| Dr. Franklin | |
 | |
| Played by John Houseman | |
| Occupation | Scientist, inventor |
| Appearances | |
| SMDM | Kill Oscar (Part II) |
| BW | Kill Oscar Kill Oscar (Part III) Fembots in Las Vegas (flashback) |
Early Career[]
Dr. Franklin, formerly employed by the OSI for ten years, is a brilliant scientist and a leading pioneer in cybernetic technology alongside his rival Dr. Rudy Wells.
The quarrels between Franklin and Rudy were often due to the allocation of funds for their dueling projects. Wells was developing the CYBORG Project/Bionics which eventually led to the technology to create the world's first bionic man, Steve Austin.
Franklin, on the other hand, proposed that the OSI allocate funds to help create his Robot Project, a pure cybernetic agent for the government. Franklin believed his robots would be far superior than Rudy's bionic/human hybrid. However, Rudy was eventually awarded the funding for his CYBORG Project by the OSI.
Dr. Franklin made his first breakthrough in a prototype weather control satellite which won overwhelming support from top directors at the OSI. Unfortunately, his relationship with the OSI became strained when Franklin’s grandiose delusions about using the weather control satellite as a devastating weapon clashed with Oscar Goldman’s ideas in benefiting geographical problems such as controlling floods and irrigating dry desert climates. Their continuing quarrels eventually led to Franklin's termination of employment at the OSI and his weather control satellite being shelved.
Post OSI Career[]
Seven years after Franklin's dismissal from the OSI, he devised a plan to get back at Oscar Goldman and to regain control of his experimental weather control device. Due to Franklin's association with Russian finance minister Baron Constantine, he was able to build his first fembot, which he named Katy.
Katy (AKA Fembot #1) was indistinguishable between robot and human; flawless down to the final detail, even to a trained eye. She served as Franklin's assistant, along with Dr Rawlins.
Franklin soon established a covert base at an old abandoned OSI complex and proceeded to construct several more prototype fembots while sending Rawlins and Katy to keep a close surveillance on the OSI’s top secretaries, Lynda Wilson and Peggy Callahan.
Dr. Franklin reveals his fembot creations.
It was only a matter of time before Franklin needed additional funding to begin phase one of his plan to take back his weather control device and his request resulted in Baron Constantine being sent to check on his progress. Upon his arrival at Franklin’s base, the skeptical and annoyed Constantine was greeted by Katy as she assisted Franklin on his tour and revealed his creations. Furious upon realizing that Franklin had spent all of their money on the fembots, which he quickly dismissed as “ridiculous looking mannequins that couldn’t fool anyone”, he threatened to have Franklin killed. The first investment was for the sole purpose of obtaining a plan to steal the weather control device and the baron had no confidence in the fembots’ ability to infiltrate the OSI. Franklin was quick to convince Constantine otherwise by removing Katy’s face mask, thus revealing her identity as a fembot. The shocked and bewildered Constantine immediately vouched for Franklin’s request to his superiors for an additional ten million dollars in funds
Upon receiving the additional funding, Franklin was able to complete the finishing touches and activated several additional fembots The first two being duplicates of Lynda Wilson and Peggy Callahan, both whom was later abducted and replaced to infiltrate the OSI in a plot to kidnap Oscar Goldman.
Franklin's operatives successfully abducted Oscar and within hours, Oscar was brought to Franklin's complex as a prisoner. For the first time in seven years, Franklin stood face to face with his former superior and proceeded to taunt him. He gloated about the success of his fembots’ infiltration of the OSI to Oscar and revealed his plan to retake his weather control machine with the aid of his robots.
A suspicious Jaime Sommers, who Franklin found out to be bionic courtesy of his fembot spies, was onto to his fembot duplicate of Callahan being an imposter. Upon confronting Franklin’s android operatives, Sommers was severly injured and left for dead after a fierce fight.
Through the eyes and ears of the Lynda fembot, Franklin discovers that Steve too is bionic.
Franklin soon learns of Colonel Steve Austin’s arrival and joining in on the investigation. He soon discovers that Steve, like Jaime, is also bionic. As Franklin continues to monitor Steve's investigation, he soon prepares to set up a trap in anticipation of Steve's arrival.
Franklin monitors Austin’s infiltration at his complex. He attempts to thwarts him off first by sending fembots to attack and capture him. Then as he was making his own escape,activated two sliding steel doors to close in on the bionic operative. He leaves behind a robot duplicate of Oscar Goldman posing as real captive Oscar for Austin to rescue and bring back to the OSI so he can continue his infilltration.
