Robota

Robots (2005)

A former Servant Robot, Series III, put out to pasture by the new model, Robota got a second chance at life thanks to Planet Terry. Naturally inquisitive and obliging, Robota goes out of her way to help people – even those who have previously threatened her wellbeing – and does it all with a pleasant demeanour and a well-natured wisecrack. She's protective of Terry, as can be seen when a certain beautiful princess enters the picture... or is that a bit of jealousy in her optic sensors? She'll never admit to it, and certainly not to that uncouth brute Omnus.

Robota is a valuable ally, with her mechanical nature giving her a great physical strength. Her steel skin means she is resistant to damage and, uh, tickling (which does come up), but does leave her vulnerable to magnetism and oxidisation. Anything she can't bonk on the head, she can blast with her head-mounted robot ray beam.

Fiction

Robota worked in a robot factory The Doom of the Domed City on Bznko. A Service Robot, Series III, when the Series IV came out, Robota was dismissed from the job and consigned to the junk pile outside the factory. A Clue

After Planet Terry was granted the literal pick of the literal litter for driving away the Yungmun, his probing hands hit a switch, turning on Robota's grid and reactivating her. The Search Robota quickly introduced herself to Terry, and in turn, Terry told her of his intergalactic quest to find his parents and showed her his self-autographed photo frame. Deciding it was better than being queen of the junk heap, Robota volunteered to join Terry in his search, and he happily welcomed her aboard.

Robota complimented Terry on his space ship handling, and he replied that his skills came from being born in one. When Robota said that that was a quaint figure of speech, Terry showed her he meant it literally, taking her to the life ship on which he grew up. He also explained that he'd got his space ship as a reward for a favour for the Wazir of Uranus – which she joked was better than the pick of the litter.

A klaxon sounded, telling Terry he had engine trouble, and Robota navigated him to a nearby planetoid. His emergency landing was rough on Robota, rattling the robot. Someone who enjoyed the landing was Enoch Diggs, an old space hound who'd retired to become a prospector on the planetoid. Diggs offered to take a look at Terry's engine, but he was stunned at the sight of Terry's life ship and his nametag bracelet, revealing that he knew the boy's parents. A Clue

Robota listened as Diggs told them the story of Terry's birth on the Confederation Cosmos Cruiser the Space Warp, though she was briefly confused when Diggs' grammar suggested that he himself was Terry's mother. After Diggs explained that Terry had been raised by the life ship's nutrition and educational modules, Terry demonstrated his command of trivia, and Robota had to get him back on track asking about his parents. Diggs couldn't remember anything further, but encouraged them to visit the Space Warp's former radioman Squink, who could be found at the Milk Toast Malt Shop. After Diggs fixed up the engine, Terry and Robota set off. Some Answers

Terry and Robota landed on Asteroid 43KX within walking distance of the Milk Toast Malt Shop, but to Robota's shock, their next obstacle was a moat infested with critters Terry identified as hungry Crocogaters. The two of them began the careful journey across the moat's log bridge. Their path was blocked by Omnus, a fearsome alien that threatened that nothing got in his way. After Terry criticised his bad manners, Omnus took a swing at the boy, but his momentum caused him to lose his balance and fall into the moat. Omnus called for help and, despite Robota feeling he didn't deserve it from the way he acted, she dived to his rescue. Her steel skin proved to be too tough for the gators' teeth, and she hoisted the flailing alien back onto the log. Omnus took their names and sheepishly walked away, telling them he owed them one.

Terry and Robota entered the malt shop and were surprised to find it was more of a filthy dive bar, patronised by myriad burly aliens. Ordering a chocolate malt – and one with a shot of oil for Robota – Terry asked a bartender if he'd seen a man named Squink. They were directed to the other end of the bar, where they found Squink demanding another banana split; a demand that turned violent when he was refused service. The boss bartender called for his bouncers, Morthrott and Grmbil, to throw Squink to the gators. Terry and Robota intervened; though Robota elbowed one of them in the face, she was grabbed by one of the bouncers' wrist-mounted electromagnet and immobilised. The boss bartender ordered his boys to throw them into the moat also.

