MB

For other uses, see MB (Disambiguation).

MB, nicknamed Melissa Bergman (メリッサ・バーグマン), was the main antagonist of Metroid: Other M.

The Cryosphere
Samus Aran first saw MB watching her from a window overlooking the Experiment Floor in the Cryosphere, and she ran away to the Materials Storehouse after realizing she had been seen. Samus gave pursuit, and tried to convince the woman that she was here to rescue her, much to MB's denial. They were separated after Samus was attacked by a soldier using the RB176 Ferrocrusher.

Sector Zero
Later, Samus enters the Bioweapon Research Center in the Biosphere, and the woman is startled by Samus' presence. She runs behind a door and closes it. Samus once again tries to convince her that she means no harm. The woman opens the door, and introduces herself as Dr. Madeline Bergman. Samus takes her to sit down, and "Madeline" informs Samus of what has happened on the Bottle Ship. She tells Samus that the Federation was attempting to recreate a special forces unit of bioweapons, based on the heirarchy of the Space Pirates. To that end, the Federation had captured many Space Pirates and created cybernetically enhanced Zebesians to form the core of the force. She explains that "a certain presence" caused the creatures to become ferocious and uncontrollable. Samus assumes that by a "certain presence", she was referring to Ridley. "Madeline" then goes on to say that she sent out a distress signal because she feared the Zebesians would resurrect as real Space Pirates, if left unchecked. Samus finds her statement somewhat questionable, as she doubts whether super-aggressive Zebesians would become real Space Pirates. Samus theorizes that without the controlling powers of Mother Brain, the Zebesians would become merely a race of feral creatures.

At this point MB leads Samus to a computer terminal, claiming to know of a more dangerous plan. MB explains that the scientists took remnants of DNA found on Samus' Power Suit, which were used to create clones of Metroids and Ridley. Samus asks whether the scientists also created a Mother Brain clone, in order to control the Metroids. MB responds that an artificial intelligence was created instead, which evolved and became self-aware. MB then tells Samus that the Metroids are in a hidden sector called Sector Zero, a recreation of Tourian where Metroids are raised. She also tells her that Adam Malkovich initially authorized the program. Samus runs off to destroy the Metroids and MB in the sector, telling "Madeline" to stay hidden. A figure then approaches MB, and she turns to face him before the sound of a gunshot is heard.

In Sector Zero, right before Adam detaches the area, he informs Samus that MB is "no ally".

Madeline Bergman
Samus heads to Room MW after Sector Zero has been destroyed, where she encounters another survivor. This person claims to be Madeline Bergman. Shocked at the strange turn of events, Samus tells her that she already met someone with that name. After Madeline shows Samus her ID, Madeline reveals that the blonde woman was in fact MB, created to replicate Mother Brain's AI, constructed to help regenerate and control the Space Pirate special forces. She originally had an infrastructure after Mother Brain (subsequently resembling Aurora Units as well), but when the scientists got to the point of Metroid creation, she was given a human form to help create a maternal connection to the creatures and successfully control them, inspired by Samus' connection to the baby. She was dubbed "Melissa" Bergman by Madeline, to help make her feel more human. Madeline also says she felt that Melissa was like a daughter to her.

Madeline explains that MB eventually became rampant and her personality changed to Mother Brain's as well, and started to go rogue after manifesting emotions, beginning to criticize the work of the scientists. They eventually decided to reprogram her AI, which only worsened the situation. Madeline's presence as well as her failure to aid the android during MB's restraint may have caused the coming personality turn. Insisting that all humans should be "judged" for their actions, she kills her persecutors and takes control of the station. Using her intense brainwaves, she leads all of the bioforms on the ship (excluding Metroids) into killing all the scientists except Madeline, who goes into hiding. Both Madeline and Samus sympathize with MB, yet she still hunts them.

After this conversation, MB appears, with Freeze Gun in hand, prepared to attack Madeline and Samus. After Madeline begs her to recall her human side, promising "I'll never fail her again," MB lowers her weapon. She then rushes at Madeline, seemingly pushing her out of the path of an incoming bullet that freezes her. The freeze shot was fired by Galactic Federation soldiers, who run into the room. MB thaws herself, throws the Freeze Gun towards Madeline and becomes enraged, summoning several Desbrachians to fight off the Galactic Federation soldiers as well as Samus when she tries to intervene, while calling several nearby Ghalmanians and Mighty Griptians for additional reinforcements (these are not seen in the ensuing battle).

