Indominus rex

CHARACTERISTICS

NAME MEANING "Indomitable/Fierce/Untamable King"[1] CODE NAME I. rex HYBRID OF Tyrannosaurus rex + Velociraptor + Carnotaurus[1][2] + Giganotosaurus[1][2][3] + Majungasaurus[1][3] + Rugops[1] + Pycnonemosaurus + Quilmesaurus + Viavenator + Therizinosaurus[2] + Deinosuchus[4] + Cuttlefish + Tree frog[5] + Pit viper DIET Carnivore HEIGHT 5.5 meters (18 feet) (Jurassic World) 6.7 meters (22 feet) (fully grown)[9] LENGTH 12.2 meters (40 feet) (official length in Jurassic World) 15.24 meters (50 feet) (apparent length inJurassic World)[6] 16.9 meters (55.5 feet) (speculated fully grown length)[7][8] WEIGHT 8 Tons LOCATION Isla Nublar RANGE Isla Nublar TIME Holocene (Meghalayan), 2012-2015 BIRTH TYPE Egg MOVIE APPEARANCES Jurassic World Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Mentioned and Skeleton)[10] Jurassic World: Live Tour Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (Mentioned)

Biography

The Indominus rex was a hybrid dinosaur and a major antagonist in the Jurassic Park franchise, serving as one of the two main antagonists of the Jurassic World film, a major antagonist in the Netflix series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (specifically the secondary antagonist in season 1 and major posthumous antagonist in all the subsequent seasons), and a major posthumous antagonist in the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World: Dominion films. In the film Jurassic World, she was going to be the latest attraction added to the park for higher profits. The hybrid was created by modifying the genome of a Tyrannosaurus rex with the DNA of various other theropods. Some of the known species that were included were Velociraptor,[5] Carnotaurus, Giganotosaurus, Majungasaurus, Rugops,[1] Pycnonemosaurus, Quilmesaurus, Viavenator,[11] Deinosuchus,[4] and Therizinosaurus.[2] There were also the DNA of modern animals such as cuttlefish, tree frog,[5] and a pit viper snake.[2]

The genome of Tyrannosaurus rex was used as the base genome for the hybrid. It also gave the Indominus rex an incredibly strong bite that could crush bulletproof glass. Velociraptor DNA was added for high levels of intelligence and the ability to make plans and decisions. Giganotosaurus DNA was added for the large size of the Indominus. It was mentioned that the Indominus rex would be larger than the T. rex when fully grown. Including the shape of the head in some parts from Giganotosaurus. Abelisaur genes (Carnotaurus, Majungasaurus, Rugops,[1] Pycnonemosaurus, Quilmesaurus, and Viavenator) were added to act as a biological form of armor that absorbed most of the incoming attacks. Deinosuchus DNA was used to form the crocodilian teeth of the Indominus that were used in grasping the flesh of opponents. Therizinosaurus DNA added the presence of long forelimbs with strong, slashing claws. One swipe of the hybrid's claws would take down a specific opponent. Cuttlefish genes were intended to help the Indominus withstand an accelerated growth, but it also added chromatophore cells in the skin so it could change the shape, color, and texture of its skin like a cuttlefish. Tree frog DNA was added for the Indominus to adapt to the tropical climate of Isla Nublar, but it instead added the ability for the animal to remove her thermal signature, which confused most of the heat-based infrared cameras. Lastly, pit viper snake DNA added special cavities in the skull that allowed her to see infrared vision, which helped her see the heat coming from her prey in dark areas. Said DNA also gave her the ability to open her mandibles and jaws as wide as a viper, specifically at around 90 degrees, such as when she tried to kill Zach and Gray Mitchell while they were trapped inside of a Gyrosphere..

