T-X

T-X
File:Terminatrix1001.jpg The T-X, played by Kristanna Loken
First appearance	Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Portrayed by	Kristanna Loken, other cast members

The T-X, nicknamed the "Terminatrix", is a fictional gynoid assassin. It is the primary antagonist in the movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was primarily portrayed by Kristanna Loken. The fictional T-X has the ability to assume the appearance of other characters; therefore, several other cast members occasionally portrayed the T-X throughout the film.

It draws many parallels with the first female terminator, the I-950 from the novel T2: Infiltrator.

Characteristics

The T-X is designed to not only terminate humans but rogue Terminators reprogrammed by the Resistance, an "anti-terminator terminator" as John Connor puts it. It is a composite of the Model 101 and T-1000, a solid endoskeleton with polymimetic liquid metal alloy over it, allowing it to take the shape of anything humanoid it touches. Because it is only coated in this material, it is possible to remove it from the endoskeleton using immensely strong magnetic force, such as from a cyclic particle accelerator. Powering all the T-X's systems is an onboard plasma reactor.

Since only living tissue or mimetic polyalloy imitating human tissue can travel back in time, previous Terminators were limited to hand to hand combat and acquired weapons, or in the T-1000's case, blades and spikes formed from itself. The T-X, however, carries weapons internally, allowing it to take an arsenal back with it. During Terminator 3, its primary weapon is a plasma-powered cannon - until it was badly damaged and replaced by a flamethrower. It also has a drill used to inject remote control nanobots into other machines, and a circular saw for general cutting duty.

During the part of the movie where it chooses a new weapon, several other options are listed on its HUD but not seen. These include the .223 Automatic Stopper, .45 Cascader, 783 CHAIN Repeater, ADMOR BioBlaster, BioRail 32SR-9 (modified), CG45 Needler, CONSIGLIO EBlaster, Crescent Corridor Blaster, EMP Generator, Finite Rapid Cluster Gun, HDE Predator (333b), HK-54334 (modified), IAD-ChemTech, KLD-Magnum Repeater, Laser X-ray Burst Gun, Nano-Disrupter (.222), P31 Caustic Shells x231, Rumsfeld P31 Caustic (a nod to then United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld), Subauro Neutralizer (.444), Tracking EBlaster, TWIN Barrier Gun, XFLRG 44mm, and M41A pulse rifle (a weapon from the 1986 film Aliens).

The T-X has advanced human identification systems built-in, including a DNA analyzer and retinal scanner. In addition to its own database, it can emulate a dial-up modem and connect to the Internet over a phone. As the Model 101 states, the T-X is physically superior to earlier Terminators. Feats shown in the movie include jumping a large distance onto a speeding hearse, punching straight through a car seat plus a man's torso and quickly recovering from a direct RPG hit. It was also able to wrap its legs around the Model 101 with its back turned towards it and then turn its head 180 degrees to face it.

Role in the movie series

The T-X is the new villain in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, sent back to try, once again, to stop John Connor from founding the human resistance. In addition to Connor himself, it was also programmed to kill 22 high ranked people of future human resistance, including Connor's future wife, Kate Brewster, her father, General Robert Brewster, and future Lt. Elizabeth Anderson, Lt. William Anderson, and Lt. Jose Barrera. Using the public school database, it was able to obtain photos and addresses for them, and proceeded to kill them one by one.

Other than a malfunctioning weapon, the T-X sustained no damage throughout the film, until the Model 101 crashed a helicopter into it, causing it to lose its mimetic coating and legs. It was only destroyed when the reprogrammed Terminator jammed its last power cell into the T-X's mouth before it exploded.

Role in the books

In the book Terminator Hunt, the second known T-X is trained by captured Resistance members for a jump to the 1960s where she will track the Connor family for the next forty years. A captured resistance soldier, Paul Keeley, was tricked into helping make the T-X more human. An implant in his brain caused him to think that the T-X was a girl named Eliza, and his interaction with her helped her learn how to be human. The resistance captures the T-X and rescues Keeley. However, Eliza uses the implant in Paul Keeley's head to make him think that they have been captured by a rogue government, and he frees her. Overburdened with guilt, Paul Keeley convinces John and Katherine Connor to give him another chance to capture Eliza. Through the implant, Paul discovers the training facility she has escaped to, and Eliza is again captured by the Resistance. Eliza is then successfully reprogrammed to serve the Resistance.

See also

• List of female supervillains

External links

• Template:Imdb character