Cyborg (comics)
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| Cyborg | |
 Cover of Tales of the New Teen Titans #1 (June 1982). Art by George Perez. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | DC Comics Presents #26 |
| Created by | Marv Wolfman George Pérez |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Victor "Vic" Stone |
| Team affiliations | Teen Titans Titans East |
| Notable aliases | Cyberion, Robotman III, Technis, Cyborg 2.0, Omegadrome |
| Abilities | Body replaced with advanced prosthetics granting;
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Cyborg is a superhero that appears in the fictional DC universe. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980). Cyborg is best known as a member of the Teen Titans.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Victor Stone was the son of a pair of scientists who decided to use him as a test subject for various intelligence enhancement projects. However, Victor grew to resent this treatment and struck up a friendship with a young miscreant who led him into trouble with the law. This was the beginning of a struggle where Victor strove for his own life engaging in pursuits his parents disapproved of, such as athletics. In addition, Victor still kept bad company that led him into incidents such as when he was talked into participating in a street gang fight in which he was wounded. For the most part however, Victor still had a largely normal life under the circumstances where he also refused to follow his best friend's grandiose plans of racially motivated terrorism.
All that changed one day when he visited his parents at work at S.T.A.R. Labs. Coincidentally, an experiment in dimensional travel went horribly awry when a massive gelatinous monster crossed over an experimental portal and killed Victor's mother. The creature then turned on Victor and severely mutilated him before his father managed to force the creature back through the portal.
To save his son, Victor's father outfitted him with experimental prosthetics of his own design. However, the equipment could not be worn inconspicuously, and thus Victor was horrified to see much of his body, including part of his face, replaced with sheer metallic limbs and implants.
Although Victor wanted to die at this shock, he eventually adjusted enough through his resulting physical therapy to control his implants with suitable skill.
However upon release from medical care, he found his life was seriously inconvenienced with the fearful reactions of the public at his implants; even his girlfriend rejected him. In addition, he was also disallowed participation in athletics not only for his implants but for his poor grades which were further exacerbated by his long convalescence. However, when his old friend attempted to use Victor's troubles to manipulate him into attempting a terrorist attack on the United Nations, Victor found a new purpose as he equipped his weapons attachments and stopped his friend in a pitched battle on top of United Nations Headquarters.
[edit] Teen Titans
He joined the Teen Titans, initially for the benefit of a support group of kindred spirits and outsiders and has remained with that group ever since. In addition, Victor found new friends who saw past his disfigurements to his own nobility, such as a group of children who were adjusting to their own prosthetics and idolized Victor with his fancy parts and exciting adventures as well as their beautiful teacher, Sarah Simms, who has often assisted him. Cyborg and Sarah have a deep relationship that is considered by some fans to be Cyborg's one true love, although writer Marv Wolfman insists it is a deep, caring friendship.[citation needed]
Another person who saw past the cybernetic shell was Dr. Sarah Charles, a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who helped him to recuperate after having his cybernetic parts replaced. Cyborg and Dr. Charles dated for some time, and, along with Changeling, she kept trying to reach him when he was seemingly mindless following a plane crash.
[edit] Deaths and rebirths
Although Cyborg's body was repaired after the plane crash, albeit with more mechanical parts than previously, his mind was not. Eventually, his mind was restored by an alien race of computer intelligences called the Technis. Cyborg, however, had to remain with the Technis both to maintain his mind and because, in return for restoring him, he had to teach them about humanity. He took the name Cyberion, and gradually started becoming less human in outlook, connecting entirely to the Technis planet.
