Robert the Robot

Robert the Robot was a member of the Fireball XL5 crew.

Biography
In January 2065, Fireball XL5 was ordered to investigate an automatic space mayday from Area 4 of Sector 25, which they discovered was coming from a space freighter. Upon finding hostile Batmen on the freighter, Robert set a course to pursue the freighter on Steve Zodiac's orders, eventually leading them to an unknown asteroid in hyperspace. Robert stood guard at Fireball while Steve, Venus and Professor Matic searched the asteroid on jetmobiles. However, all three were later captured by Batmen, forcing Steve to accept the leader of the Batmen's ultimatum to disarm Robert and surrender Fireball in order to save Venus's life. The Batmen escorted the Fireball crew back to the ship and Steve ordered Robert to put aside his stun gun and come down to where they were all standing. Later, as the leader of the Batmen celebrated his victory after taking Fireball for a test-run, he passed close by to Robert, who was given an order by Steve to grab him. Robert's grip tore off the leader's wings which exposed him as a human wearing a spacesuit. (COMIC: The Batmen) When Space City officials found out about this, they expressed concern for the safety of the Fireball crew should the Batmen's leader take revenge for Robert's attack. (COMIC: Power Play) However, this did not become an issue as the rest of the Batmen did not wish to risk the wrath of the World Space Patrol for the sake of an impostor and the entire Fireball crew, including Robert, left the asteroid on peaceful terms. (COMIC: The Batmen)

In April 2065, Robert was pictured in the XL5 alongside Steve Zodiac and Venus in an article with the headline "Zodiac's Rescue Bid!". (PROSE: Zodiac's Rescue Bid!) In May 2065, Robert was again pictured, at the controls of the XL5 with Zodiac in an article with the headline "Space Battle - Cease Fire". (PROSE: Atlanta Kidnapped!)

Zodiac once reported from XL5 that Robert had been smashed in an attack by strange snowmen on Uraniture. (COMIC: Plague of Death)

In 2066, Robert was at the controls of XL5 with Zodiac when he attempted to destroy a fleet of meteor-like spacecraft belonging to an unknown aggressor with the ship's interceptors, which failed. He was still there when Commander Zero ordered XL5 to return to Space City after a bombardment from Earth battleships and hits by plutomic missiles had also failed to destroy them. (COMIC: The Syntex Mystery)

In June 2066, Robert was with Steve when he pursued the Black Ship after its attack on Freighter 203 and, after he failed to successfully track them, when he returned to the space freighter to pick up the crew and take them to Space Station Velnar to receive any necessary medical attention. He was also on board when XL5 was captured by Damacles, as per a deal approved by World President Nikita Bandranaik to allow Steve to rescue Venus and some kidnapped scientists. (COMIC: The Black Ship)

Behind the scenes
Robert originates from the television series Fireball XL5.