badniks

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In the British Fleetway-produced Sonic the Comic comic book, all early badniks were powered by Organic Batteries, the name given to the helpless Mobian trapped inside. Unlike several other media, the badniks in Sonic the Comic were directly based upon the robotic drones that appeared in the games.

Prime Badniks soon appeared, which could operate without the need of an organic energy source. The first such badnik was the spider-like Arachbot. Throughout the course of the comic's production, most badniks continued to use organic batteries despite new advances (possibly because Dr. Robotnik was hesitant to discard still potentially-useful equipment and his means of maintaining a sense of fear in his citizens).

Dr. Robotnik originally used mobile factories, which were basically large badniks that ingested a Mobian and then encased it in a metallic shell, releasing it as a badnik. However, in later issues Robotnik used huge processing plants to churn out badniks in large numbers.

Several important types of badnik were made later in the story. After Robotnik successfully conquered Mobius, "Trooper Badniks" (large and powerful humanoid robots) became commonplace. Sonic initially had trouble defeating the powerful troopers until he learned that they were not powered by Organic Batteries and that he therefore did not need to hold back his strength when attacking.^[7] Troopers, with their menacing appearance, were one of the most frequently-seen antagonists in the comic until the overthrow of Robotnik in issue #100. The most notable trooper badnik was Commander Brutus, who was elevated above the ranks and programmed with Robotnik's own brainwaves, and later attempted a coup against the dictator with his own army of Badniks.

Another important type of badnik was the Metallix series, which were based on Sonic's own appearance and abilities. Like Commander Brutus, they rebelled against Robotnik, forming their own "society".

Also worth mention was the "Cybernik"-style badniks, made of the indestructible metal known as Megatal(comparable to adamantium). Despite their heightened status, Cybernik badniks were built using Organic Batteries. Only two were ever known to be constructed. The first, a squirrel-badnik dubbed Shortfuse, incorporated a reluctant squirrel named Shorty. Shorty was able to take control of his badnik casing, rebelling against Robotnik and joining the Freedom Fighters. The second Cybernik was a rat named Vermin (who willingly volunteered for the process), designed largely to combat Shortfuse via use of an injectable computer virus in his tail. Both were destroyed. Vermin was tricked by Shortfuse into downloading a computer programme that caused his suit to open up, and once the rat leaped out of the armour, Shortfuse, reasoning that it would not be indestructible from the inside, blew it up. Shortfuse was later caught up in an explosion caused by a machine created by the alien Plaxrace; the explosion destroyed the armour but left Shorty himself unharmed.

All the Badniks on Mobius were immobilised in issue #100 along with all the electrical systems on Mobius whenSuper Sonic burst out of the Black Asteroid in Mobius' orbit (transported from the Special Zone by the Omni-Viewer), causing an Electro-magnetic pulse which covered the planet. Robotnik created a new batch from his new base on Flickies' Island and launched multiple attacks, but never regained control over the planet again. The Flicky-powered Badniks were much more powerful than normal ones, Sonic having considerable difficulty dispatching only a single one, and only just managing to do so with all his strength. These Badniks were usually a grey, dark colour and looked much more demonic and menacing than the colourful, cartoony Badniks that usually populated Robotnik's army. Some didn't bear any resemblance to normal Badniks at all.

A one off Sonic story considered a fan favourite was "Smokey and the Badnik" in Sonic the Comic #75, in which aRoller badnik (named Badnik) befriends a young Mobian called Smokey, and protects him from a Trooper attack. Sonic spares the Robot once he sees it is harmless and the two walk off into the sunset.

The Sonic CD Badniks were only seen once, when Robotnik decided to relocate the Palmtree Panic Zone Badniks to the Green Hill Zone. The plan went south when they decided they weren't going to share a Zone with inferior outdated Badniks, and obliterated the locals in a violent frenzy. B.A.R.F. had to bring them under control using upgraded superhuman versions of the Green Hill Badniks, known as the Seven, and forced them back to Palmtree Panic.^[8]

Sonic the Hedgehog comic series/TV seriesEdit

The Sonic the Hedgehog comic books and Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series used the concept of roboticization, where every Badnik was an animal turned into an evil robot by Dr. Robotnik's Roboticizer.

