Robotech Saga Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Robotech Saga Wiki

The Protoculture Matrix was an advanced device of Tirolian design created by the scientist Zor following his discovery of Protoculture. It served as the only means of producing Protoculture.

Through the use of Protoculture, the Tirolian civilization created a mighty empire by using the newly developed science known as Robotechnology. This allowed the elite of the Tirolian people to declare themselves the Robotech Masters who intended to ensure the survival of their Robotech continuum. However, Zor ultimately rebelled against their rule and hid the Matrix onboard his battle fortress - the SDF-1. Zor would ultimately be killed by the vengeful Invid but not before sending the SDF-1, along with the hidden Protoculture Matrix, on a course to a planet called Earth. The Matrix would not be discovered by the native Human race who reverse-engineered Robotechnology.

Eventually, the Zentraedi under Breetai were sent to recover the battle fortress to recover the Matrix. Thus, they battled the crew of the SDF-1 as they attempted to retrieve the Matrix without damaging the vessel leading to the events of the First Robotech War. The Matrix would be buried at Lake Gloval during Khyron's suicidal assault against the SDF-1 leading to the device being trapped at SX Point 83. The Invid Regent also attacked Tirol in an effort to retrieve the Protoculture Matrix which he believed Zor had stolen from his people. However, by this point, the Robotech Masters had abandoned their homeworld of Tirol in order to locate the Matrix at Earth.

In the years that followed, the Matrix began to degrade and allowed the Flower of Life to sprout which fed on the Protoculture as well as send spores around the Earth. The Robotech Masters themselves became the instigators of the Second Robotech War. Arriving onboard their Tirolian Motherships, their vessels and forces suffered serious Protoculture depletion which meant that their survival as both a species as well as a society depended on retrieving it. All attempts at secretly recovering the Matrix failed due to a form of inorganic sentry guarding it. At the climax of the conflict, Zor Prime regained his memory and intended to destroy his creation to prevent its evil from inflicting the universe anymore. Thus, he sacrificed his life in an attempt to destroy the Matrix by burying it with debris.

However, his death was in vain as instead of destroying the Flowers of Life - he had allowed them to spread from the site where they took root throughout the planet. The Flowers were detected by the Invid Sensor Nebula leading to the Regess invading the planet and bringing about the Third Robotech War. Despite this being the case, another Protoculture Matrix was located aboard the SDF-3 which the Haydonites intended to destroy during the events of the Fourth Robotech War. It's fate and the fate of the SDF-3 are unknown.

Notes[]

Zor's Matrix was ultimately created by him and destroyed by his clone Zor Prime during the Second Robotech War. As such, no explanation is given of the presence of another Matrix in the SDF-3. However, Waltrip's Sentinel comic timeline and the McKinney novel series indicated that a future plotline would have shown Rem creating a new Protoculture Matrix by tapping into the memories of his progenitor; Zor.

Appearances[]

Gallery[]

Advertisement