Callahan outside held captive as Franklin destroys his complex by remote detonation.
Afterwards he proceeded to his other complex to begin the next phase of his plan. His robot duplicate of Oscar Goldman advised the Secretary of the State give the order for the Weather Control System to be transferred to a safer place for precautionary measures. Unbeknownst to the government, this new location is Franklin’s second covert base on Saint Emil Island.
Although a suspicious Steve soon discovers that Oscar Goldman is one of Franklin’s robot, events goes smoothly according to Franklin’s plan. However Franklin is on to Steve’s suspicions. In order to maintain complete control over the operations and the OSI, Steve Austin must be neutralized. However, Austin eventually defeats Franklin's robot putting the deadly machine out of commission for good.
The defeat of the Oscar robot was only a minor setback for Franklin for the components for the Weather Control Device has arrived at his base (courtesy of his robot Oscar Goldman). His crew consisting of fembot labor had it assembled and activated within days. It was time for him to make an active demonstration. He reactivates the captured fembot duplicated of Linda Wilson and then uses the devastating device to unleash 50 mph winds in Washington When Rudy Wells, Steve Austin and a fully recovered Jaime Sommers enter the lab, Franklin’s voice comes through the fembot Lynda’s speaker to inform them that he is now in possession of the weather control machine. The hurricane raging outside is undeniable proof of his allegation.
Franklin soon starts to turn his base on Saint Emil Island into his own private kingdom. He now has six fully constructed fembots functioning under his command. He then uses the weather control device to center the calm center eye of a hurricane above Saint Emil, while using the outer devastating weather as a natural force field.
A military official attack is soon launched and for the following days as expected, Franklin was successful in using his ultimate weapon to repel any and every fighter jets and submarines. Franklin's motives and vengeance are now complete. He has his weather control device and proven to Oscar and to the national security that it’s devastating weapon, just as he originally designed it to be seven years prior. His robotic design and creations are also a success and his army of fembots are growing. Most of all he’s gotten his revenge on Oscar Goldman and he has the world under siege.
Downfall[]
Days later, a patrolling helicopter piloted by a fembot spots intruders on the island. Franklin identifies the two bionic operatives infiltration and sends every available fembot into woods to capture them. Through the speaker phones on the chopper Franklin urges them to surrender or he will Kill Oscar Goldman. Oscar is once again brought before Franklin as he offers the head director of the OSI to speak to Jaime. To Franklin’s surprise; Oscar commands Jaime to execute his last orders.
Franklin allows Oscar's final words to Jaime.
Franklin is left with no choice but to spawn a hurricane on the island. Austin and Sommers head off towards Franklin’s complex with Katy and the last two remaining fembots in hot pursuit.
Franklin starts to get desperate and against Rawlins’s advice Franklin sets the controls to create a powerful lightning storm in hopes of preventing Steve and Jaime from crossing the dam. Their bionics limbs act as a conductor but the lightning bolts hit two of the pursuing fembots instead.
The dam eventually breaks as the flood waters rapidly engulf his complex he accepts defeat and realizes that his enemies will soon close in on him. He releases Oscar and Callahan and sends them, along with Rawlins on their way. Oscar asks Franklin to come with them but he refuses. He instead chooses to follow Oscar’s example and accept death as the final alternative.
Sommers soons confronts Franklin and demands that he leaves the complex with her before it’s destroyed by the approaching flood. When Franklin refuses, she threatens to haul him out by carrying him over his shoulders.
Outside the now destroyed complex, the calm weather is restored. A rescue navy ship heads towards the shore to pick up the surviving group. Before joining Steve on the beach to wait for their approaching rescue party, Jaime praises Dr. Franklin on his prowess but he is not impressed. What he does find amazing are Rudy Wells’ achievements that managed to defy nature’s forces. On their way back to the States, Franklin and Rawlins is taken into military custody. Upon their arrival they are incarcerated in federal prison to await trial.
The defeated Franklin says a few words to Oscar before being taken into custody.
While in prison, Franklin began receiving frequent visits from his son, Carl . He came to see his father every month and they spent as much time together as regulations would allow. As time went on Franklin started becoming ill as his son’s visits suddenly stopped. Before he had the chance to stand trial for his crimes, Franklin succumbed to his illnesses and died in prison.
Associates[]
- Baron Constantine
- Dr.Rawlins
- Katy
- Charlie Henchman
- George Henchmen
Family[]
- Carl Franklin - Son
- Wife (Name and status unknown)