Umbrella Corporation
From Gory Storm
The Umbrella Corporation (officialy named Umbrella Chemical Inc.) was a megacorporation which operated ruthlessly as a major international player in a number of markets including pharmaceuticals, medical hardware, defense, and computers along with more clandestine operations utilizing genetic engineering and biological weaponry. The company also had a more public face, producing cosmetics and the like.
A subsidiary of Umbrella operated as a private militia. This division of the corporation maintained a highly trained security force capable of rescue, reconnaissance, and para-military operations.
They used a variety of vehicles, including HUMVEEs. Complementing this security force was an air wing, which maintained a fleet of AV-8B Harrier jump jets, UH-60 Blackhawks, C-130 Hercules water-landing capable cargo planes, CH-53 Sea Stallion cargo helicopters for transporting prisoners and Hughes H-6 "Little Bird" attack helicopters. The corporation utilized these resources in order to secure and protect its assets, as well as its high profile employees.
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[edit] History of Umbrella
[edit] Formation
The Umbrella Corporation was founded by Lord Ozwell E. Spencer, a man descended from the British Royal Family, in the 1960s. Two other people were prominently involved in the conception of Umbrella, Dr. James Marcus and Sir Edward Ashford, although it is apparent that Spencer was the driving force behind the formation of the company as Marcus and Ashford were far more interested in the potential uses of the newly-discovered Progenitor Virus. When Ashford died in 1968, Spencer was able to largely sideline Marcus at the Raccoon City facilities while he maintained control over the company for the next thirty years. Spencer would eventually grow distrustful of Marcus, worried that his research would allow the scientist to eventually supplant him as Umbrella's CEO.
Lord Spencer arranged for the assassination of Dr. Marcus, a task that was duly carried out by two of Marcus' most brilliant and ambitious assistants, William Birkin and Albert Wesker. Birkin would subsequently take over all of Marcus' research, including the studies on the Progenitor Virus and his achievement in the creation of T. Ten years later, Marcus was completely restored by the Queen Leech (see James Marcus for more information regarding this event). Marcus would exact his revenge on Spencer and Umbrella by releasing the T-Virus into the Arklay Research Facility's water supply, turning the facility personnel into zombies and leaving the laboratory and mansion in complete chaos, allowing for the team's extremely dangerous research specimens to escape into the surrounding area. Birkin and Wesker used this as a diversion for their own plans to leave Umbrella, taking their research with them. Wesker, having formed Raccoon City's elite S.T.A.R.S. unit two years previous, would develop a plan to lure the team to the Spencer Mansion to obtain battle data from the conflict that would surely follow. Spencer Mansion had been constructed above the actual laboratory to conceal it from negative interests such as the government and local populace, and was now crawling with infected researchers and experiments wandering its halls. Although the Tyrant was deployed, resulting in unforeseen side-effects for Wesker, both the laboratory and the rampaging Tyrant were destroyed by S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team before making its escape back to Raccoon City with a single Bravo Team survivor.
Wesker was forced to go into hiding for a number of months, using his operative Ada Wong to carry out his objectives, including the recovery of Birkin's ultimate creation, the G-Virus. Several months after the Arklay incident, William Birkin finally perfected the viral strain that he'd been toiling to achieve since obtaining Marcus' research so many years earlier, the G-Virus. Birkin planned to use the virus to force the Umbrella Corporation into allowing him onto their executive board, but then changed his plans when he found that selling it directly to the U.S. Government would prove far more profitable. Umbrella deployed its elite U.S.S. team (a para-military black-operations unit created for Umbrella's most clandestine purposes) in a desperate bid to stop Birkin from handing over his ultimate creation. Although Birkin was mortally wounded in the ensuing conflict, and the G-Virus was successfully recovered by Umbrella, he was able to inject the G-Virus into his own body and devastate most of the team before it could make its escape. This event would be indirectly responsible for unleashing the T-Virus on Raccoon City. While the Arklay incident had been relatively isolated and concealed from the public, and Umbrella's control over key government and law enforcement personnel had ensured that any record of what had occurred could be safely swept into obscurity, they were now faced with an entire city infected with the T-Virus and a trail leading directly back to the Umbrella Corporation. This would prove exceedingly difficult, even for Umbrella, to make simply disappear.
