Super Mutant is a general term referring to humanoid mutants created by exposing a human to a variant of the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The resulting hulking mutants typically possess exceptional strength, endurance, resistance or immunity to disease and radiation, as well as modified intelligence. Originally introduced in Fallout as a unique mutant menace led by the Master, Super Mutants have appeared in every game since, in several varieties and playing a variety of roles.
Games[edit]
Fallout 1 and 2[edit]
Super Mutants were created by way of the Forced Evolutionary Virus[1], beginning at West Tek, mutating from humans.[2] In January 7, 2077, FEV research was transferred to the Mariposa Military Base,[2] to continue under the lead of Leon Von Felden and Robert Anderson. Vats of the virus were prepared as a basis for further development and Human experimentation, with a near 100% success rate on lab animals, granting an approximately 60% increase in size and potential 200% intelligence increase.[3][4]
Fallout Tactics[edit]
Super Mutants were created by the Master 40 years ago, are generally strong but stupid, and because of their bulk they cannot wear human armor or use small weapons. They are being led by Gammorin, have attacked local settlements and will not let the Brotherhood of Steel have the technology they search for.[5] After defeating Latham in Osceolla, some of the mutants will join the Brotherhood, supplying the ranks.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel[edit]
A Super Mutant general named Attis hoped to use the Vault-Tec Corporate Vault research[6] and FEV samples remaining to cure his own sterility and allow Super Mutants to breed[7] and become the new dominant species on the planet, following in his Master's footsteps.[8] In order to find the samples, Attis and his army broke into the Vault-Tec Corporate Vault.
Attis and his Super Mutants were defeated by the cooperation of Patty and the Initiate who blew up the city of Los, concluding the Brotherhood-Attis War with Rhombus being a key figure in their defeat as well.
Fallout 3[edit]
These Super Mutants were created in the Evolutionary Experimentation Program, an experiment assigned to Vault 87. This modified strain of FEV was used to create these mutants and resulted in a new strain of Super Mutant which, in addition to becoming sterile, grow larger and stronger as they age.[Pub 1]
The first Super Mutants of this variety were created in 2078, becoming a permanent feature of the Capital Wasteland - not intelligent enough to overrun it, but too powerful to die off.[Pub 1] Their routine behavior included raiding to kidnap people for conversion with the EEP mutagen.[9]
Their inability to reproduce (possibly bolstered by the FEV batch and/or human procreation instincts) led to an obsession with preserving their species. They attempt to capture live humans as often as possible, to infect them with FEV, or "green stuff," at Vault 87.[Pub 1] However, by 2277, the mutants are running out of FEV and are looking in desperation for a new source of the virus.[10]
Fallout: New Vegas[edit]
A group of Super Mutants, led by Marcus, founded a settlement at Black Mountain using the radiation at the site as a natural deterrent to humans.[11] However, a rift gradually developed between him and Tabitha, a Nightkin officer from Unity. When Rhonda, her robot companion, broke down, her mental condition deteriorated.[12][13] She gradually began to ignore his leadership.[14] Two years later, things came to an end. With no prospects for cooperation and clashes between Nightkin and first-generation mutants becoming more and more commonplace, Marcus left Black Mountain to establish Jacobstown.[15][16]
Jacobstown became a haven for first-generation Super Mutants with a significant Nightkin population led by Davison and Keene, enticed by the research and development efforts of Doctor Henry, working on a cure for Nightkin mental illnesses caused by their Stealth Boy use. Davison's group of Nightkin eventually left Jacobstown and attacked the Bright Brotherhood in their quest to find Stealth Boys.
