Parasite Panic! – Filia vs. Shinichi Izumi | Prelude

: Parasites. Infiltrators of a foreign body who leech off its nutrients in order to sustain itself.

: Usually these pests are met with the public’s ire and are looked down on due to the stigma they carry. But, what if these parasites are capable of more than stealing nutrients at their host’s expense?

: Popular media thrives when it comes to ideas like this. There are examples of parasitic creatures in fiction that are symbiotic in nature, benefiting the host as much as they benefit from the host’s nutrients.

: It’s just that some of these characters have a knack for controlling specific parts of a body and warping them into sharp, hardened tendrils to use in combat.

: Such as Filia and Samson, amnesiac heiress to the Medici family and her hairy parasite bodyguard.

: And Shinichi Izumi and Migi, an average high-schooler turned badass and his hand-bound, calculating parasite.

: I’m Lash Fittania and she’s Dylania Sandiss, and we’ll evaluate their physiques, techniques, and primed parasites to find who stands tall and who shall fall.

: This, is Where Titans Clash!

* * *

FILIA & SAMSON

: Before becoming the amnesiac Filia, she was Filia Medici, daughter to Amelia and Marcus Medici. She was just a schoolgirl at the time and was fast friends with another same-aged girl name Carol, who would later become the fighter Painwheel.

: When Carol met up with Filia one day, she brought with her a stray dog cleverly named Dog. But you see… Dog’s hair was able to speak and form coherent sentences. It would be awesome if my dog could do that…

: Ah, but this was not Dog speaking. Rather, it was the parasite attached to Dog’s fur coat known as Samson. Filia seemed to take a talking dog fairly well and agreed to put Samson and Dog up in her home in exchange for their protection, akin to some under the counter mafia deal.

: Funny you mention that, since Filia is an illustrious member of the Medici Mafia by birthright, an underground group in Meridian City, which sounds like the prototype name for the setting of Cybersix. The Mafia is well-known for its criminal activity and mercilessness, and thus incurred the Skullgirl’s, a being meant to destroy the world’s, wrath.

: Marie, the current Skullgirl, came to claim the lives of the members of the Medici household, only for Filia, Dog, and Samson to hold her off. After learning of Filia’s family’s attempts at reconciling the past and cutting ties with the mafia, as well as Filia, Dog, and Samson all showing great resolve in facing Marie, she decided to show them mercy.

: And by mercy, she said that if they were still in town by the end of the day, Marie would ensure they met with the same fate as the rest of the Mafia. The Medicis took the opportunity and began to pack…

: That is, until Vitale and Ottomo, two high ranking members of the Mafia, arrived at the Medici Mansion. The two thought Marcus and Amelia sold them out to save their own lives, and when Filia heard the gunshots, she rushed to find the two gangsters standing in front of her dead parents.

: Filia is shot down and Samson, who arrives moments too late, is also dealt with swiftly. As the two mobsters leave, Samson is faced with a difficult situation. Dog, his host, is bleeding out and nearly dead, no longer able to sustain Samson nor can Samson sustain him. But, Filia is still alive.

: Cursing himself for not being able to protect Filia, Samson moves hosts to the girl, stabilizing her and ensuring his own life simultaneously. The only drawback, however, was when Filia awoke and had apparent amnesia.

: But, instead of going to a doctor to see if they can cure her amnesia like a rational person, she instead follows Samson’s lead and searches for the Skullgirl Marie, who, when defeated, will relinquish the Skull Heart and grant her opposition one wish at the cost of being corrupted into the next Skullgirl.

Filia – “Great work!“

Samson – “Damn straight!“

BACKGROUND INFO:

• Full Names: Filia Medici, Samson
• Ages: 16, Unknown
• Height: 5’4″
• Weight: 142 lbs.
• Occupation: Student, Skullgirl
• First Appearance: Skullgirls (2012)

: Before we get too into the details of what Samson can do, let’s look at what exactly he is first.

: Honestly, looking at him I think it’s clear that he’s the worst hair day.

: Samson is a Parasite, which, in the Skullgirls universe, is a creature that augments its host’s abilities drastically, such as how Samson has a minor healing factor that’s able to stabilize living thing from the verge of death.

