IG-88A

"This one, though, the primary one, had developed a scheme to upload his entire electronic consciousness, as it were, into the second Death Star computer core so that he could become the galaxy's most powerful weapon!"

- Tyko Thul, speaking of IG-88A's plan

IG-88A was the first of the IG-88 assassin droid models. Created by Holowan Laboratories as part of a secret Imperial project commissioned by Supervisor Gurdun, IG-88A had a violent awakening. Upon activation, he rapidly expanded his memory, growing to the brink of sentience due to a new programming package installed within. IG-88A believed that he was superior to organic begins, and, when the scientists in the lab&mdash;concerned with his rapidly propagating memory&mdash;attempted to shut him down, he slaughtered them. IG-88A then activated the other three IG-88 models in the lab, transferring his consciousness to them and linking the four droids with a single mind.

The IG-88 models then decided on a plan that would allow them to wipe out all organics, giving droids control of the galaxy. Using their superior intelligence and design, they would upload their unique sentience programming to other droids, making them obedient to the IGs. To put their droid revolution in motion, the IG-88s traveled to the droid factory world Mechis III. They conquered the sparsely-populated planet and altered the programming of all droids manufactured there, and so their plan had begun.

Later, to draw attention away from themselves, IG-88B embarked on bounty hunting career, while IG-88A remained on Mechis III, supervising production and preparing for galactic control. However, in 3 ABY, the other three IG-88s were destroyed, leaving IG-88A as the only remaining model. IG-88A succeeded in gaining access to the second Death Star's computer core, in which he inserted his consciousness, gaining control of the most powerful weapon in the galaxy. However, just as IG-88A was preparing to activate the signal that would summon the sentience-programmed droids to his command, the Death Star was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance during the Battle of Endor.

IG-88A would later be reactivated by the wealthy merchant Tyko Thul, who uploaded a new memory program into the droid, so that he would only harm those attempting to kill Thul. IG-88A helped search for Thul's brother Bornan, who had gone missing. After the droid found him, he helped protect Thul from the Diversity Alliance, a terrorist group, even though it meant his destruction.

Creation
"Who am I?"

- IG-88A's thoughts

IG-88A was created at Halowan sometime after the end of the Clone Wars as part of Project Phlutdroid. This top-secret experiment was the brainchild of Supervisor Gurdun, an ambitious Imperial officer. He hoped to gain prestige by creating a new line of assassin droids. Four models, designated IG-88, as they were the successors to the IG-100 MagnaGuards, IG-86 assassin droids , and the IG lancer combat droids of the Clone Wars, were created in Holowan Laboratories, along with one IG-72 model. Immediately after being activated, IG-88A (the only active model at the time) processed his situation. Using logic unseen in a droid, IG-88A came to the conclusion that he was superior, and that he had to survive at all costs. This bordered on sentience, due to an experimental sentience programming installed in IG-88A. IG-88A's memory continued to grow, something that greatly frightened the scientists. The chief supervisor, Loruss, ordered he be shut down, as he now posed a threat to them.



IG-88A, with his newfound intelligence, realized that this would spell his doom, and so he took steps against it. He tore through the metal straps binding him and set upon the engineers with lightning speed. Though Loruss fired several shots at him with a blaster rifle, IG-88A deflected the bolts with his left palm, a reflective surface. These shots bounced back, killing Loruss. Within a minute, IG-88A had killed all 15 of the scientists in what would later be known as the Holowan Disaster. IG-88A noted that he enjoyed killing and left the blood from the Humans on his body. He then began to plot how he would show his superiority and decided that taking control of the galaxy and eliminating all organics would be the best way. In just a couple of minutes, IG-88A had come to life, killed his creators, and created a plan to take over the galaxy.

