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Cyborg 009
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is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different magazines, including Monthly Shonen King, Weekly Shonen Magazine, Monthly Shonen Jump, COM, Weekly Shonen Sunday, Weekly Shonen Big Comic, SF Animedia, and Shojo Comic in Japan. The manga was published in English by TOKYOPOP with all the sound effects left out untranslated; 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.
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Encyclopedia
is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different magazines, including Monthly Shonen King, Weekly Shonen Magazine, Monthly Shonen Jump, COM, Weekly Shonen Sunday, Weekly Shonen Big Comic, SF Animedia, and Shojo Comic in Japan. The manga was published in English by TOKYOPOP with all the sound effects left out untranslated; 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 buyers with their choice of countless weapons of war and mass destruction.
Elements of this series would later find their way into Kamen Rider, another famous creation by Ishinomori (and by extension Himitsu Sentai Goranger, Ishinomori's first of his two Super Sentai TV series, in 1975). The plots are the same, except that the weekly threats are mutants, and there is just one hero (later two), as opposed to nine.
Characters
Protagonists
00 Cyborgs
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), performed numerous brain enhancement processes on Ivan that allowed his mental capacity to far exceed that of a normal human adult, against the wishes of Ivan's mother Erika (whom he even kills in the manga). 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 because he is still a baby and his body can barely handle such powers. He was one of the 00 Cyborgs who were frozen until more advanced technology and procedures were developed, he also acts as a leader to all 00 Cyborgs.
Jet was originally 001, but was replaced by Ivan. Jet comes from New York City in the United States and was the leader of the Jets 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 the Puerto Rican Sharks gang, Jet stabs 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 is also equipped with an early form of acceleration module, later refined in 009. He has a brash personality that often conflicts with his peers (in the 2001 series he's even hostile towards them at some points), but is nonetheless a loyal and good-hearted member of the team. A few of Jet's key traits is actually his famous long nose and pointy hair, both became sort of an icon with some character designs for many other shows and video games as they have characters that share those traits. He was one of the 00 Cyborgs who were frozen until more advanced technology and procedures were developed. Chronologically, he is in his 40/50s, since he was 18 years old when captured.
- Françoise Arnoul - Cyborg 003
Françoise was originally a ballet dancer from France. Her brother Jean-Paul, a member of the French 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 Black Ghost offers a fake professional dancing career so they can kidnap her.) She is 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 either directing the battle under Gilmore's guidance or caring for 001. She has enhanced vision and hearing, allowing her to see through walls and notice things that others cannot, and is also an excellent pilot, a good if reckless tactician 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 (where they were shown having sex, something quite uncommon in the '70s that they were naked) and the earlier series, and only implied at in the 2001 series. She was one of the 00 Cyborgs who were frozen until more advanced technology and procedures were developed; she's chronologically in her 50s, being 19 when captured.
- 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. In the 2001 series, upon waking up as a cyborg, Albert was stricken with despair and developed suicidal tendencies, worsened by the side effects of his modifications which caused him additional physical pain and strain. This ultimately forced Black Ghost to halt the cyborg program for decades, and put the existing cyborgs in suspended animation until technology developed far enough to make future cyborg soldiers more stable. Of all of the first 4 00-Cyborgs, Albert is the one who has had the most cybernetic modification. His right fingertips contain 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 in a certain direction to save himself, but he then jumps in a different direction to save some birds caught up in their battle. The confusion of the robot underscores 004's humanity.) He was the last of the 00 Cyborgs who were frozen until more advanced technology and procedures were made and is chronologically the oldest of the group, being already 30 years old when captured. He appears as a playable character in Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation.
- Geronimo Jr. - Cyborg 005
Also called "G-Junior" for short, he was originally from an undisclosed part of the southwest United States. G-Junior is a Native American who was unable to find work because of widespread racism. At age 26, he was approached to be a 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 freelance construction worker bribed into accepting a very promising job offer by disguised Black Ghost agents). 005 was the first created when Black Ghost resumed its cyborg soldier program. Physically, he is the strongest as well as the biggest of the 00 Cyborgs; he also has heavily armored skin, evidence of Black Ghost's technological evolution since 004. 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 people's thoughts. He appears as a playable character in Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation.
