How does Doomguy use the soulsphere and megasphere?

As we all know, when we get a soulsphere/megasphere, our health and armor are boosted up to 200%(not literally).

But how do you use them to get full health? Just having it on your hand/backpack won't help right?

Well, let's see if I get crucified for this...

I can get the exact quote later, I still have my copy, but the first Doom novel described the Soul Sphere bursting and covering the marine in a sticky substance that immediately absorbed into his skin, making him feel better and refreshed instantly.

That's strange as hell, I always assumed that they were balls of energy that just sort of fused into him/that he absorbed.

Pretty sure he just absorbs it and he's imbued with greatly increased vitality / any wounds had immediately healed.

You simply pop it like a balloon and get sprayed by it's gooey goodness.

From Doom: Knee-Deep in the Dead, Chapter 9

"This one took the cake, and it was nobody's birthday. Picture a perfectly round sphere floating in the air. No strings attached here. A blue sphere, as pure a blue as a perfect spring day back home, with one extra touch: there was a face on this ball. I didn't have very long to appreciate how butt-ugly the mug was because no sooner had I registered all this in the brain department than the sphere rushed me and smashed into my head before I could even twitch, bursting all over Yours Truly.

"I figured I'd had it. For a moment I couldn't breath with that weird glop all over me, running down the length of my body, reaching the floor so I could conveniently take a header, which I did. My first thought was poison! I could still breath, though, once my mouth and nose cleared.

"With the first swallow, I felt something cold and invigorating rush through my body. Taking a deep breath, the air seemed cleaner and tasted better.

"Suddenly, I felt great. If this turned out to be a strange symptom of the alien poison I could recommend it. Special Endorsements available from Flynn Taggart's coffin...reasonable rates. Sitting up, I expected an attack of dizziness; but it never came. The liquid had mostly evaporated by now or maybe absorbed into my body.

"With another deep breath-which felt better than ever-I stood up. I hadn't been poisoned-just the opposite, in fact. This crazy floating sphere had been good for me!"

Man, I loved that novel as a teenager. Everyone read, but I was always reading shit no one else was, save for the Ender's Game series which everybody checked out.

Anyway, seems as good of an explanation as any.

Gross.

huh. i always thought that he just ate em.

fraggle said:

Gross.

"If you loved Imp Encounter then you won't want to miss...Soulsphere Bukakke!"

Johnatone said:

From Doom: Knee-Deep in the Dead, Chapter 9

"This one took the cake, and it was nobody's birthday. Picture a perfectly round sphere floating in the air. No strings attached here. A blue sphere, as pure a blue as a perfect spring day back home, with one extra touch: there was a face on this ball. I didn't have very long to appreciate how butt-ugly the mug was because no sooner had I registered all this in the brain department than the sphere rushed me and smashed into my head before I could even twitch, bursting all over Yours Truly.

"I figured I'd had it. For a moment I couldn't breath with that weird glop all over me, running down the length of my body, reaching the floor so I could conveniently take a header, which I did. My first thought was poison! I could still breath, though, once my mouth and nose cleared.

"With the first swallow, I felt something cold and invigorating rush through my body. Taking a deep breath, the air seemed cleaner and tasted better.

"Suddenly, I felt great. If this turned out to be a strange symptom of the alien poison I could recommend it. Special Endorsements available from Flynn Taggart's coffin...reasonable rates. Sitting up, I expected an attack of dizziness; but it never came. The liquid had mostly evaporated by now or maybe absorbed into my body.

"With another deep breath-which felt better than ever-I stood up. I hadn't been poisoned-just the opposite, in fact. This crazy floating sphere had been good for me!"

Man, I loved that novel as a teenager. Everyone read, but I was always reading shit no one else was, save for the Ender's Game series which everybody checked out.

Anyway, seems as good of an explanation as any.

I figured it was the other way around. Otherwise, what's the point of the spheres having mouths?

Suppositories?

They're kind of big, Maes.

Johnatone said:

Well, let's see if I get crucified for this...

I can get the exact quote later, I still have my copy, but the first Doom novel described the Soul Sphere bursting and covering the marine in a sticky substance that immediately absorbed into his skin, making him feel better and refreshed instantly.