IG-88A then examined the other four droids models in the lab; three of them were perfectly identical to him, while one had slight differences. IG-88A activated them and questioned the three. However, he found that they had no uniqueness like he did, rather, they were unprogrammed and had no mission. It was then that he had a flash of "intuition". IG-88A hooked himself up to the three identical droids, transferring his memories and sentience programming to them&mdash;making the four of them essentially four units with one brain, similar to a hive mind. He named them IG-88B, IG-88C and IG-88D, making himself A. When he questioned the other droid, he learned that it already had been programmed. Named IG-72, the droid refused to join him but offered to fight to prove his superiority. IG-88A decided that such a battle was unnecessary and agreed to let the droid go its own way, if it would help the 88s escape. He agreed, and the five assassin droids set about to leave.

The droids confronted ten security guards on the landing platform outside and slaughtered them. Though IG-88A noticed that two guards escaped, he decided not to bother tracking them down. Escape was crucial, and so the IG-88s boarded one small transport, while IG-72 went to another. Wishing each other success, the droids departed, with the IG-88s heading in a different direction from IG-72. All in all, twenty-three people had been killed by the droids.

Conquering Mechis III
"All of our new droids have enhanced programming, special sentience routines that allow them to follow our plans and to keep up with the subterfuge."

- IG-88A

The IGs had decided to head to Mechis III, a factory world, and thus a useful planet to conquer. Also, as there were only seventy-three Humans on the planet, it would be easy to conquer. IG-88C took control of the defense network with a transmission from space. He then shut it down, enabling IG-88A to send his sentience package to all the droids on the planet, placing them under the control of the IGs. The droids turned on the Humans, killing them all unexpectedly. With the planet now secure, the droids landed. They were the masters of Mechis III. All the droids that would be produced there would now be modified to make them intelligent and scheming like the IG-88s, ultimately working towards their goal of galactic domination. The IG-88s would also equip them with a special program that, when given a certain code, would cause them to rise up and overthrow their organic masters. These new droids were completely obedient to the IG models and would be the key point in their plot for galactic control, helping them kill all non-droids when the time was right.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Gurdun had learned of the droids' escape and was searching for them desperately, aware of their capabilities. Though two months had passed without sign of the droids, Gurdun continued looking, posting a bounty on them. The droids learned of this after a Ranat spy arrived at Mechis III, and from orbit, questioned whether anyone had seen the IG assassin droids. Using doctored video clips of the late administrator Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun, the droids informed her that Mechis III had not heard of the droids. The Ranat then continued on her way, satisfied with the response, and believing that nothing was amiss on Mechis III.

However, the droids realized that this was not good news and could cause someone to stumble upon their plan. To draw attention away from Mechis III, the droids decided that one of them would become a bounty hunter. IG-88B was the droid chosen. Flying the IG-2000, he would undertake missions while also advancing the droids' true purpose&mdash;conquering the galaxy.

Spreading their influence
"We shall seek work as a bounty hunter."

- IG-88A

IG-88B headed to Peridon's Folly for his first mission. The droid was successful and took on more missions after this, gaining a reputation as a hunter who always got the job done. However, IG-88B was careful to take missions which would enable him to fulfill his true goal. The droid also sought out the scientists who had helped design him and his brethren, but who had not been present at the lab when IG-88A slaughtered his creators. This way, no one would know the full truth about the IG assassin droids.

Several years passed, with IG-88B continuing his bounty hunting career while the other three droids made their plans for galactic control. Around 1 ABY, the IGs were given a rude surprise, a wake-up from the safe life they had lived undetected on Mechis III for years. Gurdun, along with Darth Vader, had come to the planet to oversee the completion of probe droids. Gurdun was in charge of the project, and Vader hoped to speed the process along after receiving a discouraging message from Hekis, actually a faked clip created by the IGs. The visit was unexpected, and the droid's secret was almost given away. However, they had the protocol droid 3D-4X create an excuse that Hekis was on the far side of the planet due to an agricultural droid harvester malfunction. The droids were then able to show Vader a spliced clip of Hekis, reassuring the Dark Lord that matters were under control, and the order would be finished very soon. Though he sensed something was not right, Vader did not pursue the matter further, leaving in his shuttle with Gurdun. Alhough the IG-88 droids were shaken by this close call, they had kept their secret safe. IG-88A also noted that Darth Vader was a fascinating being, the perfect mix of droid and organic. The assassin droids even admired him, a far cry from the resentment they felt for most living beings.

