History Main / PhlebotinumProofRobot

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Robotic mech suits are built from platinum, making them immune to metalbending.

* In ''Film/ReturnToOz'', After Dorothy meets [[RobotBuddy Tik-Tok]], he states that the reason he wasn't [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] like the rest of Oz's citizens is because of being a machine, he is technically not alive.

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': In one episode of SCP-2702 -- a TV show called "Professor Abnormal's Science Lab"[[note]]Think ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'', but with speculative science[[/note]] -- Professor Abnormal tries to teach viewers about PsychicPowers, specifically MindControl. When he tries and fails to use it on [[RobotBuddy Prescott]], the robot cites this trope.

* WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes: In the episode "[[Recap/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroesS2E19EmperorStark Emperor Stark]]", the Purple Man uses a satellite built by Tony Stark to take over the minds of everyone on Earth. Everyone, that is, except for the android Vision and the AI Jarvis.

** Averted at the end of one episode, where -- [[ItMakesSenseInContext to make a long story short]] -- [[RobotBuddy XR]] [[spoiler:is turned into a ghost. Or a ghost-like being]].
** Played straight in another episode, where [[TheDragon Warp Darkmatter]] uses a DevolutionDevice on Team Lightyear, turning Buzz into a caveman, Booster into a dinosaur-like creature, and Mira into a primordial BlobMonster... [[BuffySpeak thing]]. XR, being a robot with no ancestors, is unaffected and must find a way to get his friend back to normal.
** Inverted with NOS-4-A2, a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent robotic energy vampire]] who [[VampiricDraining drains energy from other robots]], and can turn them into energy vampires, as well. You'd think he wouldn't be able to do anything to organic characters besides kill them, but as it turns out, a bite from him, combined with exposure to radiation from a WeirdMoon, causes an organic victim to [[UnwillingRoboticization transform into a]] [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wirewolf]], which also feeds on other robots.

** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in Videogame/MetroidPrime2 with [[DemonicPossession Ing possession]] that to the horror of the Luminoth is also possible on the very robots they created [[HoistByHisOwnPetard for fighting the Ing]].

[[folder:Films - Animated]]
* In ''{{WesternAnimation/Buzz Lightyear of Star Command}}: The Adventure Begins'', X-R claims that as a robot he’s not susceptible to {{mind control}} and as such has nothing to worry about only to be told that Zurg wouldn’t hesitate to tear him apart and sell him for scraps.

* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'': {{Zigzagged}} with [[PunnyName Andy]], who while immune to plenty of harm due to being an android is also vulnerable to certain kinds of harm for the same reason. For example, he survives an attack from a gravity weapon that pancakes his car and is hardly hurt after catching on fire, but unlike the humans, he is harmed by an ion pulse that wiped out every other machine in town, and his legs were eaten out by titanium-seeking building mites.

*** Subverted in ''[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E2TheNakedNow The Naked Now]]'', as Data is not immune to polywater intoxication.

->''"One of the benefits of being an android, I'm not on the menu."''
-->-- '''[[Characters/MCUVision Vision]]''' (about [[ZombieApocalypse zombies]]), ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021''

* ''WesternAnimation/SymbionicTitan'': In "I Am Octus", all organic creatures are frozen in time by MonsterOfTheWeek and only Octus, TokenRobot, is unaffected and can save the day.

*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E23Sarek Sarek]]", Ambassador Sarek is struggling with Bendii syndrome (the Vulcan version of Alzheimer's disease), which makes it practically impossible for him to suppress his emotions at his advanced age, [[HatePlague and this starts to affect the]] ''[[HatePlague Enterprise]]'' [[HatePlague crew, who become much more belligerent with one another]]. The only other officer besides Data who isn't affected is Troi, who is an empath and knows how to handle emotions.

* ''Anime/OutlawStar'': One episode featured an alien cactus that could control people, which it planned to use to take over the galaxy. When Gene confronted it, it used its powers to incapacitate everyone in the area, even forcing Jim to be its hostage as it triumphantly declared itself invincible. But it turns out Melfina was immune because she's a bioandroid. She proceeded to crush the alien to death, though it ended up costing the crew a hefty bounty. Her immunity actually winds up contributing to her already-considerable angst over being an artificial life form, though ultimately Gene convinced her that even if she was built rather than born, she's still a person and her differences are a good thing.

* ''Literature/StarTrekFederation'': The ''Enterprise''-D crew are working on a chunk of a Borg ship in the shuttlebay when something crazy happens and the shuttlebay is depressurized. The crew are collectively manhandled into a shuttle by Data, who, being an android, doesn't need to breathe.

