History Main / ProjectedMan

Can be made of HardLight, or can be an IntangibleMan. Generally, if the Projected Man is solid, he will be able to become intangible in a crisis.

* In ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'' from the second season onward, the six Sages of Mu and Princess Rana'Ori appear as "lumino-projections" in some of the Cities of Gold. At one point in the final season, [[BigBad Ambrosius]] also makes a holographic message of himself as part of a trap.
* Reinforce Zwei was depicted as this in the DistantFinale of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs''. She's become a lot more solid since.
* Canal in ''Literature/LostUniverse'' is a SpaceshipGirl in a {{Meido}} outfit. Notably, this is supposed to be impossible, even for the advanced space-faring races of the world in question. It's implied that Canal is only able to exist this way due to being an avatar of the BigGood, Volfied.
* ''Anime/{{Blassreiter}}'' has Elea, a quirky AI who projects herself as a sexy imp. [[spoiler: The epilogue introduces her successor, Maria]].
* The move Double Team is depicted this way in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''.
* ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'': T-AI, an Autobot-aligned supercomputer, manifests herself in the holographic form of a Japanese policewoman.

* When robotic superheroes get heavily damaged (and they frequently do) they will often be projected until repairs to their bodies are completed. Examples include:
** ComicBook/RedTornado (Creator/DCComics)
** ComicBook/TheVision (Creator/MarvelComics), who also changes his density anyway as a superpower.
** ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' Stel does this too.
* Miguel O'Hara, the [[ComicBook/SpiderMan2099 Spider Man of 2099]], had a personalized AI assistant who went by Lyla, and projected a Marilyn Monroe-like figure to communicate with him. She could take other forms, including an obvious lookalike of Aunt May.
* The mutant who uses the nickname Blue has an area of cyberspace mapped out like Film/{{Tron}}, and there he has his own Projected Man 'Clu'. The name "Clu" may itself be a ShoutOut to a minor character from ''Tron''.
* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', NICOLE appears as a lynx using this trope.

* Luther Ironheart, the robotic deputy in ''Comicbook/AmericanFlagg'', is something of a hybrid. He has a large human-shaped but clearly robotic body, and a hologram for a head. While his head usually appears as a friendly and obviously non-human cartoon image, he can also use it to impersonate other characters. He successfully impersonates Flagg at one point, and the image is apparently flawless, at least on a video screen.
* The villain Optilux from Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}'' run was an alien intelligence (and ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} {{Expy}}) who existed as a living hologram. He also converted whole cities into light constructs and imprisoned them in prism-like structures (parallelling Brainiac shrinking cities and imprisoning them in bottles), believing that [[ScaryDogmaticAliens he was fulfilling a higher purpose]] by converting living people into light.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** Some have Superman's father Jor-El as a hologram who can walk around but he's usually portrayed as a HugeHolographicHead like in [[Film/SupermanMovieSeries the movies]].

* The ''VideoGame/Portal2'' fanfic ''Fanfic/BlueSky'' has Wheatley transferred into a HardLight body. It's so realistic that several characters don't even realize he's not human - at one point, he shows a plug in the back of his neck to the local technology expert, and the other character is so stunned [[INeedAFreakingDrink he decides he needs a drink]] before the conversation can continue.

* In ''Fanfic/VoiceOfTheCondor'', [[spoiler: Muran'Kel, Esteban's dead mother]] normally appears as a glowing blue hologram, but her [[BrainUploading mental link]] to the Cities of Gold allows her to build a solid body out of the orichalcum sand in Kumlar. She also helps [[SpaceshipGirl Cibola]], the Golden Condor's AI, gain a projected human avatar toward the climax.

* On ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'', Chester V has holographic clones of himself that make public appearances for him and also serve as his companions. [[spoiler:In the climax, they try to save him from [[HoistByHisOwnPetard fallling into his own machine]], but as they are not made of HardLight...]]

