Know Your Lore #2: Abathur

What makes the... slug?

Created by the Overmind.

Master of evolution, improves the swarm.

Served the Queen of Blades and later Kerrigan.

Obsessed with efficiency.

Purpose: evolve

Abathur was created by the Overmind, a powerful zerg 'brain' that commanded the swarm. He was made to be a brood of one. A being designed from the genetic code of numerous other creatures. The Overmind instilled within him the drive towards perfection. Something that would define him in his goal to make the Zerg swarm as efficient as possible. The idea of not wasting any resources even carries over to his iconic speaking pattern, removing superfluous words from his vocabulary.

Spin sequences good

The process which Abathur changes genetic structure is seen as unorthodox within the swarm. He consumes living tissue and dissolves it inside himself. Rearranging it's biological code to suit the swarm's needs. It is described as agonizing. Under the control of the Overmind, Abathur was tasked with turning the Terran ghost, Sarah Kerrigan, into the Queen of Blades. He wrapped her into a chrysalis and painfully changed her into a formidable agent of The Swarm.

Abathur hard at work.

Overmind destroyed, future uncertain

During the battle of Aiur, the home world of the Protoss, the Overmind was destroyed when a high templar known as Tassadar bravely sacrificed himself in a giant carrier. Tassadar had channeled void energies into the explosion resulting in the death of his physical body and the death of the Overmind itself. Leaderless, Abathur and the swarm were in disarray. For a time, he traveled the tunnels of Char, eating the zerg that attacked him and evolving the rest. He was without purpose, without meaning, and he considered himself little more than a mindless beast.

Queen determines purpose

Abathur was too strong of a creature for a broodmother to control, as Zagara had attempted to after the fall of the Overmind. The Queen of Blades found him, however and brought him aboard a gigantic, living, space traveling transport known as a leviathan. There he found his purpose once again, evolving the swarm for the Queen. He stayed there after Kerrigan was made human again by a Xel'naga artifact. He was ready to serve once more after Kerrigan escaped from a Terran research center. From the comfort of his Evolution Pit, he created new, specialized strands of zerg units. As useful an asset he was, he annoyed Kerrigan. Abathur considered her a separate being from the Queen of Blades and insisted on taking samples from her several times. Abathur cared little though, stating that Kerrigan was the greatest ruler of the swarm, despite her selfish purposes. In his eyes, the swarm's only purpose was the purpose of the queen.

Abathur's life work in the Evolution Pit.

Look at flesh, see only potential

Abathur considers himself solely responsible for the continuation of the swarm. During Kerrigan's quest for vengeance against Arcturus Mengsk he recreated many of the primary zerg combat strains and adapted them to the harsh climates of the worlds they fought for. He was also able to create entirely new sub-species of several units including: Zerglings, Roaches, Hydralisks, Mutalisks and the assimilation and creation of the Swarm Hosts. On the icy moon of Kaldir, Abathur evolved the swarm to resist the cold. Allowing them to easily overwhelm the frozen Protoss forces. Abathur also worked on Zagara under Kerrigan's orders. He expanded her brain and allowed her to have plans for the future. He gave her the vision Kerrigan wanted her to have. He wasn't happy about this, as he thought that Zerg leaders should never have to fear being overthrown. Kerrigan disagreed, saying that for the times ahead, dangerous was needed.

Line of thought not productive

Unlike most Zerg, Abathur has been shown to exhibit emotions. On Zarus, the birthplace of the Zerg, he was outraged to see Hydralisk and Roach sequences being used by the primal Zerg. He called it unacceptable and was frustrated that there was another group capable of assimilating strengths. He is also immensely curious. He requested tissue samples of Kerrigan on multiple occasions and was very impressed with how complex Alexei Stukov was. He claimed that whatever made Alexei was much better than himself and recommended immediate integration with their 'swarm'.

Abathur was created to revolutionize the Swarm. To make it as close to perfect as possible. He breaks bones, dissolves flesh, and makes things greater than before. The Swarm is constantly being made faster, stronger, smarter, and more dangerous thanks to him. Like his chasing of perfection, Abathur's journey is still far from over. With Legacy of the Void on the horizon, we may just see more of the diabolical spinster yet.

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