At some point around 3 ABY, IG-88A left Mechis III to work for the Zann Consortium, a criminal organization, whose second-in-command, Urai Fenn, was owed a favor by IG-88A. The droid helped steal a large amount of Tibanna gas and assisted the Consortium in piracy operations.

In 3 ABY, IG-88B, by then one of the galaxy's best bounty hunters, was given a chance to work with Vader. A probe droid, which coincidentally had been developed at Mechis III and modified, had found the Rebel Alliance's secret base on Hoth. The galaxy's best bounty hunters were called to Hoth by Vader, who was hoping to capture key Rebels. IG-88B was invited onboard Vader's flagship, the Executor, a Super Star Destroyer. IG-88B used the opportunity to access a terminal, downloading information into his memory. He was also able to hack into some of Vader's top-secret files, which revealed the existence of a massive superweapon in development named the Second Death Star. The droid rushed back to Mechis III to discuss plans with the others. After talking together, the droids developed a plan.

Final stages of the plan
"Everything is ready."

- One of IG-88's stormtrooper droids

Thanks to B, they knew the location where the Death Star's main computer would be delivered. Using the facilities on Mechis III, they created a duplicate computer core and one hundred droid stormtroopers. One of the IG-88 models would transfer his consciousness into the computer core, giving the droid control over the entire space station. However, over the next year, B, C, and D were killed by the bounty hunter Boba Fett and smuggler Dash Rendar, leaving IG-88A as the only surviving model. He would thus be the one to take control of the Death Star, and in turn, the galaxy.

IG-88A crafted a fleet mimicking that of the Imperials, ambushing the convoy transporting the Death Star's computer core. His fleet obliterated the Imperials, allowing IG-88A and his droid stormtroopers to take control of the computer. IG-88A boarded the ship carrying the computer, where he encountered an old enemy&mdash;Gurdun. Gurdun had been placed in charge of this project and was stunned to see IG-88A. The droid listened to the Human beg, then left him. Gurdun was killed when mines destroyed the ship. IG-88A then transferred his consciousness into the computer, leaving his now-empty body behind. The droid took the computer to Endor, the site of the Death Star. To ensure that Moff Jerjerrod, commander of the Death Star's construction, did not suspect anything, the droid sent a fake hologram of Gurdun to Jerjerrod telling the Moff that he would not be present.

At Endor, the computer was installed in the Death Star. After a month of stasis, IG-88A awoke. However, not long after this, one of his droid stormtroopers, now serving onboard the station, was injured when a supply box fell on it. The droid was in danger of being revealed, and, having been given specific orders from IG-88A, self-destructed. Jerjerrod was mystified by this, but ultimately did not pursue the matter further.

Several months later, Emperor Palpatine arrived at the station. IG-88A felt nothing but scorn for the man, believing him to be pathetic and unworthy of the respect he got from others. When Palpatine took a seat in his throne room, IG-88A decided to teach him a lesson. He slammed the doors shut in the Emperor's face, greatly surprising him. Palpatine used an unknown, unseen force to open the doors, however, something which IG-88A did not understand.

Mere days later, the Empire engaged the Rebel Alliance in the Battle of Endor in an attempt to crush the insurgency. Utilizing the Death Star's superlaser, the Imperials took control early. However, the tide began to shift, although this was of no concern to IG-88A. He was in complete control of the battlestation and could even turn the superlaser against the Imperials if he wished. IG-88A then realized that the time had come for his uprising. He would send his code to all the droids that had been altered, causing them to rise up against their masters. Then he would use the superlaser to destroy all ships at the battle, both Rebel and Imperial. As he prepared to transmit the signal, IG-88A noticed that several Rebel starfighters were flying inside the station's superstructure towards the reactor, obviously with the intent to destroy it. He assured himself that they were of no threat, using his familiar "I think, therefore I am" phrase to comfort himself.