Chang was originally from China. He was an impoverished Chinese farmer in his early 40s who once owned a pig farm; almost all of his pigs ran away and he was starving and suffering under heavy taxes. 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 (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 he loses everything else. Black Ghost agents pick him up when he faints.) 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 (G.B.) - 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 2001 TV series, Great Britain was in love with an actress named Sophie, who worked with him. Later he became more famous and gradually ignored 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 (Rosa believed him to have betrayed Sophie), to be redeemed only in the end when he replaces a main actor in Rosa's theatrical play and manages to befriend her. 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 use sneaky maneuvers and attacks. Although he is the oldest of the second generation cyborgs, being in his late 40s when kidnapped, 007 is probably the most lighthearted one and is a very amiable guy to boot. Giving credence to his personality as a comic relief, there is a running gag where Great Britain often takes the form of a precocious, almost super deformed, child; he would act as a spoiled child fearing for own life amidst his fellow Cyborgs even during combat. In the 1960s anime versions, he is a child rather than an adult, in an attempt by the producers to appeal to a younger audience. Though Ishinomori initially disapproved of this, he later temporarily mirrored it in the manga version by having Gilmore alter 007's body to make the child form his standard form. His nationality in combination with his number is an obvious reference to Ian Fleming's famous British spy character James Bond.
Pyunma was originally from an undisclosed part of Africa. Originally, 23-years-old Pyunma 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. Pyunma is 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 an effective and ingenious use in a fight.)
In the original 1960s incarnations, Pyuma's design was inspired in the darky iconography of American cartoons, (he has big pink lips), as well in the original manga, and the 1970s series. In the 80s Movie Chou Ginga Densetsu, where Pyuma was redesigned as a less caricature version of himself and this same revamped design was updated for the 2001 series.
- Cyborg 009, and the main character/leader
Joe aka 009 is 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, after his father disappeared and his mother died on the steps at his childbirth, he was an orphan taken in by a Catholic priest from Kanazawa along with their street friends (Mary Onodera (perhaps a tribute to Shotaro Ishinomori, his birth name being Shotaro Onodera), Shin'ichi Ibaraki and Masaru Oyamada), then when he turned 18 his mentor was killed by Black Ghost members after they used a group of children that he raised in the church as guinea pigs for the Cyborg project; Joe was wrongfully blamed, then captured by the priest's killers and made into Cyborgs. In the 1960s film versions, Joe was a famous racer, nicknamed "Hurricane Joe", who gets into a crash and is recovered by Black Ghost (similar to 004's origin). Although Joe 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 that everything else looks like a statue to him (because of an advanced version of 002's acceleration module); 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 his girlfriend in the group, 003 (Françoise Arnoul),who fell in love with him, later form a romantic relationship that is more explicit in the manga (where they were shown having sex, something quite uncommon in the '70s ) and the earlier series, and only implied at in the 2001 series. Also, other girls have shown some degree of romantic interest in him, like Lady Tamara in the 1979 movie, Helen the Pu'Awak princess in the 2001 series, and Princess Ishuki in both manga and the 2001 series. Arguably, Artemis the Greek Goddess of the 2001 series may have had some feelings for him, though those also fit as non-romantic bonding because of their origins. He appears as a playable character in Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation.
A possible origin for Joe is also suggested in the 2007 anime The Skull Man , in the epilogue when the character Kiriko Mamiya is seen holding a baby with Joe's trademark hairstyle and regrettably handing him over to an old woman. She then looks mournfully at a picture of Hayato Mikogami, suggesting he might be the father. Since it is also suggested that Hayato is Skull in 009, this effectively suggests that Skull is Joe's father
Humans
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.
In the 1979 series it is revealed that he and fellow scientist Reinhardt was captured and forced to work on Operation Superman (possibly the first cyborg project ever) for the Nazi regiem during the 1940s. Gilmore when learned of, was disgusted by the fact that he was working on Hitler's secret project decided to escape. He was aided by the chaos created by an Allied strike on the laboratory he was working in and managed to escape in the confusion.
In the 2001 series, the calm and perceptive Koizumi is Gilmore's old friend from before he joined Black Ghost, and also is doctor specialized in biochemistry (it's hinted he may be even Nobel Prize level). His mansion in the outskirts of Tokyo became the Cyborg's HQ during the first episodes; Koizumi not only helped develop the antidote for a poison that affected the Cyborgs, but also aided 004 when he was starting to doubt himself again, and was the first person to notice how Gilmore and the Cyborgs were becoming more of a family than merely a group of fighters. He was kidnapped by Black Ghost, and the Cyborgs had to rescue him by fighting and defeating 0012 and 0013; after that, he remained a good friend of the team.
