Cyborg 009
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Template:Infobox animanga/Header Template:Infobox animanga/Anime Template:Infobox animanga/Footer Cyborg 009 (サイボーグ００９) is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori and serialized in the manga magazine Shonen Magazine and Shōjo Comic in Japan. The manga was published in English by TOKYOPOP; as of 2006 it is out of print.
It is the tale of nine regular humans kidnapped by the evil Black Ghost organization to undergo human experiments. The result of this tampering are nine cyborgs, each one having super human powers. The nine cyborgs band together to fight for their freedom and to stop Black Ghost. The evil organization's goal is to start the next world war, by supplying any rich buyer their choice of countless weapons of war and mass destruction.
Elements of this series would later find its way into Kamen Rider (1971), another famous creation by Ishinomori. The plots are the same, except that the weekly threats are mutants, and there is just one hero (later two), as opposed to nine.
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Characters
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Good guys
- Ivan Whisky - Cyborg 001. Ivan is a baby originally from Russia, born with a severe illness. His father Gamo (a famous brain surgeon who went mad after searching for a cure), against the wishes of Ivan's mother Erika, performed numerous brain enhancement processes on Ivan that allowed his mental capacity to far exceed that of a normal human adult. Ivan later fell into the custody of Black Ghost, who dubbed him the first member of the organization's 00-Cyborg program. Ivan's enhanced brain gives him several psychic powers, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and extra-sensory perception. However, he sometimes falls asleep at inopportune times due to the fact that he is still a baby and his body can barely handle such powers.
- Jet Link - Cyborg 002. Jet was originally from New York City in the United States. He was the leader of a gang in New York's West Side. (In the manga, his character is introduced in a scene that parodies the opening scenes of the movie West Side Story. Even his name seems to be based on the Jets faction in the musical/movie.) During a fight with a Puerto Rican gang, Jet stabbed one of the rival gang members to death, causing the others to run away in order to escape the police. Jet, however, was intercepted by Black Ghost members, who took him away from the scene to be made into a cyborg later. Jet, true to his name, has boosters built into his feet, allowing him to fly at speeds of up to Mach 5. 002 has a brash personality that often conflicts with his peers, but he is nonetheless a loyal and good-hearted member of the team.
- Françoise Arnoul - Cyborg 003. Françoise was originally from France. Her brother Jean-Paul, a member of the Air Force, returned to Paris on a one-week leave, and Françoise was to meet him at the train station. However, she was kidnapped by Black Ghost despite numerous attempts by her brother to save her along the way(In the 2001 series she is a ballet dancer who Black Ghost offers a fake proffesional dancing career to, so they can kidnap her). The only female member of the team, 003 rarely fights (though she will when needed - in the 2001 series she hijacks a plane and disables a biological weapon practically on her own) and is often seen caring for 001, but she has enhanced vision and hearing, allowing her to see through walls and notice things that others cannot, and is also an excellent pilot and a machine whiz. (In the 2001 series, she laments that she can only see and not do anything - to which 009 asks her if she'd rather be like him.) She and 009 later form a romantic relationship, more explicit in the manga and the earlier series, only hinted in the 2001 series.
- Albert Heinrich - Cyborg 004. Albert was originally from Germany. He and his fiancée Hilda attempted to escape to West Berlin in the guise of circus members (Albert drove a truck with an animal cage; Hilda dressed up in a lioness costume and stayed in the cage with an actual lion) (This is in the manga, since in the 1980 movie and the 2001 series Hilda was Albert's co-pilot). However, because Albert forgot to retrieve his forged identification from a guard, he panicked and sped off. The border guards opened fire on the truck, injuring Albert and killing Hilda in the process. Black Ghost agents arrived on the scene and lied that they would take Albert to a hospital. Of all of the 00-Cyborgs, Albert is the one who has had the most cybernetic modification. His right fingertips contains small machine guns, his left hand has razor-sharp edges, and he has missiles hidden in his knees. 004 often has a gruff exterior which belies his friendly personality and disgust with war. (In the 2001 series, he has to fight a robotic version of himself in a castle. He is losing until the robot predicts that he will jump a certain direction to save himself - then jumps a different direction to save some birds caught up in their battle. The confusion of the robot underscores 004's humanity.)
