Although the Badniks were designed to be a self-sustaining invasion force, teething troubles were bound to show up in the field. Problems with AI, viruses, insubordination, and other issues required some serious tech support. Not only this, but Robotnik wanted a mobile unit at-the-ready to repair Badniks immediately after any encounter with the hedgehog.
For this, he founded B.A.R.F (Badnik Army Repair Functionaries), a tactical repair unit for Badniks.
There were originally meant to be many B.A.R.F units, but there was some trouble in finding successful applicants for the job. Robotnik wanted engineers who were completely faithful to his empire, not just regular citizens who were vulnerable to betrayal. Out of all the weird and wonderful applicants, only two were elite enough to make the cut: Cam and Bert. They were superb technicians of the highest pedigree, with no moral qualms in their line of work, and a passion, a sheer vigour for their trade. They could repair a wrecked Buzz-Bomber in five minutes with just a screwdriver, such was their prowess!
No one knows what has become of them in the time post-RBR, but you can bet they're still out there somewhere, tweaking the back-leg hydraulics on a Crabmeat.
The Miracle Planet Badniks were an offshoot of the first generation, deployed at the time the Alpha Device grew to cover the planet in metal. They were very similar to the classics in design, but looked different so it wouldn't lead to confusion as to which Badniks were deployed where. The most interesting aspect of their design was the fact that they were not built for civilian organic batteries, but instead consumed and digested the local plant-life! Furthermore, in a completely unique design quirk, a delicate flower or flower seed could be found deep in the folds of each machine, perfectly preserved but serving no purpose. I wonder if Robotnik was aware of the irony of his metal monsters using nature to power themselves!
It was believed that this flower power was only a temporary solution until the planet could be covered in metal – an event that would provide all of the doctor's minions with a limitless power source. Due to the low energy the plants provided, processor power was extremely low and these Badniks were fairly slow and stupid, on par with the first generation.
These Badniks were sadly unnamed by any database or bodywork insignia, leading us experts to believe that they were never named at all, even at production-level. We could name them, but who has the authority to do that, save for Robotnik himself? (Megadroid's Fun Fact – Sonic CD Badniks were never named in English, only Japanese! Hence Norris's predicament.)
The Seven Badniks were a 'dream team' of droids constructed in special circumstances by Cam and Bert to deal with a 'civil disagreement' between two groups of First Gen-ers. The problem was created when B.A.R.F transported Miracle Planet Badniks to the Green Hill Zone as an experiment to see if they would be successful in tripping up the Blue Blur, who may be surprised by the change enough to make a fatal error. It was always a long shot, but certainly a tactic worth pursuing.
Unfortunately the two groups of Badniks began infighting when lumped together, mainly due to the Palmtree Panic Badniks surly nature, not used to sharing a zone. The belligerence and aggression of both sides caused a conflict that B.A.R.F knew they would have to contain. Thus, the Seven were built out of destroyed First Generation bots to take down the unruly Miracle insurgents.
The Seven were fantastic amalgamations of different designs, comprised usually of two of three Badniks in one. It was a masterful fixer-upper on B.A.R.F's part, and the Seven displayed remarkable fighting prowess.
After defeating the rebels, the exploits of the Seven go undocumented. Sightings were not common, but dedicated Spotters swear that they were still in service up until the EMP from the exploding Black Asteroid freed Mobius from all Badnik patrols (issue #100!).
The names of the Seven were Metamoto, Buzzorgsky, Crabaton, Crabinator, Buzznik, Motobotnik and Choppalien.
One of Cam and Bert's most interesting missions occurred when Sonic's buddy Porker Lewis invented a Nicenik virus that transformed savage Badniks into flower-smelling pacifists! Cam and Bert found themselves having to race to destroy the infected Buzzbombers before the epidemic spread any further. Sadly, Robotnik uploaded a patch into everyone's subsequent antivirus to prevent the Nicenik virus from being used in the future – attempts by G.U.N. to develop a new version have so far not met with success.
- NJW
~Posted by Norris Wimple on January 11th 2011 at 5:44pm.