Antagonists
Black Ghost
Skull
The tyrannical 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. His given name is, according to some sources, Skull. A possible origin for him exists in the 2007 anime adaptation of The Skull Man in which main character Hayato is revived and takes up an appearance almost exactly like that of Skull.
Skull was almost killed when the 9 cyborgs entered 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. It is revealed that Black Ghost is not only a cyborg, but a highly advanced cyborg, soundly defeating 009 using his superior acceleration mode. Only a last ditch effort managed to save the nine cyborgs (009 held on to Black Ghost whilst plummeting into what looked like a vat of liquid nitrate and then 001 teleported 009 to safety). It is not known how Black Ghost survived the explosion.
In addition to Black Ghost apparently being a cyborg himself (which is revealed in both the manga and anime), 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 pages of the manga).
Although the 3 brains were destroyed in the end, they claim to be only a part of the entire Black Ghost organization. They claim that the Black Ghost organization were universal and they were just the leaders of the Earth branch of Black Ghost.
00 Cyborgs
- Cyborg 0010 +/-~Twin brothers transformed into cyborgs. They are the first assassin cyborgs sent after the heroes. They can accelerate like 009 using the switch in their teeth and with the help of their eyes can fire thunderbolts. Their weakness lies in their opposite polarities: one brother being positive (0010+), the other negative (0010-): should they come into contact, they would annihilate each other. It is this that leads to their eventual downfall, an event caused by 001 and 009. Their ability to channel electricity shorts out if they are doused in water; however, they may still use their electrical attacks as long as they work in tandem and one remains dry.
- Cyborg 0011 - A giant black mechanical spider-like cyborg. He was a normal man whose 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 succeeds, but after 0011 falls into the sea he returns, his mind now being controlled by Black Ghost, 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 reluctantly; he had hoped to reason with 0011 first, but wasn't heard.
- Cyborg 0012 - A beautiful woman who is actually a cyborg mansion. She was a rich, noble-born foreigner lady who only lived (and eventually died) waiting for her husband, who died in World War II; eventually Black Ghost converted her abandoned mansion into a cyborg deathtrap, with her mind locked inside of 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 in the shape of a pudgy, mute boy in his mid-to-late teens. Even though he works for Black Ghost, he kills many of the assassins who are supposed to assist him (one of whom was the true assassin of Joe's mentor, who had faced them when he discovered that they were using the children 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. Like 009, he can accelerate using a switch, but to a level where it appears there is more than one of him. He is also telepathically connected to a giant robot which can become invisible. After he is defeated by 009, 0013 decides to kill himself by destroying the robot, believing that that was the only way to escape from Black Ghost's control. Before he dies, he asks what 009's real name is; 009 answers and asks the same thing, but unfortunately, 0013 dies before he can answer. Dr. Gilmore viewed him as a prospect of joining the team; in fact, he appears in the first ED of the series dressed in the Cyborgs' red uniform.
- Cyborg -004 - A mini story arc in the 2001 anime, this cyborg is a duplicate of 004 and can predict all of 004's moves. This assassin is equipped with enhanced versions of 004's weapons, making it a serious threat. -004 was defeated when it launched a missile that nearly struck a bird's nest. -004's computer lead it to believe that 004 would simply dodge the missile in order to survive, but instead 004 jumps to save the bird's nest, throwing off -004's computer, leaving him open to attack. The final battle ensued in a court yard of the castle they've currently been fighting in; 004 gets the best of -004 and backs him up against a tree whilst a huge lighting bolt strikes the tree with -004 touching it, ultimately causing -004 to blow up.
Humans
- Dr. Gamo - 001's father, an ex brain surgeon who went mad after not being able to nurse his seriously ill child back to health, and gave him up to Black Ghost. When the Psychic Assassins came, he was retired, old, and very, very wrinkled; he pretended to sympathize with their plea, but erases their memories and makes them Black Ghost's puppets, determined to get 001 back and settle his old scores with his former rival, Isaac Gilmore. He's ultimately killed by Phil, who uses his powers to give him a heart attack; still, he manages to make peace with Ivan just before dying.
