Metroid

A Metroid as depicted in Metroid: Zero Mission.
Metroid
Origin	SR388
Debut	Metroid

This article is about the species. For the game see Metroid (game). For the series as a whole, see Portal: Metroid

The Metroids are floating jellyfish-like monsters that have acted as the titular enemies of the Metroid series. They have taken on a variety of forms, but their original and most recognizable appearance is as a domed creature with a large and small set of pincers.

Information

The Metroid is a parasitical lifeform found on the planet SR388. Its most common and basic form resembles a hovering jellyfish with four talons in place of tentacles. They are described as parasites, but they are actually more like predators. Metroids will actively attack any creatures nearby by clinging onto their heads and feeding off of their energy. A Metroid could be warded off with bombs and can only be destroyed using missiles once frozen. Because of this, the Ice Beam is usually the key to its defeat. They initially appeared to be hostile creatures, but it was later revealed that the Metroids were in fact created by the Chozo in order to combat the threat of the X Parasite and that their name originates from the Chozo name for "ultimate warrior". The Metroids acted as the natural predator of the X Parasites, presumably due to the X Parasite's dependence on energy.

The jellyfish-like creature is actually the juvenile form of the Metroid, although it is still capable of growing to unusual sizes with large power. The Metroid's life cycle includes four larger and very different forms (detailed below. It is unknown if the Chozo themselves were unaware of these properties of their genetics, as the advanced forms of the Metroid are more openly hostile and employ direct attacks instead of draining energy. Some Metroids with unique gene codes can also grow into a Metroid Queen, which controls a Metroid colony. The Metroid Queen lays eggs that hatch into infant Metroids. It has also been established that Metroids could be cloned through exposure to beta rays, primarily by the Space Pirates, and the Galactic Federation eventually began cloning their own Metroids seemingly from just a genetic sample of the last living Metroid. Metroids have also been shown to have a strong link with the mysterious substance Phazon, as exposure to Phazon has resulted in some unique mutations of the Metroid, and Metroids seem to have been produced by Phazon in the past. As implied by its name and its ability to spawn various types of Metroids, the Phazon monster known as Metroid Prime also seems to be connected to the Metroids in some way.

History

The Metroids were initially created by the Chozo in order to keep the ecosystem of SR388 in check due to the growing power of the X Parasite. By feeding off of the X Parasite, the Metroids instead came into power within the underground caverns of the planet. Despite their power, it seems the ecosystem supported only a small Metroid colony of about forty Metroids. They were eventually discovered by the Galactic Federation, and some basic Metrroids were captured for research. The Federation ship was captured by Space Pirates, who began cloning the Metroids for use as biological weapons within Tourian. Although the pirates' Metroids and base were wiped out in Metroid (and Zero Mission), some of their number escaped with Metroid larvae for further experimentation. These Metroids turned up on planets such as Tallon IV and Aether throughout the Metroid Prime games, where the planets and materials such as Phazon caused unique mutations to the Metroids. This group was once more destroyed by Samus in her battles against the Space Pirates.

The Federation later tried sending a task force to investigate the Metroids on SR388, but the Metroids were able to wipe them all out. Because of the threat presented by the species, Samus Aran was sent to SR388 next to exterminate the last remaining Metroids in Metroid II: The Return of Samus. There were a total of forty Metroids on the planet at the time, including the Metroid Queen. Eight more Metroids were hatched by the Queen and sent after Samus as she approached her lair, and they were quickly destroyed. Samus soon destroyed the Metroid Queen itself, but one last Metroid hatched from an egg afterwards. The newborn hatchling imprinted Samus as a parent. It was allowed to live and followed Samus as she departed from the planet. The Metroid hatchling was then sent away to the Galactic Federation Academy for observation, at which point its genetic samples were secretly obtained for shady purposes by unknown members of the Federation. The hatchling was eventually stolen away from Ceres Space Station at the beginning of Super Metroid and was taken to Zebes, were it became large and powerful. The Metroid still refused to finish off Samus due to her parental role in its life, and instead it sacrificed itself to save Samus's life by draining energy from Mother Brain to restore Samus's power.

