Multi-Bot is a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe toy line by Mattel.
He is a member of the Evil Horde, he is a robot composed of multiple body parts which he can reform at will into thousands of different shapes. He is a robot equivalent of the character Modulok whose action figure also consisted of numerous different body parts which could be locked together in many different ways. He was marketed as the 'evil robot of a thousand bodies'.
Character Profile
Toy line/Mini-comics
Multi-Bot was introduced into the Masters of the Universe toy line in 1986 to cash in on the popularity of Modulok. His figure came, like Modulok, packaged in a cardboard box consisting of two heads and many different body parts, with enough to form two separate robots. Whereas the general shape for Modulok as depicted on promotional material shows him with two heads atop one torso, Multi-Bot was given a more absurd general shape, with two torsos atop a base unit to which was attached the legs. An added gimmick was that Multi-Bot's body parts could be combined with those of Modulok to form an extra complex creature called the Megabeast. No story media ever seized upon the idea of the two characters combining into one, besides the minicomic "The Menace of Multi-Bot!", and the combination is shown just as a trick of Modulok's to show Multi-Bot abilities.
Multi-Bot was packaged with the mini-comic "The Menace of Multi-Bot!", which introduces him as a creation of Modulok, whose shape-changing abilities are used to confuse his opponent. His appearance in the mini-comic is significantly different from that of the toy, because the mini-comic was drawn while the character was still in development, and thus he was given his prototype appearance.
Cartoon
Multi-Bot also appears in She-Ra: Princess of Power by Filmation, the spin-off series from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in which the Horde are the main villains. Since the show's first season was produced while his figure was still in development, he appears in the show with the same image as the mini-comic, almost unrecognizble from the toy.
As in the mini-comic, he is showcased as a creation of Modulok, although as is the case with Modulok, he was a challenge for Filmation's animators with their limited budget, unable to afford to produce multiple animation cels to represent numerous different shapes. Therefore, like Modulok, he was given one general shape for the show, but whereas Modulok's shape-changing abilities are only ever alluded to in the series ("Happy Birthday Roboto"), the animators were more adventurous with Multi-Bot and show him moving his body parts around in the episode "Black Snow", which involves a comical scene featuring him sticking his heads on upside down. The episode also adds a new dimension to his shape-changing abilities by showing him transforming into a tank-like vehicle in a fashion reminiscent of the Transformers.
The general portrayal of the character is comical. Whereas Modulok is a highly intelligent inventor, Multi-Bot is merely an incompetent robot who serves as Modulok's bumbling assistant throughout the episode, blowing Modulok's cover by accidentally telling She-Ra the whereabouts of Modulok's hideout. Aside from "Black Snow" he also makes a brief cameo in the episode "Horde Prime Takes a Holiday". Due to episodes being broadcast in production order, rather than following the internal chronology of the series, Multi-Bot appears before his creator, Modulok does.
Trivia
An apparent prototype redesign of Multi-Bot was made by toy sculptors Four Horsemen Studios for the 2002 relaunch of the MOTU toy line, but since the line was cancelled before the Horde could be introduced, the character was never included. Given the design's lack of resemblance to the original character, it has been speculated that this was actually intended as a brand new character, and the name of Multi-Bot may have been merely reused from stock as a working title.[1]