* ''Film/IRobot'' featured [[FunWithAcronyms V.I.K.I]], the AI/Positronic brain of USR, who usually appeared as a face in a cube, made by smaller cubes.
** And before that, when Del Spooner first arrives at USR, he interacts with a projected recording of Alfred Lanning, who is capable of answering simple questions.
*** Unlike VIKI's face, Lanning's recording is two-dimensional, although it appears volumetric from the front.
* Vox, Orlando Jones' virtual-librarian character in ''Film/TheTimeMachine2002''. Uniquely, Vox doesn't "exist" in real space, but interacts with people through transparent "pillars." Also, Vox changes quite a bit. During Hartdegen's first stop in the future, Vox is a chic, acerbic 21st Century man; his appearance and movement are smooth and crystal-clear. By 802701, he looks visibly older (requiring glasses) and has significant HologramProjectionImperfection. This is {{justified}}, as he's running on reserve power. He's neither as smooth nor as acerbic as he was; now, he's a little more jittery and a lot more [[ShellShockedVeteran haunted]]. In his words, "Can you even ''imagine'' what it's like to remember...everything?"
* In 1995's ''Film/HologramMan'' Kurt Decoda and Norman Galagher are transformed into holographic parolees in a Film/DemolitionMan-esque universe with [[DomedHometown Domed Cities]].

* A future human society in Stephen Baxter's ''Literature/ManifoldSpace'' makes use of "limited-sentience projections" as messengers. Initially Nemoto appears several times via more ordinary holographic telepresence (it's really her, talking as if over the phone), making for an unexpected WhatMeasureIsANonHuman moment much further into the future when another character asks the projection what exactly it is; Virtual Nemoto explains and then looks horrified before dissolving into light. (And you thought Franchise/StarTrek holograms had it bad...)
** ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' appears to have borrowed the concept, as in at least one instance, a message is sent in the form of an interactive holographic recreation of the sender.
* Creator/AlfredBester's ''Literature/TheComputerConnection'' apparently used this technique to replace both telephones (called "projecting") and advertising. The latter reversed the traditional payment scheme of advertising in that consumers could pay a monthly fee to maintain the insulation in their homes to keep the advertising ''out''.
* Subverted in ''Literature/RevelationSpace'' by Creator/AlastairReynolds, when one character is being rude to what she thinks is a holographic avatar, only to find it's a real person she's talking to. "We used to use avatars, but they put up with too much crap". Later in [[Literature/RevelationSpaceSeries the series]], Captain John Armstrong Brannigan, a TransHuman, manifests himself in the form of decaying servitors, but viewer uses augmented reality goggles to see him as he was six hundred years ago when he worked for an organization [[FutureImperfect called "NASA"]].
* The ''Literature/SkylarkSeries'' by Creator/EEDocSmith has the HardLight version of this, and may well be the UrExample.

* ''Literature/TheSunEater'' series by Christopher Ruocchio has the main hero Hadrian understand a passage from their sacred histories "...and the daughters of Columbia seduced the kings of the Earth". Columbia is the first American A.I. and her daughters are next generation A.I. To help sell other countries's governments on the adoption of A.I., these next-gen machines had holographic avatars of flawlessly beautiful naked women made of white light who offered gifts of more advanced technology and seamlessly efficient government.
* Colin from Creator/WilliamGibson's ''Literature/MonaLisaOverdrive'' manifests this way.

* The DHI's from ''Literature/KingdomKeepers'' become this upon sleeping, taking over for the hologram versions of themselves that serve as hosts in the parks. Finn has also shown the ability to briefly become one at will, complete with IntangibleMan properties.
* [[ArtificialIntelligence OWEN]] from ''Literature/TheMunicipalists'' has his physical appearance generated by a projector disguised in Henry's tie clip.
* ''Literature/{{Nerds}}'': The Playground's [[ArtificialIntelligence AI assistant]], Benjamin, is a floating orb that projects itself as a hologram of historical figure Benjamin Franklin.

* Rimmer in ''Series/RedDwarf'', although he very definitely did not fit the mold of RobotBuddy.
** Holograms in this franchise are [[VirtualGhost Virtual Ghosts]] of [[BrainUploading Brain Uploaded]] crew members but due to the high energy costs, most ships can only generate one hologram at a time so they have to hope that nobody more important dies.
** It was originally shown that Rimmer couldn't leave the ship without being contained inside a holographic projection cage but later episodes scrapped this and said he was maintained by a tiny, hovering "light bee" inside himself and could go wherever he wanted.
** Holograms were specified from the start to be intangible but the writers kept forgetting this and had Rimmer lifting things. In "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVILegion Legion]]", he was eventually given a HardLight drive that made him solid and indestructible.
** "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVHoloship Holoship]]" introduced the titular project starship, crewed by hundreds of holograms.
* Darien's sidekick S.E.L.M.A. (Specified Encapsulated Limitless Memory Archive) in ''Series/TimeTrax''. She is almost a VirtualGhost, as her appearance was based on a photograph of Darien's late mother. For Darien's mission into the 20th century, S.E.L.M.A. is disguised as a credit card and frequently used as such (she just hacks the computer to accept her). In one episode, Darien meets an old friend of his, who has traveled back in time to catch a certain criminal. He shows off his own computer called C.I.N.D.I. (Consumer Information Network and Data Interface), who looks like a ditzy blonde and doesn't do much except giggle and take up seductive poses, while her hologram occasionally glitches. Obviously an inferior version of S.E.L.M.A., who is a little insulted.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek''

** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': A noteworthy mention is Creator/StephenHawking who, as a hologram, got to be the only person in the franchise's history to date to appear on the show as himself.

*** ''La Sirena'' has at least five emergency holograms (Medical, Navigational, Hospitality, Tactical and Engineering). They all look like Cristóbal Rios, the ship's owner, because he selected the self-scan option, but [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct they all dress, talk and act differently.]]
* One of Andromeda's three selves in ''Series/{{Andromeda}}''. One episode, which revealed that Gaheris Rhade killed Dylan in the original timeline and took his place as the re-creator of the Commonwealth, had Rhade create a hologram of Dylan, mostly as someone to play Go with, but also providing sage advice during crises. It's partly the hologram that makes Rhade realize that Dylan would do this job far better than he, so he goes back in time and throws the fight, allowing himself to be killed.
* Used by ''Series/MissionImpossible'' in a few of their conjobs, particularly notable in the episode ''Holograms''.
* Caravaggio from ''Series/{{Starhunter}}''. From the shoulders up, he's a posh British butler in a tuxedo, from back when the ship had been a luxury liner. From the shoulders down, he's a skeleton because his image files had degraded.
* Al from ''Series/QuantumLeap'' isn't actually a hologram, but functions like one from Sam's point of view.
** However, Sam and the world around him, appear as this to Al back in the present because he is in an "imaging chamber" much like a Star Trek Holodeck.
* Similarly, Asgard communications technology in ''Series/StargateSG1'' functions by projecting a full-body hologram of the user to wherever the person they want to talk to is, apparently without the need for an emitter at the receiving end, allowing for some handy IntangibleMan shenanigans.
** The Ancients have this as well.
** An interesting variation on this is used in an early episode by Sokar, who attacks the Earth gate's iris with a particle accelerator. He modulates the accelerator to make his face appear on the iris and even have his voice come out, informing the [[HumansByAnyOtherName Tau'ri]] why he's punishing them.
** The Asgard holo-technology is revealed to the public in one episode as a counter to a CEO revealing an Asgard as proof that the government is hiding something (it was just a mindless clone). Carter then went on national television and revealed that the government has been working on realistic-looking holographic projection technology and demonstrates this by passing her hand through a solid object, revealing that she wasn't really there. The reporter interviewing her calls bullshit on that, claiming that she has never heard of a technology like that before.
** A crossover SG-1/Atlantis episode involves Daniel searching through the Ancient database in Atlantis for Merlin's weapon, finally figuring out that [[spoiler:his holographic guide is actually Ganos Lal (AKA Morgan Le Fay), an [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascended]] Ancient, secretly helping him]].
* Several characters on ''Series/BabylonFive'' are able to communicate this way while making use of the [[EternalEngine Great Machine]]. Two out of three characters who do this on the show tend to be {{Large Ham}}s for some reason.
* "The Professor," the holographic advisor system installed in the captain's cabin aboard Series/SeaQuestDSV. Notable for including several RealLife limitations: it couldn't travel (the image was projected on a fog "screen"), it wasn't tangible, it couldn't repair itself (either hardware or software), and it frequently suffered from HologramProjectionImperfection.
* Cyber-Cam from ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'', who regular Cam created to handle some of his responsibilities when he became the SixthRanger and found that managing that ''and'' being the MissionControl was too exhausting.
* Gideon in ''Series/TheFlash2014'', an AI from the future (with Creator/MorenaBaccarin's voice) that keeps track of Barry's future for [[spoiler:Dr. Wells, AKA the Reverse-Flash]]. As Barry finds out, Gideon is the creation of his future self.
** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' reveals that the [[TimePolice Time Masters]] have adapted the technology to creating multiple Gideon-like [=AIs=], one of which is also named Gideon, but has a difference voice. These tend to only project their heads, although they have much more developed personalities.

