SWATbot (Pre-Super Genesis Wave)


 * For the version of this character after the Super Genesis Wave, see SWATbot (Archie).

The SWATbot is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It was a military Badnik model developed by Dr. Ivo Robotnik which served in a multitude of roles from infantry to vehicle crews. The original SWATbot models were created nearing the end of the Great War and were employed during Robotnik's military coup. For the next ten years, SWATbots acted as the main military strength of Dr. Robotnik's empire. Following the death of Robotnik, SWATbots became outdated and decommissioned. When Dr. Eggman came to Mobius Prime he employed the superior Shadowbots as his main forces. However, newer variants of SWATbots were used in 3237 during the war between the Eggman Empire and the Kingdom of Acorn, although those too were eventually replaced with Egg Pawns. The remaining original SWATbots ended up under the employ of Mammoth Mogul.

Development
The original SWATbot model was created roughly around 3225, the year of Robotnik's coup d'état. Briefly used as police enforcement in Old Mobotropolis, they were quickly converted to the primary ground troops and workers for Dr. Robotnik. Armed with laser pistols and rifles, the SWATbots proved extremely successful against any of the early resistance forces. Within a matter of hours, the SWATbots had managed to take over numerous key points of Mobotropolis and rounded up thousands of Mobians, which would be roboticized shortly after the coup's end.

First Robotnik War
Over the course of the First Robotnik War, SWATbots were used as the primary military force of Dr. Robotnik's army. However, as the various Freedom Fighter groups began to form and oppose Robotnik's reign, the success of the SWATbots gradually decreased. By the time the Knothole Freedom Fighters were teenagers, the original SWATbot model had become obsolete. During this time Robotnik turned to creating other robot models, such as the Badniks, E.V.E. and later Combots.

As the SWATbots abilities to stop the Freedom Fighters dwindled, Robotnik began putting them to other uses, primarily as a labor force. When Robotropolis was essentially destroyed by Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles, Robotnik had the SWATbots rebuild the ruined city. When Robotnik went onboard the Death Egg and left Snively in charge of Robotropolis, the latter changed the priority of the SWATbots from defending the city to acting as his personal servants and reshaping the city as he saw fit.

Second Robotnik War
Some time around 3237, Dr. Eggman switched from using Shadowbots to updated models of SWATbots and Egg Pawns. When Sonic the Hedgehog returned from his year-long absence in space, SWATbots of various designs were seen holding Geoffrey St. John and Hershey Cat prisoners. After the couple was officially married, the SWATbots were moments away from executing them, but were soon destroyed by Sonic.

When Dr. Eggman was preparing a three-pronged offensive against the Kingdom of Acorn and the United Federation, he dispatched a large number of varied-modeled SWATbots to the dome shield surrounding the nuclear irradiated remains of Robotropolis in order to destroy the shield and cause the spreading of harmful radiation throughout Mobius. However, the garrison at Fort Acorn comprised of the Mes Braves Battalion and reinforcements from the Chaotix, Amy Rose and G.U.N. resulted in the entire SWATbot army's destruction.

Decommission
The SWATbot models were primarily decommissioned after the failure at Fort Acorn, though some of Eggman's Shadowbot-based SWATbots remained on Angel Island to support the Dingo Regime. Eggman had already begun to switch over to the new Egg Pawn model the year before, which became the new ground forces and laborers for the Eggman Empire following the SWATbots' decommission. Curiously, SWATbots appeared in the area of Knothole despite this, and were responsible for the capture of Blaze the Cat. However, they would be swiftly dispatched by Sonic when he arrived at their base to investigate.

New employer
Despite three years having passed since the death of their master Dr. Robotnik, some of the original SWATbot models continued to exist, sparse throughout Mobius. Most, along with a few functioning Badniks, became employees of Mammoth Mogul when he took control of the Casino Night Zone. They served as the casino's bouncers, escorting the Destructix out after they "confessed" to using Mogul's bar for their mercenary operations.
 * Note: From this point, the SWATbots' history continues from their new life in the altered timeline.

Personality
While SWATbots were primarily mindless brutes and workers, designed with little intelligence, they gradually began to display more signs of personality, referring to Robotnik as "lord of lard" and other such names. This change in personality was likely due to the decommissioning of the Badniks and Robotnik's desire for his underlings to have some kind of personality instead of being mindless drones. An example of SWATbots having a personality was when Sonic was lured to the Robo Casino and the butler SWATbot attempted to get a tip out of Sonic.

Powers and abilities
The SWATbots were all equipped with wrist-mounted laser cannons, and could also be fitted with additional features like jetpacks.

Combot
A huge leap in lethality, the Combots sported highly advanced A.I., a wide variety of weapons, a cloaking ability, much tougher armor and were generally hardier. A very limited number were made and most were destroyed through trickery.

Icebot
The Icebots are base variants of the standard SWATbot which were utilized for artic operations in the Northern Tundra. They were later updated in design to resemble Shadowbots.

Shadowbot
The Shadowbots were updated SWATbots that came into use with Dr. Eggman's arrival on Mobius Prime. Less A.I. was devoted to "personalities" and more to battle algorithms. They also came long in a two-story tall "deluxe" version. They were mostly destroyed along with Robotropolis.

Egg Pawn
The Egg Pawn were the replacements for the SWATbots. The Egg Pawns were the ground forces with modular components and A.I. like SWATbots. Egg Flappers were the aerial variant, and Egg Hammers were giant melee version. They were all wiped out by the fourth Enerjak.

Egg SWAT
The Egg SWATs are the latest model in the SWATbot line, combing the design styles of both the classic SWATbot and Egg Pawn. Like their predecessors, they have numerous modular options and limited personality A.I.

Trivia

 * The SWATbots are based on the original robots from the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, except that they looked more like Shadowbots than the SWATbots in the comic as they were colored a dark blue instead of white and grey for the majority of the series.
 * The term "SWATbot" is likely a pun on the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) division of police officers.
 * One of the updated SWATbot models that appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog #133 is based on Dr. Robotnik's minions from Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie.