarios were created by rogue operatives outside of Wesker's control. Although his physical presence is not constant and indeed quite rare, the effects of his plans can be visibly seen in almost every game of the series.
In Umbrella Chronicles we further explore how Wesker survived and escaped the mansion incident during the final moments before the explosion. As he narrates a series of events that happened with his involvement in the games we learn how he helped Ada escape Raccoon City as well as how he managed to sieze control of the Umbrella Corporation.
Albert Wesker was the main antagonist within Resident Evil 5, in which the truth of his upbringing, and the extent of his connection to Ozwell E. Spencer is revealed by Spencer himself. He also serves as the final opponent for Chris and Sheva in a three-part boss battle. He also appears in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles in a flashback of Code: Veronica and during the end of Operation Javier, where he is seen peering below at Javier's body through binoculars.
Abilities
Before injecting himself with the Virus that Birkin gave him, Wesker was already skilled at Martial Arts, with his cold blooded attitude Wesker showed no sign of fear and was able to defend himself against a horde of Zombies and Tyrants (Ivan, and T-001). Wesker injected himself with the virus let himself get killed by the T-002. As a result of his viral injection, Wesker was granted a number of superhuman abilities, essentially becoming Umbrella's most powerful Tyrant. Wesker demonstrated incredible speed, reflexes, agility and strength, and it is very possible that he took great pleasure in showing off his power to intimidate his foes. These attributes gave him a number of advanced combat capabilities. Notable achievements of his heightened physical abilities included being capable of dodging bullets at practically point blank range with minimal effort (including rapidfire or multiple shot weapons), being able to cover great distances in short time, performing short dashes of speed faster than the normal human brain could process (causing him to appear to be teleporting), and being able to jump great heights.
Notable achievements of his increased strength included being able to lift large missiles with one hand and throwing them, lifting large steel girders off his body, lifting an adult human off the ground with one hand effortlessly, thrusting straight through the chest of a person with his fingertips, killing a chimera B.O.W. with just one kick, and sending someone flying with a single backhand swipe. The injection also gave Wesker a low-level rapid healing factor which, coupled with his incredible endurance, rendered him nearly invincible to conventional damage. A rocket exploding right in his hands was only sufficient to weaken him for a moment, and thousands of pounds of steel falling a few stories on top of him failed to even incapacitate him, merely dazing him for a few brief seconds, and despite having his face hideously burned at close range, he quickly healed up.
With these powers, Wesker mainly did not require weaponry other than his brute strength during combat, combined with a sufficient strategy and some meticulous observation. Even though he was skilled at martial arts, he did keep his handgun holstered at all times, and was known to never let his guard down, even outside the battlefield. Still, Wesker's arrogance and superiority complex over his enemies would lead to his downfall.
Gameplay
The non-canon Zombie Wesker attacks Chris.
Wesker was an unlockable character in the Battle Mode featured in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, as well as in the "Mercenaries" mini-games for Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. A (non-canonical) "zombified" version of Wesker also appeared as an enemy in the bonus Battle Mode featured in the Saturn version of the original game. In Umbrella Chronicles, Wesker is playable in unlockable chapters that further delve into his involvment behind-the-scenes.
Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica
In Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica, Wesker follows the tradition of the villain getting only a knife in the minigame just like USS agent "HUNK" and UBCS operative Nicholai Ginovaef. Wesker's run is quite challenging, but he has incredible stamina and very damaging knife attacks to cover for this. He later has the option of getting a Magnum out of a slot machine for the upcoming boss fight, but gets no additional ammunition for it so its use must be highly regulated. Sometimes the slot machine will give Wesker a file instead of the Magnum, leaving the player to fight the boss with nothing more than the knife and their own wits. It should be noted that this file does not help in the player in the least, as it is just a diary of the mouse Claire encountered in the main game.
Resident Evil 4
In the Resident Evil 4 minigame the Mercenaries, Wesker is considerably better equipped and capable of destruction. He starts with all 3 types of grenades (4 frag, 3 flash and 1 incendiary), a moderately upgraded Killer7, a fully upgraded standard handgun with a silencer not seen anywhere else in the game, an almost fully upgraded semi-automatic rifle without the enhanced scope, and a first aid spray. His stamina is the same as Leon's. He also has some of the most powerful melee attacks in the game (a "thrust punch" that can strike several enemies with titanic force and a "chikyo chagi" axe kick that can crush an enemy's head). While his starting inventory is strong, it does have 2 downsides: firstly, there is little room for anything else in the inventory, and secondly, Wesker starts with no reserve ammunition for any of his weapons. Despite the lack of extra ammunition, Wesker can easily take on any foe. The Killer7 Magnum allows him to kill strong foes such as the Garrador, and the fearsome Super-Salvador. The rifle is immensely powerful and is virtually a one hit kill weapon against all normal enemies, and the player can find ample ammunition for it. The pistol, though not a greatly effective weapon on its own, enables Wesker to stun enemies to allow for his immensely powerful special attacks. When an enemy is stunned by a headshot, Wesker is able to perform the "Thrust Punch" attack, which deals heavy damage (enough to generally be considered an instant kill) to the target and all other enemies directly in front of Wesker. Although the Thrust Punch is powerful and resourceful, it make take a couple seconds for a kill to be recognized (if the enemy wasn't damaged enough before using it), and has the potential of ending a combo. Shooting foes in the knees may also allow for Wesker's "chikyo chagi" axe kick, which will crush the head of the target while also damaging nearby enemies as well as kill any fallen enemies in it's radius. The handgun also has a decapitation rate that is five times greater than normal, rarely allowing the Las Plagas to show themselves; a useful feature. Wesker does not have a knife, thus he cannot simply slash an enemy to perform a melee move.