Cyborg Men
A group of mass produced cyborg men who help try to spark a war in 008's home country. They wear black suits, which also cover their face with red goggles and an air tube which they appear to need for survival. They usually ride in black tanks. Their leader is Number 1, who is 008's old friend, Masmado. He rides a black saucer with laser shooting tentacles which can detach as robotic snakes. He appears to have lost his good heart after the brainwashing he was put through, so he is defeated by a very reluctant 008 after he fails to convince him.
The Greek gods
Beings who claim to be the gods who have come to Earth to destroy it, so they may end war and rebuild the world. They themselves do not know they are cyborgs due to their brainwashing. They dress in white Greek clothes with capes and live on a far away island just off the coast of Greece. They were created by Dr. Gaia who erased their memories and led them to believe they were gods so they would cause destruction and confusion instead of peace. Dr. Gaia is killed by Apollo during the destruction of the island.
- Apollo - The leading figure in this group, he is very arrogant and destructive. He is the older brother to Artemis and prefers destruction, but is often swayed to a different course of action by his more compassionate sister, whom he dearly loves. He has flaming red hair and he rides in a chariot led by two winged horses (the Pegasi). He also has the ability to create powerful fire attacks strong enough to destroy cities, leaving only a crater. He also has the power to accelerate which he used against 009. He is killed in the destruction of the island, after he shoots Gaia to death for killing Artemis. He is the god of the sun.
- Minotaur - A powerful fighter who serves as Apollo's left hand man and is completely devoted to him. He has a bull's head, with a strange mark on his head and horns that can fire powerful lightning bolts. He is killed in the destruction of the island.
- Achilles - Another powerful fighter who serves as Apollo's right hand man. He too serves Apollo, but has some doubts of Artemis' mercy. He is a humanoid panther who carries a long sword and shield capable of firing powerful energy blasts. He also has an acceleration mode which is activated by the balancers on his shoes. He is defeated by 009 with some help from little Pan. He is mostly known in the phrase, "The secret of Achilles heel."
- Neptune - A powerful sea being who will destroy anyone in his underwater domain. He is always seen in water and he appears to not be able to speak. He resembles a massive man with a white beard, fins behind his ears, and the lower half of a fish. He appears to be able to stay underwater indefinitely and even control it. He is killed in the destruction of the island. He is the god of the sea.
- Hera - The queen of all Gods, she distrusts Artemis' change of heart and views it as a weakness. She wears a golden crown, has purple skin, and her eyes glow when she uses her powers. She is a psychic like 001. She is killed in the early stages of the destruction, after a psychic duel with 001.
- Artemis - Apollo's beautiful younger sister, she appears to have doubts about killing off the world, although she will do what her duty requires. She is often the voice of reason and dislikes unnecessary violence. Her two companions are Atlas and Pan. She has long, dark blue flowing hair of which a single large lock always covers one of her eyes, with a gold band around her head. She carries a bow which can create powerful energy arrows. She is mortally wounded by Dr. Gaia, but lives long enough to stop Apollo from killing 009 and dies in his arms after warning him about Gaia's treachery. She is the goddess of the hunt.
- Atlas - A constant companion of Artemis, he is large and green mechanical-like being who towers over all and possesses amazing strength. He is always fighting with Pan over the affection of Artemis. Aside from his strength, he can fire missiles and other armaments from his chest. After his mistress' death, he is killed in the destruction of the island.
- Pan - A small child-like being who is another constant companion of Artemis, for whom he shares great affection. He too can not speak but often whimpers and moans. He later grows an affection for 003 when she bandages him up, even helping save her from Achilles. He looks like a young child with a single horn and legs like a goat. He appears to have no special abilities. He is killed in the destruction of the island. Technically, he is the god of goats, though it isn't shown in the anime or the manga.
- Nereus - A strange hippo god who appears to serve no purpose. He usually runs away and seems to contribute nothing to the team. It is wondered why he was built. He has no abilities or power. He is killed in the destruction of the island.
The Psychic Assassins
In this arc that's exclusive to 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 of different kind as self-defense, and even then they live in constant fear.
A young 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 Whisky, Ivan/001's estranged father. Hiding his connections with Black Ghost, he erases the kids' memories and pits them against the Cyborgs to retrieve his child, prove his theories about psychic powers right, and defeat his old rival Gilmore's team. After the Assassins turn against a non-brainwashed Nicholas and one of them kills him, they fight the Cyborgs.
