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Original | Animated | Comics | Remake

"I really have to tell you something. I love you."

Ellen Murphy[src]

Alex James Murphy[1] (DPD ID #8788)[2] was a dutiful, upstanding and mild-mannered Detroit Police Officer who was brutally killed in the line of duty by infamous crime boss Clarence Boddicker. Some of his organic components were later integrated into the cybernetic law enforcement entity: RoboCop - OCP Crime Prevention Unit 001, by the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products.

Biography[]

Early life and career[]

Alex was born in 1953[3] to Russell and Dorothy Murphy.[4] As a child, he was close friends with Frank Uno.[5] He attended Mother Theresa Elementary School, St. John-Paul High School, and Holy Trinity College.[6] He graduated with honors from the Burton Academy.[7]

Murphy family

Murphy with his wife and son

Murphy was married to Ellen (also known as Nancy[8]) and together had a son, James, to whom he promised to mimic the fancy moves of T.J. Lazer to impress him. The family lived at 548 Primrose Lane.[9] He was a devout Irish Catholic,[10] attending St. John-Paul Cathedral.[6]

Murphy speaks to media

Murphy speaks to the media

As a rookie, Murphy was partnered with Timothy Malloy until an incident during which Malloy beat robbery suspect Robert Prince, which a passerby caught on video. Murphy testified against Malloy in court, saying he tried to stop him. This testimony led to Malloy's conviction. When hounded by the media, Murphy regretted telling the truth, feeling that the trial had been turned into a witch hunt.[11]

At the Metro South precinct, Murphy was partnered with John T. Cable. The two formed a close friendship and commonly played chess together.[7] In 1988, Murphy joined Cable at the hospital when Cable's wife Sara was to give birth to their child. Murphy related the anticipation of his own child and assured Cable he would be a good father. However, Cable was taken to an adjacent room by a doctor, who informed him the baby did not make it. Murphy later accompanied Cable to the cemetery where the child was buried.[12]

Murphy was an esteemed officer, having been given the Red Hawk and Gordon Star for bravery,[7] a civic duty award, a purple ribbon, the Miranda Award, the DPD Medal of Valor, marksman ribbon, and the Rotary Policeman of the Year.[13]

Encounter with the Motor City Mangler[]

During a trip to Harlan's Donuts, Murphy, Cable, and Officer Albert Bixler discussed the local serial killer dubbed the Motor City Mangler before returning to their patrols. Murphy and Cable discussed the impending takeover of the police department by Omni Consumer Products, with Murphy having an open mind toward it, as the police could receive more funding. Cable was more skeptical, adding that his wife was planning on joining OCP and divorcing him.[7]

They then received a call about a rabid dog and reported to the location. With nobody answering the door, Murphy and Cable climbed the fence into the backyard, where they found a dog feasting on a human body part. Despite Murphy warning him that they had no warrant, Cable entered the home, fearing the resident had a prisoner.[7]

Murphy confronts Mangler

Murphy confronts the Mangler

Murphy followed him inside and they searched the basement, finding various chemistry supplies, medicine bottles, bloodied items, and a meat grinder with raw meat inside it. Inside a freezer, they found a frightened woman, who Murphy stayed with as Cable went upstairs. The home's resident called out for him and he rushed upstairs to find Cable being held at gunpoint by the home's resident: the Motor City Mangler. Cable ordered Murphy to shoot the Mangler, but he instead complied with the Mangler's order to place his gun on the ground. The Mangler then turned his gun on Murphy and Cable managed to disarm him and knock him over. Although the Mangler was no longer a threat, Cable turned around and fatally shot him.[7]

Because he felt Cable acted unlawfully, Murphy personally requested a transfer. A ceremony was held, during which Cable was awarded for his bravery in taking down the Mangler. Murphy attended, but he was the only one there who did not applaud for Cable. Afterward, Murphy was confronted by Cable in the locker room, where he revealed his intention to be transferred.[7]

Transfer to Metro West[]

