Origin
Little is known of Ada’s life before Raccoon City. Even her name Ada Wong has doubts cast about its authenticity. It is known that in the past she has ties to an organization who competes with Umbrella, but also ties to Umbrella as well. Ada is a highly trained assassin. She is extremely agile and a very capable combatant who can take on the best and will not hesitate to do so. She is American but also of Chinese descent. Ada Wong is one of the few human survivors (along with Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Sherry Birkin and Jill Valentine) of what is informally known as the Raccoon City Incident. An event in which a small Midwestern American city is overrun with zombies as a result and consequence of the biological experiments of the powerful Umbrella corporation. Ada would be in the vicinity posing as a civilian looking for her boyfriend, an employee of Umbrella, and she would encounter and ally herself with Leon Scott Kennedy, a recently appointed cop who had just began his first as a R.P.D Officer.
Eventually Leon would realize that Ada was more than she let on but the two would still risk their respective lives for each other despite the deception, Ada also completing her true mission obtaining the G-Virus samples she originally set out to collect. Raccoon City would be tactically targeted for a nuclear ground strike destroying the city and accumulating a death toll of over one hundred thousand residents.
Creation
Ada Wong is a fictional character introduced in the popular and acclaimed Resident Evil video game franchise. She was created by game writer Noboru Sugimura. Ada Wong is first mentioned in the first game of the video game series Resident Evil (1996) when either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine encounter a PC with files to access the underground facility. Her name appears as the Password. In the following sequel Resident Evil 2 (1998), she would make her first proper debut, appearing in the game as a supporting character. Ada would play important roles in future game sequels as well as be portrayed in the film adaptations.
During the video game franchises first surge in popularity publisher Image/Wildstorm would adapt a comic series in 1998, Resident Evil which would run for five issues. Ada would be one of the many characters that would appear in the pages of this series alongside many of the other popular and iconic Resident Evil characters. Ted Williams, Kris Oprisko would be writers penning Ada’s comic appearances with art by Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermjo.
Character Evolution
Ada originally appears as a mysterious non playable character in the Resident Evil video game series, appearing as a spy with mysterious motives and objectives attempting to obtain biohazard samples. The characters air of mystery, calmness under pressure and affinity for striking red as well as fulfilling many of the criteria of the femme fatale archetype helped boost the characters popularity ensuring her inclusion in future installments and adaptations of the franchise. Not only included in the comic book adaptation, Ada would appear in much of merchandizing and marketing of Resident Evil products as well as the movie franchise based off the games. In Resident Evil 4 (2005) Ada would have a playable role in the game, and also feature in its plot. Likewise in the sixth installment of the game Ada would play an even larger role in the story as well as co starring in the game with numerous other protagonists. Although she has a small presence in the comic book medium Ada Wong is a well referenced and popular iconic character in the realm of video games, and a staple of the Resident Evil franchise.
Interesting the main protagonist in the Resident Evil movie series Alice, played by actress Milla Jovovich is loosely based of Ada, Alice otherwise being an original character specifically for the movies and even despite Ada eventually making her way to the film franchise as well.
Major Story Arcs
Raccoon City Incident
Ada comes looking for John in late September of 1998 during the Raccoon City Incident. Ada crosses paths with Leon Scott Kennedy, a young rookie police officer who was reporting for his first day on the force, but she disappears on Leon.
While Leon believes her to be a concerned girlfriend, in reality she is a spy working for a rival pharmaceutical company that currently employees Albert Wesker. Wesker, an old research partner of Birkin’s, sent Ada to obtain a sample of the G-Virus. Ada has several encounters with Leon and different bio-weapons, almost all of which she had been briefed on. She needed Leon’s assistance in dealing with a giant mutated alligator and Leon then saved her from a gunshot wound courtesy of Annette Birkin. Annette was WIlliam’s wife and an employee of Umbrella Inc until they came to assassinate her husband and steal his life’s work.
She knew John’s fate, the fact that he had used her name as his password and informed Ada of this. She also knew that Ada was not just the concerned girlfriend that she pretended to be. Annette still took to the time to explain the events that had transpired in Raccoon City up until this point. Ada manages to overpower Annette and knock her from the walkway. Leon later learns the truth about Ada being a industrial spy and it appears that she dies. In reality she is only injured. Ada still manages to deliver a missile launcher to Leon so that he can defeat the T-102 Tyrant that had been chasing them throughout the Police Station and Underground Umbrella facility.
Escaping the City of the Dead
Ada then contacts Wesker who was prepared to write her off until she reveals that she did succeed in acquiring a sample of the G-Virus from William Birkin’s body. Wesker gives her the data she needs to escape the city and a Hookshot. Evading Zombie’s and Bio-Weapons, Ada manages to latch onto the U.M.F. – 013 (Umbrella Main Frame) and escapes the destruction of Raccoon City unbeknown to the occupants of the helicopter. Ada later manages to slip away and deliver the sample as requested. She has the scar along her right side from where Birkin slashed her. She thinks to herself that she will no longer be going by the identity of Ada Wong but she continues to be referred to by this name by all that know her.