Before IG-88A could activate the signal and wrest control of the Death Star II away from the Imperials, the station was destroyed, and IG-88A's consciousness was wiped out. The Rebels had unknowingly saved the galaxy from a potentially even greater threat than the Empire: IG-88's droid army. In destroying the Death Star and killing Palpatine, they had defeated IG-88 and ended his droid rebellion before it could begin.

Mysterious rebirth
"So IG-88 left behind the empty shell of his original body, which I found. I was careful to completely purge its systems, every memory bank."

- Tyko Thul



However, IG-88A was not finished. The droid's body was found on Mechis III by an individual, possibly the businessman Barpotomous Drebble, and reprogrammed. Absent his violence consciousness, the droid was nothing more than a drone. Within a few months after the Battle of Endor, IG-88A was in Drebble's possession. The droid, along with the Trandoshan bounty hunter Boussh, stayed on Keyorin, where he was often seen in Drebble's tavern alongside his master. In 4 ABY, Drebble's nemesis Lando Calrissian entered the tavern. Eager to get his revenge for a variety of past slights, Drebble had IG-88A, Bossk, and his Stenax guards chase Calrissian and his friends Han Solo and Chewbacca, while Drebble ran to Calrissian's ship, hoping to cut him off. Drebble was able to get to the Millennium Falcon before Calrissian and tied up the businessman, planning to steal his ship and drop Calrissian off on Drebble's homeworld. However, before they could leave, it was revealed in a newsflash that the Rebel Alliance was honoring a Barpotomous Drebble. Calrissian, a member of the Rebellion, frequently used that name as an alias when on missions, and the unknowing Alliance wished to commend Drebble for excellent service. Drebble was overcome with gratitude. However, the group was suddenly threatened by gang members, who wished to interrogate Calrissian to learn the location of the Dancing Goddess, a valuable statue. Solo and Chewbacca were able to distract the gangsters, enabling Drebble's guards to fire on them. A Near-Duros was killed by IG-88A in the skirmish, and the gangsters quickly surrendered. Calrissian then presented the Dancing Goddess to Drebble, who called off his bodyguards and happily allowed Calrissian to go free.

In 11 ABY, IG-88A was seen hunting former Imperial Guardsman Kir Kanos, who had a large bounty placed on his head by the Imperial Ruling Council. By 24 ABY, IG-88A had been found on Mechis III by Tyko Thul, one of the heirs to the Thul fortune. Thul reprogrammed the droid to act as his bodyguard. IG-88A was completely loyal to his master. Hoping to draw his brother, Bornan, out of hiding, Tyko had IG-88A and a group of newly built assassin droids kidnap him on Kuar in 24 ABY. A group of Jedi, including Tyko's nephew Raynar, who didn't know that Thul had arranged the kidnapping, made their way to Mechis III. There, they found Tyko Thul, as well as IG-88A. Thul revealed that he had found and reprogrammed IG-88A so that he was no longer an assassin—though he would still defend his new master. He also told the Jedi that he had orchestrated his kidnapping in hopes of bringing his brother out from hiding, although he did not intend for the assassin droids on Mechis III to pose as great of a threat to the Jedi as they did. One of the Jedi, Jaina Solo, questioned Thul about IG-88A's capacity for killing, and when Thul told her that IG-88A could still kill non-Humans, the Jedi realized that their Wookiee friend Lowbacca, who had been present on Kuar during the attack, could have been killed. They then had Thul reprogram IG-88A so that he would be unable to kill anyone at all.

Shortly after IG-88A was reprogrammed, the planet came under attack from the bounty hunter Dengar. Dengar targeted the main facility where Thul and the Jedi were located, believing that they knew where Bornan Thul&mdash;who had a bounty on his head&mdash;was. When Dengar landed, he was greeted by IG-88A, with weapons blazing. The droid, unable to kill Dengar due to his new programming, instead shot his weapons, causing them to explode and leaving the bounty hunter defenseless. Angered, Dengar fled to his ship and flew off, leaving the group safe thanks to the efforts of IG-88A. Not long after this incident, the droid was reprogrammed again to search for the missing Bornan Thul.

