| “ | I don't relish the title, I relish the kill.
— Caustic
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” |
Alexander Maxwell Nox, also referred to by his alias Doctor Mikhail Caustic, or simply Caustic, is a playable Legend in Apex Legends. He competes in the games as a murderous scientist.
Biography[]
Toxic Trapper[]
Before there was Caustic, a scientist named Alexander Nox worked at Humbert Labs, the Frontier’s leading manufacturer of pesticide gases. With a glut of pesticides needed to protect the growing Frontier colonies’ crops, Humbert Labs was constantly on the hunt for better and stronger formulas. Nox was one of their brightest scientists and worked day and night developing new gases. But to make sure they worked, he needed to test them on more than just inert tissue: he needed something living.
As he toiled in secret, Nox began to see the beauty in his creations and their ability to destroy anything they touched. But the head of Humbert Labs soon discovered his gruesome experiments, and their confrontation ended with the lab in flames and its chief dead. Today, Nox is missing and presumed deceased. Caustic, meanwhile, now finds new test subjects in the Apex Games, where he puts his gaseous creations to work and observes their effects with great interest.
Origins[]
Alexander Maxwell Nox was born on February 25, 2685 in Hollygrove, Gaea to Katerina Ticacek Nox and Arthur Rutherford Nox.[1] Nox was a spoiled child growing up, and he eventually went to work at the pesticide manufacturer Humbert Labs in Zaldana City on Gaea, working as a research assistant under Dr. Franklin Humbert. However due to the demand of new pesticides, Nox began to test his gases on human subjects in secret to test the potency of his formulas.
In 2723, Humbert discovered Nox’s experiments, leading to a confrontation. In retaliation, Nox murdered Humbert and burned the laboratory to the ground. To cover his tracks, he severed two of his fingers and placed them near the charred, dismembered corpse of one of the victims of an experiment of his several weeks prior. He departed the lab with a grappling hook through the ceiling. This incident was witnessed by Pathfinder, who was working as a window washer at Humbert Labs. Arthur Rutherford Nox, Alexander's father died of a broken-heart after this event as everyone presumed Alexander dead.
The investigation was overseen by the Gaea Global Task Force, with senior forensics director Dr. Francisco Trejo, chief medical examiner Dr. Tamara Griffin, and lieutenant Victor Maldera. Based on the evidence, Trejo and Griffin moved to close the case. Maldera, however, objected, and soon became obsessed over the case.
Later on, Nox was involved in an infamous prison break. Witnesses took note of the toxic gases used in the altercation.
After the incident at Humbert Labs, Nox crafted a new identity under the alias of Dr. Mikhail Caustic. As a part of his façade, he claims to have been born in 2690, graduated from college with a PhD in 2720, received the Heinrich Hammond Award for Excellence in Science in 2725, and took a sabbatical on Solace at an unspecified date. Continuing to research his gases, he entered the Apex Games, where he could test them on living subjects - leaving a considerable trail of bodies in his wake. However, his disguise was a fragile one - his mother, watching an Apex Games match, was able to see right through it, with the only noticeable difference to her being the part in his hair.
One day, Nox was confronted by Angela Fazia, a reporter for the Outlands Journal tabloid, regarding the previously mentioned prison break. Feigning offense at her accusations of involvement, he insulted her and moved on with his day.
At some point, Nox allegedly held a tenure with Vinson Dynamics. However, whether or not this is another part of his façade as Mikhail Caustic is unknown. He additionally submitted an application to become a simulacrum after his death.
Fight Night[]
One night in the city of Malta, Psamathe, Maldera encountered Pathfinder after the latter accidentally murdered the customer of a local restaurant. Taking the MRVN as evidence, he found video evidence of the arson of Humbert Labs, proving Nox’s survival. Maldera returned to his hunt for Nox with renewed vigor. He was later reassigned to the case.
Season 2[]
Nox was noted to have gotten softer and lost his edge after Wattson joined the Apex Games, this was due to them forming a relationship.
Season 5[]
The Broken Ghost[]
After Loba joined the Apex Games, she solicited the assistance of the other Legends (sans Revenant) to hunt down pieces of an artefact on an alternate Kings Canyon, in the Shadowfall dimension. Nox, however, decided to act as a mole and feed information to Revenant in an obsessive, overprotective attempt to keep Wattson and Crypto away from each other, due to his disapprovement of the latter.
Early into the expeditions for the artefact, Wattson is injured during a fight in the Shadowfall dimension. Nox stayed at her bedside during a majority of her recovery - much to the surprise of the other Legends, not expecting the seemingly uncaring Nox to be the one to hold vigil. When Loba callously brushes off her injury, Nox attacks and threatens her.
