Most Threatening Parasite
Well, I'm bored, so I figured I'd try and spark up and interesting conversation... or at least what I hope will be interesting.
I'm a big fan of the concept of the Parasite. Things that can feed off of you, take over your body, and use you as cannon fodder (or worse). And there are a lot of them out there, in video games, books, and movies. So, it got me thinking... if each of them had optimal circumstances, which would be the most threatening to life either on Earth or to the entire universe?
Let me give a little rundown on the ones I can think of (and care enough to write about) here. I'll spoiler them for the sake of room, as I'll be including a basic description, pros, cons, and my own judgement. If I miss any, or if there are any you think I should add, say the word.
Let's start with a simple one...
Yep, the classic. The first really prominent parasite in video game history (to the best of my knowledge). These things come in many shapes and sizes, and are easily genetically manipulated. How? Because they're synthetic. It was revealed in Metroid: Fusion that they were in fact created by the Chozo in order to combat another parasite that I'll cover later on.
Metroids feed by sucking people dry of an unidentifiable energy source that sustains life. They use this energy, but they don't spend it- that's why the Space Pirates and even the Galactic Federation wanted to study them and try to use them for an energy source... I guess. That makes it sound like they want to let them loose, suck a planet dry, recapture them, and then put them in a power plant, but we're not here to figure that out.
The little buggers are very, VERY durable. They can survive several direct hits from missiles and other weapons, and even harvest a bit of energy from beam weapons fired at them. Not only that, they grow-FAST- into gigantic dragon-like creatures that are even stronger. There are also other offshoots, too.
But, for every strength, their weakness is brutal. Anything even close to freezing temperatures slows them down to a crawl and makes their outer shells very brittle. After that, just a few shots from even a pistol will shatter them (though it all really depends on their level of evolution).
Pros- Very Durable, quick growth, multiple possible forms, breeds quickly
Cons- VERY susceptible to anything cold, easily manipulated when cold, no real creature-to-creature communication
My judgment- They aren't a real threat. All we would need would be a device that makes things cold and they're done. Or just a cold day... The only Metroid that was any real threat to the universe was Metroid Prime, and she had mutated beyond the point where she could even be considered a real Metroid.
Ah, the Flood... the things that shocked people when they first appeared, and annoyed them from then on. Those that have just played the games only know the Flood as their enemy. They're bad. They're going to kill us. KILL THEM. But those that have read the books know how scary the idea of being infected really is.
Imagine losing control of your body, but still being conscious. You can see everything, hear everything, and even feel every bone crunching part of the transformation. That means that not only are you in incredible pain and unable to do anything about it, but you can see you jumping at your friends, trying to kill them. You can hear them say "what the FUCK is that thing? Kill it! Kill it!" You can feel them shooting you, every bullet. But it gets worse... they begin to suck your mind dry. You begin to forget while they learn. Who you are, where you're from, and important information that may lead to them finding ways to easily kill the rest of your friends. Put simply- it sucks.
What's worse is that the only way to kill them off is to stop them from spreading in the first place or to starve them to death, ala activating the Halos. Stopping an actual outbreak is hard, since the second you do something to one, the rest know. The Flood act on a Hive mind that grows exponentially more intelligent with each host they infect, snowballing it into a major problem.
Pros- Incredible intelligence in later stages of an outbreak, hive mind, versatility, numbers, durability in certain forms
Cons- Until it begins to infect things the only strength is in numbers, susceptible to beam weaponry, no real way to transport off planet unless they steal a ship
My judgment- They had to activate the Halos and wipe out all life in the universe during their first outbreak- what do you think? The Flood are incredibly dangerous parasites. Thing is, if you play it smart, there will never be an outbreak. If you come across them on a planet, make the planet off limits and never land on it.[/spoiler]
The Zerg are very unique in video game culture, and pop culture in general. Statistics that I'm guessing at would say that 60% of people would know what a Zergling Rush is. To those on this site that don't know what it is (HAH) it's when you create a shitload of the weakest, cheapest of the Zerg in Starcraft and send them all straight at your enemy. It often time worked. And even though it's just a tactic in the game, it accurately shows how devastating the Zerg can be.
The Zerg's greatest strength is in their versatility, moreso than the Flood. The bastards don't just infect single creatures- they turn entire races, over to their side. Zerglings? Hydralisks? Devourers? They all used to be other races from different planets, all turned over to the will of the swarm. They can be strong, fast, or have powerful minds.
They also brought Infested Sarah Kerrigan into existence. The Queen of the Swarm (or more affectionately known as the Queen Bitch of the Universe). That in and of itself is adds to the "OH SHIT" factor.
They're also very good st spreading out their intelligent. The seperate swarms are led by Cerebrates, seperate leaders all psychicly connected to the Overmind.
