History Main / MotherlyScientist

# It could also happen that the child was created in the first place was the child the scientist always wished for.

!![[TheAdventuresOfPinocchio Pinocchio]] [[PinocchioSyndrome Scenario]]:

# If the Doctor's an expert in genetics, [[{{GadgeteerGenius}} cybernetics]], arcane magic, or alchemy, the plot starts when she creates [[FrankensteinsMonster a new life form]] or ArtificialIntelligence with a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots ridiculously human]] body. The young child then begins to [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove develop emotions]] [[HeartwarmingOrphan in such a way]] that the Doctor's heart's is moved into raising the child as her own. In this scenario, it's common that the Doctor serves as parent, psychologist and physicist for the RobotKid who wants to BecomeARealBoy.\\

# It could also happen that the child was created in the first place as the child the scientist always wished for.

!!{{Pinocchio}} Scenario:

# If the Doctor's an expert in genetics, [[{{GadgeteerGenius}} cybernetics]], arcane magic, or alchemy, the plot starts when she creates [[FrankensteinsMonster a new life form]] or ArtificialIntelligence with a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots ridiculously human]] body. The young child then begins to [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove develop emotions]] [[HeartwarmingOrphan in such a way]] that the Doctor's heart's is moved into raising the child as her own. In this scenario, it's common that the Doctor serves as parent, psychologist and physicist for the RobotKid.\\

Subtrope of ParentalSubstitute. Contrast GuineaPigFamily.

* Another male example is Kotaro Kannagi from Code E: He starts the research on Chinami's Type-E power, and eventually falls in love with her. Somewhat subverted in that he does his own research independently from the Evil Experiment taking place in the whole school, and that his research is practically harmless.

* Played with in [[{{DotHackSign}} [=.HACK//Sign=]]]: Tsukasa finds a mother in the A.I. Morganna. Later he realizes she's not his real mother, but actually an {{evil matriarch}}. But then it turns out that \\

* Played with in [[{{DotHackSign}} [=.HACK//Sign=]]]: Tsukasa finds a mother in the A.I. Morganna. Later he realizes she's not his real mother, but actually a [[{{MyBelovedSmother}} controlling mother]] archetype. But then it turns out that \\

* Inverted in {{Superman}}: The A.I. in the Fortress of Solitude holds the memories of Superman's biological dad.

* Dr. Ochanomizu for ''AstroBoy''; a colleague of Astro Boy's creator who couldn't get past how he wasn't a proper ReplacementGoldfish for his dead son.

The extremely rare inversion of this trope happens when the A.I. '''becomes''' the adoptive mother. Usually happens with a supercomputer storing [[{{VirtualGhost}} mommy's memories]].
# It could also happen that the child was created in the first place as the child he/she always wished for.
# If the scientist creates a nearly-exact copy of a deceased child (ReplacementGoldfish).

# If the Doctor's an expert in genetics, [[{{GadgeteerGenius}} cybernetics]], arcane magic, or alchemy, the plot starts when she creates [[FrankensteinsMonster a new life form]] or ArtificialIntelligence with a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots ridiculously human]] body. The young child then begins to [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove develop emotions]] [[HeartwarmingOrphan in such a way]] that the Doctor's heart's is moved into raising the child as her own. In this scenario, it's common that the Doctor serves as parent, psychologist and physicist for the RobotKid.

* Inverted in the non-canon {{Halo Legends}} episode "Odd One Out": She tells her kids to wash their hands and has enough intelligence to completely control an U.N.S.C. frigate[[spoiler: , but the A.I. are not her children - it's her]]. Meet "Mama". And [[{{Mama Bear}} one heck of a mama]], indeed: If you dare mess with her kids, she'll '''kick your ass''' into a rift in space-time. [[spoiler: [[{{LiteralMetaphor}} Yes, literally.]]]]

* Subverted in ''SoulEater'': Doctor Medusa plays the nice doctor, but she's secretly experimenting on her patients. Plus in an outright inversion she's absolutly [[MoralEventHorizon despicable]] in her treament of her main experiment/minion [[TheWoobie Chrona]] [[spoiler: [[AbusiveParents who actually is her child]]]].

* Dr. Mizrahi from ''{{Xenosaga}}'' was [[RobtGirl MOMO]]'s adoptive mother. Even Shion had her MotherlyScientist moments towards KOS-MOS, but that was quickly substituted by LesYay.

* Subverted in ''SoulEater'': Doctor Medusa plays the nice doctor, but she's secretly poisoning her patients.

