The Possessed



The Possessed are a new type of former humans introduced in Doom. Mindless enemies transformed from UAC workers into violent cannon fodder by Olivia Pierce's Hellwave, they act as common and easily-dispatched enemies for the player to combat during the early areas of the game.

Overview
The Possessed are humans who have been taken over by the forces of Hell, with mutated and deformed appearances. They are created from many different types of UAC personnel, from civilian workers to military and security forces, and appear largely in the early portions of the game as an introduction to combat.

Appearance-wise, they can be distinguished by what remains of their UAC outfits and their surprisingly diminutive stature compared to the player. Up close, it is evident that their mutation has taken great effect physically; their skin is almost mummified and brown in colour, and their skin seems to be fused with parts of their armor and weapons, and their movement is erratic and slow.

Strategically, the Possessed are extremely weak and easily eliminated with a quick melee strike or repeated attack from any weapon. They cannot move particularly fast or hit particularly hard, meaning the player is always at a huge advantage in comparison to them and their main goal is often as a reprieve or distraction for the more powerful demons encountered; alone, they are barely capable as a threat, but in large groups, they should not be allowed too close for caution's sake. However, the Possessed Soldier and Security should not be underestimated as they both are armed with firearms and the latter even has a powerful shield which can take a lot of damage before breaking.

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.''

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.