Creber (named after the Latin term "creber", which has several meanings like "numerous", "repeated", "constant", "to grow", etc.) is the main protagonist of the Project Creber series. Previously a normal Nevadean working for the A.A.H.W., an accident with Replication Support Gas (RSG) changed Creber into a red-eyed mutant capable of duplicating himself into as many as four clones. This caused him to be subjected to several experiments by the agency he once worked for, filling him with a desire to not only escape his captors, but also to take revenge on them.
Description
Replication Ability
Because of his exposure to Replication Support Gas (RSG), Creber gained the ability spawn copies of himself. The lights on his chest indicate how many copies of him are active at a given moment; green for one, yellow for two, orange for three, and red for four, which appears to be his limit, as he is never seen with more than four living copies at any given time. The RSG system to which he is rigged to not only provides him his duplication power, but also appears to be directly linked to his health, hence, this aspect of him is an essential part of his durability and life, more than just an ability.
Creber's duplication power gives him the following advantages:
- Creber can use these clones not only as extra fighters, but also as meat shields, decoys, distractions, and, as seen near the end of Project Creber: Extrication Part 2, even as a means to replenish his broken RSG canisters.
- Because these clones are not separate entities, but extensions controlled by just his single mind, he can coordinate his actions exactly as he plans.[1][2]
- Creber usually spawns clones just next to him, but he can send out RSG to spawn clones in areas out of reach, like an upper floor. He uses this technique to spawn a clone inside of an agent, fatally blowing the victim to pieces. He can also attach RSG to objects, with him using this technique to fool a Soldat with a thrown shotgun with RSG, and later getting around QuadMag Prototype: Grindjaw by throwing an RSG-covered sword past him, slicing a tube off of the MAG Agent before spawning a clone behind the giant.
On the other hand, Creber's replication ability has some drawbacks.
- Because he must divide his attention to focus and control each clone all at the same time, the more clones he has active, the less skilled he is, and the weaker each clone becomes. Controlling several clones is also stressful for his mind, which may explain his instability and his gradually-increasing viciousness.[1][2]
- Any damage received by a copy will be passed on to clones spawned by that specific copy. Creber learns this when his sole active copy (his three copies at that time where recently gunned down by Grindjaw in the room he came from) is stabbed in the right hand by an agent wielding a knife, causing every clone spawned from that point to share that same injury. Later on, when one of his clones collapses due to the stress of supporting a heavy machine gun on his neck, Creber kills off that clone to prevent him from accidentally spawning any clones using that compromised copy.[3]
- Creber's Replication Support Gas system does not merely provide him his duplication ability, but also appears to be a form of limited life support, being the only thing keeping him alive at the moment while, at the same time, also slowly killing him. Hence, damage or compromise to this system can outright kill Creber.
- Whenever a Creber clone's glowing chest plate is damaged heavily enough by guns, blades, or some other attacks, the chest plate blows up and affects his respirator, killing that clone in the process.
- The removal of Creber's mask is fatal, as it not only deprives him of the RSG he needs to breathe, but also due to abrupt shock of the attack, as the mask is not only fused to his face, but also connected to a tube that goes through the left side of his head. This is demonstrated when an experiment rips a Creber clone's mask off in Extrication Part 2.
- Extrication Part 2 also shows Creber coughing up blood twice at random times due to the instability and side effects of RSG and/or his repeated use of his cloning abilities (the stress of which also degrades his mental health in the long run).[2]
- When one of the four RSG canisters on his back is destroyed by The Suppressor's shots, Creber is denied of his duplication ability and is left visibly weakened, reduced to lying on the floor in agony and spitting blood, only saved by the timely intervention of Enigma and his removal of a dead clone's RSG canister to replace his broken one and stabilize himself once more.
- Creber is limited to four clones. Since he requires a clone to die in order to free up the ability to make another clone, it has been suggested that his clones be neutralized one by one via non-lethal means (e.g. tasers or sleeping gas, assuming they can get it through his respirator), taken somewhere else so the still-active Creber clones cannot simply find and kill the restrained clones, then the A.A.H.W. can deal with him in whichever way they like when Creber and all of his copies are restrained and collected, a strategy that Potke suggested is planned to actually be used against Creber in the still-unmade Extrication Part 3.[4]
- Creber can counter this if he can find a way to kill his clones remotely. For example, perhaps he can preemptively strap remote-controlled explosives to his clones, gain the ability to force a clone to die even when paralyzed and/or unconscious (e.g. force a heart attack in a chosen clone, or cause the RSG system of a chosen clone to self-destruct and take down everyone around the clone), or simply destroy general areas where he thinks his restrained clones may be held.
