So you want a CYBORG ongoing solo title?

[daBronzeBomma]

Well, you're in luck! That's what we're here to discuss!


To be clear, this is NOT a Cyborg/Vic Stone appreciation thread (already have one of those).

We're NOT looking behind at Cyborg's pre-New52 comics career from 1980 - 2010 (30 freaking years).

We're NOT looking sideways at Cyborg's various animated career from 1985 - present (almost 30 freaking years).

We're NOT looking ahead at Cyborg's upcoming movie roles in the DC Shared Cinematic Universe.


What we ARE doing is looking at the current framework of the New52 DCU (2011 - present) and trying to figure out how to best put together a successful CYBORG ongoing solo title.

So, this is more a "How should/would a Cyborg solo ongoing series come about and what should be in it" thread.



Let's start at the top, with CYBORG's potential creative team:

Who should write it?

Who should pencil it?

Who should ink it?

Who should color it?

Who should letter it?

Who should edit it?



Next up, the central heroic themes:

What is Cyborg all about?

What does Cyborg uniquely represent?

What is Cyborg's personality?

What are Cyborgs powers and skills exactly?

Where is Cyborg based and what is his HQ like?

What is the scope of Cyborg's activities?

What does Cyborg do when not heroing?



Finally, Vic's potential supporting cast and rogues:

Who is/are his love interest(s)?

Who is/are his best friend(s) and protege(s)?

Who is/are his family?

Who is/are his colleagues?

Who is his arch-enemy?

Who is/are the rest of his personal rogues gallery?



All these questions need to be asked and answered BEFORE we can have a CYBORG #1 monthly hit the stands!

[Desh]

Someone would have to build him near from the ground up (no pun intended), because as it stands now (to my understanding) that character doesn't really have... much of a world at all. That's not to say he couldn't be given one, but in the current market, he's got a lot to go up against. To top it off, he's a minority hero, and to top it off further, he offers little in the way of wish fulfillment, and he's not known for having any ongoing series, so I'm of the opinion that it would be a big task to get that character to succeed today by himself. Pretty much a monumental one.

[FanboyStranger]

As always, it would depend on the creative team, but I do think it's the right time for a Cyborg push. He's in Justice League, has appearances in other media, and while he's a known commodity, he hasn't been overexposed to the point that you can only use him in certain kinds of stories. The merging of technology and humanity is always an interesting and relevant theme, so there's a definite hook to entice people who are looking for more than fights.

Warren Ellis seems tailor-made for the book if it's going to explore the man/machine dichotomy, but I doubt you could get him for more than a few issues. Len Kaminski is a guy who has always done well with technological elements, but he hasn't written anything in comics for years and I don't think he's a big enough name. Simon Oliver would be great, but he's never done an in-universe book. Any one of the 2000AD guys currently working in the N American market-- Spurrier, Ewing, Williams.

[Billy Batson]

Joshua Dysart. Too bad he's a Valiant exclusive.

[Robotman]

DC/WB have recently spent a lot of time and money promoting him to "the A list" of the DCU. If they were to release a Cyborg solo book and it failed it would be a massive disaster and huge embarrassment. Very few characters not associated with Batman, Superman, and GL can sustain a solo. So the only way a Cyborg series would survive would be with a big name creative team. You know Johns wants to be the guy to do it since he's been the master mind behind Cybrog's push. But WB higher ups don't want him to write more than 2 books a month. So who knows when he'll have the time.

[Jabare]

the most common complaints about Cyborg are a direct result of him not having a solo or mini series focus, and they could easily be rectified by giving him one.

the other complaints are aesthetic based, which tend to be subjective and aren't really a big deal in terms of comic illustration or cartoons etc. Live action is a different story, but seeing as we are looking at say 3 years plus before we see Cyborg in live action there's nothing really to discuss.






To the OP's questions here are my answers.


Let's start at the top, with CYBORG's potential creative team:

Who should write it?


