The Were-Car (stylized as ШΣRΞ-CAR) was a terrible curse that could befall Robots if they were infected by an existing Were-Car. Though often dismissed by most people as ancient folklore, the Planet Express crew confirmed the condition when Bender was infected.
Symptoms[]
When a robot is infected, it remains unaffected during the daytime. But when the robot's internal chronometer resets at midnight, it changes into an ancient vehicle that utilizes an internal combustion engine to move across the ground. Additionally the Were-Car is doomed to rove the streets until one night it kills their best friend. When a robot is attacked by a Were-Car, the virus is transferred through the were-car's headlights. Humans are usually killed. The next morning, the Were-Car program will have ran its course, and the robot will have no memory of the events.
The only way for a robot to escape this condition is to either kill itself or to gain the uninstall program by killing the original Were-Car, Project Satan.
History[]
On learning that the only way to cure Bender was to find the original Were-Car, the Planet Express crew followed the line of Were-Cars from the one who infected Bender in Thermostadt to the Anti-Chrysler Building. The origin of the curse, the original Were-Car, was known as Project Satan and only as he was being destroyed would the uninstall program be beamed out to all those infected.
Known Were-Cars[]
Though many more may have existed, there are several Robots who are confirmed to be were-cars.
- Project Satan (original were-car)
- Calculon
- The Abominable Snow Mobile
- Unnamed Thermostadtian Were-Car
- Bender
Trivia[]
- The Were-Car is an obvious reference to a Werewolf because of the name and if you are 'bitten', you become one.
- Additionally, ending the curse is very similar to killing the vampire curse because you have to kill the head vampire and Fry, Leela, and Bender had to kill the original Were-Car.
- Another nod to the werewolf concept is Leela planning to kill Project Satan by stuffing a silver potato into his exhaust pipe. Traditionally, a werewolf can only be killed by shooting it with silver bullets.
- Bender's Were-Car form is based the Lincoln Continental Mark III that was used in the 1977 horror/thriller film The Car. Even the Were-Car's acting is similar to the behavior of the car in said horror movie.
- The unnamed Thermostadtian Were-Car is based on Stephen King's Christine, a 1958 Plymouth Fury.
- In addition to Werewolf lore, the concept of the Were-Car is a reference to the novel and it's film adaptation.
- Project Satan has pieces from multiple "evil" cars such as the steering wheel from the staff car belonging to Adolf Hitler, and the left indicator from the VW camper owned by Charles Manson. It also has the windshield wipers from K.I.T.T., the car from the TV series Knight Rider. When Fry mentioned that Knight Rider wasn't evil, Calculon replied "His windshield wipers were. It didn't come up much in the show though."