Skills
As with most Madness combat protagonists, Creber is very vicious and proficient with both melee and ranged weaponry, capable of mowing down many enemies even with only one copy present. However, he does not appear to be as skilled as others like Hank, Sanford, or Deimos as shown with some of his struggles with Soldats (though the Soldats in the Project Creber series do appear to have greater, more fitting skill than most depictions) or other enemies like QuadMag Prototype: Grindjaw and Suppressor, with only his spawning capability and his tactical planning as compensation for his lower level of skill, saving him from permanent death.
Most notably, he is an extremely fast learner, as Enigma observed. In a matter of minutes, he was able to learn not only medium-difficulty fighting tactics such as distractions, flanking and environment usage, but also how to combine these tactics with his own copying ability. It is unknown, however, how skilled he was before or during his time as an experimental test subject.
Personality
Not a lot is known from Creber's personality besides his brutal nature. His first instinct after getting an opportunity to escape containment is to kill every single agency personnel he meets with. On Extrication Part 2, he growls angrily at the sight of 2 scientists before slaughtering them, likely as a shown of the hatred he developed for the crimes they committed against him. He also executes an agent that surrendered, showing no mercy towards them.
On another end, Creber is also shown to be very wary of possible allies, likely due to trust issues developed from his traumatic experiences. This is visible on his first interaction with Enigma, where he assumes right away there is a "catch" to the plan he is given. Furthermore, Enigma's boss describes Creber as "unstable", and states he does not believe Creber trusts them in the slightest.
History
Project Creber: Extrication Part 1
Once a member of the A.A.H.W. with the rank of Grunt, Creber was tasked of transporting critical Replication Support Gas (RSG) canisters to their storage. While taking a break and smoking a cigarette, the wall behind him is blasted open by Hank on the other side, knocking him out and causing one of the RSG canisters to burst open and spread the room with it's content. This caused Creber to have seizures and develop mysterious red eyes. Soon after, Creber starts spawning defective clones around him, who are easily killed off by A.A.H.W. personnel (one of which is so defective it dies right after being spawned), while his original body is taken into custody.
After two months of being subjected to multiple experiments that involved cloning and killing him repeatedly, Creber is allowed a window of escape by a mysterious soldier sniped the machine that kept him restrained. Creber takes full advantage of the opportunity, easily taking out his keepers and killing every scientist and agent in his path to escape.
Project Creber: Extrication Part 2
TBA
Kills
Project Creber
Units
| Episode | Total | Creber | Agents | Engineers | Soldats | Scientists | Suppressor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extrication Part 1 | 47 | 1 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Extrication Part 2 | 53 | 1 | 33 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Totals | 100 | 2 | 60 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 1 |
Characters
| Episode | Total | QuadMag Prototype: Grindjaw | Quadhorror | Slitclops | Other N'Other | Unrestrained | Organobattery | Gorefast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extrication Part 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Extrication Part 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Non-canon
- None.
Deaths
Note: The columns indicate the one who killed Creber.
Project Creber
| Episode | Total | Other | Creber | Agents | Engineers | Soldats | QuadMag Prototype: Grindjaw | Quadhorror | Slitclops | Gorefast | Suppressor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extrication Part 1 | 43+ | 1+30? | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Extrication Part 2 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Non-canon
- None.
Trivia
- Creber's cloning ability allowed him to have the highest death count of any Madness protagonist: 80 deaths total (43 in Extrication Part 1, 37 in Extrication Part 2);
- When asked how Creber views killing his own clones, Potke stated that it is more like "cutting toenails".[5]
- Creber is set to appear as an origin in a Madness: Project Nexus update.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Potke clarifies how Creber has to divide his attention for each clone, as the clones do not individuals with minds of their own.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Potke confirms that the stress of controlling several clones at once takes a toll on his brain.
- ↑ Potke confirms that Creber killed his compromised clone since, not only would it slow him down, but also because he might end up accidentally spawning clones that share the same broken neck.
- ↑ A fan suggests that Creber can be defeated if all his copies are neutralized via non-lethal means, preventing him from cloning himself, an idea that Potke confirms is planned for the sequel to Extrication Part 2.
- ↑ Potke compares Creber's killing of his own clones to the simple task of cutting toenails as opposed to murder, suicide, or self-harm.