Corvinus Strain
The Corvinus Strain is a genetic strain that features in the Underworld universe.
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History
The Corvinus Strain was a genetic anomaly that was traced to Hungary in the early 5th century. During the time, a plague of unknown origin had spread into a village that was ruled by the warlord Alexander Corvinus. Its effects led to the complete decimation of the population with Corvinus being the only survivor. His survival was attributed to the fact that he had adapted to the virus and by unknown means it was responsible for making him the first true Immortal.
The Corvinus Strain is the result of a mutation that occurred when a virus from a plague was restructured by the unique genetic makeup within the body of a man named Alexander Corvinus upon infection. Instead of killing Alexander, the virus was, then, molded to his biological benefit, giving him unlimited youth and superhuman strength. As a result of this development, Alexander Corvinus became the first true immortal.
The nature of the particular virus that affected Alexander is unknown, nor is it known whether his body would've also adapted were it another virus that he was infected with.
Apart from Alexander Corvinus, himself, only two other persons are known to have inherited the Corvinus Strain in active form; thus, inheriting the same benefits: Marcus and William; the twin sons of Corvinus.
The Corvinus Strain was also carried by the descendants of Corvinus in its dormant form. The first person who inherited the Corvinus Strain in dormant form was Alexander's third and unnamed son. Through him, the Corvinus Strain was preserved in its pure and untainted form, and was eventually passed down to a man named Michael Corvin. Because of the simple ability of the Corvinus Strain to multiply from parent to offspring, anyone who is biologically related to Corvinus' third son is a possible carrier of the strain.
The Vampire, Selene, absorbed the Corvinus Strain through direct ingestion of Alexander's blood, reinforcing the residual Corvinus Strain in her Vampire Strain, and, thus, fusing the full strengths of both strains for the first time. Her strength and healing abilities were, then, phenomenally enhanced to a level equivalent to that of a hybrid, even being able to withstand direct exposure to sunlight. Because of this, it is reasonable to believe that Selene is, now, probably the most powerful vampire in existence.
Michael Corvin the first hybrid, was born with the Corvinus Strain in its dormant form, which only activated partially on the bite of Lucian. After then being bitten by Selene, the dormant Corvinus strain fused the Vampire and Lycan virus, which caused him to become the first hybrid. He similarly possesses nearly unparalleled strength and speed, being able to move faster than the eye can follow and the ability to regenerate even from death.
Overview
It refers to a recessive genetic anomaly that uniquely has the ability to sustain and harbor both viruses carried by Vampires and Lycans. This characteristic is proved invaluable by the fact that it is the only known agent that is capable of combining properties from both the Vampire and Lycan Strain that would, otherwise, destroy themselves on contact due to the incompatible components contained at their cellular level. This recessive strain is made dominant once it mutates with the genes of one or more other species. The only known post-mutation examples of the Corvinus Strain are the Vampire and Lycan Strains.
When inherited in its active form, the Corvinus Strain gives its host immortality and superhuman strength, while, additionally, possessing the capability for another stage of mutation when subjected to gene-fusion. However, when inherited in its dormant form, it gives no interaction with the host, whatsoever; thus, giving no indication of its presence from third-party perspective. Still, there remains the capability for the dormant strain to undergo another stage of mutation, but this could only be accomplished if the strain is drawn to its active form by an independent source. One such source is the Corvinus Strain in post-mutation form, that is to say, either the Vampire or Lycan Strain because of their dominance. A fusion with either post-mutation strains would produce extremely potent results, as the dormant Corvinus Strain would be in its consanguineous form. Alternatively, a fusion with both post-mutation strains would produce even greater results, which would be regarded as a hybrid.
Notes
Appearances
- Underworld:
External Link
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