Eventually, Cyberion returned to Earth. With Vic's consciousness dormant, but his desire for companionship controlling the Technis planet's actions, it began kidnapping former Titans members and plugging them into virtual reality scenarios, representing what he believed to be their "perfect worlds"; for example, Beast Boy was back with the Doom Patrol, Damage was spending time being congratulated by the Justice Society, and Nightwing was confronted by a Batman who actually smiled. Although the Titans were freed, there was a strong disagreement between them and the Justice League over what action to take; the League believed that there was nothing left of Victor to save, whereas the Titans were willing to try, culminating in a brief battle, where the Atom and Catwoman (who had followed the Justice League to investigate) sided with the League while the Flash fought with the Titans. While Vic was distracted trying to aid his friends, a Titans team consisting of Changeling and the original five Titans were sent by Raven to try making contact with Vic's human side, while Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, Power Girl, Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel moved the moon back to its proper place. Eventually, thanks primarily to Changeling's encouragement, and Omen and Raven holding Vic together long enough to come up with a plan, Vic's consciousness was restored, and "downloaded" into the Omegadrome, a morphing war-suit belonging to former Titan Minion. In the wake of this event the Titans reformed and Vic was part of the new group. However, he felt less human than ever before.
Shortly after this, Nightwing revealed he had cloned Vic's body, and by flowing the Omegadrome through the clone, Vic regained his human form, but still had the abilities of the Omegadrome. He often used the drone to recreate his original look in battle. With his newfound humanity, Vic took a leave of absence, moving first to L.A. with Beast Boy and then to Central City. While in Central City Vic was involved in one of the Thinker's schemes. The Thinker froze the Omegadrome's morphing powers and left him in his original cybernetic appearance.
[edit] Mentor
Vic mentored the new incarnation of the Teen Titans, consisting mainly of sidekicks, most of whom have taken over the identities of former members (i.e. Tim Drake, the third Robin, instead of Dick Grayson, the original Robin and Titans leader), as well as stalwarts such as Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy, where they have fought enemies such as Deathstroke, Brother Blood, Doctor Light, The Titans Tomorrow, and a brainwashed Superboy and Indigo during a team up with the Outsiders in the Insiders storyline. In the end, Cyborg was the only one capable of standing up to Dr. Light thanks to his solar shields.
[edit] Infinite Crisis and beyond
During Infinite Crisis, Cyborg joined Donna's New Cronus Team that went to investigate a hole in the universe that was found during the Rann-Thanagar War. He left Beast Boy in charge of the Titans while he was gone. They arrived at the re-set center of the universe and with the help of an assorted heroes aided in the defeat of Alexander Luthor, who was attempting to re-create the multiverse and build a perfect Earth from it.
According to the fifth issue of 52, Cyborg was fused together with Firestorm after returning to Earth. This was caused by the energy ripples caused by Alexander Luthor Jr. which altered the Zeta Ray Beams the heroes were going to use to return home.
After being severely damaged during the events of Infinite Crisis, Cyborg was rebuilt over time in thanks to Tower caretakers Wendy and Marvin. He awoke a year later to find a wholly different Teen Titans being led by Robin, the only member from the team he formed prior to going into space. He is still a member of the team, but feels that Kid Devil and Ravager are hardly worthy Titans, and thus is attempting to find a way to re-form "the real Titans".
After the team along with the Doom Patrol defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, Cyborg asked Beast Boy to rejoin the Titans, but Gar refused saying that his skills were needed with the Patrol. After returning to Titans Tower, Cyborg began reviewing the security tapes during the last year, in which it appears that he was looked to by all the Titans of the past year for a shoulder to lean on, despite being in a coma-like state.
It appears that although Cyborg has returned to the team, the role of leader is now in the hands of Robin. He does however retain the position of statesman amongst the team and occasionally plays second-in-command.
In Justice League of America (vol. 2), #3, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman agree that Cyborg should be offered membership in the new Justice League. However, following a battle against Amazo, Green Lantern and Black Canary take over the formation of the JLA, and Cyborg is not amongst the roster.
In the Teen Titans East one-shot, Cyborg gathered together a new team of Titans. During a training exercise, the group was attacked by Trigon, and Cyborg was blasted by a giant energy beam. He was last seen in a crater, with only his head and torso remaining.
