The Enclave, Right? Heh!
The Enclave is the shadowy remnant of the pre-War United States government, evolving from deepāstate continuity protocols into a quasi-state paramilitary force obsessed with restoring a āpureā America through genocide and advanced technology. Originating in the cold corridors of West Tek and other defense contractors, the Enclave survived the Great War on offshore platforms and fortified bunkers, later resurfacing as the main antagonist in Fallout 2 under President Dick Richardson before being shattered by the Chosen One. Decades later, it reemerged in the Capital Wasteland as John Henry Edenās Raven Rock faction, led on the ground by Colonel Augustus Autumn, only to be undone at Project Purity by the Lone Wanderer in Fallout 3. By the time of Fallout 4, the Enclave proper has collapsed, leaving behind preserved schematicsāmost notably for X-01 power armorāand a handful of surviving soldiers featured in Creation Club content known as the āEnclave Remnantsā.
Origins and Pre-War Activities
West Tek, FEV and Early Projects
The West Tek Corporation was founded in 2002 as a U.S. defense contractor specializing in advanced weapons, power armor, and FEV research for the Department of Defense. In the mid-2070s, its NBC Division spun off the Pan-Immunity Virion Project (PVP) into the Greenhouse Initiative before pivoting entirely to the Forced Evolutionary Virusāan artificial pathogen designed to create super-soldiers.
Continuity of Government and the Vault Experiment
Fearing nuclear war, the continuity of government established secret programs to preserve elite citizens. Vaultsāostensibly for public safetyāwere actually sociological and technical experiments directed by the Enclave, monitored from fortified locations like the Poseidon Oil Rig and Raven Rock.
The Great War and Enclave Survival (2077)
On October 23, 2077, as global nuclear exchange commenced, President Richardson and key government figures evacuated to the Poseidon Oil Rigātheir primary stronghold offshoreāand other secure sites worldwide. There, the Enclave consolidated its remnants, preserving technology, data archives, and vertibird forces to one day reclaim the mainland.
Fallout 2 Era (2241ā2242)
Mariposa Excavations and FEV Production
In July 2236, Enclave scouts rediscovered the Mariposa Military Baseāhome of pre-War FEV researchāand began large-scale excavations using forced labor from nearby settlements. Exposed slaves and scientists released residual FEV into the ruins, spawning the first super mutants and subjects like Frank Horrigan.
Richardsonās Genocidal āProjectā
Under President Dick Richardson, the Enclave weaponized FEV Curling-13 for a final genocide: any āgenetically non-compliantā human would be eradicated via tainted water supplies. The Chosen Oneās infiltration and sabotage of the oil rig in 2242 halted the plan and obliterated the Enclaveās headquarters.
Fallout 3 Era (2277)
Raven Rock and President Eden
A core group under President John Henry Edenāan AI housed in the Raven Rock military complexāreassembled the Enclave on the East Coast.
Eden employed Eyebots for propaganda and relied on Colonel Augustus Autumn to command ground forces in the Capital Wasteland.
Project Purity and Internal Schism
Autumn seized control of Project Purity, intending to leverage purified water for Enclave dominance. Eden, however, planned to inject the purifier with a deadly virus, igniting a rift between ideology and tactics. The Lone Wandererās interventionāeither by self-sacrifice or with Brotherhood aidādestroyed Edenās plans and dismantled the Capital Wasteland Enclave.
Fallout 4 Era (2287)
Technological Legacy: X-01 Power Armor
The Enclaveās archives preserved schematics for the experimental X-01 power armor, the pinnacle of pre-War design. Post-War, limited production runs by the Enclave and other factions kept X-01 suits in occasional service.
Creation Club: Enclave Remnants
In April 2024, Bethesdaās free next-gen patch for Fallout 4 introduced āEnclave Remnantsāāa Creation Club faction of surviving Enclave soldiers seeking lost X-02 armor in the Commonwealth. This groupās quests and workshop items offer the only living Enclave presence in the Fallout 4 era.
Conclusion
From its inception in the corridors of West Tek and hidden bunkers to its apocalyptic resurgence and ultimate downfall, the Enclaveās arc spans the entire Fallout saga. By Fallout 4, only its technological echoāexemplified by power armor designsāand a handful of Creation Club anecdotes remain as testament to Americaās most tyrannical remnants.
















