Fallout 4’s Link Between Synths & Super Mutants Explained

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Set in and around the Boston area, introduced the post-apocalyptic Commonwealth, along with the shadowy organization lurking beneath its surface. It’s impossible to ignore the Synths roaming the wasteland, and the impact they’ve had on the lives of the locals, as they play pivotal roles in the main plotline. However, there is also a more familiar enemy found throughout the Commonwealth with a horrifying link to the artificial creations.

The idea of the Institute and Synths was first established in with the quest, which teased the concept of human-like synthetic lifeforms in the universe. The main plotline of takes that a step further, adding to the feeling of tension throughout the Commonwealth with the idea that anyone could be secretly replaced, even hinting that the main character could be a synth. However, as dark as that suggestion is, how the Synths were made is far worse than anyone could imagine.

To understand how the Synths are linked to another Commonwealth threat, it is necessary to go back to 2178 and the beginning of the project to create them. The project started as part of the BioScience division, under the supervision of Dr. Elliott and Dr. Frederick, who began working with the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV). The goal was to adapt strains of FEV in order to combine them with human DNA, which in turn could then be used to grow or manufacture synthetic humans.

There is plenty of debate within the community about where the Institute could have gotten a sample of FEV from, with Dr. Elliott's report simply stating that he didn't want to know. Some believe that it came from Vault 87 in the Capital Wasteland, while others think CIT might already have had it thanks to military connections. However, there is a strong case to be made that the Institute got its hands on a variant of the West-Tek version seen in .

There have been various versions of FEV throughout 's history, often seen as retcons to Super Mutant lore.

With their dull green skin, Super Mutants