| “ | I remember when the crisis broke out across America. It's why I enlisted, and why I signed up for the enhancement program. They were willing to try anything. Commander Reyes and I...well, they tried everything. But politics, mismanagement, egos...At the end of the day, Overwatch was the only way to win that war. But we had to be given a chance. | „ |
| ~ Jack Morrison |
The Soldier Enhancement Program (a.k.a. Project Naughton)[1] was the American government's controversial and classified super soldier program. Military scientists shaped young soldiers into the perfect soldiers, blessed with superhuman speed, strength, and agility at the peak of human perfection.[2]
Background
The SEP used a simple numeric system for its candidates—volunteer soldiers were given a number based on when the were signed up/recruited. For instance, Candidate/Soldier: 00 was the first recruit, followed by Candidate/Soldier: 01, and so on.[1]
The serum used on the soldiers can be passed down to their offspring.[3]
History
Project Naughton began three years prior to the Omnic Crisis, and was spearheaded by Victoria Naughton. It was conducted under a veil of extreme secrecy, as it violated multiple ethnical codes regarding human genetic and biological manipulation. While it met with some early success, said successes were highly classified. While Project Naughton was the original program code, it was later renamed the "Soldier Enhnacement Program."[1]
Officially, recruitment began on the same day Project Naughton was initiated. At least 200 military personnel volunteered for treatment. At least 60% of test subjects died during the enhancement process. Naughton's research focused on genetics rather than cybernetics.[1]
Omnic Crisis
| “ | Given what happened today, it’s hard to think of the op as a victory for the program. Wasn't it Napoleon who said he’d rather his generals were lucky than good? After today, I'd place odds on you both. |
„ |
| ~ Jack Morrison and Victoria Naughton after the Battle of Echo Park |
After the Omnic Crisis began, the US military went public with the program after an intense emergency session in Congress. The program gained popular approval despite being decried in some circles as a violation of human rights and a step beyond what should have been an unbreachable boundary in regards to human genetics. It was hoped that the existence of the program would raise morale, and in that, it succeeded, at least initially.[1]
The Zurich Archive noted that the Program might have had more success if it had focused on cybernetics rather than genetics. However, amidst the Omnic Crisis, cyborgs were viewed as too thin a line between human and omnic. Cybernetic soldiers existed, but it was impossible to sell the idea of cyborg soldiers to a terrified populace. Hence, the less established, less savory method of genetic manipulation was chosen. Furthermore, during the war, the US had no shortage of volunteer soldiers, but it did lack the technology and specialists required to outfit cybernetic soldiers.[1]
The program's labs at Camp Hale were expanded. Naughton had previously been constrained, but with the Crisis, she was given special dispensation to expand her research. However, the SEP's existence made Camp Hale a prime target for Anubis's forces. Weeks after the program's announcement, Camp Hale was destroyed. The surviving members moved to Louisiana, then Oregon, before finally relocating to the Wheeler Facility. Eventually, the tests ended, with only a minority of the original candidates having survived the process. Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes, already the Program's golden boys, left the facility 24 hours before being cleared for release. They took part in the Battle of Echo Park (the SEP's first recorded engagement), where they saved thousands of lives and drove the invading omnics back to Glendale.[1] However, while both Reyes and Morrison survived, half of the regular soldiers hadn't. Morrison wasn't sure if the battle could be considered a victory in the morale/propaganda sense, though Naughton disagreed.[4]
Due to "politics, mismanagement, [and] egos," the program couldn't (or didn't) deliver victory. In the end, Overwatch succeeded where the program failed.[5]
Legacies
| “ | I worry about them, don't I? I accepted responsibility for them. I'd always hoped the traits we'd given them would pass down to the next generation, and I suppose we'll never know one way or the other, with the way the government is keeping these records sealed. | „ |
| ~ Victoria Naughton |
The Zurich Archive researched what it could concerning the SEP, but most of the information pertaining to it was heavily redacted. They were able to confirm its original code name, "Project Naughton." Using this search term, the team was able to uncover more information than they had previously. Decades after the Crisis, the identities of the participents remained classified. Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison were regarded as the Program's greatest successes.[1]
After the supposed deaths of Morrison and Reyes after the destruction of Overwatch HQ, it was deemed possible by the Zurich Archive that no supersoldiers remained. No tracking was carried out of any of the remaining subjects, and Naughton was forbidden from retaining any copies of her program research. Naughton made a request for the US government to unseal the records, but was denied. However, the Archive also declared that the survivors had reintegrated into society. Theories abounded about said soldiers joining the ranks of mercenaries and taking part in extralegal activities. The Archive wondered if the children of these soldiers would retain the abilities of their parents.[1] In this, they were correct, as Sierra Woods inherited at least some of the abilities of her mother.[3]
A sample of the serum used to create the supersoldiers was stored inside the Naughton Vault at Watchpoint: Grand Mesa. It was obtained by Talon during an attack on the watchpoint.[6]
Known Members
- Doctor Victoria Naughton (program head)
Soldiers
- Soldier: 00 (Kendra Banks)
- Soldier: 24 (Gabriel Reyes)
- Soldier: 76 (Jack Morrison)
Trivia
According to Uprising, the SEP was enacted in response to the Omnic Crisis. According to Overwatch: Declassified, it was initiated prior to it.