Catalyst Fiend materialized during the initial equipment failure at Art Dye, drawn by the chaotic energy of cascading chemical reactions and failed containment protocols. Born from the intersection of supernatural malevolence and scientific hubris, it feeds on molecular instability and grows stronger with each catalyzed reaction. The entity's emergence marked the point where the laboratory's problems shifted from mere accidents to active malevolent acceleration.

Catalyst Fiend exists as a semi-corporeal entity composed of unstable chemical compounds held together by demonic energy, allowing it to phase through containment barriers while maintaining physical interaction with laboratory equipment. Its presence accelerates any chemical or biological process within a fifty-foot radius, turning minor spills into major contamination events and causing equipment to fail at exponentially increased rates. The entity can manipulate molecular bonds directly, creating explosive reactions from inert materials and corrupting stable compounds into toxic variants.

Catalyst Fiend serves as the primary accelerant behind the laboratory's systematic collapse, actively seeking out stable systems to corrupt and contained specimens to release. Its influence transforms routine equipment failures into catastrophic chain reactions that spread contamination faster than any natural process could achieve.