Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Sonic the Comic)


 * This article is about the Sonic the Comic incarnation of the character. For other versions, see Robotnik (disambiguation).

Doctor Ivo Robotnik is the main antagonist of the UK's fortnightly publication Sonic the Comic, and related UK media. He was originally a kind human scientist named Doctor Ovi Kintobor before an accident transformed him into the mad scientist Ivo Robotnik.

The Robotnik of this continuity is both a genius-level scientist (like the Doctor Eggman from the games continuity) and the despotic ruler of Planet Mobius (like the Dr. Robotnik from Archie Comics). Although Sonic the Comic does not contain the concept of roboticizing, Robotnik's badniks are nevertheless powered by Mobians, who function as "Organic batteries". More advanced badniks, such as Robotnik's Troopers, do not possess such batteries.

Production background
The Sonic the Comic continuity originates with a short "official" storyline created by Sega of America for the original 16-bit game, which was then expanded upon by the book, Stay Sonic. The original tale was revamped even further by the enduring Sonic the Comic series by Fleetway Editions, as well as some other UK novels.

Although his goals and actions were always evil incarnate, this incarnation of Robotnik often showed many foibles, such as in early issues replacing the "ex" in words with "eggs" (e.g. "eggs-actly"), and acts of pettiness such as having his robots attack places he already rules just to show that he can. Writer Nigel Kitching tried hard to make Robotnik a menacing figure, and after a few early stories refused to add any eggy puns, although some were added afterwards by editor Richard Burton. Kitching claimed to be particularly disappointed when he read a story by Lew Stringer, in which Robotnik was shown throwing custard pies at a picture of Sonic (in fact Robotnik was throwing rotten fruit and eggs, and it occurred in Sonic the Comic #63, "Project Brutus, Part 1"), and responded by making the next stories ("Voice of the People" in Sonic the Comic #77 and "Plasma" in #78) as menacing as possible, with plenty of scary images by Richard Elson.

Origin
Originally, Robotnik was Doctor Ovi Kintobor, a kindly scientist from Earth who, through unexplained means, accidentally wound up stranded on Mobius. Setting up an underground laboratory in the Emerald Hill Zone, Kintobor resolved that he would make the peaceful Mobius a true paradise by literally eradicating the negative energy from it. Using a machine he named the Retro-Orbital Chaos Compressor (ROCC) (formed of many purifying golden rings), he slowly gathered all the negative energy on Mobius, and, requiring a vessel to contain it, acquired six of the mysterious Chaos Emeralds to finish the job.

It was then that an inquisitive young brown hedgehog named Sonic stumbled across his lab. Kintobor quickly became friends with Sonic, and helped him to advance his speed (although accidentally turning him blue in the process). Sonic used his new speed to help search for the Grey Emerald, which was said to serve as a "control Emerald" and which would stabilize the energy transfer. Their efforts were in vain, but Kintobor eventually apparently discovered a way to complete the transfer without the seventh emerald. Before the process was initiated, they decided to have lunch, but found only one rotten egg. With the egg in his hand, Kintobor went back to the ROCC--and tripped on a cable. The ROCC exploded, bathing Kintobor - and the egg - in chaos energy. Overloaded with "pure evil energy", he transformed into the demented Doctor Ivo Robotnik.

Conquest of Mobius
After two attempts to take over Mobius, as chronicled in the first two Sonic the Hedgehog video games, Robotnik employed a different tack, taking control of a portion of the weird alternate dimension known as the Special Zone and establishing his Egg Fortress there. Putting the sentient energy-field known as the Omni-Viewer under his control, Robotnik had his pawn transport Sonic and a group of his friends six months into Mobius's future. During their absence, Robotnik's forces overran the planet and Sonic returned to find Robotnik now had unquestioned control of Mobius.

Recommended by his image consultants to try a new look, Robotnik abandoned his traditional game-based appearance by enclosing himself in a gigantic egg, from which he "hatched" in a new body based on his AoStH incarnation. Galvanised into more aggressive action by this transformation, Robotnik and his lackey Grimer poured his time into "Operation Metallix" which bore fruit with Metallix, who derived power from a cyberformed Miracle Planet.