Slowly after each regains their memory, they join the Cyborgs after they rescue 009 and Lina from the future, to fight against Gamo and a treacherous Kane. Gamo is fatally wounded and 001 forgives his father before he dies, since he remembers that Gamo's madness started after he failed to cure Ivan's old birth disease. They each have telepathic abilities, telekinesis, psychic barriers and can teleport at will.
- Nicholas - Was the only psychic to escape Gamo's brainwashing; during the time-jump the others lost sight of him, so he escaped the treatment. He was Lina's boyfriend. He arrives wounded, to warn the Cyborgs, but is killed by the Psychic Assassins; using their telekinetic powers, one of them lifts him up in the air and snaps his neck in front of the horrified Gilmore, 003, 006, 007 and 009. He has black hair and wears normal clothes, and though he's not seen in action he is assumed to have the same powers as the other Assassins without the de-aging process.
- Lina - She is truly kind at heart and is the first to regain her memory, but then she is sent back with 009 to the future. Her boyfriend is Nicholas, and Phil is her younger brother. She has long thick white hair which she lets flow out. She is the first to regain her memory, which is latent in her subconscious mind for a long time, and the recovery is triggered by seeing Nicholas' pendant in Joe's hands. This causes her mind to be in sync with 009 which causes her to time-jump with him and fully reject the brainwashing. She disappears in time with Kane during their duel.
- Kane - The only Psychic Assassin who appears to be evil before Gamo's brainwashing, he loves to fight because he enjoys the thrill of possible death, and says that the Cyborgs do not have to worry about him due to his human body. He has the ability to use his psychic powers to speed himself up to keep up with 009's acceleration mode. He has black hair with red tips and a monocle that covers his uncovered eye. He is the only one not to in the end join the Cyborgs, and then he tries to destroy the other Assassins. He disappears in time with Lina during their duel, and following his own words he also was the one who killed Nicholas.
- Mai - She along with Phil later regains her memory and joins the Cyborgs to go to the future and find Lina and 009. She has purple hair and she has a very thick fringe. She has the ability Sync Warp which allows her to send a group through time as long as their minds are in sync. She is the last Assassin left in the end and she simply fades away since her background has changed. She and Lina also have Telepathic Mimicry in which they can falsely communicate telepathically with another person's voice.
- Phil - He along with Mai later regains her memory and joins the Cyborgs to go to the future and find Lina and 009. He is Lina's little brother and the youngest of the group, because of this he hates being treated as weak and always tries to show his strength. He has green hair and wears a yellow-ish suit. Being the youngest he also appears to be the most vulnerable to the ageing process that affects the Assassins due to the time-jump. He dies after using his powers to fatally injure Gamo, calling out to his sister.
The Yomi Kingdom
Deep buried in the Earth's grounds, the Yomi kingdom and its inhabitants, the Pu'Awak, have been enslaved by the dinosaur race known as the Ath-hans, who treat them as slaves and use their natural fertility to keep them as living food supplies. Black Ghost, or more specifically Skull and his underling Klaus Von Bogoot, suddenly appear to trick the Pu'Awaks into following them to fight for freedom, and they choose five Pu'Awake noble-born sisters as their subordinates. However, the girls (Venus, Helen, Daphne, Aphros and Diana) are soon disenchanted, and decide to join the Cyborgs instead to reach for true freedom.
- Venus - The oldest of the sisters, she has a tiara with blue jewels and wears a modern outfit wth blue pants and shirt, and is pretty much the leader of the quintet. Through the other girls' eyes, she can see everything that they see, therefore when Helen's memories are erased and is sent as a spy, Venus uses this psychic link to relay information to Von Bogoot. When Helen is caught in the crossfire and Von Bogoot refuses to rescue her, Venus defects and guides the Cyborg team to Yomi. At first, she and 004 dislike each other intensely (Albert can't forgive her for using Helen, and also doesn't trust her motives), but as the story progresses, they learn to understand each other better, despite Venus's increasing pessimism about the whole matter. She's later shot to death along with her sisters by Von Bogoot and dies in Albert's arms, just like Hilda.
- Aphros - The second sister, she wears a white gown and a tiara with green jewels. She doesn't speak too much, but despite this she's very assertive and opinionated. She discovers Daphne's treachery and harshly lectures her, but ends up forgiving her due to Diana's pleas. She also dies after being shot by Von Bogoot.
