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| “ |
...Some shameful mistakes along the way, though. Immature, tasteless errors. At one point, has to go to jail, just for a day. Imagine that. But he's been getting better and better, little by little. How'd you get on his show?
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” |
| —The Reality of the Situation | ||
Steve Cobs, labeled The Creator, was the main antagonist of the Inanimate Insanity series and movie. He served as the overarching antagonist of the first three seasons of Inanimate Insanity and the main antagonist of Inanimate Insanity II. He was voiced by Joshua Waters following "The Reality of the Situation".
Appearance[]
Steve Cobs, like his surname implies, was a yellow corn cob. He had black-framed glasses and a tag with the Meeple logo on it around his shoulders.
Changes[]
Debut
- He has a green sweater-like part in the place of his husk resembling the sweater of Steve Jobs.
- He has no outline.
- The Meeple logo on his tag is white.
II2 13
- He now has a normal corn husk instead of his sweater.
- He now has an outline.
- His shape is smoother and less sharp.
- His kernels are slightly larger.
- The Meeple logo on his tag is now black.
- His glasses are no longer bent.
- He now has a dark green pedicel below his husk.
II2 16-18
- The shines on his kernels are darker and are no longer thin lines, making more of a drop shape.
- His legs became noticably farther apart.
- In II2 17, his glasses became broken due to Knife punching him.
II2 18+ (Current)
- Exploded into popcorn. His limbless corpse is highly burnt and darker from being exploded, many of his kernels are missing, popped, and charred, and his pedicel is frayed.
Personality[]
Steve Cobs was the big-headed, brash, pompous, egotistical, and persuasive founder, CEO, and chairman of Meeple Inc.. His intelligence was stated in his remarks to the contestants, and was seen as being scary when people underestimated his intellect. He also acted very arrogant and presumptuous, as seen when Balloon stated that the Meeple Watch was dumb. He started acting more wicked and manipulative when the contestants left with the egg and battery, claiming that he would be in charge sooner or later.
In "Mine Your Own Business", more about Cobs' relationship with MePhone4 is shown through flashbacks, bringing heavy implications regarding MePhone's trauma. Aside from training him and making sure he was doing his tasks, he barely spent any time with MePhone. According to Justin Chapman, Cobs is supposed to have a father-like presence over MePhone, implying MePhone saw him as his father and allowed him to manipulate him. It is also implied that Cobs heavily traumatized MePhone3GS, as seen when the latter was dissociating and mistaking MePhone4 for Cobs.
In the season two finale, "Objects in Mirror“, Steve Cobs is fully showcased at his worst. A violent, deranged, and sadistic psychopath who cares for no one and will gleefully end anyone who crosses him, as shown when he stabs The Prime Shimmer with a MeKnife and brutally attacks MePhone in an attempt to murder him. Additionally, he did not seem to care that he had unintentionally murdered MePad, further showing his sadism.
Coverage[]
Appearances[]
- Inanimate Insanity II
- "Everything's A-OJ" (mentioned)
- "Theft and Battery"
- "Alternate Reality Show" (mentioned and depicted)
- "Mine Your Own Business" (flashbacks)
- "Hatching the Plan" (mentioned)
- "Truth or Flare" (mentioned)
- "The Reality of the Situation"
- "Through No Choice of Your Own"
- "Objects in Mirror"
- Inanimate Insanity Invitational
- "Out of Body Experience" (shadow only)
- "A Jury of Your Fears" (indirectly mentioned)
- “You Can’t Do This Forever” (mentioned)
Theft and Battery[]
When the Grand Slams arrive at Meeple, Steve Cobs introduces himself, welcoming them to the headquarters. However, he appears displeased when he finds out they need help fixing MePhone4, claiming that it's just so "yesterday". It is only after Cobs notices Fan's egg that he changes his mind and agrees to give them the battery after a tour.
When Microphone brings up her concerns that Cobs created MePhone5S and MePhone5C to kill MePhone4, not help him, Cobs replies that MePhone4 is his business partner. He mentions that the "staged fights" on II get him a lot of product placement. Microphone seems skeptical, but Knife interrupts, shocked by the fact that the MePhone fights were all fake. Cobs concludes that MePhone4 lied in order to garner better dramatic performances from the contestants and lets the idea sink in for a moment, causing the contestants to consider their trust in MePhone4. Fan later goes up to Cobs bringing up the comment, unsure of if to believe it. Cobs assures him that "of course some of it" is true and that the show brings great product placement, along with other possibilities that Cobs vaguely refers to.