Depends. Do you want a good comic or something that will sell. If you want the later go for a big name like Morrison, Johns, Waid (would never happen but just an example). If you just want a good comic there are a lot of writers up for the task. My suggestions would be. Bryan Q Miller, Al Ewing, Christopher Priest, David Liss

Who should pencil it?
Ivan Resi and Gene Ha draw the best New 52 Cyborg imo but I think there are other pencilers who could do a great job. I think a Cyborg book would need a super detailed artist. So other names I'd suggest would be Mike Deodato, Ben Oliver, Greg Land, David Aja. dudes like that
Who should ink it?

Who should color it?
A good colorist, sorry but I rarely pay attention to colorists which is a shame because they are pretty integrap to good comics.
Who should letter it?
Don't care
Who should edit it?
Someone good. I don't think fans have a good guage on who the good and bad editors are and how much impact they have on titles.



Next up, the central heroic themes:


What is Cyborg all about? What does Cyborg uniquely represent?
Cyborg is a character born out of tragedy and resentment, who must reconcile with his circumstances and father and grow from their. He's the first Cyborg a character that brings us to question the very notion of humanity. End of the day all the tech and bells and whistles that surround Cyborg are cool but at his core he's a brilliant young men, striving to overcome his disability and find his place in the world. A Cyborg title should be one of discovery and cell introspeciton, but its also a superhero book so you wrap it in adventure.

What is Cyborg's personality?
Cyborg's a character that evolves overtime, not just externally but psychologically. Pre-New 52 he started off as that angry teen mad at the world and he was justified. Than he became a hero. New 52 Cyborg is a scholar and a star athlete, whose dreams a cruelly robbed from him after his horriffic injury. He started out as despondent and kind of depressed. Now I think he's come to terms more with who he is and wants to be. So he's more upbeat and optimistic and thats probably the best way to approach things.

What are Cyborgs powers and skills exactly?


Cybernetics
Cyborg possesses cybernetic enhancements that provide superhuman strength, endurance and durability. Cyborg can also interface with computers. Built into his body-armor were an infrared eye, computer generator, sound amplifier, and special programming adapters that allowed him to interface with other body extensions.

Shape-Change: (formerly) He also has virtually unlimited shape-changing ability, and can mimic even air or space vehicles. He can reshape his entire body or parts of it and can form such complex shapes as a tank a bicycle or even a gun and simple forms as a cloud or a spring.

Body Resistance: The nature of Cyborg's body provides him with natural body armor offering resistance versus physical damage and energy attacks.

Superhuman Strength: At optimal capacity, Vic can lift/press in excess of four metric tons. If he pushes himself, he can even exceed five tons, but not without causing severe stress to his cybernetic components. Cyborg's upper strength limits have fluctuated with upgrades to his systems over time.

Superhuman Speed: He possessed a degree of superspeed and could leap great distances.

Superhuman Endurance

Superhuman Durability: His bones are reinforced with molybdenum-steel.

Computer Interfacing - Cyborg has been shown to be able to interface with the Red Room's computer systems as well as hacking into a Mother Box and opening multiple Boom Tubes to Apokolips before closing them again. Also he brought up files such as divorce records on Spore's alter ego.

Teleportation - Cyborg is capable of using opening Boom Tubes to transport himself and the League to various locations. However, one out of every thousand 'Jumps' results in Cyborg transporting him and whoever is with him to Apokolips.

Integrated Weapons: His arsenal included a finger laser attachment, telescopic eyepiece, sonic disrupter, electric shockers, grappling hooks, and winches.

Sensor Systems


Where is Cyborg based and what is his HQ like?
I don't think Cyborg needs a secret headquarters. It's so cliche nowadays. He doens't need a desktop computer or anything. All he needs is an apartment or home. You can make it hightech if you want like Bill Gates house or something.

What is the scope of Cyborg's activities? What does Cyborg do when not heroing?
Cyborg spends a good chunk of his time doing superheroics. He's part of the big 7 so he can fight any sort of crime. When not doing that I think he should be a private contractor or consulting helping out the government, police and Star Labs. I would link him heavily to Star Labs, having him do engineering work and following other scientific pursuits. Heck he could even set up his own company.



