- "I used cheap, cheap power drills for the drive, batteries left over from a previous BattleBot, and a carbon fiber structure I made myself in my lab at UCSB."
- — Jason Bardis on Dr. Inferno Jr
Dr. Inferno Jr. was a lightweight robot built by Jason Bardis of the Infernolab which entered all five seasons of Comedy Central BattleBots.
It was a flat box with skirts on all sides with a model of a robot on top. It replaced The Missing Link, Infernolab's lightweight entry in Season 1.0 and Long Beach 1999. The robot model was a Tomy Omnibot with arms modified to hold interchangeable weapons. These originally consisted of a circular saw and a reciprocating saw which had multiple attachments, along with an extended carbon fiber flap to even out the doctor's drivetrain balance after the Season 3.0 lightweight rumble. In Season 4.0, they were replaced with a pair of custom-cut triangular tri-hook saws attached to circular saw tools. For Season 5.0, the skirts were upgraded to Kelvar, along with new sponsorships while the tri-hook saws remained.
Dr. Inferno Jr. was intended to be a novelty entry but proved a fierce competitor thanks to its untouchable ground clearance and precision driving. In addition, its four-wheel drive gave it unparalleled pushing power in the lightweight class. Despite its top-heavy appearance, Dr. Inferno Jr. was only flipped once in its entire career (in an untelevised match against The Crusher). The Omnibot itself was only damaged a few times in combat; the body was shattered by Toe-Crusher in Season 3.0, and one arm was snapped off by Afterburner in Season 5.0. Jason Bardis did not have a replacement arm, so he covered the stump in red paint-stained gauze for the televised rounds. The robot was heavily damaged in an untelevised Season 3.0 rumble by Backlash as its inner aluminum skeleton was majorly exposed. In every match, he sportingly let the other roboteers keep the broken pieces. The robot enjoyed a successful run in BattleBots due to its pushing power, winning two championships, and one Royal Rumble.
Heavyweight CAD of Dr. Inferno Jr. for World Championship I in 2015.
Its predecessor, Dr. Inferno, competed at the original BattleBots event at Long Beach in 1999. It partnered with another robot named Air Burial to create the multibot Hot Air. Dr. Inferno weighed only 17 pounds, which was the reason behind the pairing. However, Dr. Inferno was much less successful than its successor.
- "Michael Mauldin has one of the Omnibot shells. I'm sure the rest was thrown in the trash decades ago. I didn't have much space or incentive to save scrapped parts."
- — Jason's comment on Dr. Inferno Jr.'s retirement
Except for the internal aluminum torso skeleton and tri-hook saws, all parts of Dr. Inferno Jr. have been scrapped.[1] The skeleton, with a smaller Radio Shack Robie Jr. white robot on it, was attached to a 4-wheel-drive box intended for a 15lb division. It was named Dr. Inferno ]I[.
Jason Bardis confirmed that Dr. Inferno Jr was going to return as a heavyweight with a spinning disc in the chest instead of the arms. He posted a photo of his computer on Instagram and a CAD can be seen on the screen. This CAD is very similar to the heavyweight he described. Instead, the remake of Dr. Inferno Jr. eventually became known as "Dr. Inferno IV", an antweight bot similar to the preplanned heavyweight CAD concept. However, Jason Bardis would become a judge on the reboot series of BattleBots, so it is unlikely that this will come to fruition.
Outside BattleBots[]
Dr. Inferno Jr.'s main chassis competed on Robotica and in Steel Conflict events under the name Mini Inferno.
