fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
and the central
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
of ''
Terminator Genisys
''Terminator Genisys'' is a 2015 American science fiction action film directed by Alan Taylor and written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. Produced by Skydance Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film is a reboot o ...
Jason Clarke
Jason Clarke (born 17 July 1969) is an Australian actor. He has appeared in many TV series, and is known for playing Tommy Caffee on the television series '' Brotherhood''. He has also appeared in many films, often as an antagonist. His film r ...
. In the film, the T-3000 is an alternate timeline counterpart of Skynet's (portrayed by
Matt Smith
Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...
) nemesis
John Connor
John Connor is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Terminator (franchise), ''Terminator'' franchise. Created by screenwriter, writer and film director, director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film ''The T ...
(also portrayed by Clarke), created after Skynet infects a variant of Connor with
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
and fractures the timeline. The T-3000 also serves as a
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ...
personality to "Guardian" (a reprogrammed
T-800 T8 or T-8 may refer to the following:
Measurement
* T8, a Torx screwhead size
* T8, a 1 inch fluorescent lamp size
* A tornado intensity rating on the TORRO scale
Biology
* The 8th thoracic vertebra
* The T8 spinal nerve
Transportation
* Trikk ...
portrayed by
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
), a protagonist who is somewhat similar to the T-3000 but also opposite in many ways, of their relationship dynamics with Sarah Connor (portrayed by
Emilia Clarke
Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal as Daenerys Targaryen in '' Game of Thrones''. She has received various accolades, including an Empire Award, a Saturn Award, ...
) and
Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Terminator (franchise), ''Terminator'' franchise, who serves as the protagonist of the first film with a supporting role in other works. The character is portrayed by Michael Biehn in ...
(portrayed by
Jai Courtney
Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film '' Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in '' A Good Day t ...
).
The T-3000's sole mission is to protect and ensure the ultimate survival of Skynet, which seeks to eliminate the human race with its global machine network. The T-3000 describes itself as neither machine nor human; rather, it is a hybrid nanotechnological
cyborg
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
. Producer
David Ellison
David Ellison (born January 9, 1983) is an American film producer and actor best known as the founder and CEO of Skydance Media.
Early life and education
David Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California. He is the son of billionaire Ora ...
explains that the title ''Terminator Genisys'' " sin reference to genesis, which is in reference to the singularity and the man-machine hybrid that John Connor ends up being." The T-3000 returns in the 2017
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
In a desperate effort to ensure its survival, the rogue
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
Skynet creates an avatar for itself in the form of a T-5000 (
Matt Smith
Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...
). This
Terminator
Terminator may refer to:
Science and technology
Genetics
* Terminator (genetics), the end of a gene for transcription
* Terminator technology, proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation s ...
travels through many timelines searching for a way to defeat the Human Resistance and ultimately infiltrates it under the guise of a fighter named Alex. "Alex" is present as a soldier when
John Connor
John Connor is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Terminator (franchise), ''Terminator'' franchise. Created by screenwriter, writer and film director, director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film ''The T ...
and
Kyle Reese
Kyle Reese is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Terminator (franchise), ''Terminator'' franchise, who serves as the protagonist of the first film with a supporting role in other works. The character is portrayed by Michael Biehn in ...
(
Jai Courtney
Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film '' Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in '' A Good Day t ...
) discover Skynet's
time machine
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
at the end of the war with the machines. As Kyle is being sent back in time to protect John's mother Sarah Connor (
Emilia Clarke
Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal as Daenerys Targaryen in '' Game of Thrones''. She has received various accolades, including an Empire Award, a Saturn Award, ...
) from the T-800 Terminator sent to kill her in 1984, "Alex" carries out his attack. He kills all of the other soldiers nearby and infects John Connor with
nanomachines
A molecular machine, nanite, or nanomachine is a molecular component that produces quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input). In cellular biology, macromolecular machines frequently perform tasks essential for l ...
, transforming him into a new hybrid Terminator designated as the T-3000. John Connor's conversion into a Terminator as Kyle travels back in time turns out to be such a major event that it causes a
grandfather paradox
A temporal paradox, time paradox, or time travel paradox is a paradox, an apparent contradiction, or logical contradiction associated with the idea of time and time travel. The notion of time travel to the future complies with current understanding ...
that fractures the timeline, completely rewriting the past and the future.
The T-3000 is sent back in time to 2014, and given the mission to assist Cyberdyne Systems in developing a new
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
named ''Genisys'', in addition to revolutionary robotic and time traveling technology, which is in reality Skynet and the recreation of its machines. When Sarah and Kyle arrive in 2017, he meets them at a hospital and convinces them that he really is John Connor, but his disguise is exposed by the
Guardian
Guardian usually refers to:
* Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another
* ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper
(The) Guardian(s) may also refer to:
Places
* Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...
(a reprogrammed T-800 portrayed by Schwarzenegger). The T-3000 engages the trio in multiple destructive battles. During a final battle with the Guardian, the T-3000 is disintegrated by a prototype time machine's
magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
. However, despite Skynet's global attack being foiled, the T-3000 succeeded in securing its survival in this timeline.