- Geronimo, Jr. - Cyborg 005. Also called "G-Junior" for short, and was originally from an undisclosed part of the southwest United States. G-Junior is a Native American who was unable to find work due to widespread racism. He was approached to be an Native American chief in a sideshow, but G-Junior simply punched the sideshow owner in the face, refusing to further the stereotypes about his culture. Black Ghost agents overheard the conversation and offered G-Junior a job far from home. G-Junior accepted, admitting that he really had no home anymore. (In the 2001 series he was a construction worker bribed into accepting a very promising job offer by disguised Black Ghost agents). Physically, 005 is the strongest as well as the biggest of the 00-Cyborgs, and he also has heavily armored skin. However, he is also a silent, humble man with a deep reverence for nature and life, and it's speculated that he may have a sort of sixth sense that allows him to sense changes in the nature and possibly other persons' thoughts.
- Chang Chang Ku Chinese Pinyin: Zhāngzhāng Hú)- Cyborg 006. Chang was originally from China. He was an impoverished farmer who once owned a pig farm; almost all of his pigs ran away and he was starving and continued to be taxed. (In the 2001 series, he owns a restaurant - explaining why he's such a good cook - but burns it down after doing a fire-breathing trick, then loses everything else. Black Ghost agents pick him up when he faints.) Hopeless, Chang decided to end his misery by hanging himself. However, he was "saved" by a bullet from Black Ghost which cut the noose. Chang fainted and was later delivered to the Black Ghost laboratory. 006's power allows him to breathe huge flames. This ability also allows 006 to create tunnels in the earth and attack enemies with underground explosions. Aside from that, he's a jovial fellow who is well-versed in the ways of cooking; his refined cuisine and happy personality always manage to bring his teammates back to good spirits.
- Great Britain - Cyborg 007. Great Britain, whose real name is unknown, was unsurprisingly originally from the United Kingdom. He was once a famous and talented stage actor with a broad knowledge of famous shows. In the T.V. series, Great Britain was in love with an actress named Sophie, who worked with him. Later he became more famous and ignoring his past love. One financial problem after another arose, and the once great thespian was reduced over time to the life of a penniless nobody who would do anything for a drink or a smoke. Black Ghost agents, noticing his plight, easily lured Great Britain into their vehicle with an alcoholic beverage. Later after his escape with the other cyborgs, Great Britain goes back to the United Kingdom and finds out that his ex-girlfriend had a daughter, Rosa. With the possibility that she might be his child, Great Britain tries to talk to her but is unfortunately rejected and scorned for his past actions, to be redeemed only in the end. 007 has the incredible ability to reshape his cellular structure at will, allowing him to become any object, creature, or person he wishes (at one point in the 2001 series, he even grows to titanic proportions!). With his superb acting skills, he can also blend in with the enemy to make sneaky maneuvers and attacks. Although he is the oldest of the cyborgs, 007 is probably the most lighthearted one and is a very amiable guy to boot. His number is an obvious reference to Ian FLEMING's famous British spy character James BOND.
