Phazon is a radioactive and highly mutagenic substance in the Metroid universe, featuring prominently in the Metroid Prime trilogy. Originating from the living planet Phaaze, this deadly organic compound is capable of corrupting all forms of life that come in contact with it. It is spread to different planets across the galaxy by Phaaze's meteor-like offspring, the Leviathan Seeds. When a Leviathan impacts a planet, Phazon spreads out from the point of impact, corrupting the ecosystem and triggering violent mutations in local life-forms. The Chozo of Tallon IV referred to Phazon as the "Great Poison".
History[]
Metroid Prime[]
Phazon first appeared in Metroid Prime. The Space Pirates had detected the planet Tallon IV as a potential energy source due to massive emissions of radiation coming from its core that is Phazon. The Pirates discovered the effects of Phazon and began to experiment on local bioforms, killing most, but horribly mutating a small amount of the specimens. They began several programs such as Project Helix and Project Titan to use Phazon to increase the strength of their own Space Pirate troops and found limited success with the Elite Pirates. However, both projects were foiled by the efforts of Samus Aran. As Samus delved deeper into the Space Pirates' operations, she learned of the meteor that brought forth the Phazon into Tallon IV, corrupting the wildlife. Eventually she reached the Phazon Core within the Impact Crater and faced the most corrupted creature, Metroid Prime. After the creature was seemingly destroyed, the planet was spared from further corruption.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes[]
During the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Space Pirates had once again located another planet bearing the mark of Phazon poisoning -- Aether. The Pirates began operations to mine the substance but quickly discovered only trace amounts of Phazon on the planet. They then found that the Phazon they had been detecting was located in another dimension. The dimension came to be when a Leviathan hit the planet, but due to an unstable energy crisis, the planet was split into two. "Dark Aether" had a poisonous atmosphere and was inhabited by "shadowy creatures" who thwarted the Pirates' efforts to gather Phazon. Later, their base was attacked by a mysterious doppelganger of Samus, who stole the Phazon they had been mining. The appearance of the real Samus made matters worse, and the Pirates' mission was deemed a disaster.
Samus managed to venture into the Dark world and defeat her doppelganger, Dark Samus, who was spawned from the remains of Metroid Prime. Eventually Samus destroyed Dark Aether and the Phazon along with it, bringing a complete end to the Ing Horde, as well as the Pirates' operations there.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption[]
Phazon's role is arguably most prominent in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, as it is both the primary antagonizing force and the only effective weapon against itself. An entire system of planets had been corrupted by Phazon. Dark Samus, revived from her defeat in Aether's dark dimension, launched enormous Phazon seeds called Leviathans into multiple planets. She also corrupted Samus and her fellow Bounty Hunters with Phazon which caused their bodies to begin self-producing Phazon. Using Federation developed technology, the hunters could utilise this Phazon to enhance their capabilities when going into a state called Hypermode. It was Samus's mission to eliminate these sources of Phazon using the Phazon now coursing through her veins. Each seed was protected by a guardian, who defended the core with its life. The Leviathans and their guardians were eventually defeated by Samus despite large Pirate resistance.
The Federation, using the paths the Leviathans had made to each planet, triangulated the point of origin and were able to locate the epicenter of the attacks: a planet named Phaaze. Using the Leviathan battleship built by Dark Samus, they opened a wormhole to travel to Phaaze, due to the planet being too far away for conventional space travel. Upon arriving on the surface, Samus reached near-critical levels of Phazon poisoning, causing her to remain in Hypermode indefinitely. Using her Phazon attacks, she defeated Dark Samus and the Aurora Unit 313, which Dark Samus had corrupted. The destruction of the Aurora Unit caused a planetwide chain reaction, which culminated in the destruction of Phaaze and thus eradicated the origin point of Phazon.
Description[]
Phazon is a highly radioactive, mutagenic, and semi-sentient substance. Phazon is also capable of self-replication, making its ability to spread incredibly efficient. Most Phazon is blue in colour, except for the much more potent red variation, whose radiation and mutagenic levels far exceed the normal blue Phazon. Red Phazon also has small bluish hued energy spheres that appear on the surface, which act as spawning nests for Fission Metroids. Red magma crystals with low amounts of Phazon energy are found in Magmoor Caverns on Tallon IV. A Pirate logbook showed that the Pirates intended to put them on the market when Phazon operations were complete. There are also Black Phazon Crystals only seen on Phaaze. They were commonly mined by Space Pirates. This suggests that there are unknown types of Phazon elsewhere.
Phazon exists in many forms. It is most commonly seen as a network of blue veins and crystal-like sacs. A more concentrated form of Phazon is known as liquid Phazon, which takes on the traits of a dense gel. Large amounts of Phazon are usually seen with bolts of energy present, appearing as arcs of static electricity. This is probably due to the high amount of unstable radiation and energy the substance is constantly producing. Strangely, in Corruption, Phazon had a slightly different appearance, no longer having a vein-like pattern and being a lighter shade of blue, now resembling long, thin tentacles or clumps of bubble-like crystals. Additionally, Phazon in Corruption does not produce static electricity. The reason for this is unknown.
