Phazon
From Yb Timeline
"A meteor came, casting a dark shadow of debris over the land with the violence of its impact. Though we perceived this from beyond space and time, it was but a curiosity: a brief flare in the universe. But the meteor brought with it corruption. A Great Poison burst forth into the land, clawing at life with such violence that we were ripped from our peaceful state and find ourselves wandering as shadows of the mortal forms we left behind, searching for why we are here."
-Chozo Lore "Meteor Strike" (Metroid Prime)
| Phazon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Facts | |
| Homeworld | Phaaze |
| Elemental Composition | Unknown |
| Atomic Weight | 99.75 |
| Functions | Power Source, Mutagen, Weapon, Alloy |
| Variant Strains | |
| |
Phazon is a semi-organic radioactive ore with high mutagenic properties from the planet of Phaaze. Phazon is self-replicating, and is able to break down organic and inorganic matter into a form that best suits the spread of Phazon. In most species, the substances high radioactive output causes immediate fatality and those that can withstand it are subject to mutations and a breakdown of conscious function (known as Phazon Madness). It is debated on whether or not Phazon is sentient, though there exists a Prime Unit that controls the growth and spread of Phazon, and the collective consciousness of the planet Phaaze was considered to have reacted the state of sentience. As such, Phazon is considered to be a semi-sentient organism.
Phazon is best known for the crisis it caused in the early to mid 2000s, where its rate of reproduction threatened to overtake the Salnos, Cremia and Starlight Galaxies. Phazon as a threat was destroyed after its first Prime Unit was killed and Phaaze was destroyed, and the substance being destroyed completely when the last Leviathan Seed was destroyed on Chronis.
Contents |
History
Origins
Phazon evolved in the planet today known as Phaaze. Phaaze was bombarded with radiation from a nearby Wolf–Rayet star millions of years ago and wracked with constant ion storms, which prevented the development of very little in the way of sentient life. However, a basic organic substance eventually did begin to evolve on the planet, not only surviving the high energy output of the planet, but feeding off of it.
At an unknown point several million years later the planet of Phaaze consisted 70% of Phazon. The entire crust and most of the mantle had dissolved in order to facilitate the spread of the substance. A Phazon based ecosystem began to evolve on the planet, with creatures consisting of the substance roaming the surface. Eventually one creature had evolved enough to allow for space travel, a primitive supermassive beast known as the Protoleviathan. These were ejected from Phaaze and wandered the orbit of the planet, sometimes wandering out of orbit but usually dying years later.
Whether by evolutionary luck or the design of a sentient consciousness, the Protoleviathan had tapped into the latent energy properties of Phazon and evolved the ability to open wormholes that to small "dark world" pocket dimensions. At this point, the Protolevithian had evolved into a rocky creature with a large core of solid Phazon that was wrapped in a sort of womb, giving it the tools it needed to reform Phaaze on other planets. These creatures were known as the modern Leviathans, or Phazon Seeds, and would facilitate the spread of Phazon over the Salanos Galaxy.
It is unknown how many Leviathans managed to reach their targets over the next several thousand years. The Galactic Order of Diaban reported several supermassive husks that match the description of Leviathans, though with the Phazon cores long dead. Many state that possibility that Phazon had infected other planets, but after the biosphere and geologic structure of the planet were broken down the Phazon died off, unable to recreate another Phaaze without a high energy output.
Somewhere near this time, the Phazon cores began to develop a defense mechanism known as the Guardian Unit, which would involve taking a native creature and mutating it into a being that would defend the core. Later, this defense mechanism would give rise to the Prime Unit, who would act as a central sentience directing the growth of Phazon.
It is estimated around 1100, Phaaze's natural defense mechanisms had become so complex that it was determined to be a sentient planet, with Phazon having a semi-sentient consciousness behind it.
Spread and Contact
In 1950, two confirmed Phazon impacts occurred, one on the planet of Tallon IV and one on the planet of Aether. It is unknown which impact occurred first.
The Tallon IV impact was met with resistance by the Chozo, who had returned after their exodus to defend a planet they deemed as holy ground. They began to construct a temple to imprison the Leviathan and prevent it from corrupting the ecosystem, but the proximity began to drive the Chozo workers insane. The temple was constructed and sealed with several key artifacts, which stalled the spread of Phazon. However, the infected Chozo's bodies decayed, and their psychic essences were driven to mad hostility, creating what was known as Chozo Ghosts.
On Aether, the impact was far more severe. When the seed opened a "dark world" wormhole too close to the atmosphere of the planet, Aether was split into two separate worlds, one in the standard reality and one in a Phazon corrupted world. The presence of this dark world caused the world to be hit with immense psychic storms and destroyed much of the ecosystem. The Luminoth civilization attempted to research ways to combat the effects, but was met with a race of creatures that were created in the dark world, known as the Ing. What followed was a five decade long war, resulting in the Luminoth putting themselves in suspended animation in hopes of preserving their race.
Contact was then made by the Space Pirates, who were looking for an edge in their fight against the Galactic Federation after their Metroid operations on Zebes had fallen apart. They located a strange energy signature on Tallon IV, and investigated, discovering Phazon. They first attempted to set up a base in the Chozo ruins, but were pushed back by the Chozo Ghosts and wildlife, then settling closer to the impact site. They tunneled through the ruins, creating a Phazon mine where they could harvest the material.
