Phazon

Overview
Phazon is a highly radioactive substance originating from the living planet known as Phaaze, known for its extreme mutagenic and energy-producing properties. Strangely, it's not only a radioactive substance, but also an extradimensional living being. Phazon appears throughout the Prime Trilogy. The substance has been responsible for the near-destruction of two worlds, Tallon IV of the Chozo and Aether of the Luminoth. In both cases Phazon arrived on the planets via interstellar objects, now known to be Leviathans. On Tallon IV the Phazon devastated and poisoned the ecosystem, eventually destroying the Chozo society that existed there. In Aether, the Phazon Meteor struck the planet and split it into two dimensions, driving the planet and its inhabitants into turmoil.

Description
Phazon is a highly radioactive, mutagetic, and semi-sentient substance. Phazon is also capable of self-reproduction, making its ability to spread incredibly efficient. Most Phazon is blue in color, except for the much more-potent orange variation, whose radiation and mutagetic levels far exceed the normal blue Phazon. Orange Phazon also has small bluish hued energy spheres that appear on the surface, which act as spawning nests for Fission Metroids. Red crystals with low amounts of Phazon energy are found in the Magmoor Caverns. Because of this, the Pirates intended to put them on the market when Phazon operations are complete. There are also Black Phazon Crystals only found on Phaaze. They are commonly mined by Space Pirates. This suggests that there are unknown types of Phazon elsewhere.

Phazon exists in many phases. It is most commonly seen as Phazon ore, appearing as a network of blue veins and crystal-like sacs. A more concentrated form of Phazon is known as liquid Phazon, liquid Phazon takes on the traits of a dense gel. Large amounts of Phazon are usually seen with bolts of Phazon energy, appearing as arcs of static electricity. This is probably due to the high amount of unstable energy Phazon is constantly producing.

Phazon also demonstrates a trace amount of sentience. Left-over Phazon energy after a Leviathan impact can manifest itself into Phaazoid, mindless Phazon energy that is constantly discharging itself.

Scans of dead troopers on the GFS Valhalla also seem to indicate that Phazon is also capable of absorbing corpses and turning them into Phazon.

Phazon releases unique energy in the form of Phazon radiation. Exposure to any amount of Phazon radiation can be deadly. Most bioforms in direct contact with Phazon ore/liquid die or mutate within seconds. Even living within an area with high Phazon concentration can be fatal over time. However, bioforms with prolonged Phazon exposure that do not die are mutated horribly. Exposure to Phazon radiation destroys brain cells and cognitive thought in sentient beings, yet it also can result in a gain in muscle mass and other beneficial abilities. Phazon, like many drugs, makes exposed beings hunger for more. In turn, heavily corrupted beings also have a natural instinct to protect Phazon and its source. Humans seem to be relatively resistant to the mental effects of Phazon, as demonstrated by the Galactic Federal PED Troopers and by Samus Aran. Chozo, on the contrary, are especially weak to it, for even their ghosts become insane from Phazon exposure.

Phazon can also be used as an energy source, as its total energy output far exceeds that of fuel gel.

Phazon, because of the intense radiation it produces and its mutagenic properties is a deadly toxic substance. Any planet with Phazon corruption left unchecked will "kill" the planet. The planet will slowly turn into pure Phazon, becoming like Phaaze.

Phazon Corruption
Many life forms exposed to Phazon radiation expire within seconds. However, some life forms can survive the Phazon exposure, although the price to be paid is horrible mutation of the body and mind. Subjects exposed to Phazon over long periods of time may develop a form of mental breakdown known as Phazon Madness or Phazon Sickness. This condition affects the mind, driving the subject to the point of mental instability and a constant hunger for more Phazon. In Metroid Prime 3, the hunters suffered from Phazon Madness. Life forms that survive Phazon exposure usually gain increased muscle mass and newfound abilities, but suffer a decline in cognitive thought and general lifespan.

