The video opens with the definition of a Cybernetic Organism. It's a self-regulating organism that contains a combination of natural and artificial components.
-Geoff Johns: In the 80s, Marv and George tapped into something that--I assume--...was being talked about: artificial limbs and hearts. I assume that was getting big.
-Mike Carlin: That was the era when the six million dollar man concept was still pretty new. I think that the thing they did different--and better--was that he had a problem with being a half-machine. While he is alive, it's not the life that he would have chosen.
-Geoff Johns: He was a little bit rough and struggling with that balance. They created a character that's everlasting. I just think that he'll be more and more relevant as time marches on.
-Marv Wolfman: What I think you try to do when you create any character is make them real or as real as you can. You try to figure out what makes the character interesting.
-Mike Carlin: We all come from imperfect places. And it's sometimes hard to get away from them.
-Geoff Johns: Unlike a lot of other league members--like Green Lantern, who has his ring, and Flash, who got hit by lightning--or other heroes, who were altered by accident or gained their powers someway, all look the same. They have the choice to take off that costume, fade away, and take a break. But Cyborg never does. He never unplugs. He is Cyborg. And that makes him a very different character from the other ones.
-Mike Carlin: These were all different concepts for the DC Universe, and they did a good job. They didn't just go half way. They went all the way.
-Marv Wolfman: I didn't want him to be Inspector Gadget, so I didn't want everything popping out of him, and I didn't want him to be a Swiss Army Knife of superheroes. We just kept it down to a couple of things. It was there to mostly enhance his abilities. He was an athlete, so it could get him to jump higher [and] get him to run faster. It made him a little stronger. But we didn't take him into the realm of Superman because the one thing with Vic was that...--no matter what mechanical augmentation you gave the character--he had to remain human.
-Mike Carlin: The conflict that's built into Cyborg comes from even before he becomes half man and half machine. It's a conflict with his father--his father's vision.
-Marv Wolfman: It had to do with his father and mother doing inter-dimensional exploration. And through the accident of what happens, his body is somewhat destroyed. And his father has to rebuild him.
-Mike Carlin: His father is not a villain per se, but he is definitely single-minded, and--at the expense of his family--he is willing to cross lines.
--Geoff Johns: When DC was relaunching Justice League and Jim Lee and I were going to do the book, we looked at the original line-up. We were going to reset the team, so we wanted to do something different, so it wasn't going to be the same seven characters that are always on the team.
--Marv Wolfman: I always determined that there would be Black characters in any books that I created because why not? I mean I didn't see it as I have to do this. I just said look around you. There are every type of people. Why should a Black character be identified by race as opposed by who who they are.
--Mike Carlin: You need to have a computer guy in the Justice League, so it's a real natural progression. It's not something that's shoehorned in or nailed on or taped into place or held by band-aids. He belongs.
--Geoff Johns: He represented something very different. He was iconic, but he was a modern icon. Cyborg has become a source of information. He can get schematics, dossiers, or anything that can be found on a computer. No computer can keep him out. He can break through any wall or firewall. He's a force to be reckoned with. And that's our goal--to keep pushing him to be a force to be reckoned with.
I think that you're always going to have the most stories with Cyborg if you remain true to what Marv and George created as a half man/half machine. Because that man vs machine is an age old story. I don't think they realize that b tapping into technology--maybe they did-Cyborg's become even more relevant today.
--Marv Wolfman: I don't think we ever pushed Cyborg as far as I would today. I'm thrilled that DC thinks that Cyborg is as good a character as we knew he was. I'm glad that the people are making him even stronger and integral to all of the DC Universe. I'm really thrilled about that because it means that I've created an iconic character--not just in my own book--, but a character that's spun off into all these other titles as well.
--Geoff Johns: There is no other Cyborg. There's only one Cyborg.
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Notes: I'm definitely seeing shades of Frankenstein (father/son vs creator/monster) and John Henry (man vs machine). I want a Cyborg ongoing series SO bad that it keeps me up at night knowing that he has so much potential that hasn't been tapped yet. Do it DC!
Also, you guys should try to check out the actual video for Cyborg: His Time Has Come on the Blu Ray Special Features. It's way better than this transcript, and it has some really amazing art, music, and graphics. If you can, please post it online for everyone to see and appreciate.
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