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Description
Sex: Male

Species: Mutated Bombardier Beetle

Location of origin: Big Bear, California

Date encountered: November 26th, 1979

Total height: 9 meters (32ft)

Total length: 12 meters (40ft)

Total weight: 181 metric tons

Threat level: High

Aggression level: Very High

Known mutations:

- Flame spit from mouth. Combines two highly flammable fluids with an electric shock to ignite fluids into a stream of scorching flame. Has a maximum temperature measured at 1680 degrees Celsius or 3056 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Flame bolts fired from blisters on back. Bolts act as a pseudo artillery that can be fired at enemies from a considerable distance. Flame bolts have been measured at 1400 degrees Celsius or 2552 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Napalm spray from abdomen. Combines highly flammable fluids in abdomen ignited by an electric shock. The resulting spray remains in a liquid state and can stick to targets, continuing to burn fiercely. The spray has been measured at 3288 degrees Celsius or 5950 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Hard exoskeleton renders it almost impervious to conventional weaponry. Only the exposed blisters on it's back present a weak-point in the creature's armor.

- Flight at up to 80 miles per hour. Creature has access to it's full range of weapons while in-flight, making it a deadly aerial opponent.

- Crushing mandibles capable of rending steel and crushing stone with ease.

- Powerful legs can be used to kick away enemies at close range. Legs are also able to be brought to bear as bludgeoning weapons.

History:

Dragons have been deeply ingrained in the mythology of humans the world over. Often these fire-breathing, reptile-like creatures would require a brave knight to slay in order to rescue a damsel in distress or to gain access to vast treasures hidden within it's lair. In reality, such fire-breathing creatures have been considered nothing more than fairy tales and fantasy. However with the rise of the mutants, many things once considered to be fantasy have proven themselves to be very much real and often with a horrific twist. Many of these creatures would come not from forbidden caves or cursed temples, but from the machinations of humans and their disregard for the world around them. It began on a chilly night in Big Bear, California. Thanksgiving had come and gone, and with it the Fall was on it's way out with Winter rapidly approaching. The air was cold and still, and the sky was crystal clear with the stars plainly visible above along with the waning moon. This serene panorama would be disrupted by a blast of flame that spewed out from the forest on the east side of Big Bear Lake. The geyser of flame set several trees ablaze and quickly began to turn the dark blue night sky into an apocalyptic red. Several more jets of fire set whole swaths of forest on fire and filling the air with the noxious smell of burning wood.

The event did not go unnoticed, and vigilant residents of the town quickly contacted the fire department, who were quickly dispatched to quell the raging flames before the fire spread further towards the town. Forest fires were almost unheard of during this season, and the only explanation that could be thought of was that some punks got a little too drunk and began playing with gasoline or a torch. It would have to be a considerable amount in order to cause a fire that big in such a short order of time. The fire engines arrived on the scene and the fire had gotten much worse than when it was originally reported nearly 15 minutes ago. Unraveling fire hoses and extending ladders, the firefighters proceeded to hose down the raging flames with vast quantities of water, causing a loud hiss and sizzling wherever water met flame. The task at hand seemed daunting, as the fire seemed to be getting worse and worse with each passing moment regardless of any progress made. Something was fueling this fire and causing it to grow, but none of the firefighters had any idea what would be causing it. The answer came soon enough when the ground began to shake in intervals, the sound of trees being pushed aside and broken began to get closer and closer in tandem with the shaking.

Whatever was coming kicked up a storm of embers that looked like a snow shower from hell. Through the raging flames, billowing smoke and falling embers, something approached the firefighters. Whatever it was couldn't have been more than 30 or 40 feet away from them, the light from the flickering flames reflecting off of what appeared to be eyes. Some of the firefighters hadn't noticed the...thing...approaching and continued spraying away at the flames. Those who did see it however, were mesmerized by the way the light reflected off of the "eyes" surface. Suddenly, a stream of liquid began to pour from somewhere beneath the "eyes" and ignite into a pool of flames upon touching the ground. Unaware of the mortal danger they were in, the firefighters continued to look at the strange objects in the fire. Suddenly the sound of fluid churning snapped them out of their trance and caused them to back away. Four jagged mouthparts opened up like a grotesque flower and without warning, a jet of fire erupted from the center of these jagged objects, swallowing the firefighters in a storm of flame and smoke. They had just enough time to scream before being reduced to ash, but it was enough to alert the others who turned to the charred section of road where their friends once stood. Another jet of fire shot out from the trees, striking one of the fire engines and reducing the vehicle to molten slag.