Sooner or later, an experiment goes [[{{GoneHorriblyWrong}} horribly wrong]] (or [[{{GoneHorriblyRight}} horribly right]]), or the truth is [[{{TheReveal}} finally revealed]], making the Doctor [[HeelRealization realize]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the error of her ways]]. After rescuing them, she decides to become the test subjects' adoptive mother, forming a SecretProjectRefugeeFamily and living HappilyEverAfter. In other cases, she just feels responsible for the guys now that they've grown up - or maybe there's some [[{{EarnYourHappyEnding}} pending business to finish]] so she can [[RedemptionQuest redeem herself]] and move on with her life. And if you think a normal MamaBear is scary, [[{{Understatement}} Hell Hath No Fury]] like a Motherly Scientist with access to OneManArmy levels of weaponary/technology/money/superpowers on a warpath to save her children.

Sooner or later, an experiment goes [[{{GoneHorriblyWrong}} horribly wrong]] (or [[{{GoneHorriblyRight}} horribly right]]), or the truth is [[{{TheReveal}} finally revealed]], making the Doctor [[HeelRealization realize]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the error of her ways]]. After rescuing them, she decides to become the test subjects' adoptive mother, forming a SecretProjectRefugeeFamily and living HappilyEverAfter. In other cases, she just feels responsible for the guys now that they've grown up - or maybe there's some [[{{EarnYourHappyEnding}} pending business to finish]] so she can [[RedemptionQuest redeem herself]] and move on with her life.

'''[='They're like my own children' Scenario=]''':

->Most of the time, the plot starts with a [[MadScientist brilliant doctor]] (almost [[{{AlwaysFemale}} always a woman]]) participating in an Evil Experiment on [[TestedOnHumans human test subjects]], most of them young children (and perhaps an older [[PeterPan Wendy]]) or students in a [[{{SchoolForScheming}} conveniently-placed high school]]. Everything, of course, [[ForScience in the name of Science]], or [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans for the Greater Good]]. It could also happen that the Doctor in question [[UnwittingPawn was deceived]] or coerced into performing said experiment - or maybe she just was hired to [[{{HighTurnoverRate}} keep the kids quiet]].

->Sooner or later, an experiment goes [[{{HorriblyWrong}} horribly wrong]] (or [[{{GoneHorriblyRight}} horribly right]] if the [[{{BigBad}} Evil Boss]] planned it this way), or the truth is [[{{TheReveal}} finally revealed]], making the Doctor [[HeelRealization realize]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the error of her ways]]. After rescuing them, she decides to become the test subjects' adoptive mother, forming a [[SecretProjectRefugeeFamily Secret Project Refugee Family]] and living HappilyEverAfter. In other cases, she just feels responsible for the guys now that they've grown up - or maybe there's some [[{{EarnYourHappyEnding}} pending business to finish]] so she can [[RedemptionQuest redeem herself]] and move on with her life.

'''[='=][[{{FreeWilly}} Free Willy]][='=] Scenario ([[{{MadScientist}} Mad Scientist]] not required)''':

->After researching a non-human subject for a while and giving it a name, the estrogen finally kicks in, causing the Doctor to form a mother-child bond with the [[InnocentAliens poor little thing]], until she eventually decides to free him/her. If she met the creature in the jungle, and there's more of them, she could become a NatureHero. Can turn into [[{{Tarzan}} Tarzan And Jane]] if the subject is biologically and age-compatible with her. If by contrast, the subject is an alien and the scientist needs to stay, it ends up with a [[{{TearJerker}} tear jerker]] goodbye and a [[{{BeamMeUpScotty}} Beam me up, Scotty]].

'''{{Pinocchio}} Scenario''':

->If the Doctor's an expert in genetics, [[{{GadgeteerGenius}} cybernetics]], arcane magic, or alchemy, the plot starts when she creates [[FrankensteinsMonster a new life form]] or ArtificialIntelligence with a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots ridiculously human]] body. The young child then begins to [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove develop emotions]] [[HeartwarmingOrphan in such a way]] that the Doctor's heart's is moved into raising the child as her own. In this scenario, it's common that the Doctor serves as parent, psychologist and physicist for the RobotKid.

->It could also happen that the child was created in the first place as the child he/she always wished for.

->If the scientist creates a nearly-exact copy of a deceased child, it's called '''[[{{ReplacementGoldfish}} Replacement Goldfish]]'''.

If a scientist happens to be a nice mother already, this trope doesn't apply (see [[{{MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter}} Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter]]) unless her child was genetically engineered and carried inside her own womb.