- Pyunma - Cyborg 008. Pyunma was originally from an undisclosed part of Africa. Originally, he was to have been made a slave along with the people of his tribe, but he escaped from his chains and ran off. Cornered by the slave drivers, all seemed lost until the slave drivers were shot dead by Black Ghost agents from out of nowhere. Holding Pyunma at gunpoint, they led him to their plane so he could be taken to the cybernetics laboratory. In the 2001 series, Pyunma was a guerrilla fighter who fought against the tyrant ruling his land along with his friends Kabore and Masmado, but was caught in the crossfire during a nocturnal fight, and then Black Ghost people kidnapped him. Pyunma, the only member of the team with any real combat training, has mechanical lungs that allow him to survive for very long periods of time underwater. Although his design in the manga makes him look almost simian (something that was rectified in the recent Cyborg 009 TV series), Pyunma is actually a serious and cool-headed fighter and decision-maker when the situation demands it. (Very late in the 2001 series, he is given an unwanted rebuild that leaves him with a silver-scaled fishlike body - he is initially horrified by it, but after a talk with 004 he accepts it and even gives his new parts use in a fight.)
- Joe Shimamura (Shimamura Jō) - Cyborg 009, and the main character/leader. Originated from Japan, although he is actually half-Japanese. A delinquent youth, he escaped from a juvenile detention facility before being captured by Black Ghost. In the 2001 anime, he was an orphan taken in by a Catholic priest from Kanazawa along with his street friends (Mary Onodera, Shin'ichi Ibaraki and Masaru Oyamada), then when he turned 18 his mentor was killed by Black Ghost members for standing up against them and he was wrongfully blamed, then captured and made into a Cyborg. Although he received several body enhancements during the process of being turned into a cyborg, his most prominent ability is the power to move at a speed so fast, everything else looks like a statue to him; this is triggered by a switch embedded in his teeth. However, he cannot touch any normal creatures such as humans in this state; the high speeds would kill or otherwise cause serious injury to the creature through air friction. Joe's trademark aesthetic feature is his flowing, spiked hair, of which a single large lock always covers one of his eyes. He and 003 (Françoise Arnoul) become somewhat romantically involved.
- Dr. Isaac Gilmore - The lead scientist in the 00-Cyborg program, Gilmore was a dutiful worker who hid a deep distrust for Black Ghost's plans. (In the 2001 series, he only begins to have serious misgivings about the time 005 is built - his superiors force him to install a lower-grade part, because it would lead to more revenue - and has a much less prominent role in creating the rest.) After the cybernetic enhancements for the first nine 00-Cyborgs were complete, he intentionally let himself be "taken hostage" by the cyborgs. Since then, he has been the team's advisor and father figure, not only helping to formulate the team's plans but also assisting them with the nuances of their newfound mechanical bodies.
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Bad Guys
- Cyborg 0010 +/- - Two twin brothers transformed into cyborgs. They were the first assasin cybords sent after our heroes. They can accelerate like 009 using the switch in their teeth and with the help of their eyes can fire thunder bolts. Although the brothers they can never touch each other or they die, and this is this leads to their eventual downfall due to 001 and 009.
- Cyborg 0011 - A giant black mechanical like spider cyborg. His mind was put into this machine and his only wish is to return to his own body so he may see his daughter; he is willing to do anything, even kill, to get such a goal. After learning this, 004 tries to convince him to change sides and almost suceeds, but after 0011 falls into the sea he comes back totally bent on destruction. He fires lasers from holes in his sides which can be covered and he can release a toxic rain cloud that poisons even Cyborgs. He is defeated by 004, who manages to shoot him in his weak spot.
- Cyborg 0012 - A woman who is actually a cyborg mansion. She was a foreginer beauty who died waiting for her husband who died in World War II, Black Ghost converted her abandoned mansion into a cyborg deathtrap, with her mind as the control and a doll who looks like the woman's true form as the main control. She controls everything in the house and can use holograms with her original looks to communicate with her victims. 007 is at first smitten with her and even after learning she is a killer cyborg, still holds sympathy for her and tries to help her, only to be shunned. She is defeated by 004, 007 and 009.
- Cyborg 0013 - A kind hearted cyborg. Even though he works for Black Ghosts he kills many of the assassins who are supposed to assist him (and are also the true assassins of Joe's mentor, who faced them when he discovered that they were using the kids of his orphanage as Guinea pigs), refuses to kill an old friend of Dr. Gilmore who has been taken hostage, and even helps 009 to save a little girl caught in the crossfire. He like 009 can accelerate using a switch, and controls a giant robot telepathically. Finally, he is defeated by 009 and decides to kills himself, thinking that's the only way he can escape from Black Ghost's control.
