MA-39 Cerberus
From Resident Evil Wiki
The MA-39 Cerberus is a recurring enemy that has appeared in the series since the original Resident Evil. The Cerberus was a B.O.W. created in Umbrella Chemical, Inc. labs - such as the Arklay Research Facility - from a Doberman injected with the T-Virus. It was given the development code of MA-39, (a similar code to that of the Hunters).
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Although suffering from a similar necrosis to human's infected by the T-Virus, (Zombies) Cerberus retain much of their former agility, with a noticeable increase in durability and aggression. In most cases, potential prey should listen for the sound of padding paws as a clue to their presence, with a growling warning that a Cerberus has become aware of the player and is preparing to attack. They will let out a pained yelp when killed.
Following the deliberate outbreak of T-Virus caused by Dr. James Marcus, a number of Cerberus escaped into the Raccoon Forest surrounding the facility, attacking and feeding on hikers or anyone who wandered too deep into the woods. It was these attacks (as well as those committed by at least one band of roaming zombies) which eventually led to the formal investigation of the area by S.T.A.R.S. in July 1998. Cerberus were also created accidentally in T-Virus outbreaks in Raccoon City, Sheena Island and Rockfort Island. In all such cases, contaminated meat was the likely cause of infection.
[edit] Raccoon City and Sheena Island
Cerberus roam in packs of two or three and adopted random attacking patterns. They frequently encircled the prey before charging in with a leaping attack. This can be very damaging and Cerberus in large numbers can easily overwhelm prey, eventually pinning them to the ground and ripping their throat out.
The handgun is the best weapon to use against these enemies, as long as the person's timing is accurate and they aim low. With a shotgun, the best strategy is to wait until they actually jump and then fire. This should kill them in one shot and possibly knock any others out of the way, giving the player time to prepare for another shot. The knife can also be used with the right timing to knock back a leaping Cerberus and then finish them while they are recovering on the ground.
[edit] Rockfort Island and Antarctica
The Cerberus encountered by Claire Redfield on Rockfort Island were considerably tougher and harder to kill, capable of shrugging off handgun shots without falling. With similar behavior and along with their usual leaping bite, these dogs have also learned to grab hold of a characters arm and attempt to shake it loose. As before, the handgun and shotgun are advised to deal with these dogs, with the knife being particularly useful against floored Cerberus in CV. Curiously, these Cerberus sometimes became active only when in close proximity to prey, completely ignoring the sound of gunfire nearby. This is particularly noticeable in the power room of the Antarctic Transport Terminal. Whether this is down to the dogs being heavy sleepers or simply a deliberate act of laying in wait for prey to come to them is unknown.
[edit] In Films
The Cerberus appear in all three live-action film adaptations of the games, although only appear minimally. In all three films, the zombie dogs only appear one scene each film, but appear in packs. In the first film, the dogs attack Alice in a laboratory, which inadvertently unlocks her latent abilities. In Resident Evil: Apocalypse, the dogs attack Jill, Angela Ashford, and Alice, also killing Nicholai Ginovaef. In Resident Evil: Extinction, the dogs are released from their cages from a group of survivors to attack Alice.
[edit] Trivia
- This creature was named after Cerberus, the mythological guardian of the Greek underworld, a gigantic dog with three heads and a collar made of poisonous snakes.
- In the novelization of Resident Evil 2 by S.D. Perry, Cerberus are depicted as having been flayed of its skin. This is in stark contrast to its appearance in the games, where it appears like a living doberman that has had chunks of flesh torn from its body.
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