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Robotman (Cliff Steele)
Encyclopedia
Robotman is a fictional character
, a cyborg
superhero
in the . Robotman first appeared in My Greatest Adventure
#80 (June 1963) and was created by Arnold Drake
, Bob Haney
and Bruno Premiani
.
along with Negative Man and Elasti-Girl
. He is unique in that he is the only character to appear in every version of the Doom Patrol.
Cliff Steele became Robotman after a race car accident destroyed his body (a retcon had the accident intentionally caused by Niles Caulder
). Caulder subsequently placed Cliff's intact brain into a robotic body. After the operation, Cliff suffered from frequent depression
because he viewed himself as less than human. A background serial in Doom Patrol #s 100, 101, 103 & 105 (December 1965 – August 1966) indicated that Caulder made a mistake in the operation that caused Steele to go on a rampage, which was corrected when he was recruited for the Patrol. (These are incompatible with Cliff's flashback in My Greatest Adventure #80)
, Cliff's brain had survived. Will Magnus
, the robotics expert who created the Metal Men
, recovered Cliff's brain and built him a new body. Cliff then joined a new Doom Patrol headed by a woman claiming to be Caulder's wife, Arani. Refusing to believe that Niles was dead, she formed this new team to search for him and took his place as leader, calling herself Celsius
, due to her heat-and-cold-based powers. This new Doom Patrol was eventually almost all killed in action with the exceptions of Cliff, Tempest
, Negative Woman, and Rhea Jones
(who remained comatose). Caulder had turned up alive by this time, and denied having been married to Arani, although he admitted having known her.
Following this, Cliff voluntarily committed himself to an asylum, having fallen into a state of depression due to his condition and the loss of his teammates. In particular, he was angry about being in a metal body and unable to enjoy the feeling and senses that humans take for granted. Caulder sent Magnus round to try and help Cliff. Magnus introduced him to a person with "worse problems than [his]": a woman called Crazy Jane
. Cliff became the guardian of, and eventually fell in love with, Jane. Near the end of Grant Morrison
's run on the title, his human brain was revealed to have been replaced with a CPU, making him a robot in reality.
In Rachel Pollack
's run, Cliff's artificial brain began to malfunction so Dorothy Spinner
's Imaginary Friends "rebuilt" Cliff's old brain.
Cliff later met and began a relationship with a bisexual, post-op transsexual named Kate Godwin
. At one point, Kate and Cliff merged and shared his memories.
are attacked by Negative Woman
, who has been revived as a member of the Black Lantern Corps
. While they try to fight off their former comrade, Cliff is approached by his own brainless corpse, which has also been revived as a Black Lantern.
Cliff correctly surmises that the ring powers his corpse, but finds removing it only causes a new body to regenerate instead. He and Negative Man trick the Black Lanterns into entering a warp gate to a JLA
checkpoint then try to put the incident behind them.
In the early comics, Cliff boasted of superior sight and hearing, though at the start of Grant Morrison's run, he complained of the crudity of mechanical senses as compared to human ones.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the . Robotman first appeared in My Greatest Adventure
My Greatest Adventure
My Greatest Adventure was a DC Comics comic book that began in 1955 and is best known as the original title for the superhero team, the Doom Patrol.-Publication history:...
#80 (June 1963) and was created by Arnold Drake
Arnold Drake
Arnold Drake was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, among others....
, Bob Haney
Bob Haney
Robert G. "Bob" Haney was a US comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.- Early life and career :...
and Bruno Premiani
Bruno Premiani
Giordano Bruno Premiani , whose work is credited as Bruno Premiani, was an Italian illustrator known for his work for several American comic book publishers, particularly DC Comics...
.
Fictional character biography
Robotman is one of the founding members of the Doom PatrolDoom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
along with Negative Man and Elasti-Girl
Elasti-Girl
Elasti-Girl is a fictional character, a superhero of the DC Comics universe and a member of the Doom Patrol.-Fictional character biography:...
. He is unique in that he is the only character to appear in every version of the Doom Patrol.
