Albert Wesker

**Albert Wesker** is one of the main antagonists of the *Resident Evil* franchise. He is a power hungry, cunning and knowledgeable bioterrorist who sought power and domination over the entire Human race.

## History

### Background

Albert Wesker was born with superior intellectual genes. He and dozens of other children of his caliber was collected and raised as components of the Wesker Children project by the Umbrella Corporation and given the surname "Wesker". He showed particular promise over the other children, which pleased Umbrella's President, Oswell Edward Spencer. Spencer saw in Wesker the makings of what his children needed. Obviously not coincidentally, Wesker would eventually go into the service of the same company that molded him and become a close employee under the watchful eyes of Spencer, while unaware of Spencer's true intensions and his origins.

Wesker joined the Umbrella Corporation at the age of 17 and began working as one of it's researchers with William Birkin. In 1977, Wesker was assigned to the Umbrella Executive Training Center under Dr. James Marcus. Wesker befriends and becomes rivals with fellow trainee William, becoming colleagues and accomplices for years to come. Both Wesker and William were regarded by Marcus as his best apprentices and the only people he trusted. When the facility was closed down on July 29 1978, the two were personally transferred to the Arklay Laboratory, becoming the facility's chief researchers.

Upon their arrival at the laboratory, Wesker was handed a file from the facility's President regarding the Ebola Virus, which had been discovered two years earlier. The facility was, to the outside world, studying samples of the Ebola Virus in creating a vaccine; in fact, Umbrella was researching into it's impressive death-rate for usage in the experimental T-Virus, which has also been researched on in the facility.

Wesker and William's research of the T-Virus lasted over thirteen years and three different stages. In 1988, when the research reached it's third stage, Wesker and William were ordered by Spencer to assassinate their former mentor, Marcus, and steal all of his research. Shortly after, William yielded the discovery of the G-Virus in the body of Lisa Trevor, a long time test subject of Wesker and William at the Arklay facility. When Spencer approved his project in 1991, Wesker began having doubts about Spencer's intentions and requested a transfer to Umbrella's Intelligence Bureau that same year.

In 1996, Wesker joined the newly founded S.T.A.R.S. division of the Raccoon Police Department, where he worked as a double agent for Umbrella, giving them information on any police investigations. During this time in the division, he also took note of Chris Redfield's abilities.

### Resident Evil 0

Two years after the formation of S.T.A.R.S., a series of cannibal homocides were reported near the Arklay region. While the public feared these deaths were the work of a local cult, only Umbrella knew the truth. Wesker also forbade any outbound calls from the mansion, possibly to contain the disaster. In an effort to control the public outcry, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team was dispatched to the region to investigate the situation. Wesker used the time they were gone as an opportunity to gather battle data by pitting the members of S.T.A.R.S. against Umbrella's B.O.W.'s. In order to ensure that Bravo Team would be utilized as test subjects, he also arranged for their transport chopper's engine to be sabotaged.
At the same time, Wesker and William were ordered to reclaim the Umbrella Training Facility. They operated within a hidden control room within the training facility ordering the U.S.S. Delta Team to secure the out-of-control and contaminated Ecliptic Express, also ordering for the train to be destroyed in order to contain the infection. Unfortunately, the resurrected Marcus destroyed any chance of reclaiming it. To make matters worse, they weren't able to go through with destroying the train thanks to T-Virus infected leeches ambushing and wiping out the team before the train could reach the nearest relay point. Forced to destroy the facility, Wesker realized this to be the perfect opportunity to leave Umbrella to pursue his own personal interests. After destroying the failed escaped experiment; the T-001, Wesker encountered the Head of Umbrella's paramilitary organizations: Sergei Vladimir, who was Spencer's trusted colonel. He asked where Wesker was going, and Wesker simply said his next mission. Sergei reminded him that the reclaimation of the training center was his mission.

Wesker pointed out the T-Virus had escaped, infecting a great deal of the area. He told Sergei that his intent was to destroy the facility and dispose of it, as it was no further use. Sergei reminded Wesker that he wasn't in charge of Umbrella and cannot do as he pleases without his superiors' consent, unaware of his intentions to leave Umbrella, anyway. He then unleashed his bodyguard, an Ivan, against him in order to punish Wesker for his failure and as reminder of who was in control. Wesker saw the fight as a chance for some entertainment and battled the B.O.W..