Prelude

InGen's chief scientist, Dr. Henry Wu, was fascinated with the possibility to create entirely new species by gene mixing, ever since he learned that the inclusion of frog DNA had given the dinosaurs the ability to switch gender.[12] On May 21, 1997, he created Karacosis wutansis, a hybrid plant.[13] On April 5, 2009, another hybrid was created.[14] Years after opening, Jurassic World's success was lower in 2011 unlike the previous years of its operation.[15] Simon Masrani attended a meeting on April 4, 2012, in which the board of his company unanimously desired a new attraction for Jurassic World to satisfy investors. After he had gotten out of the meeting, Simon emailed Dr. Henry Wu his approval to create a new species.[16] The result was a genetically modified hybrid of several dinosaur genera and modern animals. Development of the hybrid began in 2012[17] in the Hammond Creation Lab[1] sometime after the board meeting. Unknown to Masrani was that Dr. Henry Wu, the creator of the hybrid, had made a deal with InGen Security Division commander Vic Hoskins to weaponize it in a grand scheme to have dinosaurs be used in military operations and kept many of the creatures used in its creation a secret.[5] Upon Simon Masrani's announcement of the creation of the genetic hybrid, now named the Indominus rex, online ticket sales for Jurassic World skyrocketed.[18]

Jurassic World Incident

Two I. rex were meant to be kept in their own paddock that had walls with a height of 12 meters (40 feet). This was also planned in case one of them died. However, the older Indominus cannibalized her own sibling and would also attack the workers of her paddock as well. Three weeks before their paddock was open to the public, Simon Masrani visited the paddock.[5] He had not been able to do so for many months due to him being needed for several meeting and events.[19] At the time of his visit, the lone Indominus was not fully grown[5] and was only 12.2 meters (40 ft).[1] Simon told Claire Dearing to consult Owen Grady to see if he was interested in taking a job requiring him to inspect the paddock for any vulnerabilities after seeing her attempt of breaking the glass in the observation deck.[5] That same day, the Indominus later managed to avoid her temperature being picked up by the thermal cameras thanks to the frog DNA in her species and left claw marks on the walls to make them think she was able to climb over the enclosure's wall. When Owen Grady, paddock supervisor Nicholas Letting and worker Nick Kilgore came in to investigate the damaged paddock, the hybrid ambushed them as soon as they got word that she was still in the paddock, making a quick meal out of Kilgore in the process. As they fled, she managed to break through the door as it was not fully shut. Free at last, the I. rex managed to detect and eat Letting, but Owen evaded her by hiding under a nearby car outside of her paddock and then cut the car's fuel line, masking his scent. The Indominus rex then headed off toward the Jurassic World park, attracted by the thermal signatures of the visitors there.[5]

The Indominus then came across a group of campers from Camp Cretaceous. After killing a Brachiosaurus and two employees trying to warn them, the Indominus tried to get Darius Bowman, Brooklynn, Ben Pincus, Kenji Kon, Sammy Gutierrez, and Yasmina Fadoula by tearing down the observation deck they were on. However the campers managed to elude her by using a zip-line to escape. It then tore apart their campground before coming across a caged Carnotaurus named Toro and used its great strength to tear down the fence, setting him free.[20] Her escape was not reported to Jurassic World visitors because Simon Masrani thought the Asset Containment Unit would capture her by following her tracker implant. The I. rex traveled south of her paddock having detected the thermal signatures of the visitors in Main Street. She managed to claw out her tracker, along with some flesh still attached to it, and ambushed the team as soon as they arrived, killing most of the troopers, including Katashi Hamada, Craig, and other members of the team, convincing Owen that the island needed to be evacuated. Owen proceeded to tell the others to use live ammunition against the hybrid, but Claire refused saying that she didn't want to turn the park into a warzone. An angered Owen left the control room stating to Masrani that he wanted to talk with the scientists that created the Indominus, saying that it is no dinosaur. Claire made the decision to close every attraction north of the resort.[5]

