DRW Russell Barnaby

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Dead Rising
Overview (cases/scoops) • Books • Clothing • Food • Psychopaths • Stores • Survivors • Weapons

Dr. Russell Barnaby is a survivor in Dead Rising and Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop. He is an old man central to Brad and Jessie's investigation, and who seems to know more about the true nature of the outbreak than almost anyone else. He is a brilliant but misguided scientist hired by the U.S. government to come up with a way to genetically mass-produce cattle for human consumption. Greedy and narcissistic, his ego seems to always get the best of him. Somewhere along the way during his previous government work, things went horribly wrong. This was quickly covered up by the military, what happened is known only few as the "Santa Cabeza Incident."^[1]

Biography

Dr. Russell Barnaby was the head of a U.S. scientific research facility in the Central American town of Santa Cabeza. His research team was funded and supported by the U.S. government, and they were tasked to experiment with the local abundant numbers of livestock in an effort to mass produce cattle to reverse the trend of dwindling American meat supplies. The covert project's purpose was simple; if successful in reproducing cattle at an accelerated rate, the government could feed more Americans, whose rapid consumption of meat was becoming to expeditious for distributors to cater. Dr. Barnaby and his research team's progress advanced significantly when a previously undiscovered insect species was discovered in the region beside the local Pachacamac River. Scientifically named Ampulex Compressa Giganteus, the scientists discovered their abnormal properties of using cattle as hosts, and attempted to utilize the wasp's processes to mass produce cattle. However, the project failed when one of the mature wasps, referred to as a queen internally, escaped the facility. Consequently, Santa Cabeza and it's population was ravaged by the resulting parasite.

The U.S. government recognized Dr. Barnaby's failed results as a critical danger to the country. They responded by repressing all rumors and indications of the incident ever occurring. Their decision was largely performed by the U.S. Special Forces, who were ordered to exterminate all civilian and non-essential survivors in Santa Cabeza to keep the epidemic disaster from becoming public knowledge. Despite his and his team's failure, Dr. Barnaby was notably spared from the government's execution orders due to his high ranking position and valuable knowledge, classifying him as one of the few non-military survivors.

Dead Rising

Dr. Barnaby was requested at an unspecified later date to travel to the small town of Willamette, Colorado by an unknown contact. He had no information or link to any individual or group to summon him there, which made the request all the more mysterious. Presumingly before he could leave the town, the terrorist planned infection had already spread across Willamette to dangerous proportions, making Dr. Barnaby one of several thousand people trapped in the organized quarantine ordered by the U.S. Government and enforced by the National Guard. He presumingly fled to the local Willamette Mall for safe shelter as did many other local survivors.

Dr. Barnaby initially assumed it was Frank West who summoned him to Willamette, as he saw Frank taking pictures of him in the Entrance Plaza just before the zombies broke in. When the zombies invaded the mall, Barnaby was fortunately on the other side of the security gate dividing the ground level of the Entrance Plaza into two sections, blocking the arriving horde masses from advancing on him. He used this extra time to his advantage and subsequently fled to Everyone Luvs Books and locked himself inside for security while every other survivor present in the ground floor of the Entrance Plaza, with the exception of Frank were overrun.

Frank was briefed on Barnaby's significance by DHS Agent Brad Garrison a day later. The duo co-ordinated an attempt to get Barnaby to come to the Security Room with them. Unfortunately, the professor refused and stayed in the locked bookstore. Carlito Keyes, the true individual who summoned Dr. Barnaby to the mall, somehow managed to get the professor out of his refuge the next day. Carlito strung Dr. Barnaby up to the ceiling, leaving the elderly man to dangle above the ravenous hordes. Frank and Brad spotted this on the security cameras and rushed to save the professor. After a three-way showdown with Carlito and the surrounding zombies, Brad and Frank managed to bring Dr. Barnaby to the Security Room. However, Brad was shot in the knee by a retreating Carlito, and Barnaby was incapacitated from his terrifying ordeal. Dr. Barnaby was significantly and evidently traumatized by his near death; as a result, he remained unconscious for a period of time before Jessica McCarney proceeded to wake him up and insist he reveal his intimate knowledge of their dangerous circumstances. Eventually, he gave all the details about the zombie research and outbreak to the agents and Frank.

Fate

Canon Fate

Deadrisingzombifieddrbarnaby — Barnaby's ultimate fate

Dr. Barnaby was unfortunately infected during his capture by Carlito. The security room survivors were unaware of his infection and were thus unprepared. As he underwent the zombification process, Dr. Barnaby attacked Jessie, infecting her with a slight scratch wound. He became a zombie shortly after, and was shot in the forehead by Brad before he was able to advance on the nearby Frank. It was ultimately unknown whether his exposure to the hordes, a wasp infecting him or a bite wound was responsible for his reanimation.

Alternate Fate

Dr. Barnaby can be saved by Frank if the latter did not pursue the major case files, or did not investigate the incident's information in time. Dr. Barnaby will be evacuated on September 22nd, along with Brad, Jessie, Otis and the other survivor's Frank rescued, in Ed DeLuca's helicopter. However, his infection is still imminent and judging by Ending B's epilogue, Dr. Barnaby would possibly reanimate and participate in the infection of the rest of America.

Infinity Mode

In Infinity Mode, Barnaby appears as a zombie in Crislip's Home Saloon at North Plaza from 4:19:00 to 5:00:00 carrying an apple, rotten pizza and spoiled meat. He will respawn.

Trivia

Dr. Barnaby may have become infected by an Ampulex Compressa Giganteus while he was suspended from the ceiling by Carlito.
Dr. Barnaby's research notes form the backstory to the Dead Rising series.
Frank can save Barnaby if he does not finish the story in time; however, if Frank does save Barnaby, Frank can not save Simone Ravendark.
In the Entrance Plaza during the introduction of the game, Frank can reach the other side of the security grill by traveling behind it on the second floor, but Dr. Barnaby is no where to be found.
It is implied that Barnaby is the only non-military survivor (besides Carlito and Isabela) that survived the devastating events of Santa Cabeza.
His notebook picture is on the Frank the Pimp achievement photo.