Unfreezable Metroid



An unfreezable Metroid is a term to describe a Metroid in its mature larval stage, that has been genetically manipulated to overcome its mortal weakness, the vulnerability to cold.

In Metroid: Other M, the scientists of the Bottle Ship cloned Metroids from fragments of the Baby on Samus Aran's Power Suit after her return from Zebes in Super Metroid. All but one were genetically altered to be unfreezable, and were stored in Sector Zero. These Metroids were part of a bioweapon program titled Project Metroid Warriors. If successful, they would have completely replaced the Galactic Federation's modified Zebesians. Samus was told this by MB while the latter was posing as Madeline Bergman, but she was not warned of the unfreezable aspect. Samus marched on Sector Zero unaware of this, and were it not for Adam Malkovich, her commander, she would have been killed upon entering Sector Zero.

However, despite the fact that Metroids were said to be unfreezable, Adam was able to freeze and kill an infant Metroid that tried to attack Samus, though presumably it's young age had not grown to the immunity it was given.

Later on, it was said that the Queen Metroid's genes were left unaltered so it would act as a control specimen. She would give birth to normal Metroids to be used for further research where they would eventually be modified into unfreezable specimens.

The physiological differences between those seen in Other M and unmodified variants are their nuclei and membranes: unfreezable Metroids have sharp/spiked nuclei instead of the normal raspberry-like shape, and the membranes are dark blue with a slight purple tint.

Before the events of Other M, Samus had encountered many stages of Metroid that could not be frozen, but they were either later stages in the natural life cycle or mutated versions of these specimens. Some examples of the mutated variants include the Fission Metroid, a Metroid in its mature larval stage that was vulnerable to different beams, depending on its colour, and a Metroid Prime.

Trivia

 * The unfreezable aspect of the Metroids on the Bottle Ship was first foreshadowed by a dead Gigafraug that appeared to have been fed on by Metroids. Said creature was found in Cryosphere, a frigid environment.
 * While the modified Metroids from the Bottle Ship could no longer be frozen, it can be assumed they nevertheless retained their alternate weakness to Power Bombs.
 * The Infant Metroid killed by Adam may have actually originated from Room MW, where the Queen Metroid was giving birth to normal, unaltered Metroids.