Synthetic Instinct: Rex (Patreon)

Late comic page I'm still working on means design sheet week! :D

To explain Rex I need to explain a little more on Machina.
Machina are sentient robots created in the last war between the Megalopolises, to replace Ferum (anthro species) from the fighting. There were nine models created throughout the war, each model has it's own purpose and that purpose gives them unique behavioral traits.
Think of Machina as living armour, it's pretty much how I designed them and write them.

Rex is an RX-09 unit which is one of the later models, they were created with the only purpose of killing, while other models can find other non violent purposes, RX often have difficulties being demobilized and when they do they are often forced to work for the government organization called Paradigm.
With their core purpose they also had a base function of putting down Machina or Ferum rebellions. So if a battalion didn't want to fight, it was a RX-09 unit that was sent in to take it out.  RX-09 have a default aggression to almost predator like behavior towards other Machina and  other species such as Ferum or A-pods.

Default RX-09 are intelligent, cunning, always analyzing people and situations. They are also very unique, each unit has their own look and specialty. This was done on purpose so they wouldn't feel much kinship with their own models.  An apex solitary predator created so they would remain solitary.

Rex is one of the top Paradigm agents, when Machina got demobilized after the wars it was quite a turbulent time. Machina were trying to adapt to civilian roles, more so to roles that are treated as second class.  Rex was one one of the more notable ruthless RX-09 units to put down any Machina disturbances and force them into submission.
For years this is what he did, till he mysteriously went on leave taking Paradigm cases on a commission basis which is in the start of the comic.

He has a pet cat named Liquorice, it is not uncommon for Machina to own pets or plants. Basically anything that physically grows/changes fascinate them. Pet owning is almost exclusively to Machina (for Ferum it's a little uncanny valley, like how humans can react to primates)
Rex really has no idea how to react in social situations, he often just responds in a very straight forward manner. He has the typical aggression towards other Machina, especially other RX-09 units, to the point it's like a personality shift when he's around them, picking fights and being an overall aggressive jerk.

Image 1
His design has gone through a lot of revisions. He went from more T-800 terminator looking to waay more medieval armour looking. He was one of the earlier characters in this story.
I eventually settled on this design, taking influence from transformers and gundam as before I was always terrified of my mecha designs looking too influenced. The whole reason I shelved this story for years was that reason alone.  Now I could care less and also let the designs kind of shift around till I'm happy so they still change a bit page per page.

Image 2
Machina wear clothing to look and appear unique. They don't need it, nor have a concept of being naked. I try to mimic knights tabards to drive home that 'living armour' theme and I think clothes make them look less like other mecha designs and more sentient.
I affectionately call it their hobo-cloaks.
RX-09 are the only ones that wear clothing while working as most other Machina don't, especially if they work for Paradigm so that they don't look unique. Individuality is not encouraged for other Machina types at Paradigm.
Funny enough I use that ref sheet for his clothing but I now make it much much fuller, longer and layered in the comic. Which I like better.

Image 3
In this universe vehicles are rare, most people are stuck with public transit. If people do have them it's that you work for Paradigm or are one of the few that can afford it or you just simply own it illegally.
Machina power their vehicles with their own energy, it makes it so that they have to recharge/rest longer but it also gives them total control over it.
Rule in this is if you drive a vehicle you are either  augmented or Machina, otherwise you can't because the person driving it is the power cell.

RX-09 often have motorcycles... because going with the living armour theme they're like digital knights :D
It's still an older design of Rex on this as I hadn't smoothed out certain elements yet.

Image 4
I made this super detailed ref about his head, with visor and without. It's more of an earlier design but the elements stay the same. I round out his ears more as the flat sided didn't move well.

All Machina have ears because it allows them to communicate better, otherwise as we will see in later parts of the story, they just stare intensely which is not the best combo with a large portion of your population being animal people and with most animals hating being  stared at.
Also  future tid bit Machina criminal gangs often have their ears hacked off and keep their visors down because they know if Ferum and Apods can't see their eyes/ears it's really unnerving.

Image 5
His hands, which I don't use for Rex's hands anymore. I use these for the other RX-01 unit  Nero which still retains the pisiform claw... which I still think is cool but I have no idea why I dropped it for Rex but it does make Nero 100% cooler now.

Image 6
That's Rex in the size line up with his cat  Liquorice.  Liquorice is just a regular cat...