The Robo-Buster[2] (also known as Robo-Buster X-1)[3] was a robot invented by a man named Paul Smart to replace the Ghostbusters. It is a fully automated mobile ghost eradication unit.
History[]
Primary Canon[]
The Real Ghostbusters[]
Paul Smart created the robot by stealing a trap containing a recently-captured ghost and photographing blueprints for the P.K.E. Meter, Ghost Trap, and Proton Pack. The Robo-Buster can fly and has Proton Cannons built in its arms. The strategic advantage it had over the Ghostbusters is that its Proton Streams not only caught ghosts, it also completely destroyed them if they were in the streams long enough. Because of this, the Robo-Buster did not need a trap or a Containment Unit. In actuality, it was disassembling their essence, which later recombined themselves into one giant ectoplasmic gestalt. Tired of Robo-Buster's fame, Janine Melnitz confronted Smart but Robo-Buster destroyed Slimer. The Ghostbusters demanded Robo-Buster's blaster schematics in order to figure out how to bring Slimer back.[4]
Robo-Buster was no match against the Spectral Mass and was possessed by one of the vengeful entities. The Ghostbusters deactivated the robot and wrangled the ghost out. Egon quickly reversed the blaster circuits to negative ionization (which the Ghostbusters' Proton Packs also used) and aid them in trapping the mass.[5] During the firefight, Robo-Buster was fatally damaged when the mass punched it.
Secondary Canon[]
IDW Comics[]
Several other versions of the Robo-Buster exist in the multiverse. There is a dimension where the Robo-Buster is a sentient being from a planet of living robots. In Dimension 68-V, an elderly Ray Stantz built Robo-Buster along with his assistant Mike the Golem as an effective tool to back up the latter on busts conducted by the Greenwich Village Ghostbusters. Its systems are powered by the ghosts it busts.[6] Egon Spengler, of the prime dimension, asked the Greenwich Ghostbusters of 68-V for their help in retrieving ghosts that escaped from the Containment Unit and escaped into the multiverse. All of the teams involved in the operation gathered in the Warehouse.
A field team consisting of Mike and Robo-Buster from Dimension 68-V and the Ghostbusters of Dimension 35-N tracked down the Bone Dragon to a location resembling Chinatown in a parallel dimension. They easily wrangled the ghost. On Mike's call, Robo-Buster deployed a Trap-Gate from its chest. It reported the ghost was transferred to the Containment Unit and 20 percent of the missing psychokinetic energy was returned but they ran out of Trap-Gates. Venk stood on Mike's shoulder while the others perched on Robo-Buster's shoulders and head. Mike acknowledged he knew that, exchanged words with Venk, and generated a portal back to the prime dimension. Robo-Buster informed Egon Spengler of Dimension 68-E they exhausted their supply of Trap-Gates and required more. Egon 68-E stated he was led to believe it couldn't speak. It stated it was upgraded and repeated its request.[7][8] Egon 68-E wasn't sure it was good idea for them to deploy again and informed them of a massive spike that affected the portals and reports from the other teams that their rosters were shuffled around.
Personality[]
Being a robot, Robo-Buster didn't have much in the way of a personality. While it will address the ghosts before it "destroys" them, this is more likely a pre-programmed response. In its commercial, it proclaims, "I am not afraid of any ghosts!" However, this is also likely to be programming as well, and not indicative of a personality. At best, Robo-Buster is simply an automaton, more equipment than character. In spite of this, Peter comments "he had a heart after all" after Robo-Buster shuts down.
Trivia[]
- Robo-Buster's slogan, "I am not afraid of any ghosts" is a paraphrasing of a line in Ray Parker, Jr.'s theme from the 1st Ghostbusters movie: " I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts!" This served to distinguish Robo-Buster even more as being non-human.
