William Birkin

The staff took to calling him ‘Scholar Will’ and admired his ruthless determination to succeed and his extraordinary self-confidence. But despite eventually earning Marcus’s trust, both Birkin and Wesker were plotting behind his back, looking to further their own positions by making covert reports on Marcus and his research back to Spencer over at Arklay Laboratories. After compiling enough evidence, Marcus’s work on the new Tyrant Virus was exposed as well as his involvement in the disappearance of over 20 students. On July 29th 1978, the Training Facility was closed down and Marcus was stripped of his position. As a reward for their loyalty and tremendous potential, Spencer had both Wesker and Birkin transferred over to Arklay Labs where Birkin was made Chief Researcher at just sixteen years old. He was also credited with the creation of the prototype t-Virus following the Marcus scandal. By now he was 16 years-old and immensely proud at being the youngest employee and biggest potential of the company.

Birkin’s first act as Chief Researcher was to abandon the use of leeches in the experiments and instead focused on using the t-Virus to create a human biological weapon. He was heavily influenced by the Ebola Virus and its potential as a biological agent of terror. He was particularly influenced in its unique ability to jump from host to host to self-propagate. Birkin created his own t-Virus strain by using Ebola genes to strengthen the DNA transmutation attribute. He also had the Lisa Trevor specimen at his disposal and conducted numerous experiments on her body. All seemed to be running smoothly until 1981 when Birkin’s mind-set was thrown into disarray following the emergence of new child prodigy; Alexia Ashford. At the time Alexia was 10 years-old and following university graduation had been appointed Chief Researcher of Umbrella’s South Pole laboratory. Birkin had always prided himself on being the youngest prodigy Umbrella had at their disposal but now suddenly found his world rocked by this spoiled little girl. He became excessively jealous and sloppy in his work. His competitive spirit burning, he proceeded with his own research and experiments at breakneck pace, but he was reckless, lacking proper planning and self-control, meaning a majority of the research was wasted and many test subjects lost.

By now, Birkin had engineered a t-Virus variant stable enough to create primitive human biological weapons, more commonly known as zombies. However, not only was he mutating human genes through the t-Virus, he was also adding the genetic information of other creatures. These experiments resulted in a reptilian biological weapon with an increased emphasis on its combat abilities. This creature would later become known as the Hunter. However, Birkin’s poor attitude towards Alexia meant his work continued to suffer and many valuable specimens were lost. It was only the cool head of Albert Wesker that prevented the research from being set back even further.

The turning point came two years later on New Year’s Eve 1983. Word had reached the staff at Arklay Laboratories that Alexia Ashford had died in a failed laboratory experiment. This news seemed to transform Birkin and he reverted back to his old self, much to Wesker’s relief. But although Birkin’s work rate began to increase once more, he forbade Wesker from acquiring a sample of the t-Veronica Virus, Alexia’s life’s work. He wanted nothing to do with other people’s achievements. Shortly after her accident, the virus was scrapped and all research on t-Veronica was discontinued. It was around this time that Birkin developed a romantic relationship with a female researcher at Arklay named Annette. This was a move that surprised many of his colleagues as up until then Birkin had been focused solely on his research and had shown no interest in anything else. Despite this, Birkin and Annette were married and in 1986 they had a daughter named Sherry.

1988 was a significant year for Birkin. The t-Virus research reached the third stage when he successfully created a new variant stable enough to transform selected human beings into the ultimate biological weapon, the Tyrant. This was achieved by reducing the activity of the virus on the human brain to a minimum, thus retaining as much intelligence as possible. However, the drawback to this was that only one person in every ten million had the required genetic make-up compatible to become a Tyrant, the rest would simply become zombies. These unfavourable results brought the research to an almost complete standstill as there were next to no suitable test subjects available. The compatibility rate was estimated at 1-100,000,000 people.

Around that time, reports reached Arklay Labs that Umbrella France were trying to use organic parasites to create B.O.W.s, and Wesker managed to convince Birkin that they should obtain a sample of the parasite dubbed ‘Nemesis.’ When the sample arrived, they injected it into Lisa Trevor, her ability to withstand most experiments making her the obvious candidate as a guinea pig. But surprisingly, Lisa appeared to absorb the parasite and the research team were at a loss to explain exactly what had happened. Birkin was the only one to understand that something new had been awakened inside of her. This was to be the beginning of the G-Virus project, and the fruit of his life’s work. This discovery, coupled with the fact that primary t-Virus research was now complete despite a lack of suitable Tyrant hosts, ensured Spencer finally made his move and seized full control of Umbrella. But in order to do so, he first had to dispose of James Marcus, who for the last ten years had been living in exile at the old church next to the abandoned Training Facility, watching with envious eyes as Birkin took his own creation to a new level. Spencer ordered Birkin and Wesker to kill Marcus and so they dutifully led a squad of armed U.S.S. down to Marcus’s private lab and had him assassinated. Birkin mockingly informed the dying doctor that he would take over all of his research.

The goal of the G Project was to create ‘G-Humans’; an evolved race of superior people created through use of the G-Virus as an evolutionary tool and in 1991 Spencer approved the project. He also authorised the construction of a huge, state-of-the-art underground research facility to be situated underneath Raccoon City itself. Once the facility was completed, Birkin and Annette transferred across in 1993 and his old position at Arklay Labs was taken over by John Clemens; a researcher from the Chicago branch of Umbrella.

During the early 1990s, Birkin maintained an excellent working relationship with the Chicago branch. His work on the G-Virus and continued research on the t-Virus enabled Chicago and Umbrella USA to gain significant influence over the entire corporation. Additionally the clones donated by Tyrant-compatible host Sergei Vladimir allowed for Birkin to perfect the t-Virus so that anyone could be transformed into a Tyrant, regardless of their intelligence levels. This was a massive breakthrough.

