Hogarth Hughes

"You are what you choose to be."

A kid from Rockwell, Maine, Hogarth Hughes is an energetic, intelligent, curious ten-year-old with an active imagination... and a giant robot for a best friend. When Hogarth found a giant metal man caught in the power lines at the station outside of town, he shut it down and freed the giant, and doing so, gained the friendship of an amnesiac robot from another world. Now Hogarth's protector as much as Hogarth is his, the Giant keeps him safe whenever fate (and the kid's curiousity) conspires to get him into trouble... and though he says he is not a gun, the strange alien weaponry may make others think otherwise. Hogarth's excitable personality, adventurous nature and active imagination keeps him active and entertained in everyday life, and although he is not actually a robot pilot, his love and understanding of the Iron Giant helps save the day and keep the Giant from going too far when his old self arises. Intellectual for his age and surprisingly resourceful, Hogarth's presence on or near the battlefield will undoubtably be seen as a hazard until he grows up a little and really proves his worth. Until then, he may very well be the luckiest kid in America, and his life and the lives of those around him are going to be a little more interesting each time he comes up with a new way for the he and the Giant to have fun.

Background Information
Hogarth was born and raised in Rockwell, Maine by his mother Annie. He goes to school, rides his bike and lets his imagination run wild in the woods around his home. Life was fairly normal (save for the frequent pets that Hogarth brings home and is never allowed to keep, as they are often wild animals) until one strange night where he found the Iron Giant. He was staying up late, watching a black and white horror movie about an evil killer brain and eating twinkies overfilled with whipped cream when his reception was suddenly essentially cut off. Climbing to the roof, he found that the antenna had literally been eaten off the house for the most part, and he spotted a trail of broken fences, scattered bushes, shattered logs and pushed-over trees. Grabbing his helmet, goggles, boots, and BB gun with taped-on flashlight, he headed out into the woods to see what it was.

Finding the Giant eating the power station out in the woods was shocking, and seeing it get trapped in the electrical wires was even worse. Steeling himself, Hogarth rushed under the collapsed and collapsing metal towers and managed to turn off the station, saving the Giant. Hogarth's mother arrives, worried, at a time when the Giant is nowhere in sight. The next day, Hogarth goes back out into the woods to find the Giant, bringing it metal to lure it out, and ends up finding it, speaking with it and beginning to befriend it. The Giant follows Hogarth home that night, mangling a train track in the process but rebuilding it when Hogarth yells at him. An oncoming train hits the Giant, sending him bursting into pieces and totalling the train... and then the Giant begins to repair itself by having the pieces crawl together to reform the body, much to Hogarth's amazement.

A self-centered U.S. Government agent, Mansley, arrives in town to investigate the reports of a mysterious "giant metal man," showing up at Hogarth's home coincidentally to use the phone and then returning with the remains of Hogarth's BB gun, twisted and broken during the first night he saw the Giant. He rents a room at the Hughes' house, suspicious that Hogarth may be involved with the strange stories, and Hogarth hides the Giant in his barn for a time, showing it comic books featuring Superman, an alien who also crash-landed on Earth and becomes a hero. Later, Hogarth convinces a beatnik metal artist and owner of a scrap yard named Dean McCoppin to have the Giant stay at his scrap yard, for the food and safety it brings. Hogarth and the Giant have fun together there and elsewhere, and Hogarth eventually must explain to the Giant life and death after the Giant sees hunters killing a deer in the woods.

Days before, Hogarth had dropped his camera in the woods near his home where he went looking for the Giant, and Mansley finds it. He sees an accidentally taken photo of the Giant and intimidates Hogarth into revealing the Giant's hiding place at the scrap yard, as well as convincing General Rogard to lead a brigade to Rockwell. Dean and Hogarth then disguise the Giant as a massive iron statue to throw them off when they arrive, going so far as to offer to sell it to them, and Rogard severely reprimands Mansley for wasting time and government money on nothing. A little while later, Hogarth plays with the Giant by shooting at him with a toy gun, which accidentally triggers an automatic weapon in the Giant's body that nearly vaporizes Hogarth and results in Dean chasing the Giant away before realizing it was a defense mechanism. Dean then helps Hogarth give chase to the Giant, who is spotted by Mansley as he leaves town, who in turn alerts the military to his presence and begins to attack under the impression (given by Mansley) that the Giant is attacking.