Black Mountain became the center of State of Utobitha, home to a very hostile group of Nightkin and second-generation Super Mutants under the command of Tabitha.[17] They harassed travelers and merchants on the I-15 for supplies and food. Although the victims reported the matter to the NCR Rangers, they were unable to divert men and resources to take care of the problem.[18] Some mutants elsewhere were subject to attack, capture and torture.[19] Some politicians even began campaigning on an anti-mutant platform to gain votes.[20][21]
Fallout 4[edit]
These mutants were created by the Institute using exposure to the Forced Evolutionary Virus. They are large, muscle-bound creatures with innate immunity to radiation and disease. They are most frequently encountered in central Boston, and can also be found in Fallon's Department Store, Fort Strong, Trinity Tower, Revere Satellite Array, Big John's Salvage, The Gwinnett Restaurant and several other locations throughout the Commonwealth, most of which can be identified by hanging Meat Bags, twisted girders protruding out of the ground, cages and gory waste piles.[22]
In Far Harbor, a group of Super Mutants have traveled to the Island and are located in the Vim! Pop Factory, National Park HQ and Aldersea Day Spa. In Nuka-World, small bands of mutants can occasionally be found roaming the plains and foothills surrounding the amusement park. They consider themselves the superior race of the Commonwealth.[23][Pub 2][Pub 3] They express an interest in locating FEV, or "green stuff," to produce more mutants.
Super Mutant Behemoth[edit]
They attack by tossing boulders at distant enemies, and they use massive fire hydrant bats as weapons.[Pub 4] These Super Mutants are the oldest and strongest of their kind and are many times larger than any other humanoid creature, almost as large as a mirelurk queen. They are armed with a fire hydrant mounted on a large pipe.
Fallout 76[edit]
The Appalachia Super Mutants were created shortly before the Great War, when the local West Tek facility contaminated the river water that ran through Huntersville with a unique strain of FEV as part of an experiment.[24]
The Super Mutants of Huntersville are similar to those of Mariposa and the Institute: they have green skin, highly developed musculature, and they are smart enough to build improvised armor from waste or scrap. Although they do not use large fortifications like the Vault 87 or the Institute strain Super Mutants, they can occasionally build small fortresses or take entire buildings. Like Vault 87 and Institute Super Mutants, Huntersville Super Mutants can develop into Behemoths, which can be seen guarding their main bases. The majority of the Super Mutants will attack the player character, but some Super Mutants like Grahm are friendly and will even trade with humans.
They possess superhuman strength, allowing them to inflict serious damage with melee weapons. Super Mutants are carnivorous and hunt all kinds of creatures and animals, including humans, Scorched and large predators, to devour them or stock their meat to build up reserves. Many bags of meat are strewn about in the fortifications of Super Mutants or carried in their inventory. Despite the nature of FEV and its origins as the Pan-Immunity Virion Project, Huntersville Super Mutant Behemoths are susceptible to the Scorched Plague.
A Super Mutant attack was mounted on Fort Atlas,[25] and demonstrating threatening attributes to the recently-arrived Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force,[26] who were unfamiliar with them before their arrival.[27]
Fallout Shelter and Fallout Shelter Online[edit]
Super Mutants also appear in Fallout Shelter.[28]
Behind the Scenes[edit]
Spelling variations exist including Super Mutants, Super-mutant, Supermutant and Mutants. Some mutants encountered near Mariposa Military Base in Fallout 2 are called "super duper mutants."
See Also[edit]
- Centaur and Mutant Hound, creatures oftentimes found near Super Mutants.
- Nightkin, a similar group found in the wasteland.
- Harold and Talius, two FEV mutants who are different from standard Super Mutants.
Gallery[edit]
Fallout and Fallout 2
Marcus
Harry, mutant guard
The Lieutenant, also known as Lou or Lou Tenant
Fallout Tactics
Concept art
Concept art
Concept art
Concept art
Concept art
Concept art by Tariq Raheem
Concept art by Tariq Raheem
.jpg)
.jpg)
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Rhombus killing a Super Mutant
Attis
A group of armored Nightkin
Fallout 3
Super Mutant
Super Mutant Brute
Super Mutant Master
Super Mutant Overlord
Super Mutant Behemoth
Uncle Leo, a pacifist Super Mutant who wanders the Capital Wasteland
Fallout: New Vegas
Marcus as he appears in Fallout: New Vegas
Neil, a friendly Super Mutant who lives on the outskirts of Black Mountain
Mean Sonofabitch, a Super Mutant sentry in Westside
Lily, a Nightkin companion
Tabitha, an insane Nightkin
A Super Mutant
A Nightkin
Fallout 4
Super Mutant
Super Mutant Behemoth
Big Mack, a Super Mutant leader at the Wilson Atomatoys Factory
Dr. Brian Virgil, a friendly Super Mutant in the Glowing Sea
Dead Eye, a blind Super Mutant
Fist, a Super Mutant leader at Trinity Tower
Hammer, a Super Mutant leader at the West Everett Estates
Swan, a unique Super Mutant Behemoth living in a pond of water
Grun, a unique Super Mutant Behemoth in the Vim! Pop factory
Erickson, a Super Mutant merchant who sells guard dogs
Rage, a Super Mutant in Nuka-World
Concept art
Concept art
A high poly brush model of a mutant
Fallout 76
Super Mutant
Grahm, a traveling Super Mutant merchant and cook
Harrison Malone, an escaped convict turned Super Mutant at the Grafton Dam
Maul, a Super Mutant ally
Doctor Edgar Blackburn after being turned into a Super Mutant Behemoth at West Tek Research Center
X-Ray
Fallout Shelter Online
Super Mutant Boss
The Waker
Magic: The Gathering: Universes Beyond x Fallout
Cancelled games[edit]
Van Buren
A Super Mutant from Van Buren
Fallout d20
First version of the cover
Second version of the cover
Project V13
A neutral Super Mutant
References[edit]
- ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{How does the Virus work?}"
ZAX: "{157}{}{My research into the Forced Evolution Virus, or FEV, indicates that it is a shifting-absorptive virus. It copies DNA patterns much like RNA, storing these patterns in exons.}"
"{158}{}{These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to 'regenerate' their DNA.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{159}{}{How do you catch FEV?}"
ZAX: "{162}{}{FEV is not 'caught', per se. It is not air-transmittable. Typically, infection is through injection, or direct physical contact with an FEV sample.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{164}{}{Why isn't FEV affected by radiation?}"
ZAX: "{166}{}{The FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is therefore capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{168}{}{If the FEV re-infects the host with its assimilated viral patterns, how does it make a 'better specimen'?}"
ZAX: "{169}{}{The FEV is pre-programmed with introns of corrected DNA appropriate to the proper type of species. It therefore attempts to correct the DNA of the individual.}"
"{170}{}{However, as the FEV is partially reliant upon the DNA of the individual, and also includes portions of its own recursive code, the effects can be unpredictable.}"
"{171}{}{When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death.}"
"{172}{}{In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns.}"
"{173}{}{This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{174}{}{What potential long-term side effects exist?}"
ZAX: "{178}{}{As the FEV causes constant regenerative update to DNA, it would effectively render the subject largely immortal, as cell death would be offset by augmented growth.}"
"{179}{}{Additionally, as the gametes of the reproductive system consist of 'half-cells' using split DNA, they could be perceived as 'damage' by FEV, which would 'repair' them, rendering the subject sterile.}"
"{180}{}{However, as my laboratory facilities are damaged beyond repair, this is conjectural. I cannot offer physical proof. You will have to, in human terms, 'take my word for it.'}"
The Vault Dweller: "{181}{}{Could FEV mutation be corrected with a counter-virus?}"
ZAX: "{184}{}{No. FEV does not retain unaltered original copies of the subject's DNA. Only a virus which re-infected the subject with original DNA could reverse the effects. Additionally, there is no known way to remove the FEV itself.}"
(ZAX.MSG) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 FEV Experiment Disk
- ↑ FEV research
- ↑ Vree's Autopsy Report
- ↑ Race.txt: "desc_Mutant = {Super Mutants were created by the Master 40 years ago. They are generally strong but stupid, and because of their bulk they cannot wear human armour or use small weapons. They get a bonus to hit points, radiation and poison resistance.}"
- ↑ Attis:"We will control this vault - and its scientific secrets - then use it as a base of operations for our war on humanity."
(Attis' dialogue) - ↑
Attis: "Ah, it's the mouse. You find me... standing upon the threshold of utter failure. The chemical compound is... ineffectual."
Initiate: "Chemical compound? Where's the weapon you were searching for?"
