Of all the various incarnations of Dr. Robotnik, none have looked or acted quite as dark and menacing as the "Prime" version of Robotnik from the Sonic the Hedgehog comics published by Archie Comics. This incarnation of the Eggman has always looked more like an evil overlord rather than a mad scientist, which is rather appropriate given that he had successfully conquered Mobius in the comics. Of all the Robotniks/Eggmen of the Sonic multiverse, this incarnation also has the most in-depth history.
History[]
Origin[]
Doctor Robotnik was born under the name "Julian Ivo Kintobor" of the House of Ivo, a powerful family within the Overlander nation. During the Great War between the human Overlanders and the anthropomorphic Mobian animals, Julian worked as a weapons engineer for the Ministry of Conflict, creating many diabolical devices for the Overlander armies. It would later be revealed that Julian had used live human test subjects to perfect his weaponry, and for this he was tried and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Minister of Justice (his own brother, Collin). He would eventually find a way to escape confinement and go into hiding in the Badlands, where he would be found by the enemies of his people, the Mobians.
Julian was welcomed into the Kingdom of Acorn and pledged his allegiance to King Maximillian, promising to provide information regarding Overlander weapons and tactics. He was then taken under the tutelage of Warlord Kodos, the Kingdom's military tactician, and learned everything there was to learn in the art of warfare. He would later discover that Kodos had been planning a coup d' etat and sought to overthrow King Max and conquer the world. Enamoured by the idea of world domination, Julian studied Kodos' plans and then - using a dimensional warp created by the wizard Ixis Naugus - banished Kodos to the Zone of Silence. With Kodos gone, Julian assumed the mantle of Warlord and later led the Kingdom of Acorn to victory over the Overlanders.
Conquest[]
After the war, Julian became known as a hero to the Kingdom of Acorn. He later recruited his nephew Snively - who had surrendered to the Mobians near the end of the war - as his assistant, letting him in on his plans to overthrow the kingdom. Using his scientific prowess, Julian began secretly experimenting on Mobians in order to create a cyborg army to oppose the King. His project yielded unsatisfactory results and was scrapped, but his plans would continue with the revelation of Sir Charles Hedgehog's new breakthrough - the Roboticizer. The Roboticizer was created for the purpose of repairing and replacing damaged parts of the body, healing the injured and helping the elderly live longer. After discovering this marvellous invention, Julian stole the plans for the device and sabotaged it before its first test. He reconfigured the machine to entirely roboticize its subjects, completely transforming their bodies into machines and stripping them of their free will, programming them to only obey Julian's commands. Unaware of Julian's treachery, Sir Charles inadvertently roboticized his own brother Jules Hedgehog, who had been mortally injured during the war. With his brother reduced to a mindless automaton with no way of being restored, Charles stepped down as Mobotropolis's Minister of Science. Julian took up the position and immediately put all his scientific genius to work at modifying the Roboticizer and building an army of robot soldiers with which to overthrow the kingdom.
Months later, Julian staged his coup and his new army of SWATbots flooded the streets of Mobotropolis. With this act, Julian Kintobor - now going by the name Ivo Robotnik - rechristened the city "Robotropolis" and banished King Maximillian to the Zone of Silence. He then began rounding up the citizens for roboticization, turning them all into mindless robot slaves that would obey him without question. He also launched a global campaign of environmental destruction, polluting much of the planet's atmosphere and tearing down forests in a bid to "mechanize" the world. Several Mobians would survive Robotnik's takeover and go into hiding in the Great Forest, forming the small secret community of Knothole. The children of Knothole would eventually grow up to become the Freedom Fighters, a group dedicated to saving Mobius from Robotnik's tyranny.
Robotnik's Reign[]
With Robotropolis firmly under his control, Dr. Robotnik began expanding his influence across the whole of Mobius, polluting the environment and enslaving populations either through roboticization or just sheer brutality. For over ten years, the doctor ruled Mobius with an iron fist and went mostly unchallenged during his rule... with the exception of Sonic the Hedgehog and the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Though they were small in number, they were located close to Robotropolis's border and their tactics were brilliantly planned. What really gave them an edge was Sonic, who's impulsive nature and superior speed proved to be the undoing of most of the doctor's most carefully devised plans. Over the years, Robotnik would build new Badniks and other robots and weapons to better counter Sonic's interference, but with minimal success. It also did not help him any that Sonic had access to Power Rings that enhanced his abilities, and that the doctor would be betrayed by his nephew Snively on multiple occasions.