[edit] Decline and Collapse
Umbrella's fortunes failed to improve in the time shortly after the Raccoon City incident. But with a barrage of mysterious witness disappearances and Umbrella-planted witnesses, all blame for the incident was carefuly shifted to the US Government. The U.S. Government was forced to take extreme measures to ensure the spread of the T-Virus was stopped for good. Mission Code XX was approved for immediate deployment, and Raccoon City was annihilated via an air-to-surface surgical missile strike. After escaping to the city limits with the UBSC member Rodrigez and her fellow Umbrella researcher Linda, Yoko Suzuki's amnesia finally lifted, and all of the evil deeds she had witnessed and helped Umbrella keep secret came flooding back. With her newly regained memories, Yoko decided it was time the world was told the truth, and that doing so would start her down a better path. Linda and Yoko were brought forward as key witnesses to Umbrella's atrocities in the Supreme Court, and all was made known.
On Sheena Island, undercover investigator, Ark Thompson, operating on behalf of Leon S. Kennedy, succeeded in destroying Umbrella's Tyrant production plant after Umbrella's senior executive assigned to the island unleashed the T-Virus on its citizens. Shortly afterwards, when Claire Redfield broke into Umbrella's Paris facilities in search of her brother, she was captured and sent to Umbrella's illegal prison camp on Rockfort Island. While there, she witnessed Albert Wesker attack the island in search of the T-Veronica Virus, another relative of the now infamous T-Virus. Escaping the island, she found herself trapped at the South Pole Facility, where Edward Ashford's granddaughter, Alexia Ashford, awoke from a self-induced coma with a desire to establish a new order. With the destruction of Sheena Island, Rockfort Island and the South Pole Facility, most of Umbrella's illegitimate operations had been shut down. This, combined with the loss of so many of Umbrella's research and security personnel throughout each of the disastrous incidents, left Umbrella with little chance of reforming said operations or regaining the years of research lost thus far.
However, the Umbrella investigation would continue until 2003, when Umbrella was finally found guilty after an anonymous tip-off by Albert Wesker. The U.S. Government suspended Umbrella's market trading license pending further investigation into their business practices. While this investigation must have already provided Umbrella with severe financial problems, a world-wide manhunt for surviving founder Ozwell E. Spencer practically sealed the organization's fate.
With trading suspended, Umbrella's shares quickly collapsed, and the company was virtually bankrupt. Umbrella became largely fragmented, with power struggles between senior executives becoming a constant occurrence. The U.S. STRATCOM was mainly involved in clean-up operations, such as the theft of the T-G Virus by former Umbrella executive in R&D, Morpheus D. Duvall, and his plans to create a new order based around his obsessive ideals of 'beauty'. By the early 21st century, the Umbrella Corporation's bankruptcy was absolute, and the U.S. government had completed the process of fully dismantling the remnants of the organization. However, in Resident Evil 4, it was revealed that Albert Wesker's grand scheme involves the resurrection of the Umbrella Corporation.
Even with the corporation shut down, a vast amount of technology developed by the was pilfered and scattered across the globe. Among this Umbrella technology were satellites, artificial intelligences, and energy weaponry. Wesker is, however, seen in RE4 as controlling an Umbrella-owned satellite, and retrieving the data contained within the Red Queen in RE:UC. This poses the possibility he has seized all of Umbrella's technology, assets and intelligence data for his own organization.
[edit] Umbrella in the 'Evil Company' Archetype
Though Umbrella was portrayed as a stereotypical "evil megacorporation", similar to Weyland-Yutani from the Alien series, it was later given an elaborate backstory and presence stretching back to the turn of the century in Resident Evil Code: Veronica.
