Astro may not exist, but Atlas DOES

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zkBnFPBV3f0
http://www.theroboticschallenge.org/

[Little Brown Fox]

I wonder if the name choice was intentional...?

Then again, Atlas was also the name of the deity or whatever that held up the world or sky or whatever, right?

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I wonder if the name choice was intentional...?

Then again, Atlas was also the name of the deity or whatever that held up the world or sky or whatever, right?

Yes that is correct, Atlas bore the weight of the earth on his shoulders.
In the 2003 anime, he gets his name from the book. Atlas was created as a replacement for a tycoon's evil son, and Tenma gave the robot all of the son's memories. He was named for the 'book' that his son had been given as a present.

[Little Brown Fox]

Actually, he named himself that. And Daichi wasn't evil; he was resentful of his father- there's a difference. And with good reason, too. This bitter, caustic resentment carried over to the android that would come to be known as Atlas, as Tenma pored through all of his memories, and thus enhanced his robotic form with the capabilities he needed to properly lash out at Tokugawa- and then some.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Actually, he named himself that. And Daichi wasn't evil; he was resentful of his father- there's a difference. And with good reason, too. This bitter, caustic resentment carried over to the android that would come to be known as Atlas, as Tenma pored through all of his memories, and thus enhanced his robotic form with the capabilities he needed to properly lash out at Tokugawa- and then some.

Well he went quite a bit further than just lashing out at his father, Atlas had a real hatred of humans, and as a human Daichi hung out with some real low lifes, which is what I meant by evil.

[Little Brown Fox]

But that was a very narrow-minded way of putting it. Daichi was only ever misguided; Atlas was malevolent, mainly because of his forbear's discontentment and previous wrongs.

And as for the "lashing out" comment, that is why I said, "and then some". I would be remiss to ignore that he went quite a bit further than just a little bit over the top.

[Juanita]

WOW THAT IS A COOL ROBOT *NONCHALANTLY CHANGES TOPIC BACK*