Handyman (Enemy)

"Stop moving! Every sound hurts!"

- A Handyman

The Handyman appears in BioShock Infinite as an archetypal armored enemy in Columbia. As seen in recent gameplay demos, their mechanized forms were created by Bettermen's Autobodies as a procedural method to help the disabled and severely injured citizens of Columbia to not only be able-bodied, but advertised as helping these citizens regain their vitality, as well as technically "live forever". However, this procedure came with the price of having to live within a large and highly disproportional body. Early in the game you see a Handyman, being demonstrated at the fair by his benefactor, appearing fearful of the imposed exploitation, backing away from the watchful crowd, and even hiding his face from photographers.

Characteristics
Like the Big Daddies of Rapture, the Handyman is a human artificially bonded to a mechanical suit. Unlike the Big Daddy, Handymen are dressed in patriotic uniforms rather than diving suits and have a gorilla-like posture and build. They also have exposed human body parts, particularly their head and heart, the latter of which is kept in a fluid-filled glass tank on their chests attached to several hoses. Thick bundles of cables run from their limbs to a pair of conductors on their backs. (Upon defeating a Handyman, the conductors will overload and send a blast of electricity around the area, however, this does not harm the player.) The mechanical hands are made of porcelain. Each Handyman's torso bears the label "AUTOBODY".

The Handymen possess great strength and speed and are capable of leaping great distances. In addition to their incredible strength and stamina, they are completely free-willed, unlike the Big Daddies of Rapture; this makes them even more dangerous because they will simply attack the player until Booker dies; they seek cover, exploit the environment around them to flank Booker (and other enemies), and even throw other AIs at Booker if he is out of reach, but within throwing range. In addition to their free will, they appear to be able to speak intelligibly. They can close the distance between themselves and their target in fast charges. In addition, they have the ability to conduct electricity from their suits, including the ability to hurl balls of lightning as well as electrify Sky-Line rails with their hands.

Behind the Scenes

 * Before the name "Handyman" was revealed, this type of enemy was referred to as an "Alpha" by the Irrational Games team.
 * The October 2010 issue of GameInformer featured three different BioShock Infinite themed covers. One of the covers showed a full body artwork of a Handyman.