Immediately after, Revenant arrives and reveals that there is a mole amongst them, sowing distrust. He eventually returns, this time in the guise of Crypto’s seemingly unhackable drone. Caustic seizes the opportunity to frame Crypto, citing his hatred for the The Syndicate - as both he and Revenant seek revenge against The Syndicate for their own respective fates, it would make perfect sense for them to work together. Crypto rebuts, but the damage is already done.
Soon after, Nox is confronted by Gibraltar. He shamelessly admits that he is the mole, citing his wish to keep Wattson and Crypto apart, as well as his anger at Loba for digging into everyone’s past. The pair’s ideals clash, with Nox confident that the Legends’ trust has been severed, and Gibraltar resolute that they will come together again.
Overtime[]
One Saturday in 2733, Nox completed an Apex Games match on Kings Canyon. After the match, he met with an individual wearing a hazmat suit, obtaining a bag of bloody meat and departing for a hidden laboratory somewhere in Solace City. He then conducted experiments with starved Prowlers, only to be discovered by Wattson and Rampart. After a brief skirmish, the Prowlers were freed and began to rampage through the streets of Solace City.
After the Solace City hospital was destroyed by a crashing aircraft, Nox assisted in fending the Prowlers away from the wreckage.
Pathfinder's Quest[]
While Pathfinder is gathering information regarding his creators from Crypto, Nox angrily charges into the latter’s residence, infuriated that Wattson is ignoring him. Crypto traps him using his home security system, but he is released by Pathfinder’s naivete. The two argue, and Pathfinder correctly deduces that the two are step-brothers due to their link with Mystik much to the surprise of the other two.
Season 8[]
Near the wreckage of the IMS Thermopylae, the ship that Mad Maggie crashes into Kings Canyon, Nox receives a “butt-slap” from Fuse.
Armageddon[]
After Mad Maggie's terrorist attack on Kings Canyon, she seeks Fuse’s other arm as recompense. Nox gleefully offers to cut the arm off for him, but leaves after he is refused.
Nox later obtains clearance from the Mercenary Syndicate to construct a chemical treatment plant on Kings Canyon to extract fuel from the wreckage of the IMS Thermopylae, which was quickly leaking into the Duchess River. However, his true plan was far more sinister - wishing for a larger sample size than the Apex Games, Nox sought to create enough chemicals to attack Solace City. He is confronted by Wattson, whose pleas he ignores in favour of the data he would gather. He unleashes his gases on her in retaliation, but when she collapses, his façade breaks, and he rushes in to save her. Wattson electrocutes him, putting an end to his plans. She tells him that he will have to earn back her trust from now on.
Wattson agrees to not inform The Syndicate of Nox’s plans, on the condition that he works to become a better man. She additionally questions him about his coughing fits, demanding that she deserves the truth, but he responds that it is none of her concern.
Season 9[]
The Legacy Antigen[]
After the outbreak of the Medusa epidemic on Olympus, Nox is elated at the idea of watching hundreds of people die. However, this illusion is shattered when Crypto informs him that Mystik, Caustic's mother and Crypto's stepmother, is one of the patients infected. After verbally sparring with Crypto, an irate Nox agrees to help, directing the Legends to the Carthage spider, an arachnid native to Gaea that contains an agatoxin that can fight the Medusa disease.
The Legends depart for Gaea on a ship flown by Fuse, with Nox taking the opportunity to mock him for his earlier confrontation with Mad Maggie. He reluctantly pairs up with Crypto for their trek, where the latter asks why he hid himself from their mother for so long. Nox responds that he has a terminal cancer diagnosis, and he was meant to be already dead. Before he can continue, the two are captured in a den of Carthage spiders.
After waking up, the two find themselves bound alongside Loba and Valkyrie. Nox breaks free using his hammer, intent on fleeing with his own captured spider to create a cure for his cancer. He reluctantly frees Crypto as well, stating that someone will need to take care of their mother when he is gone. He continues his attempt to take a spider for himself, but Valkyrie punches him for this.
The Legends return to Olympus, where the chemicals from the spiders are able to heavily contribute to the cure, stopping the epidemic. A doctor approaches Nox and Crypto, stating that family members will be allowed to visit a recovering Mystik. As payback for her care for him, Crypto allows Nox to go in his stead. Seeing his mother after so many years, Nox and Mystik have a heartfelt reunion.
