Booyah!: Cyborg Appreciation 2022

[skyvolt2000]

Geoff Johns really screwed Stewart. I remember working at retail around the time the Green Lantern film came out and I couldn't tell you how many people were puzzled by Green Lantern being white. I read comics so I wasn't one of them. After the Justice League cartoon launched Stewart into sma star he should've kept his place among the big 7 especially since Hal Jordan wasn't Green Lantern at the time of his popularity...but that's just my worthless opinion lol.

To be fair from 1986-2011-any non-trade Hal Jordan material (pretty much all Green Lantern material) was limited to comic book stores.
Green Lanterns were MIA in all other media aside from Kyle cameo in Superman Adventures and John in JLA.

For everyone after 1986-John Stewart was the Green Lantern. He was the second black character from DC that most saw not named Cyborg.

New 52 JLA had all the guys minus Cyborg who sold books (something John nor Cyborg got shots at doing). The book was for those within the comic book industry not outside it.
Which was even MORE telling when we saw merchandise of said team and Cyborg was EXCLUDED. Way more than Wonder Woman and Aquaman-who got shafted at times too.

There are JLA party sets-Cyborg nor WW nor Aquaman are there. Hal, Bruce, Clark and Barry are.
Cyborg (along with WW & Aquaman) got shafted on Hot Wheels JLA cars (the first set)
Cyborg got shafted on various Justice League stuff (before movie)
I saw a Justice League binder that had Ollie, Dinah & J'onn on it.
Justice League Valentines that had Catwoman and Batgirl. Not Jim Lee art but Jose Lopez Garcia and George Perez.

So if there was suppose to be a Cyborg push-WHERE WAS IT?

This is about DC's idiotic "only one black character in the JL" rule, which is clearly still the case to this day even after the former higher-ups have been gone.

Well the toxic reaction to McDuffie's JLA run (despite it still sold) might be a bigger reason for that. Because management (DAN) actually supported 4 blacks on the team.

[Robotman]

Well there is some BONUS tea to that....

You do know WHO the editor was??? Same editor on Static Shock and Black Lightening Cold Dead Hands.

Harvey Richards. A black man. Who has already been aired out by Marc Bernardin.

https://twitter.com/marcbernardin/st...68145261379586



For all the cries of we need black folks behind the scenes and in charge. Here is an example of why that is not always a good thing.

And now it makes sense Richards has not SNIFF employment anywhere despite 25 yeas experience.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/davi...e-thugged-out/

Walker says it wasn’t Didio, Harras, or Johns that wanted Cyborg “thugged out”, so it was most likely Richards.

[9th.]

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/davi...e-thugged-out/

Walker says it wasn’t Didio, Harras, or Johns that wanted Cyborg “thugged out”, so it was most likely Richards.

Thugged out???? Excuse me, Cyborg? Victor Stone? THUGGED OUT??? WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Johnny]

Think about what Neal Adams had to deal with to make sure that John Stewart wouldn't be littered with stereotypes. That was more than 50 years ago. Here we are in the 21st century and these troglodytes wanted to "thug out" one of their few prominent African-American characters. A character who used to have ALL the potential in the world yet it seems like they were HELLBENT on squandering that potential right from the get-go. And the most disgusting thing about it is if this wasn't Walker but some yes man writer, they would've gone along with it just like that.

[Shockingjustice]

Anyone remember Generator Rex? Don't know if he qualifies as a Cyborg, but I wish Victor was closer to being built like him. Instead he's like the Cyborgs from Mortal Kombat which are basically robots.

[skyvolt2000]

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/davi...e-thugged-out/

Walker says it wasn’t Didio, Harras, or Johns that wanted Cyborg “thugged out”, so it was most likely Richards.

Someone on bleedingcool thought it might have been Diane Nelson-she would NOT have done that with as much stuff at DC she fought for.

And the most disgusting thing about it is if this wasn't Walker but some yes man writer, they would've gone along with it just like that.

We did get a Thugged out Mr Terffic in Future's End.

[Robotman]

Someone on bleedingcool thought it might have been Diane Nelson-she would NOT have done that with as much stuff at DC she fought for.



We did get a Thugged out Mr Terffic in Future's End.

Who was the editor on that story?

[skyvolt2000]

Who was the editor on that story?

Joey Cavalieri been there since 1981.

LOL he was the writer for Huntress ongoing in 1991.

Where she took in a black boy after a gang killed his mother and brother. Interesting enough he was MIA when her DC Showcase 1993 arc started.

He did Green Arrow backups in Detective Comics.

[king81992]

Anyone remember Generator Rex? Don't know if he qualifies as a Cyborg, but I wish Victor was closer to being built like him. Instead he's like the Cyborgs from Mortal Kombat which are basically robots.

Generator Rex was a good series. His whole power set was based on nanomachines, but his body itself wasn't mechanical, so I don't think he counts as a cyborg.

The problem isn't Vic's design, we've seen it tweaked to be more appealing while being robotic. The problem is writers who keep rehashing the same old 'am I a man, machine or monster?' narrative and out of touch editors.

I really hope the editor who wanted a 'thugged out Cyborg' is no longer with the company. Coming up with that angle shows a real lack of creativity among other things.

[LukeCagefan]

If TPTB were actually deadset on making Cyborg an independently popular hero, his girlfriend/love interest would unabashedly and consistently be Starfire, he would have a much better design that doesn't make him 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide, and he wouldn't be a constant sad sack. The Starfire thing wouldn't even get in anybody's way, since Dick Grayson's endgame appears to be Babs Gordon.

I get a feeling some of these writers (even the black ones) are timid about taking the plunge with some of these black man characters, so to speak. For example, we saw Black Lightning with merely a ghost of a flirtation with Katana in that recent Batman and the Outsiders comic. And Cyborg had something similar but to an even less degree with Starfire in Justice League Odyssey. These characters have already been associated with each other for decades. Why are you writers pussy footing around with that? And then we see other examples like Finn from Star Wars, but the less said about him the better.

Rather seldomly are these types of characters written like James Bond, a character many people fantasize about being, and I think that's a reason they often struggle on their own. By James Bond, I don't mean they have to have loads of loads of women all the time, but the character is approached in an unabashed manner to make him as cool as possible regardless of whatever. In comparison, some of these black characters seem to be approached with a mindset of being handicapped. No pun intended in Cyborg's case

In the end, that is going to make them less desirable to people.

The Black Lightning and Katana thing still upsets me. It was one of the main reasons I religiously read Outsiders, then Tony Isabella whines and tells everyone associated with the book to f themselves and Bryan Hill seemed to lose interest in the relationship. Jefferson and Tatsu made so much sense. I rather Vic have Raven rather than Kory to avoid dealing with Nightwing x Starfire shippers.

[Robotman]

The Black Lightning and Katana thing still upsets me. It was one of the main reasons I religiously read Outsiders, then Tony Isabella whines and tells everyone associated with the book to f themselves and Bryan Hill seemed to lose interest in the relationship. Jefferson and Tatsu made so much sense. I rather Vic have Raven rather than Kory to avoid dealing with Nightwing x Starfire shippers.

Starfire and Nightwing shippers have already lost as DickBabs is pretty established. Raven and Beast Boy on the other hand has become solidified as far as comic book romances go. Not only did DC establish it in continuity but there was a popular YA graphic novel about them which helped cement their relationship.

Kory and Vic would make sense if they’re going to match up the classic NTT. It seemed like they were hinting at it in Justice League Odyssey but then a big editorial change happened and the book went in a totally different direction.

Vic has been screwed over by editorial more than pretty much any superhero.

[Stanlos]

After Devin Grayson made him more humanoid with the whole Technis/Omega Drome why go to the clunkiness of the New 52 version? I don't think he got a power upgrade as his other form was a planetary threat.

[9th.]

Starfire and Nightwing shippers have already lost as DickBabs is pretty established. Raven and Beast Boy on the other hand has become solidified as far as comic book romances go. Not only did DC establish it in continuity but there was a popular YA graphic novel about them which helped cement their relationship.

Kory and Vic would make sense if they’re going to match up the classic NTT. It seemed like they were hinting at it in Justice League Odyssey but then a big editorial change happened and the book went in a totally different direction.

Vic has been screwed over by editorial more than pretty much any superhero.

Poor Justice League Odyssey just got thrown away off course, that book had so much promise.

[LukeCagefan]

Will they ever get rid of the faceplate? Lol

[BlackClaw]

Will they ever get rid of the faceplate? Lol

If DC editorial decides to start moving forward and stop living in the past sure.