On the other hand, the same game greatly bolstered the concept of an omnipotent corporation, introducing the company's private prison island. And while some of the zombie outbreaks seen in the Resident Evil series are caused by staggering incompetence and rogue operatives rather than overt maliciousness, Capcom has also stated that some viral outbreaks were indeed to test its effectiveness.
It is also noteworthy that in Resident Evil 3, the corporation released Nemesis with the sole intent of tracking down and murdering all surviving S.T.A.R.S. members; and in Resident Evil 2, T-103 Tyrant was dispatched with a similar mission (murder all credible witnesses to Umbrella's guilt and recovering the G-virus), various other T-103 tyrants where released in the city to test them against the US military.
Capcom themselves appeared to realize the increasing improbability of the cliché premise (and the pitfalls of sticking to it), and thus Resident Evil 4 saw Umbrella's swift downfall, explained away in occasional sentences and not really mentioned since. However, in the "Separate Ways" sidegame featured in the PlayStation 2 version of Resident Evil 4, it is revealed that Umbrella is indeed alive and well under the care of Albert Wesker as apparent by the judicious use of Umbrella technology still in use.
Nevertheless, examples of Umbrella's inability to control outbreaks, mostly caused from former personnel, resulting in pandemonium, include:
- Resident Evil 0, which dealt with the outbreak caused by James Marcus in revenge for his 'death' at the hands of Umbrella.
- Resident Evil, which dealt with the members of S.T.A.R.S. being used as cannon fodder to gather battle data about the performances of bio-weapons and irregular mutants.
- Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and the Resident Evil: Outbreak series, which show what happened after an ostensibly failed attempt (the Umbrella operative HUNK eventually delivered the virus) made by Umbrella Special Forces Unit operators to recover the G-Virus from William Birkin.
- Resident Evil Code: Veronica, where a special forces team working for The Organization, along with Wesker, attack an Umbrella island, causing an Outbreak. Later, an escape plane from the same island, lands at the Antarctic Transport Terminal, causing another Outbreak.
- Resident Evil: Survivor, where Vincent Goldman releases the virus to eradicate the population of Sheena Island and any evidence against his own actions.
- Resident Evil: Dead Aim, where a rogue scientist, Morpheus D. Duvall, stole samples of Umbrella's prototype viruses, unleashed part of them aboard a luxury cruiser, property of Umbrella, and used several others to threaten the U.S. and China with a secret missile installation filled with viral warheads.
- Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Umbrella's End/Dark Legacy, where an Outbreak occurs in Umbrellas last stronghold, a research lab in the caucasus mountain range. Coincidentaly, the report of the Outbreak was sent in right as Wesker was seen on camera entering the building, suggesting he may have had involvement.
[edit] Company Motto & Slogan
- According to James Marcus, the Umbrella's 'employee pledge' is stated as being "Obedience Breeds Discipline, Discipline Breeds Unity, Unity Breeds Power, Power is Life". It is unknown if this is the motto for the public or if it is used purely within the company, due to its ominous sound.
- In the game Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Albert Wesker states that Umbrella's motto was "Preserving the health of the people".
- In the 2002 film Resident Evil, Umbrella's slogan is "Umbrella Sheltering Your Family".
- In the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Umbrella's slogan is "Our Business is Life Itself."
[edit] Products
A contributing factor to Umbrella's success were their non-lethal commercial products. Such products include:
- Adravil: An apparently ibuprofen-based analgesic. May be an analog of the real drug Advil.
- Safsprin: Another of Umbrella's three main public products. Aspirin based, it can be used as treatment for various common, daily illnesses.
- Uspirim: Another Umbrella Aspirin-based product, introduced in Alyssa Ashcroft's good ending in Resident Evil: Outbreak.
- Aqua Cure: Umbrella's crowning public achievement, Aqua Cure is an ointment used on open wounds that made the company famous worldwide. It is considered to be Umbrella's primary public product and is very effective. Most likely the recurring item First Aid Spray that appears throughout the series. It is assumed that the T-Virus is used on this product to reaccommodate the damaged cells, though no side-effect has been shown from this product.
