Editing Metroid Hatchling

{{Character-infobox
|image=[[File:Super Metroid Samus finds hatchling flashback.png|250px|Samus discovers the Metroid hatchling]]
|caption=Samus meets the newly hatched Metroid
|planet=[[Zebes]]
|gender=Unknown
|games=*''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]''
*''[[Super Metroid]]''
|appearances=
|family=
|race=[[Metroid (species)|Metroid]]
}}
{{Quote|Pondering this fact, I realize... I owe the Metroid hatchling my life twice over.|[[Samus Aran|Samus]]}}
The '''Metroid hatchling''', often referred to as '''the baby''',<ref>{{cite manual|I had gone to planet [[SR388]] to destroy the Metroids. After a deadly struggle, I managed to defeat the Queen Metroid, and as I was preparing to return, a baby Metroid hatched before my eyes. As I was the first thing the baby saw, it took me to be its mother.|Metroid: Other M|6}}</ref> is the last remaining [[Metroid (species)|Metroid]] from planet [[SR388]]. Samus witnesses the Metroid hatch discovered by [[Samus Aran|Samus]] in ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', and it helps her escape the Metroids' home planet. Samus, rather than kill the Metroid in accordance with her mission directives, takes the specimen to the [[Ceres Space Colony|Galactic Research Station at Ceres]], so that [[Galactic Federation|Federation]] scientists could study its energy-producing qualities. According to Samus, the scientists discovered that the Metroid could be used to benefit civilization, but exactly how is never known.

Shortly after Samus leaves Ceres, the scientists are murdered, and the Metroid is stolen by [[Ridley]] and taken to the reconstructed [[Space Pirate]] base on [[Zebes]]. After defeating Ridley in his lair at [[Norfair]], Samus finds the Metroid's casing broken in two. She encounters the creature herself in [[Tourian|New Tourian]] amidst dried husks of enemies. Since its time away from Ceres, the Metroid has grown to a gigantic size, far larger than any other juvenile Metroid Samus has encountered, but due to its existence away from SR388, it had not proceeded through the Metroids' growth cycle. The Metroid proceeds to attack Samus, draining almost all of her energy before ceasing and fleeing, possibly to warn Samus not to proceed any further.

A short time later, as Samus is overwhelmed by [[Mother Brain|Mother Brain's]] [[Hyper Beam (Mother Brain)|Hyper Beam]], the Metroid returns, attacking Mother Brain as the she prepares to kill Samus, and uses the energy taken from the monstrosity to heal Samus and empower her with the Hyper Beam. During this process, a rejuvenated Mother bombards the infant with beams fired from its mouth, killing it. Its remains rain down upon Samus, and she gains the [[Hyper Beam (Mother Brain)|Hyper Beam]], using it to obliterate Mother and escape [[Zebes]].

The Metroid hatchling was used to create the genetic basis for the failed [[Space Pirate]] experiment [[Mochtroid]]s and their successful Metroid cloning later on. The Galactic Federation scientists managed to save some DNA samples from the hatchling as well. These samples were used to create unfreezable Metroids on the ''[[Bottle Ship]]'', to create the [[X Parasite|X]] vaccine, [[Vaccine "Metroid"]], and to provide the basis for the secret Metroid breeding program at the [[Biologic Space Labs Research Station|B.S.L research station's]] [[Restricted Laboratory]].

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:Super Metroid Samus greets scientist.png|Samus turns the hatchling over to Federation scientists at Ceres
File:Super Metroid scientists study metroid.png|Scientists study the metroid
File:Metroid Fusion MetroidVaccine.png|Scientists discover a last minute Vaccine "Metroid" ready for Samus's use
</gallery></center>
<br/>

==Trivia==
*The only flashbacks in the series that refer to previous game are those in the beginnings of ''[[Super Metroid]]'' and ''[[Metroid: Other M]]''. In both of these flashbacks, the Metroid hatchling is the main focus.
*Though the hatchling only appears in the ends of ''Super Metroid'' and ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', its importance carries on through ''Other M'' and ''Metroid Fusion'', meaning that its presence spans every game chronologically since ''Return of Samus''.
*Though Samus may be heralded as the savior of planets or even galaxies and the universe, she gives credit to the hatchling for saving her life twice, initially against Mother Brain and again as the [[Vaccine "Metroid"|Metroid vaccine]] in ''Fusion''.<ref>{{cite|They proposed using a Metroid cell to make an anti-X vaccine. It seems that the Federation had managed to preserve a cell culture from the last infant Metroid from SR388. The serum was prepared and injected without delay.
...
Pondering this fact, I realize... I owe the Metroid hatchling my life twice over.|[[Samus Aran]]|Metroid Fusion}}</ref>
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[[Category:Characters]]