The Evolution of the Super Mutant

Fallout is filled with a variety of survivors, both friendly and dangerous. Between Raiders, Caesar’s Legion, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Minutemen, and so many others, life in the wasteland is full of surprises, making it difficult to figure out who can be trusted. That said, few of the game’s factions are as interesting as Fallout‘s Super Mutants.

Super Mutants stand out as one of the wasteland’s most intriguing species. Throughout the Fallout franchise, these hulking humanoid beings have played the role of both friend and foe. Despite being one class of species, Super Mutants have been depicted quite differently in every game, despite coming from one common source: FEV.

The Origin of Fallout’s Powerful Super Mutants

Image via Bethesda Game Studios

What is FEV?

To fully understand the origin of Super Mutants, it’s important to first know what FEV is. FEV stands for “Forced Evolutionary Virus,” which is an artificially made virus and biological weapon that can mutate the DNA of the organism it’s exposed to. It’s an incredibly powerful substance that has multiple strains, with the Institute’s strain (FEV-II) and Vault 87’s Evolutionary Experimentation Program (EEP) being just two examples.

Super Mutants Have Roots All Across the Wasteland

The story of the Super Mutants goes all the way back to before the Great War. Pre-war West Tek experiments using the FEV virus were the catalyst that brought Super Mutants to life, but after the Great War, it would be years before tests were started back up again. After being exposed to FEV at the Mariposa Military Base in 2103, Dr. Richard Grey set out to build an army of Super Mutants. He would eventually be called The Master, and while he’s credited with bringing back the Super Mutants, he definitely wouldn’t be the only person responsible for creating a fresh batch of mutated humans.

Beyond Richard Grey, Vault 87’s Evolutionary Experimentation Program was responsible for the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland, while the Institute can be credited with creating the Commonwealth’s version of the species. Not all Super Mutants are the same, and throughout the franchise, the species on the West Coast has differed greatly from the East Coast variant.

As the Fallout Franchise Continues to Evolve, So Do the Super Mutants

West Coast Super Mutants

• Fallout
• Fallout 2
• Fallout: New Vegas

One of the defining characteristics of West Coast Super Mutants is their diverse personality types. Despite their monstrous appearance, this brand of Super Mutant seems to have more of its human qualities intact, but not everyone is a friend. These Super Mutants can still be hostile, but there are also companions found in these three games. In Fallout 2, Marcus is a strong, but benevolent Super Mutant who is the mayor of Broken Hills, a society where humans, Ghouls, and Super Mutants are working to live with one another in peace. Marcus is seen again in Fallout: New Vegas, but he’s now leading Jacobstown, a Super Mutant settlement. Another trait that defines the West Coast Super Mutants is their decent intelligence level, and as each one shows varying personalities and temperament, Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout: New Vegas all raise questions about whether they can successfully live among humans or not.

East Coast Super Mutants

• Fallout 3
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76

While the West Coast variants are clearly intelligent and many want to reintegrate into human society, the same can’t be said for a lot of East Coast Super Mutants. The Capital Wasteland types are borderline feral and are almost always hostile when encountered. In the Commonwealth, Super Mutants lack the West Coast’s intelligence, but they still form tribes. Despite their less-than-favorable reputation, Fallout 4 features a Super Mutant companion named Strong, but he’s more useful as a tank than anything since his personality makes bonding difficult.

Fallout 76 features pre-war Super Mutants that are the product of humans subjected to a horrible West Tek experiment that purposefully contaminated the Huntersville river with an FEV strain. Just like their other East Coast counterparts, these Appalachian Super Mutants are mainly hostile and build makeshift armor and forts from scraps found throughout the region. More recently, Bethesda has begun starting to dive deeper into the region’s Super Mutants. Fallout 76‘s Burning Springs update added the Rust King, an intelligent Super Mutant warlord.

Super Mutants Are One of the Best Things About Fallout’s World

On the surface, Super Mutants may just seem like hulking beasts, but these creatures encapsulate so many of the themes that make Fallout what it is. With Super Mutants, players are shown the consequences of unchecked corporate power, the horrors of creating bioweapons for war, and the hubris of humanity, as playing god and lusting for power is what got everyone into this post-apocalyptic mess in the first place. Not only are they a walking symbol of what the Great War did to Fallout‘s USA, but they’re also a complex and fascinating piece of lore. Just because some of their variants aren’t incredibly intelligent doesn’t mean they’re useless. Super Mutants are strong and capable no matter what their intelligence level is, but also, when it comes to characters like Marcus, seeing them in a more human-like light is a stark reminder that these beings were once human, too.

Image via Bethesda Game Studios

With the premiere of Fallout Season 2 just around the corner, it will be exciting to see if the Super Mutants are finally introduced in the series. A deep voice that speaks in the most recent Season 2 trailer definitely sounded like it could be a Super Mutant, and since the season takes place in New Vegas, it has the potential to even be Marcus himself. Only time will tell, but since Fallout‘s first game, Super Mutants have been a vital piece of its wasteland-focused story.