- Diana - Third Pu'Awak sister, her tiara has pink jewels. Very quiet and gentle, she manages to make Daphne explain why did she betray their plan. She also dies after being shot by Von Bogoot.
- Daphne - Fourth Pu'Awak sister she has a tiara with purple beads and is the most insecure of the groups. She's so distraught about the high failure possibility of her sisters' plans that she betrays them to Von Bogoot, leaking info about their alliance with the Cyborgs. After Diana and Aphros unmask her, she has a change of heart and joins them fully, freeing Gilmore and some of the cyborgs when they're captured by Black Ghost, only to be killed by Von Bogoot along with her sisters.
- Helen - The fifth and youngest Pu'Awak sister, her tiara had red jewels and she also wears a short blue dress. She had her memories partially erased by Black Ghost and was sent towards the Cyborgs as an unwilling spy, with Venus monitoring her through their psychic link. Sweet-tempered and frail due to her lack of memories, she doesn't recover until almost the end of the arc, after a brief brainwashing courtesy of the Ath-hans; overcoming her own fears and shock, Helen guides 009, 001, 002, 003 and 005 to the Yomi Kingdom, saving Venus and 004 from being executed, but later she and her sister die at the hands of Von Bogoot and the kingdom collapses in the upcoming fight. 004 treated her harshly in the first episodes since 008 was seriously injured by the dinosaurs released by Black Ghost and Helen's loyalties still weren't fully revealed. She grew rather fond of 009, the one who believed in her the most; 003 was distraught for this, but tried to not hold it up against Helen herself, and was the one who mourned her the most after she died.
Others
- Princess Ishuki. A lonely Cyborg shaped as a beautiful songstress, who guards a golden pyramid in the Andes along with a blood-thirsty robot named Kabrakan. She's not evil, though; actually, Ishuki longs for company but isn't allowed to meet other people, since the pyramid must be hidden from the world. She and the pyramid can only be seen when the wind blows through a rock portal in the mountain; however, every time Ishuki is given the chance to interact with humans, they try to steal the treasures sealed in the place, so Kabrakan attacks them and kills them before Ishuki can do anything to stop him and convince her "visitors" to leave the riches alone.
- In the 2001 anime, one of Kabrakan's victims was an old friend of 007, so the Cyborgs go to the Andes to investigate; 009 is separated from the others and meets up Ishuki, whom he expresses sympathy for, while the others find the corpses of the scientists and believe Ishuki to be evil. Kabrakan attacks them and the issue is cleared, but in the brawl the rock portal is destroyed and Ishuki, the pyramid and Kabrakan's remains disappear from the world.
- Sphynx. A super computer which is the heart and mind of the cyber city Compu-Utopia, built by a friend of Gilmore named Dr. Eckermann. Unbeknownst to Eckermann, the computer has a mind of its own modeled after the scientist's late son, Carl, a brilliant yet emotionally-stunted engineer who died in an accident before Compu-Utopia was finished.
- Confused, angry and depressed, Carl took over the Sphynx and attacked the Cyborgs, specially 004 who had expressed his doubts about Compu-Utopia; he also fell in love with 003, who greatly reminded of his dead mother, and kidnapped her to try brainwashing her into staying with him forever. When 009 went to rescue his kidnapped friend, Carl sent a doppelganger of 003 to kill Joe by self-detonation; however, she chose to blow herself up instead of hurting him, and 002 had to show the deceit to a distraught 009.
- With Dr. Eckerman's help, 009 hooked himself up to the same device 003's body was connected to and reached for her mind, set in a virtual fantasy world; they tried to help Carl and set him free from the Sphynx, but he was so distraught that he shut himself off completely and destroyed the Sphynx.
Manga
1st (1964-65)
Serialized in Weekly Shonen King (Shonen Gahosha). It depicts the 009 origin story, the escape from Black Ghost, and running from cyborg assassins. It was briefly ended with the battle with the Mythos Cyborgs story.
At that time it may have been too early to use Cyborgs as the subject for a shonen manga, leading to its cancellation, but after the release of the film version and a special side story, the series gained popularity.