Endgame and Demise[]
During the final days of his reign over Mobius, Dr. Robotnik devised the ultimate plan to destroy the Freedom Fighters. He created an Auto-Automaton duplicate of Maximillian Acorn - the former king - and allowed his enemies to find it and bring it into their midst. He also made a deal with Drago Wolf - a traitorous Freedom Fighter - and promised him wealth and power if he arranged for the death of Princess Sally Acorn during a mission in Robotropolis, making it appear to the Freedom Fighters that Sonic was responsible for her murder. With the apparent death of Sally and Knothole's location revealed by King Max's robot double, Robotnik's forces occupied Knothole and the Freedom Fighters became divided, being taken to Robotnik's different facilities across the planet.
Meanwhile, Sonic had disappeared and was being hunted by his former allies, leaving Robotnik free to complete his most terrifying weapon yet - the Ultimate Annihilator. The UA would be capable of completely erasing its targets from existence and could destroy whole landmasses, perhaps even the whole planet. Before he could unleash his new weapon, however, Sonic had reappeared and was helping to liberate the captured Freedom Fighters. The time soon came for the final showdown between the two mortal adversaries as Sonic assaulted Robotnik's fortress in Robotropolis. The two battled fiercely, unaware of the treachery of Robotnik's lackey Snively, who had reconfigured the Ultimate Annihilator to affect only Robotnik's life signature and targeted the doctor's war room.
As Sonic and Robotnik fought, the UA activated and engulfed the war room. Sonic was almost destroyed himself, but was protected by a Power Ring. Robotnik, however, was obliterated in the blast. With Robotnik dead, the war ended and Robotropolis would soon fall under Mobian control again, with King Max (temporarily) resuming leadership. All of the roboticized Mobians would also regain their free will, but for a time would be persecuted by their organic counterparts. This post-war unrest would not last, but neither would the peace. For just a few months after Robotnik's death, the former tyrant's legacy would be revived by his counterpart from a parallel universe - Robo-Robotnik.
Personality[]
This incarnation of Dr. Robotnik is somewhat more sadistic than his videogame counterpart. He takes great delight in the suffering of others and his schemes tend to be more vicious. His desire to rule the world was sparked by a belief that Mobius was a world in the grip of constant chaos; a chaos caused by continuous struggles between races and the flaws of free will. It was Robotnik's intention to bring about order to Mobius by eliminating the chaotic element of free will, by turning the world into a well-oiled machine. He is convinced that robots and machines are inherently superior to organics and has no regard for organic life in any form. As cold-hearted and cruel as he is, Robotnik is still prone to throwing childish tantrums when his plans are ruined by Sonic. He often takes his frustrations out on his cowardly nephew Snively, who although is related by blood, Robotnik cares little to nothing for.
Abilities[]
- Genius Intellect - Robotnik has a staggering IQ of over 300. He is a brilliant scientist and military tactician with a predisposition toward treachery, having rose to power by betraying everyone around him. He is highly inventive; if Robotnik can imagine it, he can probably build it.
- Mechanically Augmented Strength - During his rise to power, Dr. Robotnik suffered an accident involving the Roboticizer. The accident resulted in his left arm and some of his innards being transformed into machinery. Though an annoyance at the time, Robotnik found his semi-roboticized body to be quite beneficial, with his strength being enhanced and various gadgets installed into his arm.
- Energy Shield - Robotnik's cybernetic hand is fitted with an energy gauntlet that can generate a shield to protect him from physical or energy attacks.
- Laser Blaster - Robotnik's mechanical arm also carries a small, concealed laser weapon.
- Jet Boots - Robotnik wears jet boots that allow him to fly short distances. It is unknown if the jet boots are separate garments or if the doctor had his legs cybernetically enhanced like his arm.
- Enhanced Senses - Robotnik's eyes and ears are cybernetic and he has been shown emitting red lights from his eyes in the dark. It is unknown when or why Robotnik received these enhancements, but most likely he had been injured in some manner during the Mobian/Overlander war.