T-X (Rise of the Machines) (2024)

The name or term "T-X" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see T-X (disambiguation).

John Connor was here! Where did he go? Tell me, where did he go!?

The T-X Terminatrix, one of Skynet's most advanced Terminator units, was sent back in time to July 24, 2004. First of female terminators or Terminatrix. Her primary mission was to terminate John Connor. Since he lived off the grid, the Terminatrix focused instead on terminating Connor's future officers of the Resistance.^[1]

History[]

In 2031, the T-X was battle-tested by Skynet against several other Terminators and by Skynet itself. The T-1002 engaged the Terminatrix in hand to hand combat in the Skynet Central Core, using its mimetic polyalloy components to develop stabbing weapons all across its body. The T-X was able to gain the advantage through a combination attack utilizing her internal buzz saw to remove the spikes and later destroyed the T-1002 with a direct impact from her plasma cannon. The T-X proceeded to enter the Continuum Transporter for its mission in 2004. Terminator 3: Eyes of the Rise, Part 1

The Terminatrix arrived in a time bubble on July 24, 2004, in a high end clothing store with mannequins, melting them and a glass frame on arrival. It then walked out of the shop, approaching a confused woman, admiring her car before killing her, taking her car and disguising itself in the woman's leather ensemble. The Terminatrix began killing as many of John Connor's future lieutenants as could be located in the Los Angeles area. Her target list also included Kate Brewster and her father Robert Brewster. However, when it coincidentally found Connor, who had been formerly untraceable due to "living off the grid", the terminator selected him as its priority target.

After the T-X's pursuit of Connor and Brewster was intercepted by a T-850 unit sent back to protect them, the T-X changed tactics, killing and impersonating Kate's fiancé Scott Mason so that it would be taken to her by two detectives. She intercepted Kate, John and the T-850 at a graveyard, but the trio had already obtained a weapons cache assembled by Sarah Connor's friends after her death and left in a coffin in place of her remains. The T-850 used an RPG to repel the T-X, damaging it's right arm where most of it's deadliest weapons were housed, but it merely resumed the chase moments after it recovered. When the T-850 smashed the T-X into the trailer of a semi-truck, it was finally knocked of their vehicle. Searching for still-operating weapons in it's arsenal, the high-end terminator selected the IAD-ChemTech, a flamethrower and seemingly the only functioning weapon left. With its primary target now likely untraceable, the T-X shifted its focus to ensuring the creation of Skynet by eliminating Robert Brewster, the man in charge of the Skynet program.

At the Cyber Research Systems facility, the Terminatrix disguised itself in an Air force uniform and reprogrammed several T-1s by using injected nanobots to have them protect Skynet the moment it took control of the entire U.S. defense grid. It then killed Robert before going after John and Kate. It engaged in ferocious hand-to-hand battle with the T-850, which the T-X temporarily immobilized. She then infected the 850 with nanobots so that it would itself attempt to kill John and Kate. John and Kate managed to trap her in a particle accelerator and help the T-850 reboot itself before going to Crystal Peak, where they were told Skynet's central core was located. Although it was almost incapacitated, the Terminatrix broke free of the accelerator using a small, diamond-tipped circular saw. It followed them in a helicopter to Crystal Peak, crashing its chopper through the gate. It immediately marched toward Kate and John and was about to attack when the T-850, having commandeered a military helicopter, also crashed into the chamber, smashing the T-X. Its lower half was pinned to the floor, the T-X ripped it's upper half free, mindlessly crawling toward John. She grabbed John, determined to complete her mission, but the returned T-850 destroyed them both by sticking its remaining hydrogen fuel cell in her mouth and triggering its destruction, with a remark of "You are terminated!!" Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Personality[]

The T-X appears to possess a limited emotional range (as many advanced Terminators do), which it exhibits even when it is alone, as opposed to displaying emotion to ingratiate itself with humans. Such behavior can be seen during the crane chase when it exhibits frustration and also performs a surprised double-take upon realizing the T-850 is still in pursuit. The T-X appears to exhibit a fear response just before the T-850 finally terminates it with one of his hydrogen cores and manages to reform part of its human face with its remaining mimetic polyalloy reflecting this reaction. Also, early in the film when it identifies blood as belonging to "primary target" John Connor, the T-X appears to react with an expression akin to a gasp of excitement. She also shows satisfaction as she smiles once she defeats the T-850 in the bathroom battle and when she thinks she beat him in the road battle. When trapped by the particle accelerator, she displays a shock and fear response. Moreover, T-X is able to display convincing smiles^[2] and even some microexpressions, which is previously unseen among T-1000 units.

The T-X is adept at mimicking a human female's behaviour. Its feminine mannerisms, such as walking straight in a line like a model, reprogramming the T-800 with an arrogant gesture, and disgust of been peeked by a male solider^[3], are also unseen in previous terminator series.

The T-X is also the only machine to make feral growling noises when angered or frustrated.

See also: Terminator emotions

Mission[]

When Connor himself could not be located, a new mission was ordered: the T-X was programmed to travel back to the Los Angeles of 2004 to terminate the command staff of Connor's Resistance unit, all of them still young adults and completely unaware of their future roles. When the T-X acquired a cell phone right after its arrival, it broke into the phone's network and identified eight of its list by accessing records in the Los Angeles Unified School District, pulling the names and school portraits of targets, making them instantly recognizable to the terminator.

Priority targets of termination^[4]

• John Connor (Primary Target/Alive)
• Kate Brewster (Alive)
• Robert Brewster (Terminated)
• Elizabeth Anderson (Terminated)
• William Anderson (Terminated)
• Jose Barrera (Terminated)
• Simon Taylor (Terminated)
• Isaac Hall (Terminated)
• Fritz Roland (Terminated)
• Ted Snavely (Terminated)
• Sharlene Gen (Terminated)
• Vince Forcer (Terminated)

Note: The T-850 sent to protect John Connor and Katherine Brewster stated that there are total of 22 humans targeted for termination beside John Connor and Katherine Brewster.

Default mission:

• Preserve creation of Skynet.

Terminations[]

Successful Terminations[]

• Rich Woman

The unfortunate woman happened upon the T-X's displacement arrival. The T-X possibly (not explicitly shown) broke her neck while mimicking her clothes and stealing her car. The T-X also used the woman's cellular phone to access the LA Unified School District's network to identify eight names on its list.

• LAPD Cop-Westside Street

He pulled over the Terminatrix while she was driving recklessly in a Lexus. He was apparently killed and his service pistol taken by the T-X.

• Jose Barrera

He was unaware that the T-X was trying to kill him, instead assumed that she was a customer at the fast food restaurant where he worked the drive-thru window. He was shot multiple times.

• William Anderson

He was unaware that the T-X came to his house and thought it was his mother returning while he threw a drunken party. William was pushed down to the floor and shot multiple times.

• Elizabeth Anderson

She was also unaware she'd been targeted, when she was upstairs playing a video game at the party her brother was holding. She was shot multiple times while playing a video game. (description comes from the novel, while the movie doesn't show her demise outright)

• Betsy

A client at the vet's office where Kate Brewster worked, Betsy had brought her cat there, worried it was having a medical emergency. Betsy was shot by the T-X, believing she might be Kate Brewster, and eventually died from her wounds.

• Scott Mason

Scott thought that the T-X was Kate Brewster due to her impersonation ability. He was presumably killed with the terminator's circular saw and is impersonated by the T-X.

• Detective Edwards

He was unaware that the T-X impersonated Scott and was punched through the chest while driving.

• Detective Bell

Detective Edwards's partner, he was incapacitated or killed with a blow to the head after witnessing Edwards's death.

• First Lieutenant Hastings

While infiltrating the CRS the T-X briefly replaces the clothing of its default female form with the more appropriate Air Force uniform ("Female Blues" type), complete with 1st LT shoulder rank insignia and the nametag "Hastings". Although there is no evidence that Hastings existed in the first place, T-X's and T-1000's modus operandi for acquiring identities of officials included eliminating said officials even if the unit applied the uniform to their default form.

• Lieutenant General Robert Brewster

He was caught by surprise by the Infiltrator disguised as Katherine Brewster. He was shot multiple times but was carried away and survived until a Skynet HK-Drone fired a missile into his office.

Notes[]

• T-X's mission to preserve the creation of Skynet is similar to Eve's in The New John Connor Chronicles.
• The T-X is the first Terminator introduced onscreen with a default female appearance.
• A controversial theory is that the T-X used her nanomachines to give Skynet its sentience. Due to her almost infinite connection to the computer databases, it is feasible to assume that the reprogramming extended from the vehicles into the computer networks, as seen in the worldwide blackout that prompted Skynet's dominion and self-awareness. If so, then the franchise hinges on not one but two predestination paradoxes, the first being the necessity of Judgment Day. Otherwise, Kyle Reese would have no reason to travel back in time to sire John in the first place if there was no Judgment Day. John Connor's very existence is tied to Judgment Day happening.

Behind the Scenes[]

• Kristanna Loken put on 15 pounds of muscle to fit her role of the T-X.
• Kristanna Loken took a mime class to prepare for her part. Because her character had so few lines, she had to learn to communicate through facial expressions and body gestures.
• Kristanna Loken loved the leather jacket, leather pants and leather boots that she wore.
• ^{[citationneeded]}Kristanna Loken talked about her nude scene where she stands stark naked in the middle of Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. "There was no way out of that scene," she laughs. "Everyone knows the Terminators are transported through time and arrive naked, so it was justified. The only problem was that there were so many tourists. The challenge was to shoot the scene without providing too much of a peep show. But I didn't mind. As an actor, you try to be as daring as possible."

Merchandise[]

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Cinemaquette

DREAMAZZ

Gentle Giant

McFarlane Toys

Popsalute

Sideshow Collectibles

Skynet

Appearances[]

Films

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Comics

• Terminator 3: Eyes of the Rise
• Terminator: Infinity
  • Infinity issue 1 (Hologram and flashback)
  • Infinity issue 5
• Terminator: Revolution issue 4

Novels

• Terminator Dreams (Mentioned only)

Video games

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• Terminator 3: The Redemption

References[]