by Tom Stewart

Created on: April 09, 2009   Last Updated: April 14, 2009

Robots have played a role in popular culture and film for many years now. Since the 1900's, robots have assumed the role of hero and enemy in novels, films, and on television all around the world. Our fascination with automatons has not ceased even as we get closer and closer to making some of our best imagined robots come to life.

-Robot Enemies-

* In early 1900's author Gaston Leroux's automaton 'Masson' sought revenge in the story "The Murdering Machine".

* In 1920 the robots in S. Fowler Wright's 'Automata' were determined to wipe out the humans.

* 'Maria' was an evil robot in Fritz Lang's silent movie Metropolis.

* In the Flash Gordan movies, the 'Annihilants' were the robot soldiers of the 1930's.

* In The Day The Earth Stood Still, 'Gort' was the silent robotic friend and visitor from outer space who accompanied 'Klaatu'.

* In 1971, George Lucas wrote and directed his film movie, THX 1138, consisting of a force of android police.

* 'Cylons' were the arch enemies in Battlestar Galactica.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger played one of the world's most famous robot enemies as 'T-800' better known as 'Terminator'.

* Perhaps the sexiest robot enemies were the 'Fem-Bots' from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

* 'Magatron' and the 'Decepticons' come to Earth and destroy humans as if they were annoying insects in 'Transformers'.

-Robot Heroes-

* 'R2D2' and his sidekick 'C3PO' often find themselves assisting on heroic quests in the Star Wars saga.

* 'Twiki', the pint sized robot and faithful sidekick was always ready to save his counterpart in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

* In 1986, 'Johnny 5' saves the day and makes us laugh out loud in the movie Short Circuit.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as 'T-800' in Terminator 2, this time as the hero.

* The robot in the Lost in Space series on television and in the movies, had no official name but helped out whenever needed.

* 'Sonny' helps Will Smith save the day in the film version of I, Robot.

* 'Lieutenant Commander Data' is the robotic member of the heroic crew of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

* The 'Autobots' led by 'Optimus Prime' come to planet Earth and defend it against the evil 'Decepticons' in Transformers

* Disney's animated 'Wall-E' stole the hearts of all humans and saved the planet at the same.

While this is just a small list of the robots who have excited our imaginations through literacy, film, and television, thousands more will live forever in our popular culture. And as technology grows, man-kind will continue its fascination with robots imitating life in art and someday robots will become a part of life, imitating art.

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