Samus-Adam Relationship

The relationship between Samus Aran and Adam Malkovich is a recurring subject in the Metroid series. It is an especially important element to the plots of Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Other M. The details of Samus and Adam's relationship have varied between the English and Japanese localizations of the Metroid series.
==History==
=== Metroid Fusion ===
Samus and Adam's relationship is first mentioned in Metroid Fusion. After Samus Aran is saved from X Parasites by the Galactic Federation, they grant her a new Starship for a mission to the BSL station, on the condition that she follows the orders of a Federation-made artificial intelligence loaded onto the ship's computer. Samus initially describes its personality as "blunt," and the arrangement reminds her of her only other commanding officer, Adam Malkovich, from her days in the Galactic Federation Army.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: "Following the commands of this blunt, computerized CO is something I have to bear, as it was a condition of my taking the ship. For someone who dislikes taking orders, this is the second time I've found myself having to do so. It makes me recall my other CO..."(February 14, 2003). Metroid Fusion (JP). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: (translated) "All my actions on the BSL seem to be managed by the Starship's computer. The Federation has provided me with a new Starship, on the condition that I obey this blunt commander. I don't like being told what to do by others, but this is my second time working under a commander. When I realized this, I was suddenly reminded of a certain person’s name..."
Samus takes orders from the stern computer in Navigation Rooms. Shortly before obtaining Missiles, Samus reminisces on Adam. She sees him as a brilliant commander with a cold-hearted devotion to duty, but undeniable tactical genius. She notes that he called her "Lady" - in the English version, she states that he made the nickname sound dignified, while in the Japanese version, she admits that the nickname bothered her but she still respected him.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: "That computer reminds me of a gruff Federation CO I served under named Adam Malkovich. He called me "Lady" on missions; from anyone else, it would've sounded sarcastic, but Adam made it sound dignified. Out of respect and with some irony, I named the computer after him."(February 14, 2003). Metroid Fusion (JP). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: (translated) "The computer's tone reminds me of a certain person: Adam Malkovich. He was a brilliant Federation Army commander I'd served under previously. His judgments were cold and focused on the mission, but his decisions were always quick and correct. Somewhat tactlessly, he used to call me "Lady," which was a bit irritating... but I decided to call the computer "Adam" with great respect and a touch of irony."
After first visiting Sector 1 (SRX), Samus compares the computer "Adam" to the real Adam. She recalls that Adam understood her well, and she trusted him greatly. She considers the line "Any objections, Lady?" used by Adam at the end of briefings, noting that he already knew they were in agreement and it was moreso a recognition of their shared trust. She wonders what her relationship with this computer will be like, and if she will be able to trust it like the real Adam.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: "As I listened to the briefing, my thoughts turned to Adam. The real Adam understood me well. He would end orders by saying, "Any objections, Lady?" He knew I wouldn't disagree. That was just his way of noting our trust. I wonder if I can trust this computer, too..."(February 14, 2003). Metroid Fusion (JP). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: (translated) "While listening to the computer's briefing, I recalled Adam again. In reality, Adam was someone who understood me well. I trusted him, too. "Any objections, lady?" was the phrase Adam always added at the end of his orders. He uttered these words knowing full well that I would always agree, and they symbolized the trust we shared. I wonder what kind of relationship I will build with this Adam-like computer..."
The two cooperate efficiently until Samus lifts Level 4 security to download the Diffusion Missiles without its approval, bothering the computer.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Adam: "You upgraded your missiles? That's unusual... There was no word from HQ. A procedural error, I'm sure... Even so, I did not approve of bypassing security Level 4. From now on you will use more discretion." Shortly afterwards, the computer orders Samus to exit Sector 6 (NOC) immediately to avoid the SA-X.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Adam: "The Security Robot seems to have gotten much stronger. This worries me. Be careful. But we have another problem. Once you're done, leave NOC immediately. The SA-X is tracking you." Instead, Samus stumbles upon the Metroids in the Restricted Laboratory and jettisons them. The computer warns Samus that she will face consequences from the Galactic Federation for destroying the Metroids, and reveals it hasn't told her of at least 10 SA-X copies aboard the BSL. It orders her to immediately return to her Starship and leave. This shatters any trust Samus had in the computer. She compares it unfavorably to Adam, claiming that while he would have given a similar scolding, he would have failed to hide his inner kindness and softened the blow. In the Japanese version, Samus vows to never again accept the computer's orders, even if it says "Any objections, Lady?" as Adam did.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: "The real Adam would have said the same thing about that incident, but he would have softened the blow. He was relentless in his criticism, but he always cared... He was not a machine obsessed with duty. No such compassion could exist in that computer..."(February 14, 2003). Metroid Fusion (JP). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: (translated) "The real Adam would probably have said the same thing about my mistake. But he would have said something to show his concern for me first. He would have acted as if he didn't want me to see the kindness hidden in his expressionless eyes. He was not a machine-like person, only faithful to the mission. "Any objections, lady?" Even if that computer had said those words, I would never nod my head..."