Cliff Steele became Robotman after a race car accident destroyed his body (a retcon had the accident intentionally caused by Niles Caulder
Chief (comics)
The Chief is a fictional character from DC Comics and the leader of the Doom Patrol. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
). Caulder subsequently placed Cliff's intact brain into a robotic body. After the operation, Cliff suffered from frequent depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
because he viewed himself as less than human. A background serial in Doom Patrol #s 100, 101, 103 & 105 (December 1965 – August 1966) indicated that Caulder made a mistake in the operation that caused Steele to go on a rampage, which was corrected when he was recruited for the Patrol. (These are incompatible with Cliff's flashback in My Greatest Adventure #80)
Death and rebirth
Although initially believed to have been killed by Madame RougeMadame Rouge
Madame Rouge is a fictional DC Comics supervillainess. She first appeared in Doom Patrol v.1 #86.-Fictional character biography:Laura De Mille was originally a French stage actress. After an automobile accident, she developed a dual good/evil split personality. At this point, she attracted the...
, Cliff's brain had survived. Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
, the robotics expert who created the Metal Men
Metal Men
The Metal Men are fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru...
, recovered Cliff's brain and built him a new body. Cliff then joined a new Doom Patrol headed by a woman claiming to be Caulder's wife, Arani. Refusing to believe that Niles was dead, she formed this new team to search for him and took his place as leader, calling herself Celsius
Celsius (comics)
Celsius is the superhero alias of Arani Desai, a fictional character in the DC Comics series, Doom Patrol. She first appeared in Showcase #94 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Joe Staton...
, due to her heat-and-cold-based powers. This new Doom Patrol was eventually almost all killed in action with the exceptions of Cliff, Tempest
Joshua Clay
Joshua Clay is a fictional character, a member of the superhero team Doom Patrol in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Kupperberg and Joe Staton, he first appears as the hero Tempest in Showcase #94 ....
, Negative Woman, and Rhea Jones
Rhea Jones
Rhea Jones is the name of a female comic book superhero created by Paul Kupperberg and owned by DC Comics. She at times went by the alias Lodestone. Her first appearance was in Doom Patrol v2, #3.-Fictional character biography:...
(who remained comatose). Caulder had turned up alive by this time, and denied having been married to Arani, although he admitted having known her.
Following this, Cliff voluntarily committed himself to an asylum, having fallen into a state of depression due to his condition and the loss of his teammates. In particular, he was angry about being in a metal body and unable to enjoy the feeling and senses that humans take for granted. Caulder sent Magnus round to try and help Cliff. Magnus introduced him to a person with "worse problems than [his]": a woman called Crazy Jane
Crazy Jane
Crazy Jane is a fictional character created by Grant Morrison and Richard Case for their work on the Vertigo Comics version of the Doom Patrol...
. Cliff became the guardian of, and eventually fell in love with, Jane. Near the end of Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's run on the title, his human brain was revealed to have been replaced with a CPU, making him a robot in reality.
In Rachel Pollack
Rachel Pollack
Rachel Pollack is an American science fiction author, comic book writer, and expert on divinatory tarot...
's run, Cliff's artificial brain began to malfunction so Dorothy Spinner
Dorothy Spinner
Dorothy Spinner is a fictional character created by Paul Kupperberg and owned by DC Comics. She was a former member of the Doom Patrol with the ability to bring imaginary beings to life. She first appeared in Doom Patrol vol...
's Imaginary Friends "rebuilt" Cliff's old brain.
Cliff later met and began a relationship with a bisexual, post-op transsexual named Kate Godwin
Coagula
This article is about the fictional comic book character. For the art magazine, see Coagula Art Journal Coagula is a fictional character and former member of DC Comic's Doom Patrol. Kate is a male-to-female transsexual, one of the first transsexual characters in comics, and remains one of the...
. At one point, Kate and Cliff merged and shared his memories.
