Motobud[1] is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a Motobug unit created by Dr. Eggman while he had amnesia and lived with his benevolent "Mr. Tinker" persona. As a result, Motobud was programmed with a friendly persona. His intended job was to find Belle the Tinkerer and bring her a farewell letter from Mr. Tinker.
Eventually escaping Dr. Eggman after he regained his memories, Motobud chanced upon Belle and became friends with her, whom it would protect and serve as a mount for her. His programming also allowed Tails to develop a signal that allowed lesser Badniks to break from Eggman's control, at the cost of his life.
Appearance[]
Motobud resembles a robotic version of the typical ladybug, but much larger. As such, he has round red body armor with six round gray caps covering its back and a blue face which come together with its body in a round shape. He also have cyan eyes with black pupils, mechanical fangs designed like two white mandibles, and yellow antennae. His source of locomotion is reliant on the simple wheel mechanism located in its undercarriage. A small engine with a gray exhaust pipe on both sides of it rear propels its wheel across the ground. He also has short arms with yellow forearms and a single claw at the tip.
Following its trip down a river at the Forest Ridge Zone Campground, Motobud lost its right antennae, which it later temporarily replaced with a white flower.[2]
History[]
Battle for Angel Island[]
While undergoing Dr. Starline's memory-restoring procedures, an amnesiac Eggman, who at the time had become a reformed handyman named "Mr. Tinker", would build Motobud, as Starline's treatment compelled him to gravitate towards his old Badnik machines. However, thanks to its creator's current mindset, Motobud was programmed with a free will and friendly personality. When he was finished, he had Motobud trim a shrub in the likeness of Sonic. Knowing his fate was sealed however, "Mr. Tinker" wrote a confession for his beloved helper robot, Belle the Tinkerer, and hid it inside Motobud, albeit without expecting her to ever read the message.[3][1]
Trial by Fire[]
Motobud helping out Belle by putting out the fire on her hand, from Sonic the Hedgehog #46.
Much later, on the Forest Ridge Zone Campground, Motobud ran into Belle, whom it accidentally knocked out after ramming her.[4] Fortunately, when a forest fire erupted, Motobud would drag Belle away from the fire. As Belle then came to, Motobud extinguished the fire on Belle's hand. Belle in returned convinced Tangle to not harm Motobud when she found them. Motobud subsequently came along on Tangle and Belle's search for Ashe and Red Hot, whom they found on the other side of a ravine. As Tangle and Belle began sliding uncontrollably towards the ravine however, Motobud got both of them to ride it, and by working together, they crossed the ravine. Regrouping with Ashe, Motobud tried to make it out of the burning forest with the others. However, when a caving tree made its friends fall towards the ravine, Motobud went to check on them. Finding its friends dangling from the edge, Motobud got knocked into the ravine as well by the caving tree with the others when the cliff's edge gave in.[5] Landing in the river below, Motobud held onto by Tangle's tail as the river took the group to the local campground. Upon arriving there, Belle noticed Motobud had lost one of its antennae along the river. His appearance also startled Jewel, but Belle and Tangle assured her that Motobud was nice. Motobud would then help Belle rescue campers that got caught up in Jewel's plan to stop the forest fire. Afterward, Motobud was brought to Tails' Workshop. As he picked a flower for a new antenna, Tails planned to take a look at him to see if they could find a way to make lesser Badniks defy their programming like Motobud had.[2]
Later, at Tails' Workshop, Motobud watched Sonic, Tails, and Belle conduct experiments on lesser Badniks by broadcasting his non-aggression subroutine to the other Badniks. After the experiment proved a success when the Badniks' attack response was negated, Motobud would stay outside with Belle, where they cuddled each other. Later at night, however, Motobud received a beacon signal instructing it to head to Eggperial City. As Motobud tried making its way out of the workshop by scratching at the door, he woke up Sonic, whom it took swipes at when he interrupted it. With Belle affected by the signal as well and ultimately taking up arms against Sonic, Motobud would help Belle pin down Sonic until Tails liberated Belle from the signal with a Zeti Zapper while Sonic kept Motobud pinned down. Then, in an attempt to trace the beacon signal, Sonic, Tails, and Belle let Motobud outside and began following him as it headed for Eggperial City. As Motobud got close to Eggperial City however, Belle tried to stop him, which prompted it and the surrounding Badniks to engage Sonic, Tails, and Belle. In order to keep Motobud from Eggman and save him, Belle was forced to cut Motobud's power, even though it could mean his doom. Eventually pulling out a wire, Motobud shut down and the Badniks ceased their attack. Afterwards, Belle found Mr. Tinker's message for her inside Motobud, whom the trio put away while they headed to Eggperial City.[1][6] Since then, he has been seen on Belle's workbench still in disrepair.
Misadventures[]
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Personality[]
Like other Badniks, Motobud has a degree of sentience and free will. However, unlike the typical aggressive Motobug model, Motobud possesses a quite friendly personality despite being entirely mute. In addition to being a faithful companion, he is shown to be very helpful, sociable, open to others, and exceptionally caring towards other beings, and even shows a fondness for flowers.[5][2][1] He is also rather intelligent, knowing how to extinguish fire by pouring dirt on the flames.[5] Unfortunately, Dr. Starline's signal would override his personality and make him as aggressive as other Motobugs, as seen when he attacked Sonic for interrupting his way to the Eggperial City, even helping Belle pin him down.[1]
He is also shown to enjoy cutting shrubs in the likeness of Sonic the Hedgehog.[4][2]
Powers and abilities[]
Motobud does not possess any special abilities to speak of. However, he is equipped with claws sharp enough to cut shrubs with ease, but he can also gently hold a flower to replace his broken right antennae thanks to his friendly personality in contrast to other Motobugs.[3]
Relationships[]
Belle the Tinkerer[]
Motobud was created by Mr. Tinker, Dr. Eggman's friendly alter ego during his time as an amnesiac, to find Belle the Tinkerer and bring her his last written confession.[3][1] During their first meeting, Belle thought Motobud tried to attack her. However, in truth, he would protect her from an impending forest fire and later help put out the fire on her hand.[5] Motobud would similarly rush to Belle's aid in other situations, and would later serve as her mount.[5][2] As such, the two greatly care for one another.[1]
Friends/allies[]
- Amy Rose
- Ashe
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Mr. Tinker
- Red Hot
- Restoration
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Tangle the Lemur
Trivia[]
- In TailsTube No. 6, Motobud is possibly alluded to by Amy when she mentions having other robot friends.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Sonic the Hedgehog #49, "Wound Up"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sonic the Hedgehog #47, "Trial by Fire, Part 3"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sonic the Hedgehog #12, "The Cost of the Battle for Angel Island"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #45, "Trial by Fire, Part 1"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Sonic the Hedgehog #46, "Trial by Fire, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #4, story one
External links[]
- Motobud at IDW Sonic Hub Wiki, the IDW Sonic wiki.
