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"The Matriarch was generated from [Myrrah]'s stem cells and Sire DNA. She amplified Myrrah's ability to communicate with the Locust."
—Dr. Niles Samson explaining the Matriarch to Cpl. Kait Diaz.

The Matriarch, also known as Subject UL-119-2, was the first successful hybrid created at Mount Kadar Laboratory. She was the original Berserker, the progenitor of the Locust, and the source of the Hivemind. The Matriarch was created by Dr. Niles Samson and his team of scientists by combining the embryonic stem cells of Myrrah, a human genetically immune to Imulsion, and Sire DNA to create a race of hybrids that would be resistant to Rustlung and utilized as a strong, obedient military force to aid the COG Army in the Pendulum Wars.

The Matriarch was the "mother" of the Locust and produced the first generation of Drones. The Matriarch also established a psychomagnetic link between Myrrah and the Locust. Due to her embryonic stem cells used to create the Matriarch, Myrrah had complete control over the Locust through the Hivemind. Preserved in cryogenic suspension, the Matriarch survived past the Locust War and connected Myrrah's daughter, Reyna Torres, and granddaughter, Kait Diaz, to the Swarm - an evolved form of Locust that survived the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon. While more Berserkers were created following the Matriarch, she is the only of her kind known to exist.

Following Myrrah's death in 17 A.E., her consciousness retreated to the Matriarch's mind. For twenty-five years, Myrrah's mind was held within until the Locust reemerged as Scions. Through the Matriarch, she guided the evolved Locust to rebuild their army and find her a new physical host. She commanded the Speaker to locate her daughter and integrate Reyna in a Swarm Hive so Myrrah could possess her body. Reyna was disconnected by Kait and died in the process. The Swarm resurrected Reyna's body, but Myrrah focused the Hivemind onto Kait and guided her to the Matriarch in order to possess her body. The Matriarch was killed by Kait to sever her connection to the Hivemind. Despite this, Myrrah transferred her consciousness to Reyna, becoming the Swarm's Queen.

Biography[]

Creation[]

"[The Matriarch] remains our most physically dominant and remarkable specimen, surviving longer than any hybrid developed with embryonic stem cells. I remain baffled as to why this is so. The bond she seemed to have developed with [Myrrah] continues to intrigue me. All at once, this mighty, matriarchal beast can be calmed into quiescence by no more than a glance! Dr. Torres has developed a containment module for [The Matriarch]. He believes that by suspending her in cryptochromic fluid, the psychomagnetic bond she and [Myrrah] appear to share could be amplified. I am skeptical but willing to entertain his flight of theoretical fancy."
—Dr. Niles Samson on the Matriarch.

The Matriarch was created in the Mount Kadar Laboratory around the mid-Pendulum Wars using the embryonic stem cells of Myrrah, a female child born with a genetic immunity to Imulsion, and Sire DNA. The Sires were once human children of Imulsion miners suffering from Rustlung, a fatal respiratory condition caused by overexposure to Imulsion vapor and fumes. Dr. Niles Samson attempted to cure Rustlung via xenotransplantation of Hollow creature DNA in the children due their exposure to Imulsion in their habitat. The Sires were distempered and sterile, unable to reproduce results for Samson.

Samson's work went from curing Rustlung to forcing human evolution into stronger beings and creating enhanced soldiers capable of following orders to end the Pendulum Wars. He attempted to create hybrids using the Sire embryonic stem cells, but resulted in deformed offspring that were not able to survive. It wasn't until Myrrah reached adolescence that Samson used her embryonic stem cells with Sire DNA to create the Matriarch, designated UL-119-2, surviving longer than any other hybrids created there.

Pendulum Wars[]

The Matriarch was naturally myopic, but had heightened senses in hearing and smell. Her massive size and natural armor made her almost impervious, except for a large and vulnerable blister on her back. The Matriarch also had increased speed, strength, and agility. The scientists were unable to control the Matriarch due to her volatile nature. It was discovered that the Matriarch had a psychomagnetic bond with Myrrah. She was able to communicate with the Matriarch and relay commands non-verbally. This Hivemind gave great interest to Samson and the scientists of the lab. Dr. Torres developed a containment module to suspend the Matriarch in cryptochromic fluid, allowing Myrrah's mental abilities to be amplified when connected to a brain-computer interface.

With Sire DNA, the scientists bred the Matriarch to produce the first generation of Drones - creating the Locust. The scientists learned that the Locust shared the same link to the Hivemind that was controlled by Myrrah. This inspired Samson to continue research into creating an army of the Locust for the sake of implementing them in the COG Army as obedient, powerful soldiers. Myrrah continually interacted with the Matriarch to learn the extent of her power in controlling the Locust.

After Torres became disillusioned with the lab's work and fled with his and Myrrah's daughter, Reyna, Samson lied to Myrrah that Reyna had been killed. Instead of settling the matter, Myrrah was enraged and directed the Locust to rebel against the lab's staff and guards. Myrrah and the Locust broke free and traveled deeper in Mount Kadar, where they eventually created their civilization of Nexus. Meanwhile, the remaining personnel variously succumbed to their wounds or were frozen solid by a cryogenic purge of the facility that Samson had initiated before he bled out. The Matriarch remained alive and preserved within her stasis tank, which was maintained by an AI construct of Samson's personality over the following decades.

Swarm Invasion[]

In 17 A.E., Queen Myrrah was killed by Sgt. Marcus Fenix and the Locust Horde was exposed to the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon, a targeted-radiation device that eliminated cells colonized by Imulsion. While intended to be lethal to the Locust due to the their exposure to Imulsion, they instead formed a chrysalis shell. This mechanism was designed by Samson to allow the Locust the ability to adapt and survive generational conflict. As they hibernated, Myrrah's consciousness survived by retreating into the mind of the Matriarch. In 42 A.E., the Locust reemerged as evolved lifeforms called Scions. From their hatching, the Locust Hivemind materialized into a bio-organism capable of transforming all life into a part of the network called the Swarm.

