: Alex confronts Elizabeth Greene , the original host of a similar virus from a 1969 experiment in Hope, Idaho. He eventually defeats and consumes her, learning that the military plans to nuke Manhattan to stop the infection.

: A ruthless special forces unit dedicated to containing biological threats through any means necessary.

: Alex eventually learns he was a Gentek researcher who stole a vial of the virus as "insurance". When cornered by Blackwatch at Penn Station, he smashed the vial, releasing the virus and dying in the process.

In the original , the story follows Alex Mercer , who wakes up on an autopsy table in a Gentek facility with no memory of his past. He soon discovers he has gained terrifying shapeshifting abilities, including superhuman strength and the power to "consume" others to absorb their memories and physical forms. The Core Conflict