Two heroes have gone by the moniker Robotman. The first was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Dobrotka and first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #7 in 1942. The second was created by Bob Haney and Arnold Drake and first appeared in Doom Patrol #1 in 1963.

The first Robotman was Dr. Robert Crane. He and his partner Charles Greyson constructed a robot body capable of housing human organs and a human brain. The two were overheard discussing their breakthrough by a pair of theives. Believing that since the two had a robot body that they must also have cash and easily pawnable merchandise, the two theives broke into the pair's lab. When it was discovered that they did not, the theives knocked Greyson out and shot Crane, leaving him for dead.

When Greyson recovered, he discovered his dying partner and did what any normal doctor with a double major of mechanical engineering and transplant surgery would do, placed Crane's brain in the robot body. After successfully performing this landmark surgery, Greyson collapsed, succumbing to his injuries. The police arrived to discover Greyson passed out on the floor beside the mangled remains of his partner Crane. Greyson was charged with his partner's murder

Soon afterward, Crane awoke in his new robot body, which must have been like waking a hotel room and not knowing where you are for a second only more so. Discovering that his partner had been charged with his murder, Crane went after his killers to clear his friend's name. Crane tracked the theives and brought them to justice, but realized that if they were to be charged with Rober Crane's murder then he would have to stay dead. Adopting the name Paul Dennis, Robotman continued to adventure and became one of the founding members of the All-Star Squadron.

The second hero to go by the name Robotman was race car driver Cliff Steele. When Steele's car crashed during a race, his body was nearly completely destroyed. In an attempt to save him, Niles Caulder transplanted his brain into a robot body. Caulder then enlisted Steele into his group of super-powered heroes known as the Doom Patrol. Steele has been the single common thread in all the Doom Patrol's incarnations, surviving the explosion that was believed to have killed the majority of the first team. He continues to adventure today in the newest version of the Doom Patrol.


The important issue that is deduced from the Robotman origins is that within the confines of the comic book universe, there is no requirement of doctors to have consent forms before performing lifechanging experimental surgery on a patient.