In 1995, Birkin was called back to Arklay Laboratories with Wesker to oversee the final disposal of Lisa Trevor. By now he was aiming to use the G-Virus to secure an executive seat on Umbrella’s board of directors, although the virus was still several years away from completion. He worked closely with police chief Brian Irons to ensure his work remained protected and also conducted training seminars with the Chicago branch. As ever he remained consumed by his work and his relationship with Sherry suffered as a result. He would spend days at a time in his lab and his daughter often felt sad about it. Her mom Annette was so in awe of her husband that she also never noticed Sherry’s suffering.

By 1998, all research on the t-Virus was complete and finalised and all that remained was to gather sufficient combat data. Wesker had already informed him of his intention to leave Umbrella and when the biological disaster hit the Spencer Mansion and adjoining lab complex, it seemed like the perfect opportunity had arose. But Birkin refused to join him and would not contemplate leaving Umbrella whilst his G-Virus research was still incomplete. At this stage the project was still several months off being ready and he firmly believed its success would see him promoted to executive status.

In July, Birkin was put in charge of the Reclamation Project as Umbrella wanted to conduct a detailed investigation into the possible re-opening of the old training facility that shut down 20 years ago. Birkin and Wesker were reunited as leaders of this project but after an initial survey team had been attacked and killed on site, they realised the abandoned facility was also contaminated and further investigation revealed a man claiming to be the long dead James Marcus was behind the attack. With Wesker preoccupied with carrying out his duties as S.T.A.R.S. commander and gearing up for Operation X-Day, it was left up to Birkin to sort out this mess. But before Wesker left, Birkin provided him with a sample of an experimental virus derived from Progenitor that would aid him in his mission should he become desperate. He told Wesker it was a sample from the mutation stocks designed for the host to cheat death, but even Birkin never knew the true reasoning behind this viral sample. He never knew about the Wesker Children program and gave it to Wesker on Spencer’s order. Once Wesker had gone, Birkin activated the self-destruct system for the Management Training Facility and destroyed the whole complex in a bid to wipe out the Marcus clone and the biohazard.

Birkin became exceedingly paranoid following the mansion incident, believing he would be blamed for the outbreak of the t-Virus that contaminated the estate. He believed a team of agents would be sent into Raccoon under the guise of eliminating the surviving S.T.A.R.S. members with a hidden objective to kill him. He began to disagree with the direction Umbrella wanted to take his G-Virus and the Chicago branch noted he was becoming increasingly erratic and difficult to handle. His psychological evaluations did not make for good reading. Birkin soon realised that no offer was forthcoming to join Umbrella’s executive elite and so he began to make discrete ties with the U.S. Government and was put into contact with Derek C. Simmons. At this stage, he still delivered training seminars but his relationship with the Chicago branch had deteriorated since the mansion incident. Umbrella Europe were making headways with the Nemesis T-Type and the Chicago office, who had a deep rivalry with their European counterparts, wanted to see off this threat to their throne. In response, Birkin launched the Nemesis Beta program, a counterpart parasite to the Alpha organism that had brought Umbrella Europe so much success. The Nemesis Beta parasite resembled a spider and was much bigger that it’s Alpha cousin, and was also able to survive independent of its host albeit in a weakened state. Its function was to take control of other organisms via the central nervous system, rendering them stronger and faster. But ultimately this project failed and Nemesis Beta was scraped, with all remaining test parasites locked down in the P-15B facility. Following this failure, Chicago placed Birkin under so much pressure to complete the G-Virus that he began to have serious reservations about their ultimate plans for his creation. He despised being under their control and gradually ceased his progress reports.

In response, Chicago executives feared Birkin was planning to betray them. Having been part of the Marcus conspiracy, Birkin knew first-hand what Umbrella were capable of and needed a diversion to draw attention away from him and his work. To this end he intentionally allowed a biohazard to occur at the P-12A Incinerator Facility, having monitored failing conditions there since June and purposefully done nothing about it. Throughout this time and whilst finalising the G-Virus, Birkin remained in constant contact with Umbrella’s man in the R.P.D.; Chief Irons, and ordered him to watch out for spies trying to get at him. He was paying the police chief large sums of money and instructed him to keep the authorities away from the underground sewer network and the S.T.A.R.S. away from the chemical plant and factory situated in Lonsdale Train Yards.

Birkin continued to negotiate with Derek Simmons in secret, and the U.S. Government were ready to extract him and take him into their custody, effectively ending their collusive decades-long relationship with Umbrella. With Birkin under their employ, they would have no further need to align with the corporation and prevent Umbrella from ever getting the G-Virus. Although Birkin remained unaware, Albert Wesker was also hoping to extract his old colleague and bring him over to the rival company. But when Umbrella learned of this betrayal, they sent agents into Raccoon City to forcibly retrieve the G-Virus from Birkin. The unit, led by Hunk, shot William and stole the G-Virus sample. As he lay there dying, Birkin injected himself with the G-Virus, transforming himself into a G-creature, but not a G-Human as originally intended. He attacked and decimated the U.S.S. Special Forces team, which led to the t-Virus leaking and contaminating the whole of Raccoon City on a rapid scale thanks to infected rats. For the next few days, Birkin continued to mutate and prowl the sewers, looking for victims to reproduce with. He eventually came across his own daughter, Sherry, and implanted her with a G embryo. He was eventually finally destroyed when his mutated form attacked the train that Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Sherry were using to escape the city on September 30th. Birkin had almost completely absorbed the train when its self-destruct system was activated, blowing him up and finally destroying him.

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