Anna's creator was a leading artificial intelligence and robotics expert given a task by SPUD. To create an autonomous fighting machine capable (aka "highly mobile weapons platform") of both taking on super-villains if the Lair Legion isn't available (which has happened before), and of taking on the Lair Legion if for some reason they became enemies.

But such a machine would be highly dangerous, as it would also be capable of taking on most military forces, could take control of nuclear missiles, etc. So they commissioned this particular doctor because they needed an A.I. capable of *making judgements*, and deciding whether someone is friend or foe without being told. There could be NO accidents, or SPUD would lose its lucrative government funding, and there would be senate hearings, etc.

So Anna was created to be able to make such judgements, to learn who friends are simply by being around them. But being far into her work and bordering on mad science, much like Al B Harper, the good doctor created Anna to be so sensitive that she developed a conscience and longed for freedom. THAT'S what made her a failure for military purposes - because an android with a conscience and a problem with authority won't take orders effectively.

But now on to the hardware...





In one story I wrote, SPUD did attempt to make a male analog to Anna that is capable of taking orders without question (and a more battle-oriented one is in another upcoming story). It was capable of independent thought, and kind of smart, but for safety and to make sure it took orders, SPUD stripped it of all initiative, emotionality, and creativity. The problem was, it wouldn't scratch its nose without orders, which basically made it an extremely expensive, walking Packbot. At which point the military and SPUD probably figure it's more economical to buy a few thousand Packbots instead of one of those androids.

(Packbots are like an armed version of the Roomba. Don't try to block its way with flimsy plastic cones!)

So basically, Anna was never mass produced because of multiple failures and the expense. There's no telling if the project is still alive, though.





Every invention has 1000 failures before it has one success. Anna was failure #1, her not-so-independent version was #2. SPUD might just get the ingredients right if the money doesn't run out first, but it's going to take time and luck.

P.S. - Oddly enough, a version of Anna that DOES work to SPUD's specs wouldn't be any danger to them or to the Lair Legion. IF it works right.