Chris Zaxxar Travers is a senator from Hawaii who was a candidate for the Presidency of Earth in the 3012 election,[7ACV03] after traveling back in time. Winning the election, he caused a time paradox that prevented him from coming to the year 3012 to begin with (even though he used a paradox-free time travel code).

Biography

Chris Travers was born on 29 September, 3012 at Our Lady of Patriotism Hospital in Kenya. He grew up in a period of despair on Earth, when hunger and despair ravaged society. When the robot uprising took place, Travers was one of few humans who survived and took refuge underground. When he was 15, he was entrusted with mankind's last remaining suit and tie. He was sent back in time to stop the uprising from happening. He was raised by his grandparents and got into Harvard Law School, achieving straight A grades. He eventually became a community organizer and a Hawaiian senator before finally setting out to fulfill his true purpose: to defeat Richard Nixon's head in the 3012 Earth presidential elections.

Though his good-hearted views were shunned by the people and his campaign started to falter, Leela helped him reinvigorate his campaign. He was finally named a nominee, but was ravaged by accusations that he was not born on Earth. When Leela, Bender and Fry only did not find an Earth certificate in his file at Our Lady of Patriotism Hospital, Travers was forced to reveal his origins. Leela then planned to broadcast Travers' birth, set for the next day, on live television to counter allegations that he was not from Earth. With these accusations gone, Travers won the election. As he began to give his speech, however, he began to fade away. Since Nixon did not win the election, the robot uprising never happened and Travers was never sent back in time. All traces of Travers' campaign disappeared and Nixon was declared the winner of the election.

Production

Chris Travers was first seen in a character design released by Countdown to Futurama on 14 May 2012.[1] On the next day, Countdown to Futurama released a video featuring him during a political debate[2] and Comedy Central released a podcast revealing that he was the centrepiece of "Decision 3012", that he was from Hawaii and that he had no "Earth certificate".[3]

Additional information

Trivia

Travers is a reference to U.S. president Barack Obama - in that he is a senator from Hawaii and there are conspiracy theories about his Earth certificate.

His last name is based on the word 'traverse', which means 'travel', which he does through time. His foreign middle name, 'Zaxxar', is a possible reference to the arcade game 'Zaxxon.' However, the emphasis on his alien-sounding middle name, especially by Bender who referred to him as "C. Zaxxer Travers" when requesting his Earth certificate, is a parody of how right-wingers refer to Barack Obama as "B. Hussein Obama," alluding to his 'foreign-ness' by emphasizing his Arabic middle name.

Travers has the same birthday as Futurama writer Patric M. Verrone, who wrote 7ACV03.

Quotes

Chris Travers: Look, let's be honest here. No one likes taxes. But they pay for our basic needs. Roads, schools, defence. If we hope to realise our aspirations as a great planet, we must each pay our fair share to achieve those noble goals.

Appearances