IG-88A

"We are superior."

- IG-88A

IG-88A was the first of the IG-88 assassin droid series produced by Holowan Laboratories. He was created by Loruss and many other scientists as part of Project Phlutdroid. He was the leader of the IG-88s who soon got their reputation as the Galaxy's second best bounty hunters. He believed that biological beings were inferior, and he and droids would have ruled the Galaxy if it hadn't been for the Rebel fleet who destroyed the Death Star II. He was known to never show any hint of mercy and would sometimes use the crudest and even barbaric ways to get his bounty. (Ironically and contrary to Chewbacca, IG-88 could and did pull people's arms out of their sockets, which he demonstrated on a scientist at Holowan Laboratories). He was an illegal type of droid, as assassin droids were banned long before the Empire even existed. Even after its destruction, he was remembered by many as the second best bounty hunter in the Galaxy after Boba Fett.

Early life
IG-88A was constructed at Holowan Laboratories. Soon after his activation, he formed an unstoppable chain reaction of sentience within his brain that caused him turn on his creators. He quickly killed all of them and downloaded his files into the other IG-88s and he designated them (in order of activation), IG-88s B, C, and D.



There was another droid present at the lab, IG-72, who declined to join the other IG-88s but wished them good luck on their mission.

Droid rebellion
After his escape from Holowan Laboratories, IG-88A developed a plan to have all droids turn on their biological masters and rule the Galaxy. Their first plan was to take over the foundry world Mechis III, which was one of the Galaxy's largest droid manufacturers. After sending a signal for the droids to turn on their masters, IG-88A came up with the second part of his plan. He would send shipments of droids out from the factory as usual, while making a new droid army to help him take over the Galaxy. Although the factory sent out its shipments as usual, Darth Vader and Supervisor Gurdun, the very man who had commissioned Project Phlutdroid for the Imperials, came to inspect a large shipment of Viper probe droids he was ordering from the facility. Though they were lucky and Vader didn't find out, Vader still sensed that something, although he didn't know what, was amiss.

Bounty hunters
The IG-88A knew that eventually they might run out of luck and be detected. He suggested to IG-88s B, C, and D that they become bounty hunters, all of them agreed. The IG-88s would go on bounty hunting missions to keep attention away from their primary objectives, IG-88B being the figurative face of the droids. They quickly gained a strong reputation for never failing and always getting the job done quickly and efficiently. In 10 BBY, IG-88A encountered C-3PO and R2-D2. He was on a mission to kill Olag Greck at Hosk Station in the Kalarba System, but he was captured. He escaped and held R2-D2 and C-3PO hostage. He later killed Greck in a space battle over Indobok. He was known as the second best bounty hunter in the Galaxy&mdash;second only to Boba Fett.

Death Star
When IG-88B was destroyed at Cloud City by Boba Fett after taking the bounty on Han Solo from Darth Vader, IG-88A sent IG-88s C and D to kill Boba Fett and capture Han Solo. IG-88A would upload himself, his entire consciousness, mind, memories, and files into the Death Star II. He learned of the Death Star being built from IG-88B, who had stolen and copied top-secret files from the Executor after the briefing on his mission from Darth Vader.

He would take 100 battle droids disguised as stormtroopers to help him take over the Death Star computer core that was being shipped to the Death Star at Endor. Once he hijacked the shipment, IG-88A would upload himself into the core, and his droid stormtroopers would deliver it to the Death Star for installation. He would then have complete control over all of the Death Star's systems. He would use it to help his droid rebellion take over the Galaxy and have droids reign supreme over all biological life.

The plan succeeded in the beginning. IG-88A's forces intercepted the shipment and took it over. Also during this, Supervisor Gurdun was killed. IG-88 sent a message disguised as Gurdun speaking (which was just a hologram from IG-88A) telling Moff Jerjerrod that he would not be present. Meanwhile, IG-88A was unaware that IG-88C had been destroyed by Boba Fett. IG-88A never suspected Boba Fett could kill him, for he was very confident of the assassin droids' capabilities. IG-88D was destroyed on Ord Mantell by Dash Rendar while looking for information about the carbonite-entombed Han Solo.



The shipment arrived at the Death Star, and the computer core was installed. IG-88A was now in complete control over the Death Star. His plan was nearly foiled when one of his droid stormtroopers was wounded in an accident and it was discovered that it was a droid. The droid then self-destructed, killing all the witnesses. Jerjerrod was disturbed when he heard of the accident: how could a regular steel beam explode and kill more than a dozen stormtroopers? IG-88A played a joke on Emperor Palpatine when he arrived, slamming a door shut in front of his face unexpectedly. The Emperor was surprised, lurched back and almost fell. However, IG-88A was confused when the Emperor used some unseen force to open the door. When the Rebel Fleet arrived during the Battle of Endor, IG-88 played along and fired at the Rebel Fleet. He was about to transmit the control signal to make almost all droids in the Galaxy turn on their masters when the rebel fighters penetrated the Death Star core and destroyed the Death Star, along with IG-88A.

