Wednesday, 13 September 2023

M is for... Mechonoids


Large, roughly spherical robots which had been despatched to the remote jungle planet of Mechanus to prepare it for an imminent colonisation by human settlers. Galactic wars intervened and the colonists never arrived. With no new orders, the self-repairing robots continued to prepare, automatically following their programming. They built a huge city above the hostile jungle landscape, and collected samples of the local flora and fauna. When astronaut Steven Taylor crashed onto Mechanus, the Mechonoids took him captive - treating him as just another animal lifeform for study. Unable to communicate with them, as they spoke only in machine code, he couldn't explain who he was to them.
Their armoured bodies covered in geodesic designs, they were armed with flame-throwing weaponry. They also had scythe-like attachments built into their circumference.
When the TARDIS crew arrived two years after Taylor's capture, they found themselves held prisoner as exhibits as well - faced with the same communication problem.
They were being pursued by a Dalek execution squad, which arrived soon after. The Daleks knew of the robots, which they dubbed 'Mechons'. When they demanded  that the Mechonoids hand over their captives, the robots were programmed to defend their city and their possessions. A battle broke out, which resulted in the destruction of the Mechonoids and their city, along with the Daleks.

Operated by: Murphy Grumbar, John Scott Martin and Jack Pitt. Voiced by: David Graham. Appearances: The Chase (1965).

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