As most of you know by now I'm a humongous fan of 80s movies and I tend to hold a place in my heart for a lot of those characters. One of my favorite non human characters came out of a 1986 blend of romantic comedy and science fiction, Short Circuit.
Our hero, Number Five, starts off as one of a series of robots made for the Pentagon to use for military purposes. His creators though tend to imagine more peaceful uses for them but they turn their creations over for the purpose they were made for. During a demonstration, Number Five is hit by a power surge caused by a lightning storm which causes him to come to "life" in ways his creators never dreamed of. As a result of other actions, he finds himself wandering around on his own not knowing where he is or how to communicate.
He finds himself in the company of Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy) who at first thought he was an alien but quickly figures out he is a robot of some intelligence. Through trial and error Stephanie figures out how to communicate and "download" info into Number Five so he is able to come further alive and sentient. The rest of the movie involves the military trying to hunt him down and Stephanie and Number Five fooling them. For those who have never seen the movie, I would highly recommend it.
What I love about Number Five, Johnny 5 later on, is what I love about so many of the characters I've connected with, it's that sense of not belonging. I have a deep love for the misfit and if you read this feature on a regular basis, you will find many of them given their love. There is something naive and innocent about Number Five despite what he was created to do. He's trying to figure out where he belongs in this world and how his uniqueness can be turned into a positive. He is an adorable character and one that regardless of the odds, figures out how to be himself in a world that wants to define him in their terms, not his.
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