Rolf Emerson

Infobox animanga character
name = Rolf Emerson
series = Robotech


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voiced by = Michael McConnohie
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gender = Male
species = Human
born = 1983
death = June 2030
nationality = American
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occupation = Chief of Staff to the Supreme Commander of the United Earth Forces
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relatives = Bowie Grant "(Godson)"
Dana Sterling "(Ward)"
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Rolf Emerson is a fictional character in the Robotech series. He appeared during the Southern Cross segment of the series which is also known as Robotech: Masters. This segment was originally the 1984 anime series Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. Rolf Emerson is one of the handful of characters to retain their original name and name spelling for the Robotech adaptation. In Robotech, he was voiced by actor Michael McConnohie.

Primary Continuity

Major General Rolf Emerson was Chief of Staff in the Army of the Southern Cross and a trusted adjutant to Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard. Gentle and compassionate, Emerson often sued for peaceful negotiations over the militaristic solutions that Leonard proposed. Emerson was known for his excellent tactical skills in battle, especially in contrast to Leonard's often rash and aggressive "throw everything we have at them" tactics. The two men often clashed over their philosophies but it was obvious that they deeply respected each other.

Emerson, and his wife Laura, were made godparents to Bowie Grant and Dana Sterling who were left under his care while their parents joined the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) in 2022. Bowie in particular cried inconsolably as his parents left and Emerson faced the difficult challenge of raising him. Emerson and his wife, who had no children of their own, took care of Dana and Bowie, who were both only children when their parents left with the REF. Both hoped that their parents return quickly but events would keep the Expeditionary forces away from Earth throughout their entire childhood. Emerson's decision to enroll both of them in the military had resulted in a divorce from Laura. Laura never understood his reasons; childless herself, Dana and Bowie had become her children, and she could never understand why her husband would choose to wish war on their adopted children.

In 2029, Dana and Bowie graduate from the United Earth Forces Military academy and are placed with the 15th tactical armored squadron of the Southern Cross. However, Emerson still does all he can to help them when their run afoul with their superiors. Bowie, having fallen in love with Musica, a young cloned citizen of the Master's race who, like Bowie, is a talented musician who finds music far more enjoyable than war. Bowie, determined to help her escape from the Masters, smuggles her to Earth. However, once Musica presence is discovered by GMP officer Nova Satori, Bowie and Musica flee from Monument city and take refuge in the ruins of the SDF-1. Bowie, becomes a fugitive for the latter part of the series, and Emerson believes that even his influence will not protect Bowie from the consequences. Dana, who strongly opposes Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard's treatment of captured bioroid pilots (in particular Zor Prime), openly disagrees with him, and it is only Emerson's influence that stops Leonard from taking serious disciplinary action against Dana.

Leonard, who grows tried of Emerson disagreeing with him over his refusal to negotiate with the Robotech Masters, eventually assigns Emerson to Moon Base Aluce, where he felt that Emerson would be most useful (and would be less of a thorn in his side). This was the first line of defense against the Robotech Masters. Because of this, several officers under Emerson were convinced that the assignment was essentially a death sentence because Emerson had continually opposed Leonard's policies. Emerson, against all expectations, survived a major battle with the Masters by carrying out a space warp maneuver.

Emerson eventually meets the Robotech Masters themselves after he and his crew are captured in space. Failing to persuade the Robotech Masters to consider peace, he dies protecting Bowie from a rifle blast fired by a Bioroid Terminator. Emerson dies in Bowie's arms, his last words a plea for peace between the two beleaguered races. Emerson's death is a blow for Dana and Bowie, who had regarded him as their father and friend. [ [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/episodes/viewepisode.php?episode=60] ]

Emerson's wish for peace goes largely unfulfilled. The Masters are destroyed and the forces of the United Earth Forces (UEF) and the Southern Cross are decimated by the war. The subsequent collapse of the United Earth Government's power caused led to the fragmentation of the once united world, leading to the creation of city states that warred with each other. One year later, the Invid invade, the remainder of the UEF and the Southern Cross are destroyed.

econdary Continuity

In the Jack MicKinney novels (regarded as secondary continuity), Emerson is involved in several pivotal events between the time period of the first and second robotech wars while his history and a decidedly negative relationship with Anatole Leonard are expanded upon.

Originally a career officer in the RDF whose family perished during the Zentradi decimation of Earth's surface, Emerson resigned his commission sometime after the Zentradi Malcontent Uprisings and was eventually assigned the political position of Minister of Terrestrial Defense in the United Earth Government.

Sometime following his appointment and the departure of the SDF-3, Emerson launched an investigation into a string of suspicious and fatal accidents involving the REF Alpha fighter. Believing that the fighters had been the victims of deliberate sabotage and that Leonard, an outspoken opponent of the RDF, was secretly behind these efforts in order to discredit the RDF, Emerson assigned pilot Terry Weston to investigate. It was eventually uncovered that the sabotage had been conducted by operatives from a flight school known as the Gilles Academy which had been co-founded by Leonard's former adjutant Joseph Petrie. Also uncovered was a plot to assassinate Emerson himself at his home along with his then-partner Ilan Tinari, Dana Sterling and Bowie Grant by means of a remote controlled hovertank. Weston destroyed the tank a half-mile short of Emerson's home but the evidence detailing the plot and the sabotage attempts were destroyed before a subsequent raid on the academy could take place. Although Weston and Dana grew close during and after this operation, a rift formed between Emerson and Weston due to the fact that a still underage Dana allegedly lost her virginity to Weston although it was at Dana's persuasion as she wanted her first sexual encounter to be with someone she cared for. Although she regrets putting Weston in such a position, she still cherished first experience with him, and they remained close. Also, eventually, Emerson chose to see Weston as the good man he was and the rift between them was healed before their deaths.

In 2022 a government accord was enacted to consolidate the Southern Cross and remaining elements of the RDF into a single military body but tensions between the two proved insurmountable and eventually escalated into open conflict by 2029 with Southern Cross forces under Leonard's command attempting a full-fledged coup of the existing government. Despite repeated prior invitations to join the conflict on the side of the RDF, Emerson refused believing that the conflict was weakening earth's forces.

Later that year, Emerson received information from civilian elements in Tokyo that Leonard had been secretly appraised of the imminent arrival of the Robotech Masters by Dr. Lazlo Zand and had used it to justify his attempted takeover of the United Earth Government. Looking to end the conflict Emerson confronted Leonard with a threat to go public with the information if he refused to abandon his coup attempt effectively negotiating a cease-fire between the two factions. Realizing that a joint defense force was unworkable, Emerson proposed that the two forces be allowed to exist separately with each acting as a check and balance on the other. Leonard acquiesced under several conditions including that Emerson agree to return to military service under the Army of the Southern Cross and that the moniker of the RDF be abandoned. Consequently, the remaining elements of the RDF were largely folded into the GMP.

Trivia

In the original Japanese Southern Cross, Bowie Grant was called Bowie Emerson and is actually the son of Rolf Emerson.

References

External links

* [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/characters/viewcharacter.php?id=36 Official Bio]