Finally, Madeline stops the battle by shooting MB with a Freeze Gun. The soldiers, led by The Colonel, take the opportunity and immediately gun MB down. Melissa is killed and is mourned by Madeline. Soon afterward Samus and Madeline are escorted off the ship by Anthony Higgs. As they leave the Bottle Ship, images of MB can be seen formed out of space gas while Samus is in deep thought about MB's unfortunate fate; the mentioned images disperse when Samus' gunship passes through them.

The last time MB is seen in the game is when Samus returns to the Bottle Ship Control Room to retrieve an irreplaceable object; a flashback reveals Adam witnessing the conversation between the two in the Bioweapon Research Center on the Control Room's communication screen and rushing off to Sector Zero to stop Samus.

Physical appearance
MB in her human android form resembles a young woman. She has shoulder-length blonde hair with bangs that curl to the left, and she has blue eyes. As she was meant to create a motherly bond with the Metroids on board, it may be that her appearance was slightly modelled after Samus Aran to further duplicate the latter's pairing with her Baby, as her hair color is the same as MB. However, Samus' hair style is vastly different from MB's, as MB's bangs curl to the right and are all together, while Samus has a single bang curled to the left, and her hair color is much yellower than MB. Samus' eyes are green in Other M as well, though they were blue in previous games. As far as clothing goes, she wears her own personal outfit.

Powers and abilities
As an android created to replicate Mother Brain's AI, MB possesses powerful telepathic abilities. Her intense brainwaves allow her to control any life form, as demonstrated when she commanded the Special Forces to massacre all the scientists, save Madeline, who went into hiding. Also, being an android gives MB superior strength and speed to that of ordinary humans, seen once when she overpowers the guards restraining her, and again when she pushes Madeline out of the path of an incoming freeze bullet.

Personality
At first, MB was shown to be kind and caring. Despite being an android created to control Metroids, she developed a maternal relationship with Madeline Bergman. Madeline began calling MB Melissa, as though she were her daughter. Madeline also gave MB a hairclip, which seems to have some suppressing effect upon her abilities. However, as MB communicated with the Metroids, she began to evolve and develop emotions, similar to the growth of Mother Brain's personality. The turning point for MB was when Madeline failed to help her as she was forcibly taken to have her A.I reprogrammed, causing a "disturbing reaction in her", which caused her to revolt and take control of the station and its specimens for her own purposes.

Like Mother Brain, she is shown to have a nascent sense of herself, believing that humans were foolish and should be judged for their evil actions. She also has Mother Brain's quick temper. When blinded with anger, she lets go of all reason and focuses solely on venting said anger, seen once where she attacks the guards restraining her in a fit of rage, and again when she summons the Bottle Ship's most dangerous creatures to attack the scientists, and later the Federation Marines. Madeline also said that MB's hatred was entirely focused on herself and Samus after the Queen Metroid was destroyed.

Being an android, MB has a high degree of intelligence. She is noted by Madeline as a quick learner with unwavering confidence. She is also shown to be extremely cunning. A prominent example is when she re-encounters Samus and tells her everything about the Metroid project while purposely leaving out the crucial fact that the Metroids cannot be frozen. This is because Samus posed a major threat to her schemes, and had Adam not stopped her, she would have most likely rushed into Sector Zero unprepared and killed by the Metroids. She also has some sadistic tendencies, as seen by the amused look on her face as she watched the bioweapons slaughter the scientists, even laughing as they were killed.

Battle
MB summons four Desbrachians to kill Samus, Madeline and the Federation Marines. Whilst defending Madeline and therefore locked in Search View, Samus repulses several of the Desbrachians in order to get a clear shot at MB. However, before she can fire, Madeline picks up the Freeze Gun MB dropped and fires it at her instead. The Federation Marines take this as their opportunity, and are given the order to fire by The Colonel, killing the frozen MB and disabling all the Desbrachians in the room.

Characters log descriptions

 * After RB176 Ferrocrusher attack
 * "Seperated from Samus after being attacked by someone."


 * After reunion
 * "Reunited with Samus in the Bioweapon Research Center, she explained what really happened on the BOTTLE SHIP."


 * After credits
 * "Shot to death by the Federation."