In addition to the roboticized inhabitants of Mobius (called 'worker bots' in SatAM and 'Robians' in the Archie Comics), Robotnik also had various robots that were created without roboticization.

SWATbots were Robotnik's primary infantry robots armed with laser weapons, either hand-held or built into their forearms. They are humanoid with domed heads and thin red visors. They are colored white and grey, though they were black in the cartoon. These robots were however not roboticized animals, and in the comics they were eventually replaced by the Egg Pawns featured in the video games. They also appear in Sonic Underground, another cartoon series. However, these were considerably weaker than their counterparts; they could explode from being tapped on the head with Manic's drumsticks.

Before Snively was introduced in the Archie comics, the badnik Crabmeat served as Dr. Robotnik's second-in-command. Crabmeat had all the intellect of the average badnik (low) but was for some reason permitted to 

Badniks that trapped Sonic.

assist Robotnik in defeating Sonic and the Freedom Fighters in the tactical sense rather than on the front lines. Crabmeat was a collector of Sonic comic books and was destroyed in almost every issue he appeared in only to come back again next issue, or sometimes only a few pages later, completely unharmed.

Eventually, after many issues of the comic, Sonic managed to take a vacation back to his old base in the Great Forest. There, on his way, he found the late Robotnik's base showing a repair centre for Badniks. He traveled there to find many of the old Badniks waiting for him. Also, Pseudo-Sonic, Robotnik's make of Sonic, was waiting for a chance to fight the original. After settling their disputes through speed headbutts, Sonic was flung into a part of sea, where he grabbed onto a scrap of the collapsing island. While Sonic went home thinking it was safe, the Badniks were actually pretending to sink, while the island was being repaired and Crabmeat was repairing Pseudo-Sonic. Pseudo-Sonic, along with the rest of the early badniks, are later destroyed by the Forty Fathom Freedom Fighters.

Sonic the Hedgehog (comic series)

Assault Bots

SWATbots

Main article: SWATbot

In the early days after his takeover of Mobotropolis, Dr. Robotnik employed SWATbots as his main labor and military force. While Robotnik would usually use various badniks (such as Burrowbots or Buzzbombers) for engagements against the Freedom Fighters, SWATbots were used more frequently for recon, patrol and labor, as well as roboticizing Mobians. All SWATbots are programmed with a directive dubbed "Priority One" in which they attack and pursue Sonic on sight, regardless of their current status.

While usually proving to be unintelligent by normal standards, a SWATbot did develop a "Krudzu" - a mechanical plant which rapidly grew and spread. Krudzu nearly destroyed the Great Forest, until a thunderstorm destroyed them. SWATbots are also dangerous in large groups, going so far as to capture the Freedom Fighters (bar Sonicand Larry Lynx) at one point. Unlike the version featured in the TV show, Archie Comics's versions of SWATbots are white and silver in color (though this color pattern can be seen on SWATbots appearing in the show's pilot episode, Heads or Tails).

After Ivo Robotnik's demise (caused by his nephew Snively), he was replaced by Dr. Eggman - a version of himself from an alternate universe. When Eggman retook control of Robotropolis from the Mobians, he began to employ his own form of SWATbots, called "Shadowbots" (or "SWATbot Mk IIs"). These forms are much larger and bulkier, and carry a larger arsenal. Shadowbots usually sport a dark metallic blue color.

Shortly after the destruction of A.D.A.M., Eggman seemed to stop using Shadowbots and instead began to construct a new series of robots, similar in design to the Egg Pawn series seen in the game Sonic Heroes. This is perhaps due to the fact that A.D.A.M., Robotnik's traitorous computer virus "son", controlled the Shadowbots, and after his subsequent death they could no longer function. However, it appears that he still uses the older model SWATbots as scout units, as shown by the squad that first encountered Blaze the Cat when she arrived on the outskirts of Knothole.

SWATbots come in several specialized varieties, including jet pack equipped Aerobots and low temperature Icebots.

