Bioweapon

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“	Life, no matter what form it takes as it's born into this often cruel universe, should not be tampered with...	„
—Samus Aran, on Adam's philosophy against bioweapons.

Metroids have been exploited (often unsuccessfully) as bioweapons by multiple factions.

"Bioweapon" is a term used to describe living organisms - captured or created - for utilisation in battle or warfare. Bioweapons are often augmented, either through cybernetic enhancement or as a result of genetic alteration or mutation. According to Samus Aran and Adam Malkovich, the use of bioweapons is unethical as well as illegal, at least within the Galactic Federation.

The BOTTLE SHIP incident

“	This BOTTLE SHIP is under management of the Galactic Federation. In these facilities, life-forms from each planet have been raised and researched as possible bioweapons. Site Manager and Development Director: Dr. Madeline Bergman.	„
—Maurice Favreau, reading from a recovered file in the Exam Center.

In its later days, the Galactic Federation had a history of using bioweapons, initially gathering species from various planets to create a special-forces unit modeled after the Space Pirate Zebesians on the BOTTLE SHIP. This eventually led to the creation of Metroids, which were cloned to be used as weapons from fragments of DNA found on Samus Aran's Power Suit after her mission on planet Zebes. However, these experiments were done in secret, and as such was not supported by the majority of the Federation, but rather a "small group" that used a report written by Adam Malkovich as the basis for their operations.

When the secretive part of the Federation discovered how successful their Metroid cloning operation had become, they decided to "delete" the majority of the facility, in favour of the area where the Metroids were being propagated; Sector Zero. Unfortunately for them, the chairman of the Galactic Federation had plans to send a squadron to the BOTTLE SHIP investigating a distress signal emanating from there. It was then decided that they would place a mole amongst the squadron to prevent the others from finding out about the true nature of the facility, and kill any remaining survivors. This "Deleter" would also remove any traces of the previous plan to create a force modeled on that of the Space Pirates. Another complication soon presented itself though; the Bounty Hunter Samus Aran had also responded to the distress signal, threatening the Deleter's mission, making her another target. Samus was successful in discovering the true nature of the Federation's plans, however, and along with Anthony Higgs and Adam Malkovich's sacrifice, put an end to the Federation's plot to turn Metroids into a force of power.

The Biologic Space Laboratories research station incident

Sometime after the BOTTLE SHIP incident, several specimens from the BOTTLE SHIP were transported to another research station; the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. There, the Biological Space Laboratories team recreated the SR388 life system to research the different creatures in each habitat. Unlike the BOTTLE SHIP, however, the BSL station's main purpose was (supposedly) to observe and research on fauna and flora instead of making bioweapons out of them.

Samus Aran was employed to protect researchers on SR388 sent to look for samples. Unfortunately, Samus became host to an unknown creature which attacked her on the planet. It was only later that the scientists discovered that she was infected with a deadly, destructive parasite that killed its victims, then reformed themselves in their image and absorbed both their DNA and intelligence.

Samus Aran was cured later, and shortly afterward, an outbreak occurred on the BSL. Samus was sent to investigate. While there, she learned that the station was carrying a few bioweapon remnants from the BOTTLE SHIP, as specimens such as Ridley's clone and Nightmare that she'd previously seen there were present here. Also, she learned that Metroids were being propagated once again but this time, according to her ship's computer, were created for "peaceful" applications, most likely based on the baby's life-saving properties.

Around this time, the Galactic Federation took extreme interest in the X Parasites, assuming they had "limitless" potential, and were possibly planning to use the parasites as bioweapons or another sinister application. Samus, knowing their deadly characteristics, objected, as the entire universe would succumb to the parasites if they were ever able to overwhelm the people attempting to use them, resulting in a breakout. Therefore, she ultimately decided to blow up the BSL station and collide it with SR388, eliminating the X threat on both the station and the planet. She succeeded in destroying all three, although the consequences of her actions have not yet been revealed.

Space Pirate bioweapons

The Parasite Queen

Space Pirates, who seemingly have no regard for any laws but their own, have no objections to using bioweapons. In fact, they frequently enslave other species for their plans. One example is the Preed, thought to be a cybernetically enhanced species of Puffer, bred to patrol areas of importance for the Pirates.

The Pirates also experimented with Phazon, forcibly infusing it with many other species in attempts to create powerful weapons for battle. The Parasite Queen was a notable bioweapon experiment by the Pirates, created through exposure to Phazon radiation.

The Korakk Beast could be considered another species of bioweapon used by the Pirates. Encountered on Bryyo, special Pirate Hussars rode Korakks as steeds in battle.

Chozo bioweapons

The Chozo use Metroids to combat the X.

Faced with the grave threat represented by X Parasites of SR388, the Chozo civilization created the Metroids with the intention of using them as a means of controlling the parasites' spread, not using them for violence. In the Chozo Memories of Metroid: Samus Returns, the Chozo were able to work alongside Metroid larvae, which were subservient and/or loyal to their creators, allowing them to successfully contain the X.

However it is implied that the exposure of Aeion energy in the environment caused the Metroids to mature into their higher forms, which apparently caused them to become more aggressive turning on their creators. Unable to control the Metroids, the Chozo decided to lock them in stasis along with all other native lifeforms using a purple liquid which would also harm any non-native species and even those wearing Chozo Power Suit technology. The liquid could only be drained by Chozo Seals which required Metroid DNA to open, forcing anyone who wished to descend further to exterminate the local Metroids. However, after sealing most of the more dangerous Metroids, the Chozo overseers were killed by a group of Chozo soldiers for unknown reasons, indicating that they may have been killed to keep the existence of the Metroids a secret, or the soldiers sought to use them as bioweapons much like the Space Pirates and ringleaders.

While Metroids were known as a threat to the Federation, they hired Samus Aran to eliminate them. Eventually, the Federation and the Space Pirates attempted to control the Metroids for their own purposes. It is implied in the manual for Metroid Fusion that the Federation eventually realized the true nature of the Metroids once the existence of the X parasites was discovered. Ironically the Federation and Space Pirates both would attempt to use the Metroids as bioweapons only for these efforts to be foiled by Samus.

Alimbic bioweapons

Recovered Lore from the lost Alimbic race indicates that they, too deployed bioweapons to defend their territory from some unknown threat. Although signs of bioweapons development remain in Alimbic installations such as the Vesper Defense Outpost, all Alimbic security systems encountered in their ruins seem entirely mechanical. However, it is possible that some or all of those security devices are in fact partially biological in nature, or that the aggressive "wild" animals populating many of the sites may in fact be bioweapons of a more conventional sort.

Enoema bioweapons

The Enoema Living Weapons project attempted to develop an emotionless supersoldier; this resulted in the creation of Kanden. However, the mental encoding process went wrong, leaving Kanden extremely powerful but also insane, causing him to destroy the laboratory and kill the scientists before departing into space and becoming a bounty hunter. Kanden's Volt Driver and Stinglarva Alt-Form were also a result of the project's bioweapons research.