* ''Videogame/AzureStrikerGunvolt:'' In the second game onward, Copen is accompanied by a RobotBuddy called Lola, who can project a humanoid female form of herself. Played with in that it's not an inherent feature, but she gets it from analyzing the power of "The Muse" [[PsychicPowers Septima]], which lets the user holographically project their consciousness as an IdolSinger.

* ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' has NG Resonance, an international pop-star, whose holographic [=AIs=] are playing all over the world. The [=AIs=] can interact with people, and one is hard-pressed to tell that it's not an actual person. Interestingly, while the holograms are polite and friendly, the actual pop-star is a spoiled brat who doesn't care about anyone.
** Expanding on this, the AI starts to become personalized towards each person. You see it giving advice and comforting an office drone the first time you met it. As the game goes on it starts acting as your handler, which you can comment on. And to be fair to the Pop-Star she was panicking as she found herself in the middle of a war-zone.
* [[spoiler:Eliza]] of ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' is a life-like hologram.
* [[spoiler: Layla,]] the girl in the Sunset Cage in ''VideoGame/{{Fairune}} 2'' looks like just another MysteriousWaif up until she [[spoiler: suddenly [[HologramProjectionImperfection flickers]] and shuts down. She gets better.]]

** Cortana, a "naked blue lady" who's also Chief's VoiceWithAnInternetConnection and MissionControl, with a good bit of PlayfulHacker thrown in. That said, she's often stuck in Chief's helmet, which doesn't really have a projection system. In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'', she's able to briefly manifest herself with HardLight by using the technology on a [[{{Precursors}} Forerunner]] ship. [[spoiler:In ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', she seems to have created a full hard-light body for herself.]]

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' has the G0-T0 droid who hides behind his SecretIdentity of Goto, a middle aged man communicating only through hologram projection.
* In ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'', the ''Von Braun's'' Recreation deck includes a [[RedLightDistrict brothel]] called the "Sensual Sim Center", where patrons can make out with holographic performers of both sexes. All the holograms are busted when you get there, though.
* Nearly every Virtual Intelligence encountered in the game ''Franchise/MassEffect'' is a perfect example of this trope. The one exception is the rogue VI found on Earth's moon. Its rogue status may or may not have something to do with this.

** EDI in the second game inverts this in that she projects herself as a sphere of blue lights, but is a genuine self-aware AI.

** In the third game, it is possible to encounter a VI with a [[{{Flanderization}} very Flanderized]] version of Commander Shepard's personality, which projects itself as a hard-light projection of Shepard. Depending on if Shepard is a Paragon or a Renegade, the VI will either be obnoxiously supportive or comically bloodthirsty. Cue DoIReallySoundLikeThat from Shepard.