Robot History[]
Season 1.0[] |
|---|
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Alpha Raptor   Both robots are sent flying from the killsaws. |
Lightweight Consolation Rumble #2   Dr. Inferno Jr. got hit by Afterthought. Dr. Inferno Jr. also participated one of two consolation rumbles at the end of the tournament. In the beginning, Dr. Inferno Jr. got slammed by Sallad and later got hit by Afterthought's spinning disc from the right side. After Dr. Inferno Jr. was moving around the arena, it stopped moving and Sereal Box Killer pushed it onto the blue square. The time ran out and Sallad, Sereal Box Killer, Rott-Bott 2000 and Mouser Mecha-Catbot won the consolation rumble overall. |
Season 2.0[] |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Bad Habit   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Bad Habit against the spikestrip. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. The Crusher   The Crusher backs into Dr. Inferno Jr.   The Crusher flipped Dr. Inferno Jr. against the spikestrip. |
Lightweight Royal Rumble   Dr. Inferno Jr. during the Lightweight Royal Rumble. Dr. Inferno Jr. returned for the Lightweight Royal Rumble at the end of the tournament. After getting attacked by Toe-Crusher, Dr. Inferno Jr. got underneath Sublime II and flipped it onto its back. Dr. Inferno Jr. then started pushing the likes of Sallad and Afterthought 2.0 around the arena. Dr. Inferno Jr.'s skirts were flipped upwards after hitting the arena floor and started moving slowly around the arena. Shortly after, Dr. Inferno Jr. stopped moving and the time ran out. HammerHead won the royal rumble overall and Dr. Inferno Jr. lost. |
Season 3.0[] |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Blood Dragon Due to its seeding, Dr. Inferno Jr. was allowed to skip the preliminary rounds of Season 3.0, where it faced Blood Dragon in its first fight. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Blood Dragon to almost every hazard, threw sparks by cutting into the side of Blood Dragon, and managed to cut Blood Dragon's radio receiver antenna in the process. From this point on, Blood Dragon had very limited mobility and control. Dr. Inferno Jr. won on a 40-5 judges' decision and advanced to the Round of 32, where it faced Toe-Crusher. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Toe-Crusher   Dr. Inferno Jr. got underneath Toe-Crusher. Both robots went straight at each other and Toe-Crusher's wedge got pushed up from hitting a bump in the arena floor. After Toe-Crusher was missing hitting Dr. Inferno Jr. multiple times, Dr. Inferno Jr. absorbs a couple blows from its spiked hammer and pushed Toe-Crusher against the arena wall. Toe-Crusher escaped and both robots were moving around the arena. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Toe-Crusher onto the killsaws and flipped it. Dr. Inferno Jr. then shoved Toe-Crusher against the arena wall again and Toe-Crusher managed to destroy the Omnibot shell with its spiked hammer. Both robots were moving around the arena and Dr. Inferno Jr's skirt got caught on the killsaws. Toe-Crusher got its pickaxe caught in one of the killsaw slots, but swings it free before the killsaws popped up. After both robots were moving around the arena again, Toe-Crusher got its spiked hammer caught on the ramrods and killsaw slots again before the time ran out. Dr. Inferno Jr. won on a close 23-22 judges' decision and advanced to the Round of 16, where it faced Bad Habit again. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Bad Habit   Dr. Inferno Jr. got underneath Bad Habit. Both robots went straight at each other and Dr. Inferno Jr. immediately got underneath Bad Habit, but Bad Habit escaped. Dr. Inferno Jr. got under Bad Habit again and pushed it across, but Bad Habit escaped again. Both robots collide again and Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Bad Habit onto the killsaws. After both robots were moving around each other, both robots collide again and Dr. Inferno Jr. attempts to push Bad Habit from the left side. Dr. Inferno Jr. then got underneath the right side of Bad Habit and pushed it onto the piston, which flipped it onto its back. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Bad Habit's behind and took it to the piston again. As Bad Habit was having trouble moving around the arena, Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Bad Habit against the spikestrip and then towards the pulverizer, where one hit flipped Bad Habit after hitting one of its corners. Bad Habit was being pounded by the pulverizer multiple times and it stopped moving. Bad Habit was being counted out and Dr. Inferno Jr. won by KO. This win put Dr. Inferno Jr. to the quarter-finals, where it faced Herr Gepoünden. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Herr Gepoünden   Dr. Inferno Jr. takes Herr Gepoünden to the killsaws. The hellraiser were raised immediately and both robots waited for the hellraisers to come back down. Both robots met in the middle of the arena and Herr Gepoünden hit Dr. Inferno Jr. with its hammer. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Herr Gepoünden around the arena and eventually flipped it. Herr Gepoünden drove around the arena while Dr. Inferno Jr.'s skirts keep running into protrusions on the BattleBox floor. Herr Gepoünden works its way into the center of the arena and started spinning. Dr. Inferno Jr. waits for Herr Gepoünden to stop spinning. The hellraisers popped up and tossed Herr Gepoünden around a bit. Dr. Inferno Jr. went straight at Herr Gepoünden and took a big hit from Herr Gepoünden's hammer. Dr. Inferno Jr. got under Herr Gepoünden and caught its hammer under its right arm. Dr. Inferno Jr. sent Herr Gepoünden to the killsaws and sparks were flying. The match was halted because it was assumed that both robots needed to be separated, though Jason Bardis was not given a chance to unstick his robot. After the match was started again, Herr Gepoünden started hitting Dr. Inferno Jr. and got popped by the piston. After more pushed from Dr. Inferno Jr. and more hits from Herr Gepoünden, the time ran out and Dr. Inferno Jr. won on a 27-18 judges' decision. This win put Dr. Inferno Jr. to the semi-finals, where it faced Sallad. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Sallad   Dr. Inferno Jr. got underneath Sallad. The fight begins with Sallad driving at full speed into Dr. Inferno Jr.'s side. Sallad then took a hit from the killsaws. Dr. Inferno Jr. got under Sallad and pushed it into the wall. Sallad started hitting Dr. Inferno Jr.'s head and Dr. Inferno Jr. escaped before getting caught on the ramrods. Sallad's arm got stuck under Dr. Inferno Jr.'s arm, so Dr. Inferno Jr. pulls back and pushed Sallad into the arena wall again. Sallad eventually escaped. As Sallad drove around the arena, its lifting arm raised into the air, then stops when its perpendicular to the ground. Dr. Inferno Jr. got underneath Sallad again. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Sallad, and its skirt got caught on the floor. Dr. Inferno Jr. repositions itself under Sallad and pushed its opponent into the base of the screws. Dr. Inferno Jr. got its weapon to attack the side of Sallad, who was now stuck underneath the spikestrip. The timer ran out before the ref decided to count out Sallad. Dr. Inferno Jr. won on a 36-9 judges' decision and advanced to the lightweight finals, where it faced Gamma Raptor. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Gamma Raptor   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Gamma Raptor during the lightweight finals. Neither robot is able to stay under its opponent to flip it or push it anywhere. Gamma Raptor suddenly got caught on the killsaws and Gamma Raptor tried to get underneath Dr. Inferno Jr., but Dr. Inferno Jr. escaped. Gamma Raptor tried to charge at Jason Bardis' bot, but its claws became stuck in the killsaw slot. Gamma Raptor reversed to try to free itself, but the killsaws popped up and Gamma Raptor took a shot from the killsaws. Both robots were pushing each other and Dr. Inferno Jr. got pushed on the killsaws by Gamma Raptor. Both robots slammed into each other several times and with only ten seconds left, Gamma Raptor nearly flipped Dr. Inferno Jr. twice, but failed both time before the time ran out. Dr. Inferno Jr. won on a 32-13 judges' decision and Dr. Inferno Jr. became the new lightweight champion. |
Lightweight Royal Rumble   Dr. Inferno Jr. fighting Reaper.   Dr. Inferno Jr. is smothered by Mecha Tentoumushi.   Dr. Inferno Jr. in the Lightweight Royal Rumble. |
Season 4.0[] |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Pursuer   Pursuer spikes Dr. Inferno Jr. in an upset. |
Lightweight Consolation Rumble   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushes Mouser against a big pileup during the consolation rumble.   Dr. Inferno Jr. shoving Mouser Mecha-Catbot.   Dr. Inferno Jr. just before it shoves Skid Mark into the spikestrip   Dr. Inferno Jr. tangled with Scrap Daddy Surplus   Dr. inferno Jr. shoving Snowflake |
