Super mutant ( Fallout : New Vegas ) Mariposa super mutants or West Coast super mutants are a variety of super mutant living in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281 . Background . Super mutants were first created on the West Coast by Richard Grey , also known as " The Master " . He decided that he would have to force humanity to evolve beyond its innately destructive tendencies by turning them into super mutants . In 2162 , a person known to history only as the Vault Dweller destroyed the Master ' s mutant army by causing an explosion in the FEV vats at Mariposa , which collapsed the entire base , after which he proceeded to The Cathedral in the ruins of Los Angeles and killed the Master . In 2236 , the Enclave discovered the remnants of the Mariposa Base . Soon , Enclave assault squads combed the desert for slaves they could use to excavate the military base and get to the FEV vats . In 2237 the Enclave abandoned the site after mutations occurred among Enclave personnel and slaves exposed to the FEV remnants in the facility , causing a second generation of Mariposa super mutants to arise . By 2281 , some super mutants from both generations have established a community called the State of Utobitha in Black Mountain near New Vegas under the leadership of Tabitha . The smarter and more organized Master ' s Army remnants are in charge of the dumber second generation mutants . Some other , more peaceful mutants reside in Jacobstown , led by Marcus . Characteristics . Biology . Super mutants are mutated humans , products of infection by the Forced Evolutionary Virus ( FEV ) . The super mutants found in the Mojave Wasteland are of the variety that originated from the Mariposa Military Base in California . They are much taller , bulkier and muscular than pure strain humans , have ( mostly ) green , gray , or yellowish skin , are immune to disease and radiation , and are gifted with superhuman strength and endurance . Although they are completely sterile , the rapid regeneration of their cells caused by FEV makes them biologically immortal ( but not immune to death from injury ) . Average super mutants stand approximately 10 . 4 feet tall ( although they typically stand with hunched backs that reduce them to about 7 . 8 feet ) and weigh around 800 pounds , possibly even more . Their skin is extremely tough , and their muscle and bone structure are enhanced well beyond the normal human genetics . Super mutant intelligence varies greatly throughout super mutants . Though generally " lacking " in the mental aspect of life some super mutants retained some ( if not all ) of their intelligence from before they were changed into super mutants . Gameplay attributes . Super mutants often use heavy guns and melee weapons such as s and s . The melee variants rush the player after throwing their frag grenades and the ranged mutants will shoot at the player from a distance while they slowly advance , relying on their armor for protection . Some super mutants will have to aid them . All regular super mutants wear armor which gives them a Damage Threshold of 15 , equal to a suit of . Nightkin do not have any armor , but benefit from an innate 30 % Damage Resistance . Variants . Super mutant . The weakest of the three basic types of super mutant . These mutants attack by rushing the player if utilizing a melee weapon or standing in place shooting the player with a , relying on their superior health and armor for protection from attacks . Standard super mutants appear at lower levels , and will be replaced with brutes and masters at higher levels . Super mutant brute . Brutes are the mainstay powerhouses of the super mutant forces . They are typically armed with assault carbine s or incinerator s for ranged combat , or s and s for melee combat . They can be distinguished by their Trojan - like helmets and crude metal armor . A dead one can be found in the Ruby Hill Mine carrying various loot such as a multiplas rifle . Brutes appear at medium level , and will be replaced by Masters at high player levels . Super mutant master . The strongest mutant players will encounter . They use light machine gun s or s for long range combat and s for close range . They are distinguished from the other two types because they wear a black suit of full body armor and some sort of optical augmentation on their left eye . Masters appear at high levels wherever super mutants normally appear . Masters in Jacobstown speak clearly and show more intelligence than the standard super mutants around them . Nightkin . Blue mutants made from the most untainted humans , these dangerous creatures utilize to sneak up on their victims . They often prefer melee weapons such as the , rebar club s or the bumper sword though some can be seen using firearms . Their skin tone is deep purplish blue in color . Nightkin jailer . This nightkin jailer guards the makeshift jail area of REPCONN test site . The only is a dead ghoul , a friend of Harland . Nightkin master . Similar to a regular nightkin , these mutants have more health and utilize better equipment . Nightkin masters appear at medium and high level - unlike common Super Mutants , they do not have a brute variant . These masters usually carry around heavy weapons like light machine guns and miniguns . Nightkin sniper . A unique nightkin found patrolling a radio tower outside Tabitha ' s station carrying a . Upon death it will drop the unique missile launcher Annabelle . This nightkin may also use Annabelle against the player character which can be quite a challenge and almost fatal to players at a low level . Locations . Super mutants and nightkin are fairly rare in the Mojave Wasteland ; they will never be found wandering the wasteland at random , and will only be encountered in a few specific locations . Appearances . Super mutants appear in " " .