T-X is the name of a fictional character who appears in the Terminator franchise.
The T-X model is a gynoid assassin with a human-female appearance; the character
was introduced in the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,
portrayed by Kristanna Loken. The T-X has the ability to assume the appearance
of other characters; therefore, several other cast members occasionally
portrayed the T-X throughout the film. This ability to shapeshift is similar to
that of the T-1000, the main antagonist of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Concept and design The T-X was designed in Stan Winston
studios, where it was considered particularly challenging to design, as
the script required a character capable of holding its own against the original
Terminator. Originally, the T-X's endoskeleton was meant to convey an
androgynous shape which would permit the android to assume the superficial traits
of both men and women, though later designs veered on it being more
feminine. The final, approved T-X design was done by Aaron Sims, who designed it
entirely on computer through a mixture of Photoshop and 3D software. The T-X
endoskeleton was painted chrome black, in order to differentiate it from the
silver sheen of the T-850 endoskeleton. The T-X was also fitted with blue
running lights, rather than the original's red. John Rosengrant later
stated that the individual parts of the T-X endoskeleton were hard coated,
sanded and polished through machines, resulting in a mathematically perfect
model, unlike the endoskeleton in The Terminator, which was sculpted by hand
and lacked symmetry. The T-X is designed to not only
terminate humans but also rogue Terminators reprogrammed by the
Resistance, an "anti-terminator terminator" as stated by John Connor. It
is a composite of the T-800 and T-1000, a solid endoskeleton covered with a
liquid metal "mimetic polyalloy", allowing it to take the shape of any
humanoid it touches. Because it is only coated in this material, it is possible
to remove it from the endoskeleton using immensely strong magnetic force, such as
that from a cyclic particle accelerator. Although the official novelization of
Terminator 2 expanded the origin of the T-1000 and reveals it had onboard
nanotechnology that was capable of scanning the molecular structure of
anything the T-1000 touched, the T-X has a built-in supply of more advanced
nanobots in its fingers, which it can inject into other machines, giving it
remote control. An onboard plasma reactor powers all of the T-X's systems.
Films = Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines=
The T-X is the main antagonist in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, sent
back to try to stop John Connor from founding the human resistance by killing
off his future allies, as Connor's location is unknown, as well as to
ensure that Skynet and its machines will rise without interference. The T-X is
programmed to seek out and kill 21 primary targets, including Connor's
future wife Kate Brewster, several of Connor's future lieutenants, and Kate's
father Robert Brewster - who is destined to become Connor's father-in-law and is
Skynet's primary creator, along with his subordinates. In the case of the
lieutenants, the T-X was able to gain access to the public school database and
obtain their photos and addresses, then track and kill three of them before
discovering John Connor with Kate. The T-X also succeeds in mortally wounding
Robert Brewster after he activates Skynet. The T-X then activates all of
the T-1s and Hunter-Killer prototypes and has them kill Brewster's staff, so
that they cannot shut Skynet down, even though it had already spread to
computers worldwide. Other than a malfunctioning weapon, the
T-X sustains no permanent damage throughout the film, until the T-850
crashes a helicopter into it, causing it to lose its mimetic coating and legs. It
is destroyed only when the reprogrammed Terminator jams its last power cell into
the T-X's mouth and detonates it, causing an internal explosion.
Novels = T3: Terminator Hunt=
In the book T3: Terminator Hunt, the second known T-X is trained by captured
resistance members for a jump to the 1960s where she will track the Connor
family for the next forty years. A captured resistance soldier, Paul
Keeley, is tricked into helping make the T-X more human. An implant in his brain
causes him to think that the T-X is a girl named Eliza, and his interaction
with her helps her learn how to be human. The resistance captures the T-X
and rescues Keeley. But Eliza uses the implant to make Keeley think they have
been captured by a rogue government, and he frees her. Overburdened with guilt,
Keeley convinces John and Katherine Connor to give him another chance to
capture Eliza. Through the implant, Paul discovers the training facility she has
escaped to, and Eliza is again captured by the resistance and reprogrammed to
serve it. Notes
In the crossover comic Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future, there
is a female Terminator called Terminatrix. However, it is never
mentioned if it is a T-X or not as the comic predates the film Terminator 3:
Rise of the Machines. See also
List of female supervillains Nano technology
Nanotechnology in fiction Time travel
Human enhancement References
External links T-X at the Internet Movie Database