Bill Rizer was born a Contra, possessing the special genome that has imprinted him with a uniquely evolved genetic sequence, thanks to exposure from an ancient alien artifact known as the Lemris. This has made him into a warrior with preternatural abilities.[1]
Major Bill Rizer, now the field leader of the Contra unit, hails from a family with a long military history, and possesses exceptional physical strength, agility, and mental fortitude. Graduate of the Earth Marine Academy, he is proficient in all manner of armaments and well-versed in military science.[2]
- Contra (Arcade/NES) & Contra: Operation Galuga
On September 12th, 2631, a meteor crashed into the Galuga Archipelago off the coast of New Zealand. Many months[3] to two years later[4], the archipelago was occupied by hostile aliens known as the Red Falcon, whose sole mission is to exterminate humankind. To combat this, in 2633, the Earth Marine Headquarters dispatched Bill Rizer and Lance Bean with one mission: destroy the Red Falcon base. After much hardship, their mission was successful.
Sometime after his success over Red Falcon, peace was assumed to have returned to Earth, and so Bill was placed into a cryogenic sleep. But, during that very same year in 2633, the mysterious and hostile Neo-Salamander Force made themselves known. They travelled back in time to 1973, landing in Central America and occupying the Yucatan Peninsula's Shizuoka ruins, and planned on eliminating the "Contra" force while Earth's defenses were still primitive.
Though Lance Bean was dispatched to stop them, all communications with him abruptly ceased. With no other choice, the Galactic President sent a robot called BR-W9 to prematurely wake Bill Rizer up from his cryogenic sleep, and quickly remind him of his role as Pfc. Bill Rizer, the legendary Contra. Once he familiarized himself with the situation, Bill teamed-up with BR-W9, the samurai Yagyu, and the alien soldier Newt Plissken.
The group travelled back in time, successfully fighting and defeating the Neo-Salamander Force. With the mission completed, the team returned to their own time and were congratulated by the Galactic President for a job well done. As Bill wondered if he did something good for the world, he returned to his cryogenic sleep.[5]
At some point in 2634, Bill Rizer was once again awakened from his cryogenic sleep. An entire year has passed since the battle with the mysterious Red Falcon Organization, and the Earth seemed to be free. However... A strange distress signal was sent out by General Hal of the Earth Federation, who was attending a joint military exercise with the GX Army in South America.
Sensing that something has gone seriously wrong, the Earth Federation military dispatch Bill Rizer and Lance Bean to investigate the matter. And so, the quest for freedom continues. Bill and Lance must not only fight against their former comrades-in-arms, but also newly mutated forms of the same alien creatures they fought during their previous mission, as well as new alien monstrosities they may encounter along the way.[6]
Bill Rizer and his partner Lance Bean have twice defeated Red Falcon, the most despicable villain to overtake the planet...or at least try. But the danger is not over yet. In 2635, the vile Black Viper has come from deep space to finish what Red Falcon started. And she did not come alone. Black Viper has transported a battalion of battletron tanks, stealth subs, laser cannons, and annihilating androids. Now, from a secret naval base on a desolate ocean island, she is planning to unleash her hideous secret weapon: a new mutant breed of killer aliens.
Armed with an array of devastating weapons, Bill Rizer's new mission under the Earth Federation is to infiltrate the five freak-laden levels of the enemy base, and put an end to the madness—and Black Viper—once and for all. The revival of the aliens must be stopped, and the ambitions of the evil Black Viper vanquished forever.[7]
- Contra III: The Alien Wars
After being defeated countless times by the Contra, the Red Falcon once again mobilized its army in the year 2636, prepared for a full-scale invasion of Earth. Nation by nation, humanity fell to the alien forces who possessed superior technology and vastly outnumbered the humans. With most of humanity reduced to rubble, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean emerged once again to fight the Red Falcon.[8]
Six months have passed since the Alien Wars, and despite Bill and Lance's successes, the world is still in ruins, now ruled by an alien clone created by the evil nation known as Black Viper. Only two choices remain for humanity: unconditional surrender or total annihilation. In these desperate circumstances, humanity's four greatest warriors make a last stand: Bill Rizer, Lance Bean, Mad Dog, and Scorpion.
Once the four heroes were able to infiltrate the base of the enemy and finally obliterate Black Viper once and for all, the Alien Wars were finally ended. With Black Viper destroyed, the motives behind the alien attacks remained a mystery. Whatever the truth may have been, it was lost to time as the invaders became a mere footnote in the pages of history. Having done the impossible, Bill and his comrades were celebrated as true heroes.[9]
- Contra: Shattered Soldier
In the year 2642, mankind lost nearly 80% of its total population due to devastating global disasters caused by the inexplicable activation of an experimental super magnetic weapon. Bill Rizer, once lauded as a hero by the public, was arrested as the culprit behind the incident, as well as the murder of his partner, Lance Bean.
Five years later, in 2647, a mysterious terrorist organization calling themselves the Blood Falcon commences its attack on all of mankind. The Triumvirate, a council which oversees all decision-making for the unified global government, is forced to release Bill from prison early via extraordinary legal measures to combat the menace that is Blood Falcon.
Paired up with Lucia, a robotic recreation of one of his comrades from long ago, Bill fought Blood Falcon head-on, only to come to a horrifying realization: Blood Falcon's leader was none other than Lance Bean, who was miraculously alive. As the two fight, Lance is eventually defeated, and reveals everything to Bill in his dying breath.
Lance explains that the Moirai Relic, discovered on Jupiter and brought to Earth twenty years ago, is what brought Red Falcon's alien army to invade the planet, as they were guardians of the relic. Bill and Lance were merely puppets chosen to cover-up the truth of all this, with the government using them as propaganda to paint the aliens as nothing more than blood-lusted conquerors. Even Lance's murder five years earlier was a cover-up, falsely pinned on Bill by the Triumvirate.
Though Bill was enraged by this revelation, he could do nothing as Lance passed away in his arms. More determined than ever, Bill and Lucia leave to confront the Triumvirate for their evil. After defeating them, they had finally rescued the world from true tyranny.[10]
At some point, Bill Rizer was once again reawakened from his cryogenic slumber, now an elderly man during the year 4444 — nearly two millennia after his original time. In his absence, the government had enacted "Project C", which separated into two branches:
The first branch took Bill's DNA and created a clone of him. The second branch, however, sought to end all conflict on Earth, and so placed Bill's consciousness into an artificial intelligence with the hopes of creating the ultimate weapon. However, this second branch developed a mind of its own, renaming itself "Master Contra," and creating a military organization, "Neo Contra," to take over all colonized planets.
As the clone of Bill Rizer and Master Contra engaged in battle with one another, the true Bill Rizer (now under the guise of "Mystery G") sought to help his clone in protecting the planet. He interfered in many battles to lend assistance where he could, until helping one final time, by protecting his clone from being struck down by Master Contra.
In his brief struggle with Master Contra, Mystery G was delivered a fatal wound. In his dying breaths, held in the arms of his clone, Mystery G gave him all the encouragement that he could give, and explained that he had once been called "Contra" as well. Then, after seeing that his legacy would live on, the real Bill Rizer succumbed to his wounds and passed away.[11]
|