* The {{Artificial Intelligence}}s that control ships in the ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' universe are usually represented by holograms, for interaction with "meatbags". And for the sake of exposition, [[BreakingTheFourthWall as they themselves occasionally notice]], even for direct interaction between [=AIs=] themselves. Some exceptions are Haban, who is embedded into a human and talks through him, Ennesby, who has a physical flying body and was talking through it or just speakers when he was a ship AI, and TAG, who speaks disembodiedly on purpose.
* "[[EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep Station]]", the [[SpaceshipGirl Spaceship Boy]] in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' who controls the Ellicott Chatham Enterprises SpaceStation, interacts with humans through a holographic projection of a young man, which it can manifest anywhere within the Station or via [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3647 remote drone]] elsewhere. PlayedForLaughs when people [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2160 forget]] that he's not made of HardLight, when he [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2162 glitches out]] while "hung over" from modeling weather patterns, and when he [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2145 stages]] paranormal activity.

* In ''Webcomic/LeavingTheCradle'', Quantum, the residential ArtificialIntelligence appears as this to those speaking with them. Athough his appearance appears to be based on one of the aliens of the setting, the [[https://leavingthecradle.com/characters character page]] says that he has no actual self-image and chooses the form that's being the most convenient for the other speaker.

* In ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'' most AIs that aren't housed in a mobile robot frame have a "blobby" holographic avatar designed not to look like any particular species, the Oracle's avatar is a blue cloudy sphere containing three triangles that look like eyes and a nose for instance. Though in their simulations, which most organics can't access, they tend to have more anthropomorphic avatars [[spoiler:modeled after the Oracle's creator in his case.]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* All the A.I.s in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' project themselves in this manner at some point, with Delta notably using his projection to simulate a combatant in battle as a distraction once. In ''[[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheRecollection Reconstruction]]'', [[spoiler:the "ghost" form of Church]] is [[TomatoInTheMirror revealed to be one of these]], blurring the lines between projection and self.
* It's revealed in the Season Five WhamEpisode of ''WebVideo/PuppetHistory'' that [[spoiler:the Professor who supposedly CameBackWrong is actually an EvilCounterpart named Concupiscence, who was a hologram made to entertain purgatory that was brought back to reality. He's only halfway to being corporeal and is willing to skin Ryan alive and wear his flesh to BecomeARealBoy.]]

* Subverted in ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'', where a miniature Projected Man version of Hermes appears to the other characters to relay a message but is then carried away by a pigeon. When the (real) Hermes appears next, he is sporting various plasters.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** Slight twist: In some continuities, there are holograms of drivers in their vehicle modes so that they don't appear to be driving themselves. In one comic series, the driver avatars are HardLight projections that can operate some distance from their robot bodies.
** Sixshot in ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' projects copies of himself to fight; they're made of HardLight. Prowl in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' seems to have picked up a similar trick, but without the hardness (and a crimefighter in the comic named "Wraith" is able to project a moving hologram of himself that he controls from a nearby truck).
** In ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'', T-AI is a sentient computer who projects a holographic image of herself. She even [[TinmanTypist operates equally holographic keypads]] to make the computer (which is ''her'') do stuff. [[Website/TFWikiDotNet Transformers Wiki]] summed up the FridgeLogic of this. [[note]]"Whenever T-AI makes radio contact with any off-base Autobots, she initiates it by pressing a sequence of buttons on a keypad. Considering that these elements are all a part of the same computer, T-AI is in fact projecting and controlling the holographic representation of herself and making it use the keypad that controls T-AI, herself. She is effectively telling herself to tell herself what to do. If you also factor in the fact that the hologram is totally incorporeal, and therefore cannot actually make contact with the keypad, then the assorted beeps and lights that seemingly indicate when the buttons are being pressed are actually being controlled from within T-AI like a player piano, and therefore don't need to be pressed even if the hologram could press them. This gives me a headache."[[/note]]The RuleOfCool is definitely in effect.
* In later episodes of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' we see that Vlad made himself a holographic version of Danny's mother as his lab assistant. When Danny attacks his laboratory, the hologram and the AI glitches says it prefers to be with the holographic Jack Fenton than with him. He later fixes that "flaw".
** In "WesternAnimation/PhantomPlanet" it turns out he's using at least two holographic Maddies on his space station and at one point they fight over who's the favorite.
* Hugo[[labelnote:*]][[FunWithAcronyms Holographic User Guidance Operative]][[/labelnote]] from ''WesternAnimation/GetAce'', who takes on the appearance and personality of TheJeeves and allows Ace to easily access the various functions of his spy braces via verbal commands. Only Ace can see him due to wearing special glasses.
* Synergy from ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}''.
** Jem herself doesn't count since it's more of WeWillNotUseStageMakeUpInTheFuture, but Jerrica has had Synergy project holograms of Jem (or holograms of Jerrica if she's in her Jem alter-ego) to prevent her cover from being blown when the need for both of them to be in the same room at the same time arises.
* The second season of ''WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries'' featured an AI called HOMER. Unlike his [[ComicBook/IronMan comic book]] incarnation, who only appeared as a voice from the computers that ran Tony's armor-manufacturing facilities (with... [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/3/34/Heuristically_Operative_Matrix_Emulation_Rostrum_%28Earth-616%29.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20120317213048 this...]] representing his "face"), the cartoon portrayed him as a Projected Man.