This marked the extinction of the naturally-born Metroids, but they would soon return in a different way. With the DNA collected from the Metroid larva's remains on Samus's armor, a portion of the Federation began experimenting within the Bottle Ship in cloning Metroids for the Metroid Militarization Plan. The first Metroid clone, which was kept as a control, was able to fully develop into a Queen Metroid (implying that the Metroid hatchling would have grown into a queen itself). The other Metroids, which were kept within the hidden Sector Zero, were genetically modified to remove their weakness against cold in order to make them perfect bioweapons. MB, an android creating Mother Brain's brain waves, was created to control the Metroids. MB soon underwent a mental breakdown, and Federation officers as well as Samus Aran arrived at the Bottle Ship to investigate the aftermath in Metroid: Other M. Adam Malkovich wound up sacrificing himself by detaching Sector Zero from the Bottle Ship with himself still aboard and self-destructing it to destroy the Metroids. Samus ultimately battled and destroyed the Queen Metroid, as well as the normal Metroids that it produced.

This was not the last of the Federation's clandestine Metroid cloning operations. Using more of the Metroid larva's DNA, the researchers at BioLogic Space Labs were able to create successful clones within a hidden area. Even one clone advanced through the stages to Omega Metroid. The Metroid DNA was also injected into Samus Aran to save her from a X Virus infestation. The part of the space station containing the Metroid clones was ejected by Samus and fell to the planet. Samus later confronted and defeated the lone Omega Metroid during her escape from BioLogic, but she only destroyed it after absorbing SA-X, which made her a mix of human, Metroid and X Parasite. Although BioLogic Station was ultimately destroyed (and SR388 with it), it does cast into doubt the overall extinction of the species considering the possibility of other Federation cloning operations.

Variations

Stages of Metroid Growth

These creatures are the product of a Metroid's natural growth. However, most of these forms have only been seen within Metroid II. All of the forms are at least seen suspended in tanks within the BSL's Restricted Laboratory in Fusion.

• Alpha Metroid - A juvenile Metroid undergoes its first molting to become an Alpha Metroid. This version has a beaked face and a small body with the "nucleus" area of the Metroid attached to its underbelly. That area acts as its only weakness, so it is only vulnerable to attacks from below. It is destroyed by five missiles.
• Gamma Metroid - This form grows from the Alpha Metroid. It sports a larger and thicker carapace as well as a set of claws. This form periodically emits an aura of electricity which makes it dangerous to approach one. The nucleus area is once more its stomach, but it primarily is attacked from the side. It is destroyed by ten missiles.
• Zeta Metroid - This form is reached during the Metroid's second molting. This form has more human-shaped appearance. It has its own legs, arms and a tail. The Zeta Metroid can quickly swoop around and will spit out some type of fireball or deadly saliva. The nucleus once more is its stomach, and it is only vulnerable from the front or behind. It goes down with twenty missiles.
• Omega Metroid - The Zeta Metroid grows into the Omega, which is described as the Metroid's adult form. This form is a larger and bulkier version of the Zeta Metroid, and its larger arms give it a greater swiping range. It can also spit out some types of projectiles. It is the only form with two full appearances, its second being as the final enemy of Metroid Fusion. There is some difference between the two games, as the first game had the Omega Metroid as another swiftly floating enemy, while in Fusion it stayed on the ground and moved more slowly. It is destroyed by forty missiles in Metroid II, while in Fusion it had to be pushed out of an airlock using the Ice Beam.