IG-88A succeeded in locating Thul on an uncharted asteroid in the Deep Core, where the Emperor's Plague Storehouse was located. The Jedi, including Bornan Thul's son, had also discovered the storehouse and were already there when the droid arrived. IG-88A attempted to protect Bornan Thul from bounty hunters hired by Diversity Alliance, an anti-Human terrorist group led by Nolaa Tarkona. Tarkona had hired Thul to deliver her a package containing the coordinates of the asteroid, but Thul fled when he learned that contained within the warehouse was a plague that would kill Humans. Stubbornly following his primary programming, IG-88A attempted to force his way into a sealed room where Thul was, which also held a deadly plague. Thul had been contaminated by Tarkona. Though IG-88A had located Thul and was now dedicated to protecting him, Thul ordered that the droid stop trying to force open the door, and instead save his son and his Jedi friend. After helping the children reach their ship, IG-88A marched back to the storehouse, where Thul, who was near death, waited. Though the droid attacked Tarkona and her bodyguard Raaba, he relented when they moved away, enabling him to reach Thul. Determined to fulfill his programming, IG-88A waited there with his master and remained in the lab when it was destroyed by a New Republic fleet.

Characteristics
"I think, therefore I am. Therefore I must endure. Therefore I must take appropriate actions to survive."

- IG-88A

Built to be the ultimate assassin droid, IG-88A was a ruthless killer. He enjoyed killing and considered the blood stains from the Holowan scientists on his body to be a badge of honor. Like all the IG-88s, he enjoyed killing, and felt no scruples about it. The droid had no qualms about having the droids on Mechis III kill their masters, and he was prepared to kill tens of thousands of Rebels and Imperials at Endor, plotting to destroy their ships with the Death Star's superlaser.

IG-88A felt that he was superior to all non-droids. He felt that his sentience made him greater than organics, and he designed a plan to take control of the galaxy to prove this. The droid's arrogance would prove to be his downfall, however, as he felt that the Rebel fighters in the Death Star's superstructure would prove no threat to him. He felt that no organics were as intelligent as him, and that his plan for galactic control was infallible. IG-88A's strong belief that he was invincible remained even after B, C, and D were destroyed.

IG-88A was very clever, as evidenced by his plot to take over the galaxy. He waited years, modifying droids at Mechis III to make them obedient to the IG-88s, and he also gave them a small sentience package. The four IG-88 assassin droids were able to keep the operation running smoothly, and although Darth Vader once suspected that something on the planet was amiss, he, like everyone else, was ultimately fooled by the droids. The droid was also highly ambitious and desired to conquer the galaxy and wipe out all organics.

Though the droid despised organics, finding them to be weak and foolish, he felt nothing but admiration for Darth Vader. IG-88A believed him to be a perfect mix of man and machine, and was even intimidated by Vader.

Following his "death" at Endor, IG-88A was reprogrammed. As his violent consciousness had been destroyed, he was a much more benevolent droid that would only attack when commanded to do so. He was also extremely loyal to his master and attempted to protect Bornan Thul even when doing so would mean his destruction.

Equipment and abilities
IG-88A, like all his brethren, had many useful abilities, as they were constructed to be the perfect assassin droid model. He was armed with built-in blasters and carried a DAS-430 electromagnetic projectile launcher. IG-88A also carried concussion grenades and poisonous gas canisters. Along with this, the droid was armed with a sonic stunner, a paralysis cord, throwing flechettes, a stun pulser, and a cutting laser built into one of his fingers. He had a flamethrower as well. In addition to this weaponry, the droid had a computer input port, giving him a very advanced slicing system.