: Or, how Samson can harden Filia’s hair and form constructs from it. He can use it in a variety of ways, like forming drills, a vicegrip, a scorpion stinger, octopus tentacles, and even, ironically, scissors, shears, and straight razors. Things with the explicit purpose of, you know, cutting hair?

: He can also use Filia’s hair in more versatile ways, like puffing it up to break her falls, forming a body to take over if Filia is incapacitated, and he can even perform attacks on a whole other level from the regular combo fodder moves, like Gregor Samson, one of my favorite literary references.

: Franz Kafka oughta sue… You know, if he was still kicking. I mean, Filia just has Samson turn into a beetle and rush the enemy down! Then there’s Fenrir Drive where Samson grows three sizes and gains a wolf head to crunch on enemies.

: Probably the grossest of all comes in one of his only projectile attacks called Tricobezoar, where he fires a giant hairball at ludicrous speeds.

: That has to be the grossest shit man. I mean, it literally means “wad of swallowed hair,” but Samson is a part of Filia’s head. Is he swallowing a bunch of hair into her skull, into her brain’s cavity? You know what? Forget I asked, knowing is worse than theorizing.

SAMSON’S ABILITIES:

• A Parasite, a Creature that Augments its Host
• Controls Filia’s Hair via Hardening, Sharpening, and Forming Constructs
• Has a Meager Healing Factor, Enough to Stabilize those who are Dying by Moving to their Body
• Forms Wings for Flight, can use Hair to Break Their Fall, and can Maintain a Humanoid Shape if Filia is Knocked Unconscious
• Can Form a Variety of Lethal Weapons and Constructs
  • Scissors
  • Comb
  • Vicegrip
  • Straight Razor
  • Shears
  • Bladed Tendrils and Whips
  • Circular Saws
  • Scorpion Stinger
  • Knives and Swords
  • Drills that can Travel Underground
  • Spikes
  • Tank Treads
  • Octopus Tentacles
  • Spider Legs
  • Giant Hands
  • Crocodile Head
  • Sonic The Hedgehog-esque Spin Dash
  • Gregor Samson – Dashing Attack
  • Fenrir Drive – Giant Wolf Head Lunge
  • Tricobezoar – Gross Projectile Attack

: For not really doing much of the fighting herself, Filia is starting to strike me as a sort of glass cannon now.

: You’d be surprised at what she can do. While she was just a schoolgirl, Samson’s influence must have toughened her body up considerably. She’s incredibly strong, able to match other fighters like Double and Peacock.

: Not to mention that Samson’s signature “Samson Cuddle” can restrain just about anyone in the cast, even Painwheel whose whole gimmick is having a giant circular-saw-shuriken on her back.

: Not to mention she’s also enduring and durable in her own right too. She’s survived a lethal bullet wound for a long time, can take blows from Peacock, Painwheel, and Double, the latter of which can mimic any other fighter by the way, and can tank hits from Cerebella.

: Which is a truly impressive feat. I mean, she can punch rocks so hard, they form diamonds under the pressure! Instantly!

: This amount of pressure focused into one area is enormous, a feat that would produce about 1.2 Tons of TNT Force, which is Building Level.

: But with Samson, that could be far greater due to his durability manipulation. After all, Samson can go toe-to-toe with enemies who have sharp claws and blades. Need I remind you that he’s made of hair, yet he can harden to a point where he can match any blade he’s fought against?

: They’re collectively quite fast too. They can react to and avoid point-blank gunfire, the speed required to do so in fact being 373 m/s, which is Transonic, and she can match Valentine’s speed in combat, who was able to avoid Tommy Gun fire in close-quarters, a feat that is Subsonic+.

: But their greatest feat is taking down the Skullgirl, Marie. And yes, Filia receiving the Skull Heart is the canon ending to Skullgirls. So, seeing as Filia and Samson were able to defeat her, and absorbed the power of the Skull Heart, it’s fair game to say they should be capable of the same physical feats Marie was.

: So how do you feel now? Did she rule out her glass cannon-ness?

