Regis Licker
The boss of the "Hellfire" Apple Inn scenario in Capcom's 2003/2004 Resident Evil: Outbreak [original Japanese title: バイオハザード アウトブレイク (Baiohaza-do Autobureiku, "Biohazard: Outbreak")] Sony Playstation 2 video game. Said title was the first Resident Evil game that could be played cooperatively online with other gamers (your fellow survivors are controlled by the game's artificial intelligence, often with infuriating results, when playing offline). This creature is sometimes referred to by the alternate name "Suspended", which is likely a reference to either her evolutionary status or propensity for hanging from ceilings.
The Regis Licker is an anomaly in the Resident Evil universe. A Crimson Head Zombie or a Licker are the usual results when an undead human undergoes a further mutation, however, something went awry in the case of this unfortunate woman. For reasons that Umbrella researchers are still at a loss to explain, the transformation process failed to reach its intended conclusion, permanently trapping her in a halfway state between a Crimson Head Zombie and a Licker. While the monster lacks mobility and claws, she still possesses a Licker's swift reflexes, intelligence, and deadly prehensile tongue, which she uses to whip and strangle her prey. She also retained her eyesight, unlike her blind brethren who must rely on their acute sense of hearing to hunt. Normal Lickers regard the Regis Licker as a queen of sorts, actively defending her from attackers at all costs, even at the expense of their own un-lives.
Arguably the most difficult aspect of defeating the Regis Licker is reaching her lair with enough ammunition to get the job done (resources are scarce in this game, particularly on the higher difficulty settings). Because she can't, or won't, move from her precarious perch in the ceiling, as long as you stay outside of the considerable reach of her tongue, it's impossible for the Regis Licker to harm you (the far end of the hallway, directly behind her, is the safest location to fire off your shots). Lacking guns, or ammo, one can also make a desperate attempt to take her down with melee weapons, although your chances of living through a close-quarters encounter with the Regis Licker are less than favorable. Complicating matters, the Apple Inn's front lobby is also populated with several normal Lickers who will be attracted by any sounds that your character, or your fellow survivors, make, particularly the discharge of a firearm (on the "Easy" or "Normal" settings, clever players can temporarily distract these blind minions by ringing the alarm bell on the front desk, but don't try it on "Hard" or "Very Hard", as the Lickers are smarter and won't fall for the ruse--they'll close ranks around the Regis Licker to defend her instead of investigating the noise).
Materials:
Lined white notebook paper, newsprint, colored paper, white glue, wire twist ties,
sewing thread, acrylic paint, gloss nail polish, colored pencil, and ink.
Dimensions*:
1.5 cm (0.6") x 3.7 cm (1.5") [widest point x highest point]
* The numbers given assume a neutral standing pose; the values
will vary depending on how the figure's joints are positioned.
Articulation:
13 Points: Tongue, neck, shoulders x 2, elbows x 2, waist, hips x 2, knees x 2, and ankles x 2.
Time:
One day: July 16, 2013.
Computer-rendered artwork of the Regis Licker. I find it endlessly amusing that Capcom decided to slap a black speedo on the Thanatos Tyrant (the boss of the Decisions, Decisions scenario), presumably to cover his junk (odd, as Tyrants typically don't have genitalia), while the Regis Licker goes commando without any panties [which the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Bureau) didn't catch, as they only have warnings for violence and gore on the box]. She's also wearing a tattered tanktop, but it doesn't do anything to cover her bare breasts, which you'll get an eyeful of when she turns around, if you go into the hallway behind her. After you become undead, modesty goes right out the window...
Screenshot of the Regis Licker glancing backwards, down the hallway.
Concept art of the Regis Licker that can be unlocked and purchased with game credits in the Collection menu. The final version used in the game is more humanoid in appearance than the amorphous thing depicted here. While this illustration isn't without its charms, I think Capcom made the right decision in giving the in-game model a more defined form.
YouTube video (posted by TVBREAKBRASIL) of the Regis Licker cut scene that plays immediately before the boss battle with her. Running down the hallway towards the Apple Inn's exit, the players stop short when a woman's body suddenly drops down and hangs from an access panel in the ceiling, blocking their path. While she appears to be dead at first glance, the creature suddenly springs to life, revealing a Licker's characteristic tongue.
« Return To My Capcom Gallery Index Page
This is a nonprofit web site.
Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted on this page belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Capcom.
The repeating background graphic is an image of several zombies from one of Resident Evil: Outbreak's cut scenes.
The midi music playing is the "Sanctuary" theme from Resident Evil 2.