This Indominus might have been responsible for opening one of the Gyrosphere Valley's fences to the Restricted Area of Isla Nublar. She then found brothers, Zach and Gray Mitchell, who were observing four Ankylosaurus in the island's Restricted Area after traveling through the opened gate and attacked the two. In her attack, one of the Ankylosaurus proceeded to fight back against her (mainly to protect a young Ankylosaurus), though her counterattack ended with her being killed by the Indominus via rolling her onto her back and breaking her neck. She resumed attacking the two brothers by piercing her mid talon into the glass and rotated the vehicle so the boys could see their demise. She then attempted to chomp the Gyrosphere whole but got her mouth stuck. She attempted to smash it several times into the ground to crack it open, but the two brothers escaped by getting out of their damaged Gyrosphere and jumping off a waterfall. She gave out a loud roar in disappointment and headed to the Gyrosphere Valley.[5] The Indominus soon encountered the kids from Camp Cretaceous again, along with Bumpy, the young Ankylosaurus that the adult died defending. After finding an abandoned ACU van, which Kenji was able to drive because he had a learner's permit, the kids barely escaped from the pursuing hybrid by driving off a cliff and down a steep incline, seeking refuge in a private lab operated by Dr. Wu. His assistant Eddie, who was hiding in the lab, stole the van and abandoned the children, only to be waylaid by the Indominus who knocked the van off the road and killed him. After this, the kids found a second van parked nearby and were able to escape in that, despite the I. rex chasing them.[21]

Shortly afterward, the Indominus attacked a herd of Apatosaurus, killing five and fatally injuring one before moving on into the restricted area of Isla Nublar, leaving their bodies uneaten. While in the restricted area, the I. rex discovered Owen and Claire inside the Visitor Center to which she took the opportunity to attack and chase them after pretending not to notice them and breaking through the ceiling. However, her pursuit of the humans ended when she saw the JW001 piloted by Masrani outfitted with a heavy machine gun in pursuit of her. She led her pursuer to the Jurassic World Aviary where she smashed through the enclosure's walls and scared the pterosaurs inside out of the aviary to the open hole she created. This was witnessed from afar by both Claire Dearing and Owen Grady as well as the Camp Cretaceous kids, who'd crashed their second van into a boulder. As the freed pterosaurs led to the destruction of JW001 and attacked the guests on Main Street, the Indominus traveled further into the restricted area of the island.[5][22] That night, in the restricted area, the members of Jurassic World's Velociraptor pack found her. However, when she began communicating with the raptors, Owen realized and remarked that the Indominus was part raptor. She became the alpha of their pack. As the leader of the pack, she commanded the raptors that were under her control to attack the humans that came with them and were in the area, to which they followed this order. Upon the initiation of this order, the InGen Security troopers, Owen, and Barry Sembène, who were following the Velociraptors opened fire on the hybrid. She managed to escape the brawl that ensued as the small arms fire had little to no effect on her, but she did nearly collapse on the ground when she was hit by a rocket from one of the troopers while escaping.[5]

The I. rex finally arrived in Main Street where she met Owen, Claire, the Mitchell brothers, and the three remaining raptors once again, commanding the raptors to finish them off. Owen successfully attempts to regain Blue's trust by removing her camera only seconds before the hybrid's arrival. Blue once again regards Owen as her alpha. Blue screeches at the I. rex, shortly before it responded by knocking her into a wall, seemingly killing her. The raptors, now aligned with Owen's group again, proceeded to jump on and attack the Indominus while Owen provided extra fire, albeit ineffective fire, with his rifle. But the fight ends fairly quickly after the Indominus easily kills Delta by tossing her into a grill, incinerating her, and snatches and throws Echo away. With the raptors defeated, the Indominus rex then proceeded to resume hunting Owen and the Mitchell brothers who were huddled inside the Jurassic Traders Outpost, one of Main Street's shops. She nearly dragged Gray to her but was stopped when Claire threw a flare at her, which then caused her to turn her attention to another dinosaur who challenged her: Jurassic World's veteran Tyrannosaurus rex.[5]

The T. rex carried out a heavy assault on the Indominus, and the two dinosaurs engaged in a ferocious battle. Though the T. rex initially dominated the fight, she was eventually brought to the ground by the hybrid's strength, destroying the Jurassic Traders Outpost and almost killing Owen Grady, Gray, and Zach. The Indominus almost delivered the killing blow before she was attacked by Blue, who was still alive from the onslaught. This allowed the tyrant to return to her feet and grab the I. rex by the neck, pushing her into many of Main Street's buildings, all while Blue assisted the Tyrannosaurus. Finally, she was flung to the edge of the Jurassic World Lagoon. The attacks from both the T. rex and Blue were so heavy that it caused the hybrid to actually bleed and pieces of metal were even sticking out of the left side of her torso. The I. rex got back up from the ground, however, still ready to fight the theropods once more. While she let out a roar, the lagoon's resident Mosasaurus detected the hybrid and proceeded to emerge out of the water to pull the I. rex under the water to her death, avenging the victims she had killed.[5]

Remains

A short while after the official closing of Jurassic World and the death of the Indominus, the campers from Camp Cretaceous (left abandoned on Isla Nublar due to not arriving at the ferry in time)[23] discovered the remains of the fight on Main Street that had previously taken place and the corpse of the Indominus in the lagoon. Darius and Brooklynn agreed in relief that they wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore (or the Mosasaurus being hungry with the Indominus’ remains keeping it fed).[24] Even long after its death, the skeleton of the Indominus remained at the bottom of the abandoned park's lagoon. Eventually, a group of mercenaries in a submarine sneak into the lagoon to extract a sample from the Indominus remains. After carving out a rib bone, the submarine sent the bone to the surface, where it was extracted by a helicopter before the submarine encountered the thought to be dead Mosasaurus.[10] The rest of the skeleton of the Indominus rex was most likely destroyed with the larger part of Isla Nublar when the volcano Mount Sibo erupted. The DNA of Indominus, stored in a glass container, was then claimed by Eli Mills. He then assisted Henry Wu in using the Indominus rex DNA to create a new hybrid: the Indoraptor. In the end, the Indoraptor was impaled on an Agujaceratops skull in the Lockwood Manor while Mills tried to run away with the DNA sample of the Indominus to make new hybrids. However, the T. rex of Isla Nublar killed Eli and stomped on her deceased rival's rib, ultimately preventing its use in any further creation of new hybrids.[10]

Legacy

The Indominus rex left a legacy on the campers, being part of their nightmares even after they escaped Isla Nublar.[25] Yasmina in particular experienced a trauma-induced nightmare involving her being surrounded by the Indominus rex, Toro, a Ceratosaurus, and a Scorpios rex.[26] Darius later mentioned the Indominus when talking about his time on Isla Nublar to Kash D. Langford.[27] Later, Eli Mills referenced how Claire Dearing had exploited the Indominus rex for profit when Claire called him out for similar behavior with the Indoraptor. Eventually, Rexy crushed the rib of the Indominus, thereupon preventing the creation of any more hybrids.[10]

Characteristics

The hybrid could run up to speeds of 30 mph when confined in its paddock with its roar alone reaching 140db-160db, as loud as the liftoff and landing of a Boeing 747 airplane. Indominus rex had spiky osteoderms across its body and horns above its eye orbits, traits that originated from the DNA of various abelisaurs used in its creation.[1] Its osteoderms were extremely tough, being able to withstand fire from a GE M134 Minigun and even an indirect hit from an AT4 rocket launcher.[5] It also had well-developed forelimbs from Therizinosaurus complete with opposable thumbs whose origins are unknown. [2] and had sickle-shaped claws on each of its four fingers with the claw of the middle finger being the longest. Its long arms also made it semi-quadrupedal. It displayed immense physical strength, able to easily slaughter a Brachiosaurus and even bend steel girders.[20] It was able to change color from the cuttlefish used in its creation, which was used as camouflage in hunting, but also helped the hybrid grow at a quick rate.[5] The Indominus rex also had what appeared to be protofeathers growing out of several parts of its body, namely its head and forelimbs. Their base skin color was a grayish white, with eyes whose sclera were a fiery dark orange brown color.