: Yeah, a bit I guess. Still feels like Samson’s doing all the heavy-lifting though… I just realized I said that about sentient hair…

PHYSIQUE:

• Attack Potency
  • As per Fighting Double, who can Imitate any Other Fighter in the Skullgirls Cast, has the Potential to be Stronger than Most of the Cast
    • Puts her at Around Building Level
  • Defeated the Skullgirl Marie, who was Able to Create the Final Atrium and Toss Buildings Around like They’re Nothing
• Strength
  • Samson can Easily Restrain Most of the Cast with the Samson Cuddle
  • Capable of Going Toe-to-Toe with Capable Fighters like Painwheel and Double
• Speed
  • Can React to and Avoid Point-Blank Gunfire, which are Speeds of up to 373 m/s, Transonic
  • Can Outspeed Some of the Faster Fighters, Like Valentine, Ms. Fortune, Peacock, and Painwheel
    • Valentine was Able to Avoid Close-Quarters Tommy Gun Fire, which are Speeds of up to 285 m/s, Subsonic+
    • Kept up with Peacock, who can Outrun Explosions
  • Able to Intercept Double Before she could Attack Squigly
• Durability
  • Survived Being Shot for a Long Time
  • Samson on his Own is Extremely Durable, Able to Match most Steel Blades without Being Shredded
  • Can Withstand Blows from Valentine, Painwheel, Peacock, and Double
  • Survived a Battle with Marie the Skullgirl
  • Held Out Against Eliza’s Restraints
  • Tanks Hits from Cerebella, who can Punch a Rock into a Diamond, which Takes 1.2 Tons of TNT Force, Building Level

: These two had to look out for each other for a while, which gave an extra meaning to Parasite and Host as it was no longer about just nutrient-sucking.

: But even then, Samson still does the majority of the fighting. Filia may know how to throw a kick, but Samson can throw a guillotine, shear, spear, drill, wolf mouth, and more. She simply pales in comparison to his fighting expertise.

: And if she messes up and takes damage, Samson shares the same damage she does. In all honesty, though she may have an impressive physique, Filia is the biggest weakness for Samson due to the importance she holds in his survival.

: Hey, you can’t just claim a woman’s a burden like that! It’s rude! True in this context, but rude!

WEAKNESSES:

• Filia is Likely the Biggest Liability to Her and Samson’s Duo
  • Samson Requires Filia for Nutrients and Survival
  • Samson Feels the Pain Filia Feels
  • Filia is a Far Less Experienced Fighter than Samson

: Even with her being a notable liability, her heart is in the right place, and her search for the truth of who she is has led to her defeating several powerful fighters and the Skullgirl herself. She even wished for Painwheel, who was originally her friend Carol, to be able to live a normal life.

: But all at a cost of course. Since she doesn’t remember her past and why Carol became Painwheel, her wish wasn’t wholly pure, and thus the Skull Heart would corrupt her. It would be extremely slow, but that’s thanks to her own willpower and strength of self, for she sacrificed herself for the betterment of someone else.

: Really strong ending to that game honestly.

Filia – “I am who I am.“

* * *

SHINICHI IZUMI & MIGI

: Shinichi Izumi was just your average Japanese high school youth. Honestly, nothing really stood out about him. He studied, he attended school, he wasn’t a delinquent, he had a fair sense of morality, and was sarcastic on occasion.

: Booooooooooring. Let’s implant a parasite in his body already so he can fight other parasitized people to dubstep music.

: One night, there was a rain of parasite eggs that fell from the sky, their origin unknown. The prime directive of these small, drill-like worm creatures was to inhabit a host’s body and eat their brains, taking control of the whole nervous system. The reason why they were supposed to do this still remains unknown.

: You ever realize how anime and manga have a tendency to set world-ending events in Japan like western movies set them in the USA?

: Wow, I never noticed. It’s almost like one of those is made specifically in Japan and the other in the USA.

: Yeah, yeah smartass. Anyway, smart-boy Shinichi here though woke up because this thing tried to burrow up his nose. Having to improvise, the creature burrowed into his hand instead and tried crawling up his body. Shinichi, using his earphones to cut off his circulation, stopped it dead in its tracks.

: Then… Nothing. He couldn’t find any further trace of the creature, and thus thought he was dreaming.

: But as we all know, that’s not the end of the story. On his way to school the next day, he noticed a girl about to get hit by a douchebag speeding in a residential area. Instinctively, he leapt in to save her and his arm, the one the parasite crawled into, acted on its own and stopped the car in place with ease.

