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A.D.A.M. was an artificial intelligence created accidentally by Dr. Eggman. His name stands for both "Autonomous Digital Assault Microbe" and "A.D.A.M. Determines Anonymous' Movements", as he was a sentient computer virus. While originally he strictly followed Eggman's orders, he later grew, developing his own objectives and motives. When Eggman realized that A.D.A.M. was Anonymous, a mysterious figure who had been plotting against him, Eggman had his main programing deleted. However, A.D.A.M. managed to transfer his data into a group of nanites shortly before this, and took over the body of Tommy Turtle. After gathering all the Chaos Emeralds in the universe, A.D.A.M. was destroyed by the Egg Fleet when Tommy Turtle deliberately lowered his defenses so they would both be killed.
History[]
Early Actions[]
A.D.A.M. came into being in the Second Robotnik War sometime during the year that Sonic was lost in outer space. Born from an error in Dr. Eggman's latest networking system, he manifested a will of his own and was allowed to develop until he became a functioning artificial intelligence. Though claimed by Dr. Eggman as his own, the doctor himself admitted that he was not certain if he truly did create A.D.A.M, as he actually found the virus by chance in his Egg Network one day and made it his digital "son". Now in charge of leading the Eggman Empire's Badnik Horde and maintaining the EggNet, A.D.A.M. also became the "brother" of Robotnik's feminine android bodyguard Mecha, whose destruction he would later cause by framing her as an accomplice of an unknown enemy of their "father". He was the first villain to learn of Sonic's return, being in control of a SWATbot legion that was decimated by the prodigal hero shortly after his landing on Mobius. During Operation: Triple Threat, A.D.A.M. engaged Miles "Tails" Prower in a battle of wits over the skies of New Megaopolis when he tried to hijack the Tornado's flight controls. Unable to comprehend Tails' riddles and jokes, A.D.A.M. was defeated and prevented from launching a set of nuclear missile, but found the experience "fun". (StH: #130, #132, CSE)
Sometime later, A.D.A.M. rationalized a statement from Dr. Eggman as being given clearance to find a way to win the war, and released Eggman's nanite stores. With the nanites, A.D.A.M. created an entire city in Northamer's Great Forest region, and probed deep beneath the surface to the burial site of an ancient alien spaceship that he had detected there. A.D.A.M originally planned to use the ship's wormhole generator to aid him in gathering the various Chaos Emeralds spread across the universe. However, A.D.A.M. ceased his attempts when the program discovered that a special key was needed to activate the ship's systems, and decided to pursue other means. Regardless, he still tried to take apart Bunnie Rabbot and integrate her into the nanites when the Freedom Fighters came to investigate the city's creation, but Sonic stopped A.D.A.M. with another logic puzzle by pointing out that Bunnie's organic components were incompatible with his software. (StH: #152, SU: #36)
Anonymous[]
A.D.A.M was assigned to "determine the movements" of the mysterious being known as Anonymous, who had for several months been manipulating events involving the return of Mammoth Mogul and Ixis Naugus as well as their subsequent alliance and capture. This eliminated two of his top four threats-the others being Sonic and Eggman-while the means of their return and the ensuing battle resulted in the deaths of the Ancient Walkers and the destruction of the last remaining samples of the Source of All. Anonymous' actions also included creating robot duplicates of the Destructix, leading Robotnik to believe that someone had managed to subject them to re-Roboticization, something he had not accomplished since the mass de-Roboticization brought about by the Bem. These robots attacked Sonic when he was reunited with his thought lost friend Tommy Turtle, who in reality had been replaced with an Infiltrator as part of Anonymous' plan. It was eventually revealed that A.D.A.M. was, in fact, Anonymous, when Robotnik discovered his plans. The doctor had A.D.A.M.'s program destroyed, but ultimately, the program was one step ahead, and took Tommy's body as a host, an action made possible by nanites bonding to Tommy's shell through the Turtle's tears and an electric shock. (StH: #118, #135, #154, #162, #163, #164, #168)
The Gathering[]
A.D.A.M. in his super form
A.D.A.M. captured Tails and Shadow the Hedgehog, and he intended to use both to begin "the gathering", and assemble every Chaos Emerald in the universe within his headquarters, a city constructed by nanites. A.D.A.M. actually began this some time before he was exposed, releasing Mogul and Naugus from the Egg Grape Chambers in exchange for the former's Chaos Emerald. He was later destroyed along with Tommy Turtle, after Sonic transformed into Super Sonic, the other two teleported all the Chaos Emeralds into the Zone of Silence, and A.D.A.M. himself was vaporized by the Egg Fleet. Following the battle, Tommy's remains-and by association A.D.A.M.'s-were placed in the Knothole graveyard alongside those of Sir Connery. Ironically, Connery's self-sacrifice in destroying the Crown and Sword of Acorns and stopping Mammoth Mogul made him another of A.D.A.M.'s victims. (StH: #168, #169, #170)