Cobs shows off the garage in which he built his first computer to the contestants. He mentions that he hasn't spoken to his parents ever since having ripped out the garage from their home. Fan is impressed. When Toilet excitedly notices a wire in one of the display cases, Cobs says that though he's glad Toilet likes it, it is merely a wire and urges the crew to move on.
Cobs overhears Soap talking about a "big head" and mistakenly assumes she's referring to him. Though at first, he seems angry, he covers it up and says that he appreciates the gesture, apparently since having a large ego is flattering to him.
Cobs repeatedly states "tick tock" in order to emphasize the latest Meeple gadget, the Meeple Watch. Balloon doubts its significance, explaining that his current watch already displays the time and that the idea of taking calls on a watch is "dumb." Appalled, Cobs hits a button and a contraption appears from the floor that pops Balloon. Cobs pretends to be upset and blamed Soap, "always looking for trouble." He announces that the tour has been completed.
Fan mentions that he wishes he could give to the world the way Cobs has, which gives Cobs the opening to state the potential egg has to change his "scientific community" (first stating the overall community, but quickly correcting himself). He politely asks for Fan to loan it to him so he could do some research, even remarking that one of these days Fan will be an innovator and a thinker just like him. When Fan realizes that, by Cobs' slogan, the egg is destined to eventually become a product of yesterday, Cobs changes course and says that Fan has done enough thinking for one day. Since the egg is not really Fan's, Cobs concludes that Fan shouldn't feel a sense of responsibility for it. Fan does, however, and politely declines to give it to Cobs. Cobs momentarily looked peeved, but offers another suggestion, claiming that if he receives the egg, the Bright Lights can receive the MePhone4 battery immediately. Test Tube and Paintbrush stand up for Fan, with Paintbrush telling Cobs to "stop getting all creepy." and Lightbulb replying if Cobs wants to get all creepy, she knows a guy. Cobs displays a new level of creepiness when he tries to forcibly take the egg, but Suitcase's unexpected entrance and the triggering of Meeple's alarms interrupts the whole debacle.
Cobs drops Fan (and the egg with Fan holding the egg) on the floor, concerned about addressing the fact that something may have been stolen. He shuts off the security alarms as if they're a car alarm, and accuses Soap of being the culprit, as her "big head" comment indicates she's jealous of his knowledge. When Cobs realizes all that was stolen was the MePhone4 battery, he laughs and says they can keep it and the egg. He declares, "It's just the beginning, and I'll be in control soon enough. It's only.. a matter... of time!" and throws one of his Meeple Watches on the floor, breaking it. He adds that the watches also bend to no one in particular.
In an after-credits scene, Cobs gives a computer the room in which Suitcase stole the battery so that it can be repaired. He mentions that they've gone several months without any patients, but Cobs' concept of time is hampered due to his broken watch from earlier.
Alternate Reality Show[]
Paintbrush and their painting of Steve Cobs.
Cobs makes an appearance in Paintbrush's painting. MePhone4 appears to twitch and have a look of disgust and horror on his face when seeing it. He then gives Paintbrush's painting a zero.
Mine Your Own Business[]
In the first flashback, he introduces himself to MePhone4 right after he named him. Before he was about to finish his sentence, MePhone4 suddenly interrupts him by saying a joke "I put the "unctional" in functional." He says that it's "the fun" but he immediately dismisses his sentence and hits MePhone4 in his right arm. He tells MePhone that he may feel nervous about his future tasks, that's because MePhone4 has an emotion emulator. But MePhone4 interrupts him again, but this time he is asking for food. Steve, not amused, explains to MePhone4 that he is the latest technology that doesn't need food, then proceeds to give him his screen protector.
Out of Body Experience[]
Steve Cobs makes a slight cameo as Ballpoint Pen's shadow as MePhone4 explains Ballpoint Pen. This is the first and only time that he is seen in any form in Inanimate Insanity Invitational.
Truth or Flare[]
In Truth or Flare, Steve Cobs calls MePhone4, for ulterior motives
In the ending on the episode, when MePhone4 is ending the episode, Steve Cobs suddenly calls him for unknown motives, horrifying him, Knife, and Suitcase in the process.
The Reality of the Situation[]
Cobs calls MePhone4 multiple times this episode, despite repeated missed calls. He then dispatches MePhoneX to suck the life out of Pickle, OJ, and Nickel at Hotel OJ. He also sings The Future Is So Yesterday and reveals to Suitcase and Knife that MePhone4 created them.
