The Origins of the Metroid [potential spoilers]

[Rtype112000]

I would like to open a discussion about the origins of the metroid as a species. As it stands the manga seems to imply that the Chozo created the metroid as a solution, or cure, to the X parasite problem.

This is a major contradiction to many plot points through-out the metroid story line, primarily that the metroid are referred to as the natural predator of the X. If the metroid is a creation to solve the X problem, then they cannot be a "natural" predator, and because of the nature of the metroid, and the complex growth cycles that they go through, I believe that it is more appropriate, or accurate to say that the Chozo had realized the dangers of the metroid, and forced them into hibernation. Some time later the Chozo realized the terrible mistake they made when the X began reaking havoc on their colonies and the native wildlife on SR388. So the Chozo were forced to restore the metroid to its natural environment to prevent the X from potentially overwhelming the known universe. However, knowing that the metroids themselves posed a significant threat to the universe, the Chozo modified the mother brain, in an attempt to control the threat by means of telepathic communication.

Further evidence of this would be the metroid Prime, a higher growth, or possibly a mutation, of the Omega metroid. Not to mention that the metroid Prime is an ancient being that has plague the planet of Tallon IV since long before the birth of our heroine.

It is possible that the Chozo had been attempting to clone the metroid, in a weakened and controllable form, in an attempt to fight the X that had spread outside of SR388, before losing control of the newly modified Mother Brain.

Does anybody agree?

[Daya]

The Chozo have made the most advanced battle suit ever made in the galaxy, and creators of the Morph Ball, Space Jump and Screw Attack.

So yeah, I'm going to say they're totally capable of creating a beast that can suck out the lifeforce of every living creature.

[Chris]

This is a major contradiction to many plot points through-out the metroid story line, primarily that the metroid are referred to as the natural predator of the X. If the metroid is a creation to solve the X problem, then they cannot be a "natural" predator

It's just an oversight and poor choice of words I reckon.

[Infinity's End]

Don't forget that, much to the chagrin of all the fans here, Metroid series' storyline was written backwards, due to each game being on more advanced technology, and giving the designers more room to tell the tale. You think they knew about the back in 1986? I think not. Zelda's like that too, so I think it deserves some leniency because of that. Instead of picking apart every little plot hole or inconsistency.

Besides, they're just games - having convoluted storylines just comes with the territory.

[Dryn]

Nice theory, but . . .

"It is said that Metroids are life forms created by an ancient civilization. Metroids engulf living creatures and absorb their energy. They are very intelligent and quick to reproduce." - SM manual, p. 35

"While it has come to light in recent years that the Metroids were created by the ancient Chozo civilization, it is not common knowledge that they were created for the purpose of driving out the X parasites." - MF manual, p. 40

I'm going to agree with Chris and also say it was an oversight and poor choice of words. After all, Metroids were called parasites, but they're nothing like parasites. Samus is called a bounty hunter, but she acts more like a mercenary. The Metroid series is filled with contradictions. You can see this at the article page I made at Wikitroid.

[Rtype112000]

It is very likely a mistranslation or oversight to call them the natural predator of the x, and I never meant that the Chozo couldn't have created flying jellyfish that could suck the life out of creatures, more that the growth/evolutionary cycle of the metroid is incredibly complex. I mean, did the Chozo actually program 5 unique growth cycles into the metroids, 6 including the queen? Or is that more along the lines of deviation, or evolutionary adaptation, in their design?

Then we also have to consider the timeline of events here, the metroids were apparently created early in Samus' life, which means that they had only existed for a year or so before Samus destroyed them. Now consider the Metroid Prime, it clearly had existed for quite sometime before Samus found it on Tallon IV, the Chozo lore dates the "great poison" as having crash landed on the planet before Samus was even born.

Infinity's End has the best answer though, that it is simply a mistake in the plot's consistency. Especially since the games have spanned across multiple generations, and over 25 years they have probably had different teams of writers writing the story from game to game. It would have probably been better to leave the creators of the metroid to our imagination, or to say that they were a race that predates the Chozo. Even though the story was written from end to beginning, and the X parasite and Prime metroid were very likely never intended, or even conceived, by the original writer, it would have been nice for later installments in the story to have had more emphasis on plot consistency, instead of just throwing something new into the mix and then trying to make it work later.

Also, I think the story in Zelda is more forgivable, because each installment happens at a different point in time, or in a parallel dimension created by temporal paradoxes, and to a different Links through-out. While the metroid story all happens within the lifetime of one Samus, and then Metroid Prime which gives us a glimpse of the universe and the Chozo before Samus came into the picture.

[Dryn]

It is very likely a mistranslation or oversight to call them the natural predator of the x, and I never meant that the Chozo couldn't have created flying jellyfish that could suck the life out of creatures, more that the growth/evolutionary cycle of the metroid is incredibly complex. I mean, did the Chozo actually program 5 unique growth cycles into the metroids, 6 including the queen? Or is that more along the lines of deviation, or evolutionary adaptation, in their design?

Somewhere in one of the Metroid Prime games it mentions that Metroids have different cycles for different environments. The Super Metroid never transformed into any of the other stages it could have otherwise become while on Zebes. Even though it was to end up as the Queen Metroid, in Metroid Fusion you see its DNA being used to create other Metroids. They are placed in an environment that is like SR388, which allowed for alpha, gamma, zeta, and omega Metroids. Other Metroids introduced to Phazon had a variety of cycles, Metroid Prime being the final form.

Then we also have to consider the timeline of events here, the metroids were apparently created early in Samus' life, which means that they had only existed for a year or so before Samus destroyed them. Now consider the Metroid Prime, it clearly had existed for quite sometime before Samus found it on Tallon IV, the Chozo lore dates the "great poison" as having crash landed on the planet before Samus was even born.

Yep, so if the producers ever decide to fix this hole, they can do one of two things. The first thing is to say that the Metroid Prime trilogy is its own universe and not connected to the other Metroid games, or your idea could be used. The way I see it, of course, is that instead of forcing the Metroids into hibernation, they could have possibly been brought to extinction by the Chozo, but then the Chozo created the Metroids to combat against the X infestation, thereby allowing Metroids to be natural predators and created by the Chozo.

Infinity's End has the best answer though, that it is simply a mistake in the plot's consistency. Especially since the games have spanned across multiple generations, and over 25 years they have probably had different teams of writers writing the story from game to game. It would have probably been better to leave the creators of the metroid to our imagination, or to say that they were a race that predates the Chozo. Even though the story was written from end to beginning, and the X parasite and Prime metroid were very likely never intended, or even conceived, by the original writer, it would have been nice for later installments in the story to have had more emphasis on plot consistency, instead of just throwing something new into the mix and then trying to make it work later.

In a way, it really isn't that Retro Studios caused this problem. The only time I have ever seen any mention of Metroids being a natural predator of the X parasites is from Metroid.com concerning Metroid Fusion. So the flub actually would have come from Nintendo, not Retro Studios.

[Rtype112000]

The way I see it, of course, is that instead of forcing the Metroids into hibernation, they could have possibly been brought to extinction by the Chozo, but then the Chozo created the Metroids to combat against the X infestation, thereby allowing Metroids to be natural predators and created by the Chozo

.

I like this, explaining it this way does a pretty good job of filling this particular hole in the plot, and is actually pretty close to one of the ideas I had, that the Chozo brought them to near extinction, then put a few of them into stasis, to avoid completely destroying the species. Considering it in this light also allows the Prime trilogy to remain in the same universe as the rest of the games. Perhaps in Metroid 5 they will explain more about the Chozo, and tell us how Nintendo actually wants this to be "officially" understood.