Make This Easy Resident Evil T-Virus Prop for Your Cosplay

Let’s be honest, the Resident Evil movie franchise is kind of a mess. The plot acts as an excuse to string together endless cameos of photogenic actors in the guise of semi-familiar video game characters. And really, the end of humanity never saw so many vast, state-of-the-art underground complexes to do “science-y” things in.

But the film series isn’t about substance so much as it’s about style! Why is an army of Milla Jovovich clones attacking the aforementioned state-of-the-art lab at the beginning of Resident Evil: Afterlife? Who cares! They’re ninja clones! But this brings me back to the highly impractical but elegantly deadly T-virus canister design from the original film, which — unlike the film’s plot — you can put together in about an hour.

Reddit user courtneyllynn made a really cool looking and inexpensive T-virus and anti-virus set for a friend’s birthday out of basic hardware store supplies. The outer shell is made from clear polycarbonate tubing (used to protect fluorescent light bulbs) and the iconic, colorful double helix is made using clear vinyl tubing filled with water and food coloring. She wrapped the vinyl tubing around a thin wooden dowel to keep the helix shape as she inserted it into the housing and then used hot glue to secure it in place. Though not screen accurate, the end caps were made from PVC pipe caps and spray painted silver. And to top it all off, she bought a hardshell camera case with protective foam to show them off.

She based her design on an earlier build from Jonathan Fraga, who used the same materials, but she shortened the length of tubing for a better result.

I can almost see the canister balletically soaring through the air, although I’d trust this plastic one better when casually tossed toward the side of a table, à la the film. You’d think state-of-the-art underground labs could afford more durable equipment.

However if you want to go strictly movie accurate, check out this project, complete with accurate measurements for the grooves on the aluminum end caps.

[via Reddit]