In the Underworld films, Lycans display a number of enhanced physical attributes. As with their rivals the vampires, Lycans are immortal, able to live for hundreds of years (William survived over 800 years of captivity with no food or water). They possess great physical strength, durability and speed, and have been seen to power through solid concrete walls in Lycan form. It should be noted that in wolf form Lycans seem to be far stronger than the vampires, as every hand-to-hand confrontation between the two races under normal circumstances has ended with a Lycan victory. A first-generation Lycan was able to swat a fully armoured vampire at least ten feet through the wall of a villager's hut. These traits seem to apply even when the Lycans are in human form, as Lucian was seen to be able to catch a moving car, and subsequently survive being hit by it at point blank range with no injuries. Lycans can also use their claws and strength to scale sheer surfaces, having been seen to crawl along walls at speed in pursuit of prey.
Lycans also possess amazing physical resilience and great regenerative abilities: both Lucian and Raze are wounded, by silver bullets and Selene's throwing stars respectively, yet they bear no marks or scars when they reappear later in the film. Their recovery abilities are hampered by the presence of silver in their bodies. However, to older Lycans, the silver is rarely fatal. Lucian displayed the ability to force Selene's silver bullets out of his body through muscle strength and sheer force of will, although it is mentioned in the first film that the silver is fatal if it penetrates the internal organs. They possess heightened senses (which allow for them to detect the presence of vampires), and the ability to land on their feet, like cats do, as seen with Lucian, after being hit by Selene with her car; and Michael, after leaping out of the window of the Death Dealer safe house from several stories high. Silver, whether bullets or blades, are the Lycans' only weakness, as they seem to be violently allergic to it. A new variation on this is the use of Silver nitrate bullets to inject the silver directly into a Lycan'sbloodstream.
Although originally Lycans could only transform at the full moon, it is also explained that the older a lycan becomes in age, the more control he can exert over his transformation, to the point that he can change at will, possessing full mental control of his wolf form. In their wolf form, Lycans also have access to the formidable fangs and claws, making them deadly close-quarters fighters. To date only one female of the species has been shown, in a brief cameo when Raze brings a dead Trix back to their lair, which has led some to believe that the race is primarily male. while others theorise that the groups seen in the movies are akin to guerrilla cells and so do not represent Lycan society.
A special note should be made of William, the original Lycan (or Lycan Elder, as Selene refers to him in the novelisation of Underworld: Evolution). William possessed the same physical traits as his offspring, but to a much augmented degree. His strength was such that he was able to engage his Hybrid relative Michael Corvin in combat, winning at first and only being forced back due to the helicopter's minigun - especially impressive as Michael had just killed several first-generation Lycans with ease. He was also resilient to the UV gunfire of Selene. Although the rounds penetrated, they barely seemed to slow him down, and only the previously mentioned minigun seemed to have any kind of lasting effect. His muscle power was such that he was able to leap dozens of feet when escaping Selene's explosive shuriken.
William's form of lycanthropy is the most primitive, and also the most powerful. He has the most lupine features, with a long snout and pointed ears giving him a marked resemblance to a real wolf. He is also far larger than his offspring. William is the most savage Lycan seen (with an insatiable appetite for rampage, according to Andreas Tanis), and also cannot revert to his human form. Unlike later Lycans, he has a full pelt of fur all over his body. It should also be noted that while every other Lycan seen in the films has black fur, William is an albino Lycan.
These Lycans were created after being bitten by William. Similarly to William, they are complete savages with no control over themselves and the inability to revert to a human form. Physically, they are more humanised facially, with a shorter snout and a lack of pointed ears. They have less fur than William.
These are modern Lycans descended from the 1st generation. They have learned to transform back to their human form, and are able to change into lycan form when the moon is full. Those who have been Lycans for longer have learned to transform at will regardless of the moon. They resemble Ist generation Lycans, but their faces are much shorter, and the least lupine in appearance. They also have far less fur than the first-generation LycansWhile not a fourth variant, a Hybrid is a fusion of Lycan and Vampire at the cellular level. As such it is far stronger than both, with none of the weaknesses. The physical appearance of a Hybrid varies depending on the species it was first. A Hybrid with a Lycan dominant side resembles a Lycan in appearance. However, their faces are only slightly elongated, and their eyes are completely black. They also have little or no fur and black skin. They also have talons like a Lycan, and the animalistic posture of a Lycan. Michael Corvin was the first of this kind of Hybrid to be seen. A Hybrid who was a Vampire first, on the other hand, has more physical attributes betraying its Vampire ancestry. While it shares the black eyes, black skin, Lycan talons and musculature of a Lycan dominant Hybrid, a Vampire dominant Hybrid has noticably bat-like ears flattened into its head, a bat-like nose, no hair at all and taloned wings. Marcus Corvinus was the first of this type of Hybrid to be seen.
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