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SWATbots were military robots developed by Dr. Ivo Robotnik which served in a multitude of roles from infantry to vehicle crews. The original SWATbot models were created nearing the end of the Great War and were employed during Robotnik's military coup. For the next ten years, SWATbots acted as the main military strength of Dr. Robotnik's empire. Following the death of Robotnik, SWATbots became outdated and de-commissioned. When Robo-Robotnik came to Mobius Prime he employed the superior Shadowbots as his main forces. However, newer variants of SWATbots were used in 3237 during the war between the Robotnik Empire and the Kingdom of Acorn. The remaining original SWATbots are currently under the employ of Mammoth Mogul, acting as butlers and servers in his casino. Standard SWAT-Bots are humanoid shaped robots, shiny metallic black. Standing at roughly six feet tall, SWAT-Bots view the world with a single red-tinted optical visor, which blinks when communicating or processing data. Melee spikes protrude from the joints and head, while large “fins” occupy the forearms. The standard SWATbots were armed standard with pulse blaster rifles with stun or kill settings which were slung on their backs when not in use, and also have wrist-mounted blaster weapons. They also have a flashlight built into the right forefinger, and an on-board communication system in the right arm. They can also wield grapple hook launchers and other devices. Standard SWAT-Bots pilot Robotnik's Hover-Units, which are large, heavily armed, bulbous vehicles resembling the hovercraft used by Dr. Robotnik, Hover-Tanks, which are low-altitude, uncovered Hover-Units with a large mounted blaster, and Mega-Muck Units. They also can pilot un-named yellow mecha that were able to fold up their limbs and use built-in wheels to travel like a car. There are also red-armored models that have two wrist blasters, instead of one. The red models usually employ air bikes for higher mobility and firepower.
All SWATbots were very durable, highly resistant to their own weapons, including artillery, and were often able to quickly recover from anything less than a Super Sonic Spin Attack. They are not, however fully waterproof, and any substantial amount of water (such as a lake or flood) would destroy them. They are unnafected by rain.
There are another type of SWATbot that is bulkier variety breed exists, they come in several variations, use multiple vehicles, and all have orders to capture Sonic and his siblings. However, these SWATbots are incredibly inefficient, being very vulnerable to water and laserfire, and having an easily accessed control panel on their arm. They are usually armed with energy guns, referred to as lasers. They would fire a steady stream of energy, unlike the blasters weapons in the earlier models.
SWATbots were visually very similar to, but much more class-oriented (specialized). Also, they had retractable wrist blasters. Due to specialization, some other varieties exist. Hover-SWATs are more alien in construction than the standard SWATbot. A dull gray in color, with red highlights on the head and blue tones on their arms and chest. Consisting of an upper half of a torso, the Hover-SWAT is approximately three feet in height, not including the hover-sled, which adds another two feet. The sled itself, from bow to stern, appears close to six feet in length. Like their brother model, the Hover-SWAT observes the area around it with a single optical sensor, triangular in shape, with a purple tint. Their heads are long and sharp, extending back into a flat fin, which possibly helps for aerodynamics.
History[]
Development[]
The original SWATbot model during the coup
The original SWATbot model was created roughly around 3225, the year of Dr. Robotnik's coup. Armed with laser pistols and rifles, the SWATbots proved extremely successful against any of the early resistance forces. Within a matter of hours, the SWATbots had managed to take over numerous key points of Mobotropolis and rounded up thousands of Mobians, which would be roboticized shortly after the coup's end.
Military Might of Robotnik[]
Over the course of the First Robotnik War, SWATbots were used as the primary military force of Dr. Robotnik's army. However, as the various Freedom Fighter groups began to form and oppose Robotnik's reign, the success of the SWATbots gradually decreased. By the time the Knothole Freedom Fighters were teenagers, the original SWATbot model had become obsolete. During this time Robotnik turned to creating other robot models, such as the Badniks, E.V.E. and later Combots.
Other Uses[]
As the SWATbots abilities to stop the Freedom Fighters dwindled, Robotnik began putting them to other uses, primarily as a labour force. When Robotropolis was essentially destroyed by Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles, Robotnik had the SWATbots rebuild the ruined city. When Robotnik went onboard the Death Egg and left Snively in charge of Robotropolis, the latter changed the priority of the SWATbots from defending the city to acting as his personal servants and reshaping the city as he saw fit.
Updated Models[]
Dr. Robo-Robotnik's new SWATbot models, including new designs as well as ones based off SWATbots, Combots, and Shadowbots
Some time around 3237, Robo-Robotnik switched from using Shadowbots to updated models of SWATbots and Egg Pawns. When Sonic the Hedgehog returned from his year-long absence in space, SWATbots of various designs were seen holding Geoffrey St. John and Hershey Cat prisoners. After the couple was officially married, the SWATbots were moments away from executing them, but were soon destroyed by Sonic.
When Robo-Robotnik was preparing a three-pronged offensive against the Kingdom of Acorn and the United Federation, he dispatched a large number of varied-modelled SWATbots to the dome shield surrounding the nuclear irradiated remains of Robotropolis in order to destroy the shield and cause the spreading of harmful radiation throughout Mobius. However, the garrison at Fort Acorn comprised of the Mes Braves Battalion and reinforcements from the Chaotix, and G.U.N. resulted in the entire SWATbot army's destruction.
Decommissioned[]
The SWATbot models were primarily decommissioned after the failure at Fort Acorn, though some of Robo-Robotnik's Shadowbot-based SWATbots remained on Angel Island to support the Dingo Regime.
New Employer[]
Despite three years having passed since the death of their master Dr. Robotnik, some of the original SWATbot models continued to exist, sparced throughout Mobius. Most, along with a few functioning Badniks, became employees of Mammoth Mogul when he took control of the Casino Night Zone.
Personality[]
While SWATbots were primarily mindless brutes and workers, they gradually began to display more signs of personality, referring to Robotnik as "lord of lard" and other such names. This change in personality was likely due to the decommissioning of the Badniks and Robotnik's desire for his underlings to have some kind of personality instead of being mindless drones. An example of SWATbots having a personality was when Sonic was lured to the Robo Casino and the butler SWATbot attempted to get a tip out of Sonic.
Background Information[]
- The term "SWATbot" is likely a pun on the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) division of police officers.
- SWATbots were originally robots from the American Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, but they looked more like Shadowbots than the SWATbots in the comic as they were coloured a dark blue instead of white and grey.
- In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, which used a lot of elements from the American Sonic the Hedgehog series, robots appeared called Swat Bots, but they looked more like Shadowbots due to their brutish size.