[neverending]

Three worthy contenders. Probably the three most iconic robot images in cinema history-- it's a shame Gort couldn't be at their side.

In the end I have to give my vote to Maria. I think HAL will win, but I consider Maria the most deserving. The very term robot itself had been coined only a few years earlier, so the conception of Maria is all the more startling with that fact in mind. She stands for so much in Metropolis, as she is transformed into a duplicate of a rebel leader to sow dissent among the populace
Here's her transformation scene. The laboratory here is amazing, considering it's several years before Strickfaden would create his Frankenstein masterpiece.



The inverted pentagram we see behind Maria's throne is no mere chance image, as we can see in this clip of the death of robot Maria, burned at the stake.



Maria- the first cinematic robot, in the first feature length science fiction film. I had the great pleasure of seeing the restored version on the big screen a few years ago, and it's a truly awe inspiring experience.