Myriad schemes, robots and technology ensued in his constant war with Sonic. Robotnik's goal always remained to acquire the reality-warping power of the Chaos Emeralds for his own, and he was offered his chance when a mechanical failure on his orbital Death Egg II satellite caused the craft, with him aboard, to plummet out of the sky. Before impacting with Mobius, however, the spacecraft landed on the legendary Floating Island, where Robotnik encountered Knuckles the Echidna, guardian of the six Floating Island Chaos Emeralds. Robotnik convinced Knuckles that he was a humble scientist, and that he had once owned the six Mobian Chaos Emeralds before Sonic had stolen them. Knuckles allowed Robotnik to rebuild his badnik armies on the Floating Island, and became Robotnik's personal bodyguard. When Sonic came looking for him, Robotnik allowed himself to be captured by the Freedom Fighters, allowing Knuckles to follow him to their base, where they ransomed Porker Lewis to acquire the ancient gems. Returning to the Floating Island, Knuckles, using a device of Robotnik's that would take the place of the Grey Emerald, reintegrated Sonic's six emeralds with the six kept on the island. Using his device to seize control of the chaos energy, Robotnik grew to giant size and performed such feats as turning Tails to glass, before Knuckles revealed he'd secretly had the Grey Emerald all along and depowered Robotnik.

Smarting after this defeat, Robotnik's first action was to return to the Freedom Fighters' base with an army of Badniks and destroy it, forcing Sonic and his team into operating out of a mobile headquarters. The Death Egg, however, remained on the Floating Island, and Robotnik soon returned there to supervise its repair, arranging for a new model of Metallix to steal the Master Emerald to power the deadly device. With the Death Egg active, Robotnik was poised to unleash its death ray upon the Emerald Hill Zone before Knuckles activated ancient weaponry on the Floating Island and crippled the ship. Invading it and stealing the Master Emerald, Sonic went up against Robotnik in a suit of armour, eventually sending him toppling back to Mobius. Enraged by the idignity, Robotnik vowed vengeance, moving his base of operations out of the Special Zone and into Citadel Robotnik in the Metropolis Zone, but he found himself unable to exact his revenge on the Emerald Hill Folk, as they had been secretly moved into seclusion on the Floating Island.

Coincidentally, Robotnik's next two greatest opponents were not the Freedom Fighters, but his own renegade creations. Using a copy of the Omni-Viewer, the rebellious Brotherhood of Metallix travelled back in time and altered Mobius' history, preventing the accident that had transformed Kintobor into Robotnik and allowing them to take over the planet. Sonic was forced to travel back in time himself and reverse the damage, making him actually responsible for creating Robotnik. Subsequently, Commander Brutus, a Badnik trooper that Robotnik programmed with a copy of his own brain patterns, constructed his own army of badniks and invaded the Metropolis Zone, having acquired Robotnik's ambition for conquest. On the verge of defeat and his Badniks overrun, Robotnik faced his mental twin down in War Armour, spraying him with liquid nitrogen and shattering his body. He then took control of Brutus' Badnik army and taunted Mobius with his continued reign.

Downfall and Omnipotence
Over time, and thanks in part to the example set by groups such as the Freedom Fighters, Robotnik began to lose his grip of terror over his subjects. They destroyed his statues, held demonstrations and protests, mocked him on television, and even fought back against his Troopers.

A chain of seeming good fortune for Robotnik led to his ultimate downfall when he discovered that Sonic had become stranded in the Special Zone. Encountering the fatally wounded echidna Doctor Zachary, who had fallen from the Floating Island in battle with Knuckles, Robotnik restored him with cybernetic components and learned the Emerald Hill folk were hiding on the Island. Striking while Knuckles was absent, Robotnik and Zachary used the hapless Emerald Hillers to create a giant biological computer. Seconds before he was able to activate the grotesque device, however, a massive electro-magnetic pulse - created by Super Sonic - swept across the planet, utterly destroying his robots and computer systems. Left utterly defenseless, Robotnik was captured by the returned Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, and although he was liberated by Grimer and went into hiding, he had firmly been toppled as ruler of the planet.

