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Doctor Eggman

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This article is about the video game character. For the derived characters featured in comic books and animations, see Dr. Robotnik (other media).
Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Eggman)
'Sonic the Hedgehog series character
File:Robotnik Riders.png
Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik
First gameSonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Created byNaoto Ōshima

Doctor Ivo Robotnik[1] (ロボトニック, Dokutā Robotonikku), also known by his alias, Doctor Eggman[2] (ドクター・エッグマン, Dokutā Egguman) (see naming variations), is a video game character and main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a comically obese scientist with an IQ of 300. His character designer is Naoto Ōshima, and he has gone through several appearance changes throughout the series.

Concept and inspiration

File:EggmanSketch.jpg
Doctor Robotnik's design prior to Sonic CD

In April of 1990, Sega requested a game capable of selling over one million copies and a character to replace Alex Kidd as the company's mascot, as well as to rival Nintendo's flagship character, Mario. Several character designs were submitted by its AM8 research & development department, including an armadillo (who was later developed into Mighty the Armadillo), a dog, a spiky hedgehog (which would later become Sonic the Hedgehog), and a rabbit (intended to use its extending ears to collect objects; these aspects were later incorporated into Ristar).[3] A caricature of Theodore Roosevelt was also one of the possible designs, but it lost to Sonic the Hedgehog, and eventually became the basis for Dr. Robotnik. It was later decided after watching a demo of Super Mario World that he would fly in a machine which would be called the Egg-O-Matic.[4].

Ivo, the character's first name, is reverse of Ovi, a prefix based on the Latin word for "eggs".[5] Robotnik, the character's surname, is the generic Polish word for a worker.[6]

Actor portrayal

Eggman has been the primary antagonist in almost all of Sonic's incarnations, and throughout all of them, a number of voice actors have played him. In the video games, Eggman's voice was provided by Chikao Ōtsuka; he was dubbed over in the English versions of the games by Deem Bristow from 1999 to 2004. 4Kids employee Mike Pollock took over Bristow's role after his death from a heart attack in 2005. The first video game to star Pollock was Shadow the Hedgehog, in which all of the regular voice actors were replaced with the 4Kids cast.

The only person besides Ōtsuka to portray Eggman in a Japanese production is Junpei Takiguchi, who provided Eggman's voice for the direct-to-video film Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie; Edwin Neal later provided the English dub.

Three different actors voiced Doctor Eggman in his American television incarnations (in which he is called Robotnik). In The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Robotnik is voiced by British blues singer Long John Baldry, who, coincidentally, died on the same year as Deem Bristow. Robotnik was voiced by Jim Cummings in the ABC Saturday morning Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, and by Gary Chalk (who also voiced Grounder in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog) in Sonic Underground. Eggman is dubbed over by Pollock in the English dub of Sonic X.

Naming variations

File:M&S Eggman.jpg
Eggman as he appears in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

Due to a split storyline between the Japanese and American/European Sonic games, the character of Robotnik/Eggman has been known by several names in the various media and adaptations of the Sonic franchise. In Japan, the character has always been known as "Doctor Eggman" since his introduction in the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. However, in early American and European game versions and other media he is known only as Doctor Ivo Robotnik. Although, despite this, both names slipped occasionally in the different regions.

In Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, the character's name was originally Ovi Kintobor. But an explosive accident involving a rotten egg reversed his kindly personality (along with the letters of his name), and he emerged as Ivo Robotnik. The Sonic the Hedgehog animated series expanded on the character's name further, revealing his first name to be Julian. The Sonic the Hedgehog comic book, which is closely based on the cartoon, gives Robotnik's birth name as Julian Kintobor of the House of Ivo, with "Kintobor" being his family name.

Beginning with Sonic Adventure, Sega began a process of merging the American and European game stories to the Japanese version, including introducing the concept of calling the character "Doctor Eggman" in the American and European versions. Initially, both names were used in the English language version, as he referred to himself as "Robotnik" while others mockingly called him "Eggman" because of his round physique. In the sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, he begins referring to himself as "Dr. Eggman", although his grandfather and cousin share the family name "Robotnik".

In later games, and in the English dub of Sonic X, usage of the name Robotnik became rare. The airboards in Sonic Riders are labeled as being built by "Robotnik Corp." It is also featured occasionally in Sonic X: in the character's eyecatch profile card from the Japanese version of Sonic X[7], and again in Gerald and Maria's family name.

Appearances

Games

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog (series)
File:Oldrobotnik.jpg
Doctor Robotnik's original design, as seen in Sonic CD

In most video games, the main villain is the final boss fought by the player. Eggman, by contrast, appears as the boss of almost every level in most of the 2-D Sonic games (and some 3-D games), in a different machine each time. In the three-dimensional games, Eggman's role has often been shared by the influence of other enemies. Additionally, he has often been betrayed by his own allies and has sometimes even aided Sonic after his plans spiral out of control. As a result, Eggman is rarely the final boss of the post-Genesis games.

Eggman's debut occurred in the 1991 platform game Sonic the Hedgehog. He attempted to collect the six Chaos Emeralds (later seven) and turn all of the helpless animals inhabiting South Island into robots, but was foiled by his archenemy, Sonic the Hedgehog. He returned for the game's sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where he once again searched for the seven Chaos Emeralds, this time to fuel his new Death Egg warship. In Sonic CD, released in 1993, Eggman, along with his latest creation, Metal Sonic, travels to Little Planet in search of magical stones that have the power to control the passage of time, hoping to use these stones to take over the planet. Once again, Sonic defeats his attempts. In Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, following the events in Sonic 2, Eggman's Death Egg crash-lands onto Angel Island. While repairing the ship, Eggman meets Knuckles the Echidna, whom he tricks into believing that Sonic is trying to steal the Chaos Emeralds, which Eggman wants to use to repair the Death Egg.

Other two-dimensional platformers starring Eggman include Sonic Chaos, Sonic Triple Trouble, Sonic Blast, and Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure.

In Sonic Adventure (later released as Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut for the Gamecube), Eggman (as he is now more commonly known in the West) learns of the legendary beast, Chaos, and seeks out the Master Emerald. Upon finding it, he shatters it, freeing Chaos in the process. Eggman's goal is to control Chaos and obtain the Chaos Emeralds, which he can feed to Chaos so that it transforms into its most powerful form, using its destructive powers for him to conquer the world.[8] Sonic Adventure 2 marks Eggman's first appearance as a playable character in a main series game. Eggman revives the anti-hero Shadow the Hedgehog from dormancy. Shadow, knowing Eggman's desire to rule the world, agrees to help him by using the Eclipse Cannon aboard Space Colony ARK. In the last story, Eggman aids Sonic in trying to stop a fail-safe put in place by his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, which would set the colony on a crash course with Earth.[9] In Sonic Heroes, Eggman is captured by his own creation, Metal Sonic, who disguises himself as Eggman as part of a larger evil plan.

Concept art of Dr. Eggman as King Shahryār of Persia.

In Shadow the Hedgehog, Eggman is an opportunist who tries to gather the Chaos Emeralds in the middle of the alien invasion. He ends up sending his robots to help stop the alien menace in the end. As Shadow interrogates Eggman for information regarding his past, he is met with taunts from Eggman, who claims that Shadow is one of his androids.[10] During Shadow's fight with Black Doom, Eggman admits that he was lying.[11]

In the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog game, Eggman kidnaps the princess of Soleanna, who harbors the Flames of Disaster within her, in order to control time. Once again, he is forced to assist the heroes during the last act, much like previous games. Eggman also appears in Sonic and the Secret Rings as Shahryār of Persia. Here, his physical appearance has been changed back to his Adventure look.[12] Eggman appeared in Sonic Rush Adventure, where he is once again a main villain. He is also set to appear in the upcoming roleplay game, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. While he won't be the main villain, he will be a "more credible bad guy again". According to the developers, he has become more of a comic relief villain in most recent games, and they wish to help re-establish his role as a true threat.

In Sonic Spinball, a pinball-themed game, Eggman seizes Mount Mobius and turns it into a mechanical base, setting up an elaborate pinball mechanism to keep the Chaos Emeralds safe. Eggman has also appeared in "2.5D" isometric platformers; in Sonic Labyrinth, he secretly replaces Sonic's famous red shoes with the new "Slow-Down Boots," which take away his ability to jump or run fast, and in Sonic 3D Blast, he turns innocent Flickies into robots in yet another search for the Chaos Emeralds. Eggman is also a playable character in such games as Sonic Drift, Sonic R, Sonic Riders and its sequel Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, Sonic the Fighters, Sonic Battle (in which he isn't controllable), and Sega Superstars Tennis. Eggman appears as a playable character in the crossover game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Eggman also appears as an unlockable trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The only game as of yet to feature Eggman as the central character is the 1993 game Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, a Puyo Puyo clone in which Robotnik (as he was known in the West), along with numerous bounty hunters seen in the first episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, attempts to rid all the fun and music on the planet Mobius by kidnapping the citizens of one insignificant town and turning them into robots.