Dynamac 3000

A highly adaptable robot model, the Dynamac 3000 can transform to fit any given situation. As such, it is the ultimate unit of the SWATbot class. The Dynamac model is so powerful that the only way to defeat it is by shorting it out through a massive electric shock. One Dynamac 3000 was dispatched by Robotnik to serve as sub-boss of the western sector of the Knothole continent, but it was destroyed by the Freedom Fighters before any permanent harm was done. The Freedom Fighters encountered a second one of these machines when scouting out Robotropolis after Robotnik's defeat. This one however was being remotely controlled by Snively from a hidden alcove nearby. The Freedom Fighters promptly defeated it, and captured Snively.

Auto Automatons

A series of androids created by Dr. Robotnik, the Auto Automatons were first designed for espionage purposes. The Auto Automatons were intended to be exact duplicates of the Freedom Fighters, thus enabling them to replace their biological counterparts. He first put these to use against Sally Acorn, but her efforts and those ofKing Acorn's Secret Service commander Geoffrey St. John put an end to that batch. King Acorn was later replaced with an Auto-Automaton, who ordered Sonic arrested and all Robians disassembled before he was finally exposed as a fake and destroyed.

The Auto Automatons were discarded as faulty, given that the materials that made them so lifelike made them so susceptible to rust that they would become useless within seconds of touching water. However, Robotnik made use of one last such Automaton, a duplicate of Fiona Fox. Created several years before Robotnik put it to use, it still had the appearance of a younger Fiona. Robotnik tested the robot Fiona's effectiveness by pretending to capture her while Miles "Tails" Prower watched. Tails "saved" Fiona and quickly fell in love with her, only to be betrayed when Robotnik ordered the robot to attack Tails. The materials that made the robot appear so lifelike were also unusually susceptible to rust, and as Tails struggled with "Fiona" the robot was drenched with water and quickly rusted solid. Tails mourned the robot Fiona as his first love, not knowing that it had been based on a real person now several years older than him. Fiona's android self reciprocated Tails' feelings for her, but their relationship was put to an end by her deactivation. While she was acting on Dr. Robotnik's orders, she clearly cared for Tails. Unfortunately, her attachment led her to want him subjected to Roboticization so they could be together. Tails' own feelings were so strong that he bid farewell to her. As he left, a single tear fell from the eye of the rusted android.

Later models were produced following Robotnik Prime's death, and were being mass constructed for some purpose. However, these Auto Automatons proved unable to defeat the Freedom Fighters, despite such duplicates of Sally and Sonic being deployed against them. A later scheme by Eggman involved hiring Mobian con artist Renfield T. Rodent to place scanners inside slot machines in Station Square's Casinopolis, enabling Eggman to copy their data and produce duplicates. Fortunately, this scheme was thwarted by the Chaotix and Rouge the Bat.

Similar to the Auto Automatons was an android created by Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. This android was created to resemble Sally down to the finest detail, and was also programmed with a copy of her personality. However, lacking her true memories, the pseudo-Sally was unable to fool Tails when she didn't know a story to read and do the "scary witch voice". She was then exposed later during another reconnaissance mission, and reprogrammed by the Freedom Fighters to serve their purposes. As a final act, Sonic replaced the real Sally with the fake, causing the Roboticizer to overload.

All Auto Automatons were equipped with abilities beyond those of ordinary Mobians. Sally's robotic double from the TV series was also able to fire bolts of energy and a sludge-like substance known as Mega-Muck (which is mentioned by Uncle Chuck as being roughly equal parts petroleum, quicksand, and clay mud) from her fingertips.

Crocbot

Main article: Crocbot

Crocbot was Robotnik's sub-boss in Downunda. Possibly the most malign of all of Robotnik's lieutenants and creations, Crocbot is perhaps the strongest and most dangerous as well. Showing unprecedented ambition for a machine, Crocbot planned to overthrow Robotnik and rule Mobius himself. Crocbot is scheming and manipulative, a brutal commander whose intelligence is only exceeded by his hatred for the Freedom Fighters.