After Samus destroys Neo-Ridley, the computer locks her in a Navigation Room, planning to hold her there until the Galactic Federation arrives. Samus rejects the Federation's foolish plot to use the X as bioweapons and demands the computer to open the hatch, accidentally calling it "Adam" aloud. When questioned, she explains that Adam was an old friend, and that he would have agreed with her plan to self-destruct the BSL, as he once sacrificed himself for Samus long ago. The computer ridicules this perception of Adam, infuriating Samus. It states that Samus perishing on the BSL would be foolish, as she would be removed as an obstacle to the Federation's dark plans; instead, it suggests altering the station to crash into SR388 and destroy the X on the planet too. Samus is shocked by the computer's about-face. It then unlocks the hatch and orders her to the Operations Room, ending with "Any objections, Lady?" to confirm its connection to Adam.(November 17, 2002). Metroid Fusion (NTSC). GameBoy Advance. Nintendo. Samus: "Don't let them do this. Can't you see what will happen, Adam?" Adam: "...Adam?" Samus: "........." Adam: "...Who is Adam?" Samus: "...A friend of mine." Adam: "And what would this... friend advise you to do now?" Samus: "He would know that the only way to end this is to start the self-destruct cycle. He'd know how important it is…" Adam: "Did this "Adam" care for you? Would he sit in a safe Command Room and order you to die?" Samus: "He would understand that some must live and some must die... He knew what it meant. He made that sacrifice once." Adam: "So, he chose life for you? Our fair warrior, Samus Aran... Your Adam gave his life so that you might keep yours... For the sake of the universe…" Samus: "........." Adam: "How foolish." Samus: "How dare you! How could you hope to understand, machine?" Adam: "You know that detonating this station in high orbit would not guarantee the complete extinction of the X parasites, even though the station would be utterly destroyed... You would only succeed in removing the one obstacle to the galaxy's ruin… yourself. You would ignore this simple fact and choose death. When Adam decided who would live, he chose incorrectly." Samus: "...!" Adam: "...If you were to alter the station's orbit, then you might be able to include the planet in the vaporization field of the self-destruct detonation." Samus: "...?" Adam: "You would have to start the propulsion sequence now. Before the Federation arrives. Samus, this is your last mission. Go to the Operations Room and adjust the station's orbit path to intercept SR388. Then return to your ship and escape. Move quickly, and stay alive. That's an order! Any objections, Lady?"
Upon sabotaging the BSL and escaping, Samus realizes that the Federation must have based the computer on the mind of Adam Malkovich. The computer Adam then reassures her concerns over the BSL scandal, stating that at least one Federation official must understand their choice - Samus accepts this, learning from her adventure with Adam that individual perspectives are shaped by personal experiences.
===Metroid: Other M===
As a prequel to Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Other M further explores Samus and Adam's relationship, depicting Adam in-person in a video game for the first time. On the BOTTLE SHIP, Samus runs into the 07th Platoon but is coldly watched from afar by Adam. Samus recalls that she resigned from service under Adam in the Federation Army due to a disagreement involving a certain incident. Adam then questions her presence and refuses to divulge their mission to an outsider; in the English version, Samus says the rejection "pierced her heart", while in Japanese, she only says it "stung slightly." When Samus opens a Red Blast Shield the unit was struggling with, Adam glares at her. She elects to stay on the BOTTLE SHIP despite Adam's cold shoulder.
Samus offers Adam her help, only to be interrupted by the Brug Mass. In the battle, Adam asks Samus to back them up with her Missiles, and together they defeat the creature. Afterwards, Adam accepts her help under the condition that she will follow his commands and restrict her equipment until he authorizes it. Samus reminisces about Adam's past briefings, including the phrase "Any objections, Lady?" and her accompanying thumbs-down. Her feelings about this exchange differ in the English and Japanese versions - in English, she is secretly touched that Adam used the nickname "Lady" to acknowledge her troubled past, while in Japanese, she is truly bothered by the nickname as it made her feel weak and vulnerable (read here for more details). Nevertheless, she insists that she did not resent Adam over it, calling her behavior "childish" and regretting her dramatic departure. After the briefing, Samus assures Adam that she has no objections.
