Dark Samus: Difference between revisions

'''Dark Samus''' is a main antagonist of the [[Metroid Prime (series)|''Metroid Prime'' series]]. She is a combination of elements from [[Metroid Prime (specimen)|Metroid Prime]], [[Samus Aran]], and Samus's [[Phazon Suit]]. She appears in all three of the ''[[Metroid Prime (series)|Prime]]'' games, although her appearance in the first ''[[Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]'' was only in a brief cut scene. As she is an incarnation of Metroid Prime, Dark Samus is a primary antagonist of the Prime series.

Dark Samus landed on [[Aether]] about the same time when the [[Leviathan]] crashed on the planet and before Samus arrived in search of lost Federation soldiers. The [[Space Pirate]]s mistook Dark Samus for Samus Aran but were confounded by her aberrant behavior; instead of destroying the Pirates, she consumed their Phazon, only killing those that attempted to stop her from doing so.<ref>{{cite|Samus Aran, the accursed Hunter, has arrived. The sudden arrival of the Hunter is strange enough, but her actions are stranger still. She does not seek our destruction, but our Phazon. With each raid, she steals Phazon ore, only killing those who attempt to deny her. What she needs it for we do not know - though Science Team suspects she requires it to power her new armorsuit. Dark in color, it is equipped with strange new weapons. The troops now call her the "Dark Hunter." It is a fitting title.|[[Space Pirate Data]] "The Hunter"|Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}</ref> Her irrepressible infiltration and repeated raids cost the Pirates much in the way of Phazon, and she even crippled their stealth field generator on at least once occasion, leaving them especially vulnerable to Federation attack.<ref>{{cite|The Dark Hunter teleports into the base at will. Our security has proven next to useless against her. Her latest raid was disastrous. Not only did we lose more Phazon to her, but she also crippled the stealth field generator with her strange new weapons. We are exposed. Until the replacement generator arrives, we will be vulnerable to scans and detection. Our presence here is still minimal: should the Federation find us, we will be unable to defend our position. Fortunately, Aether is on the fringe of Federation space. With luck, we will have a stealth field back in effect before being detected.|Space Pirate Data "Security Breach"|Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}</ref> It was only after Samus Aran made planetfall on Aether that the Pirates realized they were dealing with a second Hunter, and considered trying to forge an alliance with Dark Samus in an effort to repel Samus's assaults.<ref>{{cite|Another hunter, wearing the traditional colors of Samus Aran, made planetfall today. Horrific as it may sound, there are two of them now. We are bracing for a new assault. This dire turn of events may bear some good will. One of our scouts in Dark Aether saw a curious encounter. The Dark Hunter attacked the one clad as Samus near a Phazon site. Perhaps they are not allies...but foes. Perhaps we can forge an alliance with the Dark Hunter - an exchange, Phazon for the head of our common enemy.|[[Space Pirate Data]] "Two Hunters"|Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}</ref>

Samus first encounters Dark Samus inside an abandoned [[Galactic Federation]] base set up by the [[GFMC Task Force Herakles]] on Aether. Samus follows Dark Samus through a [[Dark Portal]] leading to [[Dark Aether]] and finds her absorbing [[Phazon]] on the other side of the portal. Dark Samus destroys a [[Light Crystal]] nearby, allowing a group of [[Warrior Ing]] to swarm in and steal most of Samus's equipment. Samus narrowly manages to escape from the Ing before Dark Aether's atmosphere causes any severe damage to her. Samus learns that the Ing are under Dark Samus's command.  

Later, Samus briefly encounters Dark Samus in a Space Pirate facility in [[Agon Wastes|Agon]]. Shortly thereafter Samus finds Dark Samus in the [[Phazon Processing]], absorbing more Phazon once again, and engages her in battle. Samus defeats her counterpart and emerges victorious. However, contrary to appearances, Dark Samus was not destroyed entirely.

Samus comes across Dark Samus again in the [[Training Chamber]] of [[Torvus Bog]], where she reforms, laughs, and then dissipates without attempting to intimidate or attack Samus. Her intentions during this encounter were unclear, and Dark Samus does not show herself to Samus again until she travels to [[Sanctuary Fortress]].

At the [[Sanctuary Entrance]], Dark Samus again confronts Samus. Dark Samus destroys the bridge structure here in an attempt to prevent Samus from using it to access the elevator leading from Sanctuary to the [[Temple Grounds]]. Despite the bridge being destroyed, Samus is able to use her recently recovered [[Spider Ball]] to cross the newly-formed gap. They encounter one another again in the Sanctuary; on this occasion, Samus finds Dark Samus obliterating three Dark Pirate Troopers attempting to force her to take a detour to access the Phazon. They engage in combat again in the [[Aerie Access]] elevator, which Dark Samus activates, and the battle continues into the [[Aerie Transport Station]] chamber. Though Dark Samus demonstrates several new techniques, including a powerful variant of the [[Charge Beam]], an augmented [[Boost Ball|Boost]] system, and the ability to render herself invisible to the normal light spectrum, Samus is able to defeat her again. Dark Samus then staggers and falls off of the edge of the fortress, though data indicates that she will be able to reform herself after sustaining any damage short of total atomic disruption.<ref name=DS2/>

Not long after Samus eliminates the [[Emperor Ing]] and acquires the [[Light of Aether]] from Dark Aether's final [[Energy Controller]], the planet becomes unstable, and while Samus attempts to escape Dark Aether, Dark Samus blocks her path with a wall of Phazon in an attempt to impede Samus's escape. By this time, Dark Samus has absorbed excessive amounts of Phazon into her system that it renders her unstable without venting excess Phazon energy.<ref name=DS3/> After Samus deals adequate damage to her, Dark Samus temporarily becomes a being of pure Phazon energy and creates a shield impervious to all weaponry, save for blasts of Phazon.<ref name=DS4/> By using her [[Charge Beam]], Samus draws in expelled Phazon then fires it back at Dark Samus. After several blasts, Dark Samus disintegrates after she learns of the brightness of the light in Samus's [[Light Suit]], which Dark Samus blames for her defeat.