#neo's gender is neo metal sonic

[64albear]

Thinking an overwhelming amount about Neo Metal Sonic.

Like, please tell me, Why in the world am I crushing for a damn robot???

She's so. UGHHHHHAHIDLSLCOALXL

[stupidspacealien]

[generic-sonic-fan]

I am so glad people are enjoying Complex Inquiries, but there's just one teeny tiny minor problem that I'm seeing.

(I want to clarify that I'm not offended or ungrateful for my lovely readers! Absolutely not! I love you all so much and I mean that, no matter what your take away was from the story.)

But having a small portion of people gender Neo as he/him in their comments after I wrote a very clear scene where Neo explicitly states it wants to be referred to as it/its or at the very least, anything other than he/him is. . .

. . . a little disappointing?

I worked SO hard to ensure that any time the word "it" was used in my manuscript only ever referred to Unit MS-1/Neo. This was something I kept constantly in mind when I was writing my prose to make sure things were never unclear in the narration of events. Not changing Neo's pronouns from it/its was a very deliberate narrative choice and not one I took lightly.

Neo is explicitly nonbinary, not because "it's a robot", but because it is art. And it is not Sonic.

I also want to acknowledge that "it" can be a very difficult pronoun for some people to use because of past trauma. I absolutely want to respect that. Neo gets a little pedantic about they/them pronouns but that doesn't mean you can't use those pronouns for it. Please feel free to use they/them pronouns instead if it/its doesn't vibe with you.

[s0upern0va]

"Go on, show me what you're made of."

[captain-krow-drozdov]

I've Spent The Last Two Days Trying To Figure Out Why I'm Suddenly Hyperfixating On Transformers.

I Had Like, An Entire Conspiracy Board In My Head Going On, In An Attempt To Figure Out How I Went From; BBC Merlin → Sonic The Hedgehog → The Amazing Digital Circus → Transformers.

And I Finally, Finally, Found The Fandom Skateboard That Tripped Me Into Falling Face First Into Space Robot Territory.

Bloody Metal Sonic.

[cerealandchoccymilk]

i think it's funny that most of us are introjects and also a few of us have the same name as a fictional character (that we're familiar with). but so many names don't match the source (if they're even an introject) at all lol

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

as a closeted trans autistic child i had to latch onto one androgynous sympathetic villain and i had an obsession with sonic the hedgehog and that fundamentally shaped me as a person.

i am sorry to everyone who’s following me for non metal sonic related content but she’s literally my username i am more used to be called by her name than my irl name at this point you really couldn’t have expected any different

[operationlove]

Random Fan:Umhm I Wonder Who's The Trans Character in this comic... Hey Neo Metal Sonic you have any Ideas?

Neo Metal Sonic:Sweats profusely For absolutely no reason.

Amy: It's Sonic Duh.

Neo Metal Sonic: [Crisis Averted]

Bold of this random fan anon made up to assume that there is only one trans character in the comic, I'm counting at least 3, probably more as my HCs are fluid, HAH get it? Like the gender? Anyway, I'll see myself out

[bobvelsebishot]

@metalsonic41

I'm going to build a comprehensive list of every way that Metal Sonic is trans for you. I am going to refer to him using he/him pronouns for simplicity.

Transmasc:

First off, he is a robot with no sex. There is no definitive way to tell his gender, even by Mobian's loose standards of gender. So, therefore, calling him a "he" is definitively giving him a gender he was not created with; making him, in essence, transmasculine.

Transfem:

Most notably in his Neo Metal Sonic form, he is far more feminine. He gets longer "quills", mirroring longer hair of women and Mobians, and gets what is definitely a skirt. He also gets eyeliner in the form of silver markings by his eyes. This is sufficient enough information to give others a transfem headcanon for specifically Metal's Neo form, however there is evidence for his normal form as well. As said before, he does have no true gender, but there are a few main points of female Mobians that he may have. He has a decidedly stuck out chest; perhaps indicating the larger chest of a female Mobian. I'm going to be honest, there are other points, but I have forgotten them.