As the Locust Horde reemerged, they were without a physical Queen that was necessary for them to learn and grow. Through the Matriarch, Myrrah guided the Swarm to rebuild. She sought out her daughter Reyna, who also inherited her connection to the Hivemind. Using the Speaker, Myrrah had the Swarm connect Reyna to the Hive so that she could transfer her consciousness into a physical vessel and lead the Swarm. Reyna was disconnected and euthanized by her daughter, Kait Diaz. The Swarm recovered Reyna's body and reconnected her to the Hive. Though they were able to resurrect her, Myrrah desired Kait's healthy, living body as she also inherited the connection to the Hivemind.

Using the Matriarch, Myrrah caused nightmares and hallucinations as messages to Kait. The Swarm was able to capture Kait, and Myrrah was temporarily able to control the Swarm through Kait which resulted in the death of her Uncle Oscar Diaz. She was rescued by Fenix and revealed that her family had a connection with the Locust Horde. As Fenix directed her to find answers at the New Hope Research Facility, Myrrah used the Matriarch to intensify Kait's visions. The visions became more frequent and intense as Kait neared the Matriarch. Through intel at New Hope, Kait and Cpl. Delmont Walker located the source at the lab beneath Mount Kadar.

Diaz and Walker entered the lab in search of information about Kait's family and her connection to the Swarm. There, the Niles Samson AI explained the Locust's origins, Myrrah's rebellion, and how Kait had developed the same telepathic ability as her grandmother. In order to sever that telepathic connection, Samson directed Kait to use the interface with the Matriarch, which was connected to the Swarm Hivemind. Inside the Hivemind, Kait encountered the Matriarch and was brought to Reyna's body in a Hive. Kait inadvertently awakened her mother. Myrrah's consciousness was transferred from the Matriarch to Reyna by Kait, becoming the Swarm Queen.

The Niles AI betrayed Diaz and Walker, turning the lab's defenses against them and freeing the Matriarch in the process. The Matriarch rampaged through the facility. In the cell block, the Matriarch burst into a frozen cavern and destroyed the AI, deactivating Samson. Diaz and Walker attacked the Matriarch and discovered that by dropping her into freezing water would freeze the Matriarch long enough to mount short attacks on her only weak spot. During the battle, Reyna telepathically attacked her daughter, distorting her vision and making it harder for her to kill the Matriarch, particularly as the Matriarch neared death.

Death[]

"This thing's your link to me, right? Well get ready to switch off!"
—Cpl. Diaz to Queen Reyna before killing the Matriarch.

Diaz was able to attack the Matriarch's weak points, killing her. While Diaz still had a physical connection with the Hivemind in her temporal lobe, her telepathic link to the Swarm was severed as the Matriarch died - making Diaz no longer vulnerable to them and Myrrah.

Legacy[]

When First Minister Mina Jinn later suggested reconnecting Kait to the Hivemind in order to locate the Swarm's central Hive, Diaz informed her that they'd killed the creature that served as her link to the Hivemind.

Behind the Scenes[]

  • The Matriarch is the first and only named Berserker.
  • The Matriarch appears as a boss enemy in Horde, and like her descendant Berserkers she is also susceptible to fire.

Appearances[]

Hollow and Enemy Creatures
Locust Horde
Queen
Berserker (Matriarch) · Boomer (Butcher, Flame Boomer, Grinder, Mauler, Mauler Elite, Savage Boomer, Tremor) · Drone (Beast Rider, Bolter, Cyclops, Disciple, Flame Drone, Grappler, Gunner, Miner, Savage Drone, Savage Hunter, Savage Marauder, Sniper, Spotter) · Grenadier (Flame Grenadier, Grenadier Elite, Hunter, Hunter Elite, Savage Grenadier, Savage Grenadier Elite, Ravager) · Kantus (Armored Kantus, Savage Kantus, Zealot) · Rager · Sire · Theron (Cleaver Theron, Palace Guard, Savage Theron, Theron Elite, Theron Sentinel)
Hollow Creatures
Bloodmount · Brumak · Corpser (Shibboleth) · Digger · Gas Barge · Heart Leech · Kraken · Kryll · Leviathan · Mangler · Nemacyst (Ink Grenade) · Nemacyte · Reaver (Assault Barque, Hydra) · Riftworm · Rockworm · Rock Shrew · Seeder · Serapede · Siegebeast · Tempest (Shrieker) · Ticker · Torture Barge · Wretch
Lambent
Imulsion
Former · Lambent Berserker · Lambent Brumak · Lambent Bull · Lambent Dog · Lambent Drone (Lambent Drudge) · Lambent Grenadier · Lambent Gunker · Lambent Leviathan · Lambent Polyp · Lambent Stalk · Lambent Theron · Lambent Wretch
Swarm
Queen
Canker · Carrier · DeeBees (Bastion, Reject, Stump) · Drone (Elite Drone, Grenadier, Elite Grenadier, Hunter, Elite Hunter, Imago, Sniper, Elite Sniper) · Flock (Leech) · Hive Beast · Juvie (Screamer, Popper) · Kraken · Locust (Drone · Matriarch · Sire) · Scion (Armored Scion, Heavy Scion, Scion Elite, Warden) · Snatcher (Pouncer) · Swarmak
DeeBees
DR-1 · Shepherd (Deadeye) · Tracker (Shock Tracker) · Watcher (Guardian, Sentinel)
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