Returning home, he finds a letter waiting for him, declaring that his application to become a simulacrum after death has been declined on the grounds that his mental health screening returned less than positive results. Late that night, he hears a knock on his door, finding a box on his doorstep containing the captured Carthage spider he intended to use as a cancer cure. It had been left there by Wattson and Crypto, with the former hoping that he can become a better person
Personality and traits[]
Caustic is shown to be sociopathic, caring for no one, although there some exceptions. He is a brilliant scientist and chemist as well as displaying good knowledge of digital immortality and simulacra. Caustic is also shown to be cynical, blunt and pessimistic. However he does express wonder and compliments when presented with feats of engineering such as the the charge towers etc.
Physical appearance[]
Caustic is depicted as tall, Caucasian and having a bulky build, accompanied by brown hair and eyes, although most of his facial features are obscured by the mask.
Relationships[]
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| Arthur Rutherford Nox |
| Katerina Tikacek Nox |
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| Alexander Maxwell Nox |
| Tae Joon Park |
| Mila Alexander |
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Caustic generally harbours indifference for most of the Legends and views them as inferior. The only exceptions to this are Wattson and Crypto. The former of which he forged a Father-daughter relationship with. The two became close after Wattson was one of the few Legends to make an effort to socialise with him, however this relationship became fraught after Caustic was outed as the mole, yet the two did begin to repair their relationship during The Legacy Antigen quest line when Caustic revealed his Cancer diagnosis which Wattson and Crypto provided him a key ingredient for the cure. Caustic's relationship with Crypto is much more complicated as when Crypto grew closer to Wattson, Caustic began to harbour hatred for him and sought to destroy the relationship by framing Crypto as the mole, driving a wedge between the two. However Crypto was somewhat redeemed when Caustic confessed. Pathfinder inadvertently also began to repair the relationship when he revealed that they were step-siblings and shared a relative, Mystik. The two began a budding friendship when the two teamed up to find a cure for the Medusa strain when it infected Mystik and the residents of Psamathe. When Mystik was cured, Crypto allowed Caustic to visit first and the two had a tearful reunion. At the end of the quest, Crypto and Wattson provided Caustica key ingredient for the cure, further repairing their relationship.
Apex Legends[]
Abilities[]
| Tactical Ability | Passive Ability | Ultimate Ability |
|---|---|---|
 Nox Gas Trap |
 Nox Vision |
 Nox Gas Grenade |
| Lay down a canister of noxious gas, which can either be activated (emitting toxic gas which will do up to 100 health damage with the damage per tick increasing to longer an enemy lies in it) by enemy squads going near it, or by anyone shooting at the top of these traps. Shooting at the bottom will deactivate the trap without triggering it | Going through an enemies' noxious gas will not affect you, and you and your teammates will be able to see through your own noxious gas | Throw a grenade which, on impact, will deploy a large cloud of noxious gas. Keep in mind that a friendly and enemy Interception Pylon will destroy your ultimate |
Customization[]
- Main article: Alexander "Caustic" Nox/Customization
Apex Legends Mobile[]
Caustic is a deadly Defensive Legend with poisonous gas-based abilities. His tactical ability Nox Gas Trap places canisters that fire out toxic gas when damaged or when an enemy comes near them. His passive ability Nox Vision highlights enemies that are in the gas. His ultimate ability Nox Gas Grenade throws a grenade that fires toxic gas in a large area around it.
Abilities[]
| Tactical Ability | Passive Ability | Ultimate Ability |
|---|---|---|
Nox Gas Trap |
Nox Vision |
Nox Gas Grenade |
| Place up to 6 canisters that release deadly Nox gas when shot or triggered by enemies. | You gain threat vision on enemies moving though your gas. | Blanket a large area in Nox gas. |
Perks[]
Caustic has 3 Perks, 3 Finisher Perks, and 3 Ability Perks.
Perks[]
- Field Research - Enemies that destroy Traps will be pinged.
- Healing Catalyst - The effect of healing items is increased, and reviving allies is quicker when standing in gas.
- Toxin Detector - You can see enemies caught in gas through walls.
Finisher Perks[]
- Battle Adaptation - Using your Finisher adds 100 damage to your Evo Shield's level.
- Deadly Momentum - Using your Finisher reduces your Ultimate's cooldown by 30%.
- Tactical Advantage - Using your Finisher charges your Tactical.
Ability Perks[]
- Spreading Plague - Nox Gas Grenade lasts longer, but the gas radius starts off small and increases gradually over time.
- Cataclysmic Infection - Nox Gas Grenade's radius increases, but the duration is shorter.
- Airborne Contaminant - Gas traps can be thrown long-range, but the time for deployment increases.
