Roboto
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Roboto is a fictional character in the popular toy line and animated television series Masters of the Universe.
A member of the Heroic Warriors, Roboto is notable for being the only fully mechanical warrior in his ranks. His metal body makes him invulnerable to pain and able to resist many attacks that would leave an ordinary warrior injured. His computer brain also renders him highly intelligent. He has a transparent body through which his inner working gears can be seen, and his right hand is a mechanical claw which can be replaced with an axe or laser gun.
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[edit] Character history
[edit] The 1980s
Roboto was introduced into the Masters of the Universe toy line in 1985. His first appearance in any MOTU medium was the Mattel mini-comic "The Battle of Roboto" in which he was built by Man-At-Arms, who gave him a cybernetically-enhanced heart which enabled him to feel human emotions and interact with his comrades as a human rather than a pure machine.
Given that the accompanying cartoon series was drawing to a close at the time his action figure was released, Roboto made only one appearance in the cartoon, but unlike most other figures released at this time, Roboto was lucky enough to get a whole episode written around him. This episode, "Happy Birthday Roboto" featured a radically different origin story for him, in which he was a space explorer from the alien world of Robotica, who crash-landed on Eternia. Initially wrecked by the crash, he was repaired and restored by Man-At-Arms.
[edit] 2002 series
Roboto featured in the relaunch of the Masters of the Universe toy line and cartoon series in 2002. In the new cartoon, he was introduced in the episode "Roboto's Gambit" in which he was built by Man-At-Arms as a simple chess-playing robot. Desiring to apply his chess skills to the real battle around him, he upgraded himself to a warrior robot and effectively transferred his skills into the Masters' combat.
However, Teela refused to let him join the fighting forces since he was not specifically designed for battle. However, during the prevailing incident of battling a hydra-like enemy controlled by Tri-Klops which doubled its number every time it was destroyed, it was Roboto's analysis that determined the only way to defeat it was to attack Tri-Klops directly. To do so, Roboto advised He-Man of his idea and used himself as a self-sacrifice to draw the enemy's attention to allow the superhero to approach his target. While He-Man was successful, Roboto was overwhelmed and seemingly destroyed before the enemy could be neutralized. Teela mourned his destruction and berated herself for not appreciating his courage and skills when offered. However, to her elated relief, her father then announced that she would have that opportunity as he presented the fully repaired Roboto who was ready to assume the duties Teela gladly offered. Subsequent episodes saw him serving as the Masters' combat analyst.
A notable point about Roboto in the new series is that his portrayal, as well as his voice, seemed to differ between episodes. Although portrayed as strong and confident in his debut appearance, subsequent appearances in "The Sweet Smell of Victory" and "Separation" showed him as lacking in confidence, while his machinic understanding of the human world around him could often come across as amusingly simple rather than intelligent. He was also given a lighter, softly-spoken voice in these episodes, which some fans have compared to Michael Jackson. However, most episodes in season 2 restored him to his original personality and voice.
[edit] Toy versions
The 2002 version of Roboto is similar to the original 1980s release. It features armor to fit over his clear torso, something that did not come with the original figure. Also, the 2002 version only comes with a claw and laser gun, not with the axe that came with the 1980s original.
