Cyborg

Lore & Background

Victor Stone is the son of Silas and Elinore Stone, scientists who used him as a test subject for intelligence enhancement projects. After growing to resent this treatment, Victor befriended Ron Evers, leading him down a path of rebellion involving athletics and underage criminal associations, though he refused Evers' racially motivated terrorism plans. His life changed radically at his parents' lab when an aggressive gelatinous creature was pulled through inter-dimensional access, killing his mother and severely injuring Victor before Silas sent it back.

With Victor near death, Silas used prototype medical prosthetic research to install extensive artificial limbs and implants without consent. Horrified by the metallic components covering most of his left head and face, Victor raged that he would rather have died. Eventually adjusting physically but rejected socially—even by a girlfriend who wished he had stayed dead—Victor's conscience remained unbowed. When Evers attempted a terrorist attack on the United Nations, Victor equipped his weaponized attachments to stop him atop the headquarters.

Reader's Guide

Victor Stone serves as a mentor to new incarnations of the Teen Titans, including sidekicks like Tim Drake (the third Robin) alongside stalwarts Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. The team has fought enemies such as Deathstroke, Brother Blood, Doctor Light, the Titans Tomorrow, and a brainwashed Superboy during an Insiders storyline team-up with the Outsiders. In this conflict, Cyborg was the only member capable of standing up to Doctor Light thanks to his solar shields, though he clarified he only won because the rest of the Titans had softened Light up first.

During the 2005–2006 "Infinite Crisis" storyline, Cyborg joined Donna's "New Cronus" team to investigate a hole in the universe found during the Rann-Thanagar War, leaving Beast Boy in charge of the Titans. His abilities include superior technology interfaces and a powerful body granted by his cybernetics, though he often struggles with feelings of lost humanity. In animated media, he debuted in Super Friends and has been voiced by Ernie Hudson, Khary Payton, Bumper Robinson, Shemar Moore, and Zeno Robinson.

Did You Know?

• George Pérez cited the character Deathlok as his visual inspiration, specifically using a young Jim Brown for the body language.
• The Technis race that restored Cyborg's mind was created from the sexual union of Swamp Thing and a machine-planet.
• During the Titans Hunt, Victor lost his consciousness and became Cyberion, connecting entirely to the Technis planet.
• In live-action, Ray Fisher portrayed Cyborg in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).