Long having planned to investigate the mysterious Flickies Island, Robotnik used his fall from power as a chance to finally explore the island. He discovered that the Flicky birds which populated it came from another dimension via a Mobius Ring, and that the Flickies made excellent organic batteries for new Badniks. However, as a result of tampering with the Mobius Ring, Robotnik was abducted by the alien Drakon Empire and brought through the ring to their homeworld. Ever the entrepreneur, he struck a deal with the aliens, arranging for Sonic to be placed into trial by combat against his new Metallix model; in return, Robotnik would help Emperor Ko-Dorr find the Chaos Emeralds. Triumphing over his robot opponent, Sonic was pronounced innocent.

Robotnik was left at something of a loose end, conducting a series of random (and easily beaten) Badnik attacks on Mobius from his Flickies Island base, while trying to manipulate the Drakons by feigning ignorance of the Emeralds' location and encouraging them to go after Sonic. He then arranged a complicated double-cross where Grimer pretended to defect to the Drakons' side and reveal the location of the Emeralds to them. Once the Drakons had taken out all of the Island's defences, Grimer teleported them back to Drak and Robotnik was able to finally take control of the jewels in their full-power state. The sheer energy apparently proved too much for his body to contain, however, as he was transformed into a crystal statue.

This was, however, soon revealed to be a chrysalis stage as Robotnik's body adapted to the immense energies it now contained. Once this was done, Robotnik used his new power to put Sonic through a series of torments: altering history so that Sonic never existed and showing him a horrific Mobius under Robotnik's control; warping reality around him; resurrecting several of Sonic's most dangerous adversaries; pitting Sonic against an evil Knuckles; stripping the heroic hedgehog of his speed; and finally showing Sonic that he was destined to fight Robotnik into old age and never win. Despite all of this, Sonic declared that he would fight Robotnik to the end no matter what, and then manipulated the doctor's ego, goading him into restoring Sonic's powers and Knuckles' memories of the original timeline. With the echidna's aid, Sonic drained the emerald power from Robotnik's body with the Grey Emerald. Everything that Robotnik did previously then reverses itself, but, barely able to exist without the power, Robotnik shrank down into nothingness.

Shanazar
He ended up in a sub-atomic universe on the planet Shanazar, and reverted back into Kintobor (presumably due to the energy drain). Found by inhabitants of Shanazar City, Kintobor was brought before Princess Kupacious, who made him her grand vizier and he began bringing technological improvements to the city.

Finding that he was beginning to turn back into Robotnik, Kintobor quickly formulated an elixir that held off the transformation. Sonic, Grimer and Nack the Weasel arrived in Shanazar in pursuit of him, the latter two being arrested, and Sonic and Kintobor were sent on a mission to the Mystic Mountain. Unfortunately the elixir's effects wore off, and he became Doctor Robotnik once again. (Nigel Kitching proposed using this as a way of bringing in the "Dr Eggman" design for Robotnik, but this did not go through)

Retaining his position as vizier, Robotnik had a court magician wipe Sonic's mind of the memory of the device he had used to come to Shanazar, so, while Sonic went on the run, Robotnik and Grimer fashion the device into a machine which would fused Mobius and Shanazar into one composite world. Intending to protect himself from any harmful effects with a magic gem so that he might emerge as the ruler of the combined planet, Robotnik was thwarted when Princess Kupacious, turned into a frog by more magic, stole the gem for herself. Regardless, the scheme amounted to nothing when Mobius and Shanazar fused without any ill effects.

