The Relic (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

John Whitney became the Kothoga after drinking a ceremonial soup offered by a South American tribe he was studying. The soup contained the same fungus found in the shipment crates, which had mutated a beetle with mixed insect and reptilian DNA. When Whitney consumed the soup, the fungus infected him and triggered a horrific transformation, turning him into the chimeric creature that later attacked the museum.

Foreshadowing: Whitney's urgent attempt to stop the cargo ship from reaching Chicago hints at his knowledge that something dangerous was aboard.

• john whitney
• kothoga transformation
• tribes soup
• mutation
• fungus

The Kothoga required human hypothalami because the mutated fungus had created an organism with extreme hormonal requirements. The creature's biological makeup, combining insect and reptilian DNA, depended on the hormonal content found in human hypothalami to survive. This explains why both the ship's crew and later museum victims were killed with their hypothalamus removed.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of identical hypothalamus removal on all victims connects the ship deaths to the museum killings.

• hypothalamus
• hormonal needs
• kothoga diet
• creature feeding

The fungus on the leaves in Whitney's crates contained concentrated hormones from multiple animal species. This fungus mutated a beetle that had crawled into the shipment, combining insect and reptilian DNA into a chimera. The fungus served as both the mutating agent and the creature's food source, allowing the Kothoga to grow and survive until it could find more hormonal sustenance.

Foreshadowing: Margo's discovery of the mutated beetle with mixed DNA was the first scientific clue about the creature's origin.

• fungus
• mutated beetle
• chimera
• dna mutation
• kothoga origin

The Kothoga stowed away in one of Whitney's crates loaded onto the cargo ship. The crates contained only leaves and a stone statue, with the creature hiding among the leaf bedding. When Whitney boarded to find his cargo, he likely encountered the transformed creature, which killed the entire crew during the six-week voyage. The crates were eventually delivered to the Field Museum, bringing the creature with them.

Foreshadowing: The ship's arrival with no crew and crates marked for the museum establishes the direct connection.

• cargo ship
• crate shipment
• field museum
• whitney crates

Frederick Ford was killed the same way as the ship's crew because the Kothoga was still inside the museum, hunting for the hormonal content it needed. Ford's hypothalamus was removed identically to the crew's, confirming to investigators that a single predator was responsible. The creature remained hidden in the museum's tunnels and basement, continuing to hunt for sustenance.

Foreshadowing: D'Agosta immediately recognized the connection between Ford's death and the shipboard killings.

• frederick ford
• murder method
• hypothalamus removal
• ship crew deaths

Albert Frock theorized that the South American tribe knew about the fungus and may have used it to control the Kothoga. He believed the tribe deliberately cultivated the fungus to create or contain the creature, then waited for it to become dormant before sending it away. Without the leaves as a food source, the creature would instinctively hunt for human hypothalami until it exhausted its prey. This explained both the creature's behavior and the tribe's silence about the danger.

Foreshadowing: The empty crates and the tribe's unusual customs hinted at deliberate concealment.

• albert frock
• tribe
• fungus control
• kothoga behavior
• scientific theory

The liquid nitrogen failed to kill the Kothoga because the creature's reptilian cold-blooded traits were not sufficient to overcome its also-present insect DNA and fungal mutations. Although Margo hypothesized the creature's partial reptilian nature would make it vulnerable to extreme cold, the creature's hybrid biology proved more resistant. The creature survived the initial attack and continued its rampage.

Foreshadowing: Margo's scientific deduction about cold-blooded vulnerability seemed logical but proved incomplete.

• liquid nitrogen
• cold-blooded
• failed plan
• kothoga immunity

The Kothoga paused when confronting Margo because John Whitney, the original human, had a prior connection to her through his work at the museum. Though transformed into the creature, some residual recognition may have surfaced. Additionally, Margo had been handling the leaves and fungus samples extensively, potentially carrying scents familiar to the creature. This momentary hesitation gave Margo time to trigger the fire that eventually destroyed the beast.

Foreshadowing: Margo's extensive contact with Whitney's crates and research materials may explain the creature's unusual response.

• margo green
• kothoga pause
• recognition
• whitney connection

The tribal soup Whitney drank contained the same fungus found on the leaves in his cargo crates. This fungus contained concentrated hormones from various animal species and carried mutagenic properties. When Whitney consumed the soup, the fungus entered his system and triggered a rapid, horrific transformation, merging human DNA with the fungal mutations and creating the chimeric Kothoga. The tribe had likely used this soup to create or control the creature in the past.

Foreshadowing: Whitney's insistence on stopping the cargo suggests he understood the danger of the fungus from his time with the tribe.

• tribal soup
• transformation
• fungus
• hormones
• kothoga creation

The Kothoga attacked the museum because it was starving. Without the leaves that had provided its fungal food source, the creature desperately needed to hunt for human hypothalami to survive. The leaves had been incinerated after discovery, cutting off its primary nutrition. When the museum's exhibition opened with many potential victims present, the creature emerged from hiding to feed, beginning with the security guard Ford and escalating during the crowded event.

Foreshadowing: Frock explained that without the leaves, the creature would hunt humans until it exhausted its prey.

• museum attack
• starvation
• hunt humans
• leaf food source