Enzo Matrix

Enzo Matrix develops into a complex character that undergoes many changes as he grows up from childhood to adulthood. Enzo starts out as a happy go lucky sprite, full of energy and childish impulses (personally I find him annoying after a while), who idolizes Bob and is annoyed by Dot's concern and discipline. He just wants to have fun and be with Bob, especially when he goes into games, not realizing how dangerous they can be. Enzo starts out as "01" (binary for 1), but soon has a birthday/upgrade in which he becomes "10," a change that is noticed on his tee shirt. He lost his parents early in his life, a fact that luckily does not seem to have caused him to loss his childish innocence and joy, but does have a loyal (and fierce) dog named Friskit as a friend and protector. The loss does however remain, as did the lost of most of the other sprites during the same tragedy that deleted his parents. Enzo is overjoyed to meet a friend, a game sprite (AndrAIa) that is able to escape from her game. Enzo spends his time keeping up with his studies, spending time with Bob (a surrogate father of sorts), and having fun, and has a pretty good life in Mainframe.

Enzo idolizes Bob and dreams of following in his footsteps. Enzo also is upset when Dot and Bob hold him back from experiencing games; though he has fun being a child, he is impatient to grow up and become a guardian like his idol. His attempt to become "smart" before his time in "Enzo The Smart" taught him not to try to hard to force the issue and take responsibilities before he is able to handle them. This is an ongoing lesson, as shown by the fact that earlier he had a delivery service in which he took it upon himself to deliver an explosive package from Megabye. Enzo also concerned when Bob and Dot have a fight, since they are the only family he has left, and together they supply different things he needs (security and fun). This is shown all to clearly when Bob is sent into the Web, and Enzo has to take the responsibility given to him in the form of a guardian program.

When Bob downloaded a guardian program into Enzo during the Web Wars, he did not know what the future would bring. Enzo was forced into a role before he was fully ready, a fact he soon realized when he was faced with the responsibility of winning games and dealing with Megabyte's propaganda campaign against him. Nonetheless, he gave it his all with the help of AndrAIa (always loyal and eventually in love with Enzo) and friends, but unfortunately it was not enough. Enzo found himself in a game that he could not win, one that took out his eye in the process. Luckily, he knew enough to shift his icon to game mode, allowing him (along with AndrAIa and Frisket) to survive by game hopping.

Enzo grew up in the games, his anger at his fate and Megabyte growing as fast as the accelerated rate of his aging process (accelerated by game time). This anger was partly a result of his despair and guilt, as shown by the dream he had in "Number 7" in which he blamed himself for losing the game and for all he had to do to survive since then. Enzo grew up to be Matrix, a formidable sprite, one willing to do "questionable things" to survive with an emphasis on violence that he knows deep down is not the way of his idol Bob or sister. Nonetheless, his worse impulses is held in check by his ultimate good nature, and the light of his life, AndrAIa, who he grows to love and for whom he is willing to do anything to protect. She is his tie to his childhood and is the only one he allows to call him "Enzo" (as well as "Sparky" and "Lover").

We have a glimpse at a possibility of Enzo as a teenager, a teenager whose sister was deleted in a game along with Bob, in "Identity Crisis." Matrix is not the soulless individual shown there, nor is he purely the renegade loner he likes to represent himself as. He retains his guardian ways, trying to help inhabitants in different systems he visits to survive games, fix tears, and fight virues. Nonetheless, his darker impulses often do show, especially when he feels someone is getting too close to AndrAIa (e.g. Ray Tracer), and all too often uses violence (he has a large gun he can track via a mechanism in his injured eye) to solve problems. Enzo never has a time to properly grow up with the guidance of Bob and Dot, but survived the best way he could, better than many probably would given all he had to go through.

Enzo made a promise to Dot that he would find Bob, and eventually he was able to fulfill that promise. We saw the child still in him by the glee he showed when a way home and then Bob was found with the help of Captain Capacitor and company. Bob was upset by his violent tendencies, but accepted Matrix as an adult (no running to knock him down anymore, a handshake would do), a partner to help get back home and beat Daemon. Matrix did continue his violent impulsive tendencies as shown by his readiness to attack the Web Riders during the celebration held after the reunion and his shooting searchlights in Mainframe without thinking about the possibility that it would show his position. His anger at Megabyte also showed when the two had their final confrontation, one in which he insisted in going mano a mano without using his weapon. This impulsiveness makes many people find him an unpleasant character, which is true up to a point, but one should remember the reasons why and the potential for reform now that he is back home.

Matrix forgot to fix his icon after showing Old Man Pearson how he survived in the games, resulting in a second young Enzo! Phong saved all the PIDs (personal identifications) before Restart, thus saving Enzo Matrix's old format, not knowing Matrix still had his icon in game sprite mode. Thus, Matrix remained after the Restart, but Enzo also came back, one final result of Enzo's (#1!) impulsive ways. Anyway, Matrix was due to go to the Guardian Academy (unless further schooling was necessary or some other problem, like Daemon, shows itself), and Enzo appears to be his old childish vivacious self.

Well, Matrix could not go to the Guardian Academy yet, since Daemon was still out there to fight. He did keep his abilities sharp by practicing with the help of binomes using real ammunition, and risked (along with Mouse) going against Daemon alone to save AndrAIa. Matrix was also his gruff self against his young self, who acted just like he used to act, including being impatient about growing up. On the other hand, Young Enzo (who got to play with his dad once more, albeit a dad in null form), could not bear traveling through the games again. Going against Dot's plan for him to serve as a back-up if Daemon defeated Mainframe's defenses, he won the game, and was key in saving Mainframe. It was Young Enzo who told Matrix (under Daemon's spell) "to go to the dark place, use your hate, you hate viruses!" Hex did something to his icon before she left ("A gift. ... So you don't turn out like him [Matrix]"].

Matrix also resisted Bob's strategy of not destroying infected sprites, annoyed both by his apparent sympathy for viral sprites and by being ordered around. On the other hand, he supported Bob's risky plan to defeat Megabyte, apparently learning his lesson (again) about not letting his emotions overwhelm him. AndrAIa also helped him be more patient with Young Enzo; his love for her is shown by how crazy he was in a wrestling game when she was infected by Daemon. On the other hand, Matrix's decision not to tell Dot about Glitch Bob being on death's door while she is happily getting ready to be married is troubling. Matrix seemed much too comfortable with the phony Bob, though the fact he looked like the Bob around during the good old days helped explained why. As this summary suggests, Season IV shows the complexity of the flawed character of Enzo Matrix, again showing why he is an interesting (if not always admirable) creation.

"Alphanumeric!"

"I'm a little source code, short and stout. This is my input, this is my out."

"Bob!" (usually accompanied with a Dino move in which he runs and knocks him down)

"I am Guardian Matrix, charged with defending this system. Two viruses taking over my home? I don't think so!"

"Sis, if he's out there I'll find him. I promise. I'll bring Bob home."

"My format? I have no format. I am a renegade, lost on the net."

"Matrix, call me Matrix."

"I live in the games, I search through systems, peoples and cities for this place, Mainframe, my home."

"Who's that big ugly green guy?" --Enzo, referring to Matrix

Credits: I got the Enzo Matrix information mainly from Mainframe (also the source of the pic) and from watching the shows, as well as Joe's Unofficial Website. Thanks also to the creators' of the links supplied, their hard work puts me to shame. Finally, my email address obviously was inspired by this character, who is not really much like me. I do however like the name and "look," even if his personality needs a bit of work!