Lightweight Royal Rumble   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Hexy Jr. during the Lightweight Royal Rumble.   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Rambite into the spikestrip. Dr. Inferno Jr. performed just as well as it did during the Lightweight Consolation Rumble as it pushed almost all eleven robots around the arena. In the end, it was between Dr. Inferno Jr., Hexy Jr. and The Crusher. Dr. Inferno Jr. got the biggest cheer from the crowd and was declared the winner. Despite not winning the lightweight championship, it redeemed itself as it won both lightweight rumbles overall. |
Season 5.0[] |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Afterburner   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed a flipped Afterburner under the pulverizer. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Tentoumushi 8.0   Dr. Inferno Jr. and Tentoumushi 8.0 collide. This win put Dr. Inferno Jr. to the Round of 16, where it faced Tentoumushi 8.0. Jason Bardis did not have a replacement arm, so he covered the stump in gauze, with some red paint to look like blood, for the rest of its matches. Both robots headed towards the center of the BattleBox. Dr. Inferno Jr. got to the side of Tentoumushi 8.0 and pushed it against the arena wall. Dr. Inferno Jr. releases it and Tentoumushi 8.0 ran away near the killsaws. Tentoumushi 8.0 turned around and started to smother Dr. Inferno Jr.'s body. Dr. Inferno Jr. used that to its advantage though, pushing itself up against Tentoumushi 8.0 and shoving it towards the arena wall. Tentoumushi 8.0 raised its shell again but Dr. Inferno Jr. escaped. Dr. Inferno Jr. got under Tentoumushi 8.0's shell and pushed it onto the killsaws as sparks flew in the process. Tentoumushi 8.0 drove backwards and its shell caught Dr. Inferno Jr., but as Tentoumushi 8.0 pulled back, Dr. Inferno Jr. started to tip over. However, the shell did not have the purchase to topple Jason Bardis' bot and Dr. Inferno Jr. landed back on its wheels. Dr. Inferno Jr. drove towards Tentoumushi 8.0, but it missed its chance to smother and got pushed onto the killsaws again. Dr. Inferno Jr. got to the side of Tentoumushi 8.0 and pushed it against the spikestrip. it tried to smother Dr. Inferno Jr., but was unsuccessful in doing so. Later in the fight, Tentoumushi 8.0 drove itself under the pulverizer and its shell was pounded by the hammer. Dr. Inferno Jr. slid underneath the shell of Tentoumushi 8.0 and pushed it against the spikestrip a few times to show more aggression to the judges. Tentoumushi 8.0 ran away and Dr. Inferno Jr. got under its shell again, shoving Tentoumushi 8.0 onto the killsaws and keeping its wheels off the ground. Dr. Inferno Jr. survived several more attempts from Tentoumushi 8.0 to topple Dr. Inferno Jr. with its shell, and time eventually ran out. Dr. Inferno Jr. won on a 26-19 judges' decision and advanced to the quarter-finals. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Death By Monkeys   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Death By Monkeys on the killsaws.   Dr. Inferno Jr. got lifted by Death By Monkeys. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Gamma Raptor   Dr. Inferno Jr. got under the rear of Gamma Raptor.   Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Gamma Raptor against the spikestrip. Dr. Inferno Jr. got under the side of Gamma Raptor and pushed it to the middle of the BattleBox. Gamma Raptor backs up and charged into Dr. Inferno Jr., but missed as Dr. Inferno Jr. escaped. Dr. Inferno Jr. got under the rear of Gamma Raptor once more, lifting Gamma Raptor's wheels off of the ground. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed and Gamma Raptor bounced along the BattleBox floor, on its front. Gamma Raptor raised its arm, which got it back in a more horizontal mode, but Dr. Inferno Jr.'s spinning triangle is making contact with Gamma Raptor's side armor and sparks were being produced. Dr. Inferno Jr. pushed Gamma Raptor against the arena wall. Dr. Inferno Jr. backs up and Gamma Raptor is back on the ground. Gamma Raptor started pushing Dr. Inferno Jr. and got itself caught on the killsaws, tossing Gamma Raptor into the air and forcing it to slowly self-right as Dr. Inferno Jr. maintained its offensive. Now able to turn itself over, Gamma Raptor fled to the other side of the BattleBox and charged into Dr. Inferno Jr.. Gamma