Ozwell E. Spencer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ozwell E. Spencer is a fictional character from the Resident Evil series.[1] He is the owner and co-founder of the fictional Umbrella Corporation,[2] and is often mentioned within documents in the Resident Evil series; however, he has never made a physical appearance in any of the series' installments.[3]
[edit] Background
Spencer is one of Resident Evil's most important and mysterious side characters. In the series, he is the owner and co-founder of the Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company that secretly manufactures bio-organic weapons.[2][4] His colleagues, James Marcus and Edward Ashford, join his company, but show more interest in studying the newly discovered Progenitor virus.[4] Eventually, Ashford dies, and Spencer seizes control of the company and its research by sending his subordinates, Albert Wesker and William Birkin, to assassinate Marcus.[5][6]
Spencer conducts some of his company’s research in the Arklay Research Facility, in the Arklay Mountains. He originally hired George Trevor, a famed architect to construct the mansion, but soon became paranoid that Trevor knew too much about the mansion’s secrets.[7] Spencer kills Trevor, and kidnaps his wife and daughter, Jessica and Lisa. Rather than killing them, Spencer uses the two as human guinea pigs for Umbrella’s Research,[8] in events that are detailed in Wesker's Report and the GameCube Resident Evil remake.
Spencer’s plans progress smoothly, until Marcus returns from the dead,[9] and begins to seek revenge with the help of his test subjects. Marcus destroys one of Spencer’s luxury trains, and causes a viral outbreak in the Arklay Research Facility.[10] Anticipating trouble, Spencer dispatches his loyal enforcer, Sergei Vladimir, to recover Umbrella's promising Talos prototype before the facility's destruction. The outbreak spreads throughout the region, sparking the events of Resident Evil Zero and the original Resident Evil. The virus subsequently spreads to Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3, prompting the US government to contain the outbreak by ordering the destruction of the city.[11]
After the city's destruction, Spencer attempts to disguise the incident as a government conspiracy by hiring top lawyers and false witnesses. His actions prolong the legal proceedings, and allows the Umbrella Corporation to stay afloat for five more years. Ultimately, Wesker betrays Spencer by handing over secret documents to the US government.[12] Wesker seals Spencer's doom by personally testifying against him in court. Umbrella's business license is summarily suspended, and the US government works swiftly to dismantle the remains of the organization.[13] Spencer himself remains at large, seemingly vanishing after Umbrella's public fall from grace.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Damien Waples, "Ozwell E. Spencer Profile," Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Prima Official Game Guide (Roseville: Prima Games, 2007), 1126.
- ^ a b Ozwell Spencer: Umbrella was founded in 1968 by three partners - myself, my good friend Edward Ashford, and the preeminent virology expert Dr. James Marcus. Capcom, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Capcom, Nintendo Wii, (in English), November 30, 2007.
- ^ Jeremy Parish, "OZWELL SPENCER, EDWARD ASHFORD, JAMES MARCUS," Electronic Gaming Monthly 224 (January 2008), 100.
- ^ a b Alexander Ashford: My father, Edward, discovered the mother virus in cooperation with Lord Spencer, who was also a nobleman. They studied it for the purpose of military use. Capcom, Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), December 3, 2003.
- ^ James Marcus: Ten years ago, Spencer had me assassinated. Capcom, Resident Evil Zero, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), November 11, 2002.
- ^ Alexander Ashford: If nothing is done, Umbrella will be taken over by Spencer. Capcom, Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), December 3, 2003.
- ^ George Trevor: There are only two people that know the secret of this mansion, Sir Spencer and myself. If they kill me, Sir Spencer will be the only person that knows the secret. Capcom, Resident Evil Remake, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), April 30, 2002.
- ^ Unknown: Jessica, Administered virus: Type-A. Lisa, Administered virus: Type-B. Capcom, Resident Evil Remake, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), April 30, 2002.
- ^ James Marcus: However, something wondrous happened, it took the T-Virus inside of my queen years to procreate my new life. Capcom, Resident Evil Zero, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), November 11, 2002.
- ^ James Marcus: It was I who scattered the T-Virus in the mansion, needless to say I contaminated the train too. Capcom, Resident Evil Zero, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), November 11, 2002.
- ^ Leon Kennedy: Not taking any chances, the President of the United States ordered a contingency plan - to sterilize Raccoon City. Capcom, Resident Evil 4, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), January 11, 2005.
- ^ Albert Wesker: My dear Spencer. How the mighty have fallen. Your Umbrella has folded and now you are a fugitive in the same world you once sought to control. We shall meet again before the conclusion of this drama. Then you will learn of the history I will write for this world. Capcom, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Capcom, Nintendo Wii, (in English), November 30, 2007.
- ^ Leon Kennedy: With the whole affair gone public, the United States government issued an indefinite suspension of business decree to Umbrella. Soon its stock prices crashed and for all intents and purposes Umbrella was finished. Capcom, Resident Evil 4, Capcom, Nintendo GameCube, (in English), January 11, 2005.
- UnderGroundOnline, Ozwell Spencer, ugo.com, Retrieved on July 27, 2007.
[edit] External links
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