Nonbinary:

This one is very basic; He has no true sex, therefore making him genderless, and under the nonbinary umbrella. I would guess that he's likely Agender, due to having no sense of gender like other Mobians do. (That may be me projecting my agenderism into him, though, so take that with a grain of salt.)

Genderfluid:

He is a robot with no gender. So, then, would it not be generally correct to call him genderfluid? He is simultaneously multiple flavors of trans at once, so I'd say that this is a generally pretty accurate label to give to him.

I hope that you, MetalSonic41, can read this and see where I'm coming from. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

[genderqueerswagfight]

Round A1.6

Howl Jenkins Pendragon (Howl's Moving Castle) VS Neo Metal Sonic (Sonic)

[ID: A picture of Howl, who is a Welsh man with chin-length black hair and a loose white shirt. A picture of Neo Metal Sonic, who is a robot with five long head quills, pronounced armor, and a cape. /end ID]

Howl:

Howl has gender defying earrings. Also, him and Sophie are the gayest straight couple. Also, he's almost definitely trans. he/him lesbian

Neo Metal Sonic:

That's a robot. All robots are genderqueer in nature. Also has a cape that looks like a skirt, that's a genderqueer slay for me

[t4tmetalsonic]

SO. t4t metal sonic? what is your gender hc for metal?

I won't lie I picked this URL more bc I'M t4t myself but I definitely see Metal's gender as being a little fucked up too!! (Like mine lol). So to me Metal is definitely t4t too hkhjfhfh

I hc them to be genderfluid, using he/she/they/it! (As well as neo pronouns, possibly ve/vem/ver and xey/xem/xyr :3) I think she would probably flip between feeling extremely gendered and not gendered at all.

Adding one of my favourite pieces I drew of Metal :]

[whisper-and-tangle]

honestly it'd be hilarious if metal did come out as trans. like

{FATHER.} Echoed the harsh, robotic tone that was reminiscent of claws scratching at a chalkboard, a true assault on the eardrums- a response came soon after, Eggman turning to Sonic's metallic double with a disgruntled look on his already unpleasant face.

{FATHER. I REQUIRE A NEW FORM.} Spoke Metal in the same scratchy, horrendous tone they spoke in beforehand. Eggman angrily barked a reply,

"Why do you need a new form now, Metal!? Your current one's just fine as it is! Now stop pestering me with foolish deman-" Eggman readjusted his expression and tone as Metal interrupted him.

{FATHER. I AM, AS SONIC WOULD PUT IT, 'TRANSING' MY GENDER. FATHER I AM TRANS.}

"Oh." Eggman said in a calmer, and surprised tone- he knew Sonic himself was trans, but he doubted a robotic version would be. Well, it clearly wasn't a mistake in his 'impeccable' programming, but a feature.

"Hm. Yes, yes, very well. I'll get to work on it tomorrow. Now leave! I've got work to do if you want a new body soon..." Barked the doctor, Metal nodding as he walked away, a truly terrible and unnatural clanking noise forming every step he took.

eggman. eggman your robot is trans. get it a new body you son of a bitch

also metal sonic doesn't even like. completely overhaul their new body or something they just makes it look super cool with sick spikes and stuff reminiscent of neo metal. (totally because they prefer it like that and not because i love neo metal's design /s)

[kamenrideryeets]

Alright.

I will be the first to say it: we're not going to win.

The transfem Metal supporters have shit tons of Neo screencaps and even some propaganda edits stored up. They're backed by tens of times more content than the Lanolin niche is. The first arc of IDW is nothing but a stream of constant Neo swag, while Lanolin has to fight for panel-time in her still-ongoing proper debut arc.

We gender sheep enjoyers are a coughing baby fighting a hydrogen bomb.

HOWEVER.

I WILL THROW IN MY TWO CENTS. OR RATHER, MY HUNDRED DOLLARS.

GET READY FOR IMAGE SPAM.

REASONS LANOLIN DESERVES TO BE SONIC TRANSFEM SWAG CHAMPION:

ONE: Lanolin's existence upgraded Whispangle, an already extremely T4T ship, into a polycule.

TWO: She is equally emotionally damaged as everyone else in IDW, and we didn't even know it. All of her character interactions showcase an empty shell done with the world.