2nd (1966)
The Underground Empire Yomi Arc. Appeared in Weekly Shonen Magazine (Kodansha) alongside the release of the film version. The story is highly influenced by Edgar Rice Burroughs' Earth's Core series, including an expedition to the center of the Earth with a drill tank and a reptile race who can use telepathy and grow wings. The story ends with the final battle against Black Ghost. Although the series continues past this point, many fans consider this the true final chapter to the series. The final scene has 009 and 002 falling into the earth's atmosphere and being seen as a shooting star by a small child, reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's Kaleidoscope.
3rd (1967-69)
Serialized in Bokeno (Akita Shoten). It contained 6 story arcs, including the Monster Island Arc, the Middle East Arc, and the Angels Arc. The series abruptly ended during the Angels Arc.
4th (1970)
The Battle of the Gods Arc. Serialized in COM (Mushi Production). Ishinomori resumed and retold the interrupted Angels Arc with a new plot, but the series once again ended abruptly. Ishinomori would not resume the series for a few years after this.
5th (1975-76)
Serialized in Shojo Comic (Shogakukan). Included the Wind City Arc, the Snow Carnival Arc, and the Edda Arc. Black Ghost does not appear, and instead the story deals with legendary and mythical like characters challenging the 00 Number Cyborgs.
6th (1977-79)
Connected to the 5th work. Arcs such as the Deinonychus Arc (appeared in Monthly Shonen Jump (Shueisha)) and Green Hole Arc (appeared in Play Comic (Akita Shoten)) were depicted, then after a long time the Underwater Pyramid Arc was serialized in Monthly Manga Shonen (Asahi Sonorama).
7th (1979-80)
Serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday (Shogakukan) to go with the revival anime. A long arc consisting of many short arcs, this series dealt with the battle against Neo Black Ghost as well as the emotional trauma of the 00 Number Cyborgs. The story is set approximately 20 years after the Yomi Arc, and the personalities and conduct of the cyborgs are depicted as more adult.
8th (1985)
People Drifting Through Time and Space Arc. A long arc serialized in SF Animedia (Gakken). A sequel to the Immigration Arc. The Count of St. Germain from the Underwater Pyramid Arc appears, but his design is different.
Ishinomori's death made this the last work of the series, although it is not the final chapter.
Anime
Cyborg 009 has been adapted for the screen in the form of three movies and three TV series.
1966-68
Movies
Cyborg 009
- Released: July 21, 1966
- Color, 64 minutes
- Producer: Hiroshi Okawa (uncredited)
- Planning: Seitaro Seki, Akira Hirasawa, Takashi Iijima, Yoshifumi Hatano
- Writer: Takashi Iijima, Yugo Serikawa
- Director: Yugo Serikawa
- Music: Taichiro Kosugi
- Released: march 19, 1967
- Color, 60 minutes
- Producer: Hiroshi Okawa
- Planning: Seitaro Seki, Akira Hirasawa, Yoshifumi Hatano
- Writer: Takashi Iijima, Yugo Serikawa, Daisaku Shirakawa
- Director: Yugo Serikawa
- Music: Taichiro Kosugi
Theme Song
- (Lyrics: Masahisa Urushibara, Composer, Arrangement: Taichiro Kosugi, Singer: Tokyo Meister Singer)
Cast
TV Anime
- April 5, 1968~September 27, 1968, 26 episodes
- NET-TV, Fridays, 7:30 pm~8:00 pm
- Black & White
- Planning: Shinichi Miyazaki, Shoji Eto, Yoshifumi Hatano
- Screenplay: Masaki Tsuji, Masaru Igami, Hiroshi Ozawa, Junya Sato, Susumu Takaku, Yugo Serikawa, Toyohiro Ando
- Direction: Yugo Serikawa, Takeshi Tamiya, Tomoharu Katsumata, Toshio Katsuda, Taiji Yabushita, Ryozo Tanaka, Yoshikata Nitta, Kazuya Miyazaki, Fusahiro Nagaki, Minoru Okazaki, Yoshio Takami
- Animation Director:Keiichiro Kimura,Kenzo Koizumi,Tetsuhiro Wakabayashi,Makoto Kokubo,Koichi Murata,Shinya Takahashi,Tsuguyuki Kubo
- Visual Arts:Tomoo Fukumoto,Shigeyoshi Endo
- Music: Taichiro Kosugi
- Music Director: Shigeru Miyashita
Theme Songs
- Opening: Song of Cyborg 009 (Lyrics: Masahisa Urushibara, Composer, Arrangement: Taichiro Kosugi, Singer: Tokyo Meister Singer)
- Ending: (Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori, Composer, Arrangement: Taichiro Kosugi, Singer: Vocal Shop)