: It was from then on, Shinichi recognized that his hand had become sentient. Occasionally, he would spot an eye peering out at him from his hand. Other times, his fingers would morph or turn steel-like.

: He’d finally had enough and went out of his way to try to stab his hand to elicit some kind of response from it. He succeeded when his hand came to life and attacked back. He took it like a champ though, electing from then on to be a bit more diplomatic as to not get his ass whooped.

: Thus, their unique symbiotic relationship was born. Shinichi named his extremely analytical and tactless new partner Migi and continued on with his normal life… To the best of his abilities that is, I wouldn’t imagine having a talking hand would be a great ice breaker in new classes.

: But from then on, his life would be anything but normal. Realizing there were more parasites around, feasting on human flesh and thriving in murder, Shinichi with his moral compass couldn’t sit idly by, especially with these new powers he’d gained.

: Thus, with his morality and a hint of revenge later down the line, he vowed to take out the parasite population and safeguard Japan from this menace.

Shinichi Izumi – “There are times humans can’t back down from a fight.“

Migi – “You sacrifice other lives so that your own life can continue. That is how animals live.“

BACKGROUND INFO:

• Full Names: Shinichi Izumi, Migi
• Ages: 18, Several Years
• Height: 5’10”
• Occupation: Student
• First Appearance: Kiseijuu/Parasyte the Maxim (1990)

: Time to talk about the weird capabilities of this duo. And by weird, we do mean W-E-I-R-D.

: Pretty par for the course, Migi has the ability to alter the construction of Shinichi’s arm’s physiology. Not only that, but he can also alter the nutrients and the nervous system of the arm itself, allowing him to form incredibly sharp, steel-like blades, grow considerably in size, and even manifest muscle mass.

: And while Migi may be capable of his own unique transformations, he is capable of transformations others of his species can perform as well. But he does prefer his more learned abilities than pure instinct, such as fish, bird talons and even plants.

: He can form eyes, mouths, tentacles, rubber, spikes, the aforementioned bladed tendrils, detailed faces, transforming the whole arm into a Final Fantasy-esque sword, guns without bullets, can duplicate himself but cannot form another Migi unless it’s half the size of the previous, and can even replace damaged organs. Albeit, through a tedious and lengthy process.

: Hey, did you know that even though Migi is housed in Shinichi’s right hand, Migi himself is left-handed? How ironic is that?

: Well, I’m sure he can make use of that when he detaches from Shinichi’s body.

: What.

: Yep, he can detach Shinichi’s arm from his body and move around on his own, giving them a strategic advantage where one fighter becomes two. Though, he can only survive on his own for about three minutes.

: He’s also able to locate others of his kind. It’s almost like a sonar, where he can sense how close they are but can’t tell personal information about them in any way. Gotta admit, even though he doesn’t have ludicrously overpowered abilities, the author of this story made one heck of an interesting power set for this little hand.

MIGI’S ABILITIES:

• Parasite that Lives in Shinichi’s Right Arm and Fights Alongside him
  • Focuses on Defense while Shinichi can Focus on Offense
• Can Manipulate Shinichi’s Nervous System, Physiology, and Nutrients to Change Form
  • Capable of Many of the Same Transformations Other Parasites are Capable of
  • Can Move Internal Organs to Avoid Critical Damage
  • Migi can Form an Enclosed System to Part from Shinichi’s Body, but can Only Maintain the Form for 3 Minutes
  • Able to Form:
    • Other Organisms like Fish, Birds, Plants, Insects, etc.
    • Eyes, Mouth, Other Facial Features and Extremely Detailed Facial Recreations
    • Tentacles and Bladed Tendrils of Muscle
    • Spikes, Wings, and Guns (Without the Bullets)
    • Weaponized Bodily Appendages like Sword Arms
    • Organs to Replace Damaged Ones
      • Merged with Shinichi’s Heart in Order to Save his Life
• Ironically Left-Handed while Living Inside a Right Hand

: I’m sure that you would believe that Shinichi is a very weak fighter compared to Migi who handles clashing bodily blades and strategy for him, right? Well, Shinichi himself is quite skilled surprisingly enough.

: He’s not necessarily trained in combat, but from two years of fighting these parasitic monsters, I’m sure you’d get pretty skilled in impromptu and instinct-oriented fighting too.

