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ED-209

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ED-209
RoboCop character
The model used by Phil Tippett of Industrial Light & Magic for the stop motion animation in the first film.
First appearanceRoboCop
Created byEd Neumeier
Michael Miner
Voiced by
  • Jon Davison
  • Jimmy Chimarios
  • Allen Stewart-Coates (ED-260)
In-universe information
GenderN/A (Male vocals)
ManufacturerOmni Consumer Products
A re-creation of ED-209 displayed with the Master Chief at a Maker Faire in 2014.

The Enforcement Droid Series 209, or ED-209 (pronounced Ed Two Oh Nine), is a fictional heavily armed robot that appears in the RoboCop franchise. It serves as a foil for RoboCop, as well as a source of comic relief due to its lack of intelligence and tendency towards clumsy malfunctions.

Appearances

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The Enforcement Droid Series 209, or ED-209 (pronounced Ed Two Oh Nine), is a heavily armed robot, sporting twin cannons on its left and right sides, a large, oblong visor much like a cockpit (despite the robot piloting itself) and legs with backwards-facing knees. It serves as a foil for RoboCop, due to its lack of intelligence and tendency towards clumsy malfunctions. For instance, during a boardroom demonstration by Dick Jones of ED-209's "disarm and arrest" procedure with a board executive named Kinney as the test subject, in which Kinney is given a pistol and told to point it at ED-209, ED-209 fails to recognize that Kinney has dropped his weapon and blasts him to death in over-the-top fashion with its automatic cannons.[1] Later, it is shown that ED-209 cannot climb or descend stairs as it tumbles trying to chase RoboCop.[2] The ED-209 is featured in every RoboCop major motion picture, while it is missing from the series' direct-to-video releases, and the television series features an ED with a different model number.[3][2]

Animated series

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ED-260, an upgraded version of the Enforcement Droid Series 209 first appeared the episode "Crime Wave" of the 1988 animated series RoboCop (voiced by Allen Stewart-Coates), serving as a recurring character throughout the series as its creator attempts to sabotage RoboCop.

Video games

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The ED-209 is also used as a boss in RoboCop computer and video games, and the video game RoboCop versus The Terminator. In the 2003 RoboCop game for the Xbox, the ED-209 appeared at several points as a boss or boss-like enemy. The game also featured an upgraded design based on the 209, called the ED-1000. ED-209 appears as a traversal emote in Fortnite Battle Royale.[4] In Mortal Kombat 11, ED-209 appears in RoboCop's fatal blow, one of his intros, and his fatality called "Dead or Alive". Additionally, ED-209 appears as both an ally and a boss in the 2023 game RoboCop: Rogue City.

Comic appearances

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There were two ED-209s in the comic RoboCop versus The Terminator (though it is mentioned that there are 200 of them deployed), assisting RoboCop in shooting down a trio of Terminators bent on killing Flo. However, their limited intelligence remained a problem. In one instance, when ordered by RoboCop to "scan for cybernetic activity", the ED-209s immediately registered RoboCop as a target and opened fire, hitting each other by accident before apologizing to Robocop. They later helped in shooting the Terminators, managing to double team and destroy one of the Terminators.

In Marvel's 1990 RoboCop comic, OCP Vice President Donald Johnson orders the creation of the ED-309.

Development

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RoboCop (1987)

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Tippett developed preliminary sketches of ED-209 to budget for its development and hired Davies to design the full-scale model and construct it with Paula Lucchesi.[5] Verhoeven wanted ED-209 to look mean and believed Davies' early designs lacked a "killer" aesthetic. Davies was influenced by killer whales and a United States Air Force Corsair Jet. He approached the design with modern American aesthetics and corporate design policy that he believed prioritized looks over functionality, including excessive and impractical components. He did not add eyes because they would make ED-209 more sympathetic.[6]

Davies made an 8 in (20 cm) scale model from which he made a mold that was cut into cross-sections and sketched on graph paper to measure when scaling the design up for the full-size model that was carved in wood.[6] Molds were made from the wood model and mainly constructed from fiberglass and held together by a separate wood frame. The finished model took four months to build at a cost of $25,000, stood 7 ft (2.1 m) tall, and weighed 300 to 500 lb (140 to 230 kg).[7][8][9] The 100-hour working weeks took their toll, and Davies decided to make ED-209's feet minimal in detail as he did not think they would be shown on camera. The model was fully articulated but its movement was rarely shown on screen.[10] It served as a reference point for actors in scenes.[11] Despite reports, the model was not destroyed during filming and was sent out on promotional tours after.[12][8][9]

