The X5 Series supersoldiers are a fictional group of elite, genetically-enhanced supersoldier

Supersoldier

Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...

s in the television series Dark Angel

Dark Angel (TV series)

Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...

.

History

The X5 Series was the first successful prototypes of a project to create perfect physical, mental, and psychological commandos, which could be utilized for a wide variety of Special Operations assignments and missions. Bred, trained and raised by Manticore

Manticore

The manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...

, a sinister top-secret military institution controlled by a shadowy government "Committee", all X5's are human/animal-transgenic-hybrids, or Chimera

Chimera (genetics)

A chimera or chimaera is a single organism that is composed of two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells that originated from different zygotes involved in sexual reproduction. If the different cells have emerged from the same zygote, the organism is called a mosaic...

s. They were genetically-engineered at Manticore's highly advanced genetics labs by splicing together genetic samples taken from numerous superb human specimens with a sample of feline DNA, most probably taken from a member of the large cat family

Panthera

Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...

. After the bio-engineering and in-vitro work was performed the X5 embryos were implanted into surrogate mothers, a group of young women who carried the supersoldiers to term in exchange for a considerable sum of money provided by Manticore. After birth the X5s were immediately taken from their mothers and placed into the care of Manticore handlers. As the X5s matured and grew, they endured rigorous and brutal physical, mental, and psychological training intended to supplement their superior abilities with advanced special forces training.

Supervised by Colonel Lydecker, the techniques used were exceptionally harsh and were intended to mold them into obedient, efficient, amoral killing-machines who would happily perform even the most dangerous or morally questionable assignments without question or argument. As they were kept separated from the outside world and knew only their strict, military surroundings, this training was mostly successful, until Eva(X5-766) defied orders and was shot and killed by Lydecker in 2009. After this incident twelve of the X5 Units, including Max(X5-452), rebelled against their handlers and escaped from Manticore's Gillette, Wyoming facility. Led by Zack(X5-599), the twelve ten-year old X5s managed to reach the facility's perimeter fence, using teamwork and the skills they learned from their special training to avoid and evade the teams of Manticore soldiers searching the surrounding forest for them. After successfully evading recapture and escaping into the world, the twelve escapees would attempt to blend in with the ordinary civilian populace and live normal lives, while simultaneously living on the run, constantly having to avoid the authorities and their military creators.

Powers & Abilities

Although outwardly they appear to be ordinary humans, the X5s possess abilities that far surpass the human norm. The feline DNA used to enhance the X5s physical combat abilities granted them superior strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, agility and durability as well as exceptional night vision and greatly improved olfactory sensation and auditory perception capabilities. Combined with one-to-two decades of advanced training in martial arts, close quarters combat, sharpshooting, firearms, stealth maneuvers, infiltration, espionage, communications, languages, electronic-hacking, and computer technology, the X5s quickly grew into extraordinarily powerful and astute soldiers and fighters. Although the twelve '09 escapees only underwent ten years of training before staging their escape, they are still nearly unstoppable when facing ordinary unarmed humans.