Customization[]
- Main article: Alexander "Caustic" Nox/Customization
Quotes[]
- Main article: Alexander "Caustic" Nox/Quotes
Behind the scenes[]
Appearances[]
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Update History[]
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- According to developer interviews:
- Caustic was originally written to be a good guy. After realizing that didn't make sense with his kit, he was rewritten to be a pragmatic sociopath who places science above human life, inspired by the individual who invented weaponized mustard gas in World War I. He's one of the reasons why player characters are explicitly referred to as "Legends" and not "heroes."
- His original mechanical fantasy is "the monster in the fog." Hearing his ventilator through the gas was similar to a hatchet dragging on the ground in a horror movie.
- One of the most difficult parts of putting together his visual design was his head. At one point, he wore a gasmask similar to the Pyro from Team Fortress 2. At another point, he wore what was referred to as the "bee man" outfit, since he looked like a beekeeper; the design was scrapped because there was no visible head articulation under the mask, so one wouldn't be able to tell if he was looking at them.
- One of the biggest internal debates was how his gas would affect teammates. The design choice was made that all Caustics would be immune to all Caustic gas, and everyone else would be affected, even though friendly gas wouldn't damage teammates. The developers don't like the idea of "secret knowledge," and it was a choice towards simplicity in a game where not all abilities are team-color-coded.
- Although Caustic has a large hitbox, this is countered by the fact that him and Gibraltar have the Fortified passive which reduces all damage taken by 15%.
- Caustic's teammates are able to shoot the gas trap. This change was most likely introduced to stop Caustic trapping his teammates in certain places.
- The gas traps also have the ability to block doors - this can be very useful as it forces an enemy to break the door and wait for the gas trap to be destroyed. You are also able to block enemies in rooms, with the most popular example of this being in the bunker in Kings Canyon - if you stand on top of a door the enemy won't be able to see you until they have entered the room, and in that time you can block the door with a gas trap and trap them inside.
- The gas deals damage at a flat rate of 5 per second. This means it will take 20 seconds to kill an enemy at full health.
- For some reason, Caustic's eyes previously appeared to glow in the dark under certain circumstances. It is currently unknown why, but it could have had to do with his Nox Vision passive ability.
- As explained by writer Tom Casiello, the Nox Gas is a corrosive gas, that eats through clothes, skin, and metal, unless countered by a chemical compound only he possesses so it doesn't affect him, which explains why the gas still affects Pathfinder, Bloodhound, Revenant, and Ash.
- His gas contains agatoxins from Carthage Spiders, a mammoth-class arachnid found on Gaea that emits toxic gas from its abdomen. The agatoxin is similar to the virus produced by the Medusa Vines. This was referenced in his death certificate long before he confirmed it himself in "The Legacy Antigen."
- An inappropriate voice line between Caustic and Crypto was removed in the September 03, 2020 Patch; where Caustic says as thanks to Crypto, “You’ll regret the day you crossed me, gutter rat,” due to the word “rat” being a derogatory term towards Asians.
- During the 3rd Anniversary collection event, two skins were released based on Caustic's Blackheart skin - Golden Guardian for Gibraltar and No Chill for Revenant.
- Caustic has cancer at a stage that he himself considers as incurable. Before the confirmation in "The Legacy Antigen", it had been hinted through a voice line, where he says he has faced his death, right before going into a hacking fit.
- His global identification number on Gaea was ARN0-225P-ER9.
- Notably, the first three letters could indicate his father's initials, and the first four numbers are his birthday. The rest of the code is unknown.
- Despite using an alias in the Apex games, Jacob Young, Director of PR for the Mercenary Syndicate, refers to him as "Nox".
- The case file on Gaea indicated Caustic was diagnosed by multiple medical practitioners as a "confirmed sociopath." The term is outdated and widely considered an ableist synonym for a person who has Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD).
- This, or possibly other psychological issues, resulted in the rejection of his self-applied application for being turned into a simulacrum.
- One of Caustic's kill quips, "This is for posterity, so, be honest: how do you feel?", is a reference to The Princess Bride, specifically the scene when Count Rugen was torturing Wesley.
- Caustic's Gasbuster skin is based on the Ghostbusters.
- Caustic's Killing Joke is named after the famous graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke.
- Caustic's Synthesis Chamber skin is based on the Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- In Caustic's Bad Listener Banner Pose, he is shown holding an unknown individual's ear. This is a reference to how Richter removes one of the ears of the opponent he has defeated (and killed).
References[]
| Legends |
|---|
| Ash • Bangalore • Ballistic • Bloodhound •Catalyst •Caustic • Conduit • Crypto • Fade • Fuse • Gibraltar • Horizon • Loba • Lifeline • Mad Maggie • Mirage • Newcastle • Octane • Pathfinder • Rampart • Revenant • Rhapsody •Seer • Valkyrie•Vantage • Wattson • Wraith |