The firefighters began to flee as more flames lashed out from the burning forest, the tongues of fire whipping and snapping at the fleeing men as though they had a life of their own. The firefighters started their engines and fled the scene as quickly as possible. As they fled, something enormous emerged from the forest, pushing aside huge burning trees as though they were toothpicks. The smoke and raging fires made it difficult to make out any detail, but whatever it was easily stood more than 30 feet on several pillar-like legs. Several orange projectiles sprung from it's back and soared towards the fleeing fleet of vehicles. The projectiles almost resembled those flaming stones fired from catapults in medieval sieges. A majority of the projectiles missed their intended targets, but one struck the back of one of the fire trucks and immediately set one of the fire hoses ablaze. Fortunately, all of the firefighters in the trucks would survive the ordeal. By morning, the fire department dispatched more engines to the area to find the cause of the raging inferno. Much of the fire had died down and only patches of woodland were still burning, and were easily extinguished. Traveling into the woodland, the firefighters could find no source of the inferno; no gasoline, no electrical equipment, or even a campfire. Saturating their air however was something aside from the stinging odor of smoke; it was a very chemical smell that combined the worst of chlorine and ammonia yet was neither.

It was theorized that the fire may have been caused by a chemical spill of some kind, yet there was no source, no barrels, nothing. In fact, the odor permeated from nearly everywhere rather than getting stronger near a specific area. As far as they knew, this fire might has well have appeared out of thin air. There was also the question of the strange sighting the firefighters had reported while fleeing the area, of some massive thing coming out of the forest belching fire at them as they fled. This was dismissed as deliriousness from having watched some of their friends perish in the fire; they never found the bodies. Though everyone knew that monsters did indeed exist, one possibly couldn't be on the loose in their neck of the woods, could there? Of course, nobody wanted to believe that their town or neighborhood would be the next to suffer a rampage from a mutant, that their friends and neighbors would be added to the long list of people who lost their lives to these grotesque creatures. Two days after the forest fire, yet another blazing inferno erupted just outside of San Bernardino. This fire had all the same tell-tale signs as the last: rapidly spreading flames, jets of fire spewing from the trees and the powerful chemical smell. The inferno was quickly spreading towards San Bernardino proper, devouring everything in it's path, spreading like a virus.

All available fire departments were scrambled to deal with the out-of-control fire along with other emergency services to care for the wounded as the flames burned whole neighborhoods to ashes. Hoses spewed forth water to combat the raging flames, yet for every flame extinguished, more crackled to life to take it's place. Nearly an hour had passed and the firefighters had made little progress in combating the inferno. One fire engine sprayed a particularly large patch of fire, and was met with the hissing of steam and a thundering roar from within the crackling flames. Barreling out of the inferno came what could only be described as a colossus. Standing on six pillar like legs ending in curved claws, the creature resembled an insect; more specifically, a beetle. This one however, was of titanic proportions, standing easily 32 feet in height. It's mouthparts where flanked by two pairs of viscous mandibles that dripped with a transparent fluid that ignited once it pooled on the ground. The creature's chitinous armor flexed and contracted: this would be the only warning the firefighters would receive before the creature sprayed a stream of fluids from it's mouth that immediately ignited into a stream of fire upon making contact with one another. The flames completely engulfed the fire engine and it's occupants, melting the steel vehicle in mere seconds.