- The Psychic Assassins - In this arc that's exclusive from the 2001 anime, there's an Alternate Universe where Black Ghost has won the war against the Cyborgs, and the world is in perpetual war. Humans have developed psychic powers as self-defense and live in constant fear. A man named Nicholas, his girlfriend Lina, Lina's younger brother Phil and their friends Kane and Mai learn that, once upon a time, there was peace, and decide to time-travel to search for help. But during their time-jump, they lose sight of Nicholas and arrive, with their life energy completely drained, to the doorstep of Gamo, Ivan's estranged father. Hiding his connections with Black Ghost, he erases the kids' memories and turns them against Nicholas, who escaped such a treatment. After a wounded Nicholas is taken in by the Cyborgs and dies, the Psychic Assassins start fighting the Cyborgs; Lina, however, recovers her memories during the fight, and along with Joe she's sent back to the future. The Cyborgs (with the help of Mai and Phil, who have also recovered their memories) rescue them and return, finishing Gamo and a treacherous Kane off. Phil dies after using his powers to fatally injure Gamo, Ivan forgives his dying father, Lina and Kane disapperar in time during their duel, and Mai fades away.
- Black Ghost - The Tyrranical leader of the Black Ghost Organization (its main mission is to cause war between two global powers by dealing weapons). His true identity is not known because he wears a helmet, which looks like a skull, and an all-black suit (which appears to have what looks like ribs) followed by a red cape. Black Ghost was almost killed when the 9 cyborgs entred Black Ghost's Base (what they thought was Black Ghost HQ until later in the manga and anime)and set explosives leaving 009 and Black ghost to fight one-on-one(009 held on to black ghost whilst plumeting into what looked like a vat of liquid nitro and then 001 teleported 009 to safety). It is not known how Black Ghost survived the explosion. Also Black Ghost is apparently a cyborg himself (which is revealed in both the manga and anime) and the true leaders of the Black Ghost Organization turn out to be three brains (this is revealed in the final episode of the anime and the final page of the manga).
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Film versions
Cyborg 009 has been adapted for the screen in the form of three movies and three TV series.
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Movies
- Cyborg 009 (1966)
- Cyborg 009: Kaijuu Sensou (Monster War) (1967)
- Gekijouban Cyborg 009: Chou Ginga Densetsu (Cyborg 009 The Movie: Legend of the Super Galaxy) (1980)
- Cyborg 009 (live-action) (2008)
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TV Series
- "Cyborg 009" (1968) [26 episodes]
- "Cyborg 009" (1979) [50 episodes]
- "Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier" (2001) [50 episodes]
The 2001 version is distributed by Sony Pictures Television International
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North American releases
Chou Ginga Densetsu had a little-known direct-to-video English release in 1995 by Best Film and Video Corporation. More recently, the 2001 version was licensed by Avex Inc. (the North American branch of Avex Mode, the 2001 series' original distributor in Japan) and dubbed into English by Animaze and ZRO Limit Productions. The first 13 episodes of the show are currently available on DVD from Columbia TriStar Entertainment in both an uncut bilingual and a dub-only "cut" broadcast version. It has been released recently on DVD, both in original and in edited forms.
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Live-Action
On November 15 2005, Japan's Itochu group and Michael Uslan's American-based Comic Book Movie LLC annouced they were collaborating to produce a Hollywood film based on Shotaro Ishinomori's manga. Cyborg 009 was said to top the list of properties from the prolific manga-ka to be on the adaptation block, with a projected North American theatrical opening in 2008. Ishimori Entertainment was said to be connected with the joint production contract, and it would have a role in the selection of the work to be adapted. Filming is scheduled to start in 2006.
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