Killing a T-1000

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

How tough is it to kill a T-1000? If you watch the director's cut of T2, you will notice that T-1000 has already been damaged before he gets hit with the grenade launcher, and before he falls into the molten metal. His transforms are becoming flaky, and when he gets hit with the grenade, he is heavily damaged (he's already making that death-rattle noise and his body is not re-forming properly, even before he falls into the pit).

So, given those facts, it would appear that a T-1000 is not unscathed when it is damaged and has to re-form itself (the novelization explains this further; it is worn down by damage even if you can't see it). From the movie, you can seriously damage a T-1000 with around a hundred bullets and a 40mm grenade.

I just thought I'd post this because of the T-2 fanboys out there who insist the T-1000 is nigh-unstoppable. One good hit from a SW blaster would probably damage one to the point of crippling his ability to fight, and a second hit would finish him off.

Well, keep in mind that the T-1000 in T2 was a prototype. Imagine what a standard working T-1000 could yeild in overall toughness. While I believe a T-1000 would still not be nigh-unstoppable, it would be hella nasty.

But Blasters, Disruptors(not the pussy ST ones), and Lightsabers would be more than enough to kill a T-1000.

There's little reason to expect a production model would be better.

How So?

[DPDarkPrimus]

A flashback suppressor on the end of the saber handle prevents energy or heat from flowing back towards the Jedi. (I, Jedi)

But Lightsaber blade do produce any thermal effects, in some EU they are actually cold. While they burn through objects, they do not generate heat. It's the whole enigma of a lightsaber.

This is why I'm starting to hate Star Wars. No one can seem to make up their damn minds about how things are.

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

A flashback suppressor on the end of the saber handle prevents energy or heat from flowing back towards the Jedi. (I, Jedi)

But Lightsaber blade do produce any thermal effects, in some EU they are actually cold. While they burn through objects, they do not generate heat. It's the whole enigma of a lightsaber.

This is why I'm starting to hate Star Wars. No one can seem to make up their damn minds about how things are.

Blame that on the Shitty EU that comes out. I've seen more EU Stories (the good ones) that support my stance. So I believe that.

[Darth Wong]

if you snoop around on the net, try using google, you'll discover that the t-1000 actually isn't nanotech, its a smart material, where each molecule is individually programmed

If true, that would take the new prize for dumbest sci-fi idea in history. How are you supposed to program a molecule? And why would they call it a metal? If it's based on exclusive bonds (ie- forms molecules), it can hardly be forming promiscuous metallic bonds.

[Omega-13]

if you snoop around on the net, try using google, you'll discover that the t-1000 actually isn't nanotech, its a smart material, where each molecule is individually programmed

If true, that would take the new prize for dumbest sci-fi idea in history. How are you supposed to program a molecule? And why would they call it a metal? If it's based on exclusive bonds (ie- forms molecules), it can hardly be forming promiscuous metallic bonds.

Well, its called mimetic polyalloy, so its obviously mixed with some other things, maybe plastics, ..who knows,

I don't know how you program molecules, I don't know how Odo works either on DS9, but it seems to be a similar method, and i don't know how to build a lightsabre, ,
regardless, it is there

[BlkbrryTheGreat]

Maybe they programmed it on a sub-atomic level..... or is that even possible in theory?

[Connor MacLeod]

Why assume that the sabre constantly dumps heat to its environment? It may be a load-sensitive device. Much as modern motors draw more power when you put a load on them, sabres may pump out more power when they're plunged into, say, a blast door.

That's true. I was simply thinking "thermal effects" in terms of the saber being stuck in the door, and Qui-Gon having his hand so close to the melting metal

[Sam Or I]

Hmmmm...... A T-1000 time machine is set to far back in time, and in the wrong location. He ends up in the middle of tatooine. We almost all agree an Ion cannon would disable him. So how do the Jawas attach a restraining bolt?

[Cthulhu-chan]

They don't. Incompatible technology. Going to have to trick him into a carbonite chamber, a reinforced air-tight container, or destroy him outright.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Nah, the Ion bolt would just turn it into liquid metal (Like Mercury) perminatly, no higher functions, the Jawas would get more salvage value off the T-800.

[gravity]

if you snoop around on the net, try using google, you'll discover that the t-1000 actually isn't nanotech, its a smart material, where each molecule is individually programmed

If true, that would take the new prize for dumbest sci-fi idea in history. How are you supposed to program a molecule? And why would they call it a metal? If it's based on exclusive bonds (ie- forms molecules), it can hardly be forming promiscuous metallic bonds.

Oh, I've heard far dumber ideas in SF, many of them in Star Wars. I think you're a bit quick with the hyperbole .
Anyway, "liquid metal" could be just a colloquial term based on how the T-1000 looks, rather than an attempt to accurately describe it.
At least they aren't talking about "iron molecules", which I remember reading in a story somewhere before (or cracks in an event horizon for that matter).

[gravity]

As for "programming molecules", they could try something like a more complicated version of the DNA/protein system combined with "veins" of molecules running through the T-1000 for message-carrying etc., though it would be hard to make it both robust and at the necessary level of complexity.

[DPDarkPrimus]

T-800 would make a mean asassian droid... just give it a different "skin" every time.

[Omega-13]

It doesn't make sense to make a machine that can repair itself it is more likely to get hurt and damaged from less fire power than a t-800,

The point of the t-1000 is so it can repair itself after it takes a lot of damage, if it can't, it may aswell be a t-800,
besides the stealth features of course, but even then, it doesn't sweat, smell....doesn't loose its hair, ,etc.

