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Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity. |
The Guardian Robot[1] is a character that appears in the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions. It is a mass-produced robot model built by the ancient Echidnas of the Floating Island. In addition to serving as an independent robot, it can also be controlled manually by a pilot from inside.
Appearance[]
The bulk of the Guardian Robot is its large head. This is the main base of the robot and contains its 'brain'. The head can also open up to reveal a cockpit large enough for a single pilot, with controls for manual use of the robot. The head is largely spherical, with gold armor plating on the front resembling a face. It has a single eye-like visor across the middle of this face, which can discharge powerful energy blasts, particularly effective when fully charged with Chaos Energy. The rest of the body looks spindly, but in fact possesses tremendous strength and durability.[2]
History[]
Past[]
The Guardian Robots were created by the ancient echidnas of the Floating Island to be used as heavy infantry in the war against the Drakon Empire. During one such attack on Megopolis City, Guardian Robots piloted by echidnas would be used to repel the invading Drakons, although both sides fled once a stray Drakon laser hit the Chaos Emeralds, causing a surge of energy.[3] Following the appearance and weakening of Chaos, the intact Guardian Robots and their pilots at the battle would be ordered by Knuckles the Echidna to drive the remaining Drakon invaders from the city.[4]
When the echidnas disappeared, the remaining Guardian Robots were left untouched for eight thousand years.
Homecoming[]
In the present day, one robot was claimed by the evil echidna scientist Doctor Zachary. Zachary used the robot to gain the trust of Knuckles, by claiming that he (Zachary) was the first Echidna to return home and that the robot was hunting him.[2] After Knuckles had shown Zachary the location of the Emerald Chamber that housed the Chaos Emeralds, Zachary secretly summoned the robot. The robot fought Knuckles and knocked the young echidna out, then made for the Emerald Chamber where it destroyed the Master Emerald and absorbed its power.[5] When Knuckles attacked the robot again, the robot hit him with a powerful energy blast from its visor, leading Zachary to (falsely) believe that Knuckles was dead and thus reveal his true intentions. Zachary climbed into a cockpit inside the robot's head and swore revenge against the ancient Echidnas. The robot flew away, but Knuckles caught up with it and damaged one of its wings before it could leave the island.[6] Knuckles managed to decapitate the robot with a rock, and a tremor knocked Zachary and the robot's body off the edge of the island. Knuckles was able to use the robot's head, which had absorbed the Emerald Energy, as a temporary replacement Master Emerald to stabilize the island.[7]
New Master Emerald and Running Wild[]
Once Knuckles managed to secure a new Emerald to contain the raw energy, he transferred the power out of the robot's head into the Master Emerald. In the process, the accidentally re-activated the robot's head, which began firing energy blasts at him and heavily damaging the Emerald Chamber. The robot would also have destroyed the Chaos Emeralds to halt the power transfer, but was prevented from doing so by Knuckles. When the robot's power was sufficiently depleted to use its power beam, it spoke to Knuckles (who had not realized it could talk), revealing that its energy level was critical and that it would soon terminate. Knuckles, realizing that the robot was the nearest he had come to finding out about his lost people, disconnected the robot, intending to search its memory banks at a later date.[8] Knuckles had the robot's head placed in an alcove in the Emerald Chamber, where it frequently conversed with Porker Lewis.[9]
Victims and The Final Victory[]
Zachary barely survived his fall from the island, but was found by Doctor Robotnik and rebuilt, in the process gaining an arm cannon, mechanized dreadlocks and a glass eye). Zachary informed Robotnik that the Emerald Hill Folk were hiding on the Floating Island and led him there,[10] accessing a secret storage room containing several other Guardian Robots and reprogramming them with some software of his own devising to make them his unstoppable slaves.[1] Zachary and Robotnik used the Guardian Robots to capture the Emerald Hill Folk from the Mushroom Hill Zone, then ambush Knuckles and Porker Lewis when Knuckles returned home to the Floating Island after a long voyage.[11][10] Knuckles, Porker and Emerald Hill Folk were attached to a giant machine that would permanently integrate them into a biological computer. Knuckles managed to break free and trashed the controls before engaging the Guardian Robots in battle. When Robotnik revealed a secondary control system, Knuckles evaded the Robots and tried to destroy that as well, but was shot down by Zachary.[1] Just then, the Black Asteroid exploded in the sky overhead, and the resulting electromagnetic pulse crashed the biological computer and wiped out the modern software that Zachary had used to control the Guardian Robots.[12]
Further service[]
After Robotnik was captured and Zachary disappeared, the guardian robots rebooted. The frightened Emerald Hill Folk attacked them, believing they were still controlled by Zachary, until Knuckles interrupted the fight and explained matters.[13] The Guardian Robots' original programming was restored, and they served Knuckles loyally from that point on, aiding him in keeping the island safe from various threats such as an invasion by the Drakon Empire[14][15][16] and D.R.A.T.'s failed assault.[17][18][19][20]
Personality[]
Although capable of being reprogrammed, controlled and piloted, the guardian robots are also possess some form of consciousness and the ability to talk. When they do, they are shown to speak in a straightforward and calm manner.[8][9]
Powers and abilities[]
Despite its somewhat fragile appearance, the Guardian Robot is very durable. Vast amounts of kinetic force is required to dent the armor, and combined with the robot's lethal reflexes and built in weaponry, this makes it quite a danger to attackers. The three fingers on their hands also acts as gun barrels, which can rapidly fire blasts from a distance. The robot's long arms can also unfold into wings with limited flight capabilities. Some specific Guardian Robots are also equipped with jetpacks.[2]
Trivia[]
- According to artist Nigel Dobbyn, the design of the Guardian Robots was strongly influenced by the Laputan robots from the movie Castle in the Sky.[21]
- It made a cameo in IDW Publishing's Sonic Issue 49 as a figurine in Tails' workshop.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sonic the Comic #99, "Victims, Part 3"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sonic the Comic #65, "The Homecoming, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #181, "The Origin of Chaos!"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #182, "War of the Worlds!"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #66, "The Homecoming, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #67, "The Homecoming, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #68, "The Homecoming, Part 4"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sonic the Comic #73, "New Master Emerald"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sonic the Comic #80, "Running Wild, Part 1"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sonic the Comic #98, "Victims, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #97, "Victims, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #100, "The Final Victory"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #101, "Loose Ends"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #123, "Order & Chaos, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #124, "Order & Chaos, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #125, "Order & Chaos, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #135, "The Take-Over, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #136, "The Take-Over, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #137, "The Take-Over, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Comic #138, "The Take-Over, Part 4"
- ↑ Interview With Nigel Dobbyn, another long time Artist with Sonic the Comic (Fleetway) and Colourist. The Emerald Star Post (19 November 2010). Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved on 17 June 2022. "Nigel Dobbyn: Nigel had introduced me to Miyazaki's 'Laputa' years before, for instance, which had a strong influence on the design of the guardian robots."
External links[]
- Guardian Robots at the Sonic the Comic Wiki.