The Guardian explains during the film that before the final battle between Skynet and the Resistance, the former attempted to create a new type of infiltrators by infecting prisoners with machine-phase matter, but the subjects went insane and died; John Connor was the only subject to survive the transformation reasonably mentally intact, albeit now loyal to Skynet as opposed to his previous loyalty to humanity.
Design
The on-screen representation of the T-3000 was made by British effects company Double Negative. Footage would combine Jason Clarke filmed on set, keyframed animation, and
motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
. Supervisor Peter Bebb said that the company tried to design the T-3000 like a computer would do it, focusing on design and battle efficiency, "form follows function". Given that it is a Terminator built out of a human, the result is "a pure robot that sits under flesh structure", still retaining an overall human shape. The mechanical cells tried to resemble the material on
stealth aircraft
Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar, infrared, visible light, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, and audio, collectively known as stealth technology. The F-117 N ...
, with a result described as "more
matte
Matte may refer to:
Art
* paint with a non-glossy finish. See diffuse reflection.
* a framing element surrounding a painting or watercolor within the outer frame
Film
* Matte (filmmaking), filmmaking and video production technology
* Matte p ...
than metal", resembling a slightly
iridescent
Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...
The Guardian identifies the T-3000 as being made of ''machine-phase matter'' (essentially,
programmable matter
Programmable matter is matter which has the ability to change its physical properties (shape, density, moduli, conductivity, optical properties, etc.) in a programmable fashion, based upon user input or autonomous sensing. Programmable matter is ...
) held together by a
magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...
. Because of this, the T-3000's abilities far exceed those of the
T-1000
The T-1000 is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Terminator (franchise), ''Terminator'' franchise. A shapeshifter, shapeshifting Android (robot), android Terminator (character concept), Terminator Assassination, assassin, the T-1000 ...
and other Terminator models. It is capable of
shapeshifting
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, Magic (paranormal), sorcery, Incantation, ...
at much more rapid speed than the mimetic polyalloy Terminators, though it is still limited by complexity or mass; its transformation abilities are such that it can dissolve into its most basic form while falling head-first through the air, reorient itself to land on its feet and be fully transformed back to normal by the time it stands up. Likewise, it is capable of regenerating from almost any injury in mere moments. Unlike previous Terminators, the T-3000 transforms and regenerates in layers, beginning with its bone structure, then muscle tissue, skin and clothing. These layers can be adjusted independently of each other, as shown when John Connor adds and removes his facial scar at will in the film. It appears to retain the ability to infect others and create more T-3000s, as it offers this to Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. The transformation, which is described as replacing its victim's body on the cellular level, cannot be reversed.
Though a powerful enemy, the T-3000 is not invincible. Because its abilities are primarily tied to its magnetic field, it is susceptible to magnetic attacks that disrupt said field. Weaker magnetism from devices such as the Guardian's improvised fist-load weapons are capable of disrupting or disabling the T-3000's shapeshifting and regeneration abilities, due to affecting its ability to manipulate its particles. A sufficiently strong magnetic field can pull the T-3000 apart briefly to restrain it, and, if its body is exposed to a powerful magnetic field for a sustained amount of time, the cyborg can be torn apart and destroyed. The machine-phase matter is also vulnerable to the laser used in shaping mimetic polyalloy for use in the construction of T-1000s. If struck by this laser, the T-3000 can suffer enough external damage to render its outermost layer irreparably compromised, forcing it to discard its human appearance and use its true machine form. The T-3000 is still susceptible to some degrees of physical injuries and pains such as being wounded by gunshot, and its agonies can worsen if being marred by
SWAT
In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
-standard
breaching round
A breaching round or slug-shot is a shotgun shell specially made for door breaching. It is typically fired at a range of 6 inches (15 cm) or less, aimed at the hinges or the area between the doorknob and lock and doorjamb, and is designed to d ...
s since they typically are magnetic; the explosive ones are more effective against the cyborg for minutes of impairment. It is also shown to experience pain and have its movements impaired when trapped in an electrical current. However, these effects are only temporary due to its regeneration capabilities, which heal it once it manages to escape the current.
Family tree
See also
*
Human enhancement
Human enhancement (HE) can be described as the natural, artificial, or technological alteration of the human body in order to enhance physical or mental capabilities.
Technologies
Existing technologies
Three forms of human enhancement curre ...
*
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
*
Nanotechnology in fiction
The use of nanotechnology in fiction has attracted scholarly attention. The first use of the distinguishing concepts of nanotechnology was "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom", a talk given by physicist Richard Feynman in 1959. K. Eric Drexle ...
*
Posthuman
Posthuman or post-human is a concept originating in the fields of science fiction, futurology, contemporary art, and philosophy that means a person or entity that exists in a state beyond being human. The concept aims at addressing a variety of ...
*
Quantum field
In theoretical physics, quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles and ...
*
Self-assembly of nanoparticles
Nanoparticles are classified as having at least one of three dimensions be in the range of 1-100 nm. The small size of nanoparticles allows them to have unique characteristics which may not be possible on the macro-scale. Self-assembly is t ...
*
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
*
Transhumanism
Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement which advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies that can greatly enhance longevity and cognition.
Transhuma ...