Child trope of [[{{MadScientist}} Mad Scientist]] or [[{{ReluctantMadScientist}} Reluctant Mad Scientist]], depending on the circumstances.

Can overlap with [[{{PsychologistTeacher}} Psychologist Teacher]], [[{{KindlyVet}} Kindly Vet]], [[TeamMom Team Mom]], [[MamaBear Mama Bear]], and in some extreme cases, [[AntiVillain Anti Villain]].

* Played straight with Sara from [[{{Cocoon}} Cocoon: The Return]] (just look at her [[http://courteneycox.org/zctrpics.htm touching the isolation glass]] - aaaaw).

* In {{Avatar}}, Dr. Grace comes to fit this role, becoming a bit of a mother figure for the protagonist and caring for the natives whom her employers are pretty much trying to exterminate.
* In {{Awakenings}}, Robin Williams plays a research physician who uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease.

* In [[{{EdwardScissorHands}} Edward Scissorhands]], the poor professor makes new hands for his creation, Edward. Unfortunately he has a heart attack just before he can install them. Too bad.
* In the movie "[=Twins=]", Arnold and his non-identical twin search for their MissingMom, who they believe had abandoned them. She was the surrogate mother for the genetic experiment that brought them to life.
* In [[{{TheMatrix}} The Matrix]], the Oracle not only gives Neo advice - she also bakes cookies for him.
* In the [[{{PlanetOfTheApes}} Planet of the Apes]] first movie, Chimpanzee Zira, notable psychologist and zoologist, calls Taylor "Bright Eyes", at least until he manages to write his own name, to her surprise. She ends up kissing him goodbye - even though, as she tells him, "You're so damned ugly."

* Professor Kiyama from [[ToAruKagakunoRailgun A certain Scientific Railgun]]. The experiments end up with her beloved students (who happen to have ESP powers) falling in a coma, and she resorts to experimenting with '''other''' students to save them. [[spoiler: She goes mad, creates a monster, and then they all get better.]]
* Professor Kisaragi, [[CuteyHoney Cutey Honey's]] creator/dad.
* Lorelei from [[SaberMarionetteJ Saber Marionette JtoX]] - she is, [[TheThreeFacesofEve in more than a way]], the mother of all the marionettes.
* To a little extent, Washu from [[TenchiMuyo Tenchi Muyo]] towards Ryoko (she's partially her child as she was created using her own eggs), but Washu's attitude towards her is not quite motherly.

* Kanami from ''{{DarkerThanBlack}}'' cared a lot about [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DtB13_Kanami_and_Dolls_336x178_4178.png catatonic Dolls]] [[{{PeopleJars}} in jars]] in her observatory and learned their individual quirks, which became evident when CY-463 trapped them. They are more ''tools'' than ''subjects'', but it's not like she could do for them any more even if she had any real power.
* Cher Degré from WolfsRain. She is fascinated by Cheza and desires to understand her and her purpose. When Cheza escapes, she tries to follow her. Later she learns about the wolves and helps them escape, at the cost of her own life.
* Subverted in SoulEater: Doctor Medusa plays the nice doctor, but she's secretly poisoning her patients.
* In [[{{FullMetalAlchemist}} Full Metal Alchemist]], averted with Izumi (she takes care of a young homunculus in a really motherly way - but only because [[spoiler: he's actually her real son!]]) and played straight with Winry - she is overprotective at times with Ed, especially when he breaks his automail.
* Dr. Mimori Kiryu from {{Scryed}}. Feeling compassion for how Kazuma is tortured, she lets him escape, and later gets interested in the Inners, eventually forming a community with them.
* To a minor degree, Julia Silverstein from [[{{BloodPlus}} Blood Plus]]: She takes care of Saya and uses her blood to make a Serum that can stop the effects of the Delta 67 agent.

* Dr. Catherine Halsey of {{Halo}}, creator of the SPARTAN-II program, was much of a mother figure towards the Spartan children while at the same time administering the augmentations that killed or permanently disabled most of them. Worthy of note, however, is that her motherly treatment of them when not subjecting them to painful augmentations is believed to be a major contributor to the emotional stability of the [=SPARTAN-IIs=] compared to the [=SPARTAN-IIIs=].
* Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum from {{BioShock}} is the creator and protector of the Little Sisters.
* Ariel Hanson from [[{{StarcraftII}} Starcraft II]]; she does the research to save the lives of the infected colonists.

* Professor Utonium from [[{{PowerpuffGirls}} The Powerpuff Girls]].
* After carving a body for {{Pinocchio}}, Gepetto brings him to life with the Power of [[AppliedPhlebotinum prayer]].