Finally, Vic's potential supporting cast and rogues:


Who is/are his love interest(s)?
He's heterosexual. Personally I'd go witha new character, but if you want a past love interest. Sarah Charles, Sarah Sims or that girl he dated in that old story when he fought Two Face.

Who is/are his best friend(s) and protege(s)?
No protege's. If he ends up mentoring a young hero thats cool, but no sidekicks thats just sketchy honestly. If Batman was a real person I'd call child services rightaway. For his friends basically teh Justice LEague, Shazam and I would like if he reconnected with some of the original Teen Titans, the ones who weren't runined in teh New 52.

Who is/are his family?
His mother died in a Lab accident. His father is Silas Stone head of Star Labs. No siblings. I know someone thought it would be cool if Amanda Waller was like his Aunt or something but that feels weird to me unless we can write a good story around that.

Who is/are his colleagues?
Uh the Justice League......

Who is his arch-enemy?
He doesn't have one, unless you count the Grid. Teen Titans Go! gave him Brother Blood as an arch.

Who is/are the rest of his personal rogues gallery?

The way I see it Cyborg should have enemies that fall into 3 categories: magic, bio-engineering, and advanced technology.

A magic based enemy he could tangle with would be Brother Blood an enemy that would be his polar opposite and completely foreign to him.

A genetically engineered enemy he would go up against would be someone like Mammoth. That would be a battle of savage strength vs advanced technology and wits. It would be cool visually to see.

Lastly fighting another technologically advanced opponent like himself. Someone that would be his dark reflection. Such as Grid, a version of Amazo or fighting Brainiac in the Cyberverse etc.

[Flash Gordon]

Rick Remender would be my first choice. Steve Pugh on art. Kind of like Warren Ellis' HOTWIRE meets Remender's FEAR AGENT/BLACK SCIENCE.

CYBORG should be all about the future. His adventures should be cyber punk romps into the unknown. Bleeding edge technology. Boom tubes that accidentally open in the wrong places. Hacker wars with the Calculator or the Grid.

I'd give him a cast of characters at STAR LABS, as well as the JL (since he would always be connected to Watchtower). Maybe some Milestone characters like HARDWARE. Expanding and creating his supporting cast would be the number one priority, I think.

[Flash Gordon]

double post

[Godlike13]

I wan't one, but i don't want to see one just to see one. I want one that has a direction, has something that will make it stand out, and has Vic trying to accomplish something.

[Jabare]

I do think Cyborg should have 1 or two hackers as a supporting cast. I know its a little cliche. Maybe they start out at enemies but eventually they group up. The hackers ethnicity and whether he/she is a guy or girl doesn't matter imo. Unless you want this to be a love interest than I'd say girl.

[LoneNecromancer]

Warren Ellis seems tailor-made for the book if it's going to explore the man/machine dichotomy, but I doubt you could get him for more than a few issues.

Ellis on Cyborg would be amazing. That's pretty much a dream writer there.

[tib2d2]

I would LOVE him to have his own book. His story is pretty unique and I think the things he is now forced to live with and deal with would make an amazing title. The first step would figure out why he would be out in the world away from the JL, since he's their backbone as of now.

[skyvolt2000]

I'd give him a cast of characters at STAR LABS, as well as the JL (since he would always be connected to Watchtower). Maybe some Milestone characters like HARDWARE. Expanding and creating his supporting cast would be the number one priority, I think.

For the record there is someone from Milestone that does work at Star Labs-Static.

the most common complaints about Cyborg are a direct result of him not having a solo or mini series focus, and they could easily be rectified by giving him one.

He needs development before that book ever comes out or you will have a 7 issue flop on your hands and folks really giving you heck. The development should have been happening in the Justice League book. You gave Shazam backups-why can't Cyborg have one?

[Starchild]

Fixit from the teen titans cartoon would be a good arch enemy.

[stephens2177]

One part Robocop,two parts Knowledge(the show),the ultimate modern HUMAN hero.