Blackest Night
In the Doom Patrol's Blackest Night tie-in storyline, Robotman and Negative ManNegative Man
Negative Man is a fictional superhero from DC Comics. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80.-Larry Trainor:The original Negative Man, Larry Trainor, is a founding member of the Doom Patrol, along with Elasti-Girl, Robotman, and The Chief...
are attacked by Negative Woman
Valentina Vostok
Valentina Vostok is a fictional character by DC Comics. She first appeared in Showcase #94, , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
, who has been revived as a member of the Black Lantern Corps
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
. While they try to fight off their former comrade, Cliff is approached by his own brainless corpse, which has also been revived as a Black Lantern.
Cliff correctly surmises that the ring powers his corpse, but finds removing it only causes a new body to regenerate instead. He and Negative Man trick the Black Lanterns into entering a warp gate to a JLA
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
checkpoint then try to put the incident behind them.
Powers and abilities
Cliff's original mechanical body possessed superhuman strength, speed, and endurance. It was also equipped with electromagnetic feet that enabled him to scale metal walls, heating coils in his hands then enabled him to melt metals, an oxygen tank that could sustain his brain in an emergency, and a video communicator strapped to his chest that allowed Caulder to maintain contact with the team in the field, complete with visual information. Later bodies have featured various other functions, such as tools and weapons systems.In the early comics, Cliff boasted of superior sight and hearing, though at the start of Grant Morrison's run, he complained of the crudity of mechanical senses as compared to human ones.
Television
- Robotman has appeared in the two-part Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
episode "Homecoming" voiced by Peter OnoratiPeter Onorati-Biography:He was born and raised in Boonton, New Jersey and attended Boonton High School. He attended Lycoming College, where he received his B.A. degree in Business Administration. He was an NCAA all-conference wide receiver, and signed up to play in the World Football League...
. He is shown as a member of the Doom PatrolDoom PatrolThe Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
along with overseer MentoMento (comics)Mento is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Doom Patrol #91 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.-Fictional character biography:...
, Elasti-GirlElasti-GirlElasti-Girl is a fictional character, a superhero of the DC Comics universe and a member of the Doom Patrol.-Fictional character biography:...
and Negative ManNegative ManNegative Man is a fictional superhero from DC Comics. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80.-Larry Trainor:The original Negative Man, Larry Trainor, is a founding member of the Doom Patrol, along with Elasti-Girl, Robotman, and The Chief...
. It was revealed that he was the second Robotman in "Homecoming: Part 1", when Beast BoyBeast BoyGarfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
called him "Cliff", referencing his real name. In the TT origins episode "Go" Beast BoyBeast BoyGarfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
referred to CyborgCyborg (comics)Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
as "Robotman 2.0".
- Robotman (alongside Doom Patrol members ChiefChief (comics)The Chief is a fictional character from DC Comics and the leader of the Doom Patrol. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
, Negative ManNegative ManNegative Man is a fictional superhero from DC Comics. He first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80.-Larry Trainor:The original Negative Man, Larry Trainor, is a founding member of the Doom Patrol, along with Elasti-Girl, Robotman, and The Chief...
, and Elasti-GirlElasti-GirlElasti-Girl is a fictional character, a superhero of the DC Comics universe and a member of the Doom Patrol.-Fictional character biography:...
), made an appearance in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "The Last Patrol!" voiced by Henry RollinsHenry RollinsHenry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
. In this version, he has become very downcast about the fact that he is almost indestructible and is constantly trying to commit suicide. Following the Doom Patrol's break-up, he ended up being a crash dummy for a car company. While walking out by the docks, he has a run-in with Arsenal and dares Arsenal to finish him off. Just then, Batman and the Doom Patrol arrive and help fend off Arsenal before being hit with knock-out gas by General Zahl. He and the other Doom Patrol members sacrifice their lives to stop the bomb on General Zahl's ship.
- The Doom Patrol will be featured in animated shorts for Cartoon Network's DC NationDC Nation ShortsDC Nation Shorts is a upcoming number of shorts that will air on Cartoon Network in 2012. The shorts will be part of the DC Nation block, and will consist of Plastic Man, Super Best Friends Forever, Doom Patrol, Batman, Lego Batman, Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, Teen Titans, Blue Beetle and...
block of programming in 2012.