Although Phazon is first portrayed solely as a dangerously radioactive destructive substance, Samus, and later the Federation, discovered that the Space Pirates had taken advantage of Phazon's mutagenic properties to create a powerful biologically engineered army of Phazon-enhanced Pirates and other creatures. The Pirates had begun a series of Phazon exposure experiments with native Tallon IV life forms to test Phazon mutagenic abilities, even managing to infuse sapience in inorganic matter (the findings of the Thardus venture). In further experiments, the Pirates had begun Phazon infusion experiments, injecting subjects with pure Phazon. In Metroid Prime, it is the player's ultimate goal to eradicate the source of the Phazon after stopping further Space Pirate experimentation with Phazon.

Phazon Enhancement Device
After Samus's discovery of Phazon on Tallon IV and Aether, the Galactic Federation has taken a sudden interest in Phazon and its mutagenic and extreme energy-producing properties. Based on captured Space Pirate technology, the Galactic Federation developed the PED, otherwise known as the Phazon Enhancement Device. The PED was tested on a Galactic Federation Marine Battalion in the Norion System. The suit is worn like a vest, and users can initiate an energy siphon using a small supply of Phazon (carried in a backpack) into their armor suits. This allows the user to temporarily enhance the exoskeleton and weapons systems of their armor suits with phazon energy, drastically enhancing their abilities.

Eventually Samus, Rundas, Ghor and Gandrayda are corrupted with Phazon by Dark Samus. In order to prevent total corruption, the Galactic Federation equipped Samus with PED, allowing her to activate the energy siphon by using the Phazon from within her. This puts Samus into Hypermode, a state in which she becomes equipped with Phazon-enchanced weaponry. Activation, however, requires the injection of one energy tank, and staying in Hypermode for too long can lead to Corrupt Hypermode. In Corrupt Hypermode, Samus will be unable to deactivate hypermode and eventually she will be terminally corrupted. Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda were terminally corrupted and all attempted to kill Samus, while Samus was not.

Appearance
Phazon primarily appears throughout the Metroid Prime series as a radiant semisolid or soliquid. The most abundant type of Phazon found within the game takes on a more solid form, appearing as a network of veins or large crystal-like sacs. Less freqeuntly, a purified concentrated form of Phazon can be found having gel-like traits. The first installment of the series initially revealed two variations of Phazon, a regular blue type and a much rarer, but exponentially more potent orange variation.

The blue type is found throughout several locations in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes as well as a pure form that is solid blue and only appears when fighting Metroid Prime, while the orange type is only found in the Impact Crater of the first Metroid Prime. Additionally, some portions of the series, primarily the first game, depict the substance with nearby clouds of what looks like static electricity and small orange, black or blue dots as well as a characteristic chiming noise. The orange Phazon may share a resemblance to the red phazite worn by Pirate Commanders in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption as both are very rare. Also, Aurora Unit 313 is coloured red at the end of Metroid Prime 3, unlike the rest of planet Phaaze where it is fought. Also, a player is vulnerable to damage from orange Phazon regardless of which power suit one is using. Black Phazon Crystals have also been found throughout Phaaze. On Phaaze the planet has entire seas of blue Phazon and continents formed of a previously unknown type of Green Phazon, although there is no orange Phazon to be seen. Since the Leviathan is not present it is thought that it was killed on impacting Tallon IV, this means the orange phazon may be the result of its decay(strange bone-like structures in the Impact Crater support this). One even more recent theory is that orange phazon is simply a super-purified form or extra powerful amount of phazon as it is seen that the phazon in the Hyper Ball form while in Hypermode from Metroid Prime 3 Coruption turns orange when it is hitting a target. This leads to the conclusion that orange phazon isn't a seperate type but a different phase of the more common blue phazon.

Phazon can react with an unknown chemical to produce Phazite, thicker plates of which can only be damaged by concentrated phazon energy orbs. Thin plates slough off damage, but can be damaged with the Plasma Beam. The Nova Beam phases right through it.