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Lombaxes are a recurring species in the Ratchet & Clank series, and the species of the main protagonist, Ratchet. They are a humanoid, feline/rodent-like species of renowned engineers hailing from planet Fastoon in the Polaris Galaxy. They have an innate affinity towards machinery, and their Center for Advanced Lombax Research has developed some of the universe's most advanced technology in the form of powerful weaponry and fast spaceships. Notable lombax technologies include the OmniWrench, the hoverboots, and the Dimensionator.

The lombaxes were once revered as heroes after defeating the cragmites in the Great War. Much later, a surviving cragmite, Emperor Tachyon, sought revenge against them, at which point they largely vanished from the universe. They are now mostly an endangered race. The only lombaxes seen in the series are Ratchet, Angela Cross, Alister Azimuth, and Rivet (who is from another dimension).

History[]

Before Ratchet & Clank[]

The lombaxes originated from Fastoon[1] in the Polaris Galaxy. The Polaris Galaxy was mostly controlled by the Great Cragmite Empire until the lombaxes led a revolt against them  centuries prior to the events of Ratchet & Clank,<span class="citation wikicite" id="endnote_The Great War is described as occurring "eons"  or "centuries"  before the events of the series according to Tools of Destruction, or "hundreds of years" ago, at most, per the comic series.[2]">[[#ref_The Great War is described as occurring "eons"  or "centuries"  before the events of the series according to Tools of Destruction, or "hundreds of years" ago, at most, per the comic series.[2]|^]] } fighting alongside Allied Polaris.

The lombax warriors of Fastoon fought using Trillium armor, the most effective armor the galaxy had seen since then,   and the Alpha Disruptor, an arm-mounted nano-weapon  capable of destroying most starships,  both products of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research.[3][4] Their even match against the cragmites led the war to reach a stalemate,[5] until eight  of the brightest lombax architects on Breegus Minor created the Dimensionator  over three Arcturian cycles of research.[6] The "most important invention in lombax history",[6] the device ended the Great War as it was used to exile the cragmites[7] to dimension X2-49.  The lombaxes were thereafter declared heroes. 

File:Repair the IRIS cutscene 3.png

Tachyon's frozen egg discovered on the Kreeli Comet by lombax trillium miners.

Though the war had ended, Polaris was still a dangerous place, and the lombaxes were still needed to protect it.  Centuries after the war,[[#ref_{{{1}}}|^]] lombax trillium miners on the Kreeli Comet found Percival Tachyon frozen in an egg and raised him on Fastoon. Tachyon brought them designs for new mech suits light-years ahead of lombax technology. Alister Azimuth, elder councilman of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research,  entrusted Tachyon with all their secrets, against the advice of Kaden and other lombaxes who had grown weary of him, believing it necessary to protect Polaris. Tachyon instead used it to construct his Imperial Army. 

File:Savali Interdimensional Archives Rift Apart.jpg

The Lombax Interdimensional Archives.

Knowing the universe was in danger, Kaden and the lombax council entrusted a lombax named Mags to map every dimension in existence,  so as to find a perfect dimension for the lombaxes to hide in.   When Tachyon attacked Fastoon, the lombaxes escaped to their dimension;  Mags left the Dimensional Map in the Savali Archives and attempted to find the lombaxes, though they were scattered across numerous dimensions.  Among the lombaxes who remained in Ratchet's dimension were Kaden, his infant son Ratchet,   the exiled Alister Azimuth,[8] and Angela Cross.  Inmates of lombax descent were still locked up in Zordoom Prison. 

Ratchet & Clank onwards[]

Ratchet grew up on planet Veldin in the Solana Galaxy. In Ratchet & Clank, he left the planet after he met Clank, a robot with a Zoni soul who allowed him to pursue many adventures throughout the universe. During Going Commando, in the Bogon Galaxy, Ratchet and Clank met another lombax, Angela Cross, who had worked for Megacorp until it was hijacked by Captain Qwark for his own selfish needs. Sometime after, Angela Cross traveled with Max Apogee to escape Tachyon's persecution, fleeing to Polaris and later disappearing along with him after escaping the Cerullean Sector.[9]

In Size Matters, as part of his plan to become the most intelligent being in the universe, technomite emperor Otto Destruct began the creation of an army of Ratchet clones. After his defeat, these clones were repurposed as "Battle Ratchets". 

File:Find Tachyon cutscene 2.png

Ratchet looking into the lombax dimension.

During Tools of Destruction, Tachyon tracked Ratchet down to planet Kerwan, destroying the planet's capital until he believed Ratchet was killed. Ratchet instead followed Tachyon to the Polaris Galaxy, where he learned the history of his race and found the hidden Dimensionator, located on planet Jasindu. After the Dimensionator switched hands a few times, Tachyon took it for himself and brought the cragmites back into the universe. Ratchet defeated the cragmites and finally caught up with Tachyon, who told Ratchet of the lombax dimension and offered to allow him to join his race. Ratchet refused, reasoning that Tachyon would not leave the galaxy alone,[10] and instead defeated Tachyon and banished him to another dimension entirely.

File:The General and Kaden 2.png

A photo of Azimuth and Kaden.

In A Crack in Time, Ratchet met Alister Azimuth, a friend of Ratchet's father, Kaden. Azimuth wished to find the Great Clock and use it to correct his own mistakes and bring the lombaxes back.[8] Azimuth eventually fought Ratchet and Clank and attempted to use the Clock to rewind time. However, upon learning that the Clock could not be used as a time machine and that doing so risked destroying the universe, Azimuth stopped the Clock in its tracks, dying in the process. This left Ratchet as the last known lombax in the universe. 

In Into the Nexus, Ratchet had another chance to be reunited with his race after Vendra Prog and her brother Neftin Prog recreated a Dimensionator to bring the nethers into the universe. In the end, Ratchet left the Dimensionator broken, believing he had too much in his own dimension to leave it simply to join the lombaxes.

Clank later repaired the Dimensionator so that Ratchet could find the lombaxes, believing he deserved it after all he had given up.  In Rift Apart, Dr. Nefarious stole the Dimensionator and took them to Rivet's dimension, where Ratchet met another lombax named Rivet, his apparent alternate dimension counterpart, who was a member of the Resistance against Emperor Nefarious.

Characteristics[]

Biology[]

Angela Cross render

Angela Cross, the first female lombax seen.

Lombaxes are feline/rodent-like humanoid aliens possessing large heads, hands, and feet. They also have pointed ears and a tail.[[#ref_It was previously stated that female lombaxes lacked tails,[9] as Angela lacked one. Rivet, however, possesses a bushy tail, as opposed to the more tufted tails seen on Ratchet and Azimuth. This may be due to dimensional differences between lombax breeds or a retcon.|^]] Lombax fur coat has been seen to have color palettes ranging from Ratchet's yellow coat with brown stripes to Alister Azimuth's white coat with maroon stripes, to Rivet's light bluish-white coat, with dove blue stripes. This fur can also resemble facial hair, as seen on Azimuth's mutton chops. Male and female lombaxes have different characteristics.[[#ref_{{{1}}}|^]]

Lombaxes are notable for possessing palms with five fingers as opposed to the typical three. Their feet are triangular and flat on the bottom, lacking toes, instead featuring two large claws and one smaller (almost vestigial) claw on each foot. Lombaxes also appear to have very varied facial structures, ranging from a sunken muzzle with a rough brow ridge to a rounder structure with a definite muzzle and cheeks.

Despite their relatively small size and stature, lombaxes also appear to possess unusual strength and durability for their size. Rivet was able to stop the finger of the Fixer from crushing her and Clank, Azimuth managed to revert the Great Clock’s large mechanisms back into place with the help of his Praetorian OmniWrench, and Ratchet has frequently gone hand-to-hand with monsters and machines far larger than him.

They have been referred to several times as a variety of rodent, but possess many attributes found in that of felines. A common derogatory term for lombaxes throughout the series is "space rat".

Lombaxes are stated to be an example of "single-brained organisms" by a terachnoid Lab Assistant. 

Society[]

File:Lombax—Latin alphabet.png

The lombax alphabet.

Lombaxes were known not only as engineers but also as great warriors, being capable of matching the cragmites at the height of their power and bringing the war to a stalemate.[5] Lombaxes are known to have their own language, which Talwyn Apogee can speak. The language consists of circles with different shapes cut out, often in the shape of machinery like bolts.

The lombaxes had elite warriors in the form of the Lombax Praetorian Guard. General Alister Azimuth is the only known member, with the rank of Four-Bolt Magistrate[11] (where "Bolt" is presumably the equivalent of "Star" in the United States military). The Guard made use of their own hoverboots, trillium armor,[3] and wielded double-bladed Praetorian OmniWrenches for close-quarters combat.

Lombaxes played hoverball. Kaden was the captain of the team on Fastoon. 

Habitat[]

File:Find the Lombax Ship Parts gameplay.png

Lombax ruins on Fastoon.

Lombaxes appeared to live in large cities, as seen in the ruins of Fastoon and in glimpses of the lombax dimension. The architecture seen in these cities somewhat resembles Meridian City on planet Igliak, suggesting the lombaxes inspired its architecture.