[Ted C]

I always thought that the T-1000 could recover from almost any amount of simple physical damage. Poke, squash it, and cut it all you want; it can recover. Raise it's temperature to high, though, and it was toast. Break it up and scatter the pieces, and it's helpless.

That's why I though that the T-800 made a huge mistake when it shot the frozen T-1000; that would have been an ideal opportunity to throw the thing into the furnace while it couldn't fight back. Even after shattering it, they should have immediately started shovelling bits of it into the nearby hot steel before the thing warmed up enough to get itself back together.

[Sothis]

Any kind of weapon that can cause quick temperature increases or vapourise matter will be nasty to the T-1000.... hence, SW blasters or lightsabers. and phasers. Who knows, what about a good old fashioned flame-thrower, or petrol bomb?

[The Prime Necromancer]

http://www.solo.net/~jnice/page/faqlist/faq.html

According to this page, the problems the T-1000 was experiencing were due to it being frozen by the liquid nitrogen and shattered.

Althought enough ballistic penetration probably would destroy it, I don't think it's a viable way of killing it. The thing is capable of reforming from droplets, one would have to utterly annihilate every little piece with bullets in order to destroy it completely.

In any case, the T-1000 couldn't have been *that* damaged by the grenade; after it falls in the molten steel, it resurfaces again with the massive wound healed and starts morphing a whole lot and attempting to get out of the tank. I don't think the grenade would have put it down had the steel not been there. It might have taken a little longer, but it would have reformed if it hadn't fallen.

Oh, and I don't think a flame thrower or a moltov cocktail or the like would stop it, seeing as how it walked out of a burning gas tanker with little apparent damage. The above site mentions that too, saying the steal is at a much higher temperature, and holds more heat than a burning gas.

[Pcm979]

Several points of interest and notes:
1. Does anyone have specs on how much and what damage a blaster bolt does? I'm asking because it would be nice to actually be able to tell what, say, a E-11 would do to a T-1000 beyond "a couple of shots would kill him."
2. Would the Director's Cut actually count "higher" than the cinematic version? The Terminator universe doesn't appear to have a canon policy.
3. What would the production model T-1000 be like?
4. Has anyone noticed how the two types of Terminator observed so far like bikes?
5. Is it me or does the T-1000 seem pissed after the freezing incident?
6. The time machine is only capable of transporting organic matter, so all of the Terminators have to have at least a skin layer of organic matter. This appears to indicate that the T-1000 is capable of imitating organic matter with a large degree of accuracy.
7. There are no bullets in the T-1000's wounds. This has led me to hypothesise that the T-1000 can absorb bullets. Perhaps he can reconstruct bullets into replacement nanos?

[Darth Wong]

Lots of webpages may say lots of things, but the novelization clearly indicated that cumulative physical damage was a factor.

And as for heat, a blaster is capable of blasting chunks out of metal walls, which means that it must vapourize a small portion of metal. Each blaster hit would vapourize a piece of the T-1000, and they're so much more destructive than bullets that his recover time would be glacial.

And as for modern weapons, T-1000: meet thermite grenade

[Darth Wong]

I also should have mentioned white-phosphorous, which burns at a temperature higher than that of the molten steel in which the T-1000 was dropped. WP grenades are another (even more common) real-life weapon which would eat a T-1000.

PS. For the person who asked what point a T-1000 would be if it wasn't more tactically effective than a T-800, I would point out that it's much better at stealth and subterfuge, so there's no need to assume it MUST be superior from a combat perspective.

[Pcm979]

PS. For the person who asked what point a T-1000 would be if it wasn't more tactically effective than a T-800, I would point out that it's much better at stealth and subterfuge, so there's no need to assume it MUST be superior from a combat perspective.

Agreed. The Terminators used to far as infiltration/assasination weapons have been getting more sophisticated as time goes by:
T-800s with plastic skin (easy to detect)
T-800s with real skin (still sticks out like a sore thumb)
T-1000s with superb imitative ability and inbuilt stabbing weapons
T-Xs with even better imitative ability and inbuilt plasma weapons
Another point of interest is that(S.M.S. universe) a T-800 can be killed with one plasma rifle shot to the head. This would make it seem that they were not primarily designed as unstoppable juggernaughts anyway.

[Pcm979]

Arrgh, it's "so far", not "to far".

[Crayz9000]

I wonder what a lightsaber would do to it, in terms of longterm damage.

Considering what Qui-gon Jinn's lightsaber did to (at least steel) blast doors in TPM, lightsabers impart a tremendous amount of thermal energy along the blade. One wonders why the Jedi don't get burned just being near them.

Bob Brown posted an excellent theory about the lightsaber on his website; it isn't his, though.

[Pcm979]

I wonder what a lightsaber would do to it, in terms of longterm damage.

Considering what Qui-gon Jinn's lightsaber did to (at least steel) blast doors in TPM, lightsabers impart a tremendous amount of thermal energy along the blade. One wonders why the Jedi don't get burned just being near them.

Bob Brown posted an excellent theory about the lightsaber on his website; it isn't his, though.

That's just motivated me to start a thread about his theory.

[Crayz9000]

And as for modern weapons, T-1000: meet thermite grenade

Ouch!

That stuff can melt straight through ceramics or almost any other compound.