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Many iconic monsters in theFalloutuniverse have evolved and mutated due to post-war nuclear radiation. From thelegendary Deathclaw to the disgusting rad roaches, to the mutated humans known as the ghouls, the effects of radiation on people and wildlife are varied and unpredictable.
While some may think that the super mutants in the Fallout universe are also victims of radiation, this is not the case. Super mutants are created by a human-made virus called the FEV or Forced Evolutionary Virus. The virus and the super mutants have played an important role throughout every Fallout game, and here’s what we know about them.
What Is The FEV Virus?
The Forced Evolutionary Virus isan artificial compound that can infect its host through direct contact or injection. Throughout different versions of the game, the FEV has been seen as a green liquid contained in vials or large vats.
The original purpose of its creation was tocorrect the host’s DNA to create the perfect species of super soldier. Upon infection, the virus injects the pre-programmed DNA into the host’s cell and spreads in the body much like a viral infection. Due to the difference in each host’s unique DNA,the process is unpredictableand can depend on the dose, duration, and method of exposure.
Different strains of the FEV virus have been developedand used throughout the Fallout universe from before the war to the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Some strainscreate the different Super Mutantsthat we see across the world, some were used in developing the Gen-3 Synths seen in Fallout 4, and others have been experimented on different creatures and humans with various results.
As the virus itself is designed to be modifiable, the resulting mutation depends on who programs the virus' DNA and for what species and purpose.
Who Made The FEV Virus?
The Forced Evolutionary Viruswas first created by West Tek’s NBC Division. They moved their lab and equipment to the Mariposa Military Base in central California to begin human experiments just before the great war.
The security team overseeing the base found out about the unethical nature of the experiments,revolted against the science team,and created the Brotherhood of Steelin response to the abuse of science and technology after the war.
During the events of the original Fallout game, the antagonist known as “The Master” took over the Mariposa base and used the FEV-2 strain to create a society of strong and intelligent Super Mutants that can be found in New California and the Mojave Wastelands.The EEP strain of the virus was used in Vault 87 in the year 2078,just after the great war, which resulted in more feral and aggressive Super Mutants.
The Institute is responsible for Super Mutants in the Commonwealth.These mutated humanoids were a middle ground between the FEV-2 and EEP super mutants, with super-human strength but average intelligence. The institute also used the FEV virus combined with the Father’s DNA to create the third generation Synths.
West Tek itself was responsible for the Super Mutants found in Appalachia.Shortly before the war, the local West Tek facility contaminated the river running through Huntersville, infecting some of the citizens and creating Super Mutants similar in strength and intelligence to those found in the Commonwealth.
There are also monstrous creatures in the Fallout universe that were created using the FEV. In the TV Show, we see evidence of scientists residing in Vault 4 creatingthe aquatic monster, the Gulper.While we mostly correlate the Forced Evolutionary Virus with Super Mutants,there is a variety of different creatures across the wastelandthat were created using this virus, and perhaps many more that we don’t know about.