Insanity
Confronted by Amy Rose with the possibility that his own evil methodology had been self-defeating, Robotnik began a dark, downward spiral. Tiring of his long-running war with Sonic, he decided that it was time to bring the game to an end - no longer would he strive to conquer Mobius, but instead, he would destroy it outright. A chance encounter with the robotic alien race the Plax gave Robotnik the opportunity he desired; mistaken by the Plax for a spiritual leader, the "Great Destroyer," that their legends spoke of, Robotnik used their technology to drain the "living" energy from both Mobius and its sister world, Earth, forcing both planets into total ecological collapse. Once again, Robotnik's own evil ways proved to be his undoing when the renegade super-badnik he had created, Shortfuse the Cybernik, wired himself into the energy-transfer machine and used it to undo the damage to the planets.

Having been caught in a cave-in as his base collapsed around him following this confrontation, Robotnik reached his lowest point. Not rising from his chair, or even eating, for days on end, a suicidal depression overcame the former dictator. Desperate to snap his master out of his grim state, Grimer unearthed a container holding a creature made of living chaos that Robotnik had discovered years before, and unleashed it upon the Freedom Fighters. Unaware - but soon informed by Robotnik - that he was unable to control the Chaos creature, Grimer thought that he had succeeded as Robotnik's interest in watching the battles between Sonic and the monster grew. When Chaos targeted the Chaos Emeralds and Knuckles reacted by scattering them across Mobius, Robotnik went into action, gathering the emeralds at his fortress in the mountains, drawing Chaos and the Freedom Fighters there. Grimer was shocked, however, when he discovered that this was not part of some grand plan by Robotnik &mdash; the crazed villain had, in actuality, drawn his enemies there so that they might all die together as Chaos absorbed the emeralds. But Robotnik was denied even the embrace of oblivion when Super Sonic arrived to absorb Chaos's energies into his own body, and then be re-integrated back together with Sonic.

Sonic the Comic - Online
The fan-made continuation of Sonic the Comic (viewed by some as "unofficially official", due to its endorsement by some of the creators of STC) has furthered the story of Robotnik, who had completely lost his mind, and was left a drooling maniac. Deemed to be too insane to stand trial, he was locked away in an asylum where he remained deathly silent, never eating or sleeping. Liberated from imprisonment by Doctor Zachary, Robotnik became part of his criminal "Syndicate" who unleashed the artificial lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog - who was grimly loyal to Robotnik. After his battle with Sonic aboard Robotnik's Death Carrier, Shadow used all the Chaos Energy he had left (seemingly dying in the process) to teleport Robotnik to safety.

His current whereabouts and state of mind remain uncertain, although his loyal assistant Grimer was shown maintaining a robotic duplicate of Robotnik to keep his master 'alive'. And later, as Grimer reveals himself to be behind the recent events happening in Mobius, he implies that he may have returned to his master, at least temporarily but now would not go back to him, even if he had the speech to beg him.

The 250th issue saw the longest single story of Sonic the Comic's life, which had Badniks appearing and spreading like wildfire all over Mobius, which were later revealed to be coming from the Chaos Tap, which has now been connected to a base resembling Robotniks face. Despite Sonic repeatedly claiming that Robotnik is insane and should thus have nothing to do with this, inside the base revealed Robotnik, who had been found 'a broken shell' by the Drakon Empire, connected to a device that allows Robotnik to control the entire badnik army through thought alone. However, as Sonic pointed out, all of Mobius was fighting back against the army, but this did not phase Robotnik who sent a robot (that vaguely resembles the Extra Boss in Sonic Rush) piloted by a doppelganger to the Emerald Hill zone, his number one target, which was destroyed By 'Tails' (actually by Sonic while Tails distracted it). Sonic laters claims he destroyed him, but this may refer to the Doppelganger, in which case it is unknown what happened to the real Robotnik. Of note is that despite recent storylines, Grimer made no appearance in this issue, suggesting he was not involved in this plot and is still planning against Sonic, but how his plan would continue if Robotnik is alive and sane is unknown.

Trivia
Robotnik is a master of disguise, having assumed various roles, such as Doctor Sun, Rhino Neil, Stephen Squealbird, and the landlord of The Green Man tavern.

Robotnik, unlike his other counterpart, is extremely insane. The main example of his insanity is that he will take any chance to kill Sonic even if his own life is in peril.