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List of heroic fictional scientists and engineers
In contrast to the archetypical mad scientist, there are a lesser number of heroic scientists and engineers depicted in western culture who go above and beyond the regular demands of their professions to use their skills and knowledge for the betterment of others, often at great personal risk.
Individuals
Individually acknowledged heroes:
- Martin Arrowsmith, hero of the eponymous novel by Sinclair Lewis.
- Blankman, science wiz-nerd who believes he is a superhero and becomes one, in a 1994 movie parody; played by Damon Wayans.
- Dr. Emmett Brown, character of the hugely popular 1980s trilogy Back to the Future, a.k.a., Doc Brown
- Dr. Clayton Forrester, hero of the 1953 motion picture adaptation of H.G. Wells's famous sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds. His is one of the few examples of a character name used for both heroic and evil scientists, as the TV comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 reused it for the mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester.
- Captain Hagbard Celine from the Illuminatus trilogy, fighting the Illuminati from his submarine and with his computer, both designed by himself.
- Dr. Susan Calvin – Chief robot-psychologist in Isaac Asimov's I, Robot and other robot stories.
- Doc Savage - pulp hero
- In the various Star Trek series, the Chief Engineer or the equivalent post is always a prominent member of each crew.
- In the various Star Trek series, the Science Officer or the equivalent post is usually a prominent member of each crew. Most notable personnel in this capacity include:
- Dexter, the little wiz-nerd in the cartoon series Dexter's Laboratory by Genndy Tartakovsky
- Professor Kouzou Fuyutsuki (Neon Genesis Evangelion). Right hand man to Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari and second in command of Nerv.
- Dr. Ritsuko Akagi (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
- Professor Abraham van Helsing, the nemesis of Bram Stoker's Dracula. In later incarnations, the professor has not fared so well, and, in some adaptations, is himself a villain.
- Professor Roy Hinkley (a/k/a simply The Professor) in the television series Gilligan's Island where he is the respected de facto leader of the Castaways and usually represents the only real continual hope of rescue.
- Indiana Jones, heroic archaeologist.
- Maxim Kammerer – The Strugatsky brothers' SF character, who tried to seek the works of The Timewanderers .
- Doctor Emil Lang of Robotech, responsible for much of the Earth based Robotechnology. Briefly seen in the original series, he played a much larger role in the aborted series Robotech II: The Sentinels which was adapted as a comic book series.
- MacGyver – A television series character who fights the forces of evil using his scientific and engineering knowledge to his advantage.
- Will Magnus, creator of the Metal Men.
- Ian Malcolm – Mathematician who is the hero of the Jurassic Park book and movie (though it is hardly clear how his mathematical and scientific training helps)
- Professor Nebulous - eponymous hero of the Radio 4 sci-fi comedy series
- Captain Nemo, while an ambiguous-to-villainous figure in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, plays a heroic role in some later tales, including Verne's Mysterious Island. Another character from the same novel, Cyrus Smith, is a realistic example of 19th century engineer.
- Jimmy Neutron, boy genius
- Dr. Juliet Parrish – A scientist who becomes the principal leader of the resistance against the genocidal alien Visitors in the V television franchise.
- Q (agent's codename) makes all the gadgets James Bond uses (Q is most often portrayed using the conventional literary trappings of a scientist (white lab coat etc), even though his activities are closer to engineering).
- Dr. Benton Quest, from the Jonny Quest cartoons.
- Leonard of Quirm, superintelligent clockpunk engineer in the Discworld novels.
- Shiro Sanada of Space Battleship Yamato called Sandor in Star Blazers. Usually he is referred to as the Chief Technician or Chief Mechanic instead of Chief Scientist or Science Officer.
- Hari Seldon, the mathematician who invents psychohistory in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series.
- The Doctor in Doctor Who – A superintelligent alien who was educated as a scientist and uses his skills extensively in his adventures.
- Capt(–Lt Col) Samantha Carter – An officer of the United States Air Force in Stargate SG-1 whose scientific knowledge frequently helps to resolve the various threats presented in the show.
- Professor Bernard Quatermass from the various TV series that carried his name as well as several movies including Five Million Years to Earth.
- Tom Strong - comic book character
- Dr. Hans Zarkov, companion of Flash Gordon
- Brains, engineer from Thunderbirds.
- Dr. Richard Seaton and Martin Crane, Super Scientist and Engineer respectively from the "Skylark" Series by E. E. Smith .
- Tochiro Oyama of the Captain Harlock Stories. He is the designer and some say the soul of Harlock's spaceship Arcadia.
- Dr. Tem Ray of Mobile Suit Gundam. Along with being the father of Amuro Ray, he led the design team that created the RX-78 Gundam.
- Mrs. Wakeman, XJ-9's creator from My Life as a Teenage Robot.
- Professor X the founder, mentor, and sometime leader of the X-Men
- Dr. Thomas Light, creator of the Video Game robot, Mega Man.
- Peter Parker, Aka. Spider-Man, Great knowledge of advanced sciences and now teaches it at the High School he grew up at. Spider-Man
Collective heroes
Collectively acknowledged heroes include:
- The scientists and engineers in The Andromeda Strain
- The principal characters of the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, are forensic scientists who use their skills to solve crimes.
- There are a number of comic book superheroes who are scientists by profession. DC Comics' has the first two Flashes, the original Starman, Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and parapsychologist Doctor Thirteen, and the Challengers of the Unknown as a quartet of scientific explorers. Marvel Comics has Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic), leader of the Fantastic Four; Spider-Man, who studied advanced science and now teaches it; Henry McCoy, a biochemist by training; and Tony Stark (Iron Man), electronics and munitions manufacturer who designed a suit of powered armor.
- In the Ghostbusters film and television franchise, most of the central characters are parapsychologists who battle ghosts and other supernatural menaces with equipment of their own design.
- The characters of many science fiction comedy films, such as Real Genius or Young Frankenstein.
- The Unorthodox Engineers in the stories by Colin Kapp, led by Fritz van Noon
See also
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