T-1000

The T-1000 (Advanced Prototype Terminator Infiltrator Series 1 Model 1A Type 1000) is a fictional android assassin, featured in Judgment Day.

T-1000, played by the actor Robert Patrick in the male appearance it assumes throughout most of the movie, is an extremely advanced Terminator made of a liquid mimetic polyalloy. It is able to morph its liquid metal form to impersonate people and objects in order to get closer to its target and will adapt as required to complete its mission. It is the most famous and possibly also the first, example of a nanomorph.

Technical specs

The T-1000 originates from a special chamber deep within Skynet's complex. There, liquid mimetic polyalloy is poured in between two molds in an immense hydraulic press. The halves of the mold (each weighing about 20 tons) are then pressed together with immense force, forcing the mimetic polyalloy to take the rough shape of a bipedal humanoid. Under immense pressure, the mimetic polyalloy sets its molecular structure and recognizes the humanoid shape as its default form. The means by which the T-1000 is powered is unknown at this time, as it has no reactor or power cell like other models. It is possible that the T-1000 is powered on a molecular level, with each molecule having its own power supply, whatever that may be. Although inorganic, the T-1000 was able to time travel via a continuum transporter (an advanced version of the time displacement unit, which Reese and the original T-800 used).

The T-1000 is capable of perfectly emulating the shape, color, and texture of anything that it touches, provided that the object being emulated is of similar size and mass. Apparently it can scan every detail of a molecule and cell in an object by simply touching it. Objects larger or smaller than the T-1000 cannot be perfectly emulated. However, the T-1000 (or pieces of it) seem to be able to perfectly match the color and texture (but not shape or size) of things larger or smaller than itself. The T-1000 is believed to be made up of trillions of intelligent molecules (possibly nanomachines), each being a miniature version of the entire machine. Like human DNA, each molecule of the T-1000 contains the full data required for the assembly of the complete life-size T-1000. This is why the T-1000 is so adept at regenerating, even from complete dismemberment. Combined, the pieces of the T-1000 are very capable, but separated pieces of mimetic alloy seem to be programmed to rejoin the main T-1000 mass instead of attacking on their own. Separated or damaged mimetic alloy seems to be programmed to camouflage itself to avoid detection, as evidenced by the glitchiness (partial melding with metal objects) of the material after it is frozen in one instance.

The T-1000 is capable of altering its molecular state between solid and liquid at will; however, it seems to be unable to convert itself into a gaseous state. Presumably it would not be able to hold or control its molecular structure in a state like this. Because of its ability to change its form into anything, it is assumed that the T-1000's memory capacity must be immense, since the location of each molecule must be recorded to emulate an object, and there are trillions of molecules in a T-1000 as well as in the object that it is emulating. However, it is just as plausible that the T-1000 conserves its memory storage capacity by only emulating visible features (objects like internal organs do not need to be emulated since they are never seen). Because of this, the T-1000's internal structure may be liquid or partially hollow, this would explain why when shot or cut open the inside is visibly liquid metal. Minor physical size differences between the T-1000 and an emulated object may be overcome by the T-1000 hollowing itself out and redistributing the extra material to appear larger, while its mass remained the same.

The T-1000 prefers to use its body as a primary weapon, forming blades and extruding other metal shapes from its limbs. While the T-1000 can create solid metal weapons such as blades at will, it cannot form more complicated weapons such as firearms and explosives from its body material because it cannot emulate chemicals and moving parts. Because of this, any advanced weapons that the T-1000 decides to use (such as handguns) must be acquired instead of being simply fabricated. The T-1000 seems to store objects that it cannot reproduce inside of its body when the objects are not being used. The mimetic polyalloy (when undamaged at the molecular level) does not stick to foreign objects or leave any sort of residue behind.