: Originally, Shinichi wasn’t very strong, but after being brought back from the dead by Migi partially fusing with his heart, he retained a number of the parasitic cells and integrated them into his body. These cells served to greatly improve Shinichi’s physique.

: He didn’t inherit the ability to morph his body, but he grew stronger, faster, more durable, gained greater endurance and stamina, improved eyesight and hearing, and can jump up to three meters in the air from rest!

: He can stop a speeding sedan without budging, can overpower a Parasite and throw him through a concrete wall, overpowered Miki who housed three separate parasites in the same body, and he can throw a rock with enough force to atomize a parasite’s heart and the wall behind it, a feat on the higher end of Wall Level.

: As for speed, Shinichi can run like a seasoned athlete, Migi was able to outspeed a flying Parasite, can outpace a sedan, and all parasite attacks are faster than the average eye can track, meaning Migi and Shinichi must react to and move at Subsonic speeds, seeing as they’ve both parried and avoided all kinds of parasite slashes and attacks.

: Not to mention all parasites at their core are capable of similar feats due to their relative similarity in combat abilities. Hideo Shimada was able to parry point-blank pistol fire, which places his reaction speed at Transonic.

: They could even keep up with Gotou on several occasions, who could keep up with a speeding truck. Assuming the average speed limit on a Japanese highway is 100km/h, that means that Gotou, with the use of only two parasites, was moving at Subsonic speeds with ease. If he were to increase the number of parasites in use, we could generously estimate his speed to be closer to higher-end Transonic or lower-end Supersonic.

: Shinichi and Migi sure can take a hit too. Migi can turn Shinichi’s arm into hard steel blades, which further enhances his durability, but Shinichi was unfazed by a sedan crashing into him, tanked a beating from a guy twice as strong as him, which should be around Wall Level or higher, he survived a punctured heart for a long time with some assistance from Migi, and resisted multiple attacks from Gotou, who was making use of all six of his parasites.

: Gotou’s strength was so impressive, he was able to absorb and control Migi for a time, and completely overpowered Shinichi and Migi early on. In fact, the only way Shinichi was able to beat Gotou was through exploiting Gotou’s weaknesses and fighting with strategy, which allowed Shinichi to overcome his shortcomings in Strength, Speed, and Durability.

: Regardless, taking into account the power of six parasites simultaneously working in the same body, we should just be able to add up their AP. Based on our understanding of Shinichi and Migi’s AP being the higher end of Wall Level, we can find that Gotou’s AP is closer to Small Building Level, meaning Shinichi is able to withstand several attacks of that caliber.

PHYSIQUE:

• Hybrid Human-Parasite Physiology
  • Improved Sight, Hearing, Strength, Speed, Durability, Endurance, and Stamina Ever Since Migi’s Parasite Cells Fused with Shinichi’s Own
  • Can Jump 3 Meters High and Run like a Seasoned Athlete With no Prior Training
• Attack Potency
  • Defeated Gotou, who Survived a 4-Ton Truck Slamming into him at 100 km/h, Wall Level or Higher
• Strength
  • Migi Stopped a Speeding Sedan in Place Without Budging
  • Migi can Easily Snap a Pocket Knife in Half
  • Shinichi and Migi are Equally Strong Enough to Take Out Other Parasites with Strength Bordering on Superhuman Levels
    • Several Parasites have Shown the Ability to Launch Adults Long Distances and Roll up Steel Spoons with their Tongues
  • Able to Throw a Fist-Sized Stone at Mach 0.1, Subsonic, Speeds
    • Assuming the Chunk is Concrete with a Density of 2.4g/cm³,and its Volume is 6000cm³, it has a Mass of 14,400g, and Having been Thrown at Speeds of 30m/s, this Comes out to 6480 Joules, Street Level
    • However, the Stone also Broke Apart the Concrete Wall Behind Hideo Shimada, which makes this Likelier to be Wall Level
  • Easily Able to Overpower another Parasite and Throw Them Through a Concrete Wall, Wall Level
  • Matched Miki, who Controlled 3 Parasites Within him
• Speed
  • Migi was Able to Outspeed a Flying Parasite and Extract its Heart
  • Shinichi Caught 3 Rocks Without Looking, Each One in Rapid Succession
  • Peak Human to Superhuman Speeds, can Outpace a Sedan and 2 Parasites can Outpace a Truck Moving 100 km/h
  • Parasite Attacks can Move Faster than the Average Human Eye can Track, making them Subsonic
  • All Parasites are Capable of Similar Speed Feats Purely Due to Biology
    • Hideo Shimada was Able to Parry Point-Blank Pistol Fire, Placing his Reaction Speed at Transonic
  • Kept up with Gotou on Several Occasions, who was Able to Keep Pace with a Truck Traveling 100km/h with Ease, which Consists of Subsonic Speeds
    • If he had Used all 5-6 of his Parasites, he could Likely Move a Generous Estimate of Supersonic Speeds
• Durability
  • Didn’t Budge or Show Signs of Duress After Getting Hit by a Sedan
  • Migi can Enhance Durability in Shinichi’s Right Arm by Hardening it
  • Tanked a Beating from a Guy Said to be Twice as Strong as him, Wall Level or Higher
  • Survived a Punctured Heart with Migi’s Assistance
  • Tanked Several Attacks from Gotou, who was Using 6 Parasites and Hunting Shinichi
    • Generously Puts his AP around Small Building Level