Robotnik sent Crocbot to act as his regional dictator in the Southern Hemisphere. For years, Crocbot maintained a moderate level of control over the continent of Downunda, though on occasion he would come into conflict with theDownunda Freedom Fighters, which would often spoil his plans. To ensure he had the necessary means to secure control of the continent fully, Robotnik shipped a zeppelin of SWATbots, Combots, weapons and other materials to Crocbot. Prior to its arrival, Crocbot mostly employed his machine flying dingoes.

Crocbot's first real defeat came when the D.F.F. received assistance from Miles "Tails" Prower. Just as the blimp full of SWATbots and supplies arrived, Tails and Barby Koala attacked, disrupting its docking procedures and causing it to crash. Crocbot then attempted to escape in his nuclear-powered tank, but a bomb/boomerang from Walt Wallabee knocked the tank off course, causing it to crash into a crater (the former site of Echidnaopolis) and explode.

It was later revealed that Crocbot survived, building a prison camp in the crater. The explosion somehow fused Crocbot to his tank, leaving him with tank treads in the place of legs. Backed by an army of Combots, he sought to regain control of the continent. He was able to successfully capture Barby Koala, Walt Wallabee, Antoine D'Coolette and Bunnie Rabbot, and was in the process of mining mineral ore to power Robotnik's Ultimate Annihilator. Still wishing to rule Mobius alone, Crocbot secretly planted a thermo-nuclear device in the airbus which was carrying the ore, hoping to wipe out Robotnik with it. The device was found by Bunny and stolen for other purposes. Crocbot succeeded in shipping the ore to Robotnik, but came under attack shortly after it left by the other Downunda Freedom Fighters. Crocbot was again seemingly destroyed by the attacking Freedom Fighters. His lower half was completely destroyed as a result of the attack, but Crocbot managed to survive once more.

Having planeted a mind control chip on Duck "Bill" Platypus -one of the D.F.F.'s- Crocbot had "Bill" to move his remains into hiding. Some time later, using "Bill" as an agent, he convinced the other platypus on Downunda to oppose the Downunda Freedom Fighters. Fortunately, Sonic and Tails soon showed up during their hunt of Ixis Naugus. They discovered Crocbot hidden under a building, and disconnected him from his power supply, though not before Crocbot began a cryptic warning regarding Bunyip, a monster of Downunda legend. Crocbot's remains were shipped to Mobotropolis (which had been retaken by the Mobians by this time), only to be apprehended bySnively's team of convicts, which had recently escaped from the Devil's Gulag.

Crocbot later returned, having been merged together with fellow sub-boss Octobot to form Croctobot (see below).

Croctobot

After numerous defeats at the hands of Tails, Crocbot and Octobot were fused together. Now known as Croctobot, they were sent to crash Sonic's birthday party. Upon seeing the robot, Sonic managed to laugh himself into submission, describing the new enemy as the 'lamest badnik ever'. Meanwhile, Scourge the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat used Chaos Control to teleport to the party using the Master Emerald. In a rare team-up Sonic, Scourge, and Shadow the Hedgehog destroyed Croctobot. Despite Shadow having expressed an allegiance with Robotnik, he remained idle and complacent as Croctobot threatened Sonic and intended to report Shadow as a traitor (prior to his destruction by the three hedgehogs) to Robotnik for his apparent inaction - the cause of said inaction most likely attributed to Shadow's expressed gratitude and thanks towards Sonic for having saved Hope Kintobor's life earlier.

Croctobot's body was essentially Crocbot's salvaged upper body attached to the top of Octobot's head. This equipped Croctobot with sharp claws and tentacles, and presumably the ability to fight in the water as well as on land. However, Croctobot seemed somewhat insecure with himself, shouting out bravado and getting extremely angry when insulted by Sonic.

It is unknown why Croctobot did not try to harm Tails, as both Crocbot and Octobot have a deep-seated grudge against him.

In an abandoned future storyline, Archie Comics had plans to make Croctobot sub-boss over all of Downunda. Since he has been destroyed, this will not likely come to pass.^[9]

Mecha (M)

Mecha is one of Dr. Robotnik's creations created while Sonic was still in outer space and everybody thought he was dead. Mecha is designed after a female Overlander, and is referred to by Eggman as his 'daughter'; unlike Robotnik's previous creations, Mecha has many more fighting abilities than any of Robotnik's creations ever had. Her most prominent ability, other than strength beyond that of any biological Overlander, was the power to shoot lasers from her eyes.