Panic quickly set in as the creature directed it's attention to the other fire engines, waving it's long antennae as it picked up chemical signals in the air to accurately pinpoint where it's enemies were. Leaning forward, the knuckle-walking insectoid behemoth displayed a fleshy patch of exposed skin pocked with pulsating tumors and blisters. These blisters expanded and then ruptured with magma-like bolts of incendiary material that bombarded the humans like organic artillery. The substance burned as furiously as thermite, blinding victims as it burned them alive. The creature lumbered closer, it's exoskeleton creaking as it moved. A swift kick of one of it's legs effortlessly propelled the charred husk of a fire engine through the air as it opened it's jagged mandibles again. Once again, the creature immolated anything that moved with a flamethrower-like blast that burned men and metal alike. With it's human adversaries exterminated, the beetle-like creature continued through San Bernardino, incinerating everything in it's path. Word of the creature's presence was quickly made known by news helicopters that were covering the "wildfire", following the creature as it went about it's rampage. The United States Military was deployed as quickly as possible to deal with the mutant attacker, but because it's specialist teams were preoccupied with mutant threats elsewhere, the Army opted to fight the creature through conventional means. An armor and infantry detachment was rolled out to intercept the creature before it could reach Los Angeles. In addition, two A-10 Warthogs were deployed to provide air support.

The creature had arrived in Chino two hours later, and the US Army was there to meet it. The A-10s initiated the assault with a gun run, their 30mm rotary cannons making their distinct roar as the enormous projectiles slammed into the insect's armored exoskeleton, and those that missed carved deep lines in the asphalt. Wisps of smoke rose from the areas that the rounds hit, but no damage was visible. The armor detachment consisting of M60 Patton tanks opened fire on the mutant, 105mm anti-tank shells exploding against the creature's body. The assault seemed to do little other than irritate the insect, who shielded it's sensitive antennae with it's large limbs. The A10s came around for another strike, peppering the monster with another burst of rotary cannon fire which once again seemed to have no effect. The creature directed it's attention to the airborne pests that were harassing it, spreading it's wings and lifting it's hulking mass off the ground with surprising ease. Caught off guard by the creature's ability to fly, ground forces attempted to inform the circling A10s that the target was now airborne, but it was too late. The creature flew directly up right as the A10s were coming back around for another pass. One of the pilots managed to evade the attacking creature in time, but the other attempted to do so too late, and was annihilated by a single swipe of it's forelimbs. The creature circled around and attempted to chase the second A10 but found itself unable to keep up with the A10's superior speed. The creature attempted to shoot a jet of flame at the fleeing aircraft but it too could not reach it's target.

Rather than re-engaging the ground forces, the creature simply flew off towards it's original destination. Reporting the mission failure, it was requested that additional air support be sent as the creature was capable of flight. Meanwhile the city of Los Angeles was being steadily evacuated in anticipation of the mutant's arrival. Fire and emergency services stood by for the inevitability of fires breaking out from the fluids expelled from the creature's body. The air force had dispatched two F-15 fighters to intercept the creature as it approached LA. Their goal was to either kill it or force it to land where ground forces stationed could finish it off. By nightfall the creature was spotted near Pico Rivera rapidly approaching the city. The F-15s were in hot pursuit, and the two fighters both discharged a pair of guided missiles at the creature's back in an attempt to cripple it's wings. The creature sensed the incoming projectiles and swiftly evaded, reducing it's altitude in an attempt to shake it's pursuers. Another salvo of missiles were launched at the creature which continued it's descent, 3 out of the 4 missiles exploded harmlessly against the mutant's hard exoskeleton, but the 4th scored a direct hit which severely damaged it's wings. The mutant shrieked as it's wings billowed smoke, no longer able to control it's stability and began to spiral mid-air. The F-15 pilots reported that the target was down but still alive.

The mutant continued to spiral until it smashed into the urban landscape of Downey. The creature impacted against the ground so hard that it send violent tremors trembling throughout the area and creating a huge crater in the ground. Ground forces approached the crash site as the mutant weakly righted itself on it's 6 legs. It was hurt from the fall, but it was far from dead. The mutant immediately attacked with it's flame breath, forcing armored vehicles to pull away from the monster as it crawled out of the crater still spewing flame from it's mouth. With each jet of fire the creature belched, the flames seemed to become shorter and shorter in range, as if losing potency. Switching tactics, the mutant launched a hail of fiery bolts from the blisters on it's back that lit armored vehicles ablaze. The creature continued to fore off it's organic artillery until a volley of missiles struck the creature in the back. The F-15s roared overhead and began to circle around for another strike. The missile barrage had enraged the creature, and it once again used it's flamethrower spit along with it's artillery barrage to immolate everything in sight. Tanks and armored vehicles lay in slag heaps and charred corpses lay on the ground as the casualties began to pile up. The creature ceased it's artillery barrage unexpectedly, instead billowing smoke from the open sores.

The creature had one final trick up it's sleeve, curling it's abdomen underneath it to aim it at the attacking humans, the insect unleashed a spray of lava-like liquid that showered an entire column of both military and civilian vehicles. The effects were immediate: steel liquified like hot butter, flesh burned away like paper, and yet the flames continued to stick to the husks and burn with hellish intensity. The soldiers on the ground were in awe from the sheer power this mutant possessed. If it could survive being bombarded with heavy ordinance, survive a huge fall and still continue to fight, then their options for dealing with it seemed exhausted short of a nuclear strike. However the solution soon came from the creature itself, which attempted to use it's various flame-based attacks only to be rewarded with puffs of smoke, a short flash of flame, or simply thick dripping fluid. Evidently, the creature seemed to have used up all of it's natural reserves of whatever chemicals it's body uses to allow it to breathe fire. Steam sizzled from between the joints in the insect's carapace as it's body was also taxed and overheating from the constant use of it's abilities. After several more attempts to attack the humans, the insect finally collapsed comatose on the ground mere feet away from the crater it created from the fall.

With the creature defeated but not dead, the operation was considered a success and they now had a live specimen; an exceptionally rare opportunity for scientific research. The creature was kept unconscious via vast quantities of chloroform while it's wings were removed using industrial-grade cutting equipment. It was decided to make this mutant the first resident in one of the nearly complete Containment Zones, specifically Containment Zone Harper in the abandoned city of Harper's Ferry. Unable to fly, the creature's chances of escape were dramatically reduced, and even if it did it couldn't get very far. Containment Zone Salem was 87% complete by the time "The Dragon", as it was codenamed, was moved there. The zone used a combination of electrified fences, pheromone sprays and high frequency noises to prevent the mutants from escaping. Captured Terror Bird specimens are released into Containment Zone Harper to act as food for The Dragon, and their asexual reproduction ensured that it and any other mutant interred there would have a steady, self-replenishing food supply.

Description
Sex: Male

Species: Mutated Bombardier Beetle

Location of origin: Big Bear, California

Date encountered: November 26th, 1979

Total height: 9 meters (32ft)

Total length: 12 meters (40ft)

Total weight: 181 metric tons

Threat level: High

Aggression level: Very High

Known mutations:

- Flame spit from mouth. Combines two highly flammable fluids with an electric shock to ignite fluids into a stream of scorching flame. Has a maximum temperature measured at 1680 degrees Celsius or 3056 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Flame bolts fired from blisters on back. Bolts act as a pseudo artillery that can be fired at enemies from a considerable distance. Flame bolts have been measured at 1400 degrees Celsius or 2552 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Napalm spray from abdomen. Combines highly flammable fluids in abdomen ignited by an electric shock. The resulting spray remains in a liquid state and can stick to targets, continuing to burn fiercely. The spray has been measured at 3288 degrees Celsius or 5950 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Hard exoskeleton renders it almost impervious to conventional weaponry. Only the exposed blisters on it's back present a weak-point in the creature's armor.

- Flight at up to 80 miles per hour. Creature has access to it's full range of weapons while in-flight, making it a deadly aerial opponent.

- Crushing mandibles capable of rending steel and crushing stone with ease.

- Powerful legs can be used to kick away enemies at close range. Legs are also able to be brought to bear as bludgeoning weapons.

History:

Dragons have been deeply ingrained in the mythology of humans the world over. Often these fire-breathing, reptile-like creatures would require a brave knight to slay in order to rescue a damsel in distress or to gain access to vast treasures hidden within it's lair. In reality, such fire-breathing creatures have been considered nothing more than fairy tales and fantasy. However with the rise of the mutants, many things once considered to be fantasy have proven themselves to be very much real and often with a horrific twist. Many of these creatures would come not from forbidden caves or cursed temples, but from the machinations of humans and their disregard for the world around them. It began on a chilly night in Big Bear, California. Thanksgiving had come and gone, and with it the Fall was on it's way out with Winter rapidly approaching. The air was cold and still, and the sky was crystal clear with the stars plainly visible above along with the waning moon. This serene panorama would be disrupted by a blast of flame that spewed out from the forest on the east side of Big Bear Lake. The geyser of flame set several trees ablaze and quickly began to turn the dark blue night sky into an apocalyptic red. Several more jets of fire set whole swaths of forest on fire and filling the air with the noxious smell of burning wood.