To me this makes perfect sense. The soul/megaspheres look like they might have a liquid or gelatin appearance. I can really only picture it having this weird elastic quality that your body just sort of absorbs, even through clothing and armor.

Job said:

They're kind of big, Maes.

I'm sure it wouldn't stop people with special training.

Well, the Soulsphere contains someone's soul (absolutely stunning conclusion, gimme a Nobel Prize for this one!)
When you approach it, the soul trapped inside decides to give you its life energy or something, well, because the soul itself can't really do a damn thing with it. It just enters you like a ghost. Perhaps those are the souls of your former comrades, whose bodies have became Former Humans/Sergeants?

Megasphere? I don't care, I hate Megaspheres. Perhaps there are two souls?

bzzrak said:

Megasphere? I don't care, I hate Megaspheres. Perhaps there are two souls?

Megaspheres might be the souls of space marines who picked up a soulsphere AND carried a megaarmor before they were killed.

Nobody has mentioned that megaspheres have Mancubus faces in them. It's because megaspheres are Mancubus eggs. It's how they reproduce.

When you pick up a megasphere you're basically eating a Mancubus omelette. Just like a regular omelette but even more nourishing.

This also explains why they didn't appear in Doom II, since Mancubuses weren't involved in the Mars moon invasions.

scifista42 said:

Megaspheres might be the souls of space marines who picked up a soulsphere AND carried a megaarmor before they were killed.

Well, if I were a marine, I'd feel awkward if my armour would stick to my soul.

Given it's a SOUL sphere and I'm assuming the Mega Sphere is the same, I just assumed they went inside of him just like... a soul. You know, literally just phased into him and imbued him with its aura. The real question is what he does with armor bonuses, they look like tiny helmets. Does he just flatten them and layer them against his armor?

Job said:

They're kind of big, Maes.

With the warped scale of most things in Doom, you can never be too sure ;-) Also, somebody who had to endure the pains of DMCHOSHO is probably loose enough 4 life :-p

Ahem...

Well, if I were to attempt a serious explanation, I'd say that they are perfect glass/crystal spheres that upon breaking, release the full vital energy of the soul contained within them, which then rushes towards the user. But my original explanation is funnier, so there.

I guess the marine absorbs them. The soulsphere is the only sphere that looks 'good' to me. The other spheres have creepy demonic faces on them. I hope that's not going to have some bad effects on the marine later. Demons love to give you their power but they do want something in return....

MetroidJunkie said:

Given it's a SOUL sphere and I'm assuming the Mega Sphere is the same, I just assumed they went inside of him just like... a soul. You know, literally just phased into him and imbued him with its aura. The real question is what he does with armor bonuses, they look like tiny helmets. Does he just flatten them and layer them against his armor?

IIRC it was originally called "spiritual armor", so it's basically the same thing as the soulsphere, where he picks it up, and absorbs the green glowy spirit inside of him.

that Doom novel depiction is pretty weird. it makes it seem like the soulsphere is able to move and lost souls itself into you, but instead of hurting it splats healing goo all over you. i too always thought you touched the sphere and infused itself into your system.

Darklordrobert said:

I guess the marine absorbs them. The soulsphere is the only sphere that looks 'good' to me. The other spheres have creepy demonic faces on them. I hope that's not going to have some bad effects on the marine later. Demons love to give you their power but they do want something in return....

Kind of weird how, in the Classic Dooms, the Berserk Pack looks like UAC performance enhancing technology but, with Doom 3 and 2016, it's suddenly a demonic artifact.

Job said:

Otherwise, what's the point of the spheres having mouths?

Now I'm imagining them vomiting power into Doomguy's mouth like a baby chick.

Does Mario really eat the mushroom? Does he also really eat the star and leaf?

I Think he eats them, just like Mario eats Mushrooms .

In Doom 4 Doomguy eats the monsters with his hands. Who's to say Doom 1 Doomguy doesn't eat the powers with his soul?

I'm gonna replace the pickup message "Megasphere!" with "Mancubus Omelette!" from now on. Thanks, fraggle. :P

Da Werecat said:

http://i.imgur.com/0MC0lSD.png

So it's not really armour that Megaspheres give you, but an armour-like layer of fat. Good to know!