Cast
- 009: Katsuji Mori (as Setsuya Tanaka)
- 001: Fuyumi Shiraishi
- 002: Ryo Ishihara
- 003: Hiroko Suzuki
- 004: Hiroshi Otake/Kenji Utsumi
- 005: Hiroshi Masuoka
- 006: Ichiro Nagai
- 007: Machiko Soga
- 008: Keiichi Noda
- Professor Gilmore: Joji Yanami
- Guests: Syuichi Kazamatsuri,Yukari Asai,Kosaku Sugiura,Kunihiko Kitagawa,Kosei Tomita,Nana Yamaguchi,Ryuji Saikachi,Keiko Watanabe,Keiko Yamamoto,Mariko Mukai,Kiyoko Yajima,Akira Shimada,Reiko Katsura,Osamu Ichikawa,Yoko Kuri,Junji Chiba,Takuzo Kamiyama,Masako Nozawa,Koji Yada,Toshiya Ogata,Kiyoshi Komiyama,Yoshiko Takayama,Michiko Nomura,Junko Hori
1979-80
TV Anime
- March 6, 1979~March 25, 1980, 50 Episodes
- TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
Theme Songs
Cast
Film
- Released: December 20, 1980
- 130 minutes
Theme Song
- (Lyrics: Michio Yamagami, Composer: Koichi Morita, Arrangement: Reijiro Koroku, Singer: Yoshito Machida)
Cast
2001-02
TV Anime
- October 14, 2001~October 13, 2002, 51 Episodes
- TV Tokyo, Sundays at 6:30 pm
Theme Songs
"What's the Justice?" by Globe (eps. 1-51)
- "Genesis of Next" by Globe (eps. 1-26)
- "Starting from Here" by Globe (eps. 27-39)
- "I do" by Fayray (eps. 40-51)
Cast
Episodes
- Season 1
| # | Title | Original airdate(TV Tokyo 1st. run) |
|---|
- Season 2
| # | Title | Original airdate(TV Tokyo 1st. run) |
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| # | Title | Original airdate(TV Tokyo 1st. run) |
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International Releases
The 1979 version aired in Italy and became popular with Italian viewers.
The 2001 version aired on MBC 3 several times starting from 2005 and became extremely popular with Arab viewers.
North American releases
The 1979 series was broadcast with English subtitles on Japanese-language television in the New York City area. The English subtitles were produced by San Francisco-based, Fuji Television, which did not broadcast the series as part of its Japanese programming on KEMO-TV.
Chou Ginga Densetsu had a little-known direct-to-video English release in 1995 by Best Film and Video Corporation. Before that, it had been released stateside in 1988 by Celebrity Home Entertainment as Defenders of the Vortex. 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 8 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, though as of 2009, none of the other episodes have become available in the US.
Other
- Two video games based on the series were released only in Japan. One of them was an action platformer released for the Super Famicom by BEC, in which each level one of the eight adult cyborgs (001 is not playable) is selected as the leader of a strike force for a particular mission and the player is allowed to choose two others to accompany them. This formula is quite similar to the NES G.I. Joe videogame. The other game (released by Telenet Japan's subsidiary Riot) was for the Sega Mega-CD and is also a side scroller.
- Ishinomori worked on a twelve-part comic based on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past that ran monthly in Nintendo Power magazine for one year. Revising the story considerably, he included an original character named Roam, who bears a striking resemblance to Jet Link/002.
- In the 1990s manga The Skull Man, Joe/009 makes an appearance in Chapter 36 in a chance meeting with Ryuusei Chisato, the Skull Man. Both discuss the nature of evil and humanity over coffee, and meet (again by chance) when the Skull Man stops a dirty deal by politicians going on at the docks.
- In the 2007 anime, The Skull Man was set up as a pseudo prequel of Cyborg 009. Joe/009 appears in the last episode, as Hayato Mikogami and Kiriko Mamiya's son. Also, Hayato himself was turned into the Black Skull after the final battle with a human attempting to usher a new humanity.
- In the 1997 anime King of Braves GaoGaiGar, the character Soldato J is a tribute to Jet Link/002, sharing his love of flight, acceleration mode, and characteristic nose. J's number in the Corps to which he belongs is 002, further reinforcing this link.
External links
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