Attis: "Fertility. That's what we came for. The research in this vault was centered around curing sterility due to mutation. Imagine, then, a treatment that allowed mutants to reproduce, to breed. That would truly be a weapon!"
(Attis' dialogue) - ↑ Attis:"Perhaps... there is power here... yes, I can feel it! Following in my Master's footsteps, a new type of mutant is born. We will overcome!"
(Attis' dialogue) - ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Why did they build the walls?"
Manya Vargas: "Well, the Raiders, for one. Once the town got big enough, they'd wait until the traders and their guards were away, then come in and clean us out! Now the Super Mutants... They were a whole other breed of problem. They'd kill us if they had to, but mostly they tried to drag people away! Alive! So, eventually, my father did something about it. Him and a few others organized the traders and the citizens and built the walls. So we're pretty safe now. Still, I wish those Brotherhood of Steel fellers hadn't hit on such hard times. They really helped keep the wolves at bay."
(Manya's dialogue) - ↑ Super Mutant: "Have you found green stuff? I haven't found any. Ever. Maybe it's a lie. Maybe we're wasting our time. We could be out killing..."
(Super Mutant (Fallout 3)/Dialogue) - ↑ Black Mountain Terminal Entries; Log 676
- ↑ Black Mountain Terminal Entries; Marcus made me type this
- ↑ Black Mountain Terminal Entries; It's a radio station!
- ↑ Black Mountain Terminal Entries; On the air!
- ↑ Black Mountain Terminal Entries; The elite!
- ↑ Courier: "What makes this a "dangerous place?""
Neil: "You must've heard her radio broadcasts? Though why a human would follow her invitation here is beyond me... unless you didn't listen very closely. The voice on the radio belongs to Tabitha, the "supreme commander" of Black Mountain - or, as she calls it, the "State of Utobitha." She took control of this place almost two years ago. The Super Mutants here do whatever she says - and she says humans are to be killed on sight."
(Neil (Fallout: New Vegas)/Dialogue) - ↑ Black Mountain Terminal Entries; Alone at last!
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas loading screens: "Travelers along the Long 15 have complained to NCR rangers that caravans have been harassed and attacked by fearsome Super Mutants living in the irradiated ruins of Black Mountain."
- ↑ Courier: "Do you know anything about that Super mutant walking around town?"
Klamath Bob: "Oh, heh. Yeah, that's Mean Sonofabitch. I know the name sounds bad, but he likes it. He's one nasty old coot. Far as I can tell, he's one of them original Super Mutants, what came from the Boneyard. Wandered about after that "Master" fellow died. Eventually got caught somewhere around the Hub, back in NCR. Boy, they sure treated him mean down there. Cut him up so bad he can't talk no more. I tried to buy him, just so they'd stop hurting him, but they didn't want any of it."
(Klamath Bob/Dialogue) - ↑ Mercenary Note
- ↑ Courier: "Who are you doing this for?
Norton: "Won't name names, but some important folks in the NCR are sick of muties attacking their Brahmin herds. They want them gone from NCR territory. Maybe this group had something to do with attacking Brahmin, maybe not. Doesn't matter. We're getting paid to make them go away."
(Norton's dialogue) - ↑ The Prydwen Terminal Entries; Scribe Neriah's terminal, Entry 0769-CM22
- ↑ Fallout 4 loading screens: "Super Mutants are stronger and more resilient than humans, and consider themselves the Commonwealth's superior race."
- ↑ Fallout 76 loading screens: "The first Super Mutants in Appalachia were created right before the Great War, when West Tek poisoned the drinking water of Huntersville with the FEV Virus, in a sinister, secret experiment gone horribly wrong."
- ↑ Daniel Shin: "Eliminate any Super Mutant you encounter. It remains unclear what's causing them to multiply, so we can't take any risks. Besides that, they are an abomination to humankind, and a threat to civilians across Appalachia. They cannot be allowed to live. Be ready for new orders at a moment's notice. As soon as we put together a more targeted plan for dealing with them, we'll need you at the forefront."
- ↑ Vault Dweller: "What do you think of the Super Mutants that attacked?"