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
In Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, the Nintendo DS version of the first Resident Evil, Wesker is a playable character in the game's multiplayer mode. He is unlockable by completing the Master of Knifing minigame once with either Jill or Chris. In the multiplayer mode, he wields a specialized version of the Samurai Edge handgun.
Resident Evil 5
Chris fighting Wesker, as Wesker taunts him.
Wesker is a playable character in Resident Evil 5, and has a whole new barrage of martial arts to employ on his unlucky adversaries. He comes in his "Midnight" and "S.T.A.R.S." outfits, and he is outfitted with an H&K P8, S&W M500, Grenades, Proximity Bomb, and ammunition in his first outfit, and his Samurai Edge, Lightning Hawk, and Hydra, as well as ammo in his second. These are his attacks in Resident Evil 5.
| Position | Attack | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Cobra Strike | High |
| Arm (Front) | Panther Fang | Low |
| Arm (Back) | Jaguar Kick | Low |
| Leg (Front) | Tiger Uppercut | Medium |
| Leg (Back) | Mustang Kick | Medium-High |
| Grounded | Windfall | High (Head Critical) |
| Combo Finisher | Ghost Butterfly | Extreme |
| Combo Finisher | Rhino Charge | Extreme |
| Grapple Breaker | Ram Horn | Low |
| Dashing | Knee Cannon | High |
His Windfall is similar to Chikyo Chagi, his leg drop/axe kick move from Resident Evil 4, and his Cobra Strike is akin to the lethal killing Thrust Punch from Resident Evil 4. Wesker has an easier time instant killing enemies in Mercenaries due to his Cobra Strike, which only needs a headshot or Flash Grenade to enable. His Windfall also deals a high damage. His magnum will kill the Big Man Majini and Reaper in one shot, the latter if on the weak spot, and in some cases it will also down weaker bosses like Giant Majini in one hit. However, players should be wary of damage, as he does not start the mission with a healing item. He also has a dash move accessible through clicking the movement stick as well as the ability to use Knee Cannon chained off of dash. However, health is depleted during the use of the dash function. Getting an A rank on "The Mines" unlocks "Midnight", While getting an A rank on "Prison" unlocks "S.T.A.R.S".
Wardrobe
Wesker wears a different outfit for each of his appearances, but they are always black. He always keeps his trademark sunglasses, even in situations that seem inappropriate, such as during S.T.A.R.S. operations in the middle of the night. In Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0, he wears a standard S.T.A.R.S. uniform similar to those of Chris and Barry, but completely black, with a navy blue under-shirt. He wears a more streamlined outfit in Resident Evil Code: Veronica with the acronyms H.C.F (Hive/Host Capture Force) written on the back. During a fist-fight with Chris Redfield, his sunglasses are knocked from his face, revealing that his eyes have changed from normal human eyes to slitted eyes with a red-orange hue. He wears a different, more sophisticated outfit during his appearance in Resident Evil 4 and the Dark Legacy levels in Umbrella Chronicles, sporting a black turtle-neck sweatshirt, black trousers and jacket over his turtle neck, as well as black gloves. In Resident Evil 5, his attire becomes more sinister and supports a leather trench coat with black leather boots, gloves, pants and a short sleeve shirt all complete with his trademark sunglasses.
In other media
Resident Evil: Extinction
Chairman Wesker, as portrayed by Jason O'Mara.
Albert Wesker appeared in the 2007 film Resident Evil: Extinction, portrayed by actor Jason O'Mara. In the film continuity, he was the chairman of Umbrella, holding regular meetings from his office in Tokyo via hologram, and heading the Umbrella Commitee. He was constantly at odds with Dr. Isaacs. At the end of the film, Alice told him that she intended to come after him, and she'd be bringing her "friends" (her clones) with her.
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Chairman Wesker, as portrayed by Shawn Roberts.
In the movie, Alice and her clones attack the Umbrella Headquaters in Tokyo and kill everyone in the facility. A few clones are killed, one by Wesker himself and he makes his way to a helicopter to escape. As he does, the clones try to shoot it down but it's bulletproof. As he escapes, Wesker activates a bomb that destroys the facility and part of Tokyo and kills all of the clones. The real Alice is onboard the helicopter however and holds a gun to his head, demanding he say his last words. Instead, Wesker injects Alice with a serum that destroys the T cells in her body and renders her powerless. Wesker reveals that he has injected himself with the T-Virus too and displays super-human strength and speed, similar to Alice's former powers and easily defeats her and prepares to kill her. As he does so, Alice thanks him for getting rid of her powers as she's now completly human again. As Wesker prepares to kill her, his chopper crashes as a result of there being no pilot and Wesker is killed. However, Wesker's new powers enable him to regenerate from his injuries and revive and he heads to the Umbrella ship Arcadia where he takes command and uses Umbrella's remaning satelites to track Alice. After sending The Executioner to kill her, Alice makes her way to the Arcadia in Los Angeles Harbor and follows a blood trail to Wesker who calls in two zombie dogs and an armed Bennett to hold her at bay. Wesker explains that the T-Virus is starting to overtake him and believes that eating fresh human tissue will keep it at bay, which is why the Arcadia crew abandoned ship. Wesker believes that feasting on Alice who had adapted to the T-Virus so well will allow him to gain full control over himself, but is stopped by Claire and Chris Redfield, prompting Alice to remind him that she promised to "bring a few friends with me" when she came to face him. Wesker battles Chris and Claire, but his super-strength and speed are too much for them and he defeats them and traps them in holding tanks before turning back to Alice who has killed the dogs and disarmed Bennett. Wesker goes to eat her, but she throws a knife into his head, temporarily stunning him. Alice tries to retrieve her shotgun to finish the job, but Bennett gets there first but is stopped by K-Mart who knocks him out and tosses Alice the shotgun. Alice shoots Wesker in the head with it, blowing a huge hole in his head, but not killing him due to his incredible regenerative abilities. Alice then frees Claire and Chris who unload their pistols into him, but he still survives and is trapped in the room with Bennett. Wesker regenerates from his wounds and kills (and presumably eats) Bennett before making his way to another chopper to escape. As he does, he activates another bomb that was placed on the Arcadia before discovering that Alice hid it on his chopper. The bomb detonates, destroying the helicopter. Wesker's fate is uncertain as a parachute is seen in the distance falling away from the destruction.
George Romero's Resident Evil Script
When Resident Evil was being considered for the basis of a film, George A. Romero and Paul W. S. Anderson competed for production rights with their scripts. In Romero's script, Wesker was not the captain of S.T.A.R.S., but instead a colonel. Though, he remains a double agent like in the games.
Lost Planet 2
Wesker's skin as shown at Gamestop's screenshots.
As of November 17, 2009, Gamestop has announced an exclusive bonus item regarding its reservation. Said item is an Wesker skin with his revolver. This doesn't means he actually has a role, it's just a skin for game appearance.
Trivia
- Wesker is the character with the most appearances throughout the Resident Evil series. He appeared in Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 1, Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil 5, and has a cameo in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles during the CODE: Veronica scenario. One could say he appears in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis as the picture in the S.T.A.R.S. office, but not as an actual character.
- In the Darkside Chronicles, during one of the endings Wesker's irises and pupils are seen blue and normal instead of red and cat-like, this could either be a production error or that Wesker was able to control the color of his irises and pupils.
- IGN.com cited Wesker as number three on their list of "10 Most Memorable Villains", claiming that "Res Evil fans know that whenever Wesker shows up, trouble isn't far behind." [17]
- Wesker also appeared on another of IGN's lists entitled "Top 100 Videogame Villains" as number fourteen.
- In Resident Evil 5 Mercenaries, and Versus Mode, Wesker has a move known as the "Tiger Uppercut", named after a move used by Sagat, as well as one called the "Jaguar Kick", named after a move used by Adon, Sagat's former student. Both characters are from Capcom's Street Fighter franchise.
Gallery
Resident Evil
Code: Veronica
The Umbrella Chronicles
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5
Films
Sources
- notes
- ↑ Born in 1960, joined in 1977
- ↑ Assistant Director's Diary, both take part in Marcus conspiracy, both planned on rebelling against Spencer together
- ↑ In Resident Evil Zero, Wesker and Birkin are clearly aware of the outbreak.
- ↑ Wesker reveals this to Chris or Jill in all versions of his "death" scene
- ↑ The two investigation teams are neutralised and the t-virus is also spread into the facility
- ↑ While Resident Evil 4 refers to this group as "The Organization", Annette Birkin refers to it as "The Agency" in Resident Evil 2. As both are mere pseudonyms, each are correct.
- ↑ Contact for both Krauser and Ada
- sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Official Resident Evil site
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Mercenaries (RE5)
- ↑ IGN
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Report on Project W - August 28, 1998
- ↑ Assistant Director's Diary
- ↑ Marcus' Diary 1
- ↑ Albert Wesker Profile
- ↑ Resident Evil Zero Opening
- ↑ "I will simply say 'goodbye' to Umbrella" - Resident Evil Zero, "Eliminator is Released"
- ↑ Sergei Vladimir Profile
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Beginnings
- ↑ Resident Evil
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Resident Evil Opening (remake)
- ↑ Virus Memo
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Death's Door
- ↑ Resident Evil 2
- ↑ http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/694/694435p1.html
External links
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