Characteristics

Personality

Doctor Eggman is a self-proclaimed[13] but, with an IQ of 300,[14] certifiable genius.[15] His fondness for mechas[16] has made him a renowned authority on robotics.[13] Eggman's goal is to conquer the world to create the ultimate utopia,[17] selfishly not giving a thought for others' opinions on a matter[16] in which he never gives up.[18] His abominable laughter and maniacal declarations mask his self-professed softer side, as a romanticist, feminist, and gentleman.[14] Despite his intelligence, Eggman is terribly immature,[18] prone to emotional fits and childish tantrums when he is not getting his way. Although Sonic has always ruined his evil plans, and Eggman does hate him,[16] he holds a secret respect for Sonic's determination.[15] He considers others who would interrupt his plans by conquering or destroying the world a prime threat,[17] and has teamed up with his rivals in a number of games to stop them. [19]

Appearance

File:Eggmanpromox.png
Dr. Eggman's current appearance.
File:Eggman 06.jpg
Eggman as he appears in Sonic the Hedgehog.

In the 16-bit era, Eggman was quite obese. His first outfit was red shirt with two white buttons on his front, black pants, white gloves, and a small yellow cape. He also wears dark blue pince nez glasses which hide his eyes. In the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog game, Eggman's blue eyes can be seen behind his glasses for the first time. Although animated and comic versions have showcased him with red pupils and black scleras, the video game counterpart's eyes have never been seen with the exception of Sonic Advance and Sonic Battle where his eyes are comically seen briefly after being struck. Despite his spherical body, he has incongruously thin legs. Eggman's most noticeable feature is his large, multi-pointed mustache.

Beginning with Sonic Adventure, Eggman became somewhat taller, and became more egg-shaped compared to the balloon shape he had before. His attire took on a different appearance as well, while still retaining a red-yellow-black theme. A pair of goggles can also be seen on his head. During Eggman's appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog game, his look changed again (he bears a startling resemblance to Gerald Robotnik, his grandfather). In effect, he is much less obese, (although his stomach is still visible underneath his clothing), and his legs are much fatter. He wears an updated version of his post-Sonic Adventure outfit with an additional turtleneck collar, but without the goggles atop his head. His eyes are barely visible under his glasses, (minus one cutscene). However, Eggman returned to his Sonic Adventure appearance in later games. He has been shown with a rounder face and shorter body for the upcoming Sonic Unleashed.

Abilities

Eggman's most well known ability is his masterminded plots and schemes which only fail due to Sonic and his friends. Eggman is an incredibly skilled pilot: able to swoop missiles and lasers with his Eggmobile with skill rivaling that of Tails.[20] Eggman has also shown some considerable physical strength.[21] Despite his physical structure, Eggman is also very athletic, this seen in many of the 16 bit era games, as there is almost always a point where Sonic chases him, yet Eggman seems able to sprint ahead long enough to reach his next weapon or escape vehicle. This trait of agility is carried on in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games and Sega Superstars Tennis. He also has a sensor in his glasses that allows him to locate Chaos Emeralds.[22] His huge lumbering frame doesn't give the impression that he would be good at gymnastics, but he can handle the trampoline and vault quite well.[23]

Alternate versions

Animation

See also: Dr. Robotnik (other media)
File:Robotnik AoStH.PNG
Robotnik from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog

There have been several animated television series featuring Eggman. Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was the first, and featured Long John Baldry as the voice of Robotnik.[24] The cartoon had little history for Robotnik, who was merely a comical villain who sought to rule Mobius. Broadcast alongside Adventures was Sonic the Hedgehog, which featured Robotnik as a fierce dictator who has already conquered most of the planet Mobius. This incarnation was voiced by Jim Cummings.[25] Sonic Underground also featured Robotnik in this same light, this time voiced by Gary Chalk, who previously voiced Grounder in the Adventures series.