As Samus is the only one with functioning communications, Adam observes Samus' actions and infrequently directs her through the BOTTLE SHIP. He authorizes equipment as need be, and she loyally obeys his orders. When Samus discovers the Federation Army's bioweapon projects in the Exam Center, she immediately concludes that Adam was not involved, as she knows he is vehemently opposed to any exploitation of living things. Realizing that she once defied this principle by bringing the Baby Metroid to the Ceres Space Colony, Samus briefly wonders if her choice impacted Adam's perception of her.
After Samus faces the Mystery Creature, Adam orders her to follow it to the Pyrosphere. Once there, Adam warns her to limit exploration to areas she can access using her current equipment, not intending to authorize more until they have a better grasp of the situation. Despite this instruction, Samus risks entering super-heated areas until she is cornered by the Goyagma, forcing Adam to authorize her Varia Feature. Adam's warning is less clear in the English version.
Adam next contacts Samus after she meets MB and learns of the traitorous Deleter, ordering her to hunt the Mystery Creature again. She saves Anthony Higgs along the way, who asks Samus how she feels working with Adam again - in the Japanese version, he outright asks if she has forgiven him. This triggers a flashback to the incident that drove Samus away from Adam years ago: the death of Ian Malkovich aboard the Lusitania. Back then, Samus believed she could have saved Ian and was furious with Adam for not allowing her to risk her life trying. Now, she shares with Anthony her regrets - in the English version, she regrets complicating Adam's already difficult decision, while in Japanese, she regrets blaming Adam for a situation that was ultimately out of his control. Samus believes that even now she would not have acted differently, and would still cling to any glimmer of hope that she could do the impossible.
When Samus and Anthony are ambushed by the matured Ridley, Adam orders her to destroy the magma-eruption port to illuminate the shadows. Upon seeing Ridley, Samus goes into shock. Adam calls out, telling her to use the Plasma Beam, but is suddenly attacked by the Deleter, unknown to Samus. She is eventually able to overcome Ridley and forces him to retreat, now left isolated from Adam. She acknowledges Adam's ability to defend himself from the Deleter, but grows frustrated with his radio silence, and finds her patience with him waning.
Samus follows the Deleter to the Bioweapons Research Center, spitefully activating her Space Jump and Screw Attack without Adam's authorization. Emotionally vulnerable, Samus believes MB's lie that Adam was the one who signed off on a report that led to Project Metroid Warriors in the first place, despite her knowledge that he opposes bioweapons. Samus bitterly heads to Sector Zero to destroy the Metroids.
At Sector Zero's entrance, Samus suddenly meets an infant unfreezable Metroid, and both she and it are shot in the back by Adam's Freeze Gun. Samus angrily questions Adam, and he explains that he had to stop her from entering Sector Zero, where she would be helpless against the mature unfreezable Metroids. When she asks about his report, he clarifies that he wrote it against Metroid bioweapons and was co-opted by the wrong crowd. Adam then gives her several final orders - stop the BOTTLE SHIP's engines, secure the survivor in Room MW, and kill Ridley - before moving to sacrifice himself to destroy Sector Zero. Samus pleads with Adam to let her try destroying the Metroids instead, echoing her pleas to try to save Ian; in response, Adam reveals that he does not see himself as a galactic hero, valuing Samus' life over his own, and clarifies that he has entrusted her to complete the rest of the mission and save the day without him. In the Japanese dub, as Samus bangs on the doors and calls after Adam, she can be heard loudly weeping. As the doors lock behind him, Adam says "Any objections, Lady?" like old times, leaving Samus to respond with a tearful thumbs-down as she accepts his final mission. Samus reflects on Adam's departure from her life, realizing that the trust that he placed in her was his last gift, so she can complete the mission with an unclouded mind.
Samus goes on to complete Adam's final tasks, locating Madeline Bergman and stopping MB's plans with the help of Anthony. As she returns to Galactic Federation Headquarters, Samus questions Adam's choice and says that "the cost was far too great." However, she later admits that he made the right decision as he had with Ian years ago. She swears to take strength from his sacrifice rather than to grieve, and finds comfort in re-connecting with Anthony, another old comrade.
Days later, Samus returns to the BOTTLE SHIP before its scheduled demolition, searching for an object that she described as irreplaceable: Adam's helmet. Disabling her Power Suit, she had a tender moment with the helmet and embraced it, seemingly breaking her vow not to grieve. The Countdown activated and Samus escaped in her Zero Suit before the BOTTLE SHIP was destroyed. Aboard her Gunship, she apologized to Adam (via his helmet) for keeping him waiting. What became of the helmet was unknown.