- Glasses: Umbrella issued glasses. Weskers "shades" seen in the first game and its remake were revealed in umbrella chronicles to be one of umbrellas creations.
- Valifin: A non-canon medication mentioned in the novelization Resident Evil: Zero Hour by S.D. Perry, Valifin is a pediatric heart medication that has a side-effect of renal failure.
- Regenerate: A non-canon product mentioned in the Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Regenerate is a skincare product that uses the T-Virus to reanimate dead skin cells, making the user appear younger.
- Return: A non-canon weight pill mentioned in promotions for the second movie. This pill features the ability to burn up to 30 pounds per pill. Developed using the T-Virus.
It is interesting to note that according to Rebecca Chambers in the Resident Evil Remake, most of the products are "home grown in Raccoon City".
It is also interesting to note that when examining herbs in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, it states that they are from Raccoon City. This suggests Umbrella grew these herbs, explainin how they ended up in an Umbrella base in Europe, and Antarctica.
[edit] Manufactured Firearms
- Sporting Int. Magnum Custom Edition A mix between a Desert Eagle and a Colt45 and uses 50AE rounds.
- Incinerator Unit A gun that uses some parts of the Colt M4A1 Carbine and fires a long range flame that can burn things easily.
- Semi-Automatic Anti-Tank Rifle A large rifle used to destroy light armored vehicles.
- Spark Shot A gun that fires electric shocks to control experimental animals.
- Mine Thrower A gun with specialized bullets that will detonate if something pass near them, or attach themselves to a creature. Similar to the first one, another version uses a box-style magazines instead of a cylinder magazine and the bullets this time will detonate after a period of time.
- Elite Python A modification for a Colt Python made by Umbrella.
- Linear Launcher A Shoulder-Mounted cannon that fires extremely powerful blast of plasma. .
- Charged Particle Rifle A gun that charges particles with negative or positive shocks that can electrocute somebody or deactivate electric shields and damage electric artifacts due to the EMP emitted by it.
[edit] Other Products
There are also a multitude of other products seen briefly throughout all of the Resident Evil games including, soft drinks, cosmetics, and firearms.
[edit] Known Facilities
[edit] North America
- Arklay Research Facility: A research facility located in Raccoon Forest, camouflaged by a mansion designed by George Trevor for Ozwell E. Spencer. Umbrella conducted most of its T-Virus experiments there, including the creation of the Tyrant.
- Umbrella Research Center: Also known as the Umbrella Corporation Management Training Facility, this building was managed by James Marcus for the purpose of training future Umbrella employees. It was officially closed down in 1978, though Marcus continued his research there until his assassination in 1988. An investigative unit was sent in 1998 to inspect the facility for reopening purposes.
- Unnamed Chicago Research Facility: The facility John, Ada Wong's deceased boyfriend, worked for before transferring to Arklay Research Facility. William Birkin used to visit this branch to conduct a monthly training seminar.
- Raccoon City Underground Laboratory: A facility established during the late 1980s for the sole purpose of William Birkin's G-Virus project. It can only be entered through a cable car system within Raccoon City's sewers, and is also connected to the Management Training Facility.
- Dead Factory: A facility hidden within an abandoned factory in Raccoon City, used to chemically destroy dead and unusable specimens. Potent contributor to the release of the virus into the city.
- Raccoon City Corporate Headquarters: A large facility used to test the combat capabilities of BOWs. An experimental serum was developed there to combat the T-Virus.
- Raccoon City Hospital: Umbrella maintained a small laboratory in the basement of the city hospital. This lab contained Hunters in containment tanks, as well as equipment capable of synthesizing a vaccine against the T-Virus.
- Classified Research and Testing Facility: Located in the area of what used to be Raccoon City, this facility was built after the area was destroyed and gated off. Not much is known about this facility. But what is known is that Umbrella conducts testing and research there and monitors the gated area and surrounding area for any possible biohazard threats or trespassers.