The teeth of Indominus were from Deinosuchus DNA,[4] explaining why the teeth are exposed like a crocodile. Due to this bit of instability, its teeth varied in size, often jutting out at unnatural angles and many were broken. Indominus rex had a total of 74 teeth.[28] Like all other theropods, as well as nearly all sharks, the Indominus constantly replaces its teeth.[5] Another trait that came from Tyrannosaurus being in its gene pool was the massively strong bite force it had,[2] which Indominus could use to even crush a bulletproof Gyrosphere or break the neck of an Ankylosaurus.[5] The Indominus' mandible (lower jaw) was slightly longer than the maxilla (upper jaw), which gave it something of an underbite. One of the most unsettleing features of the Indominus was its ability to unhinge its jaw, shown when it attempted to devour the gyrosphere with Zach and Gray Mitchell. Its large size is attributed to Giganotosaurus.[2] Interestingly, I. rex could reach 50 ft as an adult[5] when none of the theropods, including Giganotosaurus, used in its creation could reach this length. The cause of this surpassed length in the hybrid is unknown. The tree frog DNA, which was intended to help them adapt to the climate of Isla Nublar, had allowed it to remove its own thermal signature.[5] The hybrid could also detect the thermal signatures of others as well due to the pit adder DNA.[2] The snake DNA may also be the reason why it could open its jaws wider than any of InGen's cloned theropods. Finally, the DNA from Velociraptor used in Indominus creation gave it a high level of intelligence as well as the ability to communicate with Velociraptor individuals. Good examples of its intelligence being one's plan of making the people that observed her in her paddock think that she had escaped and her ability to remember when and where her creators inserted her tracking implant.[5]

Though they do hunt for food, one known I. rex was shown to kill mainly for sport. This individual also was known to have committed cannibalism, as she killed and ate her own sibling, which was the first thing she did as soon as she hatched.[5] However, since the I. rex who had exhibited these traits had a rough upbringing these behaviors may not be natural.[29] The cannibalism could have came from either Majungasaurus DNA or T. rex DNA or both since both theropods have fossil evidence of cannibalism, though the rough upbringing suggests that it could be a mental illness of some sort seen in this individual. Lastly, from its ability to communicate with Toro and Blue's pack which are both Carnotaurus and Velociraptors (Dinosaurs which its DNA is made up off), respectively, this shows that it's able to understand the languages of Dinosaurs its a hybrid of.

Behavioral

The Indominus rex exhibits a solitary hunting behavior, characterized by a lack of coordination with conspecifics during predation events. However, the exact timing and circumstances surrounding its transition to solo hunting, including the role of enclosure expansion or isolation, remain unclear. Notably, the Indominus rex has been observed engaging in "surplus killing," where it kills prey without consuming it, suggesting that its predatory behavior may be driven by motivations beyond mere sustenance. This phenomenon could be indicative of "sport" or exploratory killing, where the individual derives satisfaction or stimulation from the hunt itself, rather than solely for nutritional purposes. An encounter between the Indominus rex and Toro, a Carnotaurus, was observed, but the specific circumstances and motivations behind Toro's actions remain unclear. Initially, the two theropods engaged in a brief, intense stare-down, characterized by mutual visual assessment and posturing. However, the Indominus rex suddenly charged towards the enclosure's fence, where Toro was located, and began tearing down the metal bars while emitting loud roars. This sudden display of aggression and strength likely prompted Toro to flee, as it was significantly smaller than the Indominus rex.

The Indominus rex exhibits advanced problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking, as evidenced by its capacity to employ lure-and-ambush tactics, deliberately drawing potential prey, including humans, into specific areas for exploitation or elimination. This behavior is complemented by its deceptive intelligence, exemplified by its ability to feign escape from its enclosure and remove its tracking device, thereby evading detection and surveillance. Furthermore, the Indominus rex has demonstrated impressive adaptability through its ability to utilize camouflage, altering the coloration of its skin to blend seamlessly with its surroundings, assuming a greenish hue that facilitates stealth and surprise attacks on unsuspecting adversaries. These cognitive abilities, combined with its physical prowess, make the Indominus rex a formidable predator, capable of outmaneuvering and outsmarting its prey. Upon encountering the pack of Velociraptors, the Indominus rex, possessing Velociraptor DNA in its genetic makeup, established a form of communication with the group. It successfully co-opted the Velociraptors, assuming an alpha role and directing them to target humans. However, a beta member, Blue, demonstrated loyalty to her original alpha, Owen, and refused to submit to the Indominus rex's dominance.

This act of defiance triggered an aggressive response from the Indominus rex, which attacked Blue, rendering her unconscious. The remaining Velociraptor pack members, driven by a desire for revenge and protection of their pack leader, Owen, retaliated against the Indominus rex. This confrontation further enraged the Indominus rex, illustrating its capacity for complex social interactions, communication, and emotional responses, such as anger and dominance assertion.