Topic: Does higher intelligence convey a resistance to the virus?

[Align]

Just a random thought.

• Sigma was extremely infected of course, but it was directly from the source.
• Doppler freed himself of it, though it took being brought to the brink of death.
• Colonel and General weren't made to be scientists, but they were both special reploids (and leaders would need to be pretty smart), and IIRC they remained free from infection unlike their subordinates.
• Signas was said to be resistant, IIRC? Remained leader of the Hunters for a long time too.
• Gate was infected, but again directly from the source.
• Haven't played X7, don't know about Red.

[Gaia]

Red was also infected directly as Sigma disguised himself as the proffessor, and such the virus spread and it infected his cohorts from there. Axl was a newgen so he was resistant to the infection and fled Red Alert. Signas was a colonel or general-class CPU (or at least one HELL of a firewall), and he spent most of his action in the briefing room, so that kept him safe (and X's colleauges) from being infected.

[Karasai♪]

Double wasnt infected, he was just batshit insane

[Hypershell]

I don't know how much leeway "infected from the source" buys someone.  Recall if you will that Gate was infected by a piece of scrap picked up long after the surrounding area had returned to normal.  The Sigma Virus is supposed to die without a host; while a piece of Zero may have provided a "culture" of sorts for it to survive, I highly doubt such a method of infection is any more severe than the usual.

Likewise, coming to your senses at the brink of death is a fairly typical plot device, which Zero already used more than once, and in the X-series it's not even exclusive to the virus-infected.  See Iris.

Signas was never referenced to have any special viral immunities.  The Hunters in general are always working on new vaccines; naturally Signas would have access to any new developments.

Since the virus is difficult to analyze, getting an in-universe list of which enemies were and weren't infected is near impossible (part of the difficulty in diagnosing the "Maverick" condition, referenced to varying degrees in pretty much every X game since X5).  There is absolutely nothing to say that any members of Repliforce (prior to X5, that is) were infected, much less any reason to believe that Colonel and General resisted an infection running rampant among their subordinates.

One intelligent Maverick that you're forgetting is Berkana; she was a member of Reploid research and development (MMXOCW, page 90).  Boomer Kuwanger also had some pretty strong analytical skills; besides Sigma and Zero he was pretty much the only other Reploid who, prior to Xtreme2, made any effort to look deeper than the surface in gauging X's abilities.

[Police Girl]

Double wasnt infected, he was just batshit insane

Not to mention a Double Agent.

[Mirby]

Boomer Kuwanger also had some pretty strong analytical skills; besides Sigma and Zero he was pretty much the only other Reploid who, prior to Xtreme2, made any effort to look deeper than the surface in gauging X's abilities.

Is it any wonder he's my favorite X-series boss?

[Flame]

As far as I can tell, Red was never infected, the REST of Red Alert was. And from there, Red was forced to play along or risk losing his friends forever. (not to mention when you have someone like SIGMA threatening you, with an entire compound full of mavericks under his control and influence, you begin to fear for your health.)