In the two-episode OVA film Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, Eggman tells Sonic that he has been banished from Eggmanland by a metallic doppelgänger of himself. It is later revealed that the mecha was piloted by Eggman himself, in a scheme to lured Sonic into his base and copy his DNA for his new Hyper Metal Sonic robot. Eggman was voiced by Junpei Takiguchi in the Japanese version, and by Edwin Neal in the English dub.[26]

In the Sonic X anime, Doctor Eggman, along with other Sonic characters, is accidentally transported from their own world to Earth. This incarnation is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka in the Japanese version, and by Mike Pollock in the English dub.[27]

In printed media

When the first Sonic the Hedgehog title was released in 1991, Sega published a comic book (written by Francis Mao) designed to promote the game. The 14-page story included a non-canon origin for both Sonic and Eggman: Originally a benevolent scientist named Kintobor (an anagram of "Robotnik"), the Doctor used to be close friends with Sonic, even helping to develop the hedgehog's super-speed. Kintobor later tried to eliminate all the world's evil by absorbing it into the chaos emeralds, but the experiment went awry, instead shocking the Doctor with "10,000 volts of pure evil energy." As a result, Kintobor transformed into the grotesque Robotnik.[28] While inaccurate in regards to the games, a similar origin for Robotnik/Eggman later found its way into the UK-based Sonic the Comic, which was first published in 1993.

That same year, Archie Comics began publishing its Sonic the Hedgehog comic book. The series is faithful to (and in a sense, a continuation of) ABC's Sonic the Hedgehog animated cartoon: Instead of being a mad scientist, Robotnik is a dictator who is bent on ruling Planet Mobius. To this end, he "roboticizes" all living creatures he finds, reducing them to unquestioning robot slaves. A defiant Sonic the Hedgehog joins a band of Freedom Fighters who oppose Robotnik's reign. In recent times, the plot of the comic has changed to incorporate elements from the video games, with Robotnik adopting the physical appearance of Dr. Eggman. Since the original Robotnik's replacement he has become known as "Robotnik Prime" in the fanon to differentiate himself from the later "Eggman" character.

Like many characters in this Archie incarnation, Robotnik/Eggman has counterparts in parallel universes. The most prominent among these is a Robotnik who hails from dystopian version of Mobius, where Sonic and his friends were captured and turned into robots. In spite of this, the Freedom Fighters somehow kept their self-awareness and used their newfound super-strength to demolish Robotnik's army. Realizing that he was ruined, Robotnik lost his mind, used his own roboticizer on himself, and became Robo-Robotnik.[29] This version later changed his name to "Eggman" and replaced the incumbent villain as the main antagonist of the books.[30]

Creations

Main articles: E-Series (Sonic the Hedgehog), Metal Sonic, and Eggman's robots

Eggman's most traditional vehicle is the Eggmobile (known as the "Egg-O-Matic" in comics and cartoons) is a small hovering craft with a very distinct egg-like shape, a small circular lamp on the front, and can be fitted with a seemingly endless amount of gadgetry. It can notably be converted into a more mech-like walker configuration, which Eggman used extensively in Sonic Adventure 2. It can also be converted into car like vehicle which Eggman used in Sonic The Hedgehog 2 or into a submarine that can travel in water or lava as seen in Sonic & Knuckles.

Eggman's army consists fully of mass produced robotic drones whose appearance and armaments vary greatly from type to type. The helpless animals that inhabit the islands of Sonic's world are usually the first to fall victim to Eggman's schemes, as he will gather them in large droves to be transformed into his loyal worker drones. "Badniks" was a term used to describe these robot henchmen in early North American and European releases of the games, whereas they were just known as "Eggman's robots" in Japan.

The E-Series are a special part of Eggman's forces that have played a larger role in the games than the rest of the robots. Most notably E-102 Gamma, who was playable in Sonic Adventure and whose design is reused often by Sonic Team, and E-123 Omega who first appeared as a playable character in Sonic Heroes, and has appeared several times since, are his most recognized robots.

In Sonic Heroes, Eggman apparently scrapped the animal-powered "Badnik" designs and, in their place, started developing orange Eggman-resembling grunts simply called Egg Pawns. These had no animals inside and had rather poor intelligence. Eggman continued to use the Egg Pawn model in most subsequent games until the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog game, in which Eggman started using more serious, metal-colored humanoid robots armed with missiles and machine guns.

In several cartoon and comic iterations, Robotnik employs humanoid robot soldiers called SWATbots. They are typically armed with some sort of laser weapons, and will pursue Robotnik's enemies relentlessly, especially Sonic.

Eggman, aside from the huge mechas and robots he builds in his likeness, also engineers robot Sonic knock-offs to pit against his rival. Silver Sonic (known as Mecha Sonic in the Japanese manual) was his first attempt, and was featured as the penultimate boss of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit). Another robot appeared in Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as the second-to-final boss. In Sonic and Knuckles a much sleeker and more aggressive robot appeared, which could also use super transformation.

