Possessed Scientist

The Possessed, or the Possessed Scientist, is the weakest and most common mutated human found in Doom. They can be considered an updated rendition of the Zombie from Doom 3. The Possessed first appear in The UAC, being the first enemy that appears on screen.

In-Game Description
UAC REPORT FILE: GASWST6U

''The Possessed are created in a Lazarus Wave event, a phenomenon first discovered by Dr. Olivia Pierce during her Lazarus Project. While most victims exposed to Argent biowaves will expire without further effect, some subjects will absorb traces of Argent Energy and enter a state of posthumous vigor. Despite necrosis on the internal organs (with the exception of the brain), the victim continues to animate and exhibit a low order of sentinence for weeks or even months after clinical death. Posthumous brain activity in the Possessed is limited to instinctive behavior. The Possessed are known to be territorial when confronted by the living. When isolated, they will often enter a dormant state for extended periods of time. They will stand, unmoving, for days or weeks at a time until presented with a live food source, or threatened by a predator.''

''An interesting behavior has been seen when the Possessed are held in small groups. They will drag human corpses to a central location within their holding pens, and then perform a silent ritual around the pile of bodies. The resulting ceremonial site appears to be the inital stages of a Gore Nest. These actions must be driven by a telepathic communication with higher ranking demons, as there is no local brain activity that could manage such choices. The Possessed will perform these tasks even when limbs are removed or Pavlovian pain responders are implanted in their cortex, further cementing the theory that they are unwilling slaves performing an integral part of the life cycle of the demons. The Possessed create the birthing ground for new demons and upon expiration are themselves used as fertilizer for the Gore Nest.''

Appearance
The Possessed wear a white suit with blue stripes, which is mostly torn apart by the pale, pinkish skin and flesh growths caused by the mutations. Some steel implants on the chest and arms are visible too, even if they are mostly covered with overgrown skin. Their heads have been largely reduced to skin and bone, with the eyes and nose replaced with a single large hole that can be mistaken for an eye at a distance; upon closer inspection, the hole extends deep into the Possessed's skull.

Combat Characteristics
The Possessed will slowly move to the player in an attempt to get close enough to bite and scratch them. The Possessed let out a constant snarling noise upon spotting the player.

Tactical Analysis
The Possessed are one of the weakest enemies in the whole game and are quickly killed with one well placed shotgun blast or a Glory Kill in order to save/gain some ammo. They also move at a shambling pace so they should pose no big threat to the player in small numbers. Big groups of Possessed are also often found and can prove more dangerous than a single Possessed, but they can quickly be dispatched with a grenade. The Player should however look out for them if they are fighting bigger and larger groups of other enemies because the Possessed can block the player from dodging powerful attacks by standing in the way.

When the player is killed by one, the Possessed will bite the player's neck, tearing a piece of flesh out and eating it. The player will then fall to the floor, and the Possessed will continue to eat the player's stomach flesh.

Trivia

 * There are six types of Possessed: the Possessed Scientist, the Possessed Worker, the Possessed Security, the Possessed Soldier, the Possessed Engineer, and the Unwilling.
 * In Foundry, the player will come across a fight between a single Possessed Soldier and three Possessed Workers. This implies that the Possessed do not discriminate themselves from other demons.