Just as Ivan was about to attack again, an explosion occured in the training facility, above. Wesker gave a soft smile as the facility's charges detonated, and the blast caught Sergei and his Ivan off guard so they could shield themselves. This gave Wesker enough time to slip away and escape the defunct facility, prompting Sergei to say "I guess he didn't like his lesson". Wesker then prepared to dispatch the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team to the region.

### Resident Evil

By the following day, all contact with Bravo Team was lost and Wesker's Alpha Team was dispatched to the site. Upon arrival, Alpha Team was attacked by a loose Cerberus pack and then, abandoned by their pilot, Brad Vickers. After the loss of member Joseph Frost to the dogs, Wesker and the remaining members of Alpha Team sought refuge in the nearby mansion, where Wesker had previously worked. Initially ordering everyone to split up, Wesker disappeared and left the remaining members of Alpha Team to fend for themselves. During this time, he proceeded to dispose of any evidence being aligned with Umbrella, either in person, or by intimidating Barry Burton into aiding him in doing so. At least one of these incrinimating evidences was a final letter from one of the researchers, by tearing off the top portion of the letter.

Of the nine S.T.A.R.S. operatives who entered the mansion including Wesker himself, only four members of Alpha Team, along with Bravo Team's Enrico Marini, Richard Aiken and Rebecca Chambers managed to survive against the various creatures and B.O.W.'s that infested the facility. At some point, Wesker also encountered a monster in chains in the woods outside the mansion and proceed to request backup. In order to ensure the downfall of the other members, Wesker used extortion in order to convince Barry to do his bidding by threatening his family. When Enrico uncovered evidence that implicated Wesker and Umbrella, Wesker murdered Enrico. However, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine learn the truth about Wesker and then proceeded to foil his plot by destroying the T-002 Tyrant, along with the facility itself.
During the ensuing chaos, Wesker injected himself with a Prototype Virus given to him by his partner, William Birkin. Allowing the Tyrant to "kill him", the virus resusciated his body after the room became empty. This gave him superhuman strength, agility and regeneration, but at the severe cost of his Humanity. The mutation also gave him gold-red cat-like eyes. Wesker regained consciousness, while the remaining S.T.A.R.S. operatives believed the Tyrant killed him. After awakening, he realized the S.T.A.R.S. members had destroyed the Tyrant and safetly escaped. He then tried to steal the data from the laboratory and escape.

Wesker found that Sergei had downloaded the data to the U.M.F.-013 and the Red Queen had locked him from the mainframe system. He swore revenge against the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members, Sergei and the Red Queen. His plans foiled, Wesker resolved to escape the mansion before the self-destruct timer ended. He was forced to battle with the remaining B.O.W.'s on his way to the exit, and praised his new immense powers with his enemies were swept away with little effort. Wesker mused that he hoped Chris and Jill would live long enough for the three of them to have their "tear-filled reunion", laughing evilly at the thought of seeing them again. He also had to deal with Lisa Trevor, who first approached Wesker outside an elevator leading to the surface from the lab. After a long battle with Lisa, Wesker shot a chandelier above them loose, and lured Lisa under it. She was crushed as it fell, and Wesker escaped the mansion, quickly sprinting through the forest, trying to put much distance between him and the mansion before it exploded. When it finally did, taking Lisa with it, Wesker looked back at the burning rubble triumphantly.

### Resident Evil 2/3: Nemesis

With the combat and bio-weapon research he acquired from the mansion, Wesker was able to secure a high-ranking employment position within one of Umbrella's mysterious opposing organizations known as The 3rd Organization. Still holding the illusion of his death, Wesker avoided showing himself and instead took to being contact between spies and the opposing organization. When Raccoon City suffered a T-Virus outbreak, Wesker sent an agent named Ada Wong to retrieve the G-Virus sample in the possession of William's only daughter, Sherry Birkin, hidden within her pendant. Ada managed to retrieve the sample, much to Wesker and the opposing organization's pleasure.

### Resident Evil: CODE Veronica

After months of hiding in the shadows, Wesker and the Hive/Host Capture Force, a heavily armed assault force, attacked the Umbrella facility on Rockfort Island, intent on retrieving a sample of the T-Veronica Virus by one of Umbrella's chief researchers Alexia Ashford. The T-Virus was released in the process when armed conflict with Umbrella's guards took place.