The event did not go unnoticed, and vigilant residents of the town quickly contacted the fire department, who were quickly dispatched to quell the raging flames before the fire spread further towards the town. Forest fires were almost unheard of during this season, and the only explanation that could be thought of was that some punks got a little too drunk and began playing with gasoline or a torch. It would have to be a considerable amount in order to cause a fire that big in such a short order of time. The fire engines arrived on the scene and the fire had gotten much worse than when it was originally reported nearly 15 minutes ago. Unraveling fire hoses and extending ladders, the firefighters proceeded to hose down the raging flames with vast quantities of water, causing a loud hiss and sizzling wherever water met flame. The task at hand seemed daunting, as the fire seemed to be getting worse and worse with each passing moment regardless of any progress made. Something was fueling this fire and causing it to grow, but none of the firefighters had any idea what would be causing it. The answer came soon enough when the ground began to shake in intervals, the sound of trees being pushed aside and broken began to get closer and closer in tandem with the shaking.

Whatever was coming kicked up a storm of embers that looked like a snow shower from hell. Through the raging flames, billowing smoke and falling embers, something approached the firefighters. Whatever it was couldn't have been more than 30 or 40 feet away from them, the light from the flickering flames reflecting off of what appeared to be eyes. Some of the firefighters hadn't noticed the...thing...approaching and continued spraying away at the flames. Those who did see it however, were mesmerized by the way the light reflected off of the "eyes" surface. Suddenly, a stream of liquid began to pour from somewhere beneath the "eyes" and ignite into a pool of flames upon touching the ground. Unaware of the mortal danger they were in, the firefighters continued to look at the strange objects in the fire. Suddenly the sound of fluid churning snapped them out of their trance and caused them to back away. Four jagged mouthparts opened up like a grotesque flower and without warning, a jet of fire erupted from the center of these jagged objects, swallowing the firefighters in a storm of flame and smoke. They had just enough time to scream before being reduced to ash, but it was enough to alert the others who turned to the charred section of road where their friends once stood. Another jet of fire shot out from the trees, striking one of the fire engines and reducing the vehicle to molten slag.

The firefighters began to flee as more flames lashed out from the burning forest, the tongues of fire whipping and snapping at the fleeing men as though they had a life of their own. The firefighters started their engines and fled the scene as quickly as possible. As they fled, something enormous emerged from the forest, pushing aside huge burning trees as though they were toothpicks. The smoke and raging fires made it difficult to make out any detail, but whatever it was easily stood more than 30 feet on several pillar-like legs. Several orange projectiles sprung from it's back and soared towards the fleeing fleet of vehicles. The projectiles almost resembled those flaming stones fired from catapults in medieval sieges. A majority of the projectiles missed their intended targets, but one struck the back of one of the fire trucks and immediately set one of the fire hoses ablaze. Fortunately, all of the firefighters in the trucks would survive the ordeal. By morning, the fire department dispatched more engines to the area to find the cause of the raging inferno. Much of the fire had died down and only patches of woodland were still burning, and were easily extinguished. Traveling into the woodland, the firefighters could find no source of the inferno; no gasoline, no electrical equipment, or even a campfire. Saturating their air however was something aside from the stinging odor of smoke; it was a very chemical smell that combined the worst of chlorine and ammonia yet was neither.

It was theorized that the fire may have been caused by a chemical spill of some kind, yet there was no source, no barrels, nothing. In fact, the odor permeated from nearly everywhere rather than getting stronger near a specific area. As far as they knew, this fire might has well have appeared out of thin air. There was also the question of the strange sighting the firefighters had reported while fleeing the area, of some massive thing coming out of the forest belching fire at them as they fled. This was dismissed as deliriousness from having watched some of their friends perish in the fire; they never found the bodies. Though everyone knew that monsters did indeed exist, one possibly couldn't be on the loose in their neck of the woods, could there? Of course, nobody wanted to believe that their town or neighborhood would be the next to suffer a rampage from a mutant, that their friends and neighbors would be added to the long list of people who lost their lives to these grotesque creatures. Two days after the forest fire, yet another blazing inferno erupted just outside of San Bernardino. This fire had all the same tell-tale signs as the last: rapidly spreading flames, jets of fire spewing from the trees and the powerful chemical smell. The inferno was quickly spreading towards San Bernardino proper, devouring everything in it's path, spreading like a virus.