Odessa Valdez: "They're unsettling. They can use human weapons, mount an organized offensive, and they targeted us for an attack. I get the feeling we haven't seen the last of them." - ↑ Vault Dweller: "Why are the Super Mutants such a big concern?"
Daniel Shin: "One: they're an unknown. I understand these creatures have been sighted around Appalachia for some time now, but this is the Brotherhood's first time dealing with them. We need more information before we can count this threat as controlled. Two: they targeted us directly. The blow they dealt to this base is unacceptable. We must determine their motives, if any, and take appropriate steps to ensure this never happens again. Three: they're an abomination. We've seen all kinds of mutants, but these are... uncannily human. It's an affront to nature to simply let them be." - ↑ Possible Wasteland quotes: "Explorer's journal. New entry. Super Mutants are asexual. Before transformation, some were women."
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p. 42: "Super Mutants"
"The Super Mutants that infest the urban ruin of Washington D.C. originated in Vault 87. Those unlucky enough to have reserved space in Vault 87 soon found themselves forcefully taken to a secure part of the vault, where they were locked in airtight chambers and exposed to a concentrated form of the F.E.V. The Overseer and his security force had no real idea what to expect; they were simply following the "plan." When the exposed vault dwellers started transforming into Super Mutants, nearly the entire vault population had been exposed. Those who hadn't yet metamorphosed knew what was coming, and, well...it didn't end well for humanity.
The dwellers of Vault 87 were turned into Super Mutants in 2078, and have been a presence in the Capital Wasteland ever since. Most of those original Super Mutants have long since been killed. But whether it's because of the nature of the F.E.V. they were exposed to, or a simple underlying human instinct, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland are obsessed with the preservation of their species. Super Mutants are asexual and incapable of procreation, so their only way of reproducing is to kidnap other humans, drag them back to the Vault 87 chambers, and infect them with F.E.V. And so they have done, for nearly 200 years.
Super Mutant society is loosely hierarchical, with the weaker (most recently transformed) Super Mutants generally giving way to the stronger. The Super Mutant hierarchy, as defined by the Capital Wasteland contingent of the Brotherhood of Steel, is as follows: Grunt, Brute, Master, and Behemoth. Generally speaking, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland get bigger, stronger, and dumber as they age. The Behemoths are so strong and savage that they’re the only thing feared by the other Super Mutants."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide/Faction profiles) - ↑ Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Standard Super Mutants, p. 44: "Super Mutant armor is fairly crude, but Super Mutants are inherently durable. Even the least powerful Super Mutants have natural damage, energy, and poison resistance, and these values increase significantly in high-ranking Super Mutants. Specifics vary based on equipped armor, but Super Mutants tend to prioritize damage resistance. Melee weapons and fragmentation grenades are popular among Super Mutants. For ranged combat, they tend to favor pipe rifles, assault rifles, and laser rifles. When it comes to heavy guns, miniguns, and missile launchers are fairly common. Due to sensitive ears and a keen sense of smell, Super Mutants have relatively high Perception and a considerable amount of health. In most cases, it's best to target a Super Mutant's arms. This compromises their accuracy and improves your chances of surviving the encounter."
- ↑ Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Super mutants, p. 44: "Super Mutants are massive, muscle-bound creatures with a natural immunity to radiation damage and an inherent hatred of humans. Most Super Mutants carry fairly crude gear, but they do have their share of powerful weapons, and many Super Mutant groups use trained Mutant Hounds to chase down trespassers. Super Mutants aren't particularly intelligent, but their physical strength and natural aggression have allowed them to establish a significant presence throughout the Commonwealth. Super Mutants can be found in Fallon's Department Store, Fort Strong, and many other locations—most of which can be identified by the human remains and hanging meat bags scattered around the area."
- ↑ Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Super Mutant Behemoths, p. 45: "Behemoths are by far the most powerful Super Mutants, but they're incredibly dumb—even by Super Mutant standards. They attack by tossing boulders at distant enemies, and they use massive fire hydrant bats to smash anything foolish enough to approach them. Your best option is to stay back and attack with a Fat Man and a few Mini Nukes. If you're determined to find a Behemoth, check the area to the east of Sunshine Tidings Co-op."