The attack succeeded, especially when the T-Virus samples and captive B.O.W.'s in the laboratory section of the facility broke containment and contaminated the island. However, Wesker and his men failed to find the missing Alexia. During this time, he also encountered Claire Redfield, the sister of Chris. Although he did not anticipate her presence on the island, he was nonetheless glad she was since that mean't Chris's arrival to the island will be all but guaranteed to occur. After beating and humiliating her, Wesker left after receiving a call from his men, although not before proceeding to give a brief demonstration of his new abilities. Although he hoped to find Alexia before she awakened, he later discovered this scenario to no longer be possible after seeing a live feed of Alexia crading her then-recently deceased brother Alfred Ashford. However, he then noticed Chris's presence, and proceeded to send a "gift" his way: several Hunter II's being led by Seeker drones. Eventually, Wesker encountered Chris in person in one of the Tyrant labs, revealing his survival to Chris. With Chris deducing Wesker's role in the island attack, and by extension, his sister, Wesker then managed to send Chris flying with his new powers before strangling him, admitting his newfound hatred for his former subordinate for his role in thwarting his earlier plans during the Mansion Incident, and thus forcing him to "sell his soul" to a new organization. It is then revealed Wesker is already aware that Claire has gone to the Antarctic Base with Alexia, while cruelly remarking that she won't see Chris any time soon once he was through with him. However, before he could kill Chris, he noticed Alexia's image on the monitor laughing, forcing him to release Chris by throwing him into a tank containing a Bandersnatch hard enough to damage it's containment field. Afterwards, Wesker then went to the Antarctic Base, which also had suffered a T-Virus outbreak from infected Rockfort employees fleeing to the facility.

It was there Wesker encountered Claire again. Wesker failed to gain a sample of the virus from Alexia, especially when he tried to use his powers to force her to surrender one, only to be driven back by Alexia's own abilities. After being outmatched, Wesker left Chris to fight her on his own, and secured a sample of the virus from the retrieved corpse of Steve Burnside. The base started it's self-destruct sequence, but Wesker engaged in combat with Chris, eager to settle the score. Wesker quickly uses his immense strength and speed in gain dominance, with Chris refusing to allow Wesker an easy kill. Wesker was poised to deliver the finishing blow, only for an explosion, caused by the priming self-destruct, to knock a flaming pillar the two. Wesker, vowing Chris was lucky and next time they met he couldn't count on luck again, escaped the base as it began to crumble and explode around them. Wesker reached a submarine and sailed away. While the flaming pillar had badly burned Wesker's face, his burns healed sometime later due to his superhuman regenerative capabilities.

### Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles

Four years later, in the year 2002 Wesker was later contacted by the leader of the South American drug cartel called "Sacred Snakes", Javier Hidalgo. Apparently, a former Umbrella researcher supplied Javier with the T-Virus in an attempt to save his wife, Hilda Hidalgo, with diastrous results. As his daughter, Manuela Hidalgo, had also contracted the same illness as her mother, he requested Wesker's help. Wesker supplied him with the T-Veronica Virus in exchange for a large sum of money as well as a share in his dealings. He also gave him specific instructions to utilize the T-Veronica Virus, mirroring the samples created by Alexia. He later saw the rest of the mutated carcass of Javier from afar with his binoculars.

### Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

One year later in February 2003, Wesker was tracking down the Umbrella Russian branch plant. During this time, he had another encountered with Chris, after the latter managed to eliminate a Zombie-filled trap in a silo. As Wesker had more concerns to attend to, he didn't fight Chris, and fled through a hole caused by the fire, although not before revealing that the bioharzard outbreak was not his doing, but the result of an accident when accused. He then leaves Chris to fight some Hunter Deltas that were deployed. He then went to a house containing a safe, deducing that it had evidence that would confirm who was responsible for the outbreak. However, the pendant Anna on her, it's key, turned out to be a trap, catching Wesker in the explosion. He survived, and took out the Hunter Deltas effortlessly, also retrieving a disc he found elsewhere in the house.

Some time later, Wesker infiltrated the Umbrella Russian facility around the time that Chris and Jill arrived for the purpose to destroy T-A.L.O.S., Umbrella's final B.O.W., and bring Umbrella to justice, with Wesker having earlier anonymously sent the tip of T-A.L.O.S.'s development and it's location to have them act as an unwitting diversion while he himself confronts Sergei Vladimir. Upon infiltrating the facility, he proceeded to infect the plant, resulting in a major biohazard.

