Thank the Maker: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

Intelligences created by or dependent on humans, especially robots, frequently view their creators or hosts as deities.

{{examples}}

* In ''[[Runaways]]'', there is the early 1900s superhero Difference Engine, a [[Steampunk]] robot (or possibly a human in [[Powered Armor]]) who says "[[Oh My Gods|For Babbage's sake]]," referring to [[wikipedia:Charles Babbage|Charles Babbage]].

== [[Film]] ==

** In the sequel, blue programs gasp in awe, perform the sign of the cross and kneel when Flynn shows up. He's very [[Think Nothing of It|self-deprecating]] about his role, especially when [[My Greatest Failure|CLU]] is discussed.

* Not a canon example, but fanfiction and fanart of Shane Acker's film [[9|Nine]]—which stars nine ragdoll-like mechanical homunculi—tends to feature this, despite the actual film's lack of any such references. The Seamstress, however, ''does'' bow down in front of the Fabrication Machine as if worshipping it.

== [[Literature]] ==

{{quote|“It is empirical that we were Upgraded to our current state millennia ago by some technological agency. It is also empirical that the galaxy contains many other life forms, worlds and phenomena that could not have come into being without technological intervention. And many of the fundamental mysteries of the universe can be resolved by postulating it as a construct of some entity or civilization existing on a transcendent plane. Given the power and pervasiveness that such a creative agency would require, it's logical to interpret all lesser creative agencies in the universe as aspects of the ultimate Builders”. }}

* Subverted with a vengeance on the new ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]'': While the Cylons do plenty of contemplating [[God]], they never once consider the humans who {{spoiler|supposedly}} made them anything even remotely divine, and some consider them outright evil.

** The Final Five, {{spoiler|the five [[Artificial Human|Humanoid Cylons]] that made the other Humanoid Cylons}}, refer to having consciously avoided this with their "children" as the colonial Centurions already had a single, loving God.

* The Centauri of ''[[Babylon 5]]'' have a pantheon of about fifty gods, but the greatest of them all is the Great Maker. According to the backstory, he is a god borrowed from another, monotheistic religion.

* In Mel Brooks' short-lived 1975 Robin Hood spoof ''When Things Were Rotten,'' merry man Renaldo is framed for crimes committed by a lookalike in Prince John's employ. When the others stage an impromptu trial against Renaldo, he pleads his innocence. Little John tells him "Tell that to your maker." Renaldo responds, "My...maker?? (''to camera'') '''''MEL!!!!"'''''

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* ''[[Eberron]]'' has the [[Golem|Warforged]] religion of the Becoming God. Pretty weird, considering that {{spoiler|nearly}} all {{spoiler|current}} [[Golem|Warforged]] were created by House Cannith, and the religion is actually working on creating the body of the god. Still, Aarren d'Cannith is referred to as the Master Architect and the Prophet of the Becoming God, and is assumed to be the race's creator, due to his knowledge of the Creation Forge that gave the [[Golem|Warforged]] life and his decision to assist the Lord Of Blades in repairing the Forge so the Becoming God can be given form.

== [[Video Games]] ==

* In the ''[[Thief]]'' series, the Mechanist robots do nothing but spout Karras's dogma and praise him and [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|the Builder]]. Except it's quite obvious that Karras himself provides the voice for the robots. One imagines even the Mechanists would [[Most Annoying Sound|get annoyed]] at some point.

* The robots in puzzle/RPG game ''[[Mr. Robot]]'' make comments such as, "oh, for maker's sake!" One of the hints that there is more to {{spoiler|Zelda}} than immediately apparent is the comment, "Thank God!"

== [[Web Comics]] / [[Web Originals]] ==

* In a rare organic example, the genetically-engineered chakats from [[Chakona Space]] will also refer to "the makers"—even though they know exactly who those makers are.

* In ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'', [[Species Surname|Robot]] considers [[Gadgeteer Genius]] Kat to be an [[Our Angels Are Different|angel]]. {{spoiler|And is potentially making a religion around with the other robots....}}

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* The Nanobots of ''[[Jimmy Neutron]]'' always refer to Jimmy as "the Creator" rather than by name, and believe that their sole purpose should be to serve him. (Although, most of their "services" are acts of disruption that Jimmy doesn't ask for or approve of.)

* Jenny in ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]'' hilariously says "Thank Jobs" (as in Apple co-founder/CEO Steve Jobs) in an early episode. As she is a [[Robot Girl]], he probably is her equivalent of God.

** On the other hand, {{spoiler|late in the series, the User is the only one who can help Mainframe recover from the massive damage done to it... by rebooting his computer. One quick system recovery, and the entire city is as good as new.}} So maybe Phong is right after all.

** "I've created Lutherans!"

* Certain versions of ''[[Transformers]]'' continuity have the eponymous robots and Cybertron created by the godlike Primus to defend the universe against Unicron.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Gratitude Tropes]]

[[Category:Religion Tropes]]

[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]