Eggman's most successful and persistent Sonic copy to date is Metal Sonic. He made his first appearance in Sonic CD to capture Amy Rose and race Sonic on the Stardust Speedway. Unlike the previous attempts, Metal Sonic was built for speed with a sleek form. Metal Sonic, after his first defeat at the hands of Sonic, went on to harass the Chaotix, where he was able to turn into an enormous, red version of himself via the Chaos Rings and wreak havoc for a while, until he was defeated once again. Afterwards, he was seen around participating in any kind of racing or fighting Sonic joins in, in hopes of defeating him one day. In Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic impersonates Eggman in an attempt to copy Sonic's, Tails', Knuckles',Amy's, Cream's, Big's, Rouge's, (Omega) Shadow's, and Chaos'(And team chaotix's) DNA and finally put an end to his rivalry with Sonic, once and for all. Eggman has also built robot copies of other characters, such as Metal Knuckles, the Tails Doll, and the Shadow Androids. He has even created robots based on himself, called Eggrobos.

In Sonic Rush Adventure, Captain Whisker, Johnny, and all the other pirate robots were Eggman's creations, as he and Eggman Nega were plotting to use them to uncover the power of the stars under Southern Island.

Theme songs

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ Story from the English Sonic the Hedgehog manual
  2. ^ Eggman's profile from the Sonic Adventure manual
  3. ^ "Sega Visions Interview with Yuji Naka". 1992. Retrieved 2007-06-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Sega Visions Interview with Yuji Naka". 1992. Retrieved 2007-06-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ ovi–: Definition and Much More from Answers.com
  6. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotnik
  7. ^ "Sonic X profile card". Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  8. ^ Doctor Robotnik: Oh, yes. It's just as the stone tablets predicted. Ha ha ha ha ha! His strength increases every time I give him a Chaos Emerald. With all seven Emeralds, he will be invincible and work for me! Together we'll destroy Station Square. And on its ruins I'll build Robotnikland. The ultimate city where I will rule it all. Come on, Chaos! Let's find another Emerald, shall we? Sega Sonic Adventure (in English) 1999-9-9 (US)
  9. ^ Doctor Eggman: The core of the Eclipse Cannon is now highly reactive and explosive. This is because of the energy of the Chaos Emeralds if overpowering it. If the colony collides with Earth, it will shatter into pieces like my grandfather predicted! [...] There still may be time left. If we pull together, we might be able to get to the shortcut that leads to the core! Sega Sonic Adventure 2 (in English) 2001-6-19 (US)
  10. ^ Shadow the Hedgehog: Yes, doctor, you will regret ever having created me. You're going straight to Hell! Eggman: Why you little... You're nothing but pieces of scrap metal! Once I'm done with you, you'll be thrown in the junkyard! Sega Shadow the Hedgehog (in English 2005-11-15 (US)
  11. ^ Eggman: Shadow... can you hear me...? This might be the last chance I have to speak to you, so... What I said, about having created you... it was all a lie. Everyone thought you died during that horrible incident... but I rescued you, with one of my robots... You lost your memory, that's all... You really are the Ultimate Life Form my grandfather created! Sega Shadow the Hedgehog (in English 2005-11-15 (US)
  12. ^ "Secret Rings character concept art". Retrieved 2007-08-07.
  13. ^ a b Eggman's profile from the Sonic Adventure 2 manual
  14. ^ a b Eggman's profile from the Sonic Heroes manual
  15. ^ a b Sega of America. "Eggman's official character profile from Sega of America". Sega of America. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  16. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Eggman Site Profile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ a b Eggman's profile from the Shadow the Hedgehog manual
  18. ^ a b Eggman's bio in the Sonic Jam's Sonic World museum profiles.
  19. ^ As seen in Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
  20. ^ As seen in episode episode 35 of Sonic X.
  21. ^ His character type in Sonic Riders and its sequel being power
  22. ^ Final story in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
  23. ^ Information taken from Eggman's Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games profile.
  24. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0222518/ Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog at the Internet Movie Database
  25. ^ Sonic the Hedghog at the Internet Movie Database
  26. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie at the Internet Movie Database
  27. ^ Sonic X at the Internet Movie Database
  28. ^ Sonic HQ Comics Info - Sega Promo Comic. Retrieved on 2008-2-23.
  29. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog #19 Archie Comics
  30. ^ Sonic the Hedgehog #75 Archie Comics
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