This is a face that has Seen The Horrors.

THREE: The cutesy little cowbell she wears IS A WEAPON. A DEADLY ONE.

Not only can it shoot sonic blasts...

IT CAN TURN INTO A GODDAMN HAMMER. A REGULAR-SIZED, COMICALLY SMALL HAMMER THAT LANOLIN STILL CAN AND WILL BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF SOMEONE WITH.

WOULD A CIS PERSON USE A WEAPON THIS RIDICULOUS YET AWESOME?

FOUR: SONIC acted fruity with her at first sight. That DOES NOT HAPPEN, Sonic DOES NOT DO THAT, unless your T-swag is through the roof.

FIVE: Lanolin is targeted for her identity - by her supposed #1 partner! As these Discord snippets (and ANY facial expressions she makes in the comic to be honest) make clear, MAGGIE IS, IN FACT, NOT TOO FOND OF TRANS (or gay) PEOPLE:

WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION! LANOLIN DESERVES BETTER!

SIX: Lanolin and (Neo) Metal are DATING. Courtesy of @transgendershadowthehedgehog, the crackship has just infected its first host and is spreading like wildfire as I speak. Here is a piece from Nate's server, by @transgender-battlekukku:

Obviously, Metal knows that without our support, her girlfriend doesn't stand a chance. Metal has had this in the bag for several rounds, but wants her love to be happy (Lanolin needs some happiness in her life.) So voting for Lanolin is actually what Neo Metal Sonic would want you to do.

And yes, Lanolin is dating Metal IN ADDITION TO Tangle and Whisper. And Breezie too, as @whisper-and-tangle can attest!

(Also can I mention that after Sonic got flirty with Lanolin in their first interaction, the idea of Metal cucking him makes the ship 10 times funnier)

And finally, SEVEN, the ultimate power, it worked twice and it will work again, THE POST IN THE HISTORY OF MY BLOG:

She got horns, and she a no-horns-on-girls-breed. And that's because we said so.

And with that... I have exhausted all the T4T Lanolin power I could.

As of present, I know I alone cannot possibly push her to victory, not when the dedicated Neo Metal Girlboss fandom stands together and I stand alone.

But in this coming week, with the reveal of Metolin and Metal's endorsement of her T4T GF, I can see a light. The same cyan-and-magenta light that got Lanolin here to the finals, that let her defeat Blaze, Sally, the lesbian cat from Fleetway, Barry, and the Conductor's Wife.

In no other Sonic tournament would Lanolin have ever gotten this far. Through our swag, we have guided the PTSD sheep to the finals, where she faces an opponent far beyond any of the surprise victories she scored thus far.

An opponent who, as discussed, is rooting for her to beat her.

But in spite of that cheering, Lanolin and me alone cannot leave an impact - not when a million more wonderfully edited Neo propaganda images will be in this post's notes by tomorrow morning.

And if it's not enough, then that's fine! They're a couple, and whoever loses will be very happy for her GF and just have to be the one to pay for the Transfem Queen Cake (baked with estrogen.)

But with all of this effort, this collaboration, as this Davie-versus-Goliathia battle of the swag begins...

I leave it to the rest of you, my mutuals, everyone who liked and reblogged the original This Sheep is Trans post...

TO FIGHT TO THE LAST ESTROGEN CELL!

LANOLIN THE SWEEP!!!

TRANSFEM SWAG FINALE

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

thinking about transfem metal sonic again bc she’s like. the most transfem character in fiction whos not in any way actually transfem or coded transfem like it’s entirely unintentional and that’s what makes it so interesting to me. bc like her entire Thing is identity issues she was built to emulate, surpass, and be a superior version of sonic which like. we can talk about eggman hating sonic so much he literally made a better version of him as his own child another time but besides that metal's entire life has been being forced to fill the expectations placed on her to Be someone she can never be. and this is something that causes her a great deal of anguish! she literally has a mental breakdown over it it’s something that’s clearly traumatic and distressing to her bc she can’t do it! defeating and proving herself superior to sonic is something inexorably linked to her, and both cause her nothing but misery and are both very literally dehumanising towards her. she clings to them, bc she has nothing else and it’s the only path that she’s been allowed to even consider, but they don’t make her Happy. she wouldn’t be so fucking angry all the time if she was happy! but it’s what she’s literally been programmed to believe she wants even though chasing that ambition provides her no joy or relief.

and in sonic heroes, the pressure makes her snap. if she Has to fill the mould she’s forced into, then it’s the outside world saying she’s doing it wrong that’s the problem, because she Has to be perfect, right? metal sonic is the golden child out of all of her ���siblings”, and while that means she’s not outright going to be destroyed by her father and faces much less verbal abuse and marginally more affection, it also means she’s forced to uphold the perfect image her father sees her as, else she fail and face the same treatment she’s seen her fellow badniks go through. and that image she’s always tried so, so hard to force herself to fit is that of her father's magnum opus, his masterpiece, a superior version of his enemy. and to be superior to sonic she has to Be sonic and so if everyone says she’s Not they have to be the ones in the wrong and not Her she has to be the real true superior sonic and she has to Prove it.

but the thing is, not only is she forcing herself into performing the perfect role set on her- one that’s specifically masculine- she also reinvents Herself. this is something in heroes a lot of people miss, but neo metal sonic isn’t an upgrade From Eggman to her (and also came After her breakdown, she did it Because she felt she couldn’t Beat Sonic And Therefore Be Him if she stayed the same) her neo form is entirely self designed, and it was done all by her own hands. neo metal sonic is probably the closest we can get to how metal actually wants to present herself to the world, that’s Literally just named to be the New Her, and. ma’am this is a goth girl.

like. not only is she Literally Wearing A Skirt, not only does she Literally Have Eyeliner, she's also designed in such a way it looks like she’s wearing clothes, which feels silly to bring up until you remember sonic anthro characters almost universally only wear clothes if they’re female. and neo metal sonic straight up has hatsune miku sleeves a belt with a flowy skirt and leg warmers but with spikes. like it’s already fem as shit (in a emo edgy fourteen year olds oc way) but like i'm pretty sure by mobian standards this is about as feminine as a murderous robot can reasonably get. and while obviously that doesn’t = gender, metal specifically presenting as feminine in her idealised form she designed herself, while having a meltdown because she’s unable to Be A Specific Boy and is having an identity crisis bc she’s miserable trying to chase that is… like, that’s just a closeted trans girl innit. like this is Very Obviously not the intended read but like… it’s an extremely obvious and resonant one?

metal is, canonically, a scared teenager. as in, she herself says that she was scared Before her transformation. she’s mentally like 15 afraid of failure with an abusive and neglectful father figure suffering from psychotic episodes brought about by golden child burnout. like that’s not how it’s phrased in a 2003 game rated 3 and up but that is like, objectively what’s happening in sonic heroes she’s very open about her motives that’s just canon. which doesn’t make her Trying To Burn A Toddler Alive in any way not absolutely horrible like people forget how excited she was to murder a group that included Multiple small children in it brutally she’s fucked up. but her issues with her identity are more tragic than anything. her being dehumanised and treated only as A Superior Sonic broke her. and when she finally is able to express herself in any way, she's able to present as, well, a very edgy teenage goth girl but in robot form! she’s a fucked up and evil person but she’s also unable to be her true self and she’s scared and frightened and alone. and she’s not incapable of good! she Did sacrifice her life for shadow in rivals 2 like she can care for people she’s not inherently evil she’s a Person just one that steals your IP address. but what Makes her evil is sticking to a path and presentation that makes her evil.

tl;dr: canonically transitioning would have saved her (this was not an intentional story decision they just accidentally made her ideal form goth girl hatsune miku before hatsune miku was even an idea)

[operationlove]

is metal Sonic a girl or boy cause the vibes from neo are suggesting Girl...

Robots are so gender, they can be anything they want :)

I've talked about Metals gender and pronouns before in this ask and my opinion hasn't really changed. But I can attest that Neo Metal is a certified badass bitch

[cowgirlhips]

Some recent art I did! A Metal Sonic 3.0 redesign and art of Birdetta!!! (And one not so recent art of my Eggman Nega redesign!!)