Sonic and Mecha duked it out at the docks of Dr. Eggman's newest city Megapolis, a battle which resulted in Sonic getting hurt, eventually leading to his breakup with Sally Acorn. Bunnie Rabbot knocked Mecha into a building and Geoffrey destroyed her skin coating by chucking a grenade leaving her with only a metallic skeletal form similar in appearance to the T-X from the Terminator movies, and this made her very angry. Sonic and friends were able to dump Mecha into the sewers; this short circuited her now-exposed systems. It is revealed later that she survived her encounter with Sonic. A.D.A.M. later framed Mecha, showing visual evidence of her helping the mysterious "Anonymous," who is later revealed to be ADAM himself. Believing her to be traitorous, Eggman ordered her to self-destruct, destroying her while unaware that the real traitor was ADAM.

Loyal only to Eggman, Mecha was as cold and emotionless as most of his creations-most of the time. She only showed emotion on a handful of occasions, usually when Eggman was threatened. At these times, she became extremely angry and volatile.

Octobot

Far beneath the surface of the Great Mobian Ocean rests an underwater bot base - home of the malicious Octobot, a giant blue mech squid that serves as one of Robotnik's underbosses. In fact, Octobot's existence under the seas would have remained unknown to the Freedom Fighters had Tails not encountered him during the maiden voyage of the Sea Fox. Discovering the underwater roboticisation factory once manned by Jaws, Tails destroyed the submerged base and left Octobot a complete laughing stock among the Bot community.

Octobot soon decided that he had to kill Tails to redeem himself and exact revenge, and while on a mission to prove himself in Downunda, Octobot scuttled Tails' Sea Fox by puncturing it with his drill tentacles and dragged Tails beneath the ocean in an attempt to drown him. Tails was rescued by the Forty Fathom Freedom Fighters, and Octobot was crushed beneath the massive weight of their largest member, Fluke the Blue Whale. Octobot survived the incident, though temporarily flattenned. He later reappeared, fleeing the only undersea villain more fearsome than himself: Eel Capone, the undersea gangster.

It was only after Sonic's year in space that Octobot returned again, having since become attached to the leftovers of his Downunda-comrade Crocbot, now called Croctobot.

Octobot hates Tails with a passion almost as strong as Crocbot and would also gladly kill him for virtually ruining his many plans. Like many of Robotnik's sentient creations, he is highly volatile. Octobot's assignment has naturally affected his behavior, from sailor jargon to mentions of Davy Jones' locker.

Sonic robots

Main article: Sonic robots in the Archie comic

Pseudo-Sonic

A Sonic-based robot named Pseudo-Sonic appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog #9. He was one of the few early villains to find Knothole Village, tricking Antoine D'Coolette into thinking that he was the real Sonic. Pseudo-Sonic was soon defeated, since Tails short-circuited him by dragging his namesakes on the ground while running around Pseudo-Sonic in a circle, generating static electricity. He made a reappearance later on, where it was revealed that there was an island where Badniks went to be repaired after being defeated. He was defeated by Sonic once again, but the other Badniks salvaged him, hid the island underwater, and began the process of rebuilding him. During repairs, the Badniks planned to use a built-in program to enlarge Pseudo-Sonic to massive levels, though this plan was quickly foiled by the Forty Fathom Freedom Fighters.

Pseudo-Sonic also appeared in an episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog of the same name.

Mecha Sonic

When Robotnik finally managed to capture Sonic, he roboticized him, creating Mecha Sonic. Mecha Sonic was the part of the "Mecha Madness" story arc, where he was used by Eggman to battle the Freedom Fighters, but was defeated by a good Mecha Knuckles, and was de-roboticized.

Another version of Mecha Sonic, very similar in design except he was completely silver, appeared in a later issue when the Bem turned Sonic and Tails into robots to fight Dr. Robotnik and Snively Kintobor, whom they had turned back into humans for the purpose of determining who was superior. Mecha Sonic and Tails proved victorious, and were restored to their normal forms.