All available fire departments were scrambled to deal with the out-of-control fire along with other emergency services to care for the wounded as the flames burned whole neighborhoods to ashes. Hoses spewed forth water to combat the raging flames, yet for every flame extinguished, more crackled to life to take it's place. Nearly an hour had passed and the firefighters had made little progress in combating the inferno. One fire engine sprayed a particularly large patch of fire, and was met with the hissing of steam and a thundering roar from within the crackling flames. Barreling out of the inferno came what could only be described as a colossus. Standing on six pillar like legs ending in curved claws, the creature resembled an insect; more specifically, a beetle. This one however, was of titanic proportions, standing easily 32 feet in height. It's mouthparts where flanked by two pairs of viscous mandibles that dripped with a transparent fluid that ignited once it pooled on the ground. The creature's chitinous armor flexed and contracted: this would be the only warning the firefighters would receive before the creature sprayed a stream of fluids from it's mouth that immediately ignited into a stream of fire upon making contact with one another. The flames completely engulfed the fire engine and it's occupants, melting the steel vehicle in mere seconds.

Panic quickly set in as the creature directed it's attention to the other fire engines, waving it's long antennae as it picked up chemical signals in the air to accurately pinpoint where it's enemies were. Leaning forward, the knuckle-walking insectoid behemoth displayed a fleshy patch of exposed skin pocked with pulsating tumors and blisters. These blisters expanded and then ruptured with magma-like bolts of incendiary material that bombarded the humans like organic artillery. The substance burned as furiously as thermite, blinding victims as it burned them alive. The creature lumbered closer, it's exoskeleton creaking as it moved. A swift kick of one of it's legs effortlessly propelled the charred husk of a fire engine through the air as it opened it's jagged mandibles again. Once again, the creature immolated anything that moved with a flamethrower-like blast that burned men and metal alike. With it's human adversaries exterminated, the beetle-like creature continued through San Bernardino, incinerating everything in it's path. Word of the creature's presence was quickly made known by news helicopters that were covering the "wildfire", following the creature as it went about it's rampage. The United States Military was deployed as quickly as possible to deal with the mutant attacker, but because it's specialist teams were preoccupied with mutant threats elsewhere, the Army opted to fight the creature through conventional means. An armor and infantry detachment was rolled out to intercept the creature before it could reach Los Angeles. In addition, two A-10 Warthogs were deployed to provide air support.

The creature had arrived in Chino two hours later, and the US Army was there to meet it. The A-10s initiated the assault with a gun run, their 30mm rotary cannons making their distinct roar as the enormous projectiles slammed into the insect's armored exoskeleton, and those that missed carved deep lines in the asphalt. Wisps of smoke rose from the areas that the rounds hit, but no damage was visible. The armor detachment consisting of M60 Patton tanks opened fire on the mutant, 105mm anti-tank shells exploding against the creature's body. The assault seemed to do little other than irritate the insect, who shielded it's sensitive antennae with it's large limbs. The A10s came around for another strike, peppering the monster with another burst of rotary cannon fire which once again seemed to have no effect. The creature directed it's attention to the airborne pests that were harassing it, spreading it's wings and lifting it's hulking mass off the ground with surprising ease. Caught off guard by the creature's ability to fly, ground forces attempted to inform the circling A10s that the target was now airborne, but it was too late. The creature flew directly up right as the A10s were coming back around for another pass. One of the pilots managed to evade the attacking creature in time, but the other attempted to do so too late, and was annihilated by a single swipe of it's forelimbs. The creature circled around and attempted to chase the second A10 but found itself unable to keep up with the A10's superior speed. The creature attempted to shoot a jet of flame at the fleeing aircraft but it too could not reach it's target.