Behavior[]

File:Alister Azimuth from ACIT promo render.png

Alister Azimuth, an elder male lombax.

Lombaxes are well known and revered throughout the Polaris Galaxy for their advanced technological knowledge. Lombaxes rarely used unmodified equipment and are well known for inventing and modifying technology on their own. 

Typical lombaxes were considered "noble" and "courageous".[10]

Technology[]

The most common and well-known lombax weapon is the OmniWrench. Ratchet wields many different OmniWrenches collected throughout his adventures from different manufacturers, while Azimuth wields his own double-bladed Praetorian OmniWrench. Another powerful lombax weapon is the Alpha Disruptor, a nano-weapon[4] capable of destroying starships,[12] ranked third on the Polaris Compendium of Ridiculously Overpowered Weapons. 

Lombaxes are also known to have developed very fast spaceships, which are sentient, such as Aphelion, whose speed of 800 cubits/second was far beyond what space pirates had seen.  Azimuth has his own lombax ship with the same design as Aphelion. Lombaxes are also known to develop ground vehicles, such as the Gyro-cycle, as well as ion propulsion cells and zero-g stabilizers used in transportation devices such as the hoverboots.

Trillium armor, worn by the lombax warriors of Fastoon, was the most effective armor the galaxy had seen.[3] It contains a bionic endoskeleton galvanized with trillium ore.[13]

One of the most powerful (and dangerous) piece of technology created by the lombaxes was the Dimensionator, a device capable of creating a small portal between different realities. The lombaxes would eventually use this device to flee from Tachyon and take refuge in a hidden dimension.

A lot of lombax technology seems to be bio-activated by other lombaxes. The lombax artifact,  the Center for Advanced Lombax Research testing facility on Rykan V,  and the lorbs on Savali  were all locked only to lombaxes.

Behind the scenes[]

File:Ratchet concept art color test.png

Color testing for Ratchet.

Insomniac CEO, Ted Price, named the lombax species.[14] The name is first mentioned in the Goodies menu of Ratchet & Clank,  then on the back of the box of the Platinum edition of Ratchet & Clank, and is first spoken aloud in Going Commando. 

Ratchet's race was originally not designed as a cat-like creature, as he was first going to appear as a more reptilian alien.[15] David Guertin of Insomniac eventually altered the design until the team settled on a brown fur design.[16][17] Sony's Japanese animators suggested using a yellow color for Ratchet and adding stripes to the ears to appeal more to a Japanese audience, changes Ted Price of Insomniac stated the team would make "over my dead body", though these were implemented by Guertin nonetheless and they were accepted by the team.[16][18] Lombaxes were given five fingers rather than less to be more culturally acceptable to Japanese audiences, a decision made by Insomniac as a result of conventional wisdom rather than a suggestion by Sony of Japan.[18]

File:Lombax mouse and robot.PNG

A lombax mouse with a robot.

Prior to A Crack in Time, debate existed amongst fans as to whether or not Angela was a lombax, based on having no tail, on Ratchet being referred to as "the last lombax" in Tools of Destruction, and on a lack of clarity as to Angela's race. Her race was then confirmed in a space radio segment in A Crack in Time.[9] Writer TJ Fixman reiterated at the Ratchet & Clank 10th anniversary panel that she is in fact a lombax.[16]

Grant Hollis of Insomniac Games designed the lombax alphabet.[19] All letters are known apart from the letter "J", and each letter appears to resemble a bolt or wrench.

Artwork for A Crack in Time included a lombax with a robot. [20]

In early versions of the 2016 re-imagined game, it is mentioned by Qwark that the blarg played a major role in extinction of the lombaxes. [21]

Notes[]

Annotations[]

Template:Annotations

Citations[]

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Planet Fastoon
  2. Ratchet & Clank: Issue 3: Lost and Spaced, p. 6
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named tod armor
  4. 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Investigate the Kerchu Outpost
  5. 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Make a Trade with the Smuggler
  6. 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Center for Advanced Lombax Research
  7. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named A Vision of Talwyn
  8. 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named The Fall of the Lombaxes
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Angela Cross
  10. 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Find Tachyon
  11. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named The General and Kaden
  12. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Alpha Disruptor tod
  13. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Trillium armor
  14. Dawkins 2018
  15. McLaughlin 2007
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Fixman 2012
  17. Fiorito 2012
  18. 18.0 18.1 Price, Schafer 2015
  19. Fixman 2010
  20. Fixman 2013
  21. [1]

References[]

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