Pros- INCREDIBLE versatility, highly intelligent caste-like hive mind, self made space travel, Sarah Kerrigan
Cons- If the leader of a caste of the Zerg is killed control is lost (though, save for certain circumstances, Cerebrates can be reincarnated), they don't abandon planets even if they're being glassed making for easy extermination if caught unaware (though that's hard)
My judgement- Move over Flood, these guys may be easier to kill but they'll cause more damage and spread MUCH faster. Plus, they have Kerrigan. I can't stress that enough.
You know, I said (after my embarrassing mistake, damn that enter key...) that I was going to include headcrabs, but what is there to really say? They're cool, but they really aren't that dangerous on a grand scale. As long as you know what you're doing, you won't get latched onto. Plus, they're just... well... cute. Who the hell has played Half Life 2 and not thought "I WANT LAMARR!"
But, to be fair, they are dangerous the way they were used in Half Life 2. The headcrabs were used as crowd control, to put it simply. The Combine sent them down on places like Ravenholm and let them run amock. So, I guess in large numbers, they can be dangerous.
And those poison ones are annoying as fuck.
Pros- Strength in numbers, the poison ones... *shiver*
Cons- Easily killed and avoided as long as you aren't completely surrounded.
My judgment- If they spread from one continent to another by themselves, nevermind one planet to another, I would be shocked beyond belief. They aren't strong or smart.
Remember those things the Metroids were made to kill? That's these fuckers. I know I've said the Flood and the Zerg were versatile, but... well... let me explain what happens when it infects something.
The X parasite invades the host body. ANY host body. As long as there is biological material, it can infect it, even if it's a machine with biological components. Even scarier part? It can infect other parasites. But anyways... after invading the body, the parasite slowly sets up an attack on the nervous system by reproducing (asexually, it's like an amoeba) and spreading all over. Then, like flipping a switch, it causes a catastrophic systems failure, killing the host in no longer than a couple hours. As the parasite kills the host, it also absorbs the DNA. Soon after the host dies, the X leaves the body... and turns into the host. It has ALL of the host's strengths and weaknesses, and intelligence. And then it reproduces. Again. And again. And again.
Example- It infects you. In less than a day, there will be no less then ten copies of you running around doing the X's bidding.
Now, you may ask, "Why not just kill the clone?" Go ahead. Try. You may succeed. And then, one of two things will happen. The X will reform the clone, <i>or infect you</i>.
The X only have one weakness. One. The Metroids. They absorb the X in the same way they absord the energy from other living beings. This does create a cure, though- if you happen to have a spare vial of Metroid DNA lying around, shoot up. Not only will you be immune, you'll absord them in the same way Metroids do, and heal wounds or reenergize weapons with biological components. OH WAIT, thanks Samus, YOU KILLED THEM ALL!
So yeah, here goes...
Pros- Near immortality, unlimited variability (hence the name), faster than rabbit reproduction
Cons- Honestly? None, unless Metroids are around. Or unless you don't mind destroying a planet.
My judgment- These things are downright the most dangerous things ever created in scifi history. The only reason the universe didn't end during Metroid Fusion is because of luck beyond Master Chief's comprehension. They just happened to have a vial of the Metroid hatchling's DNA on the ship Samus was travelling with when she was infected. WOW. So, even though I will have one more here, it's more because it's interesting. The X are more dangerous than anything, through and through.[/spoiler]
Ok, so some of you may think this is bullshit... but bear with me. Phazon, during the first two Metroid Prime games, is described as a highly radioactive mutagen. In the third, it isn't outright said, but it reveals that Phazon is actually a microscopic radioactive parasitic lifeform that simply gathers together in LAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE numbers, and can form in different ways.
"Phazon Madness", as it's called in Prime, is actually the first stages of a hostile takeover of the host body's mind. Most don't survive it, due to radiation sickness or being killed by colleagues, but those that do are dangerous.
Plus, they're parasitic in another sense too. They don't just infect creatures... they infect planets. Tallon IV, Aether, and the planets from Prime 3 were all victims to Phazon. Some (Tallon IV) survive. Others (the Space Pirate homeworld) begin to turn into Phazon.
Here's the kicker- the central leader of Phazon is a fucking planet. Phaaze, pictured above, is pure phazon.
But, it's hard to judge on the true danger factor, pros, and cons, as even though it's known that it's a living creature, the way it works is nearly impossible to decipher. So, I'll just give my judgment...
It is somewhere between the danger levels of the Flood and the Zerg. It starts slow, but once it gets going, it'll take out everything around it fast.
So, those are the ones that I believe held any great threat to life... and headcrabs. If you think I should have things like Las Plagas or Facehuggers, say the word, I'll do what I can.
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Originally Posted by sockesocke
