This Tyrant (タイラント,tairanto?), code named "T-002 (T‐002型,tī-zero-zero-tsū-gata?)", was part of the Arklay Laboratory's quest to develop the "ultimate life form". The T-002 and its associated Tyrant Project was, at the time, top-secret.[2][excerpt 1] T-002 was found to have intelligence almost at the same level as its human, pre-infected form, which would have allowed it to follow a wide variety of commands beyond that of the Hunter models had its life not been drastically cut short.[2][excerpt 2]
History[]
The T-002 was the first successful development of the Tyrant Project, an Umbrella USA R&D project that sought to create enhanced human bio-weapons intelligent and strong enough to fully replace soldiers on the front lines. The project was stalled for years due to the rarity of a certain gene for intelligence, which allowed infected humans to mutate differently from Zombies. Such individuals were, themselves, likely to die during the mutation, rendering Tyrant impractical to create at the time.[2] During the 1990s, the Tyrant Project staff carried out research on an improved strain, dubbed Epsilon, and were able to advance the project to the next stage. Several convicts with beneficial genetic traits were located by Umbrella and brought over to the lab to take part in the project. Due to the severity of the mutations, most of the participants perished.[2]
Upon completion, T-002 was planned to be set up against combat veterans in a live fire exercise before clones were to be mass-produced.[3][excerpt 3] Development of T-002, however, was never formally concluded. During a procedure in May 1998, the interference of Queen Leech allowed T-002 an opportunity to release "ε" as an airborne pathogen, infecting a number of researchers. Consequently, no written report was completed, and the B.O.W. itself received no new bodily improvements following the addition of its altered cardiovascular system.[2] Cloned embryos of T-002 were successfully evacuated by Dr. Albert Wesker during a visit, but the Tyrant itself was not evacuated when the quarantine was raised. In July, Wesker was given orders to destroy him during his S.T.A.R.S. team's investigation of the above mansion, but instead released it from containment with the knowledge it could attack him.[4] After stabbing Wesker, he turned its attention to the other S.T.A.R.S. survivors. Though he was knocked out soon after, his Power Limiter was disabled, allowing him to begin mutating into a Super Tyrant.[5] He forced his way through the concrete of the Arklay Laboratory to catch up with S.T.A.R.S, and fought them once more on the helipad, where he was finally killed after suffering a direct hit from a rocket launcher.[6]