Rodney Copperbottom – The Outmode Renegade

Full Name: Rodney Copperbottom

Alias: The Wrench, Copper Ghost, Patchwork Hero

Species: Robot

Occupation: Inventor, Underground Mechanic, Rebel

Home: Rivet Town (birthplace), later hides in Robot City’s underbelly

Status: Wanted by Bigweld Industries

Background:

Born in the quiet town of Rivet Town, Rodney Copperbottom grew up watching his father, Herb, toil day and night as a dishwasher. He saw firsthand how lower-class robots struggled to maintain their worn-out parts and dignity. Rodney was a gifted tinkerer from a young age, building small machines — including his enthusiastic cleaning helper, Wonderbot — with scrap and compassion.

But Rodney had a dream: to become an inventor at Bigweld Industries, the heart of innovation, and help robots across the world get the parts and repairs they needed — for free.

Rejection & Disillusionment:

When Rodney finally reaches Robot City, bursting with hope and invention, he discovers the heartbreaking truth: Bigweld is gone, and the company is now under the cold grip of Phineas T. Ratchet and his authoritarian mother, Madame Gasket. Their regime has stopped producing spare parts for older robots, instead pushing expensive upgrades and sending the rest to the Chop Shop, a factory of destruction.

Rodney presents his inventions and pleas to Bigweld Industries — and is mocked, dismissed, and rejected. He walks away from the tower defeated... but not broken.

The Underground Mechanic:

Rather than give up, Rodney disappears into the undercity — the alleys, junkyards, and scrap tunnels of Robot City. There, he begins secretly repairing robots for free, salvaging parts, hacking old blueprints, and keeping the “outmodes” alive. His workshop is mobile, hidden, and constantly on the move.

He becomes a folk hero among the forgotten:

“When the lights go out, and your gears seize up — look for the wrench in the shadows.”

Rodney is helped by fellow outcasts:

• Fender – his fast-talking best friend and lookout

• Piper – a tough, loyal fighter with a knack for sabotage

• Crank and Aunt Fanny – his underground network of safe houses

The War Against the System:

Bigweld Industries brands him a fugitive — a “malfunctioning menace.” Ratchet sends robot enforcers and bounty hunters to capture him. But Rodney always stays one step ahead, using his inventions to disable drones, reroute surveillance, and broadcast hope to the city’s poor.

He doesn’t fight with weapons — he fights with tools, upgrades, and second chances.

Legacy

Rodney’s legend grows. He’s not just a mechanic anymore — he’s a movement. Robot City whispers of the Copper Ghost, the rogue inventor who dares to challenge corporate control, not with violence, but with kindness and innovation.

His motto? A twist on Bigweld’s:

“You can shine — even when they try to scrap you.”