[edit] Titans
Cyborg is set to be a main character in the upcoming comic book Titans which focuses on a new team of Titans coming from the old veteran Titans Cyborg, Nightwing, Troia, Flash (Wally West), Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Red Arrow. The story takes place immediately after the events of the Titans East one shot. In the aftermath of Trigon's assault, Cyborg has been placed into a special hoverchair while he recuperates.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
[edit] Super Friends
Cyborg appeared in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (the final incarnation of Super Friends) from 1985 to 1986.[1] He was voiced by Ernie Hudson. Cyborg's origin was changed to the more simplified story of him being injured in an automobile accident as opposed to being attacked by an extraterrestrial creature.
[edit] Justice League pilot promo
When Justice League was pitched to the Kids' WB network, the lineup originally included three young members as proteges for the League. The members would have been Robin, Impulse, and an original character described as a "teenage female version of Cyborg"(Cyborgirl). The promo is viewable on the fourth disc of the Justice League Season 1 boxset.
[edit] Teen Titans (animated series)
Cyborg appears in Teen Titans animated series, voiced by Khary Payton. This version of Cyborg is very similar to his comic book counterpart. His nickname is "Cy". In the animated series, Cyborg is never referred to by his given name. However, he does take the alias "Stone" (based on his real last name) in the Season 3 episode "Deception". The two main differences are his design and that he is more easygoing than his comics counterpart. His head is considerably more rounded and bald (based on his Titans Hunt counterpart), and his mechanical parts are bulkier. In the Titans Tomorrow storyline a future version of Victor Stone is shown having similar plating as the animated Cyborg.[2]
[edit] Smallville
Cyborg appeared in the 15th episode of Smallville's fifth season, which was also titled "Cyborg", and premiered on February 16, 2006. In this version, Victor (Lee Thompson Young), is a former Metropolis High School football star. He is involved in a car accident that kills him, supposedly, and the rest of his family. However, he is secretly rebuilt by Cyntechnics scientists including Dr. Alistair Krieg (Mackenzie Gray), who experimented on a group of test subjects. Victor was the only test subject to survive the experiments. Cyntechnics was bought up by LuthorCorp shortly before Victor's escape. Lex denies any knowledge of Cyntechnics' secretive activities.
Although Victor's cybernetic enhancements are entirely endoskeletal instead of exoskeletal as they are in the comics and other media, a shot of Clark Kent's X-Ray vision reveals that Victor's cranial armor covers the same-shaped area as it does in the comics. He also bleeds a dark fluid as he does in the comics. Smallville never uses the name "Cyborg" in his first appearance. Instead, Victor refers to his enhancements as "bionic", and the episode explicitly references the 1970s television series The Six Million Dollar Man which also featured a cybernetically-enhanced "bionic" man.
Lee Thompson Young reprised his role in "Justice", a Season 6 episode about Green Arrow gathering together a group of individuals to combat Lex Luthor. The episode premiered on January 18, 2007. In this episode, Victor has finally taken the name "Cyborg", as Green Arrow's team uses code names. Also on the team are Aquaman and Impulse. While Victor was last seen with a girlfriend named Katherine, he explains that his mechanical parts put a strain on the relationship. After their eventual break up, Victor states that it was Green Arrow who kept him from committing suicide. The episode also shows Cyborg wearing something of a costume (a stylized silver vest), and utilizing further enhancements Green Arrow gave him. One of his new functions allows him to hack into and disable security systems. While connecting to machines, Cyborg's left eye glows red, another nod to his comic book incarnation.
Cyborg is a main character in the online animated Smallville spin-off Smallville Legends: Justice & Doom along with the other Justice Leaguers. In episode three, he displays more additional abilities such as offensive sound wave projection.
[edit] External sources
- DCDP: Cyborg (Victor Stone) - DC Database Project
- Titans Tower biography
- Cyborg's description on the animated series