Through No Choice of Your Own[]
Cobs continues with the call with MePhone4, by making him talk to Suitcase why she told about him why she and Knife were created by him. The call between Cobs, MePhone, and the finalists got eventually cut off after the finalists told the truth to Tissues that he too is created by MePhone as a joke. Momentarily, after the Me deactivation, where everything created by MeLife gets erased, Cobs forcefully tells MePhone to come back to Meeple, which made MePhone have no choice but to accept his fate, as the show has come to a halt.
Objects in Mirror[]
Cobs and MePhone4 are presumably heading to Meeple. The Shimmers soon arrive and Cobs wants MePhone4 to prove his allegiance by staying quiet and letting him kill the Prime Shimmer once he had their trust. However, MePhone tells the Shimmers to run, leading Cobs to stab the Prime Shimmer with a Meeple Knife, although they still manage to escape. Furious, Cobs berates MePhone for disobeying him and decides to kill him instead, leading to an intense fight between the two that leaves MePhone's screen damaged. However, in the midst of this fight, MePad arrives, recognizing Cobs for the monster that he is.
The end of Steve Cobs.
Eventually, the contestants are regenerated together inside MePhone4, planning to take the Shimmer Egg out of his hardware. They give MePhone4 a FaceTime call to "make sure he approves" and Cobs, now furious, tries to kill MePhone4 when he finds out that the contestants are "still alive". When Cobs has MePhone4 cornered and attempts to finish him off, MePad takes the stab for MePhone4 and is killed instead. Eventually, Cobs meets his ultimate end when the contestants escape from MePhone4 with the Shimmer Egg. Suitcase tricks Cobs by allowing him to steal a grenade resembling the egg from her. By the time he realizes his error, the grenade explodes and kills him, scattering his now popped remains everywhere.
Later, during the MePad Dedication Ceremony, Fan is seen wearing the now deceased Steve Cobs' broken glasses during the song's reprise of The Future Is So Yesterday. Test Tube takes Cobs' glasses off of Fan and tosses them to Guava, who then promptly throws them behind her.
Trivia[]
- AnimatedJames (James Barkley) was announced to have a guest role on Inanimate Insanity a little under two months before his debut.
- Though the Meeple company has been specifically referred to since "4Seeing the Future", its founder Steve Cobs has neither been seen nor mentioned until "Theft and Battery".
- In the Episode 8 livestream, Cobs was confirmed to be a recurring character.
- He is one of the few characters on the series who are thought to have parents.
- Though this is somewhat strange considered they were never seen or being mentioned once again throughout the show.
- His character is based on Steve Jobs, who was the co-founder of Apple who passed away on October 5th 2011 (before the release of Sugar Rush).
- Steve Cobs is one of the two Inanimate Insanity characters to have a human name, the other being Nick Le.
- Rusty Jo may be so, but it may be a nickname.
- Cobs' name makes an early appearance, albeit in leetspeak, in Everything's A-OJ, in which on the back of the van that MePhone is thrown out of shows the letters "C0B5".
- Steve Cobs has a strong resemblance to Ballpoint Pen, and vice-versa.
- When asked if Cobs would ever date a man at the BFDI x II Meetup 2022, Adam replied there was a 50/50 chance he would.[1] This would imply Cobs is bisexual, albeit there's no confirmation about this whatsoever.
- In response to a video of this question in September 2024, Adam tweeted "Personally, I don't think Cobs would ever date anyone. Any time taken away from innovating would be deemed a distraction!"[2]
- Steve Cobs had a different voice actor in each of his first three episodes with voice roles.
- Steve Cobs programmed A.D.A.M, B.R.I.A.N, and J.U.S.T.I.N to feel pain, confirmed in the Steve Cob's Q&A. It is currently unconfirmed if this information is canon, however.
- In the Steve Cobs Q&A, when asked if his full name is "Steven Lee Paul Cobs", Steve vehemently denies it and complains that people are adding things to his name.[3]
- Steve Cobs would enjoy pop music.[4]
Gallery
Click here to view the gallery.
Steve Cobs' Creations[]
References[]
- ↑ #inanimateinsanity Diversity Win! Steve Cobs ambiguously bisexual.(dead link) (Archive)
- ↑ LOL apologies for the complete non-answer. Admittedly was a little in a daze at the 2022 event after speaking with thousands of people! Personally, I don't think Cobs would ever date anyone. Any time taken away from innovating would be deemed a distraction!
- ↑ Steve Cobs Q&A | Inanimate Insanity
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2qd8F-TU0E
External links[]
- Steve Cobs on the Villains Wiki
- Steve Cobs on the Pure Evil Wiki