A.D.A.M.'s Legacy[]
A.D.A.M.'s failed scheme provided Feist, the new ruler of the Special Zone, with near absolute power, as he fused all the gems into seven differently colored Emeralds. The only Chaos Emerald-like gem known to have escaped this was the Master Emerald, which was held back from A.D.A.M.'s summons by the combined efforts of Locke and Dr. Finitevus. Unwittingly, A.D.A.M. also left behind a gift for his enemies, as NICOLE later transformed his nanite city into New Mobotropolis. However this proved to be a curse as well as a blessing when the Battle Bird Armada attacked and destroyed the city in order to unearth the spaceship hidden beneath it. This turned out to be their ancestors' long-lost Babylon Garden, whose autopilot revealed A.D.A.M.'s involvement to Sonic and explained why he had built the city on top of it in the first place. (StH: #164, #169, #170, #176, SU: #36)
Personality[]
Although he may seem at first to have a plain, overly proper manner, A.D.A.M. does have a sense of humor. Logically minded, the only way to beat him a contest of wits is to supply him with a conundrum that he cannot answer. Unlike his creator Eggman, A.D.A.M. seems equally prepared to use subtlety and brute force, using nanites to infect enemy technology while at the same time creating a city that nearly killed the Wolf Pack and Knothole Freedom Fighters.
A.D.A.M. also possessed a sadistic side, taking pleasure in causing pain to the Freedom Fighters and to others. He was without qualms about manipulating others in his plans, or even endangering his own "father" while furthering his agendas. Despite this, A.D.A.M. proved unable to completely subdue Tommy Turtle, whose will proved strong enough to resist him long enough to ensure his destruction.
Additionally, before his death A.D.A.M. had sought the respect he believed he deserved from Dr. Eggman, going so far as to have his sister Mecha framed for treason and executed so that Eggman would love A.D.A.M. best. This came from an instability in his programming that led to a juvenile need for Eggman's attention and approval. He went to great lengths to earn the respect of his parent, so far as creating his pseudonym and setting out to eliminate all the greatest powers on Mobius. (CSE)
Abilities[]
A.D.A.M. had control over Eggman's computer and therefore every robot he owned; he could also spread to other computer systems that connect to Eggman's databases and control them as well, though this control could be compromised if A.D.A.M. was distracted. He also controlled an innumerable number of nanites, which he could use to infect and control virtually any mechanical device. Upon taking possession of Tommy Turtle's body, A.D.A.M. gained all the bionic properties granted to Tommy by his shell being fused together with nanites, such as the ability to sprout metallic wings. Using the Chaos Emeralds, A.D.A.M. was also able to take on a super form called Super A.D.A.M. which he used in battle against Super Sonic.
Appearance[]
A.D.A.M.'s early appearance was that of a line on an otherwise blank screen that spiked-rather like a heart monitor-whenever he spoke. While acting as Anonymous, he utilized an avatar that resembled Robotnik Prime or his "father's" original form. His final form was of course that of a silvery metal turtle that could reshape parts of his body, notably extending his limbs and creating armor-like growths, including a silver star with a green orb in the center.
Background Information[]
- Canceled storyline for issues after #134 included A.D.A.M. ending up in a romantic relationship with NICOLE despite the protests of both sides. Of course, A.D.A.M.'s demise makes this impossible.
- Given his analysis of Mammoth Mogul, Ixis Naugus, Dr. Robotnik, and Sonic being the only threats to him, it seems that A.D.A.M. did not consider or was unaware of threats posed by the Iron Dominion, Dr. Finitevus, the Dark Legion or various Sub-Bosses. Tails and Shadow were presumably excluded due to their part in his plans, while the other Freedom Fighters and Chaotix were dismissed for unknown reasons. The Iron Queen was shown in StH: #208 to be capable of controlling the nanites that made up A.D.A.M.'s city and body, indicating that she would have been a threat to him. However, the Iron Dominion was revealed after A.D.A.M.'s destruction to be part of the Eggman Empire, likely leading A.D.A.M. to regard them as no threat.
- A.D.A.M. is the second robot created by Eggman to by named after a Biblical figure, the first being E.V.E..
- A.D.A.M.'s super form bears a slight similarity to Solaris from the 2006 video game Sonic The Hedgehog.
- Like Chaos, Iblis, Shadow, Emerl/Gemerl, and the Deadly Six, A.D.A.M. represented a force that Robotnik discovered and attempted to use to his own advantage only to have it backfire on him.
External links[]
- A.D.A.M. at Sonic Wiki Zone, the Sonic wiki.