- According to Smart, it comes with 600,000 Volts of Protons, 20 MB of onboard memory and has an energy sensor radius of 5 miles.[9][10]
- The "Robo-Buster" script lists Robo-Buster's height as seven feet and requests his design to not be just like Robo-Cop.[11]
- There was an issue of the NOW comic book that had Egon build a similar robot named Ecto-X. Unlike Robo-Buster, Ecto-X used more traditional methods of ghostbusting and had a trap built into its chest. Eventually, Ecto-X started overshadowing the popularity of the Ghostbusters. Egon learned his lesson after a Computer Demon possessed Robo-Buster and imprisoned them in the trap. Slimer freed the Ghostbusters and they destroyed Ecto-X in order to trap the ghost. It should be noted that Egon erroneously refers to Ecto-X as Robobuster in one panel.[citation needed]
- On page 19 of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #14, Robo-Buster makes a non-canon cameo as miniature model on the table. Its quote "unlawful entity" is above the Pig Snouted Demon's photo. The anti-Ghostbusters logo seen in the television advertisement is also on the board near the Robo-Buster model.
- On page four of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #15, Robo-Buster makes a non-canon cameo on the Omni magazine cover.
- On page 20 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #5, one of Robo-Buster's claws makes a non-canon cameo at the end of the stick Egon Spengler uses.
- On page 43 of the Ghostbusters: Get Real trade paperback, one portal features three Robo-Busters.
- On Cover A of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #7, the Robo-Buster is featured.
- Robo-Buster 68-V appears on Cover B of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #8.
Appearances[]
Primary Canon[]
Secondary Canon[]
References[]
- ↑ Marsha Goodman (1988). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "Robo-Buster" (1988).
- ↑ Robo-Buster (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Robo-Buster" (1988) (DVD ts. 06:30-06:33). Time Life Entertainment. Robo-Buster says: "I am Robo-Buster, a fully automated mobile, ghost eradication unit."
- ↑ Paul Smart (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Robo-Buster" (1988) (DVD ts. 06:17-06:21). Time Life Entertainment. Paul says: "From Grossjuck Industries, Robo-Buster X-1."
- ↑ Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Robo-Buster" (1988) (DVD ts. 13:12-13:19). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "What we need are the designs for Robo-Buster's blaster circuits then we can figure out how to reverse the process and bring Slimer back."
- ↑ Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Robo-Buster" (1988) (DVD ts. 18:30-18:35). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "I'll need your Proton Packs. I'm going to convert the robot's throwers into negative ionizing ones."
- ↑ erikburnham Tweet 3/29/18Virtual Trading Card reads: "This Robobuster is nothing more than an effective tool built in DIMENSION 68-V by the elderly RAY STANTZ of that world, with help from his assistant MIKE THE GOLEM. Robobuster currently patrols with Mike as silent backup, its systems powered by the ghosts it busts."
- ↑ Egon Spengler of 68-E (2018). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #4" (2018) (Comic p.18). Egon Spengler of 68-E says: "I was led to believe you couldn't speak."
- ↑ Robo-Buster (2018). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #4" (2018) (Comic p.18). Robo-Buster says: "I have been upgraded."
- ↑ Robo-Buster (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Robo-Buster" (1988) (DVD ts. 06:36-06:42). Time Life Entertainment. Robo-Buster says: "I am armed with 600,000 volts of proton stream firepower and 20 megabytes of on-board memory."
- ↑ Robo-Buster (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Robo-Buster" (1988) (DVD ts. 06:50-06:52). Time Life Entertainment. Robo-Buster says: "My energy sensors have an effective radius of five miles."
- ↑ Moss, Francis (2009). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection Volume Four Disc Five, "Robo-Buster" Script p. 11. CPT Holdings, Inc.
- ↑ Janine Melnitz (2019). IDW Comics- "Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #3" (2019) (Comic p.2). Janine Melnitz says: "I think Robobuster's taken."
Gallery[]
Primary Canon[]
Secondary Canon[]
Behind the Scenes[]