=== Metroid Dread===
Samus and Adam's relationship continues in Metroid Dread, a sequel to Metroid Fusion. The starship's computer, now called ADAM, continues to offer support to Samus. He shows dissatisfaction with the low bounty Samus accepts for the ZDR mission, aware of her fervent dedication to eradicating the X, and calls her "Lady" as usual. He advises her to find a way to contact him from the depths of ZDR as soon as possible.
Samus was shown to be knowledgeable enough about Adam to realize late in the game that Adam was being impersonated by Raven Beak since their first encounter, as "Adam" told her to contribute to Galactic Peace even with her new Metroid status after using her new Metroid powers "correctly", something the real Adam would never tell her to do.
==Thumbs-up/down sign==
Samus met Adam when she joined the Galactic Federation Army. Adam joked with her after his briefings by asking "Any objections, Lady?" as she was the only female under his command. To signal that one understood the mission orders of their commander, a thumbs-up sign. Samus developed a reputation for giving a thumbs-down which told Adam that while she understood the mission orders, she would not be derided by him calling her a lady. In Fusion, she said that the phrase was a way of denoting their trust.
As Adam left for Sector Zero, he turned and asked a weakened Samus, "No objections, right Lady?" She responded with a bitter thumbs-down. Following the death of MB, at the Galactic Federation Headquarters, she gave him a thumbs-up for the first time "just in case he was watching over me." Anthony appeared, giving a thumbs-down at her. Samus, having previously stated in a soliloquy that only Adam understood her, realized that Anthony now understood her as well.
==Trivia== 
*Elements of the relationship, owing to Other M being designed for a more Japanese audience than usual in an attempt to increase the number of Japanese fans, was taken from various elements of Japanese and East Asian culture. In particular, filial piety was used for the scenes where a large part of Adam's coldness to Samus was because of her leaving the military, and to a certain extent the similarly-controversial Authorization mechanic in the game (in Japan, a soldier is expected to absolutely obey their commanding officer's orders without question and not do anything without the CO's explicit authorization under the basis of having absolute trust in authority. On that note, walking out on their CO for any reason is considered inexcusable in Japan.). Also, several of Samus's decisions are emphasized as being due to thinking that's what Adam wanted rather than what she personally believes (the latter barely gave any focus in the story), which had a basis on the Japanese virtue of "enryo" or the suppression of self.
*Nate Bihldorf from Nintendo of America implied that the backstory between Samus and Adam was likely written, or at least envisioned, by Yoshio Sakamoto by the time Fusion was released."The backstory between her and Adam was probably written — or at least roughed out in Sakamoto-san's head — around when Fusion came out. That game only touched on their history, but you actually got a lot of meaty story out of those cutscenes. You only got hints, but you got the sense that, a.) They were close and had a unique relationship, and b.) Something dramatic happened and there was some fiction there. There clearly was a lot of backstory there that was laid out in the creator's head that was only touched upon in Fusion. A lot of those things are really being drawn together for Other M." https://venturebeat.com/community/2010/03/05/metroid-other-m-humanizing-samus-aran/
*The Samus-Adam relationship was referenced twice in Adam's spirit battle and to a lesser extent Young Samus's spirit battle in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where the player has to defeat puppet fighters composed of Snake and Zero Suit Samus, with the former instance having Snake carrying Adam's spirit and the latter instance having Zero Suit Samus carrying Young Samus's spirit. Coincidentally, Snake, or more accurately his father Big Boss, had a similar relationship to The Boss that Samus and Adam had in Snake Eater.
*Jessica Martin (the English voice of Samus in Other M), in a 2019 tweet expressing her gratitude for the Metroid fan community, used three thumbs-down emojis in reference to Samus's practice with Adam.Martin, Jessica Erin (jessicaemartin). "To this day I am so heckin grateful and heart warmed by the Metroid fans and community. 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻♥️" 15 Mar 2019 10:25 p.m. Tweet.
==Gallery==
Samus leaves Adam.png|Samus leaves the Federation in a flashback, walking past Adam.
Ian Malkovich.png|Adam caught in the background of a photo of Samus and Ian.
Zero Suit Samus and Adam 3.png|Samus pleads with Adam.
Samus and Adam separated.png|Samus gives her last thumbs-down to Adam.
Zero Suit Samus Adam Helmet.png|Samus holds the late Adam's helmet.
==References==
Category:Samus Aran
Category:Miscellaneous
Category:Criticism of Metroid: Other M