## Personality

Eventually due to his upbringing and Spencer's influence, Wesker's overall personality is that of a power hungry machiavellian. He has tended to observe the action from behind the scenes and then strike when the opportunity presents itself. He had also demonstrated to be perfectly willing to betray anyone who placed trust in him if it mean't accomplishing his goals. Besides his machiavellian nature, a large part of his motivation for his actions were an underlying suspicion about Spencer's motives, a suspicion that was "programmed" into him by Spencer as a means to have all the Wesker Children seek him out when they come of age. Shortly after learning the full truth about his existence from Spencer, Wesker also developed outright delusions of godhood. In addition, he also began to believe in a somewhat Darwinian aspect to Humanity, regarding only the strongest Humans actually being fit to survive.

## Abilities

Before injecting himself with the Prototype Virus that William gave to him, Wesker was a master of martial arts, and with his cold-blooded attitude Wesker showed no sign of fear and was able to defend himself from hords of monstrous creatures such as the Ivans, Lisa Trevor and Proto-Tyrant. In addition, he possessed a special blood type, which largely acted as the only reason he was the only one who survived being injected with foreign substances such as the Prototype Virus and later Uroboros, but also reap in all the benefits of the virus and none of the drawbacks. After being killed by the T-002, he revived due to the virus and was also granted with a number of superhuman physical abilities. Wesker demonstrated hyper-accelerated speed and reflexes, enhanced agility, intensified endurance, increased strength, limited healing factor and he often took great pleasure in showing off his power to intimidate opponents. These attributes gave him a number of advanced combat capabilities. The virus also had added the ability of superhuman endurance and near-invulnerability; hardening his skeleton, internal organs, tissue and skin, to the point that attempting to punch him or engage in hand-to-hand combat would most likely result in fractured limbs on the part of the attacker. His durability was such that he was able to not only survive being caught in the epicenter of an explosion, but apparently not have any ill effects afterwards.

Notable achievements of his superhuman speed, accelerated vision and agility included being capable of avoiding bullets at practically point blank range with barely any effort, being able to cover great distances in short time, adering to walls and ceilings like a spider, and performing short dashes of speed faster than a normal Human brain can process.
Some say that due the virus not changing his appearance although he is aging, and made him more intelligent. The virus, however, was also unstable, which also led him to utilize a specialized serum to keep the virus at bay at specific intervals. Ironically, his own serum was also his own greatest weakness, overdoses of the serum would cause him to be poisoned. The overdose of serum caused his vision to deteriorate and blur, his agility seemed to be slowed down slightly and blood veins pop out of his head, which also caused him to experience debilitating headaches. His recovering ability, however, remained intact, as demonstrated by his recovering from both being shot by Sheva and falling a great distance despite being poisoned by his own serum. His aim, while using his weapon, is also quite inhuman as shown when he shot a crane hook off from far away with just a handgun. He also had a high tolerance to pain, at least short of being overdosed by the serum.

Notable achievements of his increased strength included being able to lift large missiles with one hand and throwing them, lifting large steel girders off his body, lifting an adult Human off the ground with one hand without effort, thrusting straight through the chest of a person with his fingertips, punching an adult Human with enough force to shatter a stone door behind them and punching through a solid sheet steel missile.

The injection also gave Wesker a low-level rapid healing factor which, coupled with his incredible endurance, rendered him nearly invincible to conventional damage. A rocket exploding in his hands was only sufficient to stun him for a moment, and thousands of pounds of steel falling a few stories on top of him failed to even incapacitate him, merely dazing him for a few seconds, and despite having his face hideously burned, he quickly healed up. He also healed quickly after getting shot in the head by Sheva and falling a great distance out of a jet, and despite being overdosed by his serum.

After absorbing large amounts of Uroboros from a missile containing it he became even more resistant to damage, much stronger, increased regeneration, obtaining the use of the leeches, and finally, a higher jumping ability. In addition, despite Uroboros' weakness to extreme heat, Wesker himself seemed to have some degree of resistance to being partially submerged in lava, as evidenced by his using Uroboros to try and crash the BSAA chopper in his final moments, as well as apparently not entering combustion from direct contact with the lava.

With these powers, Wesker mainly did not require weaponry other than his brute strength during combat, combined with a sufficient strategy and some meticulous observation. However, he did keep his handgun holstered at all times, and was known to never let his guard down, even outside the battlefield.