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I must compliment you... I didn't think you could make it this far. However, this is it! Let's see how good you really are!

Dr. Curien[src]

Dr. Curien (キュリアン博士, Kyurian-hakase?) was a genetic engineer and the research director of the DBR Corporation. He is the main antagonist of The House of the Dead and its 2022 remake, and the resurrected final boss of The House of the Dead III.

The esteemed inventor of the BioReactor, Curien pursued a cure for his terminally-ill son Daniel. Curien's research produced hostile creatures and two life-changing genes, Magician and Wheel of Fate. Abandoned by his own researchers, he went insane.

At his mansion in 1998, Curien weaponized the creatures to destroy humanity. He was killed by Magician and resurrected as Wheel of Fate 21 years later in the EFI Research Facility, where a now-cured Daniel and other survivors defeated him.

Biography

DBRMembers

Curien (right) pictured with Caleb Goldman (left) and Thornheart (center).

Dr. Curien was born on June 11th, 1947.[1] He hailed from a noble family.[3] In 1880, his ancestors formed an organization with the ancestors of financial group head Caleb Goldman and a man named Thornheart.[4]

Curien lived with his son, Daniel, in a mansion that was built in the Middle Ages.[3]

Early life and research

Curien served as research director of the DBR Corporation. He was admired by DBR staff, including Sophie Richards, for his aggressive leadership.[3] Curien met AMS agent Thomas Rogan, Sophie's then-fiancé, several times.[5]

HOD3SickDaniel2

Dr. Curien presenting his son Daniel with genes that will cure him.

Daniel became terminally-ill. Desperate to cure his son, Curien focused his research on "[removing] the barrier between life and death".[6][7] Funded by Goldman,[8] he invented the BioReactor, DNA-editing machine.[3] He conducted the project secretively in the Curien Mansion. These efforts produced hostile, genetically-engineered creatures.[9][10]

Curien was abandoned by most of his researchers; his project was inhumane, and he was willing to step into "forbidden territory" to save Daniel.[6][11] He ultimately developed three genes: one which cured Daniel, and two named Magician and Wheel of Fate to "change the future".[7][12] Curien could control the former at will, but its programming was changed by unknown person.[13]

By this point, Curien went insane. He sought to destroy humanity and civilization.[14][15]

1998 Curien Mansion incident

Main article: The House of the Dead (1996 video game)
CurienCorpseHOD

Curien, after being killed by Magician.

On December 18th, 1998, Curien released his creatures upon remaining DBR staff at the mansion. Two days later, Thomas Rogan and his partner G arrived in response to a distress call by Sophie.[16]

Curien confronted the agents in his underground laboratory. Boasting that he would never be defeated, he activated his "masterpiece", Magician. However, Magician refused to obey his orders and killed him, before being destroyed by the agents.[17]

Resurrection

Main article: The House of the Dead III
HOD3CurienReborn

Curien resurrected as Wheel of Fate.

Curien's legacy was survived by Goldman and Thornheart, who orchestrated similar incidents involving creatures in 2000, 2003, and 2006. This led to the collapse of civilization.[18][19][20] Curien's body was brought to the EFI Research Facility, and underwent a nineteen-year resurrection process to be reborn as Wheel of Fate.

A now-cured Daniel, disgusted by his father's crimes, hacked Wheel of Fate's programming to prematurely awaken the creature. Wheel of Fate addressed itself as Curien and vowed to "destroy and resurrect everything"; upon defeat, he pleaded forgiveness. Daniel, refusing to recognize the being as his father, opening fire alongside Thomas Rogan's daughter Lisa and destroyed him.

Personality

At first, Curien was a dedicated father who desperately wanted to save his son's life, even if it required venturing into "forbidden territory". His discovery of the genes that would change the future of humankind, along with staff walkouts, transformed him into a homicidal sociopath. He was concerned only with mankind's destruction and Magician's completion. Curien treated Rogan and G's struggles as if they were nothing more than a game, and was boastful that he could never be defeated.

When restored as Wheel of Fate, Curien vowed to destroy and resurrect humanity. Upon defeat, he pleaded to Daniel that he needed him; Daniel destroyed the creature, proclaiming that the creature is not his father.

Quotes

The House of the Dead

Quote Audio
"I must compliment you... I didn't think you could make it this far. However, this is it! Let's see how good you really are!"
"I must admit, I really respect your consistency. But you will never, ever defeat me! Say hello to my masterpiece!"
"[Falls on the ground] What happened? Why won't you follow my instructions? [Dies]"

The House of the Dead III

Quote Audio
"My dear Daniel... I'll never give up, no matter what the doctors say. I'll gladly step into forbidden territory, if it will save your life."
"Look, Daniel... It's the key! This will remove the barrier between life and death. You don't need to fear anything anymore, Daniel... not even death!"
"Daniel... Have I stepped outside the bounds of human morality? Most of my researchers have left me..."
"I've found it, Daniel! These genes will change the future... 'The Magician', and 'The Wheel of Fate'... [Laughs maniacally]"

Development

IMG 20120617 195508-1

The second iteration of Dr. Curien's design from The House of the Dead.

Dr. Curien was originally Mr. Happy, a man with a bandage-covered face. The character was scrapped due to resembling the titular character from the 1933 science fiction horror film The Invisible Man. Developer Sega AM1 revised his appearance to be more "humane", and it changed little throughout the rest of development.[21]

Curien's name originally began with the letter A. The House of the Dead game designer Hiroyuki Taguchi did not know how to spell the name, so he called this iteration "Dr. A" in an interview with the Japanese SEGA Saturn Magazine.[21]

In one scrapped ending for The House of the Dead, Curien felt guilty for his actions and hugged Magician, who self-destructed.[22][excerpt 1]

Trivia

  • A version of the character named Professor Roy Curien appears in the second loose film adaptation of the series, House of the Dead 2. He was portrayed by the late Sid Haig. Unlike the games, Curien's son is named Rudy.
    • A common misconception is that Dr. Curien and Professor Roy Curien share the same first name. This is false, as Dr. Curien's first name has never appeared in games and official print media. However, many online sources still erroneously use the "Roy" first name.
  • Dr. Curien appears as the main antagonist in Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX with a slightly different appearance. He commands his creatures to imprison Zobiko in the dungeon.
  • Curien has heterochromia, as shown in the intro behind his glasses.
  • Although he is stated as "American" in manuals, his genealogy bearing "noble blood" and his notable accent indicates that he is British.
  • In The House of the Dead III, Dr. Curien's original "Dr. A" concept art appears as a portrait in the EFI Genome Ward stage.[23]
  • Brian Conner, Dr. Curien's voice actor in The House of the Dead: Remake, is the lead singer of the band Villa*Nova (formerly known as Weaving the Fate).[2]
  • In The House of the Dead III's Time Attack mode, Curien encourages the player to do better and compliments them on their performance, but expresses sympathy for his dead creatures.

Gallery

Wiki-wordmark To view the Dr. Curien gallery, click here.