Rather than re-engaging the ground forces, the creature simply flew off towards it's original destination. Reporting the mission failure, it was requested that additional air support be sent as the creature was capable of flight. Meanwhile the city of Los Angeles was being steadily evacuated in anticipation of the mutant's arrival. Fire and emergency services stood by for the inevitability of fires breaking out from the fluids expelled from the creature's body. The air force had dispatched two F-15 fighters to intercept the creature as it approached LA. Their goal was to either kill it or force it to land where ground forces stationed could finish it off. By nightfall the creature was spotted near Pico Rivera rapidly approaching the city. The F-15s were in hot pursuit, and the two fighters both discharged a pair of guided missiles at the creature's back in an attempt to cripple it's wings. The creature sensed the incoming projectiles and swiftly evaded, reducing it's altitude in an attempt to shake it's pursuers. Another salvo of missiles were launched at the creature which continued it's descent, 3 out of the 4 missiles exploded harmlessly against the mutant's hard exoskeleton, but the 4th scored a direct hit which severely damaged it's wings. The mutant shrieked as it's wings billowed smoke, no longer able to control it's stability and began to spiral mid-air. The F-15 pilots reported that the target was down but still alive.

The mutant continued to spiral until it smashed into the urban landscape of Downey. The creature impacted against the ground so hard that it send violent tremors trembling throughout the area and creating a huge crater in the ground. Ground forces approached the crash site as the mutant weakly righted itself on it's 6 legs. It was hurt from the fall, but it was far from dead. The mutant immediately attacked with it's flame breath, forcing armored vehicles to pull away from the monster as it crawled out of the crater still spewing flame from it's mouth. With each jet of fire the creature belched, the flames seemed to become shorter and shorter in range, as if losing potency. Switching tactics, the mutant launched a hail of fiery bolts from the blisters on it's back that lit armored vehicles ablaze. The creature continued to fore off it's organic artillery until a volley of missiles struck the creature in the back. The F-15s roared overhead and began to circle around for another strike. The missile barrage had enraged the creature, and it once again used it's flamethrower spit along with it's artillery barrage to immolate everything in sight. Tanks and armored vehicles lay in slag heaps and charred corpses lay on the ground as the casualties began to pile up. The creature ceased it's artillery barrage unexpectedly, instead billowing smoke from the open sores.

The creature had one final trick up it's sleeve, curling it's abdomen underneath it to aim it at the attacking humans, the insect unleashed a spray of lava-like liquid that showered an entire column of both military and civilian vehicles. The effects were immediate: steel liquified like hot butter, flesh burned away like paper, and yet the flames continued to stick to the husks and burn with hellish intensity. The soldiers on the ground were in awe from the sheer power this mutant possessed. If it could survive being bombarded with heavy ordinance, survive a huge fall and still continue to fight, then their options for dealing with it seemed exhausted short of a nuclear strike. However the solution soon came from the creature itself, which attempted to use it's various flame-based attacks only to be rewarded with puffs of smoke, a short flash of flame, or simply thick dripping fluid. Evidently, the creature seemed to have used up all of it's natural reserves of whatever chemicals it's body uses to allow it to breathe fire. Steam sizzled from between the joints in the insect's carapace as it's body was also taxed and overheating from the constant use of it's abilities. After several more attempts to attack the humans, the insect finally collapsed comatose on the ground mere feet away from the crater it created from the fall.

With the creature defeated but not dead, the operation was considered a success and they now had a live specimen; an exceptionally rare opportunity for scientific research. The creature was kept unconscious via vast quantities of chloroform while it's wings were removed using industrial-grade cutting equipment. It was decided to make this mutant the first resident in one of the nearly complete Containment Zones, specifically Containment Zone Harper in the abandoned city of Harper's Ferry. Unable to fly, the creature's chances of escape were dramatically reduced, and even if it did it couldn't get very far. Containment Zone Salem was 87% complete by the time "The Dragon", as it was codenamed, was moved there. The zone used a combination of electrified fences, pheromone sprays and high frequency noises to prevent the mutants from escaping. Captured Terror Bird specimens are released into Containment Zone Harper to act as food for The Dragon, and their asexual reproduction ensured that it and any other mutant interred there would have a steady, self-replenishing food supply.