Random Virus (Ace Lightning)

Random Virus is a neutrally-aligned fictional character from the BBC show, Ace Lightning. A cyborg with a dual personality, Random Virus is often fighting himself, allies and enemies to keep himself under control and from turning evil.

Character Outline

Random is a cyborg who is tormented by two programmes, one derived from good and another (possibly developed from a virus) that is stricken with evil, leading to personality conflicts. At certain times, he is a loyal Lightning Knight who wants to help Ace Lightning; at other times, he is a vicious villain who attempts help Lord Fear fight Ace. Random's right eye changes color when his personality does, green when his good side is in control, and red when his evil side takes over. He has a mechanical claw instead of a right hand, caterpillar tracks instead of legs, and a metal plate attached to the right side of his face. Random is an old friend of Ace and has helped him in several battles during the time they have known each other. The Ace Lightning yearbook claims that he is 35 years old, and that his metal parts are 6 years old. Random's evil side has a twisted sense of reality, believing he is the destroyer of all things weak in the universe, namely goodness, virtue and Ace Lightning in his mind. It has been implied from time to time in the show that apart from Kilobyte, Random Virus is likely the most powerful game character. The character is voiced by Cathal J. Dodd, best known for voicing Wolverine in most of the X-Men media tie-ins.

Personality

Random's distinct dual personality causes him two different levels of behaviour, one positive and moral-based, and the other negative and based on a lust for power and destruction, and a hatred of all "weakness". Random shifts endlessly between these personalities, and the only warning people usually get of the approaching shift is shown via his changing eye colour. In effect, Random has the CGI equivalent of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Random's good side is nostalgic, often remembering how he was once a Lightning Knight and still attempts to maintain his role as a loyal hero. However, he deeply fears losing control of his evil side and hides himself away in a junkyard to prevent himself from causing something he believes he will regret for the rest of his life. His evil side has a twisted vision on justice, and believes it is his duty to destroy all forms of goodness in the universe. He is portrayed as being very aggressive, quick-to-anger and very tormenting, often attempting to threaten both heroes and villains alike. Nevertheless, Random's evil side seems to admire and respect people who possess courage.

Abilities

Random has superhuman strength, allowing him to lift the heavy Anvil into the air, as well as having the raw power to defeat Anvil singlehandedly even after the villain becomes so powerful that Ace and Sparx must combine attacks to defeat him. Being a cyborg, Random can manipulate machinery and sometimes electricity and since most of his skin has been replaced with pure metal, Random is resistant to most attacks, and can easily deflect them. Unlike the other Lightning Knights, Random has not demonstrated any need to periodically "power up" to maintain his strength. Random appears to be able to detect a person's level of fear, and determine whether they are brave or cowardly, as demonstrates during his confrontation with Mark. However, Random discovers that despite his fear, Mark is not a coward, leading him to realise that Dirty Rat is, and causing him to turn on the evil rodent.

Random has been shown to be vulnerable to deflected attacks. This is proven when Ace incapacitates him using the Shield of Justice in "Tunnel of Love". In that episode, Ace bounced a lightning bolt off the Shield and was able to shortcircuit Random with the deflected shot.

History

According to the Year Book, Random is 35 years old, and his body parts are six years old, meaning he obtained them when he was 29. The creators of the show briefly designed an idea that Random obtained both his metal limbs and evil programme after being damaged in a battle which also scrambled his programming. Random Virus does not develop numerous grudges with the villains the way Sparx does, but when he does fight the video villains he is most often pitted against Anvil. He spends most of the time hiding out in the town junkyard, afraid that he will hurt his friends.

Random first came to our world when Dirty Rat steals Mark's piece of the Amulet and Lord Fear's piece as a bonus. The Rat orders Random to destroy Mark, but Mark's bravery in the face of danger reveals to Random that although he is afraid, he not a coward, so the cyborg turns on Rat to help Mark and Ace. Lord Fear soon tries to get Random to join him, but he refuses, so Lord Fear and Lady Illusion surprise him with an explosion and bundle him into the back of the ice cream truck. They hide him within the Tunnel of Love at the carnival. Mark finds Random, but before he can lead him to safety, Lord Fear appears and turns Random to evil. Ace arrives with the Shield of Justice and restores Random to the good side.

Random tries to join Lord Fear several times when his evil programme was in control, but the Lightning Knights manage to convince to fight for their cause. In the Season One Finale, Lord Fear restores the Amulet, and starts draining the Lightning Knights' powers, Random included. Random joins Ace and Sparx in the final battle, but is overcome by Anvil and quickly captured with Sparx by Lady Illusion. Mark finds the Amulet and shatters it, causing Lord Fear and his minions to return to the game, and Random is freed from his prison.

In Season 2, Random's dark programme starts to grow stronger, making it more difficult for Random to control himself. When Kilobyte arrives, he manages to convince Random to join him for a short while, but after witnessing Mark bravely fight against Kilobyte, Random's good side is victorious in the struggle between the two programmes, and chases Kilobyte out of the junkyard.

When Kilobyte frees himself from the control of the Master Programmer, begins eliminating the Lightning Knights. Random is first on the list, but Kilobyte offers him one final chance to join his forces. Random refuses, and Kilobyte drains him of his energy, allowing Anvil to finish him off. Ace and Sparx arrive at the junkyard, and presume that Random has been destroyed and is now back in the Sixth Dimension. However, when Sparx is captured, it is revealed Random had been taken to the carnival and placed in an unbreakable forcefield along with Mark's girlfriend Kat.

Ace and Lord Fear free Random and the others by fusing their attacks with Mark's and destroying Kilobyte. Random then witnesses Lord Fear blast Ace, who is revealed to be Lady Illusion in disguise. The real Ace chases off Lord Fear and says farewell to Lady Illusion, who then dies in his arms. As Ace weeps, Random and Sparx move to his side.