In IDW Publishing's Sonic the Hedgehog series, Zombots are once-organic beings that have been transmutated into a living metal state by a nanotechnological plague known as the Metal Virus. Those infected with the virus are transformed into mindless automatons that resemble gleaming metallic versions of their former selves, driven only to spread the contagion to all living things.
The name "Zombot" was coined by Sonic the Hedgehog himself after he witnessed the Metal Virus' effects on the skunk brothers Rough and Tumble.
History[]
After recovering from a period of amnesia following a crushing defeat at the hands of Sonic, Dr. Eggman went right back to plotting to take over the world, deciding to enact a previously benched plan to infect the planet's population with the Metal Virus. Following an initial battery of tests on the virus' potency, he sent the mercenaries Rough and Tumble after Sonic equipped with a weaponized drilling mech and backpacks containing the virus. The brothers hadn't been told what the backpacks did, only that they were to press the buttons on the straps if Sonic got the better of them.
Rough and Tumble attacked Sonic and Amy Rose inside an abandoned mine, but the two hedgehogs made short work of their drilling machine. The skunks pressed the buttons on their backpacks, expecting being given some sort of edge against Sonic. To their surprise, they got themselves covered in the Metal Virus goo. Their surprise turned to horror when it began to assimilate them and turned them into Zombots. When Sonic and Amy attacked the converted skunks, they discovered that the Zombots were immune to physical attacks, their bodies reshaping after being struck. Sonic knocked them down into a deep chasm, hoping that they wouldn't be able to get out. However, Sonic ended up getting infected by the virus. Some time after viewing the fight between the skunks and Sonic, Dr. Eggman decided to launch his new "Faceship", intending to spread the Metal Virus across the globe and turn the population into his robotic slaves.
Eggman would deposit viral payloads on a number of populated areas before leaving the infected hordes to spread the virus further. In a short time, whole cities fell as their populations were almost wholly converted, save for a few survivors that were evacuated by the Restoration. Sonic's super-speed allowed him to burn off the virus temporarily and delay his transformation, but because of his infection he wasn't able to rescue anybody by carrying them to safety. Although Sonic and his allies fought bravely, they were unable to do any significant damage to the Zombots.
After a few days of the virus spreading, the Zombots ceased to respond to Dr. Eggman's voice commands and wandered without direction. Dr. Starline - Eggman's newest associate - suggested researching alternative methods of control, but Eggman wasn't overly concerned and brushed him off, stating he would fix the problem later. Worried by his idol's lack of foresight and apparent unwillingness to adapt to the changing situation, Starline looked into Eggman's computer files for a possible solution. Within the computer records, he came across the Deadly Six, a group of creatures capable of manipulating electromagnetic waves in order to control electronic machines. After reading all of Eggman's files on the Zeti, Starline used his Warp Topaz to travel to Lost Hex, hoping to recruit the Six and have them manage the Metal Virus outbreak.
Some time later, after Eggman continued to ignore his advice, Starline summoned the Deadly Six to the Faceship. Aware that the Zeti had betrayed Eggman once before, Starline was able to acquire a Cacophonic Conch to corral them in case they got out of line. As expected, the Six did indeed betray him. When Starline blew upon the Cacophonic Conch, he couldn't blow on it long enough to keep the Zeti subdued and was stood right next to Zazz, who headbutted him and took the Conch. Using the Warp Topaz, Starline created a wormhole through which he, Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic escaped to Angel Island. With the Faceship, the Chaos Emeralds and Metal Virus in their possession, the Zeti went about conquering the world themselves. Each Zeti took a Chaos Emerald, using it to amplify their EM powers and take control of large swarms of Zombots, using them to terrorize any uninfected that remained in the territories they annexed.
As the Deadly Six went about their conquest, Sonic and his allies devised a plan to take the Chaos Emeralds from the Deadly Six so that Sonic and Silver could use them to achieve their Super forms. Using their Chaos powers and the Warp Topaz, the two hedgehogs would be able to extract the Metal Virus from every infected life-form across the planet and purge it completely. The heroes were organized into teams and sent to engage each member of the Deadly Six. This plan proved to be a success and soon, five of the Chaos Emeralds were recovered. At the same time time, Rouge - working with Eggman's lackeys Orbot and Cubot - sabotaged the Faceship, causing it to crash and destroying the machines that produced the Metal Virus. Although Zavok had lost the means of manufacturing the Metal Virus, he still had a massive army of Zombots to command. Having tracked the heroes to Angel Island, he transformed into his giant form and began throwing groups of Zombots onto the island. With the assistance of Metal Sonic and Silver, Sonic was able to take the last Chaos Emerald from Zavok.
With the combined power of the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic then transformed into Super Sonic, which ultimately purged his infection. With the power of the Warp Topaz and their own Chaos Control powers, Super Sonic and Super Silver extracted the Metal Virus from everyone and everything, curing those affected. The collected mass of Metal Virus was then hurled through a portal and into the sun, destroying it completely.
Characteristics[]
A Zombot is what a person becomes after succumbing to Metal Virus infection. The virus completely rewrites the subject's genetic code, transforming it into a metallic substance. Zombots retain the size and shape of the people they used to be, but their bodies have a distinct metallic sheen and their eyes turn red with pink irises. Physiologically, the entire bodily structure of an infected subject is altered so that it consists wholly of fluidic metal, lacking any organic fluids or vital organs.
Initially, the Zombots would respond to the voice commands of the Metal Virus' creator, Dr. Eggman. However, as the Metal Virus spread, it would mutate to the point where the Zombots would become unresponsive, acting solely on the instinct to spread the virus to any living thing. Like cinematic zombies of horror fiction, Zombots do not react to any communication from others or regard uninfected with any familiarity. They also lack any self-preservation instincts and will shamble into any hazard that stands in their way.
Zombots can infect organic life-forms with the Metal Virus through the slightest touch. Those who have become Zombots are immune to physical damage as their bodies have been transmuted into a fluidic metal state. Any physical damage they do take is quickly reconstituted as their bodies automatically mold back into their original shape. Not only are they resilient, they do not age and are also immune to disease, hunger and most environmental hazards.
Despite being able to spread the Metal Virus by touch, Zombots seem unable to infect Wisps. This may merely be a case of no one witnessing a Wisp succumb to infection, although it stands to reason that Wisps cannot be infected when they change into their energy forms, such as when they are equipped into Wispons. An analysis of the mutating Metal Virus by Dr. Eggman and Tails reveals that the Zombots are also atomically unstable. Over time, the structure of the virus breaks down, resulting in total physical disintegration. However, this process is extremely slow; according to Eggman, it would take over 200 years for the Zombot population to die off in this way.