Los Illuminados
Ada has assignment in Spain which is experiencing several incidents involving violent cultists, members of the of the Los Illuminados cult. Ada’s primary mission is to obtain plaga samples, plaga being a parasitic organism which can control and strengthen other organisms. Initially it had been developed under the orders of Wesker when he was working for Umbrella but his shift in allegiance meant he had to now use other means to obtain samples. Jack Krauser was also working for Wesker for similar purposes, however Krauser’s distrust of Ada would create a tension between them. Krauser’s distrust of Ada would however not be without merit as Ada herself would always be working for and operating under her own objectives and goals, even if it meant assuming a subservient position.
Ada herself would in list a former local police officer Luis Sera to aid in retrieving los plaga samples. Ada would also run into Leon Kennedy as she would tend to, Leon investigating the disappearance kidnapping and ransom of the President of the United States daughter, Ashley. Ada is away of Leon’s involvement and subtly aids him, there goals loosely overlapping. Both would come up against several infected villagers (Los Ganados) and the various leaders of the Los Illuminados including Osmund Saddler, Bitores Mendez and Ramon Salazar.
Ada would eventually have to take on Krauser herself after her loyalties (or lack of) is exposed when she saves Leon’s life when Krauser attempted to kill him. Ada would help Leon and Ashley survive against overwhelming odds as well as undertaking her own objectives eventually securing samples of the los plagas. Ada and Leon would both have to team up together to defeat Saddler who had mutated into a large and formidable creature. Ada would provide a rocket launcher to assist leon destroying the insane cult leader with Ada, Leon and Ashley escaping the island as it implodes.
Neo Umbrella
Ada is manipulated into locating and infiltrating a submarine in the North Atlantic ocean, under a false premise involving a former associate of Ada’s one Derek C. Simmons. Simmons being the current United States National Security Adviser is independently organized a major terrorist plot on USA soil also killing the then President of the USA (Adam Benford) as a part of his plot. Leon Kennedy is a friend and member of the security detail set to safeguard the President, but is also forced to kill that very same President after he is zombified after Simmons plot. Ada piecing bits and pieces together realizes this is all Simmons doing and manages to aid Leon and his new partner Helena Harper in uncovering more clues and evidence to implicate Simmons.
Ada also runs afoul of Chris Redfield and Piers Nevans who are hunting her after she is identified as the person responsible for killing their BSAA team. Ada would also end up helping and aiding Racoon City survivor Sherry Birkin once again and Wesker’s son Jake Muller. Complicating matters is Ada’s discovery of a Carla Radames, a woman with an uncanny appearance identical to that of Ada’s.
Powers and Abilities
Ada possesses no superhuman powers or abilities, however she does possess considerable fitness and agility for a human. Ada has peak fitness and has gymnastic and acrobatic feats befitting of a spy. Ada is trained and skilled with various weapons and combat related gear including pistols, machine guns, rifles and crossbows as well close quarter armaments such as knifes and barons. Ada frequently utilizes hookshot gun/grappling gun equipment as well to scale environments and generally increase her mobility and traversing speed. Ada possesses hand to hand combat ability as well and to a tremendously impressive extent, allowing her to match up against other skilled fighters, most with a size and strength advantage over her.
Ada usually prefers more subtle light weaponry to heavy combat weapons, and seems particularly fond go small beretta handguns, crossbows and sniper rifles.
Other Media
Video Games
Resident Evil 2 (1998)
A third person shooting video game also tagged as a survival horror, this was the sequel to highly popular Playstation 1 video game Resident Evil. Ada Wong’s introduction and debut, the character plays a supporting role in Leon Kennedy’s missions, her mysterious nature obscuring her true motives she appears to both aid and hinder Leon’s progress. The game set amidst a zombie outbreak, Ada is more than capable of surviving on her own and has her own set of weapons. Ada is voiced by Sally Cahill
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007)
Although released several years after Resident Evil 2, this game revisits many of the scenes of that games plot as well as Resident Evil 3, including some scenes Ada was involved in.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Ada Wong appears as a main supporting character to Leon Kennedy as well as having her own individual separate campaign modes where she is the protagonist. These bonus levels can be accessed after playing through the main game. Ada is also selectable character in The Mercenaries portion of the game.
Resident Evil 6 (2012)
Ada Wong appears as a main character in the sixth installment of the main Resident Evil series. Ada has her own set story that interweaves with various other protagonists, and she is also an important character to the overall plot. Ada is also a selectable character in the Mercenaries mini game.
Film
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
Ada appears in the blockbuster fifth installment of the Resident Evil movie franchise and is played by Li Bingbing. Several of her scenes recall moments inspired directly by the video game source material. This movie also introduces several other fan favorite characters from the gaming series including Leon Kennedy and Barry Burton, however the importance and depiction of these characters is considerably different to their source counterparts.
Resident Evil: Damnation (2012)
Ada appears in the 2012 computer animated motion picture Resident Evil Damnation created by Capcom and Sony. This movie is set within the continuity of the video games as opposed to live action film series Resident Evil. Ada is on assignment masquerading as a BSAA member in Eastern Slav Republic. Their are also rumors and reports of the aforementioned country using BOW’s in their civil war. Ada comes in contact with several of her acquaintances including Leon Kennedy.