Shared abilities and characteristics of X5 model supersoldiers

• Enhanced strength: A X5s muscular structure is exceptionally dense and powerful. They are capable of lifting probably as much as five times their body weight, jumping incredible distances and heights and overpowering virtually any non-transgenic individual they engage in combat. This improved strength not only makes a X5 extremely formidable in hand-to-hand combat, but also allows them to punch and kick through doors, walls, thick wood and thin metal, snap a human's spinal column with merely thumb and forefinger. Even the smallest and weakest female X5s can knock a ordinary person unconscious with one solid blow to the head and lift and carry large and heavy objects, weapons, and combat gear with ease.
• Enhanced speed: X5s can run and move at speeds that are far beyond the physical limits of even the finest human athlete. They can run at speeds of at least 60 km/h, allowing them to easily outrun any non-enhanced human, and are capable of blurring, which makes it nearly impossible for a non-transgenic to perceive their movements when they are sprinting or moving at full speed.
• Enhanced reflexes: The reflexes of a X5 are similarly enhanced and are far greater than normal. In combination with their speed, their reflexes allow them to dodge almost any attack, or even gunfire if given enough time to anticipate the potential path of the bullet. However they have only been shown to be capable of dodging semi-automatic fire and quick bursts and when surrounded by multiple assailants armed with assault rifles or machine guns they most often are forced to either take cover or take out their attackers as quickly as possible.
• Enhanced stamina: A X5s advanced musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than an ordinary human. This allows them to exert themselves for much longer periods of time before fatigue begins to impair them. At their peak, a healthy, uninjured X5 can exert themselves for several hours before the build-up of fatigue toxins in their blood begins to weaken their muscles. Some of them also have no need for sleep (only Max and Jondy are acknowledged as having this ability).
• Enhanced agility: A X5s agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are at least equal to, or in most cases beyond, the natural physical limits of even a Olympic athlete. X5s are extremely limber and their tendons and connective tissues are twice as elastic as the average human being's. They can perform difficult acrobatics such as fliping forward hand-over-hand for ten feet between a floor and shoulder-height laser grid with ease. They can also easily perform any complicated sequence of gymnastics stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs at speeds and angles that would be highly difficult or impossible for a ordinary human.
• Enhanced durability: A X5s body is physically tougher and more resistant to injury than the body of a normal human. Although they can still be damaged and killed by knives, stabbing weapons, bullets, shrapnel, and kinetic impact, their bodies hold together much better than normal. They can withstand great impacts, such as falling from a height of several stories or being struck by a opponent of similar or greater physical strength, that would severely injure or kill a normal human with only mild to moderate discomfort.
• Enhanced immune system and metabolism: The metabolism and immune system of the X5s is greatly enhanced. They are virtually immune to most poisons and drugs, except in very large doses, and their accelerated metabolism allows them to stay in near perfect shape with only light exercise. This also makes it extremely difficult for them to become intoxicated from alcohol. X5s are also immune to most standard bio-warfare agents and diseases and it is nearly impossible for them to catch a cold or common flu.
• Enhanced regenerative capabilities:The X5s were engineered with a massive amount of raw stem cells in their blood, giving them and their blood accelerated healing abilities. They have been able to heal and fully recover from injuries such as gunshot wounds, broken bones, stab wounds, cuts, damaged organs, and pulled and/or torn muscles at incredible rates (within days and most lesser injuries within hours).

• Skills: X5s, meant to be the (transgenic) officers, were exceptionally well trained and suited for military combat, strategy, and espionage (including various weapons and martial arts). All X5s endured brutal physical and mental training and rigid discipline (brainwashing) from childhood. The training combined with the enhanced physique makes them nearly unstoppable when facing normal humans, though they are by no means invincible. Trained as Manticore supersoldiers/assassins, some assumptions are that: X5s are highly skilled in CQB, recon, infiltration, tracking, observation, escape and evasion, espionage, computers, explosives, and handling vehicles (including various military planes and helicopters), have achieved fluency in many languages, and have a black belt in various martial arts such as Krav Maga,Taekwondo,and Judo. X5s, as children, were trained to hold their breath for four minutes and can hold their breath for much longer as adults. Alec (pre-series, as X5-494) became a concert-level pianist in less than a day in preparation for the Berrisford mission.

Weaknesses

The X5s have few weaknesses. However, the entire X5 and X5R series are both susceptible to seizures due to low levels of serotonin. At Manticore, tryptophan is administered daily to control the seizures, but Max and the other '09 escapees must find other means of obtaining tryptophan. When Max was imprisoned and had a seizure, she drank goat milk, which contains tryptophan, but she usually takes tryptophan tablets. When she was recaptured by Manticore, they "fixed" her, thus curing her seizures.

Also, due to the presence of feline DNA in them, female X5's regularly go into heat

Estrous cycle

The estrous cycle comprises the recurring physiologic changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian placental females. Estrous cycles start after puberty in sexually mature females and are interrupted by anestrous phases or pregnancies...

periods.