Raptor prepared to charge into Dr. Inferno Jr. again, but it escaped. Gamma Raptor got under the front wedge of Dr. Inferno Jr. and started to lift it, who began to tilt as Gamma Raptor pushed it against the arena wall. Gamma Raptor immediately got under Dr. Inferno Jr. and pushed it against the arena wall again. Gamma Raptor had its lifting arm against Dr. Inferno Jr.'s body and the teeth on its body under Dr. Inferno Jr.'s front skirt. Gamma Raptor pushed Dr. Inferno Jr. across the full length of the BattleBox and slammed it against the arena wall once again. Dr, Inferno Jr. landed on its wheels as Gamma Raptor flipped itself over. Gamma Raptor attempts to self-right again, but drove itself against the spikestrip. Dr. Inferno Jr. turns around and pushed Gamma Raptor against the arena wall. Dr. Inferno Jr. started to make sparks on Gamma Raptor's armor with its spinning triangle. Dr. Inferno Jr. backs off and Gamma Raptor was still stuck against the spikestrip, where it remained and was counted out, awarding Dr. Inferno Jr. a victory via knockout at 2:59, and allowing it to advance to the Grand Final, where it fought Wedge of Doom. |
Dr. Inferno Jr. vs. Wedge of Doom   Wedge of Doom pushed Dr. Inferno Jr. against the arena wall.   Both robots pushing each other during the closing stages. |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 12
- Losses: 3
| Competition | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1.0 | Bye | Alpha Raptor |
| Season 2.0 | Bye | The Crusher |
| Season 3.0 | Blood Dragon | None |
| Season 4.0 | None | Pursuer |
| Season 5.0 | Afterburner | None |
Mark Beiro Introductions[]
"With the molten pressure of imminent disaster about to belch forth and lay waste to all that is sacred, it's DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"The surgeon general warrants overexposure of this bot can be bad for your health. In the red square, here is DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He signed the hypocritical oath in his opponent's blood. Here is DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He's got the heart of a champion and now he's going for the liver and spleen of his hated opponent. Scrub dub for major surgery. Here is DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He does for opponents, what Dr. ??? does for patients, but without all the cool pain relievers. Turn your head and cough for DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He would make a fine addition to the county corner's office, except for the fact that he conducts autopsies while his subjects are still alive, here is DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He's got one last lethal dose of some very bad medicine, take it like an iron man from DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"Take away his slick paint job, his trademark flames and his dangerous blade. No seriously, take them away. It's the only way to beat DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He works in the OR, loves watching ER and he's about to wipe you off the radar. Introducing, DR. INFERNO JR.!"
"He already has one nut and now he's back for number 2. Here is DR. INFERNO JR.!"
Merchandise[]
Any appearances by Dr. Inferno Jr. in merchandise are listed below:
See Also[]
- Dr. Inferno Jr. (http://infernolab.com/projectfiles/drijr.html)
- Dr. Inferno ]I[ (http://infernolab.com/projectfiles/dri3.html)
- Dr. Inferno IV (http://infernolab.com/projectfiles/dri4.html)
- Dr. Inferno IV (https://www.facebook.com/theinfernolab/posts/3887065628072188)
Trivia[]
- Dr. Inferno Jr. was one of the three robots used for the Lab Rats episode "Robot Fight Club". Its given name was The Merchant of Menace.
- Dr. Inferno Jr. had fought Team Raptor three times, losing to them once (against Alpha Raptor), but conquering them twice (against Gamma Raptor).
- Dr. Inferno Jr. made a brief appearance in TLC's Movies for Guys Who Like Movies. It appears in the beginning where it fights against Rick Schwartz's miscellaneous toy robots and halfway through the video in a three way rumble against Lambo and Serial Box Killer.
- A heavyweight incarnation of Dr. Inferno Jr. with a vertical disk in its chest & wide self-righting wings/arms was intended to compete for ABC Season 1 but it never got past it's CAD drawing.[2]
- Dr. Inferno Jr.'s font stickered on the front carbon fiber flap is known as "Freak."
- Dr. Inferno Jr even had its own theme song and CD, written by BattleBots music writer Eban Schletter.