Mecha tank



Mecha tanks are large, mechanized suits manufactured by Hiroshi Sato for the Equalists. Made of solid platinum, the tanks are impervious to metalbending.

History


After receiving a tip from a Future Industries worker, Korra, Tenzin, and Lin Beifong met the informant beneath the Silk Road Bridge. There, he explained that Hiroshi Sato manufactured Equalist weapons underneath his mansion and was working to create a new, more powerful weapon for the revolutionary group. Later that night, once the Metalbending Police Force had found and infiltrated Hiroshi's secret Equalist factory, they discovered that the new weapons were these large, mechanized robots.

The mecha tanks, which are controlled by Equalists from the inside, attacked Korra and the other intruders. The robots were easily able to knock Korra, Tenzin, Lin, and the other police officers unconscious during the battle. The group, however, was rescued by Bolin and Mako while the Equalists were busy loading the police officers into their trucks.

While searching for Korra and the captured officers in the tunnel network underneath Republic City used as an underground Equalist base, Lin, Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and the rescued officers were about to be cornered by Equalists and mecha tanks. However, Lin avoided the confrontation by using her bending to create an alternate escape route.

The Equalists utilized a number of mecha tanks during their attack on Republic City. The tanks attacked the Police headquarters and began abducting the metalbending officers. The tanks were eventually defeated by Team Avatar and Tenzin.

Design
The mecha tanks are large, mechanized robots made out of platinum – a form of metal so pure that metalbending has no effect on it. They are capable of movement by utilizing two tank-like treads. The mechs also have two claw-like hands with three large digits and can shoot a retractable two-pronged claw via a metal cable in the middle of their hands. Some display only one of such hands, having a giant magnet where the other would be. They are capable of producing electricity and dispersing it through their metal hands and claws to electrocute their opponents. In addition, the mechs are capable of shooting out spiraling disks, located in the holes between each digit, that contain metal cables that tangle around their victims and then electrocute them. The tanks also sport a number of green lights on their torso.



The torso and head of the machine sport a number of glass windows, which in turn provide the operator with a 360 degree view of their environment. In addition, the torso is made up of numerous metal plates that open and close to allow Equalists to enter and exit the mecha.

The vehicles stay upright by a third wheel behind the main body, giving it a tricycle-like method of movement.

Weapons
The tanks are capable of firing discs that contain cables through with a powerful electrical impulse can be delivered, capable of rendering any individual unconscious. As a disc, it can be shot away with great accuracy, and once airborne, three ropes emerge from three holes at the side; when these ropes enfold its victim, it electrocutes them almost instantly.

During the attack on Republic City, it was shown that some tanks are equipped with large magnets used for capturing metalbending police officers via their metal uniforms.

Weaknesses
Although being extremely versatile pieces of machinery, the mecha tanks have been shown to have various weaknesses. If water is poured into the machine's exhaust pipes located on its back, the machine will malfunction and collapse. The mecha tanks can also have their electrical impulses redirected back at them by firebenders capable of lightning redirection, causing an electrical malfunction. The mecha tanks have also been shown to be easily lifted and pushed by large airbending blasts.

Trivia

 * A schematic for the mecha tanks can be seen on the wall during the Lieutenant's conversation with Amon when Korra announced her arrival in Republic City.
 * Like various other mechanized modes of transportation in the World of Avatar, the mecha tanks are computer generated, as opposed to being hand-drawn.
 * In real life, pure platinum is a very malleable metal, almost as soft as gold, and would be useless as armor (although the lack of firearms might render this less of an issue). In addition, platinum is very expensive, furthering its usage in armor being problematic at best. It does, however, have a very high melting point, (3214.9 °F), making it useful against firebending attacks.
 * The mecha tanks draw many parallels from the Sentinels in X-Men, the Big Daddies from the Bioshock video game series, as well as the Amplified Mobility Platforms from the James Cameron film Avatar.
 * Its reverse tricycle configuration could be compared to the Czar tank, a massive, experimental vehicle built by the Russians during the First World War.