Alex Mercer

Alexander "Alex" J. Mercer is one of the major characters in A New Manhattan.

Background (prototype canon)
Alex was born on July 16th, 1979 to a drunkard mother and a non-existent father. He grew up in foster care while his mother spent time in prison. They were reunited when his tenth birthday came around, but she was still an alcoholic and notably abusive. He became the only parental figure for his nine year younger sister Dana.

Alex studied at Columbia University for a doctorate degree in genetics and was offered a job at the research facility Gentek shortly after his graduation. He became head of the research project Blacklight. What he didn't know was that Gentek was associated with Blackwatch - a black operations unit which purpose was to protect America from biological attacks. When he did realize, three years after he was hired, he stole a vial of the virus he had created.

Blackwatch soldiers stopped and killed Alex at Pennsylvania Station. Upon his death, his corpse collapsed on top of the smashed container he'd brought, resulting in the virus breaking down and rebuilding his body. Ergo, he became the virus itself.