* Similarly, Asgard communications technology in ''Series/StargateSG1'' functions by projecting a full-body hologram of the user to wherever the person they want to talk to is, apparently without the need for an emitter at the recieving end, allowing for some handy IntangibleMan shenanigans.

* Canal in ''Anime/LostUniverse'' is a SpaceshipGirl in a {{Meido}} outfit. Notably, this is supposed to be impossible, even for the advanced space-faring races of the world in question. It's implied that Canel is only able to exist this way due to being an avatar of the BigGood, Volfied.

** Some have Superman's father Jor-El as a hologram who can walk around but he's usually portrayed as a HugeHolographicHead like in [[Film/{{Superman}} the movies]].

* The move Double Team is depicted this way in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.

[[folder: Theater]]

** Holograms were specified from the start to be intangible but the writers kept forgetting this and had Rimmer lifting things. In ''[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVILegion Legion]]'', he was eventually given a HardLight drive that made him solid and indestructible.
** ''[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVHoloship Holoship]]'' introduced the titular project starship, crewed by hundreds of holograms.

* How T-AI, an Autobot aligned supercomputer, manifests herself in ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise''.

* All the [=AIs=] in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' project themselves in this manner at some point, with Delta notably using his projection to simulate a combatant in battle as a distraction once.
** In ''Reconstruction'', [[spoiler:the "ghost" form of Church]] is [[TomatoInTheMirror revealed to be one of these]], blurring the lines between projection and self.

* Sora in ''VisualNovel/Ever17'' (at least until the True Ending, where she becomes a RobotGirl).

** In ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'', T-AI is a sentient computer who projects a holographic image of herself. She even [[TinmanTypist operates equally holographic keypads]] to make the computer (which is ''her'') do stuff. [[Wiki/TFWikiDotNet Transformers Wiki]] summed up the FridgeLogic of this. [[note]]"Whenever T-AI makes radio contact with any off-base Autobots, she initiates it by pressing a sequence of buttons on a keypad. Considering that these elements are all a part of the same computer, T-AI is in fact projecting and controlling the holographic representation of herself and making it use the keypad that controls T-AI, herself. She is effectively telling herself to tell herself what to do. If you also factor in the fact that the hologram is totally incorporeal, and therefore cannot actually make contact with the keypad, then the assorted beeps and lights that seemingly indicate when the buttons are being pressed are actually being controlled from within T-AI like a player piano, and therefore don't need to be pressed even if the hologram could press them. This gives me a headache."[[/note]]The RuleOfCool is definitely in effect.

* WesternAnimation/IronMan's second season of the 90's cartoon featured an AI called HOMER. Unlike his [[ComicBook/IronMan comic book]] incarnation, who only appeared as a voice from the computers that ran Tony's armor-manufacturing facilities (with... [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/3/34/Heuristically_Operative_Matrix_Emulation_Rostrum_%28Earth-616%29.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20120317213048 this...]] representing his "face"), the cartoon portrayed him as a Projected Man.

[[caption-width-right:330:Okay, Projected [[OneGenderRace Monogendered Female-Looking Alien]]. Sue us.]]