Cyborg (comics)
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Cyborg (Victor Stone) is a fictional DC Comics superhero best known as a member of the Teen Titans. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez, he first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980).
The son of well-meaning but thoughtless scientists who tried to use him in their experiments to artificially enhance human intelligence, Victor was a troubled youth. When one of his parents’ experiments brought an extra-dimensional monster to Earth, Victor was horribly maimed. His father used advanced prosthetics to rebuild his son, but at a cost of being disfigured by them.
Half-man, half machine, Cyborg used his mechanical enhancements as a superhero. The Teen Titans acted as a surrogate family, helping him recover his self-esteem and retain his inner humanity. He is a mentor of the current Titans.
Cyborg was also a main character on the 2000s-era Teen Titans animated series.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Youth
Vic 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 fell in love 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.
[edit] Victor Stone Becomes Cyborg
All that changed one day when he visited his parents at work at STAR 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 adjusted enough through his resulting physical therapy to control his implants with suitable skill.
[edit] Rejection
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 his 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 STAR 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 their "perfect worlds". Eventually 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 'drone's abilities. He often used the drone to recreate his "classic" 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, he got involved in a plot by the Thinker, which froze the Omegadrome's morphing powers and left him in his original cyborg form.
At the same time, a female version of Cyborg calling herself Cyborgirl appeared as a member of a group of Wonder Woman enemies called Villainy Inc. She is the niece of Dr. Charles, who required emergency surgery after a reaction to the "super-steroid" Tar. Her cybernetic implants give her all the same abilities as Vic, but she has none of his sense of responsibility.
[edit] Mentor
Vic currently mentors the new Teen Titans group, 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, Doctor Light, The Titans Tomorrow, Superboy and Indigo during a team up with the Outsiders in the Insiders storyline.
[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 one 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.
In Justice League of America vol. 2, #3, Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman agree that Cyborg will be offered membership in the new Justice League.
[edit] Appearances in television series
[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.
[edit] Justice League Pilot Promo
When Justice League was pitched to KidsWB, 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". The promo is viewable on the fourth disc of the Justice League Season 1 boxset. This character is similar to Natasha Irons in appearance and alliances, but more like Cyborgirl in general concept.
[edit] Teen Titans (animated series)
[edit] Similarities
The cartoon version of Cyborg is very similar to his comic book counterpart. 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), 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]