Trivia

 * MB is the first human android character in the Metroid series. As such, her personality is likely inspired by that of Ash in the film Alien, as both have a condescending view of humans and attempt to ensure the survival of the titular species on board the space station setting.
 * Interestingly, the start of MB's rampage took place mere moments after the Ridley clone (at that time, little birdie's) murder of a scientist and subsequent escape. Whether the two incidents are somehow related is unknown.
 * During the discussion between Samus and Adam in Sector Zero, MB is referred to as "Madeline Bergman", as her true identity was unknown to them at the time (although, Adam warns Samus that "Madeline Bergman" was no ally).
 * Her character log marks her name as "Identity Unknown" with her data file as "Details Unknown" prior to the RB176 Ferrocrusher encounter. This changes to "Madeline Bergman" and "Development Director," respectively, after meeting her in the Bioweapon Research Center. Finally, it becomes "Melissa Bergman" and "BOTTLE SHIP Researcher" after her death.
 * It would seem MB's brainwaves as a means of controlling the Metroids were arguably far from perfect. Evidence supporting this is the scientists on board the Bottle Ship having to create the humanoid form of MB so that the first propagated Metroid would recognize her as its actual mother (since she now resembled a true living organism) and obey her completely. Also in Metroid: Zero Mission and Super Metroid, Metroids had broken loose in Tourian and killed all the Pirate personnel (in Zero Mission) and other species (in Super Metroid), proving that Mother Brain could not control them. The Super Metroid comic depicts the baby rejecting Mother Brain as it saw Samus being its true mother.
 * There is a room in the Materials Storehouse and the Bioweapon Research Center that MB had accessed or tried to access in cutscenes, but in gameplay, both doors are inaccessible and are not colored.
 * MB explains the entire plot behind the Bottle Ship to Samus. However, she never mentions the "unfreezable" aspect of the Metroids: presumably, she may have hoped that Samus would rush into Sector Zero defenseless against the modified bioweapons and be annihilated, thus eliminating a large problem for MB.
 * MB's original form, which is a giant, featureless brain floating in a container built by Galactic Federation scientists, shares quite a few similarities with Aurora Units, although when both constructs are compared with Mother Brain, the AUs only share a similar physiology, while MB not only resembles the Pirate leader (to a closer extent, since MB is more organic), but was also programmed to think like her.
 * This is not the first portrayal of Mother Brain in human form. In the Captain N: The Game Master comic Nervous Meltdown, Mother Brain's subconscious manifestation of herself was also a blonde woman with blue eyes. The character, known only as "Little Girl", may have been a basis for MB since one character wonders if Mother Brain is truly evil or was misunderstood. She also seems to wear a fusion of shirt and pants clothing.
 * MB first appeared in the E3 2009 trailer, towards the end. Before the game's release, fans speculated she may have been another Samus. Yoshio Sakamoto addressed this issue, saying that she is not another Samus but is a "very, very important character." Her only other appearance in trailers for the game was in one of three Japanese commercials, showing the clip where she is about to be taken away for reprogramming. Her voice was heard for the first time in said commercial, saying "Actually, there was an even more dangerous plan." in Japanese.
 * MB's hairclip is the symbol used on the file select menu to show which file has completed the game up to the post-credits sequence.
 * It is unknown what the fate of the hairclip was, as it fell off of MB's hair during her final moments, and was crushed by The Colonel as he stepped on it. It is absent during subsequent visits to the room, so it may have been that Madeline took it with her as a last remnant of her loved one, much like Samus with the helmet of Commander Adam Malkovich.


 * The manner of MB's death (being frozen and then killed using projectile weapons) is also similar to the preferred method of dispatching Metroids.
 * It is unknown why MB threw her Freeze Gun to Madeline Bergman when attacked by the troopers. This may have been an attempt by MB to end her own life and avoid falling into corrupt Federation hands, or she may have given it to Madeline out of a desperate hope that the scientist would protect her against the Federation.
 * The first initials in her name were also the same as the initials for Mother Brain, acting as an early hint at her role.
 * Her role in Metroid: Other M is a classic example of an AI going rogue shortly after becoming self-aware, and is similar to other famous AI, such as HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but MB bears more similar characteristics to Skynet (and the titular robots in a similar vein by extension) from the Terminator franchise, particularly in the sense that she controls the creatures on board the Bottle Ship to be used against humans, and that she herself is an android in a human guise.
 * Samus actually refers to MB as "Mother Brain" near the end of the game: "...Mother Brain's rampage."

Gallery
MB