Sources

Excerpts
  1. Excerpt from The House of the Dead Dennou Shinan: Dr. Curien no Houkoku Sho, p.158:
    "小田:あれも当初は天使みたいに羽根の生え た完全体のマジシャンが登場して、プレイヤ ーは絶対に勝てないんですよ。そこにキュリ アンが登場して「私の考えは間違っていた」 と言っ てマジシャンに抱きついて自爆するは ずだった。"
References
  1. 1.0 1.1 https://public.muragon.com/of6skbfd/goh3g65k.jpg?1461236847000
  2. 2.0 2.1 Natalie Roers [@NatalieRoers] (April 15, 2021). Natalie Roers on Twitter: "@wiki_dead @ChrisOCowUh @KoriMaru His name is Brian Conner. He is lead singer of the band Villa*Nova, formerly know as Weaving the Fate. " / Twitter" (English). Twitter. Retrieved on April 15, 2021.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The House of the Dead Sega Saturn manual, pg 17
  4. SEGA Interactive R&D#1. (13 September 2018). House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn. Sega. Level/area: Laboratory. Kate Green: [Explaining a photo of Dr. Curien, Caleb Goldman, and Thornheart to Ryan Taylor]In 1880...the organization their ancestors made was...the beginning of everything.
  5. The House of the Dead Sega Saturn manual, pg 14
  6. 6.0 6.1 Sega Wow Inc. (17 September 2013). The House of the Dead III. Arcade, Xbox, PC, and Playstation 3. Sega. Level/area: Chasing Shadows. Dr. Curien: My dear Daniel...I'll never give up, no matter what the doctors say. I'll gladly step into forbidden territory, if it will save your life.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Sega Wow Inc. (17 September 2013). The House of the Dead III. Arcade, Xbox, PC, and Playstation 3. Sega. Level/area: Bewilderment. Dr. Curien: Look, Daniel...It's the key! This will remove the barrier between life and death. You don't need to fear anything anymore, Daniel... not even death!
  8. Sega Wow Inc. (17 September 2013). The House of the Dead 2. Arcade, Sega Dreamcast, PC, and Xbox. Sega. Level/area: Darkness. Harry Harris: Well, the 1998 Curien case. Guess who was behind it...It was Goldman. He's the head of one of the most eminent financial group [sic] and an expert on the Genome theory.
  9. The House of the Dead Sega Saturn manual, pg 2
  10. The House of the Dead Sega Saturn manual, pg 16
  11. Sega Wow Inc. (17 September 2013). The House of the Dead III. Arcade, Xbox, PC, and Playstation 3. Sega. Level/area: Sensory Chaos. Dr. Curien: Daniel...Have I stepped outside the bounds of human morality? Most of my researchers have left me...
  12. Sega Wow Inc. (17 September 2013). The House of the Dead III. Arcade, Xbox, PC, and Playstation 3. Sega. Level/area: Ultimate Challenge. Dr. Curien: I've found it, Daniel! These genes will change the future..."The Magician", and "The Wheel of Fate"...[laughs maniacally]
  13. Kori (May 22, 2020). "The House of the Dead: Sub Story". The Website of the Dead. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. “In addition, it was a creature called Type 00 “Magician” that became the first creature to stand above the unfinished organisms. Dr. Curien made it possible to command the “Magician” at his own discretion, but it seems that the program was secretly changed by a mysterious man.”
  14. The House of the Dead 2 Sega Dreamcast manual, pg 3
  15. The House of the Dead III Xbox manual, pg 8
  16. The House of the Dead Sega Saturn manual, pg 3
  17. The House of the Dead
  18. The House of the Dead 2
  19. The House of the Dead 4
  20. House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn
  21. 21.0 21.1 Kori (September 7, 2012). "Development of The House of the Dead Part 1: Characters". The Website of the Dead. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. “[Mr. Happy was] Dr. Curien’s scrapped character. There is a memory that I was tossed [''sic''] because it has been seen as invisible man. I don’t know why the name is happy. [Dr. Curien's] image has not changed much. The first setting [''sic''] was a person who had the most humane feeling. I did not know the spelling of the name, and I have written the name and [''sic''] DR.A.”
  22. The House of the Dead Dennou Shinan: Dr. Curien no Houkoku Sho, pg. 158
  23. The House of the Dead III
veHouse of the dead 1content
Characters
Thomas RoganGDr. CurienSophie RichardsDBR researchers
Creatures
SamNeilCyrilKageoBourbonEbitanRobertSimonGilmoreHarrisSamsonBentleyBurnerRubinDrakeMoodyParlorKenfisSaruzouDevilonBouereMurrerNameTaranKage
Bosses
ChariotHangedmanHermitMagician
Chapters
TragedyRevengeTruthThe house of the dead
Other pages
Lore (AMSBioReactorCurien MansionDBR CorporationThe House of the Dead Sub-Story)
Game modes (Boss ModeSaturn Mode)
Prototypes (The House of DeadSega Saturn prototype)
Guidebooks (The House of the Dead Dennou Shinan: Dr. Curien no Houkoku ShoThe House of the Dead Official Guide)
Action figuresThe House of the Dead: RemakeThe House of the Dead 1 & 2 Music CollectionUnused content
veHotDRoverlaycontent
Characters
Thomas RoganGDr. CurienSophie RichardsDBR researchers
Creatures
SamNeilCyrilKageoBourbonEbitanRobertSimonGilmoreHarrisSamsonBentleyBurnerRubinDrakeMoodyParlorKenfisSaruzouDevilonBouereMurrerNameTaranKage
Bosses
ChariotHangedmanHermitMagician
Chapters
TragedyRevengeTruthThe house of the dead
Other pages
Lore (AMSBioReactorCurien MansionDBR Corporation)
Game modes (Horde Mode)
Developers (Forever EntertainmentMegaPixel StudioTA Publishing)
Staff (Benjamin AnseaumeChris OkawaNatalie RoersCharlie Weirauch III)
The House of the Dead (1996 video game)Unused content
veTHoTD III logocontent
Characters
Lisa RoganGThomas RoganDr. CurienDaniel CurienThornheartDan Taylor
Creatures
Acid • Azteca (I - II) • Barry • Cain • CharlesDevilonEbitan • Frederic • Koebitan • Hugh • Jack • Julie • Kageo • Torso Kageo • Mark (I - IV) • Meat Man • Morkin • Morris • Murrer • Pico • Putti • Raymond • Rogan Commandos • Sunsun • Yukio
Bosses
DeathFoolSunWheel of Fate
Chapters
ReminiscenceChasing ShadowsBewilderment, Sensory Chaos, and Ultimate Challenge (EFI and DBR facilities - EFI BIO facilities - Information Systems Department)Wheel of Fate
Other pages
Lore (AMSEFI Research FacilityThomas Rogan's Private Division)
Game modes (Extreme ModeTime Attack)
Spin-offs (Darts of the DeadThe House of the Dead ReelsThe Typing of the Dead 2)
2 & 3 ReturnThe House of the Dead III Perfect GuideThe House of the Dead 4 Official Sound TracksUnused content
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