The Army races to the attack, opening fire as the Giant flees with Hogarth in hand. The Giant, after discovering he can fly, is eventually shot down by a group of jet fighters, and Hogarth, in the Giant's hands at the time, is knocked unconscious. Knowing no better, the Giant assumes that his best friend is dead, and grief-stricken at the turn of events, the military's next attack enrages it. The dent in his head pops out, restoring his memories, and his body transforms into a heavily armed battle machine, chasing the army back to Rockwell. Once the Army realizes they are no match for the Giant, Masnley suggests using a nuclear missile to destroy it, and Rogard consents, intending to lure the Giant away from town so as to avoid collateral damage. Hogarth then regains consciousness and is able to calm the Giant, which reverts to normal upon recognizing Hogarth. Rogard listens to Dean's earlier warning that the Giant only begins fighting defensively and calls a cease fire, but Mansley seizes Rogard's radio transceiver and orders the Nautilus to launch the missile, neglecting the fact that the Giant is now in town, not out of town as they had planned. The Giant, remembering the deer he saw killed by the hunters, decides he must sacrifice himself to save the town and takes off to intercept the missile, doing so in the upper atmosphere where it detonates harmlessly, and the town is saved. The Giant appears to be destroyed, and a memorial statue is erected in his honor.

Hogarth is sent the only recovered piece of the Giant by Rogard several months later: a single jaw-screw. In bed the night he got it, he hears a tapping noise at the window and sees that the screw is trying to leave. Hogarth, knowing what this means, opens the window and lets it roll away, and a time later, the Giant is fully repaired on the Langjökull glacier in Iceland and returns to Rockwell. Since then, he's been parading around the globe in search of adventure and helping save the day wherever he can.

Personality Traits
Hogarth is a ten-year-old kid, and acts much like a ten-year-old kid does, but with a surprising amount of maturity and intellect when he needs it. He is an energetic, adventurous, curious, imaginative and bright child, and all of these traits shape his personality and that of the Iron Giant's as well. Hogarth's boundless energy and adventurous attitude can be a dangerous combination, but also a good one, as evidenced in his discovery of the Giant on one fateful night. He loves wandering the woods and pretending he is all manner of people, preferring heroic-types and often fantasizing about such deeds and finding opportunity to go out and do them for real now that the Giant is around... to an extent, anyway. He knows he isn't some kind of invincible warrior and worries about the Giant and himself (but mostly the Giant) whenever away from home and in immediate danger. Otherwise, he is usually cheerful and exciting.

Hogarth dislikes war and violence in general, but knows that, as the Giant sees himself as akin to Superman, he will have to witness it for the sake of the good of others. He hopes that a day will come where it will all be unnecessary, but also believes that even if someone dies, a good person has a soul that just can't die. Somewhat spiritual and solemn around death, Hogarth would never kill another person, no matter the consequences or cost if they are allowed to live. He would be unable to live with himself, and besides, as a ten-year-old, even such a smart one, he would be thinking of other ways to do it and the thought wouldn't cross his mind. Maybe when he's a little older he'll join the military, but until then, he will just help save people and do what Superman does since his best friend is basically a robotic version of the Man of Steel. On that note, Hogarth really enjoys collecting old comics: Superman, MAD Magazine and things like Atomo are favorites, Superman especially. He tends to read Superman comics to the Giant. While he does have a small collection of mecha-related action figures and such, it does not reach the size his comic book collection does. He's pretty enthusiastic about the subject.

Talents & Abilities
Hogarth is capable of making friends with almost any sentient giant robot. Call it a gift.

Hogarth is also a very gifted young pilot, trained by Samson J. Drake before he went crazy. Okay, crazier.

Trivia/Facts

 * Hogarth apparently possesses limited immunity to falling damage.
 * Hogarth was once a member of the EFA's special investigation squad, Section 9. He was returned to being a plain ol' civilian with the highest honors that Banjo Haran could give him when it was disbanded.
 * Hogarth won the Nether Gundam Match in the Gundam Fight, much to the surprise of... well, everyone. Except Princess Shine Hausen, that is.
 * Hogarth is certainly not Mysterious Pilot H! That would be preposterous.