In 1990,[3] Murphy was transferred to the Metro West precinct as part of OCP's drive to restructure the police department. Murphy walked through the doors to find the precinct in turmoil, its staff overworked, the cops underfunded – male and female officers even forced to use the same locker room – and crime spiraling out of control. Officers such as Kaplan and Starkweather were even threatening strike action. Only Sergeant Warren Reed seemed to be keeping everything from falling to pieces. Murphy's cool-headed ethic to duty, his objective style of thinking, optimism, and mild-mannered attitude rendered him immune to the vitriol exuded by his comrades.[9]

Pursuit of the Boddicker Gang[]

Alex j murphy

Model Cop

Murphy was partnered with Officer Anne Lewis, herself a hardened veteran of Old Detroit. Murphy first saw Lewis in action as she effectively subdued a violent suspect she was bringing in for booking, impressed by her skills with martial arts. As the two were getting to know one another in Sector Nine in unit 154, they received their first call: a robbery in progress; the Boddicker Gang escaping the scene in a van and heading hard down Industrial Way. After an intense, running firefight, ending when injured gang member Bobby was thrown onto their windshield, the two police officers caught up to the van at an old steel mill and decided to split up.[9]

After ambushing gang members Dougy and Emil Antonowsky, Murphy was left with no other choice but to shoot Dougy dead, then tried to arrest Antonowsky, telling him in no uncertain terms when he tried to aim his shotgun "Go ahead and do it... Dead or alive, you're coming with me." However, unbeknownst to Murphy, Lewis was punched off a high ledge earlier on and temporarily incapacitated by another member of the gang. Alone, and knowing his shot must have alerted other nearby enemies, Murphy became more frantic, but the suspense was broken when Steve Minh and Leon Nash appeared in the room, both armed with shotguns. Murphy was disarmed, surrounded, and made to face the gang's kingpin, none other than Clarence Boddicker, cop killer, murderer and unofficial crime boss of Old Detroit.[9]

Death[]

Clarence spent no time in beating information out of Murphy concerning the whereabouts of his partner, but Joe P. Cox, having just entered the room, rashly assured the rest of the gang that he had dealt with Lewis, before bringing his shotgun to bear on Murphy with the rest of the gang. Clarence then began to torture Murphy for fun, shooting off his right hand, then leaving him to the tender mercy of his boys. Emil subsequently shot the remainder of his right arm off, then the gang opened fire in unison, peppering his body from head to foot, dropping him to his knees in terrible anguish. Before they could finish him off, they ran dry of ammo. The gang looked on in astonishment as Murphy struggled, still alive. Emil signaled this fact to Clarence, who sauntered over, raised his pistol and fired a final shot into Murphy's head.[9]

Murphy dying

Clinging to life, Murphy was soon found by Lewis and was taken by a MedEvac team, who rushed him to the hospital, where a team of surgeons desperately tried to save his life, although it was clear their efforts were coming to naught. His condition rapidly deteriorated as flashbacks to his life took over reality. Defibrillation proved unsuccessful, even after a shot of adrenaline to his heart. After shocking him one last time, the surgeons pronounced him dead.[9] A headstone was erected for Murphy at the Nixon Memorial Cemetery, but his remains were secretly kept by OCP.[3]

RoboCop program[]

Alex Murphy morgue

Murphy's body in the morgue

Having signed a waiver for OCP to do what they pleased with his body, the megacorporation used Murphy's face and portions of his brain as part of Bob Morton's RoboCop program, which produced OCP Crime Prevention Unit 001, better known as RoboCop.[9]

Not long after his activation, RoboCop began to remember moments from Murphy's life, such as memories of his family and his murder. With these recollections, RoboCop avenged the Alex Murphy he had once been and took on his name.[9]

Behind the scenes[]

The original version of Murphy was portrayed by Peter Weller in RoboCop, RoboCop 2, and RoboCop: Rogue City; Richard Eden in RoboCop: The Series, and Page Fletcher in RoboCop: Prime Directives. Robert John Burke is the only live-action RoboCop actor to have never portrayed Murphy prior to his death.

Appearances[]

References[]

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