Davies spent a further four months to build two 12 in (30 cm) miniature replicas that were made as light as possible so that the armature need not be bulky.[13] 55 shots were to be completed in three months, and two models allowed scenes to be shot simultaneously to save time.[13] Tippett led the stop motion animation of ED-209.[9][14] He conceived its movement as "unanimal"-like as if it was constantly about to fall over before catching itself.[9] Tippett set up and animated one model, and Harry Walton lit and setup the other. Tippett credited Randal M. Dutra with the bulk of the animation in RoboCop using Walton's setups.[9][15] Live-action background plates were projected on screens behind the models and animated one frame at a time.[16] A blur was added to make the movement appear more natural by gently shaking the model or set as needed.[17] Walton animated ED-209 falling down the stairs on a 4 ft (1.2 m) square miniature set. The model was filled with lead and allow to fall as Tippett believed attempting to animate the fall would have looked terrible.[18] A difficult shot was ED-209 stepping over the camera; the off-screen elements of the model were gradually disassembled as it moved forward to fit above the camera.[19] To complete the character, it was given the roar of a black leopard. Davison provided a temporary voiceover for ED-209's speaking voice, which was retained in the film.[17]

RoboCop (2014)

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In July 2012, a redesigned ED-209 was revealed in the OmniCorp viral website. The new ED-209 is slimmer in design and more heavily armed than the original version.[20]

Reception

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Cultural impact

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  • The computer real-time strategy game StarCraft features a unit (Terran Goliath) similar to the ED-209. When clicked on repeatedly the Golliath will say "Mil Spec E.D. 209 online." Another unit (Protoss Dragoon) when clicked on repeatedly can say the ED-209's quote, "Drop your weapon. You have 15 seconds to comply. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."
  • Police Drones in Transformers Animated resemble the ED-209, in which coincidentally the show's setting takes place also in a futuristic Detroit, and serve the same purpose, except this time they were in very large numbers and patrol the city, only to fall to the likes of the various characters of the show.
  • American thrash metal band Lich King have a song titled "ED-209" on their third studio album, World Gone Dead.

Merchandise

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  • Kenner toys in 1990 featured an ED-209 figure in their RoboCop and the Ultra Police line. It had a rotating waist and articulated legs. The figure was not to scale and did not have any automatic actions or accessories. It was renamed "ED-260" for the line. the back of the "ED-260" can be opened to add roll caps which could be triggered with a small metal lever to simulate gunfire.
  • Mez-Itz RoboCop line contained an SD (Super Deformed) ED-209 figure in its RoboCop figure pack, which also contained RoboCop and Officer Anne Lewis.
  • Kotobukiya toys featured a figure line in Japan based on the RoboCop movies. ED-209 came in a singular pack which had to be assembled. Also, in a two-pack, RoboCop came with the damaged legs of the ED-209 from the first RoboCop film.
  • JAM Japan has produced a 2.36 inch ED-209 figure.
  • Horizon Models produced a vinyl 1/9 scale ED-209 model. Upon going out of business, the molds were bought by an unknown Thai manufacturer and the models were re-released.
  • The same Thai manufacturer has a 1/12 scale ED-209 model as well.
  • Hot Toys produced a 1/6 scale 15-inch ED-209 model as part of their Movie Masterpiece series - the popularity of this model later prompted the release of a battle-damaged version. This model was distributed by Sideshow Toys in America and Europe.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wallach & Allen 2010, pp. 32–33.
  2. ^ a b Holland 2001, pp. 13–14.
  3. ^ Pettigrew 1999, pp. 586–587.
  4. ^ "Robocop is now available in Fortnite". Eurogamer.net. 16 May 2022.
  5. ^ Sammon 1987, pp. 12, 15.
  6. ^ a b Sammon 1987, p. 15.
  7. ^ Sammon 1987, pp. 15–16.
  8. ^ a b Bates 1987, p. 24.
  9. ^ a b c d e BatesC 1987, p. 25.
  10. ^ Sammon 1987, p. 16.
  11. ^ NiderostD 1987, pp. 59–60.
  12. ^ Sammon 1987, pp. 16, 40.
  13. ^ a b Sammon 1987, pp. 16, 19.
  14. ^ Mancini, Vince (July 20, 2017). "'Robocop' At 30 — An Island Of Dark Satire In A Decade Of Cheerleading". Uproxx. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  15. ^ Sammon 1987, pp. 19–20.
  16. ^ NiderostD 1987, p. 60.
  17. ^ a b Sammon 1987, p. 20.
  18. ^ Sammon 1987, p. 35.
  19. ^ Sammon 1987, p. 19.
  20. ^ "Sony Pictures – Error". omnicorp.com.

Works cited

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