* Dian Fossey from [[{{GorillasInTheMist}} Gorillas in the Mist]]: First she goes to Africa to study the gorillas, and then fights to protect them (bonus points for being a real person).

* Ariel Hanson from [[{{Starcraft}} Starcraft II]]; she does the research to save the lives of the infected colonists.

-->[[caption-width-right:350: Well, at least she didn't torture them... [[{{UnwittingPawn}} on purpose.]]]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

* In IsaacAsimov's robot stories, robopsychologist Susan Calvin is notorious for being detached and unemotional. But in the short story "Lenny," she studies a robot whose brain has been accidentally programmed in a way which causes it to behave similarly to a human baby. She becomes very attached to Lenny under the pretext of studying his learning capabilities, and the end of the story reveals that she has taught him to call her "Mama".
* Edith Fellowes in Isaac Asimov's short story "''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_Little_Boy The Ugly Little Boy]]''" High torque TearJerker.
* In the ''{{Replica}}'' series of YA novels, Amy's mother was one of the scientists working on a project to create genetically-enhanced SuperSoldiers, but after realizing the evils of the project, she rescued/kidnapped one of the clone babies and raised her as her own.

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]

* Poison Ivy from {{Batman}}. Her "children", in this case, are the plants she takes care of.
* Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm adopts {{Hellboy}} after he was summonned into this world.
* Professor X from the {{X-men}}, of course!
* Doctor Sarah Kinney ([=X-23's surrogate mother=]), also from {{X-men}}.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* Played straight with Sara from [[{{Cocoon}} Cocoon: The Return]] (just look at her [[http://courteneycox.org/zctrpics.htm touching the isolation glass]] - aaaaw).
* In the 1980s Movie "Batteries Not Included", Harry Noble is the handyman (not a scientist, but close enough) who repairs and takes care of one of the little mechanic aliens. When it gets lost, Harry blows his whistle to call it back home.
* In {{Avatar}}, Dr. Grace comes to fit this role, becoming a bit of a mother figure for the protagonist and caring for the natives whom her employers are pretty much trying to exterminate.
* In {{Awakenings}}, Robin Williams plays a research physician who uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease.
* In D.A.R.Y.L., Doctor Stewart, Daryl's creator, is the first one to accept his humanity and decides to free him so he can return with his adoptive family. A female colleague of his, Dr. Lamb, at first was reluctant but later embraces the child's humanity and collaborates with the unfortunately-failed escape.
* In [[{{EdwardScissorHands}} Edward Scissorhands]], the poor professor makes new hands for his creation, Edward. Unfortunately he has a heart attack just before he can install them. Too bad.
* In the movie "[=Twins=]", Arnold and his non-identical twin search for their MissingMom, who they believe had abandoned them. She was the surrogate mother for the genetic experiment that brought them to life.
* In [[{{TheMatrix}} The Matrix]], the Oracle not only gives Neo advice - she also bakes cookies for him.
* In the [[{{PlanetOfTheApes}} Planet of the Apes]] first movie, Chimpanzee Zira, notable psychologist and zoologist, calls Taylor "Bright Eyes", at least until he manages to write his own name, to her surprise. She ends up kissing him goodbye - even though, as she tells him, "You're so damned ugly."

Contrast GuineaPigFamily.

* Dian Fossey from [[{{GorillasInTheMist}} Gorillas in the Mist]]: First she goes to Africa to study the gorillas, and then fights to protect them (bonus points for being a real person).

Can overlap with [[{{PsychologistTeacher}} Psychologist Teacher]], [[TeamMom Team Mom]], [[MamaBear Mama Bear]], and in some extreme cases, [[AntiVillain Anti Villain]].

* In the backstory of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', [[spoiler: Subaru and Gingka Nakajima were products of a lab creating magical cyborgs]] and they were rescued by the people who would be their parents. [[spoiler: Curiously, they shared their mother's DNA. While the other products of that experiment were the villains in season three, Mr. Nakajima offered to adopt any of them that accepted the offer.]]

* Dr. Noreen "Nora" Wakemen for XJ-9 aka Jenny in ''My Life as a Teenage Robot.'' Jenny calls her Mom.

* In the backstory of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', [[spoiler: Subaru and Gingka Nakajima]] were products of a lab creating magical cyborgs]] and they were rescued by the people who would be their parents. [[spoiler: Curiously, they shared their mother's DNA. While the other products of that experiment were the villains in season three, Mr. Nakajima offered to adopt any of them that accepted the offer.]]

'''\'FreeWilly\' Scenario ([[{{MadScientist}} Mad Scientist]] not required)''':