: Yeah, I think this guy took Timothy Hickson’s advice on Power Systems a bit too well: To make a system’s weaknesses above its capabilities. Because my GOODNESS there’s a lot to cover.

: But they do make sense in regards to a parasitic relationship. Migi’s transformations are limited to the right hand, and he cannot fix damaged organs anymore without doing so at the cost of his own life or consciousness. After all, last time he did that, he’s had to fall asleep for four hours a day at random times to conserve his energy.

: Excessive blood loss can kill off a Parasite with ease, hence why Migi usually goes for the heart above all else as a target. And while Migi can create an enclosed system to detach from Shinichi’s body, if he’s forcefully amputated he’ll bleed out unless he reattaches to Shinichi’s arm within ten seconds.

: Lastly, if the Parasite’s surface cells are damaged or die, the Parasite will have extreme difficulty with transforming or shapeshifting, to the point of being wholly unable to do so. This can come in the form of chemical burns, burns from heat, frostbite, malnutrition, etc. Such as when Hideo Shimada was trapped in his bladed tendril form due to chemical burns, or how Gotou lost control of the other parasites due to a rusty and garbage coated rod getting jammed into his gut.

: What do you mean lastly? I chalk this up to be a long list and you finish us off already?

: Well, yeah. Understanding these parasitic organisms isn’t too hard. What about with Shinichi?

: I mean, he’s kind of got no weaknesses besides that he’s still pretty human and can be killed, but that all sounds stupid, obvious, and filler-ish. I guess he can rely too much on Migi? But no, that’s not true because of his last fight against Gotou where he owned the monstrosity on his own…

: Well maybe you shouldn’t make it sound like a lot when it’s such a little list.

: Fiiiiiiiiine. Next time I do say that though, try to milk each sentence as long as you can.

: *Sigh* I suppose I can try.

WEAKNESSES:

• Transformations are Limited to the Right Hand
• Excessive Blood Loss can Kill the Parasite
• Migi has to Completely Fall Asleep for 4 Hours Daily and at Arbitrary Times
• If Migi is Forcibly Amputated, he has 10 Seconds to Reattach to Shinichi or Risk Death
• If a Parasite’s Surface Cells are Damage or Die, they will be Unable to Transform
  • Can be Caused by Chemical or Heat Burns, Frostbite, Malnutrition, etc.

: Thankfully, Shinichi’s actions garnered attention and assistance from the government. Due to the many alienated bodies found all over the place that is, as well as the parasites thinking they were slick but were actually caught lacking.

: With a way to find the parasites, there was a harsh culling of them all, with Shinichi being one of the few survivors. His dream to wipe out the menace was fulfilled and now he could finally return to his former life as a high school senior.

: He even got together with his crush, setting out on a beautiful and happy life from then on. And who says these horrific and gory stories don’t have happy endings?

: As for Migi, the little guy disappeared, completely removing his conscience from Shinichi and laying dormant. He claims to have gone to sleep to dream, but Shinichi would still occasionally find traces of the little guy at work.

Shinichi Izumi – “Human life is precious isn’t it?“