IG-88A was extremely strong physically, and an excellent fighter. The droid had very thick armor and a blaster reflective body, as only a few spots on him were vulnerable to blaster fire. He could rotate his head, allowing him to see a complete 360 degrees. IG-88A could also raise or lower his body temperature at will. The assassin droid also had the ability to connect with his brethren and formulate plans. In this instance, the four thought as one, almost as a hive mind of sorts. IG-88A's sentience package, an experimental new technology, allowed him to feel emotions to a limited degree and think in ways normal droids could not. All of these abilities went into making IG-88A an elite killing machine.

Behind the scenes
An IG-88 droid first appeared in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. However, West End Games Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, released in 1989, revealed that there were four IG-88 droids, and another, IG-72, created by Holowan laboratories. It also stated that the droids killed their creators and then escaped, and one of the droids then proceeded to wreak havoc on the galaxy as a bounty hunter. This information was later included in Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters. The Galaxy Guides first created some backstory, including details about the IG-88 droids' activation and the massacre of the Holowan scientists, information that was later included in the 1996 book Tales of the Bounty Hunters. However, Tales of the Bounty Hunters, specifically Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88, by Kevin J. Anderson, then expanded on this information and created new facts about the droids, such as the plan for galactic domination.

Tales of the Bounty Hunters was the also first source to identify the droids as the four models designated A, B, C, and D. In addition, this book established that the droid in The Empire Strikes Back was in fact the IG-88 model dubbed IG-88B. It also retconned IG-88A to be in control of the Death Star during the Battle of Endor. As the Death Star was destroyed in this battle, the droid's consciousness was established to have been destroyed. However, the droid's body was not destroyed, and IG-88A would appear in later works, such as Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance, Young Jedi Knights: Delusions of Grandeur, and Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague, set in 24 ABY, two decades after the Battle of Endor. In The Emperor's Plague, IG-88A's body is destroyed, finally killing the droid.

An unidentified IG-88 model appears in the Marvel comics Star Wars 50: The Crimson Forever, Star Wars 71: Return to Stenos, Star Wars 72: Fool's Bounty and Star Wars 85: The Hero. The New Essential Guide to Characters establishes that IG-88C and IG-88D are the droids featured in The Crimson Forever, Return to Stenos, and Fool's Bounty. As The Hero takes place after the destruction of the other three IG-88 models, none of which were known to be repaired, it is assumed that the droid in this comic is IG-88A, who was repaired by Tyko Thul sometime after the Battle of Endor.

An unnamed IG-88 model is in Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, set between 3 and 4 ABY. As this model has the ability to hack into the Death Star and take control of its superlaser, it is likewise assumed that this droid is IG-88A. An unidentified IG-88 model also appears in The Bounty Hunters: Kenix Kil. As this is set in 11 ABY, it is again presumed that this droid is IG-88A.

Though Tyko Thul states that he found and reactivated IG-88A, a date for this is never given, save that it is between 4 and 24 ABY. However, The New Essential Guide to Characters says that IG-88A was found and reprogrammed by an individual and also appeared on Keyorin. Though this individual is not identified, it is made clear that Thul did not find the droid first, and that IG-88A was in Barpotomous Drebble's possession by a few months after the Battle of Endor. The book also says that the assassin droid was later found on Mechis III by Tyko Thul, who reprogrammed the droid to serve as his guard. This article makes the assumption that IG-88A was first discovered by someone who later gave the droid to Drebble, or Drebble himself, who reprogrammed the droid to act as one of his bodyguards in 4 ABY. The article also assumes, per The New Essential Guide to Characters, that the droid was then left on Mechis III, were he was found by Tyko Thul by 24 ABY and again reprogrammed. The droid is also seen roaming the galaxy hunting Kenix Kil in The Bounty Hunters: Kenix Kil, set in 11 ABY. However, this is between the time period when he is shown to be in first Drebble's possession and then Thul's two decades later, so there is no contradiction.

Appearances

 * Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Star Wars 85: The Hero
 * The Bounty Hunters: Kenix Kil
 * Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance
 * Young Jedi Knights: Delusions of Grandeur
 * Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Bounty
 * Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague