Issue #3 of Resident Evil: Fire and Ice was released in April 2001.
Plot
At the Mexican temple, Falcon orders his two subordinates to remain quiet. Walking to the temple door, the three stumble into quicksand (behaving completely unlike genuine quicksand) and begin to sink. Raquel shoots at a cactus with her crossbow to save the three. Jesse grabs hold of the rope to safety. Falcon is too far away, so Raquel throws her crossbow to him once she is safe. Once all three are safely on hard ground, darts are shot out from the cacti. The three run up the steps of the temple, but are unable to get inside without a code - Jesse estimates 1.2 million possible entries, taking days for his computer to break it. Raquel decides to destroy the machine with explosives, instead, allowing entry immediately. Falcon spots a Licker, warning Jesse. Too busy looking at Falcon, confused, he fails to see the creature approach him. Ordering Jesse to stay still, Raquel and Falcon take down the Licker.
Moving on, Falcon deduces that Umbrella is using trained Lickers as guards as a replacement to humans. He also deduces that a newly engineered mutagenic virus may be responsible. Raquel moves through the vents to spy on the Umbrella researchers, finding that their initial location is too hard to hear. On a security camera, Rosa and Patrick are recognisable, revealing that the Mexican site is in contact with the Arctic Research Facility.
Meanwhile, at the facility, Rosa and Patrick wake up tied up, deducing that they have been taken captive. A senior researcher decides to explain. His explanation is not given to the reader, as the comic now moves to Quan, riding down in his snowmobile to the planned camp site. Finding the snowmobiles deserted and the weapons abandoned, he becomes concerned. He finds a small transmitter left by Patrick lying in the snow, allowing him to listen in on the researcher's conversation.
The researcher - Dr. Whitlam - explains that the t-Virus was powerful, but rendered the mental capacities of the infected, null. The G-Virus caused massive-scale mutations in its victims. Dr. Whitlam introduces to the two his newest development - the X-Virus. Klaus advises the doctor that it is not a good idea to divulge classified information to S.T.A.R.S. operatives, but he berates Klaus for questioning him - after all, Whitlam is in charge, now. He goes back to explaining the virus. "X" augments the fighting ability of the infected; not simply making them stronger and fiercer. Rosa comments that the infected they fought against were easy to kill; he responds that those were infected with the G-Virus; not "X". The purpose of the creatures encountered by Rosa and Patrick was to become worthy opponents of the X-infected Umbrella teams. He decided that Umbrella security teams should be augmented because they were absolutely hopeless in dealing with G-creatures. Which brings up the real reason Rosa and Patrick were kept alive - he is impressed by their fighting ability, and wishes to augment them into powerful B.O.W.s.
Back in Mexico, Raquel returns to Falcon and Jesse and reveals what she understands is going on in Alaska. They must finish the job here and move to Alaska. The three put on gas masks. Falcon shoots through a glass window looking into the laboratory, allowing Raquel to throw a gas grenade into the room to knock out any researchers and any Lickers inside. Jesse is ordered to move in and collect data from the computer terminals. As the other two move in, they discover a giant Tyrant in the room. The creature knocks out Raquel from behind, leading to a somewhat-emotional wave of fire from Falcon. Charging at him next, a bullet to the head finally takes it out moments before slashing at him, too. Jesse investigates the computer terminal and finds information on the X-Virus ("Just as I suspected"). He quickly moves through the information, which includes data on an antidote. The self-destruct is suddenly activated, forcing the three to run out of the temple/facility rather than search the site for the antidote, should it be there. Falcon berates Jesse for pressing the wrong button. Out of the fiery rubble that is the temple summit, the Tyrant walks out. Rosa takes a rocket launcher out of the team's parked vehicle and destroys the creature with a rocket.
Characters
- Raquel Fields
- Jesse Alcorn
- Falcon
- Quan Williamson
- Rosa Cardenas
- Patrick Brady
- Mr. Venk
- Klaus
- Dr. Dexter Whitlam
Staff
- Ted Adams - writer
- Kris Oprisko - writer
- Shawn Chrystal - penciller
- John Nyberg - inker
- Robbie Robbins - letterer
- Jeff Mariotte - editor
Further notes
Dexter Whitlam was previously featured in Issue 5 of the Official Comic Magazine.
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