When damaged on the physical level, the T-1000 is capable of reforming itself in seconds. Projectile weapons such as firearms can stun the T-1000 through hydraulic shock, but only for a few seconds. Bullets and other solid projectiles seem to pass through the mimetic polyalloy without cracking it (leaving nothing more than a splash of metal that quickly heals itself), except when the mimetic alloy is frozen or otherwise incapacitated. In such a state, the T-1000 becomes brittle and is easily shattered. After being completely dismembered, the mimetic polyalloy automatically seeks itself out and rejoins into the full T-1000 once more. Individual "pieces" of the T-1000 have a seek range of 14km and will attempt to rejoin the main body. Beyond that range the mimetic polyalloy will camouflage with its surroundings until the main body is within range again.

T-1000 units are notoriously difficult to destroy, since they are seemingly immune to all forms of damage. However, a T-1000 can be destroyed or rendered inoperative. Mostly this has to be done by damaging it on the molecular level which is why ballistic weapons and physical attacks have little effect. Hitting it would be like trying to stab water with a knife in hopes of hurting it. Extreme cold will damage a T-1000 at the molecular level and cause it to lose some control over its emulation functions, but it will not permanently stop it. Logically, maintaining cold enough temperatures would stop it for good. Extreme heat (such as that found in a smelter, or liquid steel) can destroy a T-1000 by denaturing its molecules to the point where they no longer work. Also mixing with the Mimetic polyalloy and interfering with its molecular structure can stop the T-1000 as well. (The T-1000 can endure lesser heat such as that of a typical fire without damage.) Perhaps acid or exposure to X-rays or Gamma Rays could destroy it, as they could change its molecular structure, or ionize its molecules, making them individual and not able to join together to form shapes.

Once the T-1000 is adulterated with other types of liquid metal, the mimetic polyalloy molecules can no longer interact with each other and the T-1000 is rendered inoperative. As its material is destroyed in this way, the T-1000 loses control of its functions, changing shapes randomly as it desperately searches for a solution until enough of its material is destroyed to render it nonfunctional. It is possible that explosions and being exposed to strong corrosive materials can damage the T-1000's molecular structure, but this has not been proven. Since the T-1000 simply reforms instead of truly regenerating itself, the destruction of enough of the molecules that compose the T-1000 could eventually lead to the demise of the unit.

The T-1000 is very strong, and is equal in strength to the T-800 or maybe a bit stronger.

Although not shown in Terminator 2, mimetic polyalloy is strongly affected by magnetism. A strong magnetic field was sufficient to remove the mimetic polyalloy sheath from the T-X in Terminator 3, and once held in place by magnetism, mimetic polyalloy seems incapable of moving on its own. Since the T-1000 is made entirely of this substance, it is plausible that the T-1000 could be completely restrained by a strong magnetic field, or possibly fry the nanotechnology it is comprised of.

Role in the series

In Judgment Day, the T-1000 is sent by Skynet from 2029 back to 1995 to kill John Connor (Edward Furlong), future leader of the Human Resistance against the machines. As before, the Resistance is able to send back a lone protector, a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). The T-1000 ambushes a police officer on arrival and takes on his role, tracking down John Connor through the police cruiser's onboard computer, eventually tracking him down in The Galleria, an arcade in a shopping mall. It isn't clear until this moment which Terminator is the hunter and which is the protector.

It predicts that John and the T-800 will next attempt to rescue Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), John's mother, and infiltrates the mental hospital at the same time John arrives and Sarah makes an independent escape attempt. It demonstrates impressive abilities, such as flattening itself into a thin 'carpet' of metal and oozing through prison-style bars while maintaining the shape of a walking man. The attack fails, though the T-1000 follows them on their frantic escape, and eliminates their survivalist ally Sal (omitted from the theatrical version).

Once again predicting its target's actions, it arrives at the home of Miles Dyson (Joe Morton) after the family is already evacuated and the files destroyed, speeding to the labs of the Cyberdyne Systems Corporation in a confrontation between it, the Connors and their allies, and hundreds of police officers. It hijacks a police helicopter in a freeway chase sequence, which concludes in its ramming a tanker truck of liquid nitrogen into the entrance of a steel mill, which is rapidly abandoned.

