In the original , the story follows Alex Mercer , who wakes up on an autopsy table in a Gentek facility with no memory of his past. He soon discovers he has gained terrifying shapeshifting abilities, including superhuman strength and the power to "consume" others to absorb their memories and physical forms. The Core Conflict
: The "Alex" you play as is not actually human. When the original Mercer died, the Blacklight virus entered his body and reconstructed it, becoming a sentient copy that believed it was Mercer. In the original , the story follows Alex
: Alex confronts Elizabeth Greene , the original host of a similar virus from a 1969 experiment in Hope, Idaho. He eventually defeats and consumes her, learning that the military plans to nuke Manhattan to stop the infection. When the original Mercer died, the Blacklight virus
: Alex infiltrates the USS Ronald Reagan with the help of a mysterious contact, who is revealed to be a Supreme Hunter —a monster that had consumed and replaced a Blackwatch officer named Captain Cross. The Ending : Alex infiltrates the USS Ronald Reagan with
As Alex hunts for the truth behind his existence, he navigates a Manhattan overrun by a viral outbreak and two primary factions: