5 Greatest Androids In Sci-Fi Classics
Well Google Android news is pretty slow round these parts so i decided to keep myself busy by combining my love for classic sci-fi with the upcoming mobile platform Android, well sort of...
Below is a compilation of my personal top 5 favourite Android appearances in some very early classic sci-fi tv shows and movies.
For all you Android purists please feel free to berate me in the comments over the technicalities between Androids, robots, cyborgs, simians, replicants and the like. Alternatively you could just suggest your own favourites.
So without further adieu here's the top 5 greatest Android parts in sci-fi.
5. 'Andy The Android' - Quark
Set in the year 2222, Commander Quark and his crew were tasked with the unenviable mission of inter galactic refuse collection. Quark and his band of slightly odd crew members scoured the Universe in search of the ever elusive "space baggies", whilst never failing to get themselves caught up in all manner of shenanigans along the way.
Among Quark’s crew was Andy the Android. Andy had been built by Quark presumably out of all the garbage and spare parts he’d found floating around the cosmos. Sadly however Andy was a constant disappointment to Quark who's android creation was ever willing to shop him and his crew to the enemy in order to save his own ass.
Andy was also quite the ladies man, often doing the dirty behind his fiancée (the Load Control Box), to hit on a fellow Servo Mechanism back on Perma 1 – what a scamp.
3. 'Mandroid' - Eliminators
In order to aid his plan of time traveling world domination, mad scientist Dr Abbott Reeves decided to spend his spare time constructing a ‘Mandroid’ out of the dead body of downed aircraft pilot ‘John’.
Using a few wires and some steel paneling ‘John’ was quickly transformed into Mandroid.
Once brought to life, John the Mandroid quickly takes umbrage with his evil creator, forming a band of trusty allies Mandroid sets out to fight back against evil Dr Reeves to stop him from achieving his ultimate goal. Dr Reeves' ultimate goal incidently involves travelling back in time to the time of the Roman Empire, becoming the Emperor, and then moving onto total world domination.
4. 'Max 404' - Android
Due to some catastrophic event that occurred back on Earth, Androids had been subsequently banned from the planet. Forced to conduct their illegal android research elsewhere, eccentric scientist Dr Daniel and his bumbling android assistant Max 404 decided to move to a large but deserted space station.
It wasn’t long before Dr Daniel and Max 404 received some unwelcome visitors - three fugitives from Earth, one of which happens to be female. It soon becomes clear that both the Dr and Max are somewhat interested in their new female visitor, but one of them has rather more sinister intentions than just romance…
Tagline: On a remote space laboratory, Android Model MAX 404 has learnt how to live...and learnt how to kill!
6. 'Chalmers' - Spacehunter - Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
Set in the 22nd Century Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone tells the story of a somewhat botched rescue attempt in which having crash landed on a seemingly hostile planet, the only three survivors (three beautiful women) of the space craft are quickly kidnapped by the hostile natives.
It falls on small time salvage operator (Wolff) who having heard an alert for the safe return of the females with a reward of 3,000 ‘mega credits’ decides to head down to see what’s up.
Along with Wolff is his female engineer Chalmers. Chalmers is quick to inform Wolff that the planet (Terra XI) is in fact a failed colony that fell victim to a deadly plague and civil warfare. Wolff weighs up the situation for all of a second and quickly dismisses Chalmer’s warnings focusing more on the reward and his growing debt problems.
Once landed on Terra XI all manner of hell breaks loose with Chalmers getting killed off quite early on. On discovering Chalmers' dead body it is soon revealed she isn't actually dead but was a covert Android all along, compassionate Wolffe quickly ditches the android and embarks on the rescue mission solo.
Subsequently all manner of hilarity ensues as every man and his dog turn up to find and rescue the missing females whilst simultaneously fending off a barage of just generally weird things including, “Zoners”, “Scavs”, and The Overdog” - a hideous cyborg, consistingentirely of an old washing machine, with two metal claws for hands.
In the end Wolffe kills The Overdog, rescues the females and bags himself a nice looking lady friend along the way. Classic.
1. 'False Maria' - Metropolis
Set in the year 2027, Metropolis centres around a prototype android created by the mad scientist C.A Rotwang. Rotwang (tsk), having designed a mechanical replica of his ex-girlfriend Hel decides to spruce up his somewhat unattractive android creation using some electricity, a swimming cap and some glass valves. After many dubious special effects, Machine Mann Maria is born. Other names used during the film include Dark Maria, False Mari and Disco Maria.
Unfortunately for Rotwang, False Maria turns out to be insanely evil and proceeds to embark on a mass-murdering quest to rid Metropolis of any and all working class children, whilst idling her evenings away as a go-go dancer and lady android of the night.
Disco Maria’s reign of evil doesn’t last long though and the evil android is soon brought to justice for her crimes by being burnt at the stake.
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