Metroid Prime (creature)


 * This article is about the creature. For the game, see Metroid Prime.

Metroid Prime is a highly mutated Metroid which appears in Metroid Prime as the final boss. Its influence is felt throughout the entire series.

History
On Tallon IV, a planet inhabited by the Chozo, there was a prophecy that foretold a "Worm" would infest the planet. The prophecy foretold that the Worm would devour the planet from within and would bring a "Great Poison" along with it. However, the prophecy also foretold "The Entrusted One" would deliver the planet from evil and would confront the "Worm".

Eventually, this prophecy came true. A Leviathan from Phaaze crashed onto Tallon IV which started the destruction of the planet. Chozo who came in contact with Phazon became corrupted and went mad, being called "Turned" as they destroy everything they can and attack other Chozo.

Seeing the evil that is corrupting the planet, the Chozos created a temple to contain the Leviathan, the source of the Phazon, as well as the Phazon itself. They named this temple the "Cradle". They created twelve Artifacts, known as "Cipher", that one must have to gain access to the temple and visit the Impact Crater of the meteor.

However, the problems the Chozos faced did not end. Space Pirates landed on the planet and were able to steal some of the Artifacts, causing the Chozo to scatter the rest of the Artifacts across the planet. The Space Pirates try to comprehend what the Artifacts do though do not succeed. They then tried to destroy the Artifact Temple, though failed again. The Space Pirates eventually found Phazon on the planet and gained access to the Impact Crater through mining. In the underground, they there found the mutated Metroid, naming it "Metroid Prime". They then began mining operations on the planet to obtain more Phazon, using it for their experiments on both themselves and other creatures.

The Chozos came to the conclusion that Tallon IV was doomed to destruction. Before they leave, they see visions of Samus Aran exploring the planet. They hope that she fulfills the prophecy and leave the planet.

Space Pirate Data
According to NTSC-version Space Pirate Data, Metroid Prime was discovered in a cavern by a mining crew. It quickly killed the miners, though was able to be contained by security units and drones. Studies were then conducted on the Metroid. They discovered that it is genetically similar to a Metroid, though much more "evolved". It has a limitless capacity for Phazon and is not affected by the substance. It never stops growing and has some psychotic behavior, likely due to the Phazon.

Metroid Prime was at one time kept in a stasis tank. There was a large batch of Phazon in the room it was in and, sensing it, destroyed its tank and consumed all the Phazon. It also managed to assimilate several weapons and defense systems from fallen security units and began using its new weapons against the Space Pirates. They were able to contain it though were not able to remove the equipment, making them an integral part of Metroid Prime's body.

Metroid Prime eventually managed to fully assimilate the equipment, granting it armor plating and powerful defense screens.

In the PAL-version of the game however, the Space Pirates on Tallon IV were merely aware of the presence of some creature within the containment field of the Cradle. They also detected it fed on Phazon.

Samus's arrival
When Samus arrived on Tallon IV, the planet was greatly corrupted by Phazon. She explored the planet, ridding it of its corrupted creatures and destroying the Space Pirate base. She eventually collected the twelve Chozo Artifacts and gained access to the Impact Crater, though had to dispose of Meta Ridley first.

Inside, instead of the normal blue Phazon seen throughout the planet, orange Phazon could be seen. Samus also found Fission Metroids, Metroids corrupted due to the high concentration of Phazon. As she progressed through the Impact Crater, she met Metroid Prime.

The battle
Samus's battle with Metroid Prime is the last in the game. Metroid Prime has two forms.

The first form is Metroid Prime with thick plating all around itself save for the eyes. It uses a shielding system where the color of its body indicates what beam is its weakness. The same can be said of the color of the beam it fires from its massive maw (which spans the bottom of its entire carapace.) Purple is the Wave Beam, white is the Ice Beam, red is the Plasma Beam, and yellow is the Power Beam. Samus must charge the beam required and fire it at Metroid Prime's eyes to damage it. Metroid Prime will retaliate by ramming Samus, which she can avoid by entering Morph Ball form. It will also attack with Ultra-frigid Breath, Multi-Missiles, Snare Beams, and Particle Wave Projectors. As Metroid Prime takes more damage, it retreats into deeper caverns. Eventually, it falls into a hole, with Samus following it.

When Samus lands, she finds Metroid Prime's plating has been cast off with Phazon oozing out of it. Metroid Prime flies out of the body in its second form, the core essence of Metroid Prime. Metroid Prime will use its tentacles to shoot waves of energy throughout the room which Samus must jump over to avoid and will spawn various Metroid species. Eventually, Metroid Prime will create small pools of Phazon. With the use of the Phazon Suit, Samus can stand on these pools and enter Hyper Mode. She can then fire Phazon at Metroid Prime by the use of the Phazon Beam, greatly damaging it. Eventually, it will completely destabilize. Once Samus has defeated Metroid Prime's second form, it morphs into an odd looking blob, similar to a Metroid or a Core-X from Metroid Fusion. Tentacles will come out of it and grab Samus. Despite Samus resisting, it takes her Phazon Suit and all other sources of Phazon in the general vicinity and explodes, causing the entire cavern to collapse with Samus barely escaping. Samus races to her gunship, observes Tallon IV in its destroyed state, and leaves the planet. The Hatchling has fulfilled the prophecy.

Dark Samus
Despite Samus killing Metroid Prime and causing the cavern to collapse on itself, it was reborn. With the absorption of the Phazon Suit and Samus's DNA, the Phazon that Prime left behind was able to reconstruct itself into a body similar to Samus's. It could now travel across space and was more powerful than it ever was before. It was dubbed "Dark Samus" (or, as the Space Pirates called it, the "Dark Hunter") due to the dark color of its suit and its malevolent nature.

Origins
Despite the Prime subseries being over, Metroid Prime's origins were never fully explained, although it is implied Metroid Prime is from Phaaze; a Space Pirate log describes Phaaze as Dark Samus' homeworld, and the two are one and the same. Near the Leviathan womb in Phaaze, a pair of long husks can be seen from underneath a wall. The Scan Visor describes them as "identical to the creature you encountered in the crater on Tallon IV". Whether they originated there or were brought by the Space Pirates is unknown. It is theorized they could be 'skins' of Metroid Prime, and that it sheds its skin like a snake, or that there were other Metroids corrupted to the level of Metroid Prime.

It is, however, clear that Metroid Prime was the creature chosen to guard Tallon IV's Leviathan's core. This raises the question of where the core went. Where the Metroid itself came from can't be stated for certain, either; while Tallon IV was inhabited by the Chozo, who created the Metroids, they abandoned most of their technology. The only other possibility is for a Metroid to have boarded the Leviathan as it was sent off from Phaaze, and the chances of a Metroid being there are incredibly slim.