The T-1000 leaves its truck and tries to track them down on foot, but the chilled nitrogen freezes it into a bewildered statue in moments. The T-800 shatters it into thousands of pieces with a gunshot, but it soon thaws out into tiny droplets that run back together into the T-1000. It starts to exhibit glitches after this resurrection: it involuntarily picks up the textures of nearby objects and sticks to exposed metal surfaces, it even appears to be slowed somewhat. (The scenes showing these glitches were cut from the theatrical release, but were included as extras on most DVD releases.) After a short hunt, disabling Sarah and the obsolete T-800, it tracks down John, who is confronted with two identical versions of his mother. A quick glance down shows the feet of one of them melded with the steel grating, and the impostor is destroyed through a combination of explosive damage and being mixed into a vat of liquid metal, where it melts in a frenzy of previous disguises. It was succeeded as Skynet's time-traveling infiltration assassin by the T-X.

Comics

It is explained in the Terminator 2: Judgment Day Nuclear Twilight comic published by Malibu Comics in 1996 that an injured Tech-Com soldier named "Griff" is abducted by a troop of T-800 Terminators and brought back to Skynet. It is there he is drugged and while in a delirious state (believing he has died and gone to Heaven) he is questioned by Skynet on details regarding Tech Com's acquisition of a T-800 unit. When he has supplied all the information he is aware of, two T-1000 Terminators enter the room, both assuming his appearance before killing him. One of these T-1000 units is then sent to infiltrate the human resistance, the other sent through time to kill John Connor as outlined in the Terminator 2 movie.

However, as the synchronous story-lines of the Nuclear Twilight and Cybernetic Dawn are in direct conflict with the happenings of the third Terminator movie, it is either to be considered non-canonical, or a possible time-line that was avoided by the conclusion of the second movie.

The special effects

The T-1000 special effects were revolutionary for 1991, a new step in computer-generated imagery. The effects won an Oscar and were referenced in Virtuosity and The Matrix.

References

T-1000 was spoofed in movies like Hot Shots! Part Deux (Saddam Hussein freezes, melts, and rebuilds himself, but winds up fused with his similarly-shattered poodle). Wayne's World and Last Action Hero feature Robert Patrick in a brief cameo in the familiar police uniform.
In the second Inuyasha movie when Inuyasha blows off Kaguya's arm into pieces it regenerates like the T-1000.
In an episode of The Simpsons, Mr. Burns releases a robotic Richard Simmons to scare off Homer Simpson. Smithers shoots the robot with a shotgun, and the damage to its face is repaired in the same manner as the liquid metal T-1000. In another episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson walks through a hedge and the theme tune for the T-1000 plays. Later on in the same scene he runs after Ned Flanders' car and uses golf clubs to latch onto the back, like the scene in Judgment Day where the T-1000 attempts to latch onto the car containing John and Sarah Connor and the T-800. In a third ode to the Terminator movies, Homer is punched in the stomach, which traps the assailant's hand within the fat. This of course was modeled after the T-800 punches the T-1000's head only to be trapped by the liquid metal machine. In another episode, the bomb that Sideshow Bob attached to Bart to kill Krusty is thrown into a room with two network executives who rebuild themselves after the explosion the same way the T-1000 does. A fifth reference is given in a Halloween episode, where a TV screen with Ned Flanders on it morphs from the black&white-paved floor, just as T-1000 does at the mental institution, after a security guard walked over him.

Universal Studios Theme Parks at one time had an attraction titled Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time, featuring a combination of live actors and filmed elements, the latter reuniting actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick, all reprising their roles from the film. The presentation has high production values, but is clearly non-canonical to the Terminator franchise. It briefly features a "T-1000000", a much larger spider-like version of the T-1000.

The character of Milton Fine aka Brainiac from the TV series Smallville, played by James Marsters, shares many of the T-1000's characteristics, including his distinctive complexion, his 'liquid-metal' anatomy and ability to turn his hands into stabbing weapons.

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