Cyborg 009
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Cyborg 009 (サイボーグ００９) is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. The original manga is published in English by TokyoPop.
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
- Joe Shimamura - Cyborg 009, and the main character/leader. Originally came from Japan, although he is actually half-Japanese. A delinquent youth, he escaped from a juvenile detention facility before being captured by Black Ghost. 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 high, 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. Joe's trademark aesthetic feature is his flowing, spiked hair, which always covers one of his eyes.
- Ivan Whisky - Cyborg 001. Ivan is a baby originally from Russia. His father, against the wishes of Ivan's mother, 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. (Technically, 001 is the only member of the team who is not actually a cyborg despite this designation.) 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.
- Jet Link - Cyborg 002. Jet was originally from New York City in the United States. Jet Link 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.) During a fight with a Puerto Rican gang, Jet stabbed one of the rival gang members, 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 member of the team.
- Francoise Arnoul - Cyborg 003. Francoise was originally from France. Her brother, a member of the Air Force, returned to Paris on a one-week leave, and Francoise 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. The only female member of the team, 003 rarely fights 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. She and 009 later form a romantic relationship.
- Albert Heinrich - Cyborg 004. Albert was originally from Germany. He and his wife 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). 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 fingertips contain small machine guns, his hands have 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.
- Geronimo Junior - Cyborg 005. Also called "G-Junior" for short, and was originally from an undisclosed part of the southwest United States. G-Junior is an Native American who was unable to find work due to widespread racism. He was approached to be an Indian 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. 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.
- Chang Chang-ku - 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. 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 who worked with him. Later he would become more famouse 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. With the possibility that she might be his, Great Brtian tries to talk to her but is unfortunately rejected and scorned for his past actions. 007 has the incredible ability to reshape his cellular structure at will, allowing him to become any object, creature, or person he wishes. 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, 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. 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.
- 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. 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, not only helping to formulate the team's plans but also assisting them with the nuances of their newfound mechanical bodies.
Film versions
Cyborg 009 has been adapted for the screen in the form of three movies and three TV series.
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)
TV Series
- "Cyborg 009" (1968) [26 episodes]
- "Cyborg 009" (1979) [50 episodes]
"Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier" (2001) [50 episodes]
Dub Cast
- Joe Shimamura: Joshua Seth
- Dr. Gaia, Joe Shimamura[A few episodes]: Derek Stephen Prince
Among hardcore 009 fans, the 1979 series is considered the best television adaptation, with the 2001 series following closely behind.
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. Whether or not the rest of the series will be released on DVD in North America remains unknown.
External links
- http://www.009.tv/ Official website - http://www.009.tv/en/ (English Version)ja:サイボーグ009
Categories: Manga | Anime