They then began running tests on various species, seeing if the mutations could produce any viable results. Initial tests on Space Pirates were failures, resulting in fatalities. Aboard the nearby Frigate Orpheon successful tests were made on the Tallon Parasites that inhabited the planet, creating a strain of creatures known as the Parasite Queens. The Space Pirates then shipped in their stock of Metroids to begin testing.
Testing on Space Pirates began to show promise, with their Project Helix creating beings known as Elite Pirates. Metroids were experimented on, giving rise to the Hunter strain of the parasite. Later escaped experiments would evolve into Fission Metroids.
Meanwhile, the Phazon Core had mutated a Metroid bioform as its guardian. However, after years in containment the creature continued to evolve, eventually absorbing the core and becoming a sentient harbinger of Phazon. This became the first Prime Unit, known as Metroid Prime. The Prime unit would be a sentient guide for the expansion of Phazon, however, it was sealed behind the temple the Chozo had erected.
After the Space Pirates were destroyed on Zebes, Samus Aran was sent to destroy their operations on Tallon IV, first discovering the experiments on the Frigate Orpheon. Upon exploring the planet, she discovered Phazon and the Space Pirate's use of it, killing all of their Metroid test subjects and Elite Pirates. When she killed the final Omega Pirate, her suit became corrupted with Phazon, allowing her to move through the common Blue Phazon unharmed. She then unlocked the temple housing Metroid Prime, and after a long battle destroyed the beast, ending the spread of Phazon on Tallon IV.
However, before it was destroyed Metroid Prime took the genetic material of Samus and the Phazon corrupted parts of her suit. Using a final batch of Phazon, it rebirthed itself in a new form, known as Dark Samus. Dark Samus left Tallon IV, with the directive of spreading Phazon further.
Several years later Dark Samus would go to Aether and attempt to gain more power from the Phazon in its second dimension. Meanwhile a Federation Marine squadron landed on the planet in pursuit of the Space Pirates, who had set up a base there to investigate any Luminoth technology left behind. The Federation forces were killed by the Ing, and Dark Samus would raid the Space Pirate base in search of Phazon and Metroids to consume. The disappearance sparked Samus Aran to once again investigate, when she came across a Luminoth who informed her of the long war against the Ing. Samus fought a campaign across both dimensions, beating Dark Samus four times and killing the central Emperor Ing. She used Luminoth technology to destroy the dark world, destroying the seed and ending the Phazon threat to the planet.
In the wake of this, the Federation began to realize the threat Phazon held to the universe, as well as its value. They sent research teams to gather what Phazon the Space Pirates had mined. The last surviving Pirates took a frigate known as the Colossus that held a great quantity of the substance, as well as the remains of Dark Samus. At this time, Dark Samus reformed itself and gained control of the crew of the ship and started a mutany among the crew. After the remaining loyalists were killed, Dark Samus guided the Colossus toward Phaaze. The creature then obtained a Levithian Seed, and sent it at the Space Pirate world of Urtraghus.
What followed was a brief period of civil war between the loyalist Space Pirates and those corrupted by Dark Samus's influence. However, infused with the power of Phazon, Dark Samus's followers quickly overpowered the planet and gained control of Urtraghus's defensive fleet.
Threats in the Starlight
With Dark Samus now the supreme Prime Unit, all control of Phazon was granted to it. It began to prepare for a full campaign of several galaxies, targeting Salnos, Cremia and Starlight, launching Leviathan Seeds as key worlds to help its spread. The trade networks of the Space Pirates were also facilitated in spreading the substance to fringe groups.
One group was the anthromorphic species known as the Gray Wolves native to Star World, who used the substance to enhance their raw strength. They used this to attack a small arctic tribe known as the Ice Kingdom, killing the mother of Anubis in the process. Later, the Phazon would wipe out the Gray Wolves, but would create a wolf-like Phazon mutant that would go on to impersonate Anubis of the Yoshi Bodyguards.
Seeing this world as key to the spread of Phazon into galaxy, the corrupted Space Pirates set up a base in close proximity to the planet, using it as a gateway for Leviathan Seeds and as a trading post for groups that wanted to utilize Phazon. Eventually a Leviathan Seed would impact Star World in the deadlands near where the Titans of the Dark Ages fell, though with the threat only recently being discovered by the Federation the impact would go unnoticed.
The Phazon-Anubis creature would evolve to mimic Anubis's growing power, and would use its powers to harass the Yoshi Bodyguards. It evolved with greater powers of Phazon control, infecting core members of the group. Seeing a vision of Phazon peril, the Luminoth V-Mos came to Star World to aid the Yoshi Bodyguards. The spread of Phazon from the core began to impact the atmosphere, increasing the toxicity of the rain. Parts of the forest nearest to the impact site had begun to mutate.
The Yoshi Bodyguards under Anubis and V-Mos raided the impact crater, only to find that the Titan of Thunder, Sango, had been merged with the Phazon Core in order to create a Guardian Unit. During the battle the Guardian Unit was forced to absorb all Phazon from the surrounding area, causing it to overload itself. The remaining Liquid Phazon was absorbed by Anubis, who had gained enough power to resist the corruption of Dark Samus.