* ''Series/UltramanMax'' has the episode, "Who Am I?", where a trio of alien Space Cats infects the entirety of Tokyo with a severe amnesia virus, affecting ''even'' Ultraman Max himself (with Kaitou transforming into Max by ''accident'' at the end of the episode, but then he forgot how to fight the aliens). The only character who escaped the virus is DASH's android commonications officer, Elly the RobotGirl, who then keeps the situation under control until Max regains his memories and defeats the aliens.

** Autognomes, another type of MagiTek robot player character option, take this a step further. While warforged, despite their mechanical nature, are still have the creature type of Humanoid, autognomes are Constructs, which gives them immunity to spells and effects that target humanoids, such as CharmPerson.

** Vehicles, robotic or otherwise, are also immune to the effects of Tiberium. However, fluff makes it clear that Tiberium can and will chew through metal given enough time. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation It is just not represented in-game]], as said amount of time is generally long enough that it'd be negligble over the course of a single game.

*** Subverted in ''[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E2TheNakedNow]]'', as Data is not immune to polywater intoxication.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The Warforged (sentient MagiTek robots available as a player race) are immune to a number of biological needs (eating, breathing, drinking, and sleeping) and effects (like disease or aging, even magical). However, for balance reasons, some effects still work on them (poison still damages them, and while they don't need to sleep they do need to spend several hours recharging).

* ''Anime/OutlawStar'': One episode featured an alien cactus that could control people, which it planned to use to take over the galaxy. When Jean confronted it, it used its powers to incapacitate everyone in the area, even forcing Jim to be its hostage as it triumphantly declared itself invincible. But it turns out Melfina was immune because she's a bioandroid. She proceeded to crush the alien to death, though it ended up costing the crew a hefty bounty. Her immunity actually winds up contributing to her already-considerable angst over being an artificial human, though ultimately Jean convincing her that even if she was built rather than born, she's still a person and her differences are a good thing.

** Vehicles, robotic or otherwise, are also immune to the effects of Tiberium. However, fluff makes it clear that Tiberium can and will chew through metal given enough time. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation It is just not represented in-game]].

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': The episode 5 of Season 1 features a ZombieApocalypse, which affects the majority of human population (at least in U.S and Wakanda), saved for a handful of survivors. But there, we have the [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]], whose android nature leaves him [[TheImmune immune]] to the virus and the zombies don't even consider him a target.

*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E6TheGame The Game]]", the eponymous game is addictive, and it hinders one's ability to reason. Since Data is an android and thus immune due to having no brain per se, Dr. Crusher, while being brainwashed by it, turns him off. Luckily, Wesley Crusher succeeded in re-enabling him before being forced into this game.
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E15ThineOwnSelf Thine Own Self]]", the back story is that Data had been sent to retrieve radioactive material from a primitive planet. Unfortunately, he was damaged when he landed on the planet, he wandered off to a village, and residents started getting sick from radiation poisoning -- although he didn't.

Note, however, that this is not always a good thing. If, for example, robots don't have souls, then that means [[CessationOfExistence they can't join their friends in the afterlife]][[note]]To say nothing of the fact that, being TheAgeless, [[WhoWantsToLiveForever they'll probably outlive their friends anyway]][[/note]]. Not to mention, the lack of a soul may also lead to WhatMeasureIsANonHuman, especially if the PowersThatBe are involved. Plus, even if the robot ''is'' immune to MindControl, the villain may just as easily have them destroyed to eliminate them as a threat (or else digitally reprogrammed, depending how these robots work). And finally, if the villain is a robot themselves, then their immunity to the heroes' phlebotinum is likely to make them harder to defeat.

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': The episode 5 of Season 1 features ZombieApocalypse, which affects the majority of human population (at least in U.S and Wakanda), saved for a handful of survivors. But there, we have the [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]], whose android nature leaves him [[TheImmune immune]] to the virus and the zombies don't even consider him a target.

** Possibly as a reference to this, Ancient Gear, an archetype used by Professor Crowler from Yu Gi Oh GX and Duel Academy agents from Yu Gi Oh Arc V, features many Machine monsters that have effects that prevent the opponent from activating Spell or Trap Cards when they attack.

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': The episode 5 of Season 1 features ZombieApocalypse, which affects the majority of human population (at least in U.S and Wakanda), saved for a handful of survivors. But there, we have the [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]], who've been hiding at the Camp Lehigh, who's android nature leaves him [[TheImmune immune]] to the virus and the zombies don't even consider him a target.

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': The episode 5 of Season 1 features ZombieApocalypse, which affects the majority of human population (at least in U.S and Wakanda), saved for a handful of survivors. But there, we have the [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]], who've been hiding at the Camp Lehigh, who's android nature leaves him immune to the virus and the zombies don't even consider him a target.