Mysterious Rebirth
Shortly after the destruction of the Death Star, IG-88A's dormant body was found and remade by an unknown being&mdash;it could have been one of his millions of droids who were made by him and the other IG-88s on Mechis III. He returned to bounty hunting and took on a bounty on Lando Calrissian given by Drebble, who wanted revenge after Lando cheated him in a sabacc game on Cloud City. IG-88A almost succeeded, but Lando escaped. Drebble later forgave Lando and dropped the bounty after the Rebel Alliance commended him for his actions on Gamandar and Arcan IV.

Somehow, he was soon deactivated once again on Mechis III.

Partial resurrection
In 24 ABY, the inactive IG-88A body was found and reprogrammed to serve and protect Tyko Thul and his family. He used his great fighting abilities to protect the family well. At first, some were suspicious about the newly-reprogrammed IG-88, but he proved himself and continued to serve the family.



Appearance
IG-88A was very tall with a cylinder-like body designed to deflect bullets. He weighed a couple metric tons, and as he walked, he would sometimes leave large footprints in the ground. However, he was definitely not clumsy. He was extraordinarily agile for a droid, especially one his size. He could run very fast and climb things with ease. When he (along with the other three IG-88s) got his reputation as the second-best bounty hunter in the Galaxy, sometimes enemies would run at very sight of him&mdash;sometimes even his shadow.

Personality
IG-88A was ruthless, cunning and dangerous with tough determination; he never got off task completely. He would always get the job done no matter what. He would always stay true to his programming as an assassin droid even if he didn't want to. He had a huge dislike for biologicals. He always thought of them inferior to droids. He did have an interest in Darth Vader, who he thought was the perfect mix of biologicals and droids.

IG-88A and the other three units were very arrogant. They thought of themselves as superior, though this was arguably justifiable for droids, considering their sentience. In fact, IG-88A's final thoughts before the destruction of the Death Star II were that the fighters heading for the reactor posed no threat. He comforted himself with a familiar quote: "I think, therefore I am."

Starship


IG-88A had his own starship, the IG-2000 which was his starfighter he used on missions.

Although it was larger than most other starfighters, it still had excellent maneuverability. It had two powerful laser cannons, an ion cannon, and two tractor beams. Its armament was made mostly to capture, as most bounty hunting missions involve taking the bounty alive. But it was still a deadly opponent in a dogfight. IG-88A used this to great effect capturing C-3PO and R2-D2 with it and defeating Olag Greck in a space battle. IG-2000 could hold eight prisoners in it cells, which were in the middle of the ship. His ship also had a powerful hyperdrive. His ships crew was him, four assault drones, and one FX-7. He would typically use a short burst at the ship to disable its shields, use the ion cannon to disable, dock IG-2000 with the other starship use him or the assault drones, or both, to capture the bounty.

Armament

 * Pulse Cannon
 * Paralysis Cord
 * 12 grenades (concussion and explosive)
 * Sonic Stunner
 * BlasTech DLT-20A blaster rifle
 * Poison gas (or, in some cases, regular air, since some species such as Kel Dor or Skakoan couldn't breathe regular air)
 * Neural Inhibitor Launcher
 * Blaster pistol
 * Small, portable ion cannon

Equipment

 * Throwing Flechettes
 * Blaster Reflective Body (There were a few weak spots that only IG-88 and his creators knew, but when they were all killed, he was practically invincible - except from the inside or from ion cannons, which Boba Fett demonstrated to IG-88B on Cloud City.)
 * Ability to alter body temperature at will
 * Computer input port

Behind the scenes


IG-88 may have been the base of design for the IG lancer droid that appeared in Star Wars: Clone Wars which closely resembles him.

IG-88 is playable in the video game in Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.

The droid F4-MF, which appears in Star Wars Tales 9, also looks somewhat like IG-88.



IG-88A could deflect blasts from a high-powered laser rifle by just lifting his hand. The blast would simply bounce away due to reflective palms. He killed chief technician Loruus at Holowan Laboratories this way. He raised his hand and the shot deflected back and hit Loruus in the forehead, killing her instantly.



Although the IG-88 assassin droid first appeared in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, IG-88A's first appearance was Marvel Star Wars 50: The Crimson Forever.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Droids: The Kalarba Adventures
 * ''Star Wars Droids
 * The New King
 * Marvel Star Wars 50: The Crimson Forever
 * Marvel Star Wars 71: Return to Stenos
 * Marvel Star Wars 72: Fool's Bounty
 * Marvel Star Wars 85: The Hero
 * Shadows of the Empire
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (As Death Star II)
 * Tales From Jabba's Palace
 * A Barve Like That: The Tale of Boba Fett
 * The Bounty Hunters: Kenix Kil
 * Young Jedi Knights: Delusions of Grandeur
 * Tales of the Bounty Hunters
 * Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88
 * Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance