Project Shadow


 * For the Sonic X episode, see Project Shadow (episode).

Project Shadow (プロジェクトシャドウ) is a project in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was a medical research program conducted by the United Federation over fifty years before the events the Black Arms' invasion of earth for researching immortality.

The results of Project Shadow produced two creatures endowed with immortality: the prototype named the Biolizard, and the final product, Shadow the Hedgehog. However, the project was shut down by the military when it was deemed danger to humanity, which indirectly resulted in the deaths of Gerald and Maria Robotnik. The project's legacy forms the basis for the storylines of both Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog.

Beginnings
Project Shadow was conceived over fifty years before the Black Arms' arrival on earth by the President of the United Federation at that time (13 presidents ago from the current one) under the premise of achieving "mankind's ultimate eternal dream: researching for immortality." The true purpose of the project was though to discover an "immortality formula" to develop weapons for war. The President personally requested Professor Gerald Robotnik, one of the most brilliant minds of his time, for assistance. Initially, Gerald refused, believing that they were crossing the limits that man should not dare tamper with and that they would use the research for war. However, Gerald realized that he could co-opt the program in order to find a cure for Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome, an incurable and fatal disease afflicting his beloved granddaughter, Maria. As such, Gerald eventually accepted the request in the end and agreed to led the project on the Space Colony ARK, an orbiting facility isolated from earth. There, all advanced research on the project was strictly confidential. The project codename "Project Shadow" was derived from the attempt to create a being which did not exist, making it as intangible as a shadow.

Research and prototype
When Project Shadow first began, everyone thought that this plan was far too reckless and far-fetched to have ever been fabricated by Gerald's gifted mind. In the beginning stages, Gerald and his colleges researched the Chaos Emeralds, resulting in the creation of the Chaos Drives which were a test to apply the infinite energies of the Emeralds to living beings. With the Chaos Drives, Project Shadow moved into its next phase which was to create an immortal lifeform dubbed "The Ultimate Lifeform." Once the prototype was completed, the main project could be started.

During development, Gerald needed help with his work and as such made contact with Black Doom, the alien leader of the Black Arms race, during the fifty-year return of the Black Comet. In exchange for the seven Chaos Emeralds being delivered to him in fifty years, Black Doom assisted Gerald with his research, going so far as to provide genetic material for the project in the form of his own blood.

The project eventually produced the "Prototype of the Ultimate Lifeform", dubbed the Biolizard, which was made in the image of a lizard. At 12:30 A.M. on the 27th of January, the Biolizard was brought to life, with its eternal engine and Chaos Control-inducing organ working normally. The Biolizard demonstrated many of the desired traits as it grew, including: regeneration of lost limbs, restoration and asexual self-reproduction, much to the researcher's thrills, though it required a Life Support System fueled by Chaos Drives to remain viable. However, while the researchers' joy over the Biolizard's evolution went to their heads, the creature would prove to be a burden. In addition to having an unexpected and exponentially fast growth rate, the Biolizard was like a primitive animal, reacting violently to the Chaos Emeralds' power and lacked the strength to walk, although its tail and neck were strong. As such, it was required to keep it under observation. Eventually, the Biolizard became too unruly, causing many problems onboard the ARK.

While the prototype proved too dangerous, the development of the ultimate lifeform continued and shifted. Using the DNA of Black Doom, Gerald created a new version of the prototype, but using a more desirable physique for the creature.

Unease and completion
Because of the Biolizard's violent nature, people began to doubt Project Shadow and began questioning the continuation of it and the safety of the ARK's residents. Eventually, the private information about the project somehow leaked to GUN, presumably by one of the few who were concerned by the Biolizard and the threat it posed. As the nature of the project made the government uneasy, they considered cutting funding. In an attempt to keep Project Shadow going, Gerald offered the Gizoid, an ancient robot he had discovered which could mimic combat abilities, to the government as a bribe. Unfortunately, the bribe did not work and the Gizoid went on a rampage on the ARK.

Eventually, Project Shadow was completed after years of research when Gerald produced a more advanced version of the prototype of the Ultimate Lifeform with Black Doom's DNA: Shadow the Hedgehog, whom Gerald imparted with a heart and personality similar to that of Maria in the hopes that he would not become a weapon. In addition to possessing immortality, Shadow did not need machinery to live, could complete tasks alone, and possessed both high intelligence and an identity of his own. Shadow himself became close to those living on the ARK, especially Maria who shared his curiosity of earth, though he would occasionally ponder about what his true purpose was.

Shutdown
Fearful of how dangerous and costly Gerald's experiments were, the military plotted to take possession of Shadow. The top ranking officials of GUN, who had a strong disliking of the research organization on the ARK, formulated a plan to shut down the ARK by taking advantage of its current situation. Codenaming their plan "ARK's Indestructible Seal", the plan involved evacuating the colony's civilian residents back to earth while the research facilities involved with Project Shadow were to be sealed off, and all the researchers involved with the project, except Gerald, were to be killed. This story would be released to the public under the premise that an accidental biohazard had occurred within the ARK research institution, thus ensuring the ARK's shutdown, and blame Gerald as the cause of the accident.

Sometime after the completion of Project Shadow, the ARK was invaded by GUN Soldiers in a violent coup d'état, evacuating civilians and killing researchers. During the attack, Gerald put his finishing touches on Shadow. As GUN's Special Forces rushed the ARK's research institute, Gerald had Maria escape with Shadow, and ran in the opposite direction to draw attention away from the two. In the ensuing chase, Maria and Shadow got to the escape pods, but Maria was shot by a soldier when helping Shadow escape. Mortally wounded, Maria ejected Shadow to earth in an escape pod with her last strength. Meanwhile, Gerald saw the pod being ejected from a window.

Despite the complications, the military's plan went along. Within a week, the residents of the ARK had all been moved back to earth, the ARK's research facilities had been frozen, and the researchers involved in Project Shadow, except for Gerald, were announced as victims of the fake disaster told to the public. The plan was completed when the Biolizard was found and sealed away in the deepest part of the ARK. The ARK was then sealed off, probably to prevent the Biolizard from falling into the wrong hands.

Aftermath
With the operations about Project Shadow ceased on the ARK, Gerald was taken to Prison Island to continue his research under military control. The military later retrieved Shadow and brought him to Prison Island for Gerald to continue his work, but when Gerald learned Maria had been killed, he went mad with grief. While it was thought that he was continuing his research with Shadow, Gerald secretly created a program that would cause the ARK to fall to earth and destroy it as his revenge, and he brainwashed Shadow to carry out his revenge. When the military began to fear how Gerald might retaliate, however, they incarcerated him on Prison Island. Knowing only the danger of Project Shadow, the military sealed the island and abandoned the professor's research. Gerald was subsequently executed while Shadow was placed in suspended animation on Prison Island.

Legacy
Over fifty years after the shutdown, Dr. Eggman learned of the existence of Project Shadow after discovering the diary of his grandfather, Professor Gerald. Reading of a "top-secret military weapon" that was shut down by the military because they feared it, Eggman retrieved the weapon, Shadow the Hedgehog, from Prison Island to use him for world domination. This set in motion a chain of events that initiated Gerald's doomsday program, but Shadow overcame Gerald's brainwashing and save the earth, as per Maria's last wish.

In Shadow the Hedgehog, it is revealed that Black Doom had his own, non-humanitarian agenda in contributing to Project Shadow: his goal was to produce an agent who would gather the Chaos Emeralds for him fifty years later so he could invade earth and enslave the human population at this planned time. Ironically, Black Doom was the only one who got what he wanted from Project Shadow, only for it to backfire on him spectacularly: while Shadow did collect the Chaos Emeralds as Black Doom wanted, Shadow learned the truth of his past and instead of using them for Black Doom, he used them to become Super Shadow to defeat Black Doom and destroy the Black Comet using the Eclipse Cannon, thus thwarting his invasion.