The pair were rescued by Omnus, who had come to return his favour. The three of them fled the malt shop with the unconscious body of Squink carried over Robota's shoulder. With the bar staff chasing after them with weapons, Terry slowed down their pursuers by kicking the log bridge loose from its moorings. Omnus asked to join the crew, as he suddenly felt unwelcome on Asteroid 34KX, and he wanted to see what other fights Terry could get him into. Terry accepted, and as they left the asteroid, the boy mused that he may not yet have found his parents, but with Robota and Omnus, he sure had found a family. Malt Shop Menace

Robota piloted the ship while Terry expressed his excitement about being closer to finding his parents than ever before. His luck soured when Squink pulled a blaster on him, vowing that no one must learn the secret of the Space Warp. Squink refused to answer any of his questions as Terry's father had blamed him for what had happened to the ship. Consulting the astro-screen, Robota warned him of an incoming astro tornado. Squink refused to listen to her, and he jumped ship with a jet pack.

Terry's ship was tossed around by the astro tornado, and it landed on the world of the Gorkels. Their spiritual leader, the Wise One, had the Gorkels throw a banquet for Terry and his friends, as they were "close enough" to fulfilling a prophecy from their holy book. The Wise One explained that it was foretold that alien creatures would arrive to save their beloved Princess _(shudder) Ugly from her uncle, Vermin the Vile, who had placed her under a sleeping spell. After consulting with his prized picture frame, and with encouragement from Omnus and Robota that they were a family that worked together, Terry accepted the mission of rescuing the princess, especially as the Wise One would reward their deed by repairing the ship and allowing him to continue his quest. After the Wise One told them the job would be a piece of cake, another Gorkel reminded him of the myriad dangers between their settlement and the far-off Domed City, but Terry, Robota, and Omnus marched forward with a determined war cry of "close enough!" The Saga of Princess Ugly

Heading through the impenetrable forest guided by a vibro-compass, Robota offered to take over Omnus' job of uprooting trees if he started to feel tired, but she was affronted when the egotistical big ape laughed her off and told her it was man's work. After Terry chided them for their squabbling, Robota spotted a cute parrot. Terry fed it a space cookie, and it flew away after thanking him. Unknown to the three of them, the parrot was actually the shapeshifting vulture Scavage, who reported back to Vermin the Vile that the meddling interlopers were coming to rescue the princess. Using the Mayhem Maker, Vermin observed Terry and friends and put a number of obstacles in their way.

The first obstacle was a patch of tickle vines, which ensnared Terry and Omnus and made them helpless with laughter. As a robot, Robota was immune to being tickled, and snapped herself free from the vines before using her robot ray beam to zap Terry and Omnus loose. As Terry thanked her, Robota remarked that she had the last laugh.

Next, they were surprised when a sudden earthquake developed into an active volcano; Omnus protected his companions from danger by swinging them on a vine across the molten lava. They next encountered a small stream that Terry determined was harmless with an aqua-analyzer. As they waded through, Vermin transformed the stream into a strong whirlpool, and they were shot out of the vortex and into a bubble cell. They landed on the outskirts of the Domed City, visible now that Vermin had lifted the mist, and the villain was there to personally greet them. When Terry refused to recognise Vermin's authority over Princess _(shudder) Ugly, Vermin placed them under arrest... and soon called attention to the fact that Robota was fainting from rapid onset rust. Too Close (Enough) for Comfort

Notes

Bright shiny object Robota, sex object Robota, and literal object Robota.

• "Robota" is a pun on the name "Roberta", as evidenced when the latter slipped by the editors in Planet Terry issue 5. 
• As with Terry, Robota's next appearance after Planet Terry concluded was in the 2009-2010 miniseries X-Babies,  which breathed new life into the Star Comics original characters. The first version of Robota shown was part of the 24/7 dance party that was the cutesified and vapid Mojoworld  version of Planet Terry. Like Terry himself, this Robota was revealed to be a construct based on the memories of the real Terry, who was imprisoned in a VR simulation. Once freed by the X-Babies, the real Terry returned to his time and space of origin, reuniting with Robota and Omnus.
  • As with Terry, an Earth-616 version of Robota  appeared in 2016's Drax  ongoing series. This golden version of Robota was a glorified autopilot that Terry engaged when he needed to take a quick jetpack ride. She only appeared on one page of one issue.