Thrax

Thrax is a humanoid virus sporting dark red skin, purple dreadlock-like tentacles instead of hair, yellow eyes with darker yellow sclera, sometimes covered with a pair of shades, and dark red claws (with a long red one on his index finger which glows when it kills cells at contact). He wears a long black coat, a grey turtleneck sweater, black pants, and black shoes. He also carries a DNA chain with him.

At first glance, Thrax appears as someone collected, sophisticated, charismatic and polite, being even laid-back and with a sense of humour, but he is actually cruel and heartless, with an intimidating and threatening presence. He is notable for being a very dark and creepy villain in an otherwise light-hearted comedy.

He lives for the kill, expressing disturbing pride in the deaths he caused, fondly recalling every gory details, like a hunter and their trophies. He is determined to gain his own chapter in medical books, and break the record number of deaths in the shortest possible time, which he views as a challenge. With all humans of the story having their every cell alive in a city, he kills billions of them for each victim. Thrax is horribly vicious and sadistic, taking great delight in spreading death and suffering to people and cells alike, often poking fun and bragging about his many victims, among other displays of macabre dark humour. He tends to be sarcastic, making dry jabs towards the poor quality of Frank's criminal underworld, deriding it as "scum", and pretty much anyone he speaks to.

Thrax always keeps a chain made of the DNA of all of his victims as a gloomy keepsake and singsongs Peggy Lee's Fever song when spreading his disease, as a twisted irony. He had a brief comedic moment upon discovering Frank's memories, remarking that he was sick long before he entered his body.

More importantly, Thrax is extremely overproud and self-important, yearning for the infamy he feels entitled to. He regards himself as the deadliest virus to ever exist and devotes his entire existence to his desire to be recognized as such and suitably feared by everyone, people and cells alike. Which means that he cannot stand his anonymity, taking great outrage at being compared to recognized deadly viruses he dismisses as below him.

This makes Thrax's poised veneer only skin-deep. In truth, he is obsessive and laser-focused on the course he set, with an extremely volatile temper, flying into short yet fiery rages at the slightest contradiction. He prides himself in having never been spotted (until Osmosis found out about him), and opposition only enrages him more. Although he first keeps his temper in check, reacting to detection with controlled fury, Osmosis' persistent resistance makes him increasingly reckless, erratic, unhinged, vindictive and violent. This shows when he slaughters his remaining recruits for suggesting to lay low, and his vow to hit Osmosis where it hurts the most just for doing his job.

Despite his violent tendencies, Thrax is meticulous, intelligent and knowledgeable about human anatomy, knowing perfectly well how to how to cover his tracks, divert suspicion, and when to strike as efficiently as possible. Yet, his blind obsession with keeping his perfect record at all costs would lead to his downfall.

Thrax is an especially virulent virus, who kills his targets by attacking their hypothalamus gland, causing a violent fever. Down to microscopic-size, he is way taller, stronger, faster, sprier and more resilient than other cells. He is a deadly fighter, able to overpower the elite policeman white blood cell Osmosis Jones, as well as a stealth expert blending in shadows until the last second and easily passing as a banal disease.

His deadliest weapon is the long claw on his left index finger, which burns every organic or material cell it touches to the point of melting. He is also able to float and glide in the air, using his coat as makeshift wings.