Other Forms

These types of Metroids from the Prime subseries result from exposure to other materials such as Phazon. Additionally, they are all based on a specific type of Metroid known as the Tallon Metroid. The Tallon Metroid is a special breed made by the Space Pirates, and though they seem to be identical to the original type of Metroid, they could be weakened by bombs and when frozen would be destroyed with only one missile. Its infant form also appears in Metroid Prime 2, which is weak and mostly harmless but can quickly grow into a Tallon Metroid once exposed to Phazon radiation. Although all of the below variations are connected to Phazon, very few of them are actually connected to each other, and most seem to be branching paths for the Tallon Metroids.

• Hunter Metroid - This is described as an adolescent form of a Metroid, presumably due to Phazon exposure. This form is more like a real jellyfish, with a taller "head" as well as a series of tentacles. The Hunter Metroid will use these tentacles to drain energy from targets at a distance. This version has only been found in some areas of Tallon IV in Metroid Prime.
• Fission Metroid - These are Metroids that survive attacks by splitting into two. The chaotic nature of Phazon causes an instability which makes the individual Fission Metroids vulnerable to only one type of beam fire which is denoted by the color. They can be produced in seemingly infinite numbers by Phazon. They appear primarily at the Impact Crater, as well as some other deep areas of Tallon IV, depending on the version of Metroid Prime.
• Dark Tallon Metroid - This is a Metroid that has been possessed by an Ing on Aether. They are more durable than normal Metroids, but they are still vulnerable to attacks from the Light Beam. This version has a head resembling a dark shell with a single glowing eye and only appears in Metroid Prime 2.
• Miniroid - This is a miniature version of the Metroid appearing in Metroid Prime 3. They are very small and easily destroyed, so they tend to travel in flocks or with Phazon Metroids, although they are not openly aggressive. They develop into Phazon Metroids.
• Phazon Metroid - The Phazon Metroid is a Metroid that has been heavily exposed to Phazon. It attacks similarly to a normal Metroid, but it can also fire a beam of Phazon energy and temporarily phase through solid matter. It is featured in Metroid Prime 3.
• Hatching Metroid - The Hatching Metroid mutates from a Phazon Metroid. It lost its ability to phase through solid objects but instead gained a Phazite-like shell. This Metroid has a set of four tentacles that it could use to leech others' energies and will spawn Phazon Metroids during battle. Their tentacles must be stripped off using the Grapple Lasso. It is destroyed after attacking its heart, which is located within its head. These are boss-like enemies which are battled at three points of Metroid Prime 3.
• Hopping Metroid - This version of the Metroid has mutated to the point where it can no longer float. Its four pincers instead grow into full-fledged, spider-like legs which it uses to crawl around and attack others. It can also spit out a type of Phazon venom.

In addition to all of these variations, there is also an enemy in Super Metroid known as the "Mochtroid". They are the result of a failed Pirate attempt to clone the Metroid hatchling and are weak enough to be destroyed easily with most weaponry.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• Metroids make an appearance in Kid Icarus as an enemy called the "Komayto" which is only described as coming from an unknown planet. It is closer to a normal enemy in that it does not leech life and can be destroyed through normal means. Its inclusion was originally an in-joke due to the shared staff and gameplay similarities between the game and the first Metroid. Its name is short for the Japanese "kometoroido", which could mean "child Metroid". The Komayto returns in Kid Icarus: Uprising, where it is now nearly identical to the Metroid in both appearance and abilities. The game utilizes fourth wall-breaking humor, so there is a point in the game where Pit points out how similar they are to the Metroids. Viridi tries to silence him on the matter and assures him that the two game universes are unconnected.
• The Metroid appears as a rare collectible item in Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: City Folk. It is located in a stasis tank, similar to the Metroid hatchling in Super Metroid.
• The Metroid appears as a normal trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee and as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, latching onto the nearest player and draining their health. The 3DS version also has Metroids appear as enemies in Smash Run. In the latter games, there is also a normal trophy accompanying the Metroid's appearance.

Trivia

• The name "Metroid" was decided on as a combination of "metro subway" and "android".