Zombot



Zombots, also referred to as the infected, is a term that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing. It is a term applied to animals who has been infected by the Metal Virus and had their infection reach its apogee.

Concept and creation
According to Ian Flynn, the metal skin feature from Sonic Heroes served as the inspiration for the Zombots.

Anatomy
Zombots are made up entirely of a liquid metal composition, giving their skin and fur/hair a metallic sheen while retaining shades of their original colors. As such, their bodies are highly mallable, as the simplest blunt impact can deform a Zombot's body. They also possess completely red eyes, and may possess extra features, such as sharp claws. Other than that, a Zombot retains the shape it had back when it was an organic being.

Characteristics and culture
Described as "robot zombies" by Sonic, the Zombots are completely silent, emotionless and without personalities. They do not react emotionally to the environment around them and are completely unresponsive to outside verbal chatter; noticeably a Zombot Tumble was unresponsive to taunts from Sonic that would have sent the old Tumble into a fury. This has led Amy to call them "soulless". Due to the Metal Virus, they are also deprived of free will, and will instinctively obey only the orders of Dr. Eggman.

Because the Metal Virus causes its victims to display aggressive tendencies without direction, the Zombots are highly aggressive towards all living organisms that have not been infected and will attack them in order to spread the Metal Virus. However, they appear to be at least docile towards their own kind. When not engaged in combat or wandering around on their own, Zombots behave like they are in a mindless daze.

Powers and abilities
All Zombots possess increased strength; Zombot Rough was able to make a rock wall crack with a single punch and regular citizens were able to smash though a thick wooden door using only their fists. Zombots are also immune to illnesses and do not need to eat or feel hunger.

While the Zombots' liquid metal bodies become less durable following their transmutation, which causes them to easily take damage, the Zombots possess the power to manipulate their own liquid body composition, allowing them to instantly reconstitute and restore their bodies whenever they receive a damaging blow. This makes they virtually unstoppable opponents.

Because they carry the Metal Virus, Zombots are able to spread the Metal Virus to any living tissue, be it either flora or fauna, through the slightest physical touch. Once the virus has been passed onto a victim, the infection will spread slowly across the victim. However, the Zombots can accelerate the infection rate by exposing the victim to more of the virus (like through extra touches). However, they cannot pass the virus onto processed or inorganic matter.

Infection
The first Zombot (a term of which had not been coined yet) created was a Pocky that Dr. Eggman used to experiment on. This Pocky was saturated in the Metal Virus, instantly turning it into a Zombot. Dr. Eggman then had the Zombot Pocky grab a Picky, and saw that the Picky got infected too. The next Zombot to be created was a Ricky in Eggman's captivity, who had been infected with the Metal Virus during Eggman's experiments. However, it first became a full Zombot after Eggman used the Zombot Pocky to accelerate the virus's infection rate on it.

While fighting Sonic and Amy in Echo Mine, Rough and Tumble unintentionally released backpacks full of the Metal Virus onto themselves, turning them into Zombots. These two then began fighting Sonic and Amy. Although Sonic ultimately got rid of Zombot Rough and Tumble by knocking them into a refuse pit, he got infected with the Metal Virus in the process. Meanwhile, having heard Sonic call Rough and Tumble "Zombots", Eggman decided to call the infected just that, as he thought the name was "catchy".

After checking in at Tails, Sonic discovered that he could keep his Zombot transformation in check with his speed, although he could not cure himself. In the meantime, Eggman used his Faceship to flood Windmill Village with his Metal Virus, thereby turning all the inhabitants into Zombots. Afterward, the Zombots followed Eggman's orders and began heading out to create more Zombots, infecting plants and animals along the way. One Flicky in particular, who got infected and turned into a Zombot while it slept, flew towards the nearest city.

List of Zombots

 * Elder Scruffy
 * Rough the Skunk
 * Tumble the Skunk
 * Various citizens of Seaside City
 * Various citizens of Windmill Village

Trivia

 * The Zombots are similar to the robians, from the previous Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs, who where anthropomorphic animals that were converted as robotic slaves who acted as the primary labor force for Dr. Ivo Robotnik.