Phazon also demonstrates a trace amount of sentience. Liquid Phazon, Phazon Grubs, and Phaz-Ing are only a few examples of living, thinking creatures composed entirely of Phazon. Left-over Phazon energy after a Leviathan impact can also manifest itself into Phaazoids, Phazon energy that constantly discharges itself and purposefully attacks Samus. Metroid Prime (and, by extension, Dark Samus) as well as the planet Phaaze itself are all fully sentient creatures completely made up of Phazon and Phazon energy.
Scans of dead troopers on the G.F.S. Valhalla also seem to indicate that Phazon found impaling troopers is absorbing the corpses and turning them into Phazon. Also, dead Reptilicus Hunters frozen by the corrupted Bounty Hunter Rundas's ice powers can be scanned to reveal that the small particles of Phazon are transforming the dead bodies into Phazon as well, indicating that Phazon will seek to absorb lifeforms if they die instead of being mutated, while being mutated or even after being mutated, since Dark Samus was also seen to absorb the dead corrupted Bounty Hunters just like she had been observed to absorb common Phazon.
Phazon releases unique energy in the form of Phazon radiation. Exposure to any amount of Phazon radiation can be deadly. Most bioforms in direct contact with Phazon, be it ore or liquid, die within seconds. Even living within an area with high Phazon concentration can be fatal over time. However, bioforms with prolonged Phazon exposure that do not die are horribly mutated. Exposure to Phazon radiation destroys brain cells and cognitive thought in sentient beings, yet it also sees a gain of muscle mass and other beneficial abilities. Phazon exposure, while destroying the mind, makes beings hunger for more Phazon. In turn, corrupted beings also have a natural instinct to protect Phazon and its source. Humans seem to have developed shielding technology to mitigate its effects, as demonstrated by the Galactic Federation's PED Troopers and by Samus Aran. Chozo, on the contrary, are especially weak to it, for even their ghosts become insane from Phazon exposure. Humans, especially Samus - who is incidentally augmented with Chozo DNA - have shown a resistance to the mental effects of Phazon. The PED troopers have shown no signs of Phazon Sickness at any stage in the testing of their reverse engineered Phazon technology that they stole from the Space Pirates. Even when corrupted to the point of being unrecognizable by her ship, Samus still managed to retain her sanity on Phaaze. This demonstrates an extreme resilience to the adverse effects of Phazon. In comparison, the other infected bounty hunters (all whom have received equal care concerning their internal Phazon) had their minds corrupted by their Phazon early into their infection, although it can still be argued that there is another explanation, such as that they could not expel their excess Phazon during Hypermode's "Corrupted" state. It is also worth noting that humans may reject Phazon to a point. Samus demonstrated this once by expelling excess Phazon through regurgitation.
Phazon is also extremely useful as an energy source, as its total energy output far exceeds that of Fuel Gel, one of the Federation's most powerful energy sources.
Phazon, because of the intense radiation it produces and its mutagenic properties, is a deadly toxic substance. Any planet with Phazon corruption left unchecked will "kill" the planet. The planet will slowly turn into pure Phazon, becoming like Phaaze itself.
Phazon is sometimes seen hardened, in different shapes or forms. In Command Vault, a small blockage of white-colored Phazon blocks the way out of the X-Ray Visor's chamber and can only be destroyed by knocking down a Phazon canister from its cargo line, and causing it to explode when it hits the ground. This particular piece of Phazon seems to have been there for a long time, as when it is gone, the air in it seems to change pressure. In Hatcher Tunnel, a large red mass of Phazon resembling a tongue serves to block a drop shaft, and can be easily destroyed with Hyper Beam fire. In the Phazon Quarry, there is a large mining drill that serves to cut through hardened deposits of ore, and finally, Phazon Hopper hives are made up of hardened Phazon.
Interestingly, some creatures that have been augmented by Phazon also seem to have a weakness to any weapon powered by Phazon. This is likely because these particular corrupted organisms become overloaded if too much Phazon is introduced to their systems.
Phazon Creatures[]
Below is a list of the various lifeforms that have either been spawned or mutated by Phazon.
- Phaaze - Living sentient planet and the source of all Phazon
- Metroid Prime/Dark Samus
- Leviathan
- Phaazoid
- Phaz-Ing
- Jelsac
- Phazon Grub
- Phazon Leech
- Aazelion
- Phazon Hopper
- Phazon Nightbarb
- Phazon Shriekbat
- Phazon Puffer
- Phazon Pillbug
- Elite Pirate
- Phazon Elite
- Omega Pirate
- Berserker Knight
- Berserker Lord
- Aurora Unit 313
- Hunter Metroid
- Fission Metroid
- Phazon Metroid
- Hopping Metroid
- Metroid Hatcher
- Ing
- Omega Ridley