Richard Aiken

Richard's early life was tinged with tragedy when he was forced to watch his younger sister murdered by a criminal in front of his own eyes. This led to Richard growing up wanting to dedicate his life to helping others so that he could prevent people from having to go through what he experienced as a boy.

When the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. team was formed in 1996, Richard applied amid concerns from his girlfriend, Bridgette. But Richard explained to her that joining S.T.A.R.S. was the only way he could learn to live with himself again after feeling so scared and helpless when his sister was attacked.

After being accepted into the team, Richard specialised in communications and became Bravo Team's radio operator. He was usually the only link between the field and home base. Sometimes he has had to pull double duty and has taken part in Alpha Team missions for they have no trained operator up to his standard.



Richard was positive and very optimistic, despite his tragic past. He was a cheerful young chap and made sure he always wore a smile. He was always ready for action and greeted new recruits warmly, which led to him tutoring Rebecca Chambers when she joined Bravo Team only a month prior to the mansion incident.

Richard's combat skills were rather inferior compared to the rest of the team. Whilst on missions he favoured a combat shotgun as opposed to the samurai edge gun which he kept as back-up. Although combat wasn't his speciality, he was still an unsung hero who backs up Bravo Team in various other ways.

He is considered one of the more important members of S.T.A.R.S and whilst in the field, Richard held the positon of back-up man. He was always honest and frank with the other members of the team. He cared for people and would do whatever it took, even at the cost of his own life, to protect someone.

Richard was dispatched along with the rest of Bravo Team under the command of Captain Marini on the night of July 23rd 1998 to the Arklay Mountains to search for missing hikers.

After spreading out to look for the missing fugitive, Billy Coen, he became seperated from the others in the woods. He was in radio contact with Rebecca and contacted her just as she reached the Training Facility to inform her that he was heading towards the Spencer Mansion and told her to meet her there.

As Enrico also carried a radio, Richard presumably kept in touch with him throughout the night also. Enrico had lost his bearings in the woods and had almost ended up back in Raccoon City but he knew that Richard along with Forest and Kenneth were ahead of him and heading for the mansion.

Richard, Forest and Kenneth arrived at the mansion first and presumably split up to search the place. After several hours, Richard came across Rebecca Chambers fast asleep in the Guardhouse. Relieved she was still alive, the two teamed up to look for Enrico.

After arriving back at the mansion, they witnessed Sergei Vladimir and his Tyrant bodyguard Ivan heading away from the mansion and into the woods having successfully extracted the T.A.L.O.S. prototype from the lab.

Sometime later, while searching the library they were attacked by The Yawn. Richard was bitten saving Rebecca's life and although they manged to drive the snake off, Richard was poisoned. They tried to carry on but he was too weak and he collapsed in the corridor outside the attic on the second floor.

Sometime later they were found by Chris Redfield of Alpha Team. They administered some healing serum to Richard and transferred him to the infirmary so he could recover. Before he lost consciousness, he gave Chris his radio.

A few hours later, Richard gained consciousness again and set out to help the rest of the team. However, he was later killed by a B.O.W. saving the life of one of the Alpha Team members.

Legacy of Random Cover Guy:

"Dated April 1996, this 16-page promotional comic details the events just prior to the opening of the first Resident Evil game. Co-published by Capcom and Marvel Comics, it focuses on S.T.A.R.S. team member Richard Aiken and his desperate attempts to contact Albert Wesker as he fights for survival in the original Resident Evil mansion."