- The Hive (movie continuity Only): A semi-secret underground lab located beneath the streets of Raccoon City. This facility is noted to conduct experiments on viral weaponry. When the T-Virus escapes through the air ducts a super computer (known as the Red Queen) shuts down the facility trapping anyone within.
- Umbrella Medical Facility (movie continuity Only): A research facility located outside of (possibly) Chicago. The facility is known to experiment on animals and possibly humans. 3 weeks after the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, Umbrella began testing a new virus on their first human subject Alice.
- Umbrella North American Research Facility (movie continuity only): A facility in the desert, disguised as an old weather station, where the employees of Umbrella's science division took shelter in the wake of the Global T-Virus Outbreak. Science division head Sam Isaacs, his second in command, Alexander Slater, and the sophisticated White Queen were all stationed here prior the Isaac's execution and subsequent mutation which claimed the lives of the entire staff.
[edit] Other
- Sheena Island: A small European island privately owned by Umbrella. It housed a community of researchers working for the company and was secretly the site of a Tyrant Plant which was mass-producing the T-103 models (Mr.Xs).
- Umbrella Medical, Paris: The headquarters of Umbrella in Europe. Claire Redfield infiltrates this facility briefly, only to be captured by its chief of security, Rodrigo Juan Raval. Christine Henri is likely the Research and Development Head Manager of this division.
- Rockfort Island: A solitary island which served as the site of Alfred Ashford's private residence and palace after he purchased the land and drove the villagers out. It also housed an "inescapable" prison camp, a military training facility for the Umbrella Special Forces Unit (including a lab used to create BOWs) and an airport.
- Umbrella Antarctic Facility: A facility established by Alexander Ashford for his Code: Veronica project. Later, Alexia Ashford, an offspring of the project, used the facility for her T-Veronica research.
- Umbrella Atlantic Facility: A waste disposal facility on an unnamed island in the Atlantic Ocean. It was to this facility that Umbrella sent some of its worst failed experiments to be disposed of, but for unknown reasons the facility shut down. It was used as a base of operations by renegade Umbrella executive Morpheus D. Duvall.
- Umbrella Russian Facility: An Umbrella facility disguised as a oil factory. It was at this facility that the T.A.L.O.S project was completed and later destroyed by Chris and Jill. The facility was also one of the locations where the Red Queen computer was held.
[edit] Paramilitary units
Umbrella owned and utilized several paramilitary units to ensure the stability of the company during their viral experimentations.
[edit] Umbrella Special Forces Unit/ Umbrella Security Service
The Umbrella Special Forces Unit (also known as the Umbrella Security Service) was first introduced in Resident Evil 2. A squad of commandos known as Alpha Team belonging to this force attempt to steal a sample of the G-Virus, causing the city-wide outbreak of the game. Another squad, Delta Team, later appears in the prequel game Resident Evil 0; Delta Team is eliminated by monsters aboard an Umbrella-owned train.
They are alluded to as a "paramilitary unit [intended] to counter corporate terrorism and V.I.P. abduction." USS agents are trained at the Rockfort Island facility, which is also home to a descendant of one of Umbrella's founders.
One member of the Umbrella Special Forces Unit, Agent HUNK, appears first in a mini-game in Resident Evil 2, where his goal is to reach an evacuation point with a sample of the G-Virus Also it has not been confirm that more than One of the team that was send to retrieve the G-Virus survived the attack.
Umbrella Special Forces Unit agents are always depicted in solid-color gray fatigues, wearing protective vests and gas masks, and are usually armed with MP5 submachine guns.
[edit] Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service
The Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service, or U.B.C.S., specializing in rescue operations during biohazard outbreaks.The U.B.C.S. is composed of "nightmen," mostly former mercenaries and war criminals, recruited by Umbrella and trained to deal with "problems caused by illegal products." Their uniform consists of tactical vests, green shirts and tan or creme-colored slacks. They are usually armed with M4 carbines.
