Cyborg 009

サイボーグ009

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About this title

Synopsis

Cyborg 009 is the story of a half-Japanese juvenile delinquent, Shimamura Joe AKA 'Cyborg 009.' 'Black Ghost,' a top-secret organization bent on promoting global warfare, kidnaps Joe along with eight other unwanted members of society from the four corners of the world and turns them into cyborgs. Though the organization intends to turn the group into super-powered killing machines, it's not long before Joe and his new companions rebel against Black Ghost and make their escape with the help of an old scientist. Once Joe and friends have freed themselves, Black Ghost sends a series of other cyborgs and giant robots in hot pursuit. Using their new powers and abilities, our heroes stay one step ahead of Black Ghost and its evil machinations, but can they save the world from its diabolical scheme? (Source: Tokyopop)

Publication notes

Cyborg 009 was partially published in English by Tokyopop, who published the first ten volumes from September 9, 2003 to March 8, 2005.

Published

Jul 1964 to 1979

Authors

Ishinomori, Shoutarou

External links

MyAnimeList page Wikipedia

MAL rank: #2455
Members (MAL): 4,794
Favorites (MAL): 77

Related titles

Sequel

Cyborg 009 Kanketsu-hen: Conclusion God's War

Adaptation

Main characters

Joe Shimamura85 fan favorites
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Joe, Jo Shimamura in Japanese version, 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 cyborg. 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. During each of the series, he acts as the leader of 009 Cyborgs. 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.
Jet Link40 fan favorites
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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. 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. Jet has a huge nose.
Albert Heinrich39 fan favorites
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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.
Françoise Arnoul21 fan favorites
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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
Great Britain12 fan favorites
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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.
Pyunma3 fan favorites
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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.
Ivan Whisky3 fan favorites
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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. (Source: Wikipedia)
Geronimo Jr.2 fan favorites
External profile
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. (Source: Wikipedia)
Chang Changku0 fan favorites
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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. (Source: Wikipedia)